How was your cycle commute?

[a_chap]

Bloody nippy this morning. Full-fingered gloves and a wooly hat!

 

[The Boy]

I was promised gusts if 45+mph last week and they didn't materialise.

Today I was promised 5mph winds. In reality the wind had me crawling up in my Granny ring - first time I've used it in years.

 

[iamwithnail]

Was definitely a bit nippy on Monday, less so the last two days. I've gone to commuting into victoria now, which is quite nice, really now that they've done all that segregated lanes work over Vauxhall bridge. 22 minutes door to door in rush hour seems fine to me!

 

[stavros]

An in-work journey rather than a commute, but I raced back from a meeting to catch a specific train, as I knew they were only hourly, and just made it. I promptly found that the train was cancelled with a replacement bus service. I managed to get the bike on whilst the driver was having a fag and I think I was too settled by the time he got back to raise any objections.

 

[plurker]

Had a meeting in Shoreditch this morning, so a slightly different route.

Nightmare. Riding from elephant and castle to Shoreditch, over London Bridge. Practically standstill traffic all the way along Borough high st, over the bridge and all thru the city.. Dropped my average speed from my usual 15-16 mph down to 10. Glad I don't have to do that every day!!

Tomorrow I've a morning meeting at Sloane square, so see how that goes!

 

[Crispy]

Nightmare. Riding from elephant and castle to Shoreditch, over London Bridge. Practically standstill traffic all the way along Borough high st, over the bridge and all thru the city.. Dropped my average speed from my usual 15-16 mph down to 10. Glad I don't have to do that every day!!

Use Southwark bridge instead. Slightly longer distance, but much much better roads and paths.

 

[plurker]

Use Southwark bridge instead. Slightly longer distance, but much much better roads and paths.

Yeah. I was even thinking of my usual route over Blackfriars then cutting across.

Tomorrow's ride looks nice thru Clapham Common tho

 

[Winot]

Went for a curry in the East End last night (just north of Cable St) and discovered the extension of the CS3 on my way home to Brixton. Bloody hell it's fantastic - TFL has completely sorted the horrible bit north of the Tower and you can now cycle on completely segregated cycle tracks from Cable St all the way to Elephant. The bit along Upper Thames St is a revelation!

Couldn't quite work out if there was a way to get up onto Blackfriars Bridge other than going under it east->west then doubling back to the southbound track - anyone know?

 

[Crispy]

Went for a curry in the East End last night (just north of Cable St) and discovered the extension of the CS3 on my way home to Brixton. Bloody hell it's fantastic - TFL has completely sorted the horrible bit north of the Tower and you can now cycle on completely segregated cycle tracks from Cable St all the way to Elephant. The bit along Upper Thames St is a revelation!

Couldn't quite work out if there was a way to get up onto Blackfriars Bridge other than going under it east->west then doubling back to the southbound track - anyone know?

That's the "official" route, but you can take this shortcut via Lambeth Hill onto Queen Victoria Street, which has a more direct junction at Blackfriars:



QVSt. Isn't as pleasant to ride on though.

 

[Orang Utan]

They've invented a Vomit-o-lock:
Bike lock developed that makes thieves immediately vomit

I see a number of flaws to this.

 

[stavros]

I did another 2 mile TT along a dual carriageway today, into a bit of ahead wind, and felt good. It was almost spoilt by a 4x4 twat at a roundabout later on who pulled out of the exit before mine and right across me.

 

[plurker]

My regular ride, old Peugeot racer, is in LBS for a new bottom bracket and chain set, so last night I dug my old hybrid out of the cellar.
One perished inner tube needed replaced, but the brakes were non-functioning – levers had no resistance and all the way to touch the handlebar.

Did a quick google, and subsequently managed to ‘burp’ the hydraulic disc brakes – it’s kind of a simple bleed.

Riding today was interesting – it handles so differently from the racer, I felt like Danny McAskill too, though I only jumped on and off a couple of kerbs.
It felt really slow, but Strava says it was about the same as normal…them lycra boys don't like being overtaken by hybrids

 

[Crispy]

Clocks going back means it *will* be dark on the ride home tomorrow. Make sure your lights have batteries, people!

 

[Dogsauce]

Clocks going back means it *will* be dark on the ride home tomorrow. Make sure your lights have batteries, people!

Dark before 5 even. I had to drop onto the canal for the last half-mile, lights were on the other bike

 

[iamwithnail]

Charging my lights for going back to work as we speak!

 

[toblerone3]

Unfortunately my front light went dark on my ride home last night. Its one of those charge from USB lights

and it gives no warning before running out of juice. Previously you could tell when the battery needed recharging as the light began to go a bit dimmer.

 

[a_chap]

Always take two front and two rear lights. They're cheap enough to buy.

 

[Orang Utan]

Utterly pointless cycle lanes #748382:

 

[gentlegreen]

I think I would make a point of simply jumping that light - not being Danny MacAskill.

 

[Crispy]

It's for crossing the road isn't it?

 

[Orang Utan]

It's for crossing the road isn't it?

I think so. Still pointless. And confusing for someone passing by it.

 

[Orang Utan]

I think I would make a point of simply jumping that light - not being Danny MacAskill.

Not a good idea if it's red as there's traffic coming from the right at speed. Best to hold back and wait at that place.

 

[iamwithnail]

I think so. Still pointless. And confusing for someone passing by it.

Doesn't it have its own light though, for cyclists turning right?

 

[gentlegreen]

Oh I see - it isn't a cyclists' bypass.

 

[Orang Utan]

Doesn't it have its own light though, for cyclists turning right?

Nope - there are blue signs on either side of the road for those crossing it but nothing for anyone coming from the road. If I had wanted to turn right, it could have been useful, but no one turns right there as it's just coming from where you've been.

 

[gentlegreen]

So it's effectively the UK equivalent of a "Copenhagen Left" ?

 

[doddles]

Always take two front and two rear lights. They're cheap enough to buy.

Maybe not for the speedsters, but I have lightweight hub dynamo in my front wheel. Powers a very bright front light and a rear light/reflector combo. Never have to worry about forgetting the lights or batteries again. They're installed on about 90% of commuter bikes in The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark but virtually no one has them here. Stupid because they are really good.

 

[a_chap]

Maybe not for the speedsters, but I have lightweight hub dynamo in my front wheel. Powers a very bright front light and a rear light/reflector combo. Never have to worry about forgetting the lights or batteries again. They're installed on about 90% of commuter bikes in The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark but virtually no one has them here. Stupid because they are really good.

I have dyno hubs on three bikes. Doesn't mean a bulb won't fail.

Take a spare light.

 

[Winot]

Yep hub dynamo here as well. Combine it with a flashing LED rear.

 

[Virtual Blue]

Enjoyable cycle journey in, this is the perfect weather. Cold but dry. Good visibility.
Avoided Blackfriars and went through Waterloo. Speedy as hell.