Conference noted::bicycle

    did you ride at the wrong side of the road?

    
    RE: did you ride at the wrong side of the road?
    
    Well, I haven't yet (fingers crossed).  
    
    In fact I just got back from a 30-mile ride at lunch, a clockwise loop, 
    basically, meaning mainly right turns - the hard ones when you travel
    on the left.
    
    After several trips to England over the years (including one
    for six weeks and one for four months) you kind of become
    "ambidextrous" - able to shift to left-side driving and back
    again - with relative ease.  The big remaining fear is just
    not remembering to look in the correct direction when crossing
    a street or intersection.
    
    For my friend Pat, it's her first time driving/riding in a left-side
    country.  (She was in Japan as a kid.)  She's coming through pretty
    well, but replicated my own (and everyone's) reflex actions, such
    as turning into oncoming traffic.  I started her out biking on 
    some country lanes (single tracks in parts, meaning you have to
    watch out for and yield to oncoming traffic sometimes), and then
    the *next* day she headed out in a motor vehicle ... straight
    onto A-roads (main highways) and motorways (freeways), alas.
    
    But we both now have our helmet mirrors on the right, now, and
    appear to be all set.
    
    cheers,
    -john

    A Kestrel would turn my head in any car park. As far as carbon bikes
    go, I'd say stick bikes (built similarly to conventional bikes but with
    carbon tubing) are far more common than monocoques, but that's probably
    true everywhere except the Kestrel factory.
    
    
    Rod

    
    The weekend included a metric down to Winchester in back, for
    sightseeing, and a 151-miler out toward Swindon (the Lambourn road
    to the Ridge Way) and back via Hungerford and Andover.  I could go
    on about the "atmospheric" landscapes, enveloped in murk and mist
    over the contours of the downs, or the wet roads despite no
    precipitation, but for now a couple of bike-spottings:
    
      - a Kirk Mg frame (or so it appeared ... but what else could
        it be?) with aero bars - under a good cyclist;
    
      - a knobby-tired mountain bike in day-glo green & yellow with aero bar
        clip-on and rear wheel cover, under a cyclist decked out in
        generally outrageous colors - not sure of the point he was trying
        to make - an "aero" MTB with knobbies?! - maybe a refugee from
        California, except for his pale skin-color;  :-)
    
      - a convoy of MTB's enjoying the mud of the Ridge Way;
    
      - a brightly decked out cycling club out of Andover - no more
        woollens: rather, nylon and lycra;
    
      - the occasional pheasant in the roadway, waiting 'til almost too late
        to blast up and over the nearest hedge.
    
    -john

    
    RE: .3  (Rod MacFadyen)
    
    The white Kestrel has a nice mottled brown spotted effect,
    after Sunday's ride.  I'm trying to pass this off as trendy. :-)
    
    The Kestrel gave a nice, comfortable ride, but is really not meant
    for carrying any appreciable load, especially those inducing lateral
    forces (with camera, lock & cable, more clothes, etc., in bags fore
    and aft).  Unloaded, it's quite stiff enough, though.
    
    -john

Hello again John,

Having moved between Canada and England several times, I agree that you can
develop a more adaptive method of using the road. On a bicycle, I always make
sure I have a mirror on the side that cars will generally be passing. That way,
I have something to relate to in case of forgetfulness. However, the real
question is what will happen in case of an emergency. Luckily, I haven't been
in that situation too frequently. It is still true though that your reflexes
can get the better of you, which can mean heading across traffic for the wrong
side of the road. As you can imagine, this can cause a bit of a shock to the
other traffic!

It is also very true that right hand (left hand in North America) are much
trickier. Perhaps we should go back to the days of having a person with a red
flag walking in front of the bike.

Cheers,
Tim

    Do you realise you did more distance in one day than I've done all
    season.  sikkenin'.  I'm glad you enjoyed the spin out to swindon.  Trust
    you didn't get any of the lunatic `sunday pub lunch in a Golf GTi'
    people...  
    
    >> ....Back via Hunderford and Andover - In *that* order ?????
    
    >> - not sure of the point he was trying to make - an "aero" MTB
    >> with knobbies?!
    
    This a very popular trend - it mostly involves spending as much on the
    bike as possible, looking as cool as possible and cycling around the
    world at 8 mph (but only ever to the pub for sunday lunch).  
    
    Alan and I have an `open season' on such people.
    
    Glad you're enjoying old Blighty...

     Rod,
    
>    you didn't get any of the lunatic `sunday pub lunch in a Golf GTi'
>    people...  
    
