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I don’t do physics. I had no

I don’t do physics. I had no idea that all this time I’ve been cycling, I’ve been “pushing the ground backwards”. 

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“from a brand called EC90

“from a brand called EC90 (not to be confused with the range from Easton)”

But I’d guess very much intended to be confused with the range from Easton! 

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Theoretically, yes. But in

Theoretically, yes. But in that (terrifying) example:

(a) to apply a burst of acceleration effectively, you would need to know the lorry was pulling out on you. I’m not sure that would have been obvious to the driver in that clip, as it looks like the lorry driver indicated and started moving out just after the car had passed. I doubt therefore there would have been enough time in that clip for the driver to accelerate out of trouble.

(b) even if there had been time to react and accelerate, the driver didn’t have much space to accelerate into without getting dangerously close to the second lorry in front.

But I take the point – if you’re say two thirds of the way past a lorry which starts indicating, with clear road in front, then accelerator may be more effective than brake…

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Ditto again! I’d put myself

Ditto again! I’d put myself in a similar category – through my teens and twenties I loved cars, and did some mildly stupid things in cars that I would now frown on. Later I spent a bit of time working for car makers, and as a result have been fortunate enough to drive some very nice, fast cars on road and on track (and to be driven in them by people with far more skill than me). Unlike kil0ran though, despite ‘identifying’ as a petrolhead, aspiring to all sorts of exotica for many years, and briefly toying with buying a hot hatch (Clio 200, liquid yellow, since you ask), I only bought my first car (a run of the mill second-hand hatchback) a few years ago, am highly unlikely ever to buy anything more potent, and my current car aspirations waver between buying an estate and considering if I need a car at all any more (it only gets used for long motorway trips).

I still read car magazines occasionally, but they ring a bit hollow now. I have no doubt that the journalists who write for them are very skilled drivers, but seeing images of the latest preposterously overpowered Ferrari being drifted on an open road seems massively irresponsible to me now. Likewise, talking about the pleasure of well weighted steering, perfectly timed heel and toe downshifts and the ‘adjustability’ of a chassis, evocative though that is, only thinly disguises the fact that road tests in these cars involve driving which would, if not conducted out of sight on remote Welsh and Scottish roads where most people are not going to enjoy these cars, attract police attention.

I do feel a bit conflicted – I spent so much of my formative years aspiring to fast cars that, now that it’s vaguely possible, I wonder if I should do it anyway to satisfy the teenager inside me (who, by the way, had even worse taste and wanted a TVR Cerbera). But if I did, I would want to use that performance. Going 10/10ths on a track doesn’t really do it for me, and my older self just doesn’t think it’s ok to use that performance on the road. And owning an expensive performance car just to drive the same way I drive my runaround now feels a bit irrelevant and unnecessary. 

It’s true that having a performance car doesn’t mean you have to drive like an idiot. But even if manufacturers comply with the guidance in the advertising codes and don’t expressly market them this way, it seems clear to me that what they are selling is road cars with performance that, for the most part, cannot be used legally or safely on the road.   

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Yeah, your testimonial on the

Yeah, your testimonial on the Mk1 in one of those first look articles sold it for me, so thanks for the feedback. I went for the orangey one in a road biased 2x, 700 x 38 gravelking flavour, with (very excited about this) my first dynamo light setup. Now looking to complete its first incarnation with guards and some form of rando rack.

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Thanks, some good tips there

Thanks, some good tips there that I hadn’t thought of. I should have added I’m looking for something to accommodate a minimum 38 tyre, but most of these options have a size to cater for that. They’re intended for a Fairlight Faran 2.0 that I am hoping is going to be a keeper, so think I might invest in one of the metal options.   

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Also guilty, in teenage years

Also guilty, in teenage years, of using front fogs (or ‘driving lights’, as I seem to recall they were also known) not in the fog. But at least I knew how to turn off the rear one – I’m amazed how many people I see searing the retinas of following drivers in perfectly clear conditions.   

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Worst culprit: Adam err, yeah

Worst culprit: Adam err, yeah Yates err, yeah.

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“the selection” (i.e. those

“the selection” (i.e. those left to fight on the final climb) 

“battle royale” (David Millar only, but frequently)

 

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OnYerBike wrote:

this particular piece of “fury” appears to have resulted from the firecrew having to walk ~50m in order to help some thick plank who’d locked themselves out.

Am I the only one who wouldn’t even have considered calling a firecrew (rather than paying a locksmith a no doubt exorbitant sum of money) if they’d locked themselves out? I can’t decide if that makes me a responsible citizen or a spendthrift fool.     

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I have a similar issue – I’m

I have a similar issue – I’m planning to ride a circular route from a different start point. I tried editing it in a free RidewithGPS account. It’s possible, but very fiddly – I had to basically delete a little bit of the end of the route, then move the start of the route backwards, over and over until I had got the start / finish to where I wanted it on the loop. There must be a better way. I’m also not confident that my re-routed section is completely accurate. If you just want to add a section to get from your location onto your friend’s route though, this is doable. 

I am probably going to do what Judge dreadful suggests instead – I assume that when I hit the route the Garmin will recognise it and direct me from wherever I join it, even though it’s not the designated start point… If not, I have my cobbled together version as a backup.     

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If I’m likely to see a lot of

If I’m likely to see a lot of cyclists (e.g. in town, on my commute) then not generally, though there are a few familiar faces I’ll chat to at lights etc. Out on the open road where there are fewer cyclists (and people generally) around then usually, yes. Similar rules for walking really – I don’t say hello to everyone on the high street or in the local park, but do when further from “civilisation” and you may only meet a handful of people in a day. I agonise over the appropriate way to pass other cyclists though – I worry that no matter what I say it sounds like I’m being smug about overtaking them.

     

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Rule 66 could do with more

Rule 66 could do with more work, but that’s exactly what the consultation is for. Also, as you note, the Highway Code is a package and different rules have to be read together. Better work has been done on the complementary rules more relevant to motorists, e.g. 

[quote Rule 213]

On narrow sections of road, at road junctions and in slower-moving traffic, cyclists may sometimes ride in the centre of the lane, rather than towards the side of the road. Allow them to do so for their own safety, to ensure they can see and be seen. Cyclists are also advised to ride at least a door’s width or 0.5m from parked cars for their own safety

[/quote] [quote Rule 163]

give motorcyclists, cyclists, horse riders and horse drawn vehicles at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211 to 215). As a guide: ─ leave a minimum distance of 1.5 metres at speeds under 30 mph ─ leave a minimum distance of 2.0 metres at speeds over 30 mph

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It’s not presumed liability

It’s not presumed liability but, to be fair, it does propose introducing an express concept of a hierarchy or road users ~bigger vehicle more responsibility  

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I’m still looking for the

I’m still looking for the holy grail of saddle bag / jersey packing. Currently using the Castelli Mini mentioned below (currently only contains a tube though could fit tool and levers too) together with a Velo Culture pencil case (upcycled inner tubes, also mentioned below) which takes tool, levers, keys, money and would fit a phone too. Neither of them is full in this arrangement, but I couldn’t get all of the above in just one of them.    

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