How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
-
- Posts: 126
- Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 7:53 pm
- Location: Sydney, East
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby FiveDaysAWeek » Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:53 pm
- Lizzy
- Posts: 888
- Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 3:04 pm
- Location: Wild West
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby Lizzy » Tue Aug 12, 2014 9:32 pm
Bike is booked in for a spa day tomorrow, plan is to drop her off after work. I get a text from the folks at lunchtime, a package has been dumped on their doorstep by a courier, they are out of town, can I go and rescue it and put it inside the house? Kfine, it's kind-of on the way, it gets to near enough home time, so I change into my riding gear (it's been hanging on the back of my door from yesterday), get to the folks place and realise I have brought the wrong set of keys. Package is AV equipment and about a foot wide. GREAT what do I do with this thing now?! Time is running out to get to the LBS so no time to call for reinforcements ... My trunkbag has done some impressive feats of haulage but this is too much. I drag out the cloth tote I use inside my trunkbag for my clothes, it just fits the parcel, so I sling this over my shoulders, stuff everything else back in the trunkbag and dash for the LBS.
Drop the bike off, walk to the bus-stop schlepping my trunkbag and parcel, get on the bus to the train station and an awful realisation creeps over me: My riding gear, after the blast down to the LBS to compound yesterdays' commute, is giving off the not so subtle aroma of a lightly toasted swamp. And I'm about to get on a train that's going through the city during Sardine Hour, undoubtedly in breach of the Geneva convention. In a panic I pull out my emergency Impulse canister, and fog my jersey with it as discreetly as possible while running from the bus to the train with bags and helmet dangling everywhere. This of course makes things worse not better and I now smell like a swamp with "Romantic Spark".
In my deep deep shame I get off at the first city station, and scurry through the peak hour scrum to find somewhere to change back into my work clothes to go the rest of the way home. Not so fast; in the course of my acute social oblivion I have forgotten to tag on at the station and earned myself a stern lecture from the smartrider gatekeeper. He let me off without a fine, probably because of the smell "Yes sir, oh absolutely sir, I'll be more careful in future" Gah.
Tomorrow is another day
-
- Posts: 1703
- Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 5:05 pm
- Location: Blacktown, NSW
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby westab » Wed Aug 13, 2014 9:09 am
Carefully put the rear wheel with the flat back in the bike - do the quick release up a little tighter put all the heavy gear in one pannier (to carry) whatever else I can't carry in the other put it back on the bike and do the walk of shame home to replace the wheel and then arrive even later to work.
The good news is for the first time I was glad of the puncture otherwise I could have ridden on had a rear wheel stop/break/bring me down and got hit by a car or worse. Where this happened was a good place to stop with a wide breakdown lane in a low traffic area - 500m on I would have been in a high traffic area with no breakdown lane for the next 4-5km.
Had a good ride home - even if it was late due to the late start.
- Summernight
- Posts: 2073
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 3:40 pm
- Location: Melbourne
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby Summernight » Wed Aug 13, 2014 9:49 am
Gummy bears. Gummy bears. Gummy gummy gummy bears.Find_bruce wrote:Darn you - my son played this on endless loop & I have only just managed to purge it
http://youtu.be/astISOttCQ0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Last night's ride was a bit sickly what with me having had a Milo drink in the afternoon because I was falling asleep at my desk and needed a pep-me-up (I don't drink tea or coffee or use energy drinks). The Milo didn't sit well in the stomach for the ride home, but I made it. Nice ride this morning, even with creaky I'm-about-to-die-somewhere bike and the maxi taxi who decided to stop right beside a parked car on Collins St and block traffic and the non-bike lane.
Oh, and on my morning run someone had 'kindly' rummaged through the Salvation Army donated items and then taken a couple of bags full to the bottom of the Gipps Street stairs on the MYT and then thrown them all over the path, making path users either step onto the items (clothes, shoes etc) or try and pick your way around. On my way back up the stairs I stopped to clear a path - two cyclists went past on my right and left and one got an armload of clothes accidentally thrown at him by me as I was clearing a way through the middle. Seriously people, either help me or make some noise. I clearly wasn't a hobo rummaging through the stuff.
And the regular cyclist who says hello to me came through just as I was finishing clearing the path, so I told him I'd cleared it just for him. He asked whether I'd found anything in my size in there.
- rdp_au
- Posts: 563
- Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:45 pm
- Location: Hornsby, Sydney, NSW
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby rdp_au » Wed Aug 13, 2014 10:29 am
ClassicLizzy wrote:What a stupid afternoon.
Bike is booked in for a spa day tomorrow, plan is to drop her off after work. I get a text from the folks at lunchtime, a package has been dumped on their doorstep by a courier, they are out of town, can I go and rescue it and put it inside the house? Kfine, it's kind-of on the way, it gets to near enough home time, so I change into my riding gear (it's been hanging on the back of my door from yesterday), get to the folks place and realise I have brought the wrong set of keys. Package is AV equipment and about a foot wide. GREAT what do I do with this thing now?! Time is running out to get to the LBS so no time to call for reinforcements ... My trunkbag has done some impressive feats of haulage but this is too much. I drag out the cloth tote I use inside my trunkbag for my clothes, it just fits the parcel, so I sling this over my shoulders, stuff everything else back in the trunkbag and dash for the LBS.
Drop the bike off, walk to the bus-stop schlepping my trunkbag and parcel, get on the bus to the train station and an awful realisation creeps over me: My riding gear, after the blast down to the LBS to compound yesterdays' commute, is giving off the not so subtle aroma of a lightly toasted swamp. And I'm about to get on a train that's going through the city during Sardine Hour, undoubtedly in breach of the Geneva convention. In a panic I pull out my emergency Impulse canister, and fog my jersey with it as discreetly as possible while running from the bus to the train with bags and helmet dangling everywhere. This of course makes things worse not better and I now smell like a swamp with "Romantic Spark".
In my deep deep shame I get off at the first city station, and scurry through the peak hour scrum to find somewhere to change back into my work clothes to go the rest of the way home. Not so fast; in the course of my acute social oblivion I have forgotten to tag on at the station and earned myself a stern lecture from the smartrider gatekeeper. He let me off without a fine, probably because of the smell "Yes sir, oh absolutely sir, I'll be more careful in future" Gah.
Tomorrow is another day
- Summernight
- Posts: 2073
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 3:40 pm
- Location: Melbourne
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby Summernight » Thu Aug 14, 2014 10:09 am
I forgot about yesterday morning's car who was approaching from behind me half in my lane looking like they weren't going to give space (viewed through my rear view mirror). Engaging the 'wobble' at the appropriate time then had him correctly pass me in the right lane and then safely move back into my lane for a left turn up ahead. Winning!
- TailWind
- Posts: 1340
- Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:02 pm
- Location: Munich, Germany
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby TailWind » Thu Aug 14, 2014 10:57 am
Working from home today due to a rather hectic day yesterday.
-
- Posts: 12170
- Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:40 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby jasonc » Thu Aug 14, 2014 11:23 am
thanks TW - that probably makes us square with me having yesterday off. There's a "weather event" expected over the next few days for SEQ. They keep predicting rain. Still waiting.TailWind wrote:Working from home today due to a rather hectic day yesterday.
- kb
- Posts: 2570
- Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 3:22 pm
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby kb » Thu Aug 14, 2014 11:54 am
-
- Posts: 575
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 7:51 pm
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby Robinho » Thu Aug 14, 2014 12:05 pm
As a result I was feeling it this morning so took it easy into the headwind. Looking forward to the tailwind home again tonight though
- oxonabike
- Posts: 352
- Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:47 pm
- Location: Cairns, QLD
- Contact:
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby oxonabike » Thu Aug 14, 2014 1:02 pm
It's started up here. Be a wet ride home tonight.jasonc wrote:thanks TW - that probably makes us square with me having yesterday off. There's a "weather event" expected over the next few days for SEQ. They keep predicting rain. Still waiting.TailWind wrote:Working from home today due to a rather hectic day yesterday.
I would be happy for you to keep waiting for that predicted rain for a while, as it seems I've picked a bad weekend to visit SEQ to ride the BVRT.
