news:0PednbXQq5etAzHcRVn-1w@comcast.com...
>
> "Uncle Davey" <noway@jose.com> wrote in message
> news:cocnfg$omj$0@pita.alt.net...
> >
> > Uzytkownik "The Danimal" <dmocsny@mfm.com> napisal w wiadomosci
> > news:cac1ad88.0411280625.2a7f0ab8@posting.google.com...
> >> "mrs.turtoni" <mrsturtoni@comcast.net> wrote in message
> > news:<9vGdnQQJpee8tzTcRVn-qw@comcast.com>...
> >> > Somebody actually thinks about some of your short novels.
> >> > In lieu of the jewelry my husband was planning as a
> >> > Christmas gift, I asked for a bicycle.
> >>
> >> Practical advice:
> >>
> >> 1. Read a book about bicycling. It's a lot more complex and
> >> subtle than a beginner is likely to appreciate. For example:
> >>
> >>
> >
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671870750/qid=1101649330/sr=2-2/ref=pd_ka_b_2_2/103-7887055-5905437
> >> Sloane's Complete Book of Bicycling: The Cyclist's Bible (25th
> >> Anniversary Edition)
> >> by Eugene Sloane
> >>
> >> 2. Join your local bicycle club. They can show you where to ride,
> >> and how to ride. Most importantly, you will meet serious bicyclists
> >> who have overcome the local obstacles to bicycling in your area.
> >> Whatever those obstacles happen to be, they are probably serious
> >> (if you see more cars than bikes where you live, the proportion
> >> indicates your probable difficulty).
>
> Tourist season creates virtual car lots on many roads in these parts.
> What makes it worse is the mix of drivers [Philly drivers versus
> NYC drivers make for some interesting road rage]. The best place
> to bicycle is on the island [or stick to the riverfront roads in town].
>
> >> 3. Study maps. Your choice of routes is more important than your
> >> choice of bike. Ask your club or bike shop if they have bicycle
> >> route maps for your area. If you simply blunder out into traffic
> >> with no knowledge of your local routes from a bicycling perspective,
> >> you may have a very unpleasant experience.
> >>
> >> 4. Giving a bicycle as a gift is somewhat difficult, because
> >> you'd like to have a competent mechanic fit the bicycle to
> >> the recipient.
>
> I'll be present for the purchase.
>
> >> 5. Bicycles and associated gear (helmet, shorts, shoes) are
> >> generally cheapest just after Christmas. Rather than actually
> >> give the bicycle itself as a Christmas gift, if you feel you
> >> must have that ritual, it would be smartest to exchange a
> >> token of some sort to represent the gift, and then go take
> >> a trip to the bike shop together for your selection, purchase,
> >> and fitting.
>
> Ian suggested post Christmas. There's a bicycle dealer nearby
> that we're planning to check out. Regular cyclists say they have
> a decent selection and the owner is good on matching people to
> their needs.
>
> >> 6. Shoes: I recommend "mountain bike" shoes with recessed SPD
> >> cleats even if you intend to ride solely on pavement. "Road"
> >> shoes are much harder to walk in, and are best reserved for
> >> the fantasy world of elite racing in which the pampered athlete
> >> always has his team car following closely behind, with his
> >> mechanic and his apres-race clogs. In the real world, you will
> >> have to dismount your bicycle occasionally and walk on
> >> rough surfaces (construction zones, etc.), or enter food
> >> stores and negotiate their slick linoleum floors.
>
> Check.
>
> >> 7. Another major factor is the weather. If your area has winters,
> >> you probably don't want to start riding during one. Cold-weather
> >> riding is something of an advanced skill, requiring considerable
> >> understanding of how to dress, and knowledge of other aspects
> >> of bicycling so you don't have to learn those other things
> >> under the added stress of a raw, biting day.
> >>
> >> 8. Spinning bikes are an excellent way to build and maintain
> >> fitness, and get used to the pedaling motion before you introduce
> >> the dynamic complications of moving through the real world.
>
> What I need is a re-introduction. When I worked for the P.D.
> [5 years], I patrolled on the island with a police issue bicycle,
> did about 200 miles per week. Haven't been on a bike for two
> years though, so it's going be work to get re-acclimated.
>
> >> 9. Dress conspicuously. Shorts, tights, and shoes should be
> >> black, because they will eventually run into greasy chains
> >> and such, but your upper body is more out of grime's way
> >> and should be the brightest thing in a motorist's field of
> >> view. Your outside layer (jacket or jersey) should be fluorescent
> >> yellow or orange. A bicyclist at 300 feet appears no larger than
> >> your thumb at arm's length. A motorist can close that gap in
> >> 3 seconds. In normal-colored clothing you will be incredibly hard
> >> to see against the visual clutter on the roadway. You need to be
> >> as bright as possible. Not only do day-glo colors make you stand
> >> out, but they also make it clear that you get it.
>
> The latest recommended colors are neon yellow/green. At least it
> was 2 years ago.
>
> >> 10. Be aware of what you can't see. The secondary roads popular
> >> with bicyclists because of their low traffic tend to have more
> >> hills, intersections, and turns with poor sight lines. Assume the
> >> worst about anything you can't see, and keep your speed so your
> >> stopping distance is less than your sight line (that is, so you
> >> can always stop at a point you can see when you start braking).
>
> Check.
>
> >> 11. This is war. In war there are casualties. Never surrender.
> >> If motorists give you a hard time, at any time, calmly ask
> >> them why they are supporting terrorism.
>
> Thanks for the advice.
>
> >> -- the Danimal
> >
> > Good article. A lot of people are particularly unaware of the need to
> > build
> > the bike around their own physique (your point 4), with the result that
> > some
> > people give it up after experiencing unnecessary discomfort.
>
> ie., men's police issue bicycle seats aren't kind to the female bum.
>
> Ian says hi.
>
> Faith
>
Give him my best regards. I was thinking about you guys the other day, with
Yelena.
My private mail these days is piorokrat"at"autograf.pl the others i had are
largely defunct. I'm always happy to hear his news.
Best,
Davey
|
|