Just when I think I've got the hang of it, my trike teaches me new lessons.
For the first few days last week I took the trike to work, even when the roads were getting clear I thought there was a high enough chance of ice in the evenings that the trike would be safer/more fun - but it was on a clear dry road the I nearly added to my scar collection.
On my way to work on Tuesday morning I was crossing over Battersea Bridge, overtaking most of the traffic which was nearly stationary. Running down the other side of the bridge I was getting ready to turn right, the traffic was moving now as the lights had changed and as I approached the lights there was a lorry in front of me also turning right. The right turn filter light was green, and as there's a lot of camber on the turn (because the slope of the bridge runs across the road) I got ready for the turn, getting off the saddle and leaning out to the right, quite a lot of leaning out as I was rolling fast down the slope.
The the lorry braked, so I grabbed a handful of brake on the lever nearest me (I was hanging out far enough that that was the only one I could reach).
In retrospect, I understand why that was the wrong action but at the time it seemed better than eating number plate because when I grabbed the brake all of a sudden the distance between my face and the road reduced, alarmingly. The road did rise up as if to smite me. Fortunately letting go of the stoppenlever and turning the bars to the right restored the horizon to its original setting.
I laughed afterwards, but when I got to work I did check that there were no damp patches on the saddle.
Going home was a ball though, I came onto the path along the river at Albert Bridge and from there to Wandsworth Bridge was wet, very slippery, ice. In a straight line I could spin both back wheels in pretty much any gear that I could pedal in, and once I had some forward motion a flick of the bars was enough to get all three wheels sliding. I think I covered most of that distance fishtailing and giggling.