     We were lucky.  But we were mainly on the back roads.  (Still no
     guarantee, I know.)  Mainly we saw sheep.
    
>    >> ....Back via Hunderford and Andover - In *that* order ?????
    
     Yes.  There's a road, the old Hungerford-Cirencester road, that we
     took back from the downs near Swindon, into Hungerford.  From there
     south on the A338 to reach the road that goes southeastward along
     the valley going through Hurstbourne, etc. (and comes out east of
     Andover, actually).  From there, we skirted Basingstoke to get back to
     the hotel on the Berks/Hants line (Wellington Arms) - hence south
     of Reading.  Kind of roundabout, yes, but possessing a curious internal
     logic... :-) 
    
>    >> - not sure of the point he was trying to make - an "aero" MTB
>    >> with knobbies?!
>    
>    This a very popular trend - it mostly involves spending as much on the
>    bike as possible, looking as cool as possible and cycling around the
>    world at 8 mph (but only ever to the pub for sunday lunch).  
    
     Sounds like you pegged him pretty well!
    
     cheers,
    -john

    re:.6
    
    And here I thought it more reasonble to go back to the day of
    having a flagman walk in fron of the automobiles...
    
    ed

    
    RE: .6
    
    Hello Tim,
    
    Yes, shifting the mirror is a good reminder.  I've also thought
    about blinders on the left side, but that would probably do more
    harm than good. :-)
    
    -john
    
    (PS: Tim introduced himself to me in the car park as part of the
    crusade for secure bike sheds at Reading DECpark.)

    All U.K. lovers,
    
    This summer I plan to go to Scotland for about a month to find a job
    on a farm (some fruit picking). Of course I will be taking my bike with
    me. Since I have never been in the U.K. I would appreciate to getting any
    info. about cycling in Scotland.
    
     
    -How are the roads like (well kept?)
    -Enough cycling shops around (I am spoilt in Holland)?
    -Steep hills (what gears)?
     and other important stuff.
    
    Wout Davidse

    We have been led to believe that if you don't go in the third week in
    August -- perhaps only on the Thursday of said week -- that there will
    be snow on the ground.
    
    :-)
    
    
    Just kidding really, enjoy yourself.
    
    ed

    
    Wout,
    
>   -How are the roads like (well kept?)
    
    Fairly.  Some of the main or better travelled roads have a coarse
    surface applied to them, making cycling a bit more taxing.  The
    secondary roads in some areas have lots of patches from utilities
    work (digging up pipes under the roadway, etc.) - by American
    standards, the road surfaces are not as "nice," but they'll do.
    
    Another thing: roads are generally "submerged" below the level of
    the shoulder or surrounding land.  This is the influence of hedge-lined
    lanes, and is in contrast to US and European roads, where the shoulder
    falls off from the road surface.  This has implications for the cyclist
    in a tight spot.
    
    Cycle paths or lanes almost nonexistent.
    
>   -Enough cycling shops around (I am spoilt in Holland)?
    
    A fair number, not as many as in Holland (of course!).
    
>   -Steep hills (what gears)?
    
    In the Highlands (and for that matter at the other end of the island,
    in the West Country ... and some places in between), be prepared for
    some 20% grades, and a handful of short 25% grades (there is a 33%
    grade outside of Bude, Cornwall, but I digress).  For comparison, a
    "tough" high Alpine pass would be 14%-16%.  
    
    A 42x28 or lower gear would come in very handy.  I guess one could
    consider a triple.  Maybe a 39x28 would do.  Depends on how much
    baggage you will carry.
    
>   and other important stuff.
    
    The Cycle Touring Club (CTC) in Godalming, Surrey, is a great resource
    for routes and other info.  I don't have address or phone number handy.
    
>   info. about cycling in Scotland.
    
    The Highlands (above the Glasgow-Edinburgh line) are highly regarded.
    Go far enough north and traffic will almost disappear.  "Main" roads
    in the far north can be single-track with passing places.  The lochs
    pretty much determine the road network in the Highlands and in much
    of Scotland.  Where there are many lochs, roads follow their shores,
    and at each end, climb in/out of the loch over a pass.
    
    -john

    A few pointers:
    
    -Bike shops
    	Hard to find when you get out of the big towns. If you're doing
    miles anywhere out of the central belt, you'll be beyond a walk back.
    
    -Hills
    	Mostly short and sharp. The vicious ones are on B-roads (quite
    minor) or smaller. I ride a triple w/ 28x21 at the bottom on my fast
    bike, but that's overkill because I spin and I go looking for hills.
    
