Stupid New Years Resolution!
Discussion
4,000 miles! 
I drove dads car 105 miles over the weekend for my nephews Christmas present so half way home I'll be ahead on the bike again.
My daily adversary in the Nissan Almera showed up again. Spotted him about half a mile behind me because his front fog lights were still on. Today he decided to overtake between two blind bends and take a racing line round the next one nearly hitting a Transit head on.
It is only a matter of time before he hurts someone but as I'm sure you are all well aware reporting a dangerous driver to the Police is as much of a waste of time as explaining democracy to a Tory.
I kind of hope he hits me. Partly so nobody else gets hurt but mostly because I will make it as difficult as possible.
I drove dads car 105 miles over the weekend for my nephews Christmas present so half way home I'll be ahead on the bike again.
My daily adversary in the Nissan Almera showed up again. Spotted him about half a mile behind me because his front fog lights were still on. Today he decided to overtake between two blind bends and take a racing line round the next one nearly hitting a Transit head on.
It is only a matter of time before he hurts someone but as I'm sure you are all well aware reporting a dangerous driver to the Police is as much of a waste of time as explaining democracy to a Tory.
I kind of hope he hits me. Partly so nobody else gets hurt but mostly because I will make it as difficult as possible.
Took a slightly different route home this evening. The old A47 is far less muddy, fewer blind bends and a fairly decent surface. It's an extra mile and a half but forty two minutes wasn't bad. I met a solo lycraist called Tom on the way. It took a couple of miles to catch him and we paced each other for the next three. He was scared by my mask and impressed by my lights so all was well. The main problem with this route is the Woolpack, Terrington St John. I resistedstopping for a pint today but had better not risk it any time soon. 
That last post has bit me in the bum.
50-100m visibility due to fog and as little as 10m in places. Didn't stop idiots having their main beams on though.
The cars coming toward me weren't as issue. I used my front light effectively. It was the ones behind me with their main beams up who failed to see me until the last moment and even though I have four rear lights, I still got a couple of horn blasts simply for being on the road.
Still made it in one piece.
50-100m visibility due to fog and as little as 10m in places. Didn't stop idiots having their main beams on though.
The cars coming toward me weren't as issue. I used my front light effectively. It was the ones behind me with their main beams up who failed to see me until the last moment and even though I have four rear lights, I still got a couple of horn blasts simply for being on the road.
Still made it in one piece.
Had a run in with a member of the traveler community today. He was at the side of the road shining his hunting lamp in the eyes of drivers and people on the road. That included me and my front light's strobe setting came in handy. We exchanged opinions (not within section five of the Public Order Act I might add) and a few miles later a van and a car overtook me, pulled over either side of the road and a SAAB 9/3 convertible pulled up along side me and I got a face full of light again.
Still dazzled the passenger got out and did this...
...to kick me off my bike and this...
...while I was down. Knowing that the two vehicles up ahead were related to this I got back on my bike and carried on because I knew If I fought back both of those vehicles would empty and I would have four or more people attacking me from behind as well as the three who got out of the SAAB. The Police will do a grand sum of nothing about it as they are members of the traveling community.
Edited due to calming down a bit and deciding I'm better than taking the law into my own hands.
Still dazzled the passenger got out and did this...
...to kick me off my bike and this...
...while I was down. Knowing that the two vehicles up ahead were related to this I got back on my bike and carried on because I knew If I fought back both of those vehicles would empty and I would have four or more people attacking me from behind as well as the three who got out of the SAAB. The Police will do a grand sum of nothing about it as they are members of the traveling community.
Edited due to calming down a bit and deciding I'm better than taking the law into my own hands.
Edited by Liquid Knight on Thursday 15th November 20:29
Yikes, sorry to hear that.
Why is it some people will merrily dish it out, 24/7.. yet when confronted upon their behviour, react like this?
Were they out lamping?
Police will probably only send a few patrols down the road and do nothing more, like you said. Ironic this has happened on the day of the PCC elections.
Why is it some people will merrily dish it out, 24/7.. yet when confronted upon their behviour, react like this?
Were they out lamping?
Police will probably only send a few patrols down the road and do nothing more, like you said. Ironic this has happened on the day of the PCC elections.
