How was your cycle commute?
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Dogsauce
I’ve got Skol but I’m not a Scholar
The joy that is surface dressing. Give it a few weeks and it'll be OK.
The Canal and Rivers Trust up here in Leeds got a pile of cycling money, supposedly as part of the Tour legacy, and has just resurfaced about 15 miles of the canal towpath with sharp flint gravel (very badly at first) which was stuck down over bumpy badly-laid tarmac. Punctures galore. After complaints they're redoing some of it (initially the gravel didn't stick meaning people were riding through loose gravel several cm deep and sliding all over the place). They've also put in some very harsh speed bumps at the bottom of the steep slopes down from the locks, but not marked or signed them, cue injured cyclists. Basically they've taken cycling funding and spent it making the canal less friendly for cyclists, pushchairs and wheelchairs.
plurker
tú no tienes la culpa mi amor que el mundo sea feo
Been off for a month since having a littl'un (well, the OH did, not me!)
First cycle commute today. That was HARD work, felt slow as a tortoise in treacle, but surprisingly only 3 mins slower than a 'normal' day. 3 mins is 10% mind you, but I went running last night, so can blame that for heavy legs!
New section (25m perhaps) of fully-segregated cycle lane at Kennington now, wasn't expecting that so didn't use it. Is it finished? (a cynic might write 'is that it'...)
First cycle commute today. That was HARD work, felt slow as a tortoise in treacle, but surprisingly only 3 mins slower than a 'normal' day. 3 mins is 10% mind you, but I went running last night, so can blame that for heavy legs!
New section (25m perhaps) of fully-segregated cycle lane at Kennington now, wasn't expecting that so didn't use it. Is it finished? (a cynic might write 'is that it'...)
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Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
The junction works at Oval are starting to bear fruit. It's still hell to get in lane coming off Brixton Road by the church, but once you're on the raised lane on the triangle island by the park, you're segregated all the way past the horrible junction and emerge grinning into the bus lane beyond. Love it.
plurker
tú no tienes la culpa mi amor que el mundo sea feo
I came across this today, unexpectedly, so didn't use it - I was past the 'entrance ramp' before I'd clocked the cyclepath was even there.
First impressions; looks nice, very blue.
It's gonna get confusing as cyclists moving right to go straight on to E&C cut across those joining who are coming from Brixton and looking to turn left at Kennington.
Two cars were stopped at a green light (by Kennington PO corner) as they didn't understand the new layout.
At that point I'm and hammering away from Stockwell lights, so 20+ mph, and I swing left at Kennington, so I'll probably still use the main carriageway tbh; seems to be no point me slowing to use a dedicated lane. Though might try it tmrw just to see what the point of it is.
Crispy
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Hasn't seemed to be an issue yet. There's plenty of distance between the merge from Brixton Road and the junction at Kennington Road for people to get in lane. There's still a few hangers-on who try and take the main carriageway for E&C and then get confused why there's no space to get to the front, or why they're being overtaken from the left by everyone who took the cycle lane
The cycle lanes get the green light before the main carriageway does, so you probably make kit onto Kenning Road quicker. Besides, the point isn't speed, it's safety.
plurker
tú no tienes la culpa mi amor que el mundo sea feo
Fair enough, I flew past it and glanced in a 'hmm, that's new, interesting, oh look there's a car' kind of way
I'll pay more attnetion to it tmrw.Oh ok. When I got to those lights all the cyclists (for E&C and Kennington Rd) were waiting, while the cars were on a green - although the cars hadn't noticed!
Not criticising it; that junction /area is a fricking deathtrap north and southbound, so anything to help will be welcome...
Crispy
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Hmm, that's weird. I'd have thought LH cycles and LH traffic could go at the same time. E&C-bound traffic works that way.
Still, it's nice being able to take the left turn in safety.
You'll probably notice more benefit when the southbound works get done.
No more fighting with LH turning traffic at the lights!
(full plan here: https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/oval-locations-map.pdf)
plurker
tú no tienes la culpa mi amor que el mundo sea feo
That's what I'm waiting for - I currently ride in the RH lane as though I'm turning R at Oval, and then cut acrosstwo lanes of moving traffic to get to the L lane after Oval. Crazy junction s/bound!
sleaterkinney
Well-Known Member
Got absolutely soaked on the way home. You know when you sit up and the puddle of water that was collecting at the nape of your neck runs down your back?...
Another thing, it's happened a few times now that lights have been out - is it too much to get a plastic piggy out directing traffic?
Another thing, it's happened a few times now that lights have been out - is it too much to get a plastic piggy out directing traffic?
joustmaster
offcumdun
Fucked my wheel up.
A spoke ripped out of the rim, pulling a hole with it.
My LBS is pretty cool though. They've got a web page that I can log in to and see the estimated cost of labour and parts for my job, and I can approve or decline it. And they update it as they go along.
A spoke ripped out of the rim, pulling a hole with it.
My LBS is pretty cool though. They've got a web page that I can log in to and see the estimated cost of labour and parts for my job, and I can approve or decline it. And they update it as they go along.