    -Roads
    	In town, a lot of ruts, ridges and potholes to avoid. Out of town,
    more major roads are generally well-surfaced, though as John says, a
    few have a car-friendly bike-hating rough covers. Minor roads are
    usually tarred and chippinged. They vary, but the worst can rattle your
    fillings. If you're really unlucky, you'll find a road that's just been
    surfaced in this way. It takes 2 or 3 weeks for cars to remove the
    loose chippings, in the interim the roads are treacherous and passing
    cars throw up gravel in your face.
    	In Edinburgh there are a few cobbled roads left. Mucho fun in the
    wet.
    
    Remember your snowplough attachment, and if you venture into Fife,
    give way to stagecoaches.
    
    ---Alan

    
	What? All my comments in this conference and your still coming? :*)
    (I reckon that I'm perfect for a job in the Scottish Tourist Board;'Don't
    come here it rains.' Catchy slogan huh?).
    
    >> Remember your snowplough attachment, and if you venture into Fife,
    >> give way to stagecoaches.
    
    	As a Fifer born and bred, I'm not letting that one go. Fife's a
    lovely place (through the mist), and in all seriousness, if your
    looking for a fruit farm, probably your best bet. The stagecoaches are
    great for training; sit behind them and attack them at every
    opportunity.
    
    	Not sure I agree with the comments over the gearing, I've never
    gone below 42x24 and only used that once. I find that a 42x21 usually
    does. The hills tend to be a mix between Flandrian monts without the
    cobbles and longer 'mini-cols', similar in gradient to a col, but
    rarely over 3 miles unless you're going into the really isolated
    country around the sea-lochs on the NW Coast of Scotland.
    
    	The comments about cycling shops also hold true for shops in
    general. If you draw a line from Glasgow-Stirling-Perth-Dundee, when
    you go North, towns tend to sell only the basic needs, getting worse
    the further you go to the North-West.
    
    	From my experience in Holland, the roads are of similar quality
    (there's only 2 cycle-paths that I'm aware of). Traffic will try and
    ram you off the road, but if you concentrate on the B-class and
    unclassified roads as much as possible, you'll get better scenery and
    less traffic.
    
    	And remember to give SQF & EDO a shout if you want some miles with
    company.
    
    Graham.
    

    Wout,
    Not much to add to all that.  I would recommend a good strong set of
    wheels tho.  The wheels I raced on for a season in France survived
    about 3 months in the UK... 
    
    The drivers are _much_ worse than they are where you are right now
    (VBO?) but there are slightly less of them and if you keep to secondary 
    roads you needn't see anyone (except the sheep...)
    
    > and other important stuff.
     Yes, we're expecting you to come and visit.....

Scots and U.K. lovers (?),

Thanks very much for the inputs. As far as all the mist, snowploughs and
stagecoaches are concerned, I am quite looking forward to this. After having
lived for six months at the sunny Cote d'Azur with all the fancy cars around,
I miss the rain and mud (just kidding)!

The fact that cycling shops are hard to find outside the central belt 
(note .14) could bring me some surprises. In the 10,000 km I have cycled in the
last three years I have never had ANY flat tyres, broken rims and other 
unpleasent damages during a trip (knock on wood). The experiece I have with 
repairing any damage is limited! 

>>    
>>    	And remember to give SQF & EDO a shout if you want some miles with
>>    company.
  

SQF = Structured Query Fault????  

And about the CTC in Surrey, I do have their address. I got it from a book by
(I think) Nick Crane. In this book he relates some of his cycling experiences,
including climbing the Kilimanjaro (sp?) in Africa! That's something else than
33% hills in Scotland.

Wout

> The fact that cycling shops are hard to find outside the central belt 
> (note .14) could bring me some surprises. In the 10,000 km I have cycled in the
> last three years I have never had ANY flat tyres, broken rims and other 
> unpleasent damages during a trip (knock on wood). The experiece I have with 
> repairing any damage is limited! 
    
    Never been to Scotland before then, huh? :*)
                     
    By the way, when I find it, I'll post the address of the Scottish
    Cyclists Union. They're involved in all aspects of cycling here, not
    just racing, and should be able to give you some pointers.
    
    Graham.
    

    
    A couple of tourist anecdotes from Saturday's small miles (48) around
    Weymouth in Dorset:
    
      o  The Wellington White Horse - We are descending from the downs
         to the sea - the bright (temporarily) sun-flecked water below
         to our left, the middle distance graced by significant acreage of 
         mobile homes (trailers) for holiday hire, when to our right
         across the next valley on the face of the next ridge of the downs,
         suddenly a large white horse *with rider* comes into view.
         We stop, pressing our bikes against the hedges, just out of
         traffic's reach, for a look.
    