Quite a sedate ride home this morning. I was like a bear in a cage all night and took the same route as usual because I'm not going to change my route to avoid a bunch of thugs. The route I took the other day is quicker, fewer blind bends and now the nights have well and truly drawn in I was going to take it but now if I do it will look like they have won. Sod that!
The SAAB involved in the latter part of yesterdays incident was parked on a driveway less than fifty feet from the initial contact. I now know where they live so if anything else does happen I know exactly where to go. The Police obviously (a-hem).
The SAAB involved in the latter part of yesterdays incident was parked on a driveway less than fifty feet from the initial contact. I now know where they live so if anything else does happen I know exactly where to go. The Police obviously (a-hem).
The fog was so thick when I left tonight I could barely see ten meters ahead. By the time I'd got home, changed and into the car it had all but lifted and was bucketing down with rain instead.
Still at least I'm not wet.
I've just been on eBay and have bid on something from the dark side. More on that if it works out.
Still at least I'm not wet.
I've just been on eBay and have bid on something from the dark side. More on that if it works out.
I woke up this morning at half four this morning and though to myself...
"Idiot waking up this early on a day off".
...then my alarm went off at five. Bugger.
Classic catch twenty-two weather. Too hot for waterproofs, too wet for dry stuff.
The rain didn't hit me until I was half way and thanks to it being mid-sugar beet season parts of the road were a couple of inches deep in slimy mud. So I've cycled through the Betty Ford clinic again. I'll take the driest route home.
"Idiot waking up this early on a day off".
...then my alarm went off at five. Bugger.
Classic catch twenty-two weather. Too hot for waterproofs, too wet for dry stuff.
The rain didn't hit me until I was half way and thanks to it being mid-sugar beet season parts of the road were a couple of inches deep in slimy mud. So I've cycled through the Betty Ford clinic again. I'll take the driest route home.
The thing about the alternative route home is I have two overpass bridges to deal with. Rather than slow down I'm out of the saddle and wriggle up them. Slowing down is for people with too much time on their hands (said by someone who's taking the time to update an internet forum). So after the first bridge I felt the rear step out a little and the bike vibrated down hill. A couple of miles near flat out and the vibration settles. "Bugger the wheel's buckled again" I thought to myself. The next bridge just as I get to the top...
BANG!
At least it was at the top of the hill and not going at a rate down hill.
The usual suspect...
...the side wall had been ripped open after contact with salt.
The last time it happened a few days after going to the beach and this one has gone a week after the gritters were last out.
Still 3,106 miles on a £6.00 tyre can't be bad.
BANG!
At least it was at the top of the hill and not going at a rate down hill.
The usual suspect...
...the side wall had been ripped open after contact with salt.
The last time it happened a few days after going to the beach and this one has gone a week after the gritters were last out.
Still 3,106 miles on a £6.00 tyre can't be bad.
I just noticed how muddy my rear mech' looks in the photo. Believe it or not my bike was clean when I left that morning. See what I mean about sugar beet season?
Anyway this morning I left ten minutes early and got to work two minutes late. Nothing annoys me more than being tardy. Having said that today I'm not that fussed as I was dealing with flooded roads, idiot drivers and the usual whatever direction I'm facing head wind you get round here. Not quite as strong as forecast but enough to hold me up. Grrrr!
Today's forecast is a months worth of rain in a couple of hours and 50mph winds. Yeah!
Anyway this morning I left ten minutes early and got to work two minutes late. Nothing annoys me more than being tardy. Having said that today I'm not that fussed as I was dealing with flooded roads, idiot drivers and the usual whatever direction I'm facing head wind you get round here. Not quite as strong as forecast but enough to hold me up. Grrrr!
Today's forecast is a months worth of rain in a couple of hours and 50mph winds. Yeah!
Hey LiquidKnight,
Just happened upon this thread today, I read page one, and then skipped to the last page thinking you'd have given up after about a month. 4000 miles is very impressive. Makes me realise what a sissy I am, my bike has been in the shed since October
must man up and get back out there
Just happened upon this thread today, I read page one, and then skipped to the last page thinking you'd have given up after about a month. 4000 miles is very impressive. Makes me realise what a sissy I am, my bike has been in the shed since October
must man up and get back out there Double figure temperatures so I'll be in shorts again tomorrow.
