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Thursday 16th 43F, 6C, rather grey, breezy but dry. Not a good start to the day! My shoe slipped and came off at the top of the stairs and I slid down on my back and hip. I suppose that's why they call them "slip-ons." Except that the obverse occurred this time. Now I have a very painful, red scrape on my upper thigh. A walk may help to loosen up my tensed muscles. It didn't. After only a hundred yards my foot/ankle was hurting too much to continue. So I limped back home gain. Rather than sit around feeling sorry for myself I worked on a project outside all morning. My back and shoulders are aching pm but I can still carry on. No medals, please.
Talking of slippery surfaces: London's cycle paths are [allegedly] using a slippery blue surface. It seems the Boris Blue asphalt has a low coefficient of adhesion. It took a motorcyclist going "off road" onto the cycle path [and killing himself] to discover this fatal flaw.
For the image starved, here is a picture of a modern iteration of the fabled carrier cycle. Thanks to the duplication of tubing I daren't even suggest a likely total weight. It was being ridden by a middle aged lady. I am [almost] embarrassed to admit that I have no picture of my own, similar delivery bike.
I often joke about Denmark being unable to take advantage of any new ideas until a Dane has independently invented it for them. It is lucky they are so inventive. Surely nearby Holland's long experience with surfacing cycle lanes could offer some helpful pointers even if they [Gravely Blighted] don't trust Denmark? Isn't there an EU standard for coefficients of dynamic surface adhesion of cycle paths for the use of? Bananas have their own EU rules. There was talk of Trump nuking Denmark but I don't think the cycle paths were his target. Perhaps it was just a rumour put about by GCHQ as a belated act of revenge for the Tea Party?
Friday 17th 40-45-38F, 4-7-3C, light breeze, rather cloudy start. Rain and gales forecast for after lunch. Still aching all over. My left foot feels sprained when I put any weight on it. Ever onwards! It blew and it rained and it hailed in the afternoon as the temperature dropped below where it started. So I took the rest day I should have had yesterday. What is that old saying? "Rest on the day you fall down the stairs, but feed a cold?"
An old picture of my LongJohn carrier cycle when first purchased. The rack is easily removed for converting it into a rear-engined, muesli-fueled dragster. Later versions are still made, some even with disk brakes.
This one only has a back pedal [coaster] brake. Enough to give one "pause" on a long descent while heavily loaded, though I haven't yet tried it. I wonder if a tandem brake cable would reach the front wheel? I could fit a TT brake behind the forks to keep its air resistance down.
The long, simple bushed and cranked, steering rod is prone to unwanted free play. I may try it for shopping where large and heavy loads are involved. New Fridge-Freezer, anyone? The frame is still marked with maximum carriage weight of several metric tonnes in the basket. I rode it around the block only once and then it was lost beyond the event horizon at the back of the shed. Along with a more normal carrier cycle. That has had even less of a mileage but I was in zombie collecting mode back then.
I once counted 23 unwanted cycle frames and a shed roof full of wheels during one particular clear-out. I doubt I ever paid more than a fiver for any of them at flea markets and council recycling centers. That was at a time when Denmark exported hundreds of thousands of bikes to needy, East European Mafia bosses. For later redistribution to the slightly less needy public for a profit. I hear they did a nice line in recycled clothing and children's toys sent over by charities, as well.
Talking of slippery surfaces: London's cycle paths are [allegedly] using a slippery blue surface. It seems the Boris Blue asphalt has a low coefficient of adhesion. It took a motorcyclist going "off road" onto the cycle path [and killing himself] to discover this fatal flaw.For the image starved, here is a picture of a modern iteration of the fabled carrier cycle. Thanks to the duplication of tubing I daren't even suggest a likely total weight. It was being ridden by a middle aged lady. I am [almost] embarrassed to admit that I have no picture of my own, similar delivery bike.
I often joke about Denmark being unable to take advantage of any new ideas until a Dane has independently invented it for them. It is lucky they are so inventive. Surely nearby Holland's long experience with surfacing cycle lanes could offer some helpful pointers even if they [Gravely Blighted] don't trust Denmark? Isn't there an EU standard for coefficients of dynamic surface adhesion of cycle paths for the use of? Bananas have their own EU rules. There was talk of Trump nuking Denmark but I don't think the cycle paths were his target. Perhaps it was just a rumour put about by GCHQ as a belated act of revenge for the Tea Party?
This one only has a back pedal [coaster] brake. Enough to give one "pause" on a long descent while heavily loaded, though I haven't yet tried it. I wonder if a tandem brake cable would reach the front wheel? I could fit a TT brake behind the forks to keep its air resistance down.
The long, simple bushed and cranked, steering rod is prone to unwanted free play. I may try it for shopping where large and heavy loads are involved. New Fridge-Freezer, anyone? The frame is still marked with maximum carriage weight of several metric tonnes in the basket. I rode it around the block only once and then it was lost beyond the event horizon at the back of the shed. Along with a more normal carrier cycle. That has had even less of a mileage but I was in zombie collecting mode back then.
I once counted 23 unwanted cycle frames and a shed roof full of wheels during one particular clear-out. I doubt I ever paid more than a fiver for any of them at flea markets and council recycling centers. That was at a time when Denmark exported hundreds of thousands of bikes to needy, East European Mafia bosses. For later redistribution to the slightly less needy public for a profit. I hear they did a nice line in recycled clothing and children's toys sent over by charities, as well.
Click on any image for an enlargement.
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