P
Paul - xxx
Guest
Not posted for a while, but have been cycling ... but very differently to my
normal rides.
For a few weeks now I've been commuting by bicycle in and out of a large
city, Sheffield, with a round trip of about 30 miles or so. First time I've
commuted for any length of time or distance by bike into a City and have a
few, pretty obvious to many riders here, observations.
Helmets do naff all good for someone riding in traffic. Unless very
well-fitted and fastened tightly they can be uncomfortable and actually
hurt. I found they also restrict vision, restrict hearing. I much
preferred to ride without the helmet, and felt far safer without it as I
could hear what was going on as well see it ... which seems odd as the
helmet doesn't cover my ears at all, I presume it's a function of the way
the sound arrives at my ears being disrupted by the foam/shape etc.
Sight was restricted as I ride mainly head slightly down (mountain bike,
single-track stylee) and found the peak restricted vision, meaning I had to
lift me head up to see .. somehow off-road and without the helmet I merely
lift my eyes to see further ahead, but I guess 'cos of the increased road
speeds I needed to see further ahead on the road and couldn't without the
extra movements.
Most other traffic appears to hate cyclists, cycles and indeed anything that
isn't a clone of what they are ...
I have, in the past, poured a small amount of scorn at those who have posted
regarding the abuse hurled at them (among other things) from mostly car,
white van, and young drivers. I most humbly apologise, but in my defence
had never really come across it before. I couldn't believe (living in a
mostly rural area) there are that many hateful, scornful and downright
ignorant bastards about. There are ...
More positively ... I loved the hills, up and down I could overtake whole
street-fulls of traffic, at speeds they could only dream at, after all, it
_is_ rush-hour ... Heheheheh.
Brakes take a hammering, until one gets used to 'seeing' the extra traffic
and flowing through, round and between the streams, then they hardly get
touched, and what a feeling ... so close to flying, completely surreal at
times. Took me back to Nottingham, though I never commuted there, just
'blasted through'.
The bike worked flawlessly and I've clocked up as many hours and miles of
riding as I have in the past year (it feels like) of off-roading.
I am now determined to cycle more and more and to this end am also looking
for a more roadworthy cycle, something between a tourer and a racer, but am
hard-pressed to decide. Not interested in touring, more in getting out and
blasting through traffic, so seriously considering a fixie ... though the
hills around here might make this an impractical solution long-term.
All in all, a blast.
--
Paul ...
(8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!
ebay stuff
140040070648
140041371006
normal rides.
For a few weeks now I've been commuting by bicycle in and out of a large
city, Sheffield, with a round trip of about 30 miles or so. First time I've
commuted for any length of time or distance by bike into a City and have a
few, pretty obvious to many riders here, observations.
Helmets do naff all good for someone riding in traffic. Unless very
well-fitted and fastened tightly they can be uncomfortable and actually
hurt. I found they also restrict vision, restrict hearing. I much
preferred to ride without the helmet, and felt far safer without it as I
could hear what was going on as well see it ... which seems odd as the
helmet doesn't cover my ears at all, I presume it's a function of the way
the sound arrives at my ears being disrupted by the foam/shape etc.
Sight was restricted as I ride mainly head slightly down (mountain bike,
single-track stylee) and found the peak restricted vision, meaning I had to
lift me head up to see .. somehow off-road and without the helmet I merely
lift my eyes to see further ahead, but I guess 'cos of the increased road
speeds I needed to see further ahead on the road and couldn't without the
extra movements.
Most other traffic appears to hate cyclists, cycles and indeed anything that
isn't a clone of what they are ...
I have, in the past, poured a small amount of scorn at those who have posted
regarding the abuse hurled at them (among other things) from mostly car,
white van, and young drivers. I most humbly apologise, but in my defence
had never really come across it before. I couldn't believe (living in a
mostly rural area) there are that many hateful, scornful and downright
ignorant bastards about. There are ...
More positively ... I loved the hills, up and down I could overtake whole
street-fulls of traffic, at speeds they could only dream at, after all, it
_is_ rush-hour ... Heheheheh.
Brakes take a hammering, until one gets used to 'seeing' the extra traffic
and flowing through, round and between the streams, then they hardly get
touched, and what a feeling ... so close to flying, completely surreal at
times. Took me back to Nottingham, though I never commuted there, just
'blasted through'.
The bike worked flawlessly and I've clocked up as many hours and miles of
riding as I have in the past year (it feels like) of off-roading.
I am now determined to cycle more and more and to this end am also looking
for a more roadworthy cycle, something between a tourer and a racer, but am
hard-pressed to decide. Not interested in touring, more in getting out and
blasting through traffic, so seriously considering a fixie ... though the
hills around here might make this an impractical solution long-term.
All in all, a blast.
--
Paul ...
(8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!
ebay stuff
140040070648
140041371006
