OV9

Jobbo wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 9:35 am The blood coming through your sock looks like it hides a mess underneath. Hope you're ok.

Nah, it’s just a bit more road rash.

Nothing’s broken as far as I can tell, I got off pretty lucky tbh.

More gutted about the trousers and socks tbh, they’re both favourites

Have you got any GoPro footage of the crash to share with Jeremy Vine?

Last time I skinned parts of myself cycling was a fair while ago, in the 90s when trying to get my knee down cycling home in Oxford while a bit drunk. Too much time reading Performance Bikes. Since then I mainly bruise things instead because I wear gloves, though I do often stab my calves with my flat pedals.

ZedLeg wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 8:51 am Had my first off since I started commuting again this morning.

Entirely self inflected, was turning on to some wet granite slabs and leaned too far/was going too fast.

Stings a bit

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Ouchy!

It's never nice coming off and you're often on the floor before you realise what's happening. My last off was also cornering and hit some black ice. Still got the scar on my knee.

ZedLeg wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 9:17 am Yes

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They don’t mean anything, got them done on a hangover after discussing them in the pub the night before

Tattoos are as much about the story as the meaning anyway

Nail varnish needs a top up though

John wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 10:03 am My last off was also cornering and hit some black ice.

I had a particularly memorable ride years ago in winter with a very experienced and capable MTB-riding colleague in the Pentland Hills. My mind was kinda blown as we headed across some tarmac sections that were visibly covered with a layer of ice - "Just roll over them - not too slow - don't accelerate brake or steer" he shouted as he lead, and I (reluctantly) followed. He was of course correct. Injury free!

I then fell off on a road section as we were turning right at lights and an oncoming car hesitated - I couldn't unclip my pedal fast enough and smashed my knee into the road

Used to love exploring the pentlands. One time fog came down as I was trying to cross castlelaw to Bonaly and accidentally stumbled into Army exercises from Dreghorn

Disappointed the other hand didn’t have a DOOR on it!

Hope you’re okay.. and book a couples’ handjob for you and your sig other!

Falling off as a grown up feels so pathetic, as a kid it was always doing something extreme. My last one was mid wheelie I suddenly just lost all ability to balance . The pain lasts but a minute where the embarrassment lasts a lifetime.

The worst was cycling to work as an apprentice, it was icy and snowing and it’s only a 6 mile commute. By mile 2 I’d fallen off about 5 times and every time landed on my left elbow, which still isn’t right 25 years later. I gave up, walked home and took a days holiday.

Dave!

To update, my hand is pretty bad. I’ve got at least one sprained finger and I’ve got a pretty good bruise starting.

The rest is just scrapes and bumps. Got lucky tbh.

I’m thinking of changing my commuting bike. Something cheap, light and single speed.

Brompton-esquire folding recumbent.

not sure what problem that’s solving tbh. a commuter bike which puts your eyeline below the roofline of most cars and puts your clothing lower to the ground/puddles/spray…

True. I’m not sure what problems recumbent bikes as a genre solve, but some hipsters love them. This one folds up.

It's more than Brompton-esque, it's actually a Brompton with a few bits cut off and welded on. I imagine it will feel rather nose-heavy. Wouldn't want to go downhill on one.

Recumbent bikes (or 'bents, as the weirdos of that world call them) do have much better aerodynamics but you wouldn't get me risking my life on one.

ETA: now I've watched it again, I also realise it doesn't fold into the same size pacakage as a Brompton; the chainring sticks way out. So you wouldn't be allowed to take it on the London underground.

Jobbo wrote: Fri Aug 02, 2024 9:53 am I also realise it doesn't fold into the same size pacakage as a Brompton; the chainring sticks way out. So you wouldn't be allowed to take it on the London underground.

I spotted that when he puts it down it is resting on the pedal and/or chainring. May be on the pedal - but that’s by luck rather than design. Chainring does seem to have a guard on the outside that sits proud of the chainring? No idea of that makes any difference to underground rules etc?

A normal Brompton rests on those two little dolly wheels on the rear triangle, and on a wheel. It may still be doing that and the pedals/chainring are slightly off the ground. The Tube restriction is the size of the folded bike; that is simply bigger than permitted because the pedals/chainring sticks way outside the usual folded package so could never comply. But benders (that must be the name for riders of a 'bent?) would probably think it sensible to cycle on the roads in London where they are more easily squashed.

I never knew there was a tube restriction on the size of bikes but it must not be applied in reality as I’ve seen all sorts there.

It looks like they may have become a bit more relaxed about other folding bikes: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/cycles ... -transport
It's generally rush hour where there are restrictions. And your Dahon et al folders are much larger when folded. The Brompton's USP was that it folded to a size where it was permitted.