10 Reasons I'm Alive

Day 2 Commuter Mayhem

(Yawn). It was morning and although the snow had lingered overnight and had crisped up the Sun broke through the stormy-hued clouds and broke the cold snap's grip on the hedgerows and trees. It presented a steady thawing trickle of water droplets splattering noisily onto the steeled ground and gave hope to all creatures fancying a trip out to earn a crust, or two.

"I'm riding", I thought. I got the long-johns ready.

It began to snow; just a flurry but it heralded the end of the Sun's brief influence in time to see the kids off to school (miserable every other bloody school in the Land had closed except theirs). I swapped Shadowfax's keys back for the Lanny. My enthusiasm was low; this was going to be a long and slow trip and I was bound to see bikers left, right, and front as I became ever more steeped in bloody traffic. I dug the Lanny out of this latest smattering of snow flakes.

On the road the latest snow layer had already turned to an inch-deep slush. ("Hrmf, could ride on that"). The traffic was not excessive but heavy enough to mist my eyes over with thoughts of high-speed filtering between the idle buggers who could easily walk their 3-mile commute to let me get out of the town in good time: I'm missing Shadowfax.

On the climb out of Fareham, however it was already becoming clear that the gamble to take Shadowfax this way would have seriously affected my ability to walk without assistance for a good week, or more. Here are 10-good reasons I didn't ride today. (It makes me feel better, that's why!)

Slushy, but ridable. I saw a scoot go past happily enough.


Yeah, threatening but still within Shadowfax's limits...ascending out of Fareham.


Toward Wickham.


Leaving Wickham. Okay, now I'd be getting concerned - if we were still vertical.


Where the foggy incident proved beyond my judgement the other day and where the snow would prove beyond it again today if I were riding Shadowfax through today.


Out of Droxford.


Privett Hill.


The tree tunnel. (I had to overtake down here - the Lanny really coming into it's own).


Coldest spot on the commute; East Tisted. Yep: grim but beautiful like a Christmas card? (Sigh).


A31!!!

Okay, so it was full-on UK-style but still threatening blizzard today and Shadowfax would've struggled just 10-miles up the road (bless him) but, boy, am I seeing another side to this Lanny! It's too big and thirsty as a family station waggon (bought originally to tow the caravan, which got nicked a couple of months ago - bastards) and no good knocking the Wife and kidz about town, but on this snow I was piling along at near twice the speed of 2-wheel drive cans and everything was rock steady. Of course, I pushed the envelope a few times for a giggle and found it can't "step out" but goes 45-degrees in the wrong direction under braking so POWER ON was best around the roundabouts (great fun).

Here's a piccy of us overtaking slow crates in such a relaxed manner I managed to fire off the snap without stress:

And the winner is - the old ragged Lanny!

Yes, stopping still takes time but that's the trick of winter driving: leave plenty of room and only be a dick when no one else is about to see the embarrassing bits. Avoiding trees seems a good idea, too.