Today's Bike Ride

[Graham Breeze]

Today the roads looked so dry and the sky looked so blue (if not celeste ) that I thought I would take the Italian bike out for the first time in a month and her first outing since I entrusted Woodrups of Kirkstall (founded in 1949) to pamper her back to perfection.

Oh the joy! Everything was so tight and silky smooth with the Italian gears not so much purring as sighing with delightful pleasure as the sun reflected off her new gold chain.

Needing to avoid sludge, water and anything that would besmirch her shining frame I kept strictly to roads associated with Harewood and Harrogate and my reward was an average speed over 20% faster than any previous outing this year - proving that selfless love freely given will be rewarded in return.

So 32.32 miles, 1000 feet of climb that I hardly noticed and 231 miles so far in January.

[PeteS]

Well, chapeau to you, sir. I can only imagine the Yorkshire road cleaners swept the road before you, Graham. Around this way, there is still very much a presence of "sludge, water and anything that would besmirch"!
The road bike is probably remaining as indoor roller use until March at the very least. Plenty of trips out on the MTB and gravel (I hate that term!) bike though.

[Marco]

... as the sun reflected off her new gold chain.

That must of cost you a bit, Graham

[Graham Breeze]

That must of cost you a bit, Graham

I'm worth it.

[anthonykay]

I have started singing with a choir that rehearses in Belton village hall, 7.5 miles from home, so the ride there and back is likely to become a regular Wednesday evening jaunt. It has been taking me more than 40 minutes each way, with all the junctions, traffic lights, a few hills, and not wanting to arrive too sweaty (I'm wearing "normal" clothes, not cycling gear, apart from the shoes). I'm in two minds as to whether to get myself a decent front light; since I have generally done very little rural night-riding, I currently have a cheap light that is OK for lit urban roads. But I rather enjoy relying on night vision while riding in the countryside (and the off-road section of NCR6 between Shepshed and Belton has been properly tarmacked). And there is a fair amount of ambient light around here; it's not rural to the extent that Molehill's or Mossdog's habitations are rural.

[Graham Breeze]

I have started singing with a choir that rehearses in Belton village hall, 7.5 miles from home, so the ride there and back is likely to become a regular Wednesday evening jaunt. It has been taking me more than 40 minutes each way, with all the junctions, traffic lights, a few hills, and not wanting to arrive too sweaty (I'm wearing "normal" clothes, not cycling gear, apart from the shoes). I'm in two minds as to whether to get myself a decent front light; since I have generally done very little rural night-riding, I currently have a cheap light that is OK for lit urban roads. But I rather enjoy relying on night vision while riding in the countryside (and the off-road section of NCR6 between Shepshed and Belton has been properly tarmacked). And there is a fair amount of ambient light around here; it's not rural to the extent that Molehill's or Mossdog's habitations are rural.

On lights the issue is endeavouring to ensure that idiot motorists see you, especially on curving country roads.

Finding myself lying in the road and hearing "Sorry I didn't see you" concentrated my mind.

[Marco]

On lights the issue is endeavouring to ensure that idiot motorists see you, especially on curving country roads.

Finding myself lying in the road and hearing "Sorry I didn't see you" concentrated my mind.

I totally agree with what Graham has said. If I then told you that I regularly drove through Belton in my company-car driving years (sometimes at night), as it was on the fastest route from Melton Mowbray to the A42/M42 junction, then I hope you will take his words seriously.

For what it's worth I have twice come off a bike at night and almost slid under a Ford Escort (not the same one). On both occasions the car skidded to a halt with the front tyre less than a metre from my head. I did have a front light that was good for the time (which was many years ago) but both occasions were scary.

[anthonykay]

On lights the issue is endeavouring to ensure that idiot motorists see you, especially on curving country roads.

Finding myself lying in the road and hearing "Sorry I didn't see you" concentrated my mind.

I reckon the main hazard of having an inadequate front light is drivers emerging from side roads without seeing me - but then, that's a major hazard in broad daylight. I do actually wear hi-viz (with reflective bits) over my "normal clothing". The route to Belton is not too hazardous: there's now a good cycle path alongside the A512 between Loughborough and Shepshed, and most of the way between Shepshed and Belton is along the traffic-free NCR6.

I was on the point of ordering a Knog Blinder front light a few days ago, but then read some rather mixed reviews. So I'm still considering what to get.

I totally agree with what Graham has said. If I then told you that I regularly drove through Belton in my company-car driving years (sometimes at night), as it was on the fastest route from Melton Mowbray to the A42/M42 junction, then I hope you will take his words seriously.

Yes, the B5324 through Belton does carry some scarily fast traffic. I only need to cross it , not ride along it, on my journeys to choir practice (and had to wait for a couple of fast drivers last night); but I have often ridden various stretches of it in daylight, so I know what it is like.

For what it's worth I have twice come off a bike at night and almost slid under a Ford Escort (not the same one). On both occasions the car skidded to a halt with the front tyre less than a metre from my head. I did have a front light that was good for the time (which was many years ago) but both occasions were scary.

So neither of these incidents were related to the quality of your light?

[Marco]

I reckon the main hazard of having an inadequate front light is drivers emerging from side roads without seeing me - but then, that's a major hazard in broad daylight. I do actually wear hi-viz (with reflective bits) over my "normal clothing".

If you stand your bike at a T junction, at night with both lights on, and then walk down the road so that you are viewing it from side-on, you will be staggered by how little it shows up. One solution to this would be to use two lights, both pointing slightly away from 'straight ahead'. As lights are cheap, light, and easy to re-charge nowadays, it might be better to use two cheap ones rather than one expensive one. The other advantage of this is that if one of the lights did fail or flatten you would still have one working one.

Some thought should also be given to where you position your rear light(s). I have seen many bikes with a rear light aerodynamically positioned under the saddle. Sounds great, but is totally invisible from a lorry that is less than 10 metres behind you!!!

Hi-viz with reflective hoops are really good - the one like the motorway maintenance workers wear offer 360 degree visibly.

[Marco]

For what it's worth I have twice come off a bike at night and almost slid under a Ford Escort (not the same one). On both occasions the car skidded to a halt with the front tyre less than a metre from my head. I did have a front light that was good for the time (which was many years ago) but both occasions were scary.

So neither of these incidents were related to the quality of your light?

No, and possibly.

The first was in 1979 when I was going down a hill(!), in the posh part of Lichfield, to a T junction. My plan was to turn left, and then go back up the other side of the hill. As it was dark, the visibility of car lights meant I wouldn't have to slow down for the give way unless I saw light from my right. Right at the last moment, a car did appear and I snatched at the rear brake. Unfortunately, the rear wheel buckle was more severe than I thought and the wheel locked - causing me to cross the give way markings on my backside. Lying on the floor, in the dark, with my lights s scattered on the road I was then almost run over by a Mk2 Ford Escort coming from the left.

The second incident occurred at the bottom of the hill from Wall (the Roman settlement to the south of Lichfield) on an unlit road with high hedges. That was 1994, and bike lighting was still pretty $#!{. There was a howling wind behind me, and I hit a branch on the road at a speed that I would estimate to be 50-55mph. I was thrown over the 'bars, but managed to clamp my knees on the handlebar stem. It was whilst trying to negotiate the staggered cross-roads with my head, and both hands, over the front wheel that my luck ran out and the bike toppled over and we both skidded off to meet a MkIV Fort Escort coming the other way.