Inspired by yesterdays MTFU commuting thread
The present horizontal rain I can just about cope with. As long as its not for the whole distance. A headwind is a tailwind 50% of the time. The homicidal taxi drivers aren't too over-represented on the route I ride. The roads aren't in that bad nick. In all, its quite pleasant
But… but….
In the last half mile of my commute in the morning, I pass not one, but three… three!… butty vans! THREE! And they know what they're doing! The evil swines constantly pump out an aroma of fried breakfasts. Its like chemical warfare. A haze of eau de bacon butty's assaults my nasal passages just at the point that my body is telling me it could probably use an infusion of calories
I'm effing starving now!!!! Must…. resist….
your moans and whines please….
The fact that it takes me to work.
This morning I had to move some of my cycling clothes to get from my bedroom to the office in the spare room.
I normally get a clear run, though.
I had about 2 mins of roadworks today. But it meant I had time to eat my breakfast pastry and watch the sunrise over the forest.
Reading whining threads on STW about folks commute... 🙄
The bit between arriving and setting off home again.
Cars pushing in at the bottom of the slip road at J17 on the M60 is quite irritating too. (note - I am not riding my bike on the motorway)
I'm not working at the moment so effectively my commute is going to the kitchen to make coffee and returning to bed.
This morning it was ruined when I couldn't find my slippers so had to stand on the cold stone floor while the kettle boiled.
Seriously, what's the world coming to.
The fact that it takes me to work.
haha +1
So often I feel like just peddling past the office 🙂
The fact that in the morning the wind blows up the valley and in the evening it blows down the valley whilst in the morning I travel down the valley and in the evening I travel up the valley. I reckon there's a headwind about 75% of the time...
on and on, the horror!
Not been doing too bad with rain horizontal or otherwise, ony a few soakings but the incessant mud is starting to get to me. I've had to take to a road to cut out a proper 2 mile slog of the stuff, it is not a nice road. Quiet but narrow so there's a good chance I will only be overtaken once or twice but there's also a good chance they will be right nobbers about it. It's also introduced some elevation to my otherwise pan flat commute 🙁
the worst thing about my bike commutte is the time between the bed and the front door, after that its blissful even in the rain and wind.
BUT I get the butty van problem, I used to ride into town and had to go past bakeries just opening, the smell of warm bakery goodies was just soooo tempting.
this morning my commute was down the stairs to my home office.
Worst part of my commute is that I'm so full of man flu I've had to resort to the car this week. Poor me 🙁
So often I feel like just pedaling past the office
This, not helped by my work being on the same route as to Stainburn trail centre....
Not currently commuting thank God but based on prior commute I'd say expense, £550 a month just to turn up (car park, train ticket/travel card) for a crowded, unreliable service.
Worst thing this morning, no heater in car (blower fan packed up yesterday)....... Oh, and lots of standing water.
The fact that it takes me to work.
^^ this
Otherwise quite enjoyable
1 - Living too far from work to be able to ride the whole way, so I have to drive and ride. 🙁
2 - Knowle Hill. 🙁 Still, at least I'm plenty awake by the time I get to work - and it's worth the pain to look forward to hurlting down it on the way home. 🙂
Not being able to read STW on the phone whilst sat on the bus due to the annoying pop-up spam.
That I did my normal sarcastic look and point to driver who had stopped in the cycle box and she promptly apologised rather than swore at me; didn't know what to do next.
It's not really far enough to ride "properly" and I'm too lazy to set off in the wrong direction first. 🙂
The worst thing is when my routine gets tworked.
I have it down to a fine art so there is not much extra time.
The other morning ,just as I was leaving, one of the cats decided to bring a live pigeon in ,then I got a puncture . 🙄
Worst thing
Deliberating over which new bike kit to spend the £2000 plus per year I saved by moving jobs and riding to work
getting delayed by having to watch herons, woodpeckers and buzzards
enduring the sunrise through the trees every day (ok not a for a few days)
(I've probably not got the hang of this have I?)
