Well, this morning I had an interesting visit from the “did she really do that” fairy on Manchester Road in Denton, but first I will post the obligatory stats.
Morning Commute:
Total Distance: 8.72 miles
Total Time: 32m 09s
Max Speed: 34.4mph
Avg Speed: 16.3mph
Avg H/Rate: 159bpm*
Cadence: 83rpm (Max 117rpm)
* My maximum heart rate for the second day in a row has been recorded at 234bpm. So I have one of two theories. There is either something wrong with my heart rate monitor or something wrong with my heart. Fingers crossed its the first!
Anyway, back to the commute.
I was cycling down Manchester Road in Denton at 28.9mph – keeping up quite easily with the traffic. This didn’t stop a woman behind me (in a car which was worth much less than my bike) wanting to get in front of me. She waited and waited and waited, but as I was doing a reasonably (and just under the legal) speed, I was further out in the road.
A gap finally came and she pulled out into oncoming traffic and put her foot down, little realising that the traffic in front of her had stopped for a traffic light. I looked at her in astonishment and all I saw / heard was her going “Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit” as it suddenly dawned on her that she was going to either hit me or hit the car in front.
Luckily for me, I was able to slow down and maintain my momentum and bring myself to a halt – and the woman just wouldn’t look at me.
Hopefully, I will be able to update this post with some footage of the lunatic soon.
I then made it to Plymouth Grove and got tagged by a fellow cyclist. I tried to put my foot down to get away and managed 28.9mph before I couldn’t be arsed anymore and had to slow. He stayed on my tail the whole time – bastard 
Then, pulling onto Oxford Road I had a pleasant run in with a pedestrian who sauntered into the road making me slow down. I asked if she’d like me to slow down any further whilst she crossed the road, and then called her a retard – wasn’t nice of me I know, but why even walk out in the road!
Oxford Road is full of sheister [sp?] cyclists. I tend to pull out into ASLs so that there is no way a car can get past me without hitting me. If there are other cyclists in front of me in the ASL I will always stay behind them, regardless of their ability, as its not safe to them, myself or the vehicles behind if a race to safety suddenly starts. I also, I suppose wrongly, expect the same sort of etiquette from other cyclists.
I was in an ASL this morning and was about 3 1/2ft away from the kerb. Relatively safe. Then, out of the blue 2 cyclists pulled into the gap at the side of me. This made me really fucking uncomfortable. Not only because I was now on the outside of two other cyclists at a busy junction, but because both of them clearly weren’t very stable on their bikes (one was wearing normal work shoes).
I had to try and safely navigate around them both whilst not pissing off the driver behind me (I would have waited had there been no car). Why do people have a tendancy to do this on bikes. They don’t do it in cars?
Then, as I was waiting at the Cross Street junction, I was waiting in traffic. The reason I do this is because cars turn left here without any indication. The car in front was indicating and was turning left. This didn’t stop two retarded (thats the second time I’ve used that word today – sorry) cyclist roll to the front – but not in front of the car turning left – but to the side of him. You could see the driver clearly annoyed at this, and rightly so. Once of the cyclists finally realised he was turning left and pulled in front of him BUT YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE! Now that driver will thing that cyclists are cunts for the rest of the day.
Be sensible. If I could see what was happening from four cars back – surely you should have seen it?
Oh, I also forgot to mention the lovely lady on Hyde Road this morning, completely blocking an ASL near the Greyhound stadium, who was applying her make up whilst the lights where on red. Brilliant! When did they start putting stuff like that in the test?
Dinner Time Ride:
Total Distance: 9.47 miles
Total Time: 34m 44s
Max Speed: 28.8mph
Avg Speed: 16.4mph
Avg H/Rate: 159bpm*
Cadence: 84rpm (Max 151rpm)
* My heart rate seems to be normal now. Must be the Garmin.
Well, I had a McDonalds this morning so what better way to stop you feeling guilty than getting up off your arse and going outside for a ride in this lovely sunshine!
You see – that is what is good about a bike. You can just chuck some clothes on, jump on your bike and your off. No trying to evade gym security to queue up for an overused machine!
The roads where pretty good to me this afternoon – I didn’t get a puncture for one!
There was, of course, the odd arsewipe on the road, as there always is, but thankfully they stayed away from me.
Here is an example of how not to cycle:
And I watched a cyclist on Oxford Road cruise through a red light to end up nearly being squashed by a car doing a u-turn, because the driver, obviously, didn’t expect anybody to be coming. Lucky both of them had their witts about them, but again – shame on you cyclist!
I tailed a police van for about a mile too… Desperate for some footage… Never came 
So chapeau to them.