- TailWind
- Posts: 1340
- Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:02 pm
- Location: Munich, Germany
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby TailWind » Fri Aug 15, 2014 10:51 am
Looks like it's shaping up to be a beautiful day here in sunny Melbourne.
Happy Friday!
-
- Posts: 12170
- Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:40 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby jasonc » Fri Aug 15, 2014 10:53 am
- Summernight
- Posts: 2073
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 3:40 pm
- Location: Melbourne
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby Summernight » Fri Aug 15, 2014 11:18 am
Pic: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/Su ... ae6b29.png" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Hw8eSbtpQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This morning was cold with the slippery frost on the Walmer and Gipps Street bridges for my morning run. The bike ride was similarly cold. An impatient vending machine company branded van tried to MGIF me at the intersection of Elizabeth and Bourke Streets when the lights changed green. I was well aware of what he'd try to do so held a wide line so he didn't push me into the gutter when the tram superstop bollards forced him left. All good in the end because I held the wide line and strangely enough no horn abuse either, which was nice.
- oxonabike
- Posts: 352
- Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 1:47 pm
- Location: Cairns, QLD
- Contact:
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby oxonabike » Fri Aug 15, 2014 11:19 am
Wet ride in this morning, so we'll call that preparation for tomorrow.
Sent from my HTC_0P6B using Tapatalk
-
- Posts: 575
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 7:51 pm
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby Robinho » Fri Aug 15, 2014 11:19 am
- Lizzy
- Posts: 888
- Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 3:04 pm
- Location: Wild West
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby Lizzy » Fri Aug 15, 2014 11:47 am
Beautiful hazy windless ride for the first 20km though. TFIF!
- TailWind
- Posts: 1340
- Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:02 pm
- Location: Munich, Germany
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby TailWind » Fri Aug 15, 2014 2:44 pm
Hell yeah, it's been quite a week this side too...Lizzy wrote: TFIF!
-
- Posts: 844
- Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:30 am
- Location: Melbourne
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby __PG__ » Fri Aug 15, 2014 5:56 pm
I don't know why anyone would ride down Collins St. I've ridden down there once in the past decade, and that was at 5:45 am on a Sunday.Summernight wrote:Last night alongside one of the tram superstops in Collins St the female cyclist in front of me got passed by a taxi with his side mirror less than 5cms away from the end of her handlebar. I was quite shocked. The footage doesn't show it as well as my eyesight did, but it was CLOSE! I told her about how close he'd come at the next set of lights. She said she didn't know what to do about it. I expressed my agreement with her frustration. I hadn't really thought about it overly much, but now I'm going to claim the lane even more than I usually do as watching how close that taxi came to her was scary.
Superstops create death traps IMO. Council should remove all bike lane markings and encourage cyclists to take the lane.
-
- Posts: 103
- Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:47 pm
- Location: Adelaide
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby TigerFilly » Fri Aug 15, 2014 9:21 pm
I had the most beautiful ride this morning. I had a work meeting 5 mins from home at 9am so cycled there. Then cycled in to our main office after my meeting finished at 10am - at that time of the morning it felt like Spring with warm sun and light breeze, and so quiet and peaceful on the bike track and back roads.
Riding home there was a guy talking on his mobile phone looking straight in my direction who just sort of ambled gradually onto the bike track as he saw me coming. Some people are just weird.
-
- Posts: 12170
- Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:40 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby jasonc » Fri Aug 15, 2014 9:41 pm
the fix for them is an AirZound. just stop right next to them and let it off. they get off the phone really quickly. they also get out of your way too.TigerFilly wrote: Riding home there was a guy talking on his mobile phone looking straight in my direction who just sort of ambled gradually onto the bike track as he saw me coming. Some people are just weird.
