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This morning’s commute was a fairly quiet affair. I left a little later than anticipated and had to contend with kids heading to schools and their usual chaotic trail of destruction they leave in their wake. Aside from this the traffic was busy but behaving and the going was good.

There were no cyclists to scalp, but I was content with pootling along at my usual pace and was happily doing so until a cyclist flew by me a little too close to my liking given how busy the road is. Once I had the chance of being able to eyeball the cyclist, I recognised the kit and worked it out to be one of the guys I used to cycle with who now has no contact with a few of us cycling buddies at all for various reasons. Now I’m an amiable cyclist and will nod a greeting or say hi as I pass a fellow two-wheeler and will ALWAYS give them plenty of room as I pass, whether I know that person or not.

When I reached the spot where I usually do my sprint training I did so and pretty soon was passing the guy. I couldn’t be arsed with the greeting this time as I knew that my passing him would have riled him and pretty soon he would be passing me again just to prove a point. So, I carried on my merry way at around 26mph – not with the intention of trying to leave him behind, but as I needed to do some sprint training – until I began to near a double set of lights which signal my turning – and, as it turns out, his turning. When I slowed down for the turning, he flew on past me and round the turning and soon disappeared out of sight.

The gorilla holes were avoided easily this morning as I had no cars tailing me and work was reached a mite quicker than yesterday!

Blurbage – outgoing

3.42 miles
31ft climbed
00:13:10
15.5mph average

Tonight’s commute home was a breeze compared to yesterday. Despite very slow moving traffic on AGS heading towards the roundabout, a kind driver let me into his lane and, seeing there weren’t any buses about to plough me down, I crossed into the bus lane and sped to the roundabout.

Getting the surprise of my life – white van man letting me out – I set off down Higher Ardwick ignoring whatever was being chanted at me by a gang of locals and jolted along until I was cut up by an eejit who was at the far right of the wide junction and proceeded to turn left in front of me just before I was about to turn left and head over to the right hand lane for the next turn.

After a brief stop to correct a minor helmet issue and then a red light, I was back on the main drag home. There was no sign if this morning’s cyclist – I shall call him Phantom – so I had no tail to chase after at any great speed, but there was another cyclist ahead of me so I made it my mission to use him as a training tool. He was far ahead enough for me to have to sprint to catch him and I got into the mindset of keeping him at bay once I’d passed. At the first set of lights he squealed to a halt behind me – I’m not sure what he thought of me being where I was and not heading down the inside of the line of cars, but I rarely do that as I’ve seen too many close calls between bikes, cars and lorries, so I’d much rather sit alive and happy in line as I’ll still get to the same place seconds later! At the next set of lights the cyclist was still behind me, but was soon left behind as the traffic rarely got slower than a crawl and I was able to pedal on consistently.

Morrisons and Elcometer passed by and I was home and more than ready for a steaming bowl of soup and crunchy, chunky bread. Now, I must remember to charge up the batteries for my front lights as one died on the way home; good job I have several other lights – another main front light, front led helmet light and knog frog on the bars, and 2 rear lights, flouro strips and rear helmet led. No wonder a colleague said I was lit up like a christmas tree this morning!

Blurbage – outgoing

3.42 miles
ft climbed
00:16:54
12.2 mph average

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