         It turns out this is the only known chalk horse with a rider.
         It is not ancient but presumed to be from the early 19th century,
         and a figure of Wellington is supposed to be the rider.
    
         Meanwhile THREE (3) huge coaches rumble past, down the narrow windy
         hill of this busy A-road, with inches to spare.  The horse has 
         presumably saved us from being squashed and turned into a
         post-historic artifact for viewing by generations yet to come.
    
      o  The Hardy Monument? - The road *out* of Weymouth to Abbotsbury and 
         Lyme Regis is one dip and dive after another.  We turn homeward
         without seeing Chesil Bank lengthwise foreshortened, because the
         fog is rolling in.  This road becomes suspiciously steeper with
         every hundred meters ... more-than-disinterested curiosity as to
         whether the bike will shift into its lowest gear (42x26), so long 
         unused.  (Answer: yes.)  At the top, looking back, with dense wet
         fog rolling up off the sea and past me, a sign says "17%" - which
         is consolation... I think.
    
         We are following the most minor roads, turning into single lane
         tracks, cloaked in fog, 4:30pm, an hour of daylight left, guided
         only by the cast-iron lettered signboards at intersections.  We
         presumably pass the Hardy Monument - atop a knoll whence you can
         survey the Channel, and many other distant places on the
         occasional sunny day.
    
         Fortunately, further inland it is not foggy, only murky, and
         we charge on in as evening closes in.  Another atmospheric day
    	 in the South!
    
         -john

I had a cycling weekend in the Weymouth / Lyme Regis region in 1989. Had a
great time, but it's dead hilly, necessitating frequent application of
Dorset cream teas. But that's cycling: you've got to take the rough with
the smooth.


Rod

I'm visiting Reading this weekend, 13th to 16th inclusive. Have you got
any rides planned, John? And does anyone have a loan bike? (~59cm) Just
asking on the off chance...


Rod

    
    RE: Rod's visit to Reading
    
    I have no plans, except possibly driving to somewhere out west
    (South Wales? Devon?) and starting from there.  Maybe.  So I'm
    definitely flexible and up for riding.
    
    BTW: I had planned on offering the Equinox Century/151 the weekend
    *after* that (22 March or thereabouts).  Would you be keen to do
    that one, or at least the course?
    
    -john

    
    Emanating from the wheel-region came a strange skritching sound - 
    skritch-skritch, skritch-skritch.  What could it be?  A puncture?
    No, the tyre stayed hard, but the sound only got worse over time.
    What could it be??
    
    I finally dismounted and looked again more carefully.  Yes, accretions
    of soil had gradually blocked up the gap between the tyre and fork
    crown.  "Gradually" = 3 weeks of riding in England.  Maybe this is
    not a novel condition for mountain bikers, but all of my miles had
    been over metalled roads.  Chalk up another idiosyncracy of UK biking!
    
    -john :-) :-)

    Of course, it could be cow-shit. Rod (W) has been remarkably adept
    at finding roads with the stuff splattered liberally across them. It
    seems to have started about when I got the carbon monster finished.
    Are there any rural legends of cowshit dissloving CF ? Just wondered
    :-)
    
    Re .23 John, 3 weeks of mud is how many miles worth ?
    
    ---Alan

    
    Alan, that would be about 850 miles for the three weeks here.
    
    BTW, the Scottish and Welsh weather you mention keeps threatening
    the South ever closer, probably culminating in snow showers in
    Hampshire on the first day of spring, at this rate.  :-)
    
    If you're out in how it looks up there on the weather map, you
    must be dressed like an eskimo!  :-)
    
    -john

    
    Quick question for anyone in the South Queensferry area.  I
    am looking into an opportunity to move to Scotland for one
    year and am wondering what the climate, roads, attitudes, etc.
    are for biking??  Is a decent place to ride or is it not
    practical.
    
    Thanks in advance
    Newc

re .26

    I just have to let Graham answer....

    
    Reading rides: The CTC organise Sunday rides. They usually depart from
    Caversham Bridge at 09:15 and stop at a pub for lunch. I have not got
    the run list on me, but I know there is a choice of 50 or 70 miles this
    Sunday. I am told that the pace is moderately brisk with the emphasis
    on enjoying a country ride rather that beating the clock. I will
    probably have a crack at the 50 miles. The rides are open to
    non-members, although they expect regulars to join the CTC.
    
    Richard. 

    
    RE: .-1
    
    Richard,
    
    For my 100/151 ride on the next weekend (of the 22nd) starting
    from Reading, is there a way to publicize it so that people can
    come?  Are there any conflicting rides that weekend?
    