- Summernight
- Posts: 2073
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 3:40 pm
- Location: Melbourne
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby Summernight » Mon Aug 18, 2014 10:54 am
I do agree that the Collins St bike lanes (that aren't bike lanes) and their markings are bad and I ride outside of the markings as much as possible. Melbourne City Council has now added more useless paint on the road on Collins St to indicate that the teensy non-bike lanes move to the left of the left lane when approaching intersections. The markings and lanes are ridiculously small and ignored by cyclists and motorists alike.__PG__ wrote:I don't know why anyone would ride down Collins St. I've ridden down there once in the past decade, and that was at 5:45 am on a Sunday.Summernight wrote:Last night alongside one of the tram superstops in Collins St the female cyclist in front of me got passed by a taxi with his side mirror less than 5cms away from the end of her handlebar. I was quite shocked. The footage doesn't show it as well as my eyesight did, but it was CLOSE! I told her about how close he'd come at the next set of lights. She said she didn't know what to do about it. I expressed my agreement with her frustration. I hadn't really thought about it overly much, but now I'm going to claim the lane even more than I usually do as watching how close that taxi came to her was scary.
Superstops create death traps IMO. Council should remove all bike lane markings and encourage cyclists to take the lane.
The problem with the layout of Melbourne is that Collins St is the closest road that leads to Macarthur St with its bike lane. Bourke St isn't a through road due to the mall. I might use Bourke St if it was a through road, but it has the same bad bicycle lane markings and tram superstops. If Little Bourke Street allowed cyclists to ride contra flow that might be a better and quieter option, but that's not a possibility at the moment.
I could try Lonsdale Street with the lack of bike lane markings, but I get intimidated by the cars when riding up the hill at a really slow pace when the car drivers are all frustrated and revving their engines trying to get out of the city as fast as possible. I consider Lonsdale Street the 'Trench Run' (ala Star Wars) and find it routinely unpleasant to go down in both my car and on the bike.
It was a real eye opener on Friday night when the mounted police (on horses) turned from Swanston Street into Lonsdale St and sauntered at walking pace in the left lane down Lonsdale Street. They were travelling at a pace slower than a bicycle but everyone who approached them gave them plenty of room with absolutely no aggression whatsoever. Wish people also behaved like that with bikes.
* * * *
Lovely ride in this morning. Even with the surprise cyclist who decided to overtake me on the right after I'd indicated that I was turning right (in a one-way street).
A lady cyclist in front of me on Albert St had a safety wing attached to her handlebar. She flicked it in and out when needed. Great idea!
- Xplora
- Posts: 8272
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 12:33 am
- Location: TL;DR
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby Xplora » Mon Aug 18, 2014 11:26 am
Cops can charge people and make their lives quite difficult. The drivers are basically cowards when they won't say boo to a cop but give it to everyone else.Summernight wrote:mounted police (on horses). Wish people also behaved like that with bikes.
- TailWind
- Posts: 1340
- Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:02 pm
- Location: Munich, Germany
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby TailWind » Mon Aug 18, 2014 2:01 pm
Looking damp out there for this afternoon's ride back.
-
- Posts: 12170
- Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:40 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...
Postby jasonc » Mon Aug 18, 2014 2:15 pm
nice morning in Brisbane. We've had our wet weather for winter now I'd say.
- General Australian Cycling Topics
- Info / announcements
- Buying a bike / parts
- General Cycling Discussion
- The Bike Shed
- Cycling Health
- Cycling Safety and Advocacy
- Women's Cycling
- Bike & Gear Reviews
- Cycling Trade
- Stolen Bikes
- Bicycle FAQs
- Serious Biking
- Audax / Randonneuring
- Retro biking
- Commuting
- MTB
- Recumbents
- Fixed Gear/ Single Speed
- Track
- Electric Bicycles
- Cyclocross and Gravel Grinding
- Dragsters / Lowriders / Cruisers
- Children's Bikes
- Cargo Bikes and Utility Cycling
- Road Racing
- Road Biking
- Training
- Time Trial
- Triathlon
- International and National Tours and Events
- Cycle Touring
- Touring Australia
- Touring Overseas
- Touring Bikes and Equipment
- Australia
- Western Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Victoria
- ACT
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Country & Regional
- The Market Place
- Member to Member Bike and Gear Sales
- Want to Buy, Group Buy, Swap
- My Bikes or Gear Elsewhere
- Cycling Brands
- Cannondale
- Garmin
- Giant
- Shimano
- Trek
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users
- All times are UTC+11:00
- Top
- Delete cookies
About the Australian Cycling Forums
The Australian Cycling Forums is a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.
Bicycles Network Australia
Forum Information
Connect with BNA
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.