First 20 miles on the new bike

[johnnyh]

Well I just got back from an "eventful" first run on the new road bike.

22.5 miles covered in 1hr 25 mins, not exactly setting the world ablaze I know, but a start.

2 incidents, one funny and one not so, and both with me ending up in the mud of a verge on my side.

1st up, came up to lights and realised the straps were a little too tight and my feet were caught... picked the high verge and some nice grassy/muddy soft looking stuff and splat almost couldnt get back up from laughing too hard, god knows what the driver coming the other way thought

2nd and not so funny, got overtaken by a long lorry, not sure if it was a seperate cab. But he overtook 50 yards from a roundabout where we were both turning left... as such I was about a meter out from the verge. Naturally this left me sandwiched between truck and verge and as the truck turned the road disappeared. I took the only option to stop being crushed and that was to throw myself into the verge.

I couldnt get up in time to get to the cab, but if I had I think I would be on an assault charge by now. No company markings on the van, REG RX03 EOL... worth calling plod or just count myself lucky, wash myself down and move on?

 

[Matt]

There are some stupid people driving around in cars

A similar thing happened to me yesterday. I was turning to follow the road near the curb, and a white van came speeding up past me and sandwiched me between the curb and the van causing me to slam my brakes on, or else I would have been either under the van or up the curb and into the concrete path. Lets just say I let out a few expletives to the van as it drove away unaware of what he had just done

The first part what you said Johnny made me laugh. It reminded me of when me and my mate were riding home in total darkness over saddleworth moores in very rough weather. My mate was ahead of me when I suddenly saw only his back light dissapear down the edge of the road. When I stopped and looked down the hill, he was lying in a swamp still stuck to his bike. We couldnt both stop laughing, and even now we still laugh about it. It turned out that he was trying to loosen the straps on his right foot when there was a sudden gust of wind which turned him down the hill

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Don't let it get you down, althoough I'd say get rid of the straps!!

With regard to to the HGV, I wouldn't hold much hope in going to the police. I had an incident where a lorry driver forced me off the road, and I mean force, I thought he was really trying to kill me. Went to the police twice, never heard a thing!

 

[ed_o_brain]

Depending on the road conditions and how fast I was travelling, I would on approach wait for a gap in the traffic and negotiate my way into primary position, by which I mean about two meters in from the left hand kerb, so as to prevent anyone overtaking me in my lane. I guess I would try and make sure I was in primary a couple hundred meters in advance of the roundabout so that I was only there for a few seconds and it's obvious to any other road user that I'm taking the most appropriate position to negotiate the roundabout.

If I'm either travelling too slowly (heavily laden, tired or uphill) then I would wait till much nearer the roundabout but guaging very carefully what's around me - moving again into primary if I can 'negotiate' the opportunity. If I can see a HGV also on the approach, then I might slow down even more so that I know that HGV will be past me prior to the junction, or if I've got it in my legs accelerate so I'm clear of the junction before the HGV gets there.

I usually make sure I've got some reserve energy for dealing with junctions, especially roundabouts. I've heaved a quick sprint out of trouble on quite a few occasions.

 

[johnnyh]

Cheers EMD, I am kinda putting it down to experience and am pleased at least I was alert enough to see what was about to happen and find a "way out".

I am still chuckling about my feet being stuck, I would love to have watched it happen

 

[John Ponting]

A strapless moment WITH straps ? Makes a change. But they both happen.

 

[HLaB]

Leaving other thing beside 15.9mph is a decent speed for a first go
To avoid a strap moment I'd suggest going clipless and you'll go faster still
Shame about the idiot in the HGV but I wouldn't let him spoil it for you, put it down to experience and you survived, enjoy

 

[johnnyh]

Cheers HLaB, it's kinda stored in the "things to watch out for" section of the brain, but I am pretty chilled about it now and looking forward to tomorrow lunchtime for a 2nd go round this particular loop.

My aim is to cycle from home (nr Bath) to London, London to Brighton and back, and then back home. This over a three day period 20-22nd June. So taking in the British Heart Foundation ride. I figure if I can get 20 plus a day in, and aim for a couple of 40 milers this month, 60's in March, 80's in April and 100's in May, I should manage what looks like a 350 round trip over the 3 days.

I've already got £1k in sponsor pledges, so no turning back now