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Tonight was a really nice service except for one thing. Described in a single word. WIND. Oh there were a few dogs yapping, and since I didn't see them at the pedals so I am assuming they were behind fences. That is one thing I don't like about night riding. You can't see what is approaching you unless its lit.
The study passage was provided by Dave Barnett and the Texas Rangers vs the Boston Red Sox. The passage was particularly enjoyable in that the Red Sox were getting clobbered and the scored ended up being 12 to 5. Rangers are still undefeated. The only way the study passage could have been better is for the Rangers to be playing the Yankees and the score to end up 25 to 0 with every single Ranger on the team hitting a home run.
Did learn one thing tonight and its amazing I got away with it. The Sunray isn't a particularly difficult bike to ride. It size does mean it doesn't have the shortest turning radius and it tends to get a bit more skidish than some bikes at speed. Yet tonight I hit some loose dirt and gravel, courtesy of your local gas wells that drag loose gravel and dirt onto the road. This is the first time I have had this particular bike in any kind of a slide.
The result?? It was a bear, but I stayed upright. It has to be one of two reasons. One is my lighting fast reflexes, and superior bike control. My years of experience in sliding bikes gave me the bike control to salvage an impossible situation. Possible reason number 2??? No one was watching and there wouldn't have been anyone around to laugh if I had crashed. In my years of biking, I honestly do not remember a single time that I hit the ground for some reason (and it wasn't always me doing something I shouldn't to cause the crash either) that there wasn't someone to laugh.
One other thing I hadn't thought about till that slide. I am not really sure whether this particular characteristic is particular to the Sunray or more indicative to recumbents in general but the weight distribution and then seating position with legs forward more than down, made this a real bear to recover. After a little thought its probably a characteristic of all recumbents and the Sunray maybe better than most in its class. I've had many slides like that on diamond frames and it was no big deal to get the bike back under you.
The lesson is, be extra careful not to slide. A wet road that I would otherwise take a speed X and that curve Id normal take without a second thought now will have me slowing down a bit to avoid the slip in the first place.
Before I knew it the hour was up. The night air was warm and inviting and life is good.
The study passage was provided by Dave Barnett and the Texas Rangers vs the Boston Red Sox. The passage was particularly enjoyable in that the Red Sox were getting clobbered and the scored ended up being 12 to 5. Rangers are still undefeated. The only way the study passage could have been better is for the Rangers to be playing the Yankees and the score to end up 25 to 0 with every single Ranger on the team hitting a home run.
Did learn one thing tonight and its amazing I got away with it. The Sunray isn't a particularly difficult bike to ride. It size does mean it doesn't have the shortest turning radius and it tends to get a bit more skidish than some bikes at speed. Yet tonight I hit some loose dirt and gravel, courtesy of your local gas wells that drag loose gravel and dirt onto the road. This is the first time I have had this particular bike in any kind of a slide.
The result?? It was a bear, but I stayed upright. It has to be one of two reasons. One is my lighting fast reflexes, and superior bike control. My years of experience in sliding bikes gave me the bike control to salvage an impossible situation. Possible reason number 2??? No one was watching and there wouldn't have been anyone around to laugh if I had crashed. In my years of biking, I honestly do not remember a single time that I hit the ground for some reason (and it wasn't always me doing something I shouldn't to cause the crash either) that there wasn't someone to laugh.
One other thing I hadn't thought about till that slide. I am not really sure whether this particular characteristic is particular to the Sunray or more indicative to recumbents in general but the weight distribution and then seating position with legs forward more than down, made this a real bear to recover. After a little thought its probably a characteristic of all recumbents and the Sunray maybe better than most in its class. I've had many slides like that on diamond frames and it was no big deal to get the bike back under you.
The lesson is, be extra careful not to slide. A wet road that I would otherwise take a speed X and that curve Id normal take without a second thought now will have me slowing down a bit to avoid the slip in the first place.
Before I knew it the hour was up. The night air was warm and inviting and life is good.
