General Category > Freewheeling

Improper cyclist tries to become an instructor

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hawkeye:

--- Quote from: Sleepy on 22 December, 2009, 10:22:05 pm ---So you did  training in Durham, city?

must have increased the number of cyclist's that day by a power of 10!

P.S. did you ride down the contra-flow cycle route on Redhills Bank?

(or up the other way?)

--- End quote ---

Not the city centre. The training was based at the Footy Club in Belmont Industrial Estate and the outdoor stuff was done in the car park and the residential estate nearby.

Our "Advanced Cycling" was done up and down Alma Place and Dragon Lane. On the way back to base the Brompton rider, juggler and unicycle rider led the pack in the "keeping up with the traffic" exercise. ;D I might have kept up if I hadn't had a bit of wheelspin in the slush. :-[

We were 12 students and 2 or 3 instructors.

We didn't go near Redhills Park. Is it scary ?

SlowCoach:

--- Quote from: hawkeye on 23 December, 2009, 10:43:22 am ---We didn't go near Redhills Park. Is it scary ?

--- End quote ---

Redhills Lane is err... interesting. Going up a rather steep bank (in the direction of the traffic flow) its a question of deciding if you should stand up or stay with your bum on the seat. Stand up and the back wheel spins. Sit down and the front wheel lifts off the ground. Stopping mid way to get off and walk is not always an option. I've seen someone stop and gracefully dismount their bike via a backwards somersault as the front wheel lifted.

Going down (on the contraflow cycle lane) can be equally interesting. There's a left hand bend at the bottom where you'll invariably meet a car on the wrong side of the road who thinks its one way and has put their foot down to take a run at the hill. Check that your brake pads have plenty of wear left in them before you start down the hill. They'll be noticably thinner by the time you reach the bottom.

Oh - and when cycling up hill - don't crowd the car in front. It's not unknown for them to get slower and slower until they first stop, and then start sliding back down towards you.

All in all - its just the road to send NCN 14 down...

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