TM
Having to wait 10 hours before I can ride my bike again.
I take my daughter to nursery on my way to work, using a trailer on the bike.
Yesterday, I heard an odd sound and turned round to see the trailer's rain cover flapping in the breeze, and my toddler covering her face with her hands as she was being jetted with spray from my back wheel. Upon reaching nursery, she went straight to her key worker and said "Rain cover blowed off. That wasn't very nice".
So the worst thing about my commute is that the nursery now think I'm neglectful of my child. Brilliant.
The worst thing is the distance, its either a mile or bedroom to home office. My fitness has really dipped as a result. I cycle in the summer (4 miles if I pop home for lunch) but in the winter its quicker to walk than find waterproofs etc.
Getting out of bed in the morning.
I know that I can make it in to work in 30 minutes on the bike. Lately I've been doing a 20ish mile route, it's much easier on the way home but in the mornings the longer bike ride vs time in bed is a pain in the arse.
Once i'm out the door however, it's ace.
the fact that I live at the top of great big hill, and everyway home is uphill.
I called a driver who didn't give way to me on a crossing (I was on foot) a mildly naughty name, he parked up and came over and apologised I just mumbled "no problem", later felt bad for not thanking him for a proper apology.That I did my normal sarcastic look and point to driver who had stopped in the cycle box and she promptly apologised rather than swore at me; didn't know what to do next.
Since decided to be overtly cheery and nice to anyone who is genuinely apologetic for minor transgressions (if someone knocks me off my bike through their stupidity I doubt I'll be cheery no matter how apologetic)
Seems a sad state of affairs when we feel the need to be thankful for an apology
I've always struggled with commuting because I don't want to associate or hard wire in my brain, work and my favourite pastime (cycling) - for fear that the former will negatively effect the latter.
I saw a pratt in their car the other day, who was playing at being Tank Commander - peering out a small oblong aperture in the windscreen that had been cleared of frost and thought, 'F cycling to work' - with doughnuts like that on the road.
Having to leave these two behind:
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I get days like this, been a while tho, only had a few [i]stop and soak up the gorgeousness of UK outdoors[/i] moments since october 🙁getting delayed by having to watch herons, woodpeckers and buzzardsenduring the sunrise through the trees every day (ok not a for a few days)
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[/img]The rest has been dark, rainy and mud splattered.
It was nice this morning, even though i felt like I had zero energy. It was actually properly light, I even thought about not putting my lights on.
Gonna piss down on the way home though, joy!!
Oh, and back wheel trying to overtake the front when braking a bit too hard wasn't nice 😯 but did make me laugh afterwards!
knowing that if I'd driven, this mornings "making the beast with two backs" wouldn't have had to be such a rushed affair 😉
Going to Coventry !!
Getting to this ****ing place at the end of it.
Anticipating the rain on the way home seems to be worst thing for today. The BBC News Channel half in view shows some sort of end of the world weather rolling across the country.
If I have to moan:
The woman driving the Luncheon Express van at 8.40, just leaving their base but still trying to work her phone touch screen.
The man driving the Minder security company van at the traffic lights in Ecclesfield a couple of miles on, failing to let go of his phone after the change to green.
What did we do before we were so instantly connected to the world? An umbilical we cannot let go.
That it's uphill both ways. Or rather, there's a big hill in the middle, so I can never just twiddle my way home if I'm not feeling up to it. I'd happily go a longer distance just so I could have an evening off climbing that loooong drag of a hill, but there isn't really a decent way round it.
that's now't binners
Going home on Tueday it was a butty van on Preston Docks, the Indian in Penwortham, the Chippy 100 yrds from the Indian, the pub at next to the level crossing at at Cockers bar cooking steak !!
and to finish of the bloody Chinese Chippy in Eccleston's door open !!!
my biggest problem is I'm commuting today and have the run the gauntlet past all of them again tonight. 🙁
oh and it's dark, cold and wet at 5:30 in the morning, can't wait for summer.
