Wish me luck...

[Maverick]

Had a minor off the past week on the A13 whilst filtering on my way to work. Strangely I was doing hardly 30mph where normally it is ermmm slightly more than

Anyho Mr X5 pulls out in front of me and I have no where to go as there is cars on both sides and the only gap available is the one he is taking Get on the brakes and both wheels lock solid and start sliding down towards the X5, luckilly he sees me and swerve back into his lane although not entirely as I am about to turn the X5 into a 2 seater convertable by removing half the rear end of the car I manage to slide just past the rear bumper and then realise the red car on my left is closing in rapidly. Not him moving but me still sliding towards him. I think f$ck f$ck f$ck here comes impact!! As I am about the hit the car the traffic started moving and he pull off. At this point the bike has come to standstill and I am completely off camber and front wheel slipping, hit the deck and before I knew it was standing next to the bike again. I wave some friendly gestures to the X5 driver who now stops and asks whether everything is ok I decide to rather say nothing as I am about to blow a major fuse connecting the circuit from my brain controlling the urge to beat the living crap out of the guy

Luckilly only the indicator light lens broke and a few scrapes on the cylinder head protectors, very very fortunate nobody drove over me or even worse could of slided into the middle barrier and went flying into the oncoming traffic. So decided after 6 years of commuting in and out of London to call some time out. Tomorrow I am trying to use the train and cycling from Fenchurst street to work and back. I stopped using the train years ago as I did not do to well on there either But feel at this point would rather not commute in the winter on the A13 and hopefully can apreaciate some longer weekend rideouts again.

Have told Mrs Maverick that I will give it my best effort until xmas and see how I feel then. It certainly is going to be strange not commuting in and out on my bike after so many years

So if you see a mad man on a train throwing passengers out of the windows...that will be me then

[Chad]

****in hell dude you kept that a bit quiet glad your ok mate need any help with repair

oh i give you about ten mins before you start throwing bodies out the windows and a max of a week before you back on the bike

[Annette]

Maverick, sorry about your off, but glad you were OK and you only had minimal damage to your bike.

Taking the train.....you'd best book in for an anger management course at the earliest possible opportunity

[alpslapper]

Glad youre ok - I filter on the a12 and a13 most weeks - I hate every single second of it - more than anywhere else there really does seem to be some mist that descends on the car drivers on those roads at 9am and 5pm - a lot of the time now, so long as the traffic is moving at all, I dont bother. Many a bike that's torn past me on the a12, Ive managed to, or all but managed to, catch them on the greenman roundabout anyhow.

Oh, forgot to add, I give it 2 weeks before we read the I'm filtering in the city again thread

[MacP]

Hey Mav

Take it easy on the train mate - Get an Ipod or MP3 player that plays calming music - I can't travel on one in the rush hour without one as without one I'm a one step away from lamping the next person who says in a loud voice 'Can you move down please....'

The fact they're standing 5 rows of people back with little chance of getting on the next 3 trains never mind the one i'm on seems to make no difference...

Just take deep breaths

[Lord Vader]

So if you see a mad man on a train throwing passengers out of the windows...that will be me then

If you could tell me where and when you start i could take pics.I'm sure you still could make next years calendar
"Headline"
"This is why you should ride a bike"

[Whealie]

Mav,
I hate commuting (and don't do it often as I work from home most days) but a mate of mine, Andy Barrow, broke his neck at 17 playing rugby (see an interview with him here ( Andy Barrow & Steve Palmer ) and he once said to me that what he missed was all the things he'd never have to do, such as getting the train every morning into work, as all his mates had done.
I still hate commuting but it does put a different perspective on things.

[Maverick]

Well made it in and nobody got hurt Only small incident with bus, taxi and white man van but luckilly escaped their attempts to kill me. Was strange to sit on the train watching the traffic on the A13 go past and then come to a dead stop around Dageham

The cycling is a bit strange, makes you fekin tired I tell ya Whealie I hear you dude there is certain things we take for granted and others wish they can do, luckilly I live my life and at this point there isn't much regrets so hope I am on the right track

Annette that anger management malarky did not work for me, I mean how can you fail it three times not going back for that bollocks.

And on another note now that I am a full hard core cyclist.......this bloody bikers is dangerous on the roads zipping in and out of traffic

[Hagrid]

Eeeckkk Mav... Glad you cool....

Right... Anyone fancy a little wager...? I'll give him a week on the Train Max...

[Whealie]

Chad gets a pink bike and Maverick starts wearing Lycra. Lord Vader will wish he had not moved to Essex.