I'm lucky in a way because my commute is country lanes so I don't have a Magnatom amount of traffic to contend with; but I'm also cursed in a way because I have muddy exposed roads with several blind bends and members of the travelling community to contend with instead.
I'm lucky in a way because my commute is country lanes so I don't have a Magnatom amount of traffic to contend with; but I'm also cursed in a way because I have muddy exposed roads with several blind bends and members of the travelling community to contend with instead.
Edited by Liquid Knight on Thursday 22 November 09:44
Well that was fun. Head wind for the first part, side wind, three quarter wind and finally a tailwind as I was on my way up blow out bridge (that's what I call the bridge from yesterday). A tail wind uphill is an interesting prospect. I was close to flat out before the gradient steepened and the momentum carried me the rest of the way. Down hill with a tail wind meant flat out, top gear head down and sprint pace without the resistance.
Blinked through the next village and as I approached a three mile long straight called Harlequin road I noticed a flashing red LED light ahead. It was about BMX height. I knew the straight would be a tail wind so I thought I'd blitz it, catch the BMX and fly past.
As I turned on to the straight the light was about a third of the way ahead so I clicked down and went for it. Half way I noticed I was barely catching up and I was going as fast as humanly possible. BMX with a sail? Nope, as he passed a driveway I could see it was a Velocomobile. It's the first time I've ever met one on the road and the guy was amazed a common mountain bike managed to catch him. Aerodynamic advantage is only an advantage when the wind is against you I guess. I covered the three miles in five minutes thirty nine seconds.
Blinked through the next village and as I approached a three mile long straight called Harlequin road I noticed a flashing red LED light ahead. It was about BMX height. I knew the straight would be a tail wind so I thought I'd blitz it, catch the BMX and fly past.
As I turned on to the straight the light was about a third of the way ahead so I clicked down and went for it. Half way I noticed I was barely catching up and I was going as fast as humanly possible. BMX with a sail? Nope, as he passed a driveway I could see it was a Velocomobile. It's the first time I've ever met one on the road and the guy was amazed a common mountain bike managed to catch him. Aerodynamic advantage is only an advantage when the wind is against you I guess. I covered the three miles in five minutes thirty nine seconds.
-4'C when I set out this morning.
+3'C after the first two miles.
Snow for the next three miles.
Rain for the last five miles.
This was fun because the salt grit was washed away by the rain leaving a sheet of ice. I let a few PSI out of my tyres to try and get grip but as soon as it got warm (+5'C) by the time I was at work I was dragging the bike along instead of riding it.
The rain is set for the morning now and will be colder tonight according to the forecast. Tomorrow's going to be just as much fun.
In non-weather related news I've finally fixed my back brake. New fluid. I used a fuel line non-return valve, length of clear pipe and a couple of cable ties to bleed it through. The old fluid was yellow and the new stuff is green so that made life even easier. My back brake worked but never very well, I hardly used it on the road anyway so as I didn't need it I didn't fix it. While I'm looking at a more road related commuter bike (to get my times down a bit more) and the suggestion of snow (back to the weather again) this weekend I thought a back brake could be handy, especially if I need my noblies. I may even get muddy and airsick at some point (DT Swizz crap wheels depending).
+3'C after the first two miles.
Snow for the next three miles.
Rain for the last five miles.
This was fun because the salt grit was washed away by the rain leaving a sheet of ice. I let a few PSI out of my tyres to try and get grip but as soon as it got warm (+5'C) by the time I was at work I was dragging the bike along instead of riding it.
The rain is set for the morning now and will be colder tonight according to the forecast. Tomorrow's going to be just as much fun.
In non-weather related news I've finally fixed my back brake. New fluid. I used a fuel line non-return valve, length of clear pipe and a couple of cable ties to bleed it through. The old fluid was yellow and the new stuff is green so that made life even easier. My back brake worked but never very well, I hardly used it on the road anyway so as I didn't need it I didn't fix it. While I'm looking at a more road related commuter bike (to get my times down a bit more) and the suggestion of snow (back to the weather again) this weekend I thought a back brake could be handy, especially if I need my noblies. I may even get muddy and airsick at some point (DT Swizz crap wheels depending).
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