That it's uphill both ways.
pretty much the same here, 270m ascent one way 310m t'other with a section of 14%* slope thrown in for good measure, just think of it as good training
* according to google earth...
Worst thing about my commute is that it's too far to do by bike (on a regular basis)
@twiglet_monster - not in the slightest bit jealous (well, not with the current weather, at least)
Must resist the urge to let your tyres down on the next club ride 😉
My commute to work is downhill, so my return is always a slog. However, I can choose whether it's a road slog or an offroad slog with fun bits, so it's not all bad...
This was [url= http://iwillbebacksoon.com/2012/03/a-dream-commute.html ]my commute until Tuesday[/url], it was a bloody dream it was, now back to the reality.
Doing your commute is too far to do a regular basis, which clearly means you do it on an irregular basis, right? like every week or something like that? 😉
TM
With 2 busy motorway junctions and plenty of unlit, potholed A-roads my commute's never been particularly pleasant but the worst thing.... bloody Range Rover alley, otherwise known as Radlett.
I have foreseen my death, and it's driving a white Porsche Cayenne holding the phone in one hand to organise her weekly colonic, whilst the other hand keeps the Waitrose bags upright with one eye on the rear view mirror to eyeball Rupert and Tabitha who are fighting over the iPad in the back seat.
She's going to get me one day.
The wind shifted on Tuesday so I was riding into it one the way in and the way home...
I've looked out the window and it's pissing it down now... That's the worst bit, being tired at the end of the day, sat in a warm office and knowing you have no other choice than to get changed and go out in the cold pissing wet...
They'd walked the local hunt pack of hounds on one of the country lanes and there were some big old doggy jobbys I had to avoid. Don't see the hunt dog handlers following the pack around with a couple of blue plastic bags...
Just about to fight my way downstairs from the office and bung a pizza in the oven for tea.
Lorries. Any way into work will hit a lorry rat run. I tend to come in late and leave late to avoid much of the traffic, but lorries can be a problem.
It is however always a pleasure to wave at the planes landing
Pretty good commute when I can ride in, main issue is the possibility of being mugged as the cycle paths seem to attract some wrong'un on the route in.
Not too bad for me, mostly cycle path all the way. I do however get chased by a small Jack Russell dog most days on the way home that tries to snap at my ankles and brings me nearly to a stop whilst it's owner chases it shouting "Max.....Max" at the top of his voice!! Quite amusing really. 🙂
New Job, a mile from Home.
Nice walk.
What's not to like 
Inconsiderate drivers
Derby
The worst part of my commute is having to drive three miles in a cold car before the heater warms up.
Worst bit? Arriving at a soulless business park.
The rain is annoying and amusing me in equal parts. It was raining so hard tonight that I couldn't see a thing in front of me - this is with a 1200 lumen light. My ride is 7.5 each way mainly through the woods on a dedicated cycle track with a bit of light urban at each end. Really nice with the stravarista to race if you like or the views to enjoy if you don't.
The rain just keeps falling. Most years I reckon I get thoroughly drenched a handful of times. This year it's been a couple of times a week. At least. People are horrified by it. There is something funny about riding in heavy rain, something ridiculous and very British.
This has inspired me to ride in tomorrow. I'm a summer commuter generally, dark and wet busy lanes I find more pleasant in the car. Well actually it's more the thought of it beforehand and getting changed at the office once arrived which are the pain.
A combination of arriving at work, always riding home in the dark (9pm ish finish), and the fact the guy in the green Golf didn't see me tonight and I interfaced with his rear passenger door as he turned right across me tonight. I should add he was very apologetic about it- doesn't stop my shoulder hurting like hell though 🙁
The grime and grit in bad weather working it's way into my bike and never being bothered to clean it off when I get home. That and the leaving in the dark and then coming home in it.
