Incredible restraint... (Not motorbike I'm afraid but still...)

[guest18]

I have to confess that personally when a car did something similar to me (on the motorbike years ago) I was somewhat more robust in my appreciation of the drivers technique, ability and attitude...

Can see the attraction of a helmet cam though, I'd have been very very tempted to send that to the gents in blue, if she's prepared to nudge a bicycle with half a ton of car what else is she prepared to do in a temper and without considering the consequences  

[guest7]

Bloody great vid, cheers for posting it.

C'mon, hands up, who else would have been so calm? 

Gave me a pang of nostalgia for the days when I used to ride a recumbent bike... but of course what I did was thump bonnets and smash wing mirrors off when the box drivers did me wrong.

GC

[guest18]

Never ridden a recumbent... yet! I'd probably doze off lying down like that 

[Steve Lake]

Having owned (still do) a Mike Burrows 'Windcheetah' recumbent for many years....these confrontations happen all too often......whether it's the low riding position (i have a pennant on a whip aerial for the blind motorists) or the speed, as it appears to me that most recumbent riders are also serious bikies, and very fit, my average speed on on my 'speedy', when i was fit, was 20mph ish, motorists just don't appreciate this, and just chew you up.
You get the most extraordinary statements from drivers, going into Norwich one day, I actually had a car pull in front of me and flag me down.....only for the drive to say 'you're an accident waiting to happen mate, you're bloody invisible on that thing!'.......yeah? how'd you manage to stop me then? prat...
A friend in Norwich was 'nudged' from behind at some traffic lights while on his recumbent, he calmly parked the machine hard up against the car, removed his pump and smashed both the cars headlights, replaced pump remounted recumbent and disappeared into the rush hour traffic....whilst I don't endorse this type of retaliation.........I wish I'd done it

[guest7]

Yeah, I've done it too, I used to keep a long pump across the back of the seat where i could grab it and wave it at persistent idiots... and of course I sometimes ended up using it in the same manner as you describe.

My problem was that Cardiff is, like Norwich, not the biggest city and I would encounter the same people again months later and, although I had no idea who they were, they would always remember the bike 

Yep, 'bents are very fast, I remember being out on a display ride for the opening of a new link road across Cardiff bay. A time triallist was doing his nut on a Low-pro bike and swearing like a trooper because I was chatting to him, riding one-handed and looking relaxed whilst he was contorted over his trad bike (think Chris Hoy) and working like a dog.

GC

[mini-thumper]

Almost incumbent  of him to have some sort of confrontation armed as he was with his weird bike and headcam.

"Me thinks he was seeking the moral low ground!"

Boyd

[guest18]

Interesting...
My current average speed for commuting (including walking over a bridge, a muddy section of old railway and travelling at a speed I can sustain without getting sweaty/dying by halfway through the week) is 9mph(!)

Obviously 20 miles each way is impractical at that speed so I do most of it by train and 1 and 5 miles repectively at each end. OK so I'm unfit and slowly inproving but I'm not *that* unfit and 20mph average is flying for a pushbike   are they really that much faster over a trip? If so why aren't they the racing format of choice? Anyone got a like for like comparison of "converntional" and recumbent styles for the same rider over the same distance?

On a seperate not (and as there seem to be some closet lycra wearers amongst our happy band of fossil burners   ) anyone ridden a Brompton folder? Or other types? Thoughts/opinions? Depending where I end up moving to I may choose to use one for the daily hack... or not!

[guest18]

Almost incumbent   of him to have some sort of confrontation armed as he was with his weird bike and headcam.

"Me thinks he was seeking the moral low ground!"

Boyd

lol, very good  
Incidentally if anyone knows West Edinburgh and the run in from Fife it's quite good fun watching his other videos and playing "spot the location", I'm 100% so far...  

Edited for mongness 

[Richard]

The only reason they aren't the racing format of choice is because the governing body of the sport says they can't be.

Love to try one.  A sort of cycling version of the old FF motorcycle designs by people like Creasey, the Quasar was the best example.

