Weight Watchers Meeting:
Well, it wasn’t really a meeting – infact it was nothing to do with Weight Watchers, but it was time for my weekly Weigh-In.

I was expecting the worst due to a luxurious weekend of steaks, gammon, Subway sandwiches and beer, but I was shocked… Either my scales are fucked or I’m doing something different (cadence is a possibility), but I was under my penultimate weight target by 1lb – weighing in at 12st 6lb. Whoot. Whoot.

Yesterday was also a turning point for the final push, as when I bought my stuff from Evans Cycles – I bought all medium, and it all fit! Back last year it would have been XL and a squeeze at that!

Morning Commute:
Total Distance: 13.34 miles
Total Time: 54m 14s
Max Speed: 30.8mph
Avg Speed: 14.8mph
Max H/Rate:
Avg H/Rate: 144bpm
Cadence: 75rpm

Bastard BMW Drivers. After the run in with the taxi who “gave me plenty of room” at a mini rounabout last night, I didn’t think my week could get any worse. Boy was I wrong.

I set off at speed to beat Louise and Lily to nursery, and of course did – but Louise does have to settle Lily down in the car! I then ventured back up t’Co-op to meet Gaz for our long route into work. This is where it went wrong.

Travelling up towards the roundabout where Lidl is in Ashton (don’t know the name) I was doing around 17mph, keeping up with the busy traffic in front. I was coming to a blind corner, so had to edge my bike out a bit so I could see round the corner – you know, like a sensible person does (I was also behind a white van blocking some visibility too).

But, as I said – I was going as fast as the traffic in front – about 15 / 20 vehicles in front of me.

What happened next beggars belief. A she-man driving a BMW decided to take exception to the fact that I was on the road and drove mere inches from my ass, over the right of my shoulder. Then, she decided to shoot right past me, pull up at the side of me and start telling me that I was taking up the whole of the road or something and then tried to drive off.

I flipped. Not only was she driving up my ass – she was now telling me that I was in the wrong when I wasn’t… I then chased her up a hill, topping out at 30.8mph (you could tell I was mad) and she carried on swearing at me and pointing her finger at me.

Then, as I was trying to get back into the lane to go left at the roundabout, a wise old asshole decided to pull up at the side of me and tell me that I shouldn’t be cycling like that because it could get me injured????

I shouldn’t be cycling at the speed limit up a hill… WTF? I caught up to him at the roundabout and said to him (his window was still wound down) that it was people like him that killed cyclists – you prick, and went on my merry way.

(I didn’t let any of them see that cycling up a hill at 30mph had hurt me, and I nearly threw up round the corner :) )

Rest of the journey was OK – a could of ASLs – nothing major, and then I get to Joby corner in Manchester. Now I swear my light was on green, as was the green arrow, so as I am turning the corner, a cyclist tried to cycle into me. I tell him that “thats what red lights are for” to which he replied “my light was on green YOU DICK”. I kindly pointed out that that was not the case, and indeed I had his faux par on camera.

PS: If you read about a cyclist being battered in Manchester Town Centre and left for dead under a black BMW being driven by a She-Man who was as orange as Orangina and had hair like a horses tail – it wasn’t me – I promise.

Evening Commute:
Total Distance: 9.59 miles
Total Time: 44m 27s
Max Speed: 28.90mph
Avg Speed: 12.99mph
Max H/Rate: 177bpm
Avg H/Rate: 144bpm
Cadence: 76rpm

Could the days commute get any worse? I thought not, but by the time me and Gaz had hit Denton, we where laughing out tits off – has to be the worse journey home ever!

I managed to get to Gaz with very little issue – a few RLJing cars and a parked car in a cycle lane – but thats pretty much it.

I met Gaz at local t’petrol t’station and we t’journeyed onwards and t’upwards up Hyde Road. Pretty smooth journey with the odd RLJer. Then Denton Roundabout approached. Got some cracking footage (again) of people thinking they are above and beyond the law at this roundabout – so will be compiling a dossier and sending to local council with the help of Fight Bad Driving.

After the roundabout is where it all started to go wrong.

I was cycling down the cycle lane getting ready to pull out onto the road – nothing, so I started to make my approach and vroooom.. Left hook from someone who “just wanted to park up”. To Garys surprise I was really calm. I stopped, and he wound down his window and we had an amicable discussion about what he’d just done. He said he’d given me enough room – I explained that that was not the case, and should he care to put his registration plate into google later and view the video – I’d be happy for his response.

Then, as we where making our way around onto Manchester Road a boy racer in a shit trap tried to squeeze through a gap whilst I was right behind. He then was indicating right, and as I was approaching, decided to go left, flicked his indicator and left hooked me.

Again I surprised Gary by explaining to the driver that he had nearly hit me twice and that he should be looking through his mirrors – amicable indeed.

The next one was very funny as luckily I’d pulled up – but for no reason I had pulled up. I stopped behind a car, and just as it stopped a woman swung her door out. I was about 5ft away from the door, but just laughed. Normally I would have gone through the gap – and tonight that would have resulted in being hit.

The driver then sheepishly stuck his indicator on to turn left right ahead (why he couldn’t drop his missus off round the corner is beyond me) but wouldn’t move until me and Gaz had passed. I signalled to him that it was OK to go and off  he went, followed by me and Gaz.

That was about it (apart from again getting people sneaking through Hyde Town Centre and off we go our separate ways.

Then on the final long road home, at a junction, the car in front is turning left – I position myself so that the cars trying to turn right can see. Unfortunately this didn’t matter as she tried to ride into the side of me. She muttered something under her breath but wouldn’t look at me (I was stopped in the middle of a junction it was that close).

But – what makes it all worth while is that I was signalling to turn right into my road – the place where people normally try and zoom past me and force me onto the floor, and a learner driver behind me spotted me signalling and slowed down to let me go – thumbs up!

I may have missed some stuff off its been that busy a journey :)

Total Commute Extras:
Total Ascent: 739ft