A lesson in tempting fate.......
Butterd2
Posts: 937
So others may learn from my mistakes.
Only last week I was responding to a thread about riding clipless and I pointed out that I had been riding with SPD's for 18 years now and other than the inevitable 1st fall hadn't fallen since.
Now even as I was writing this I felt I might be tempting fate but with hindsight I was actually throwing down the gauntlet and calling her out. Now fate is no chicken and she came to visit me this morning.
I'm stopped by a set of red lights on Evelyn St so I decide to try a trackstand (I've only been fixed a couple of months so am still in the novice category). The trackstand begins well;
3secs......(looking good).....6secs......(bit of a wobble).....7secs...(have to roll forward half a turn).....8secs (can't trackstand left foot forward)....9secs(have to put in another half turn)....10secs.....
Now I'm pushing out into the junction with a motor bike on my right hand side. The road is clear and potentially at this point I could concede defeat and roll through the Red, Fate however is one step ahead of me.....
~~~5mins earlier whilst waiting at another Red some old MAMIL rolls through the red and nods off up the road, lights go Green and with a little righteous anger I fly past him with a quick "bit old for RLJing aren't we?"~~~~~~
Said MAMIL is now sat directly behind me so there's no way I'm going to RLJ - the only alternative is to unclip. So I take out my left foot and at that very moment up jumps Fate and turns the light to Amber.
Now she has me at her mercy, I'm performing a wobbly one footed trackstand trying to clip my left back in with a motorbike to my right, half a dozen cyclists (inc. MAMIL) and a queue of traffic behind me.
All that is now required is an almost imperceptibly gentle push to the right and I'm down. Fate delivers the coupe de grace and over I go right foot still clipped in landing in front of the motorbike as the lights go Green.
Fate 1 Butterd2 0
Only last week I was responding to a thread about riding clipless and I pointed out that I had been riding with SPD's for 18 years now and other than the inevitable 1st fall hadn't fallen since.
Now even as I was writing this I felt I might be tempting fate but with hindsight I was actually throwing down the gauntlet and calling her out. Now fate is no chicken and she came to visit me this morning.
I'm stopped by a set of red lights on Evelyn St so I decide to try a trackstand (I've only been fixed a couple of months so am still in the novice category). The trackstand begins well;
3secs......(looking good).....6secs......(bit of a wobble).....7secs...(have to roll forward half a turn).....8secs (can't trackstand left foot forward)....9secs(have to put in another half turn)....10secs.....
Now I'm pushing out into the junction with a motor bike on my right hand side. The road is clear and potentially at this point I could concede defeat and roll through the Red, Fate however is one step ahead of me.....
~~~5mins earlier whilst waiting at another Red some old MAMIL rolls through the red and nods off up the road, lights go Green and with a little righteous anger I fly past him with a quick "bit old for RLJing aren't we?"~~~~~~
Said MAMIL is now sat directly behind me so there's no way I'm going to RLJ - the only alternative is to unclip. So I take out my left foot and at that very moment up jumps Fate and turns the light to Amber.
Now she has me at her mercy, I'm performing a wobbly one footed trackstand trying to clip my left back in with a motorbike to my right, half a dozen cyclists (inc. MAMIL) and a queue of traffic behind me.
All that is now required is an almost imperceptibly gentle push to the right and I'm down. Fate delivers the coupe de grace and over I go right foot still clipped in landing in front of the motorbike as the lights go Green.
Fate 1 Butterd2 0
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Comments
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and MAMIL's response was?0 -
oooooo she is a cruel cruel mistress _______________________________________________
www.redlightjump.co.uk
FCN 3 (FCN 4 if I'm carrying clean pants)0 -
Cafewanda wrote:
and MAMIL's response was?
MAMIL just pootled off up the road. Fuelled by pure embarrassment I got up and shot past 5 of the the other riders (inc. MAMIL) and caught the 6th later filtering around Surrey Quays. Nice guy, asked if I was ok apart from pride then said that he could not trackstand at all, I had to concede that that made two of us.0 -
kind of makes me wish I was commuting in today, might have saw it happen Hat + Beard0
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hatbeard wrote:kind of makes me wish I was commuting in today, might have saw it happen
What?! Why not? What's your excuse today?0 -
aaaah thats brightened up my morning, thanks for a well written, funny read. 2011 Orange Five Pro
On-One Pompetamine Alfine Comp0 -
lost_in_thought wrote:hatbeard wrote:kind of makes me wish I was commuting in today, might have saw it happen
What?! Why not? What's your excuse today?
+10 -
we all have to learn 0
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hatbeard wrote:kind of makes me wish I was commuting in today, might have saw it happen
I hope you have a letter from your mummy
MTFURule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
I'm out drinking tonight in farringdon for a mates birthday and I don't want to leave my bike at work over the weekend as i'll want to go for a ride at some point.
plus my mum ate my homework and I've got a letter from my dog excusing me because I forgot my p.e. kit so ner.Hat + Beard0 -
hatbeard wrote:plus my mum ate my homework and I've got a letter from my dog excusing me because I forgot my p.e. kit so ner.
then you just have to cycle in your underpants. 0 -
Butterd2 wrote:lost_in_thought wrote:hatbeard wrote:kind of makes me wish I was commuting in today, might have saw it happen
What?! Why not? What's your excuse today?
+1
surely everybody knows that Friday is massive drink day. I also tend to leave my bike at home for fear of alcohol+cycling related mangling.0 -
hatbeard wrote:I'm out drinking tonight in farringdon for a mates birthday and I don't want to leave my bike at work over the weekend as i'll want to go for a ride at some point.
*high five*0 -
ololol
... waaaait. Fuck. Oh well, I'll take it as it comes.0 -
lost_in_thought wrote:hatbeard wrote:kind of makes me wish I was commuting in today, might have saw it happen
What?! Why not? What's your excuse today?
took his bike on the boat again0 -
mese13 wrote:lost_in_thought wrote:hatbeard wrote:kind of makes me wish I was commuting in today, might have saw it happen
What?! Why not? What's your excuse today?
took his bike on the boat again
is that some kind of disgusting euphemism?
I get the feeling in one fell swoop i've tarnished my reputation on this forum forever
I'm leaving and never coming back and if a new user with the same avatar and writing style pops up with the name beardhat I can assure you it's not me 
Hat + Beard0 -
A lesson in tempting fate. This is why I'm not replying to the How often do you get P's thread!0