    Thanks.
    -john

    John,
    	I don't know what a 100/151 ride is, so I've no idea if will
    conflict with other rides (assuming that conflict means offering too
    much of a choice for rides). All I know is  that every Sunday the CTC
    organise two or three runs. There is (or was) the Reading Cycle Club
    (RCC) which is (or was) primarily interested in racing, but I have not
    any information on them. Sorry for the vagueness of this reply, but
    clubs are very new to me as I have only just taken an interest in them.
    
    Richard.

>  I don't know what a 100/151 ride is....

    100 miles = 161 km.  Perhaps he meant 100/161 ?
    If so, it would be a century.

    -Jeff

    Actually, John meant 100 mile or 151 mile ride.
    
    ed

    re:"every Sunday the CTC organise two or three runs."
    
    There should be no conflict, John is not interested in running....
    
    :-)
    
    ed

    
    
    Re.26
    
    	First, I'd like to thank Rod W for giving me this excuse for
    developing my career in the Scottish Tourist Board. Second, I work at
    South Queensferry so some people reckon that I've a tendency to be a
    little patriotic. Don't listen to a word of it... :*)
    
    CLIMATE -  Don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but it rains a
    	       lot. Now, you're probably thinking that it's a murky, wet
    	       country always under dark, thunderous clouds. Close, but
    	       it's even wetter than that...
    
    	       If you come over, general rules. 1) Bring you're winter
    	       clothing with you, even for the height of 'summer'. You'll
    	       find that there are only a couple of days a year where
    	       you'll ride around happily with shorts on. 2) As Mike said,
    	       bring mudguards if you plan on riding anytime from October
    	       to March/April. Scottish roads get a lot of agricultural
    	       traffic and during these months especially, all roads
    	       (including the main trunk roads) get covered in a muddy grime.
    
    ROADS    - I've never managed to get my manager to sign my justification
    	       for my trip to the States so I can't compare to your roads,
    	       but compared to European roads, I think the standard is lower.
    	       They are generally covered with stone chips that don't
    	       necessarily puncture, but just make life goddam uncomfortable.
    	       By choosing routes carefully, you can easily avoid traffic. We
    	       are littered with small back roads that are relatively traffic
    	       free and generally offer more pleasant views. That leads me to
    	       another Scottish problem...
    
    TRAFFIC  - We are a rather fiery race. The little niggles in life find
    	       their way to really annoy us. Two things in life annoy us
    	       more than anything else; the English and other drivers. If
    	       we are driving along the road and some object delays us for
    	       3 seconds, it's the start of World War 3. You see, the Scottish
    	       sussed out long, long ago that the fastest way from A -> B was
    	       to go in a straight line. Now if that straight line happens to
    	       cross over a cyclist, then hard luck. The cyclist becomes a road
    	       pizza. However, as I said it is easy to avoid traffic on the
    	       unclassified roads.
    
    RIDES    - If you reach their without being run over by Demon Death Driver
    	       and if when you do get their, you can see beyond you're front
    	       hub and haven't died of pnuemonia, the end of your run should
    	       always be worthwhile. From South Queensferry, we're quite lucky
    	       in that the Pentlands are within easy distance, the Ochills are
    	       just across the Forth and don't offer many serious challnging
    	       hills and the southermost areas of the Highlands are within
    	       John Ellis distance (just over a 100 will give you a pleasant
    	       ride up the Sma' Glen). The Highlands are fairly accesible by
    	       car if you want to drive there to let yourself do a little more
    	       in depth cycling.
    
    	And remember the guys at SQF and EDO if you want company...
    
    	Any further info and you can mail me at THERAJ::GGOODMAN.
    
    Graham.
    		

    
    RE: .34 - Ed's pegged it right.

    
    o  Well, I went on my first Reading CC ride.  It turns out that there
       is a plethora of "regular" rides.  The Reading CC has a 9:00am start
       which is a social ride (though the ridership may include racers, as
       this one did); an 8:30am start, at a steady sub-20mph pace for 60-70
       miles' race training; and a no-holds-barred burn-each-other-out
       "fast" ride at 9:30am.  Plus... on our way out of Reading Centre we
       passed the CTC ride start, on the Caversham Bridge over the Thames.
       Fellow riders explained the fine distinctions between all these groups.  
    