DJWrongspeed
radio eros
DJWrongspeed
radio eros
Reason prevails!
It's all about temporary bollards apparently. When they have ceremonial things going on they can remove them and cyclists revert to the road.
Pgd
Well-Known Member
I can see this won't change your life if you're going Clapham --> Elephant. Clapham --> Waterloo, maybe; like Crispy says, it looks like cyclists get a left-turn green before motorists do.
I used it for the first time Brixton --> Waterloo just now, and, wheeee! Great fun, especially as I hit a green coming up Brixton Road so made it all the way through without stopping. Will it get congested? Probably, but it always was from Brixton way, and at least cyclists can do their merging dance by themselves, away from general traffic.
Plus, that and following/drafting a fella on a Pinarello (I think?) all the way along Streatham High Road shaved me a minute and a half off my 2-year-old PB. (yeah, yeah, Strava thread --> that way)
So cobbles are a pain. Also got buzzed by an Asda van and then a Council bin van which decided to overtake me on a cobbled road just as i was signalling to turn right at the junction twenty metres ahead.
Also, panniers make yer bike not feel right. In fact, just the mudguards and the rack make my bike not feel right. Is only an extra two kilos or so unladen but it feels wroooong. Plus the weight of my school stuff and yer probably talking an extra 7 or so kilos. Plus the other extra 7 kilos I've smuggled about my person since the end of last term and it's no wonder I'm struggling up the hills.
Oh yeah, and i discovered that that noise I decided was probably nothing to worry about is actually my front brake rubbing against the rim.
Also, panniers make yer bike not feel right. In fact, just the mudguards and the rack make my bike not feel right. Is only an extra two kilos or so unladen but it feels wroooong. Plus the weight of my school stuff and yer probably talking an extra 7 or so kilos. Plus the other extra 7 kilos I've smuggled about my person since the end of last term and it's no wonder I'm struggling up the hills.
Oh yeah, and i discovered that that noise I decided was probably nothing to worry about is actually my front brake rubbing against the rim.
I've now done me new commute into college three days and can confirm that it consists of:
about half a mile of horrible cobbles; several miles of unrelentingly uphill cycleway*; a rat run full of angry, impotent office wankers; a mile or two of brutal headwind*.
*these obviously work in my favour on the return leg.
Also, in spite of it being mostly off-road I *still* had two idiots nearly do me a mischief.
about half a mile of horrible cobbles; several miles of unrelentingly uphill cycleway*; a rat run full of angry, impotent office wankers; a mile or two of brutal headwind*.
*these obviously work in my favour on the return leg.
Also, in spite of it being mostly off-road I *still* had two idiots nearly do me a mischief.
plurker
tú no tienes la culpa mi amor que el mundo sea feo
I go Clapham - Waterloo.
I've not yet used it - every time I come up alongside, I keep a close eye on the spearate lights for cyclists. The separate lights for cyclists going Waterloo-bound appear to give you about 2s headstart over cars; negligible effect. I find it easier to use the main carriage way, and pull away with the cars. I do appreciate that I'm a faster rider than most, and as such I'm griping about nothing; I'll keep to the road.
Dogsauce
I’ve got Skol but I’m not a Scholar
Had a ridiculous in-lane undertake yesterday. I'm moving quickly (around 30mph) on a three-lane bit of a big distributor road, sat in the left lane which runs into a sliproad but about 3/4 of the way out as the sliproad splits into three lanes once it peels off and I need the right-hand one. Suddenly there's this orange blob to the left of me and someone in one of those new beetles squeezes past me on the inside, despite the fact I'm moving about quite a bit because of the wind. Total twat, within a few inches travelling at about 35 I guess. Caught them at the lights and gave them a filthy look which they ignored. Another of those times I wish I had a camera.
Pgd
Well-Known Member
Sure were... I thought at first it must be the Oval works (though they've been fine all this week) but judging by the traffic at Kennington Cross I think something must've happened up Elephant way.
iamwithnail
Well-Known Member
It was a nightmare all over this morning, from the sounds of it. my in-laws had problems coming in from Kent, Peckham High Street was jammed, they did the rat run through Nunhead and stuff to avoid it, I got stuck at Old Kent Road, Dunton Rd Tesco, again on Tower Bridge and again in the City, took me about 30% longer than normal.
plurker
tú no tienes la culpa mi amor que el mundo sea feo
Okay, I used the cycle path - cause the traffic going towards E&C was backed right up and affecting it.. My impressions:
1/ bit lumpy for a newly-laid bit of tarmac
2/ the lights don't offer any advantage at all to riders, maybe 2secs at most.
3/ as you come off the path, if you're headin towards Waterloo, there are three drains right as you come down to road level, one 12" square slippery one, and two 4" ones that are sunken into the tarmac.
it'll be better when you can join the cycle path at Oval, rather than half-way along, where the Brixton Rd riders join it.
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
Yeah I was noticing this today. Not great :-/
