Someone on the BCC website recently found an article entitled Today is the world premier of the chain-less Hungarian developed bicycle. Okay either this article is about the most poorly researched article ever or the authors are excited that Hungary is free of it's chains and into a new world of cables. Sorry guys, but chainless bicycles are old news.
Yesterday I went to a meeting with, as it turns out some old friends of mine from my undergrad days. The meeting was in Waterloo so I had to drive there which was upsetting because it was such a nice day out. When I got home I was tired, I find driving to be fatiguing, so I went for a ride to wake up. (Actually I went for a ride because it was a nice day out.) In 2:57:58 I rode 87.19 km so averaged 29.39km/h, I maxed out at 63.65 km/h and burned off 3719 calories as I bore into a pretty nasty headwind (naturally when I turned around the wind died off some so I did not even get a free ride home).
At the start of the ride the wind seemed to be coming out of the south west so I picked a route that was as south and west as possible so that I would have less work to do on the way home. I have to admit, I like my slightly modified Mississauga Loop which I draw below, using Matheson instead of Eglinton is a really good idea, Matheson is a quieter road (at least in the evening) and it is in much better repair. It does make the ride a little longer, but hey, long is good.
On the way home I was stopped at a light, on Davenport about a third of the way up a steep hill (Christie Street). A guy in a red VW I think Jetta, looks at me as I stand waiting for the light to change. When the light goes green, he guns his engine, jack rabbits and cuts off the bike lane and slows as if to stop. I yell something to the effect of "get out of the bike lane". And he drives to the top of the hill and pulls over. As I pass him (now legally parked) he yells at me "I was gonna give you a draft". Then after I pass him without saying boo he goes and tries to catch up with me, so I hammer hard and know that he can trivially catch me, I wait until he's along side and I slam on the brakes - at least I can out maneuver any car - then I turn on a side road and wait for him to drive off. Strangely I don't want to have an altercation with a motorist any more than I want a motorist to give me a draft up a steep hill. Mind you I find it exceptionally hard to believe that his motives were to give me a draft, I mean, either he is the dumbest nice guy in the world, or more likely he's just an inconsiderate driver - have not seen that before!
Logically, why would a cyclist need a draft up hill? Besides, how much draft is a small car going to give? And even worse, I was breathing hard, it is a short but steep hill, now I'm taking in auto exhaust, yeah, that's just want I want during a tough hill climb. So like I said, either the dumbest nice guy or inconsiderate.
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