Boomer's Bizarre Bicycle, A - Z Compendium

Unclipping
Not everyone will admit to it, but I imagine most have had an incident whilst unclipping from your pedals whether you use SPD or MTB shoes, generally it is an issue with beginners & very quickly it becomes second nature much like riding a bike. There*';s a certain amount of snobbery among some cyclists & falling off during this procedure would really hurt their ego.
I've noticed that the more expensive the bike, the less likely a fellow cyclist will even acknowledge you whilst out & about, raising your hand or nodding isn't going to impact your ride my more than a second if you happen to be on a timed route.
The main issue for anyone using clipless shoes for the first time is if the tension is too high, generally they are set low out the box. It is easier to increase the tension once you get more accustomed to clipping in & out.
I can clear remember that the ankle twisting technique felt very unnatural at first. Most recommend a 12 o'clock pedal position with your nearside leg first, if there's a path with a curb it helps. All that is required is to drop your heel & twist from your heel. Trying to twist from your toe will not disengage your shoe. Other than that it's all down to timing, trying to unclip at too slow a speed will result in loss of balance & a fall. Everyone falls off, but in these cases at slower speeds try to manoeuvre your butt to ensure the softest possible landing. The natural reaction it to throw out a hand which has the potential to break your wrist.
There's loads of helpful vids out there which I was unaware of at the time & learned the hard way.
It still surprises me that the old-style toe clips are still about, I wasn't a fan, although they are obviously cheaper than buying shoes. I don't have any experience of modern straps, but with all these types of kit, your foot doesn't automatically come out in the same way that clipless shoes will when you fall/crash.

Unshaven
A few years back I worked with a young lad who was a keen club cyclist, having always been into bikes I'd started to take it more seriously, after getting a surprise during a routine company medical, when I was classed as unfit, not overweight, but having been into most sports at school the demands of a career & other distractions such as birds & booze had led to a decline in my general health & fitness.
Having an aspiring young cyclist at hand to tap into for advice was great timing. He was very encouraging & took an interest in the times I was achieving & suggested I wouldn't be out of place joining a club. At that time I didn't feel ready for the commitment required but I would like to look at it again in the future, mainly as a social pastime rather than for competitive reasons.
Along with the advice I was getting some great second hand bits of bike kit as he was searching for that extra edge, much in the same way that golfers are constantly buying the latest clubs.
His need for speed went to the extreme levels as he would shave down, mainly in the summer months, something that caused him no end of ragging which was par for the course in a factory setting.
It turns out that there are some good common sense reasons & science behind this practice. However this was & still is a step to far for me, especially when you would describe me as a lazy shaver, never a full on Rammy style beard but stubbly, which has always annoyed the fuck out of my dad being ex-army.

The primary reason given by pro cycling is to make massages easier, less painful & also less chance of getting a follicular infection.

Secondly, it makes it easier to treat road rash, in terms of cleaning the wounds, & applying &removing dressings.

Lastly, the aerodynamic benefits have been proven, with a wind tunnel test on 6 riders of varying degrees of hairiness found that on average 70 seconds were saved or should that be shaved off, over 40 K. That test was for legs only, the same test on shaven arms yielded just an 11 second gain. No significant savings were made from shaving off beards.

Visibility
Not the worst time for a little reminder about being seen & safe, just 3 weeks away from the shortest day we already have both dark mornings & nights. Bright reflective clothing & helmet & a decent set of front & rear lights. Any bike sold as new should come equipped with front & rear reflectors & reflectors on both sides of each wheel & pedal reflectors, these are all legal requirements for cycling between sunrise & sunset.
Not all clipless pedals have reflectors or at least the ability to mount reflectors, however shoes are often reflective & reflective ankle straps can be used. To the letter of the law, anything other that pedal reflectors could make you partially responsible in the event of an accident at night.

Weed
After checking out my OP I made mention of sights, sounds & smells, but to this point I've neglected the later, so this post should at least tick that box.

Unlike those who choose the sanctuary of a car, a bike offers the full range of sensory experiences, some good, some less so. Breathing in the fresh country air is a plus, a negative is the exhaust fumes that you have to cope with when negotiating a path through city centre traffic, usually accompanied by an orchestra of horns from the many cyclist haters.

But one smell that is surprisingly common or maybe not, is weed, wacky baccy. Quite often a car or van will pass me & the unmistakable aroma fill my nostrils.
The dangers of drink driving are well documented, yet driving under the influence of drugs including proscribed medication doesn't get the same attention.

Taking weed as an example, it's a depressant & can slow own brain function/reduce motor coordination, & cause confusion. Worse still users can experience blurred vision & dizziness.
As a stimulant it can lead to anxiety. Lastly is can cause hallucinogenic symptoms.

