The truth though, is that it spoils your average speed. That's the truth, isn't it? As pointed out here ^ Up to you if you want to die or not. I was unfortunate enough to spot what was left of a human being on the A3 early one morning. By the time I got to the next junction and turned round the police had arrived. They reckon he probably got sucked under the rear wheels of a lorry, or sucked out into the carriageway and hit by a following lorry. The A3 is a motorway in everything but name, why the fuck he thought it was a good idea to cycle on it is anyone's guess, but he paid the price for his stupidity. Countcoupe, you crack on son, but don't expect me to weep at your funeral.
I pick up the pieces in a professional capacity. Pieces from pedestrian knock downs, car crashes, lorry crashes, motorway pile ups, motorcycle crashes and bicycle crashes etc etc etc. I have never been to a cyclist knocked off whilst travelling on a carriageway in flowing traffic. It is always at junctions, roundabouts etc. My job puts me off motorcycling much more than cycling.
I agree, so why the fk they run races on it in rush hours beats the shit out of me! Fkn cycle races on a public road while traffic runs should be banned before a whole group get wiped out!
Also does piss me off that when someone chooses to put them self in a dangerous situation and the result is death the poor fucker who in this case strikes the cyclist is expected to pay the price for causing his death, you can say he should have seen him this and that but modern busy roads run an extremely high risk for a cyclist, as for your 150psi racing bikes why not use a sensible push bike to go cycling on the UKs pot hole filled roads.
This is going to be a long one....I gave up on push bikes for a number of reasons...up til last year (march) I was riding an average of 60 miles per week (as much as 100 and as little as 40) 1. Cost of running a pushbike is astronomical....2 - 3 chainsets a year as 120 a pop. Order about 10 innertubes per month, 3 sets of tyres per year. Everytime I got a new bike (I went through a few) theyd change the "tool" for taking this that or the other off. Case in point. Brake pads (rubber for my last bike - 12 quid) - 2 - 3 sets a year. Sintered brembo pads for my rsv4 - 20 quid. 2. Cleaning. In the of winter constant riding means that it needs to be jet washed, cleaned with wd40 every 2 weeks....anymore than that and It becomes unridable...chain jumps etc etc... 3. Time spent repairing the bloody thing....something usually broke on it on a regular basis spokes, control cables stretching. So I ended up running 2 bikes while the other one was off the road waiting for something. 4. Punctures. if I get a puncture out on the road on the way to work I have to clock in which means that the time I lost means I have to stay at work later, or, take longer to get home...wife not happy about that...! Usually on average3 punctures per month, as much as 10- 15 on a bad month, some months (not many) none. Compound all of that last march. Bought a bike on the cycle scheme, after just buying a bottom bearing for my present bike (at the time) and then having to buy "the tool" at twice the cost to get it off. I say, looking at the new bike in the shop - oi, that's a different bottom bearing!" "yeah - they've changed it" "you told me what I had wasn't going to change!" "well, they did" "that's pressed in, how am I going to get that out when it goes" "you cant mate, anyway - thatll never go" "yeah well I just bought a bottom bearing for mine....that would never go" On my way to work, puncture2 miles out from home, another puncture 5 miles out, get into work 90 mins late. Work later, get out of work. Flat tyre in the bike shed (slow puncture, small shard of glass stuck in the tyre). Leave. Another puncture on the way home.... Picture John Cleese whipping a morris minor swearing at it....replace that with me swearing at bike on the side of a dual carriageway, pissing down with rain and cold, covered in spray from cars, lorries etc etc. I only ever rode on the dual carriage way as the one I ride on has that small metre wide lane on the side, otherwise I wouldn't. Now have, hypermotard for dry days, little Toyota IQ for shitty days and the rsv4 factory for TT and weekend stuff....bliss.
Oh yeah - and I never lost a pound in weight riding the bloody thing and haven't put on any weight since I stopped! In 2 years the RSV has needed one set of brake pads a set of tyres and an oil change...and runs perfectly.
The hyper I haven't had that long so I cant say on that but, apparently they are bulletproof engines. Ive spent a lot of money on parts to bling It up but nothing in the last 6 months since ive had it on anything to keep it working, ie pads, chain, tyres etc etc. Although ive just done an oil change on it which if anything, makes it like riding a new bike again. Top stuff!
It usually surprises people when I say I stopped riding as it cost too much to run.....over 7 years I had 4 bikes at 1k each, the depreciation was massive, after a year id be lucky to get 400 for any of them and that was fully serviced with all parts that were worn renewed. The thing is I could be doing as much as 4k per year on them....they literally eat through spares. No one believes me. Theres the enjoyment factor as well. Every time I get to ride the Duc or the RSV4 its "an occasion" Something I don't mind paying for one bit. Anytime I had to buy spares for the pushbikes I loathed going to the bike shop. Pissed me right off as I knew I had to have it "to keep them running" and I knew it was going to be a rip off for the price of the spares...... Worst catch phrase in the bike shop..... "that'll be 15.00 for that sir" "Oh - and your going to need the special tool for that....tha'll be another 40" Fuckers.
Oh yeah - and I agree....I was wandering off topic again like I usually do....I just hate pushbikes..!
Nah. Nerdy IT bloke...the only time I lost weight (a decent amount ) was when I did p90x and cycled every day....but you can't do it all the time.....6 days of exercise a week and eating rabbit food all the time....no fun...
before the pedestrian tunnel closed for refurbishment l cycled that route every time I go to work but from the ped tunnel though Boldon . No Way would I cycle the A-19 .. bad enough In a car . When l used to go out on training rides l bloody hated using main roads. If every cyclist treat every car driver as a bell-end and cycled accordingly there would be less accidents