       We climbed the Chiltern Hills in Oxfordshire over the smallest lanes
       that would still qualify as "on-road" - though it felt like off-road
       biking to me!  Descending to the Thames at Goring, we waited for the
       ride leader to signal Left or Right onto the A329, which runs along
       the Thames.  But he signalled straight on.  We all knew what that
       meant: the immediate 18% grade out of the valley.  At the top of the
       climb, vast vistas of downs and hedgerows, and a golf course along
       the roadside with calm people who were not wheezing asthmatically
       as we were.  A study in contrasts. ;-)
    
    o  The 100/151 - I did more measurements for this on Saturday, after
       5 hours of drizzle on back roads down the River Test to Salisbury.
       The high point was late in the afternoon, when the actual sun came
       out - blinding sun in fact, for about an hour of partly cloudy
       windswept skies, as I plotted a more adventurous return to the
       Century route atop Watership Down, whence you can spy Reading to
       the north and Basingstoke (of famous mention in the Hitchhikers
       Guide) to the south.  The British landscape is incredibly brilliant 
       on the occasion when real sun pokes through!
    
       I'm trying to collect "subscribers" to my 100/151 mile ride so that
       others can share in the fun.  So far I may have two people who would
       like to do the route, including the founder of Boston-Montreal-Boston,
       Charlie Lamb.  If you are here, and you are interested, don't be shy!
       Drop me a line.
    
       -john
    
       PS: Graham's note on cycling in Scotland was pure poetry ... albeit
       of the dark kind. :-) :-)  I'd like to point out that above Inverness
       even many of the A-roads ("main drags") are single track with passing
       places.  An idyllic retreat to be sure. :-)

    >    the Thames.  But he signalled straight on.  We all knew what that
    >   meant: the immediate 18% grade out of the valley.  At the top of the
    
    Yes I `discoverred' that one.  `Fun' and almost paxtonesque :-)
    
    The climb back over watership down is a lovely one, but I don't much
    care for the other direction (ie going south).
    
    >  I'd like to point out that above Inverness
    >   even many of the A-roads ("main drags") are single track with passing
    >   places.  An idyllic retreat to be sure. :-)
    
    This brings up some wondrous images of Timetrialling in the highlands
    
    "Och I don't think that we'll be using that road james, it's so busy,
    there were two cars up it last week"
    
    (with apologies to all highlanders)
    

    Only one thing I can think to add to Graham's description of riding in
    Scotland: at least in the West, it can be WI N   D       Y.  Scots
    don't take notice of winds that are less than gale force.  Combine that
    with a driving rain and 40 degrees (both typical), and see what kind
    of ride you get.

    40 degrees in Scotland is hotter'n hades.
    
    :-)

    
    
    Re. Highland A-class roads.
    
    	Not only are they single track, potholed and completely empty of
    traffic, they are also infested by sheep. Now in hotter climates
    (Iceland for example), they have problems with mosquitoes, snakes,
    black widow spiders... Big fat hairy deal. They're small and
    insignificant. Sheep are big and stupid. The stupid part being far more
    lethal. They either fail to recognise the dangers of the situation, or
    they have suicidal tendacies.
    
    Re. Wind
    
    	The Isle of Lewis, off the NW Coast of Scotland, recorded a 180mph
    gust couple of years ago. And you complained about the hurricane in the
    NE of USA last year? Pathetic!
    
    	BTW, who got me going on this again. Will you never learn?
    
    Graham.
        

    Re: Wind
    
    Before you get too carried away bragging about how windy Scotland gets
    to a bunch of New Englanders, you should keep in mind that the highest
    wind speed ever recorded on earth was on top of Mt. Washington in the
    state of Nude Hampster, USA -- 236 mph.  I believe that was during one
    of the Mt. Washington hill climbs, wasn't it?
    
    Don

    
    
    	Yeah, but Mt Washington doesn't have sheep getting blown at you...
    
    Graham.
    

Isn't the Isle of Lewis also known as the Butt of Lewis???

I believe I remember seeing snickering headlines at the time of the "big blow."

I was in Reading last weekend. I didn't do any serious cycling, and the
noters who met me outside DECpark last Friday weren't introduced to my steed
of the moment, a 21" ladies bike complete with wicker basket (my partner's
bike, bought new and cheap in 1984 as a 'racer', but long since modified with
flat bars and reduced to one gear - it's great to fun to ride, feels like a
BMX. And a wicker basket at the front is so *practical* you wouldn't believe
it). 

But there were two very flash bikes indeed sitting there: a Cannondale MTB
with gripshifts and bar-ends that turned out to belong to Tim Reeves (nice
to meet you!) and the now-famous Ellis Kestrel. I'd tell you what the Cateye
6000 said, but you'd only feel inadequate... Anyway, I ended up taking a
coffee-break with John Ellis and Nigel Crowther, and that was very pleasant.

