Random Wibble about today's velocipedation (quite long)
View Full Version : Random Wibble about today's velocipedation (quite long)
Ok, as promised (threatened?) herewith comments on my first trip out with the new Greenspeed
ergonomic seat.
It's wider than the old one, which is nice, although overhanging the seat rails wasn't much of a
problem on the old one (the trike is ex-demo and not originally sized for me). It'll need relacing
soon, which is no surprise - shock-cord tensioned seats nearly always need re-doing a few times as
thay adjust to the rider. Other than that, I have to say I didn't really notice much difference -
the old seat was always pretty comfortable anyway.
I *was* going a fair bit faster than usual today. I'd tend to attribute that to having a decent
amount of pressure in the tyres at last though - our Topeak Road Morph pump gave up the ghost a
couple of weeks ago ( and Topeak apparently don't make spares kits for them. Pah!) and we've now
splashed out on a Joe Blow Pro Track Pump and a Mountain Morph for Rob. We chose these because they
both have gauges at the top of the barrel, where Rob can actually read them without having to swap
glasses (not something you really want to be doing with greasy hands fr'instance).
Not having that bloody headwind helps a lot too :-) It was a bit misty (it often is, this close to
the Humber) but overall quite pleasant - the sun even peeped out a few times on the way back (gasp!)
The purpose of my journey was to go to Safeway in Brough (about 6.5 miles) and fetch back the
shopping, so I had the Bob Coz in tow, but no felines this time. Most of the route is pretty flat.
There's a small hill in Ellerker, about halfway there, but most of you probably wouldn't even notice
it. It gives a nice burst of speed on the way back though - short but exhilarating. You'd think the
flats bits would be pretty desolate at this time of year, but even though the trees and hedges are
bare the fields are already green with next season's crops.
Half a dozen moorhens pobbling about on the grass outside the Mega Greenhouses. No sign of the
stoat/weasel (I never get close enough to be able to tell, assuming I knew the difference [1]) that
I quite often see crossing the road there though.
Got up to 16mph on the main (comparatively) road into Brough, which is going some for me. The
dodgiest part of the trip is probably the roundabout just outside Brough. Only three roads, but most
of the traffic is going into Brough and sometimes they try to overtake at inappropriate points, so
I'm always extra cautious there. No problem today though. Down past the golf course. Lots of nice
oak and chestnut trees on this road - not long ago I collected some acorns and conkers here and I'm
now waiting for them to grow into baby trees in their pots.
Careful approach to the traffic lights in Brough (people *will* park there and block half the road)
and then turn right into Safeway's carpark.
A bit later, shopping stowed (*nearly* bought too much, but it all fitted, just about) and off I go
again. There must have been a *bit* of a headwind on the way out, because I'm faster on the return
trip, even fully loaded (which still isn't *fast*, but it's an improvement.)
A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I gather speed.
One day I'm going to take the sharp bend at the bottom without braking. Really.
Back on to the flat and sustaining 10/11mph, which is pretty much race pace for me :-) The moorhens
have been joined by a **** pheasant, but still no mustelids. About half a mile from the level
crossing that borders the village I see a goods train silhouetted against the sky. Much prettier
that way than close up...
The level crossing is the only one I've found so far that defaults to rail. The signal bod has a
doobrie like a ship's wheel that they use to open it - they're very good about opening for the
trikes, even though there's a pedestrian/bike gate.
Over the crossing (always checking both ways, just in case (paranoid? me? who told you that?)) round
the bends and down the main street to our house.
And I've forgotten the porridge. Frell.
[1] Of course, weasels are weaselly identified, whereas stoats are stoatally different....
--
Carol Hague "I was just being a little teapot. It's a bad habit of mine"
- Wyvern, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased).
> A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I
> gather speed.
>
HIghway code, rule 144........
Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing
down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass. Speeding up or
driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to maintain a
two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.
Or is that another rule that cyclists are exempt from?
> A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I
> gather speed.
>
HIghway code, rule 144........
Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing
down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass. Speeding up or
driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to maintain a
two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.
Or is that another rule that cyclists are exempt from?
> A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I
> gather speed.
>
HIghway code, rule 144........
Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing
down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass. Speeding up or
driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to maintain a
two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.
Or is that another rule that cyclists are exempt from?
"Carol Hague" <carol@wrhpv.com> wrote in message news:1g5eeov.1vdyuym80zaywN%CArol@wrhpv.com...
snipped very interesting ride report
> A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I
> gather speed.
snipped more interesting ride report.