I have started commuting but due to working in a number of clinics it's not always possible, considering the NHS wants to go green there is a huge lack of cycling facilities,but I digress. This morning I rode in and it was glorious, clear weather and even clearer roads. Tonight though was biblical! But it was strangely fun as well, like being a kid again and playing outside in the rain.
hatter - Member
I have foreseen my death, and it's driving a white Porsche Cayenne holding the phone in one hand to organise her weekly colonic, whilst the other hand keeps the Waitrose bags upright with one eye on the rear view mirror to eyeball Rupert and Tabitha who are fighting over the iPad in the back seat.
Brilliant 😀
The seven miles of traffic queuing on the A406 that I have to filter through on the motorbike. I'm still in bed now, but I know it's out there waiting for me to tackle it already.
When not injured, cycling through the 'nam (Tottenham) every morning is horrible. The roads are so bumpy the Olympic MTB should have been held there.
Tuesday night home I found a house brick sized rock on the cyclepath Morecambe to Lancaster and went flying into the tarmac. Big whack on head and shoulder and holes in jacket and trousers. Got a big egg on my head by the time I limped home. By Thursday the egg was gone now replaced by a lovely purpley black eye for that thug at work look.
Good news is the bike is fine
call me sad... but it's when you're getting a really good workout either chasing someone down of a similar speed or trying to lose them and the ****ers go through a red light and the race is over.
Saw a deer this morning, got right up close to it, not seen one for ages, brilliant!
Sorry forgot this was a grumpy thread....erm....oh yeah it pissed it down again last night so there's still lots of mud, grrrr!
Like Brakes - cycling along at my usual, decent, speed. Overtake another, more casual (slower), cyclist - normally in a 18" bike lane with cars whizzing past so have to wait for a decent break in the traffic to do.
I stop at the red light - they blast through.
Then having to overtake the same person again and again.
Having to cycle through 20 metres of submerged road, hoping not to get splashed by cars. Feeling the breeze from a too-close wing mirror on a passing school minibus.
Seeing our local friendly muntjac deer dead at the side of the road, made me sad.
At least it's Friday!
the majority of my commute is on a sustrans path, so dog walkers. Inconsiderate dog walkers with their poorly trained shit machines gambolling about the whole trail as I bear down on them at 20mph+. Would it be too much to ask for them to call the dog to heel? Or even keep them on lead until they get to a field?
I used to let it wind me up, these days I just reward sensible, considerate dog walkers with a smile or a cheery "morning!"
Two mini roundabouts where car drivers don't have to give priority to cyclists from their right (apparently)
Doing your commute is too far to do a regular basis, which clearly means you do it on an irregular basis, right? like every week or something like that? 😉
Definitely on an irregular basis - twice last year 😉 (But it is 26 miles each way, with an ascent of the North Downs chucked in at 23 miles)
May try to get up to three this year (if it ever stops raining)
That my commute's only a mile and any attempt to vary it necessitates going against the flow into at least one of four local schools at dropping off time.
The worst part of the commute is arriving at the office at the end of it.
Addison Lee.
Maniac cyclists giving the minority a bad name.
Tube strikes meaning roads were packed and the commute becomes 6 mentally tiring miles of filtering and avoiding wing mirrors.
Last day of 5.5 miles each way, 11 miles each way from next week. Gulp.
Looking forward to it long term but combined with having my road bike nicked and having to do it on a 26" wheeled slightly-too-small hardtail mtb means it's going to be a slog for a while.
Tube strikes meaning roads were packed and the commute becomes 6 mentally tiring miles of filtering and avoiding wing mirrors.
I have noticed during this that filtering down the middle of the road (with the motorbikers and scooterists) is a lot quicker/ more preferable than filtering in the gutter (with the nodders, the pedestrians and the potholes)
Think CaptainFlashHeart was the most to complain about 🙂
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/of-all-the-places-to-surf-the-one-handed-web