So similar to alcohol, but potentially worse. I can only imagine getting knocked off my bike by some stoner & in the unlikely event of them stopping to check on my wellbeing they'd either be too relaxed & chilled to call for an ambulance or just lost in confusion thinking they'd bumped into a pink elephant.

Xmas
Just 2 weeks away from the big day & I'll be hoping to continue a tradition that I started in the year 2000. Weather permitting, I'll be out on the bike sometime between breakfast & lunch. It will literally be a 20-30 minute blast, providing it's dry.
Great to clear the head, catch some me time & re-boot before all the chaos kicks off, & I like to think that it boosts my appetite for all the indulgences to come.

Yay
This A-Z has been nominated in the Forum Awards for Thread of the Year, I greatly appreciate all those who have got involved here, especially those who have posted, & thanked posts, or simply just viewed this thread from time to time. Taking that further step to nominate this thread has been a kind gesture & something of a surprise to me when I consider the quality of the other nominated threads & countless other worthy of recognition. Maybe not in the Yellow Jersey, but somewhere at the front of the Peloton, who knows a chance of a podium finish as I approach the final stage.

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If you can do something about the cyclists in London I’d be grateful. Just nearly been taken out by one who decided the green light for pedestrians wasn’t going to stop him. Just missed me and a woman with a pushchair. What a cunt!

(16-12-2024 11:09 )SecretAgent Wrote:  If you can do something about the cyclists in London I’d be grateful. Just nearly been taken out by one who decided the green light for pedestrians wasn’t going to stop him. Just missed me and a woman with a pushchair. What a cunt!

You'd have thought that Boris as ex-Mayor & PM would've sorted all that out...Oh I forgot, he's an incompetent fool.

You'd have to pay me to take to the streets of London on a bike, total chaos, it's a last resort driving in London but for some it's is the only option. Good luck with that mate.

Yeah they were all Yellow
I always think that there's a missing verse in this song that Chris Martin left out. I sing it in my head when I'm cycling through the countryside in spring often surrounded by vivid yellow, resisting wearing sunnies in order to not diminish the experience in any way. I love the smell, despite knowing that it doesn't help my hay fever.

Apparently oil seed rape crops wasn't really a thing until the UK joined the ECM in 1973 (now the EU) when it became a viable crop option.

This is a sign of me getting the Winter Blues, dreaming of Spring, the Winter Solstice is almost upon us, Saturday 21st 09.20 am & we at least stop losing Daylight & slowly begin to gain some back.

Winter seems a bit out of sync with it's terminology, starting on December 1st, Mid-Winter the 21st & the End of Winter being February 28 or 29th in a Leap Year (this year). In actual fact the Middle of Winter is Feb 3rd 2025, the exact halfway point between the Winter Solstice & the Spring Equinox. Traditionally we have used the astronomical season system, but the meteorological system is more accurate combining the calendar & average temperatures, so seasons are fixed 3 months, versus the planetary orbit variations leading to slightly differing dates of the solstices & equinoxes. The earth's round, but it's orbit around the sun is elliptical & not exactly 365 days. Sorry if this is all a bit clumsy, I'm no Brian Cox.

On a more positive note Winter is the shortest of the 4 seasons lasting 88.99 days when using the astronomical system.

Sorry if I went a bit off piste, not that big a jump from bicycles to planetary cycles.

Zoned Out
This seems like an almost perfect way to close out this journey. I'm sure many of us can relate to the experience of driving/riding alone a familiar & often straight road & zoning-out with you brain taking over & you progress along, seemingly without much effort. Often referred to as Highway Hypnosis, & a lot like time-blindness or the idea that time flies when you're having fun. When you are consumed with a task you enjoy your brain goes into autopilot mode & hyperfocuses on the task in hand so you lose track of time. It all happens naturally when it is a procedural task, we often use the term "it's just like riding a bike"
This phenomenon is not to be confused with driving/riding whilst tired or fatigued. Highway Hypnosis is associated with being completely alert & increased automatic attention & importantly no difference in reaction time.
It is generally more apparent on motorway journeys, but I get it quite often on one of my regular cycling routes which has 2 or 3 long straight sections. Sometimes I just feel that I'm much further down the road than I thought, & the feeling that I covered a particular sections faster despite what my cycle comp tells me. Details of what I have passed including other vehicles on the road are difficult to recall. It doesn't last long & when I snap out of it I always question how safe I've been, although my understanding of it is that there is no issue in that regard. My brain is still doing it's job, only I'm not remotely aware that it is.
Experience has taught me to be super switched on when cycling at all times even on rural roads, in a previous job I had a busy city commute, especially leaving work in the evening, It was a great switch off from the days grind but I remember the feeling of being completely hyped-up afterwards & it taking a while to come down.
The responsible rider in me seems at odds with the "what the hell just happened for the last mile" experience, but I have no choice other than to make peace with the fact that both are equally safe.