Entering The Red Mist

Red Mist: a feeling of extreme anger that clouds one's judgement temporarily. Dictionary.com

I really lost my rag with a motorist last night. I was sorry almost as soon as I did it - not because what I said was factually wrong or it didn't correctly express how I felt, but because what I said was only ever going to inflame the situation and give the motorist the excuse I was just a yob. 

It was 21.00hrs. I was cycling in secondary along the inside lane of a 30mph dual carriageway, fully lit up and wearing my hi viz reflective jacket. There was no traffic in front of me as I approached some traffic lights. A third, left turn only lane, began about 50m before the lights and this is where I was aiming to be. So travelling at 18-20mph I moved into primary within said lane as the lights changed to red. Next thing I knew a small car overtook me with less than 12-15cm room, it barely passed me when it moved into the gap between myself and the lights, forcing me into the gutter. It then stopped at the junction. 

Within a couple of seconds I was level and began attempting eye contact with the driver - something she wouldn't do until I banged on the nearside window. I asked if she knew how close the overtake had been? whether she had seen me? and so on. She said she had seen me from some distance behind and stated I should have been "against the kerb" and not "in the middle of the road". I made clear I had every right to be where I was and irrespective of my position her overtake was highly dangerous. She would not concede or apologise and I just got angrier. I asked if she: was an Advanced Driver? knew the Highway Code at all? had any cycling experience? I answered my own barrage of questions by shouting she obviously did not. And then I did it. The lights were changing to green and she was getting ready to make her escape and so I ended my rant by calling her a stupid cunt with as much venom as I could muster.

Like I said I was sorry almost as soon as the words left my mouth - almost! I blame the fact she had almost seriously injured or killed me a few seconds prior. She made it quite clear she had seen me, didn't think I had the right to be in that position and so it seems had no compunction in driving as close as she could. I would certainly not apologise to the driver if I had the misfortune to meet her again. However, I have renewed my personal vow to keep my cool when dealing with some of the prats on the road. It is just very, very difficult sometimes.

New Rubber

While we had the recent cold snap I changed my tyres back to the original mountain bike knobblies for a bit of extra grip in the snow/slush combo. I immediately noticed how noisy they were on the tarmac and how much I have been enjoying the commute using semi slick Continental City Ride tyres. The only problem I've had with the Continentals was a fair few punctures over the months, particularly if I ventured on country roads or tracks. Despite having them at decent pressures and inspecting them every few rides, bits of glass, slate and even thorns managed to work their way in. When I took them off this time I was shocked at how big some of the holes actually were. I wanted something that gave the on road performance I liked but with added puncture protection. 

A Holy Grail? Perhaps. Before I took the knobblies off I wanted to look around at the options available. I had used tyre liners before and didn't like them. Filling the tube with slime was not an option that appealed as I: a) didn't want the mess and b) don't believe it works long term. Maybe different tyres would be the answer? A bit of in depth Googling led me to the Marathon Plus tyre from Schwalbe. These promise:

Punctures are a memory. The SmartGuard‚ layer made from a flexible, special rubber offers particular resistance to shards of glass and flints. Even a thumbtack cannot penetrate this protective layer. The SmartGuard belt does not increase rolling resistance. The MARATHON PLUS rolls as easily as a tire without protection.

There were some favourable independent reviews as well (at Bike Radar and Wiggle) so I got a pair at 26" x 1.75cm and have been riding them for about 100 miles so far - 70 on road and 30 on tracks/paths. Despite being a little on the heavy side they run nicely without the resistance of the knobblies, have sufficient grip for most of my riding and are quiet. They also have a bright reflective strip which I like for the present night light commute. I was a bit dismayed when I got a flat after just a few rides but was reassured to find it was a failed tube patch and not a new puncture.

All in all very pleased with them. I intend to report punctures against miles I get with them as well as my long term impressions later this year.

Catching The Bus

If I had stuck my right elbow out it would have been hit by the bus. Did you notice the driver just had to pass so closely as there was no room to leave me due to the oncoming car. Probably saved him less than 10 sec that cheeky little manouvre.

Do They Not Look?

This little clip was done 30 seconds into my first ride with a mounted video camera. I wasn't exactly hiding in the shadows - hi viz Altura "Night Vision" jacket, twin front and rear flashing LEDs + reflective strips on the bike. Didn't want to give me my right of way? Didn't see me until the last second? Tosser? What do you think?

On the plus side I am enjoying my new toy (A Contour HD camera) and quite happy with the quality of the clip considering the low light conditions. Going to play with some of the settings to see if I can get it a little better for future clips. Any tips welcomed.

Reflective Reflections

Background
Cycling home from work at 22.00hrs in October. Some street lighting but it is dark.  I am wearing a HiViz/yellow jacket, have a refective band around my helmet, reflective strips are stuck to various points on my bike, my panniers have big reflective patches and I have two front and two rear flashing lights. I have been told I look like a Christmas tree but personally I believe I am much more jarring than that!

Situation
Passing a road side pub. Several men stood outside smoking and drinking. Abuse and profanities shouted towards me. None returned.

Analysis
I stand out. They are in a group and have likely imbibed a considerable amount of alcohol (and so feel brave on both counts). They are prats.

Reflection
I am noticed by drunken men when I am cycling at night. I feel a little safer.

Racking The Changes

I already have a Blackburn rear pannier rack which has been adequate for my needs for the last few years carrying smallish, often half empty panniers. However, I have found my new Ortlieb panniers, when full, sometimes catch on my heel which is really annoying. I can't move the bags any further back and so had already decided to get a Tubus Logo rear rack with the new bike. It allows panniers to hang further and lower over the rear wheel, so lowering the centre of gravity and stabilizing the load. It also seems to be the one for most touring set-ups. As I have already got a new Brooks B17 saddle for transfer to the new bike (a report to follow in a few weeks or so) I decided to get a new rack and fit it to the Marin for now. What a difference!

The rack was easy to fit in about 10 mins, looks like it could hold a smallish mountain, is lightish (not much different to the Blackburn) and really changes the bag position. The result is no more heel catching and a significant improvement in the feel of the bike, particularly when pushing or going slowly. I did balk at the price (£83.00!!) but am really pleased with it now I have it. As a bonus it also has a plate to fit a rear light to which is very useful. I now have a second rear horizontal rear flasher to complement the vertical one on my seatpost and the difference in visibility to traffic is dramatically improved.

I always think you can't be too visible for some motorists and with lots of dark night and early morning commutes over the next few months it will make me feel just that bit safer. I have certainly noticed some traffic giving me slightly more room when overtaking, so that's not a bad thing.

One more step nearer to my dream bike.