I've highlighted this bit because it's the only bit that anyone seems to have read. Carol didn't
imply that either of them did anything wrong. It's fairly normal for drivers to start manoeuvres and
break them off. Why not? Are there people out there who think that cars should never pass cyclists?
Why pick on a trivial non-incident rather than enjoy the rest of an entertaining report?
___
Michael MacClancy
"Carol Hague" <carol@wrhpv.com> wrote in message news:1g5eeov.1vdyuym80zaywN%CArol@wrhpv.com...
snipped very interesting ride report
> A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I
> gather speed.
snipped more interesting ride report.
I've highlighted this bit because it's the only bit that anyone seems to have read. Carol didn't
imply that either of them did anything wrong. It's fairly normal for drivers to start manoeuvres and
break them off. Why not? Are there people out there who think that cars should never pass cyclists?
Why pick on a trivial non-incident rather than enjoy the rest of an entertaining report?
___
Michael MacClancy
"Carol Hague" <carol@wrhpv.com> wrote in message news:1g5eeov.1vdyuym80zaywN%CArol@wrhpv.com...
snipped very interesting ride report
> A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I
> gather speed.
snipped more interesting ride report.
I've highlighted this bit because it's the only bit that anyone seems to have read. Carol didn't
imply that either of them did anything wrong. It's fairly normal for drivers to start manoeuvres and
break them off. Why not? Are there people out there who think that cars should never pass cyclists?
Why pick on a trivial non-incident rather than enjoy the rest of an entertaining report?
___
Michael MacClancy
SimonJ wrote:
>>A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I
>>gather speed.
>>
>
>
> HIghway code, rule 144........
>
> Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed,
> slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass.
> Speeding up or driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to
> maintain a two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.
>
> Or is that another rule that cyclists are exempt from?
>
>
142. DO NOT overtake if there is any doubt, or where you cannot see far enough ahead to be sure it
is safe. For example, when you are approaching
* a corner or bend
* a hump bridge
* the brow of a hill.
The bit you snipped was :
>>A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker,
then thinks
>>better of it as I gather speed. One day I'm going to take
the sharp bend at the bottom without braking. Really.
So a hill with sharp bend at the bottom. Maybe 142 in this case? Not really enough information to go
on though so I would certainly not want to jump to any hasty conclusions.
SimonJ <me@mine.net> wrote:
> >
> > A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I gather
> > speed.
> >
>
> HIghway code, rule 144........
Clippety-clop Clippety-clop....
--
Carol Hague "Motorized vehicles are ugly and dirty and they bring out the worst in people. "
- Bill Bryson, _Notes from a Small Island_
SimonJ wrote:
>>A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I
>>gather speed.
>>
>
>
> HIghway code, rule 144........
>
> Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed,
> slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass.
> Speeding up or driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to
> maintain a two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.
>
> Or is that another rule that cyclists are exempt from?
>
>
142. DO NOT overtake if there is any doubt, or where you cannot see far enough ahead to be sure it
is safe. For example, when you are approaching
* a corner or bend
* a hump bridge
* the brow of a hill.
The bit you snipped was :
>>A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker,
then thinks
>>better of it as I gather speed. One day I'm going to take
the sharp bend at the bottom without braking. Really.
So a hill with sharp bend at the bottom. Maybe 142 in this case? Not really enough information to go
on though so I would certainly not want to jump to any hasty conclusions.
SimonJ <me@mine.net> wrote:
> >
> > A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I gather
> > speed.
> >
>
> HIghway code, rule 144........
Clippety-clop Clippety-clop....
--
Carol Hague "Motorized vehicles are ugly and dirty and they bring out the worst in people. "
- Bill Bryson, _Notes from a Small Island_
"Michael MacClancy" <herzel@REMOVECAPITALSo2.co.uk> wrote: ) Are there people out there who think
that cars should never pass cyclists?
Now you come to mention it, the world might indeed be a finer and sunnier place if... oh,
never mind.
SimonJ wrote:
>>A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I
>>gather speed.
>>
>
>
> HIghway code, rule 144........
>
> Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed,
> slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass.
> Speeding up or driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to
> maintain a two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.
>
> Or is that another rule that cyclists are exempt from?
>
>
142. DO NOT overtake if there is any doubt, or where you cannot see far enough ahead to be sure it
is safe. For example, when you are approaching
* a corner or bend
* a hump bridge
* the brow of a hill.
