Getting back on a bike I find that some things have changed, and some are just the same(ish), just more moderner. There is still the same lack of understanding between those that never cycle and those that only cycle – which seem to dominate the news – strange really when most of us do both and know what is going on from both points of view. Anyways, here’s a brief list of things I have noticed in my travels so far:
- With the sun behind me my shadow looks like an acorn balanced on the top of an orange stuck on a stick – most flattering.
- If nobody is looking and I am passing a ‘keep left’ sign cars with loud exhausts are allowed to ignore the sign and go the wrong way down the road, doubly fast if it is designed for traffic calming or a safety refuge.
- Cycle pathways are designed by people who hate cyclists and pedestrians – really, who else would put vehicles that can reach over 30 mph and cruise around half of that on the same path as pedestrians (and dogs on leads).
- People who plot out the national cycle routes are obsessed with height. Will take you down the tiniest muddy road just to get you to climb a hill that would be better described as a cliff. Oh, and poo, they seem to adore routes that pass through as many “<insert animal name here> have just used this way and made it slippery” tracks as possible.