Richard

[guest18]

The only reason they aren't the racing format of choice is because the governing body of the sport says they can't be.

Love to try one.  A sort of cycling version of the old FF motorcycle designs by people like Creasey, the Quasar was the best example.

Richard

Ahh, that makes (non)sense 
A bit like the FIM insistence on Dolphin fairings etc, a system purpose designed to remove any aerodynamic design advantage which is then copied for 99.9% of the roadgoing machines resulting in huge avoidable inefficiency, or unrealistic expense if you wish to buck the trend and employ the superior design... graaaaaagh! (takes a deep breath and steps away from the soapbox...)

[guest7]

Brompton's seem to be the rail/cyclist commute bike of choice. One good thing about them is that they keep their value in a way that a similar model from, say, Giant won't.

They ride well and they fold easily. I'm guessing that the limited gear range should be addressed by fitting a chain ring to match the conditions of your commute. I built my mate a seven speed bike for his ride from Hackney to the City of London and we fitted a close-ratio cassette to the rear and played with the chain ring size until it suited his speed and the terrain. He still says it was his best commute bike (until stolen  ) and was the easiest to look after (less bits mean less cost).

If I was looking for a decent folder  though I would consider Giant, they have been making some blinding commute bikes for a few years now, including one with a single sided fork with stub axle, which is (in a perfect thread tie up) a legacy of Mike Burroughs time with the company.

GC

[Steve Lake]

You just wouldn't believe the rules relating to racing cycles.....their design and form.  For some idea of the lunacy surrounding this subject it's worth watching the film 'the flying scotsman'  http://theflyingscotsmanmovie.com/ the story of Graeme Obree, and his attempts on the world hour record on a bike of his own design (built by Mike Burrows as it happens).....along with the flip flop of the record between him and Chris Boardman (who's bike was designed by.....erm....Mike Burrows).....the main difficulty Graeme had was the 'Blazers' running the sport, and not too inclined to let some barmy scots guy on a bike using washing machine part beat the pants off the 'proper' european cyclists on 'proper' bikes (built using iron sticks.....M. Burrows quote).

Smudge....ANY bike is only as fast as the 'engine'.... recumbents may look fast....and can be.....but absolute swines to power up hills...it took me 3 or four years regular training before I could race my 'speedy' recumbent.

I organise a few official time trials in our area (only iron stick bikes allowed in official time trials) you might be interested to know that the record for 25 miles is in the low 40's (minutes) average speed 32mph+   see here for some 'normal' and HPV (Human Powered Vehicle.....recumbent and the like)
 records....
http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/tech/OtherStuff.htm

suddenly I realise I'm becoming a bit of a 'blazer' myself....I'll get my lycra's....

[guest18]

....ANY bike is only as fast as the 'engine'.... recumbents may look fast....and can be.....but absolute swines to power up hills...it took me 3 or four years regular training before I could race my 'speedy' recumbent....

Very true, and this engine has had some wear and tear lol, especially in the knee department! 
They do look comfy mind, you reckon they are harder to climb with than an "iron stick" type then?

If I do get a folder I suspect it may have to be a Brompton just because the desing is soooo elegant 

[guest7]

If you accept that spinning is more efficient than standing up then a recumbent shouldn't be any different to to an upright. And don't forget, you can push your back against the seat to really push the pedals.

GC

[Steve Lake]

Of course....In theory you're right GC.....but in practice I have found that pushing a 3 wheeled burrows speedy (even if it is  a light one that Mike made for himself originally, still a hefty 30+ pounds) up gog magog on the london to cambridge ride, one of the more painful experiences of my riding career, I have always raced (time trials) a fixed wheel and was a reasonable climber, winning our club hillclimb competition 3 years in succession....and hauling an 80 inch gear on my 'iron stick' bike over decent hills (ok....not quite up to your Welsh hills) no problem...'dancing' on the pedals ....lovely...so much easier than the recumbent......and.....I'm going to sell my 'Speedy'.....any offers.......wonderful pose.....will post pics if anyone interested