Morning Commute:
Total Distance: 12.18 miles
Total Time: 51m 40s
Max Speed: 26.2mph
Avg Speed: 14.1mph
Max H/Rate: 184bpm
Avg H/Rate: 162bpm
Cadence: 79rpm

An interesting thing happened to me today near the Shell Garage heading up to Snipe Retail Park. For those that know it, there are three lanes – one goes down to Guide Bridge, two take you round to Snipe, which then break up into three lanes – 2 for Snipe and one for Ashton Town Centre.

Anyway, this inward sweeping corner is very dangerous – 40/50mph cars on a 30 stretch, barging to get the best spot. At this corner I pull out into the middle of the road – its safe – most drivers – infact 99% of drivers actually can see this and stay well back.

Not the big 4×4 driver this morning who decided that he needed to get from his lane into my lane… Whilst coming round the corner – at speed – leaving me 6in or so.

Of course, he got the obligatory “head shake” and “the bird” and I carried on.

At the lights a car pulled up to the side of me and wound down his window. I wondered whether he was going to start having a go at me like the “doctor” from the other month (when the BMW driver tried to ram me off my bike).

We had a chat and he said that he saw what the driver had done and couldn’t believe it and that he bets he’d never been on a bike!

:)

There are some crackingly good drivers out there – 99.99% of them to be honest! He certainly was one of them – cheers.

Rest of the journey was littered with mobile phone users, speeders and the usual stuff – but all in a mornings cycling.

As for the weight comment – 4lbs this week – hopefully I can keep it off! And I’ve not been starving myself either – so cycling must be the key. At the next Weigh-In, I’ll stick my weeks diet on there so we can all discuss.

Evening Commute:
Like a fool, I forgot to turn the bloody Garmin on on the way home, so thats ruined my trip home and I don’t want to talk about it. It was a good time too.

On a separate note, a woman on the way home made me realise why I actually do FBD! I was travelling at the same speed of a van in front of me, giving myself and himself enough distance incase he needed to brake… The woman behind me didn’t like this and tried riding her car at me to overtake me.

I help my arm out and flapped it up and down in a slow down motion and she backed off a little.

When the opportunity arose I pulled over so she could get past…. She slowed down and told me off for taking up half the road… But then wouldn’t slow down to let me discuss how she was going to do that… Could I report her for dangerous driving? I think I could put in a complaint – video would back it up…

Taking into account

a) I was going the same speed as the traffic
b) There wasn’t enough room for her to pull in front of me safely
c) The overtake manouvre she tried would have failed her her driving test
d) I was riding down a hill in a safe position – 3ft ish away from the ice on the side of the road.

She ruined what was a perfectly cracking ride home. Thanks lady.

Now I am glad that the Tameside Advertiser are running a report on FBD next week. I might even put your registration plate on here love so that when you read the article (if you can read of course) then you’ll come across this site – view the video that I will be putting here, sit back and think “Shit – is my driving THAT bad?”

Here’s the lovely lady in all her glory. Unfortunately, I can’t make the reg plate out – shame: