Today's Ride

Ick! Ugh! And similar disgusted noises. What utterly poo weather!

Rain's not too bad (not that I *like* it, but unless you're the Wicked Witch of the West, it doesn't
hurt) but the *wind*.

The temptation to say "Sod it!" and go shopping in the van was quite strong, but I need the
exercise, so pausing only to drain off enough hydraulic fluid from my brake to allow the lefthand
front wheel to turn
[1] off I went into the cold and the 'orrible...

It was a real fight getting into Brough, and the wind wasn't even in my face most of the way, just a
really strong sidewind [2]. Average speed
2.2mph. Argh.

I had prudently borrowed Rob's spare Buff (an excellent garment) which kept the worst of the rain
off my face. The cagers were pretty well behaved on the whole, but I was surprised on such a dull,
dark day to see so many of them without even sidelights on.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again - my fleece trousers are really the bee's elbows. They're
not waterproof, but every time I've ridden with them in the rain they've kept my legs warm and dry
and they're more comfy than any pair of waterproof trousers I've ever tried. They'll probably stop
making them before I can acquire another pair now...

The moorhens were still pootling about.[3] Not quite so many of them today, but if they're hiding
from the weather, I for one don't blame them.

On the way back, I was rewarded for my perseverance by the first sighting this year of "my" steasel
(or is it a woat?), which cheered me up immensely. And it even stopped raining for a while :-)

[3] I've been having trouble with my Hope hydraulic disc brakes seizing up. It's the only thing
about my trike that's a PITA...

[4] the most annoying bit being that I could have gone yesterday, when the weather was halfway
decent for January, but I had to wait in for some workmen to come and finish something they
omitted to do on Tuesday. Feh!

[5] Shame they're not coots really. Pootling coots sounds so much more euphonious....

--
Carol Hague "I've never seen the point of wind."
- Chas Griffin _Scenes From A Smallholding_

Carol Hague <carol@wrhpv.com> wrote:

: Rain's not too bad (not that I *like* it, but unless you're the Wicked Witch of the West, it
: doesn't hurt) but the *wind*.

Impressive isn't it. I went out last night (Wednesday). Was doing 12mph on the flat at one point
while working hard. Then turned side on to the wide and felt in grave danger of being blown off. The
front wheel kept skipping in the gusts.

And then I couldn't even take full advantage of the tail wind since even with a 12W lumicycle front
light you can't do 30mph on country lanes in the dark.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org "Technolibertarians make a philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook

Arthur Clune wrote:

> Impressive isn't it.

Yer not wrong there. 15 mph through the Shoreditch one-way system into the wind this morning, reach
the traffic lights and BANG! Speed drops instantly to about 6 mph, with added swearing and rain.

Going home should be fun, though.

Note to self: Get recumbent back together ASAP.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

In news:btk3f9$84flu$1@ID-120318.news.uni-berlin.de,
Dave Larrington <legs_larry@yahoo.com> typed:
> Arthur Clune wrote:
>
>> Impressive isn't it.
>
> Yer not wrong there. 15 mph through the Shoreditch one-way system into the wind this morning,
> reach the traffic lights and BANG! Speed drops instantly to about 6 mph, with added swearing
> and rain.
>
> Going home should be fun, though.
>
> Note to self: Get recumbent back together ASAP.

Gasp!!

You mean you were on a... on a... WEDGIE!!?

Amazing.

A (my fastidiousness seems to have slipped this afternoon. I just sent a text without using the full
160 characters, as well as those gratuitous !!!s and ???s)

>Rain's not too bad (not that I *like* it, but unless you're the Wicked Witch of the West, it
>doesn't hurt) but the *wind*.

Ack, I know, it's what kept me off the bike today :-(

Glad someone got out, anyhow!

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get correct one remove dependency on fame &
fortune h*$el*$$e**nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$

Carol Hague wrote:
> Ick! Ugh! And similar disgusted noises. What utterly poo weather!
>
> Rain's not too bad (not that I *like* it, but unless you're the Wicked Witch of the West, it
> doesn't hurt) but the *wind*.
>

Ssshhhh. One of the members of uk.wreck.tosspot might be reading and jump in all excited about how
impractical a bicycle is ;-)

Tony

Tony Raven <junk@raven-family.com> wrote:

> Carol Hague wrote:
> > Ick! Ugh! And similar disgusted noises. What utterly poo weather!
> >
> > Rain's not too bad (not that I *like* it, but unless you're the Wicked Witch of the West, it
> > doesn't hurt) but the *wind*.
> >
>
> Ssshhhh. One of the members of uk.wreck.tosspot might be reading and jump in all excited about how
> impractical a bicycle is ;-)

What are these "bicycles" of which you speak? :-)

--
Carol Hague Feet first on three wheels

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers <wafflycathcs@aol.comcomcom> wrote:

> >Rain's not too bad (not that I *like* it, but unless you're the Wicked Witch of the West, it
> >doesn't hurt) but the *wind*.
>
> Ack, I know, it's what kept me off the bike today :-(

That's the trouble with living in places wot is mostly flat, innit?

The upside is there are no hills to ride up - the downside is there are no hills to shelter you from
the wind....

>
> Glad someone got out, anyhow!

Which is more than I was, when I set off, but I always feel better for having been out.

I shall be out again tomorrow (don't tell Michael, but I'm taking Tigs to see TED again...)

--
Carol Hague "This is an insanely bad idea." - Jack O'Neill, Stargate SG1

Dave Larrington wrote:
> Arthur Clune wrote:
>
>> Impressive isn't it.
>
> Yer not wrong there. 15 mph through the Shoreditch one-way system into the wind this morning,
> reach the traffic lights and BANG! Speed drops instantly to about 6 mph, with added swearing
> and rain.
>
> Going home should be fun, though.
>

Other way round for me. Rode to work at approx 300 mph. Coming home was just windy. Rain
had stopped.

--
Cheerful Peddling John Mallard

Carol Hague wrote:
> That's the trouble with living in places wot is mostly flat, innit?
>
> The upside is there are no hills to ride up

That's an upside? Hills are fun.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Danny Colyer <danny@speedy5.freeserve.giggle> wrote:

> Carol Hague wrote:
> > That's the trouble with living in places wot is mostly flat, innit?
> >
> > The upside is there are no hills to ride up
>
> That's an upside? Hills are fun.

Not for small round people :-)

--
Carol Hague "I've never seen the point of wind."
- Chas Griffin _Scenes From A Smallholding_

Carol Hague wrote:

> What are these "bicycles" of which you speak? :-)

They are wondrous devices, wrought in cunning fashion by the Natives of the East, from the liver of
the elephant.

You can keep fags in them.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

Ambrose Nankivell wrote:

> Gasp!!
>
> You mean you were on a... on a... WEDGIE!!?
>
> Amazing.

Have been for most of the past month. Early December I pulled a pile of dirt disguised as a
Speedmachine out of the shed and saw it had a flat front tyre. Harsh words were said, the
Speedmachine reshedded and the mountain bike (with slicks and mudguards, obv.) used instead. At some
point that day I decided that the Speedmachine should receive a long overdue service, if only to
allow me to rid the front suspension from the squeaking that makes the bike sounds as though a pair
of mice are At It inside the head tube.

However, the combination of Crimbling-Yule, Noo Yar and being a bone-idle layabout means that I have
so far dismantled the bike, cleaned and polished the frame, fork and seat and put the chain into a
bottle of gloop on top of the washing machine for cleaning. It will probably have dissolved by the
time I try to get it out... I may be able to finish the cleaning part this weekend, but reassembly
/always/ takes longer.

The /other/ recumbent is in perfect working order but, lacking mudguards, lights, luggage capacity,
the ability to do tight turns and forward vision, is no more suitable for winter commuting than,
say, a Williams FW26.

The /other/ other recumbent is not due for delivery for another month.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================