Finding the limitations of Lycra and clip-ins

Posted by @ 12:23 pm on Friday 22nd July, 2016.
Categories: Car stuff, Video (YouTube, Vimeo etc.)
Tags:

The first time we met we were stuck in traffic on the Aylestone Road. The pedestrilist*, unable to overtake or undertake the pulled-over bus obstructing the cycle-lane, and unable to nip onto the pavement due to there being safety-railings, was leaning on my car's roof-rail, apparently incapable of unclipping his Tour de Leicester cycling clogs from his pedals in order to use his own feet to keep himself upright. I wound down the window and asked him to desist but he didn't. Luckily, the traffic started to move on so there was no further set-to.

About a mile or so further on the traffic had stopped again. I looked in the door-mirror and again there was a Lycra-clad someone leaning on, or about to lean on, my roof-rail. I was fairly sure that it was the same miscreant.

The car in front of mine had pulled forward a bit and had left a car's-length of space in front of mine, so I duly moved into the gap. Sir Isaac Newton and stupidity did the rest. In the rear-view mirror I saw a perfect arc of toppling torso, through the open windows I heard a crumpling noise.

From the sounds being emitted from the patch of sun-kissed tarmac behind my car, I surmised the following:

  • Lycra doesn't protect the wearer from impact;
  • Clip-ins don't clip-out very quickly;
  • My I.Q. and parentage are now questionable.

YouTube has a similar version:

*Pedestrilist: A cyclist who believes that it's OK to chop and change between using the road or the pavement according to whatever obstructions are encountered, such as prams, red lights and buses. No prior indication, life-saver look behind or consideration for others is required in order to execute such random, unpredictable and dangerous manoeuvres.

I should point out now that I have great respect for law-abiding cyclists. I just don't like selfish twats.

6 Responses to “Finding the limitations of Lycra and clip-ins”

  1. Louise says:
    Friday 22nd July, 2016 at 3:14 pm

    Brilliant!
    (Apparently, a one word comment is too short, but I thought it said everything...so have some padding!)

    Reply? or Quote in reply?
  2. BG! says:
    Saturday 23rd July, 2016 at 10:39 am

    Hi Louise, thanks for that and for the padding.
    The one word thing... it's not that one-word comments don't work, it's that WordPress has a default minimum comment length of 15 characters.
    If you want, I'll look into over-riding it.

    Reply? or Quote in reply?
  3. Louise says:
    Saturday 23rd July, 2016 at 11:55 am

    @BG! -
    Hi ? I don't often leave one word comments, TBH, anyone who knows me would be surprised by the lack of chatter, ?

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  4. BG! says:
    Saturday 23rd July, 2016 at 2:48 pm

    LOL

    Reply? or Quote in reply?
  5. BG! says:
    Saturday 23rd July, 2016 at 2:50 pm

    As you can see, I've reduced the minimum to 3 characters.
    Now you can all LOL, TBH or WTF as much as you want 🙂

    Reply? or Quote in reply?
  6. Louise says:
    Saturday 23rd July, 2016 at 7:05 pm

    Fab ? @BG! -

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