So today I thought I thought I would try something new. A slightly different route which avoided the problematic A road.
Downsides:
Longer by 1.5 miles (is this actually a downside?!)
Hillier (again, is this really a downside!)
There is a Ford (it's little and I can always lift my legs up and shout weeeeeeee!)
Pothole-ier (this is the onl real downside)
Upsides:
Hardly any cars
Even more rural
More fluffy animals
Great views
Hardly any cars
It'll get me fitter
Some nice downhills
Hardly any cars
So today I tried it. It was one of those days that cylists love. Slightly crisp, frosty, but little ice and hardly any wind. Here is the result
Now ask yourself this.... would you rather drive or cycle?
Only a few words......"You lucky B'stard" :-)
ReplyDeleteIs that the ford or the potholes at 9 minutes, and a nasty bit of ice as well...
Never sure myself if to hold tight and straight through the slippery stuff or to stop and walk....I normally opt for the stop and walk!
Love the camera position, I guess its strapped to the side of the helmet? I only seem to get success when I mount it to the bike frame, but then you don't see the fluffy's in the fields :-(
Nice one!
ReplyDeleteThe trouble with rural roads is they're often not treated. Which can make them somewhat slippery in places.
The other problem (perhaps its just around here) is that drivers treat these back roads as 'rat runs'. They drive as quickly as they can along them. It's not uncommen at night to find drivers flying round blind bends on the wrong side of the road at break neck speeds.
John,
ReplyDeleteYes it is a ford. I didn't know there was one! The camera is actual held in strap around me head. It ends up sitting just under the lip of my helmet.
Red,
Luckily because of the where these roads are and where they go, they aren't used as a rat run, so they should always be generally quiet. Apparently I just need to be careful of walkers in the summer when I am speeding around the corners! ;-)
Greeting from Halifax, NS, Canada.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting your vids. I am a daily city commuter and have my run-ins with muppets. I think your camera has a slightly fished-lens and it is hard for me to judge where you are in the road, but often it seems like you are _way_ out in the road, and you highway lanes seem really small. How wide are roads in the UK? Something to google I guess.
Check out my blog for pics, although it looks like we have very similar weather. Its currently -2C and will be like this for the rest of the week.
Best regards,
-Doug
Hi Magnatom, I've just seen your utterly terrifying near miss with the lorry on Youtube and wondered if you'd noticed that there is a traffic cone caught up under the carriage of the truck at 0:32 - obviously a very careful driver there.
ReplyDeleteI hope the Police were sympathetic and take this incident seriously (I'd ban the man from ever getting behind the wheel of a vehicle again!) and am so glad you are okay.
Hi magnaton,
ReplyDeleteI have just come across you on you tube. I've had a couple of near misses too. It's amazing what drivers do! Not giving room when overtaking really gets my goat. I drive and give a cars width. If I have to sit behind for a while so be it. Drivers behind get quite annoyed but No way am I going to risk wiping out a cyclist. All the cycle lanes down here in Devon are poor, off camber and contain potholes so I quite often have to divert away from them on the bike. Someone overtaking close would be a nightmare.
Keep up the good work.
Lee
You ought to come down and do the London to Brighton cycle ride at some point.
ReplyDelete