One other thing: I turned out of a side road after visiting a shop, and idly
wondered why that big white van was heading straight at me on my side of the
road... Eek, we don't drive on the right in Britain! A quick veer to the other
side of the road was in order, after checking for other traffic.

Btw, did I mention that a New Cyclist national survey recently put Reading at
number 4 in its list of the ten best cycling towns in Britain? No, I could
hardly believe it either.


Rod

    Re .46
    
    I think you may be suffering "old think" about Reading, Rod. Yes, I
    know it's generally a pretty awful place, but it now has a cycling
    Mayor and they are doing serious things to help cyclists. Just three
    examples: Lots of bike parking (with decent "Sheffield" racks); bike
    lanes (shared with buses it's true, but that doesn't cause me a problem
    and it's really nice going where cars can't); Bike paths (like the one
    on the Oxford Road built with private finance as a condition of some
    planning consent).
    I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but well done Reading!
    
    Chris
    

    A lot of the improvements for Reading's cyclists are due to the efforts
    of the Reading Cycle Campaign. They effectively advise Reading Bourough
    Council on how to make the town more cycle friendly. It has at least 200
    members. It costs 2 pounds to join for which you would get:
    
    o membership card entitling you to discount at some cycle shops,
      including 10% off at Berskhire Cycles (not whole bikes though)
    
    o quarterly newsletter
    
    o monthly meeting with your beer
    
    o monthly leisure ride 
    
    o Bob's telephone number (does v. good repairs cheaply - did a good job
      on setting up my rear wheel for a fiver)
            
    o the odd party
    
    If you would like to join or further info., let me know (830 3267) or
    mail to SUBURB::PULLANR and I will send you a copy of the newsletter
    which includes an application form.
    
    Richard.

It's not quite that I'm suffering from 'old think', perhaps just not 
interpreting the survey correctly. In terms of local councils that have 
really made an effort I'm quite prepared to believe that Reading is doing
well. I see the cycle lanes, racks and good stuff like that. But my gut
reaction is that Reading simply can't be the fourth best town in Britain 
to cycle in, and can never be, simply because the traffic is so intense. 
We're always going to be dodging cars in Reading.

Liverpool came off worst. This was because despite the centre being small
and flat, and a left-wing council, next to nothing has been done to help
cycling.


Rod

>Btw, did I mention that a New Cyclist national survey recently put Reading at
>number 4 in its list of the ten best cycling towns in Britain? No, I could
>hardly believe it either.
    
    Rod,
    
    As a matter of interest, what were the other towns.  And was there any
    attempt to compare like with like ? 
    
    I would expect that on an `unflattened' pitch towns like (say) Peebles 
    would compare better than Newbury. I reckon that these are approximately 
    the same size (?); but Peebles is somewhat more remote (except for 
    Edinburgh cyclists) than Newbury which is the cross-road of two trunk 
    routes.

    
    Presumably Oxford and Cambridge came in above Reading?
    
    (I too find Reading a squirrely place to bike in, but haven't
    biked in very many towns of that size in the UK - Edinbourgh,
    Inverness, Glasgow, Gloucester, Oxford, Winchester - that's about
    it, and they all seemed easier and less aggravating than Reading.  
    Again, it's not so much what is or is not done for bikes, but
    that it is maddening getting around Reading Centre by any means
    except *possibly* by foot.)
    
    -john

I'll try to remember to bring the article in. It was in either the Feb or
March edition of New Cyclist. It was a good article, and the results were
based on a survey that New Cyclist had sent to every local council, plus
input from local cycle groups. It was much more than just an opionion piece.
As far as I remember, either York or Cambridge came in at no 1.


Rod

    John,
    
    How are you doing with the language and food?  Do you miss that
    good Charlottese yet?  And the barbecue?
    
    ed

    Re .53 Cambridge can't possibly be no #1. It has hills. If I hadn't
    seen people dismount to cross a 6ft high bridge which constitutes a
    1st cat col there, I wouldn't have believed it. And didn't Cambridge
    try to ban bikes from some of the city centre ?
    
    ---Alan

    
    
    Re.45
    
    	The Butt of Lewis is the northmost point of the Isle of Lewis.
    
    Re. Rod's 'old think'
    
    	But you've got to remember where he's staying now. A UK velodrome
    doesn't stand up to comparison with the continent.
    
    Re. Accents
    
    	C'mon, John! I'm afraid that I'm not giving you any points for
    recognising a Newcastle. A deaf Aborigine could identify it at 100
    yards :*)    Never heard a Glasgwegian accent described as 'charming'...
    
