Ride to Work 2

For a while I have been playing with an app in the iPhone called mpgcalc. There are two versions, free and the full one that stores more entries and also gives a wider choice of stats.

mpgcalc data

The export data file is a txt file but comma separated and it goes into excel pretty easily and here is the resulting graph.   It shows 19 entries.  The 1st is actually the sum of the fuel put in and the miles ridden from a whole load of entries I would have lost as data isn't transferable if you pay the 69p and upgrade to the pay app.  Shows a pretty consistent pattern with a wide difference between the highest and the lowest mpg.  This is for the UK gallon.

When I fill up tonight the graph is liable to take a dip as I was quite "spirited" on the way home after I was blocked on my favourite curve by a muppet in a BMW 5-series.



Outside the Emirates Stadium

The ride in this morning was pretty easy. The same holdup as yesterday, so there must be a reason for it,  and it can't be blamed on the Paralympics as it is miles away! I had a few school visits to make and had a tour past the Emirates Stadium on the way back to work. At least there was no bird crap like yesterday.  Or at least there wasn't when I had a walk out at lunch time.

 For those that don't know the significance of the cannons behind the bike, The Arsenal were formed in South-East London by workers that were employed in munitions in the Royal Artillery depot at Woolwich, and the club was originally called Woolwich Arsenal. Despite moving to the current location in Islington 99 years ago, the local rivals still hold a grudge and call us gypsies.   The cannon has been on the shirt badge for many years and the club's nickname is The Gunners.

 The other bike that parks in our car park has attracted the attention of a robin that they have named Red.  He sits on Sam's scooter wing mirror and leaves his calling card on the glass.  We reckon it's because the premises manager and the doormen encourage it with bird seed. Shouldn't be long before my mirror to get "tagged" too!

The ride home was pretty much the same, all going swimmingly until the foot of Wrotham Hill when all three lanes on the M20 suddenly clanged up. No advanced warning. None of the warning signs were lit up. Luckily most of the cars managed to stop but Messrs Michelin and companies that make tyres will be gaining a few more sales.

I tootled down the middle, splitting lanes, for over two miles before the first lit up warning sign advising everyone to slow to 40 mph! Traffic remained at walking pace for another couple of miles, past the sign saying "60" before gradually speeding up again to about normal cruising speed.

The sun was setting and the sky was a beautiful pink and purple. I decided to stop and get a couple of pix. Sadly the iPhone is incapable of getting a decent image. Either glared out or dark.

Sunset

Mirror shot