Am I a Cycling Maniac?

I had an enjoyable cycle to work this morning. No incidents, reasonable weather and at a reasonable pace. A good example of why I love cycling to work.

However, later in the day someone at work mentioned that another colleague (I don't know who and it doesn't really matter) saw me cycling to work. Apparently I was cycling like a maniac, weaving in and out of traffic dangerously really annoying this particular driver.

That really confused me. I certainly remember filtering through some heavy traffic, but I can't understand why it would annoy anyone as I held up no-one, endangered no-one and had an incident with no-one. The only thing I can think of is that they were jealous? Perhaps.

So I decided to put the section of my commute up from this morning where I filtered through the heavy traffic. I assume this is the section where I caused mayhem and panic. Watch it, be honest, what do you think?

Must Squeeeeze Past Cyclist

Oh look. There is a gap. It might be a bit of a squeeze, but, what the heck, it's only a cyclist......

This particular A road is not my favourite. I tend to avoid it unless I am in a rush to get home. It's ok, but not always the most fun to cycle on because you get impatient drivers who just can't wait to get past, squeezing through when there just isn't the space.

This particular squeeeeze might not look that bad on video.

However that is because both myself and the oncoming driver had anticipated the stupidity and braked enough to let them pass. Had we not.......it's best not to think about that.

All for what, a minute or so off their journey? 

Mind you, it was just a cyclist they were squeezing past........


(Note: When there is lots of oncoming traffic and overtaking opportunities are few and far between, I do pull over to the side occasionally to let cars pass). 

Where Did My Back Wheel Go?

I was really enjoying this mornings commute. I was even thinking about a new post extolling the virtues of cycling, when something went horribly wrong.

Approaching the Canniesburn Roundabout in Glasgow. The ground is wet, but no rain is falling. I see a van on the roundabout indicating to come off at the proceeding exit. Turns out it is the next exit he wants.

No problem, plenty of room to stop.....Thud.

I completely lost traction on the back wheel. Not sure why, but I suspect diesel.

For those that don't like me: It hurt. It hurt quite a bit. Ouch!

For those that like me: I wear my Road Rash as a badge...with pride!

For the Anatomically Challenged - This is a sore thigh.

:-)

Ride safe!

Cycling Glasses for All Seasons?

I wear glasses when I cycle. I don't need them for vision, but from experience they are a vital piece of equipment that keeps road dirt and rain out of my eyes...oh and the occasional suicidal bee!

Then there is the sun. Yes, we do occasionally see that in Glasgow. It is best to keep that, rarely seen glowing orb, shaded a little if you want to see what is going on around you.

So when I had a triple lens sunglass failure back in the summer of 2010 I decided I needed a decent pair of specs. I was looking for a pair of glassed that would work through both the summer and winter months. Ideally I was looking for glasses that you didn't need to swap lenses mid ride when the sun decided to put in an appearance.

I wanted cycling glasses for four seasons. Was that possible?!

I thought that I might have stumbled upon the answer last summer. So in July last year I bought some Rudy Project Glasses. The Rydon ImpactX Clear Photochromatic lens variety.

How the Glasses look during the unusual Glowing Orb events

Let me explain the name. Rydon, suggested they were for cycling. ImpactX suggested that these glasses were virtually unbreakable (allegedly), with good optics and scratch resistance. Clear Photochromatic suggested that the lenses reacted to the light conditions allowing them to be used in the dark (clear 78% light transmission) and in the sun when they have 'reacted' (dark 18% light transmission).

This all sounded good to me. To last they had to be tough, and to be used al year around they had to be able to cope with all light conditions, so I went ahead and bought a pair. Of course they aren't cheap, about £130 here at Wiggle. A lot perhaps when you can get swapable lens glasses for a fifth of that price... but I've never got on with swappable lenses.

Initially I was impressed. They were very comfortable on, and very adjustable. As they were nice and light, I'd often forget I had the on. But how have they faired since I bough them 10 months ago?

Are the truly four seasons glasses?

As I use them for commuting, they do take some abuse. I know in the past that glasses I have owned have been very scratched after a relatively short space of time. I am therefore pleasantly surprised that they are still in great condition. Not perfect of course. There are a couple of slight scratches on the glasses, but nothing that is noticeable when riding. Some of colour from around the Rudy Project name has pealed off on the arms, but it really isn't noticeable. So ImpactX works a treat.

Very Few Rudy Scratches

The real test though was in the light transmission department. In the winter there are sections on my commute that are pitch black in the winter, and as I've mentioned earlier they had to be able to cope with the occasional ray of sun. Again, though, I was very pleasantly surprised. In the dark, I was able too see, just as well as if I had dedicated clear lenses on. In the summer they quickly darken to work very respectably when the sun shines. Perhaps they could go slightly darker, but to be fair, that is a minor quibble, and I don't ever remember having to screw my eyes up. 

Going from dark to light, the lenses react very quickly, definitely within a matter of seconds. From light to dark the reaction is more sluggish. Minutes rather than seconds. However, I've  never had a problem with this, even though my commute takes me through a tunnel (The Clyde Tunnel). So they certainly can cope with the seasons changing light conditions.

So, I've found the Holy Grail in sunglasses then? 

Not quite. Unfortunately they suffer from one irritation. Fogging.

Of course, all glasses suffer from fogging, but I've found that the fogging issue is worse for these glasses than others I have had in the past. Whilst the glasses are great at keeping the wind and dirt out of your eyes, they haven't quite got the ventilation right, which is a real shame. Otherwise I would have no hesitation in heartily recommending these glasses.

So the Holy Grail is glasses similar to these, with better ventilation. Do they exist yet? I can't be sure. Perhaps they have solved the misting problem with the Magster glasses which have extra perforations at the front of the frame. They are a bit more expensive, however, if they do indeed solving the fogging issue (and I had the cash) I would definitely by a pair of these.

Are these the Holy Grail of Four Season Cycling Glasses?

So if you are willing to gamble, these glasses (£148 in Wiggle) might be Glasses for All Seasons.

If anyone has these glasses let me know what you think.

Confusion on Glasgow's Roads!

Something very strange has happened over the last month or so on the roads of Glasgow. It has me completely perplexed and bemused.

Have more drivers than normal been aiming there cars at me?

Nope.

Have all the millions and billions of potholes been repaired......properly?

Not a hope!

Has the gods of tailwind been smiling upon me....in both directions?

I can but dream....

So what is it that has been happening me over the last month that is so shocking?

Absolutely nothing.........That's right, absolutely nothing has been happening to me out on the roads appart from me happily getting from A to B and from B to A. Ok, that's maybe stretching the truth a little. There has been the odd slightly close pass and the occasional daft overtake, but nothing serious enough to actually upset my cycling Karma.

It has been brilliant!

I just wish I knew what was the cause of this welcome interruption in normal service. Could it be the good weather? Perhaps. Could it be the extra holidays that we had in April? That is certainly a possibility.

It'll be interesting to see what happens as we head further into May as the weather inevitably takes a nose dive.

Still, whilst it lasts I'd like to pass on my thanks to the road users of Glasgow. Much appreciated!