I put on an extra layer against the chill this morning. Did I put on any gloves though? Did I bollocks, so nicely chilled hands tried to battle with the lock when I got to work.
I nearly collected a gorgeous blonde pedestrian in my handlebars in Hammersmith. I would have got angry but she had sparkly eyes, like rain-washed crystal, and a winning smile. She was very apologetic about it – the usual “I didn’t see you” excuse – and accepted my point that using the crossing less than 20 metres away might have been safer.
So bright sunshine and a nice crispness to the air through Hyde Park which always cheers me up a bit. You do have to be careful at this time of year though as the falling leaves and slight dampness mean that the tarmac can get awfully greasy.
Then there’s the additional hazards caused by conkers, acorns and the sundry other chunks of plant that tend to litter the road as well. If you hit one of these when you’re not expecting it, they have a nasty habit of making sure that the wheel in contact skips sideways.