    Graham.
    

    
    RE: .-1
    
    To most Americans, any remotely Scottish accent has a certain 
    je ne sais quoi.  :-) :-)
    
    -john

    
    
    Re.-1
    
    Does 'je ne sais quoi' mean, "What the hell is he going on about?"
    That's usually the English answer when we speak.
    
    Graham.
    

     >   Does 'je ne sais quoi' mean, "What the hell is he going on about?"
     >   That's usually the English answer when we speak.
     
    Strictly, I think it means "I don't know what (the hell is he going on
    about)"
    
    If I'm wrong, you'll understand why I was not entered for the German
    language exam.  
    
    Only kidding, I know its Spanish really :-)

    
    Springtime has come to Britain.  This means fierce winds across the
    downs punctuated by blustery cold showers intermingled with actual sun.
    This is the time of year when hedgerows are your best friend, and you
    wish there were more than remain today.
    
    Saturday's ride through Salisbury and past Stonehenge got dramatic
    right around Stonehenge, as the winds met no barrier on Salisbury Plain.
    North of the stone circle, the red flags were out, pasted horizontal by 
    the sub-gale-force breezes, which wafted the sounds of thunder (umm,
    well, artillery practice) and rifle fire.  The raindrops from brief
    showers felt like hailstones as they rocketed in.  A fun ride.
    
    Sunday I tried the Reading CC again, and am happy to report quite a
    pleasant ride, with the fast-but-not-rabid "0830" group, including
    one tandem.  This is a 50-70 mile brisk 18-20 mph "no one gets dropped"
    ride.  We flew down the Thames down to Marlow then into the wind up and
    over the Chilterns.  At that point, everybody as if as one consciousness
    opted for a return down the A329 to Reading.  Everybody but one cyclist,
    who wanted to continue to Oxford (in the teeth of the 25mph wind), so
    I thought I'd keep in company.  
    
    What did I expect?  Threaded our  way down little known scenic by-ways
    and country lanes, to pop up miraculously outside one of the Oxford
    colleges?  But no - we headed straight up the A40 (becoming a dual
    carriageway) precisely into the wind, then round the big Oxford ring
    road, aiming for another dual carriageway (the A34) headed past the
    nuclear power plant.  In the event, though, rain intervened, deterring
    us to another fast A-road back down to the Thames valley.  This was
    "performance" cycling to be sure.  
    
    Lessons for an American, though.  As I kept glancing back in my mirror
    at the blue-shifted autos overtaking us, my partner seemed unconcerned,
    and in fact the traffic seemed pretty safe.  Safer than it would have
    been in the States.  
    
    -john

    Glad you like our british summers John !

    
    Re.61
    
    	You got sun, John? A helluva lot better than we got at the weekend.
    After the run round Oxford's dual carriageway you'll be well experienced
    for the British art of time trialling.
    
    Graham.
     

    
    Your Scottish weather is consoling to those of us down South,
    by comparison.  And frankly I was caught unprepared on Saturday,
    miles from home and no sunglasses ("Where *did* I pack those things?").
    
    RE: TT-course - yes, the roads had that sort of ambience - the other
    cyclist looked like he was all set for an imaginary TT.
    
    -john

    
>>    RE: TT-course - yes, the roads had that sort of ambience - the other
>>    cyclist looked like he was all set for an imaginary TT.
    
	You mean the blank, vacant stare...
    
    	Graham.
    

>================================================================================
>Note 2193.61                Notes Visiting in Britain                   61 of 65
>IOSG::ELLISJ "John Lee Ellis - assembly required"    37 lines  24-MAR-1992 03:47
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>    carriageway) precisely into the wind, then round the big Oxford ring
>    road, aiming for another dual carriageway (the A34) headed past the
>    nuclear power plant.  In the event, though, rain intervened, deterring
>    
>    -john
>

Well, what can I say? I chickened out on Saturday, but did manage to get out
late on Sunday afternoon for 2 hours. The weather is frankly nasty! Incredibly
heavy showers for several minutes followed by windy but sunny tempting periods! 

By the way, John, the plant in Didcot is a coal powered electricity generating
plant. It struck me as a nuclear plant the first time I saw it too. The cooling
towers are massive and can be seen for miles around.

Sounds like a good weekend overall. Have fun,
Tim

    
    
    	If you had the 10C and wet we've had all day and are still having,
    I think you'd be screaming to -20 and dry back :*)
    
    	Sorry, you couldn't have made a trip north John.
    
    Graham.