The bit you snipped was :
>>A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker,
then thinks
>>better of it as I gather speed. One day I'm going to take
the sharp bend at the bottom without braking. Really.
So a hill with sharp bend at the bottom. Maybe 142 in this case? Not really enough information to go
on though so I would certainly not want to jump to any hasty conclusions.
"Michael MacClancy" <herzel@REMOVECAPITALSo2.co.uk> wrote: ) Are there people out there who think
that cars should never pass cyclists?
Now you come to mention it, the world might indeed be a finer and sunnier place if... oh,
never mind.
"Michael MacClancy" <herzel@REMOVECAPITALSo2.co.uk> writes:
> "Carol Hague" <carol@wrhpv.com> wrote in message news:1g5eeov.1vdyuym80zaywN%CArol@wrhpv.com...
>
> snipped very interesting ride report
>
> > A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I gather
> > speed.
>
> snipped more interesting ride report.
>
> I've highlighted this bit because it's the only bit that anyone seems to have read. Carol didn't
> imply that either of them did anything wrong. It's fairly normal for drivers to start manoeuvres
> and break them off. Why not? Are there people out there who think that cars should never pass
> cyclists?
>
> Why pick on a trivial non-incident rather than enjoy the rest of an entertaining report?
I think the whole group has got bad tempered and picky, and the most innocent post is treated as a
target for hostility and nit-picking.
Let's all take a long deep breath, shall we, and start again?
--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Morning had broken. I found a rather battered tube of Araldite resin in the bottom of
the toolbag.
SimonJ <me@mine.net> wrote:
> >
> > A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I gather
> > speed.
> >
>
> HIghway code, rule 144........
Clippety-clop Clippety-clop....
--
Carol Hague "Motorized vehicles are ugly and dirty and they bring out the worst in people. "
- Bill Bryson, _Notes from a Small Island_
"Michael MacClancy" <herzel@REMOVECAPITALSo2.co.uk> writes:
> "Carol Hague" <carol@wrhpv.com> wrote in message news:1g5eeov.1vdyuym80zaywN%CArol@wrhpv.com...
>
> snipped very interesting ride report
>
> > A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I gather
> > speed.
>
> snipped more interesting ride report.
>
> I've highlighted this bit because it's the only bit that anyone seems to have read. Carol didn't
> imply that either of them did anything wrong. It's fairly normal for drivers to start manoeuvres
> and break them off. Why not? Are there people out there who think that cars should never pass
> cyclists?
>
> Why pick on a trivial non-incident rather than enjoy the rest of an entertaining report?
I think the whole group has got bad tempered and picky, and the most innocent post is treated as a
target for hostility and nit-picking.
Let's all take a long deep breath, shall we, and start again?
--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Morning had broken. I found a rather battered tube of Araldite resin in the bottom of
the toolbag.
"Michael MacClancy" <herzel@REMOVECAPITALSo2.co.uk> wrote: ) Are there people out there who think
that cars should never pass cyclists?
Now you come to mention it, the world might indeed be a finer and sunnier place if... oh,
never mind.
"Michael MacClancy" <herzel@REMOVECAPITALSo2.co.uk> writes:
> "Carol Hague" <carol@wrhpv.com> wrote in message news:1g5eeov.1vdyuym80zaywN%CArol@wrhpv.com...
>
> snipped very interesting ride report
>
> > A car starts to overtake me on the downhill in Ellerker, then thinks better of it as I gather
> > speed.
>
> snipped more interesting ride report.
>
> I've highlighted this bit because it's the only bit that anyone seems to have read. Carol didn't
> imply that either of them did anything wrong. It's fairly normal for drivers to start manoeuvres
> and break them off. Why not? Are there people out there who think that cars should never pass
> cyclists?
>
> Why pick on a trivial non-incident rather than enjoy the rest of an entertaining report?
I think the whole group has got bad tempered and picky, and the most innocent post is treated as a
target for hostility and nit-picking.
Let's all take a long deep breath, shall we, and start again?
--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Morning had broken. I found a rather battered tube of Araldite resin in the bottom of
the toolbag.
Michael MacClancy wrote:
> It's fairly normal for drivers to start manoeuvres and break them off
Overtaking manoeuvres? When the overtaken vehicle is a cycle? Normal on which planet, exactly? ;-)
--
Guy
===
WARNING: May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk (http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk/)
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