Commuting admiration

[Alboy]

I have been commuting to Wandsworth twice a week from Kenley (22 miles return) to try and build some more base fitness.
I must say I totally admire anyone who commutes each day. So many bad car drivers , smelley buses , idiot taxis , jay walkers and mad kids. It's more difficult than first thought. Eyes everywhere and always on the brakes. I do stop at the lights as but so many riders jump them. Got soaked yesterday and my time is improving and I am starting to feel more at one on the bike. I can ride in faster than my normal Van journey. Did my good deed yesterday as rider had fixed hub and couldn't remove his wheel as puntured. I got out one of them squirty foam things ( which not used before and are ace) and sent him on his way. Felt nice to help someone else. He was really grateful so that made me feel good. I told him about how nice the people are in ACC so maybe that will be a potential new member.
It's quite hard to get into the ride as always stop start stop start.
Riding again tomorrow and doing some climbs around Kenley as still suffering on hills.
AL

[Michelle]

Keep rolling, sounds like you may even be having fun sometimes

[Snoop Doug]

It's great fun and right now the only thing I miss about not working in London is the cyclo commute. I may yet go all Reggie Perrin and just ride in fer the hell of it.

You will soon grow to love it Al - and great that you were able to help someone out too

Snoop

PS - great that you put this in training section too, tidy!

[Andrew G]

Good to hear Al, and keep it up. It can be a bit testing at times, more the idiots running lights and pretending they're couriers than than the cars etc I tend to find, but you soon just zone them out. I tend to take a zen approach or you'll just get wound up all the time by people doing things you can't do anything about.

A couple of tweaks here and there to the route for a bit of variety and it's great free miles. A duff day at work it always nicely finished off with a ride home.

[Alex S]

I stopped to help a lady with her bike once, she was standing on the pavement just staring at her bike with a distinct look of sadness and frustration.

Turns out her boyfriend had just left her and I couldn't infact help her.

AWKWARD.

[Rob Q]

I too admire those who commute in and around London. I have a easy commute to work which is basically the reverse box hill run from Coulsdon to Walton on the hill. Its only a short blast in the morning, but still less daunting than a run into London.

[carl f]

I have been commuting for 15 years in london,wouldn't have it any other way,even with aggresive fools in vans who tell me to get of the road 'cos i aint got a fu***ng tax disk stuck on my a@rse as me and a mate did yesterday
Keep it up alboy it will soon become part of your lifestyle-got to be better than traveling on public transport.......
Carl

[adrian]

Al, the streets are yours. The disadvantages of riding to work, which you've already experienced, are far outweighed by the advantages, and are nothing compared to the wretchedness of those stuck in traffic, squeezed onto buses or trains or suffocating on the Tube.

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="adrian"]Al, the streets are yours. The disadvantages of riding to work, which you've already experienced, are far outweighed by the advantages, and are nothing compared to the wretchedness of those stuck in traffic, squeezed onto buses or trains or suffocating on the Tube.

[Will]

Good job Alboy!

I'm about to bump up my commuting distance from 4.73 miles each way to somewhere around 11 or 12 (distance to be confirmed once I do it).

I reckon some days in the depths of winter it will be a bit of a pain but on balance am definitely looking forward to getting some more miles in.

With a short distance such as 4.73 it's quite often a bit frustrating that just as you are getting warmed up you have arrived and it's time to stop!

But I'll miss the scenery of the Kings Road and instead be heading out west from Putney