Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => Freewheeling => Topic started by: ABlipInContinuity on 30 August, 2008, 12:16:06 am

Title: Bloody proud I am!
Post by: ABlipInContinuity on 30 August, 2008, 12:16:06 am
..of Maffie.

She will blush when she reads this.

She has gone from being very nervous about cycling, riding on pavements and dodging traffic to riding miles and miles, smoothly and confidently. No longer holding the brake on when descending, but grinning like a loon as she piles on speed. No longer frightened by cars, but riding in the appropriate position with just the right level of assertion. She takes hazards in her stride, reacting swiftly and then brushing them off like they weren't there. She remains calm and composed on her skinny tyred road bike when riding in tight groups of riders wobbling unpredictably in all directions.

She spent most the day on her bike today and most of it in city traffic. On critical mass her composure was amazing, even when there was a collision due to very poorly judged overtake performed by Mr. White Van Man.

Guess you just can't keep a good woman down. The force is strong with this one.
Title: Re: Bloody proud I am!
Post by: Wowbagger on 30 August, 2008, 12:17:25 am
Great stuff! Maffie  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Bloody proud I am!
Post by: Fixedwheelnut on 30 August, 2008, 11:28:27 pm
 ;D :thumbsup:

 Today Manchester, Tomorrow the world,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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,
,
,
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the day after that Telford  ;)
Title: Re: Bloody proud I am!
Post by: Pedaldog. on 31 August, 2008, 09:07:48 pm
Blipsta!!!!! Following on from one of the replies about "Today Manchester...." do you go to the Manchester CM? I keep fancying giving it a go.
Title: Re: Bloody proud I am!
Post by: Maffie on 01 September, 2008, 12:08:56 am
Blipsta!!!!! Following on from one of the replies about "Today Manchester...." do you go to the Manchester CM? I keep fancying giving it a go.

We went to CM on friday was my first time and really enjoyed it. Was about 50 or so people there.
Title: Re: Bloody proud I am!
Post by: Pedaldog. on 01 September, 2008, 08:55:07 pm
If you're going the Mcr one later this month let me know and I'll join you!
Title: Re: Bloody proud I am!
Post by: mattc on 02 September, 2008, 10:41:27 am
Does she have a sister?
Title: Re: Bloody proud I am!
Post by: ABlipInContinuity on 10 September, 2008, 10:34:08 am
Pedaldog,

You are very welcome to join us on the next CM, if indeed we are able to be there.
Drop me an email nearer to the time:

[delta][juliet][underscore][charlie][alpha][delta][delta][echo][november][at][hotmail][dot][com]

.. there was a collision due to very poorly judged overtake performed by Mr. White Van Man.

full story required I think

The mass was cycling along Wilbraham Road in Manchester towards Chorlton at a steady 10 mph. There was a significant number of us, we were filling the lane and spread over quite some distance.

The road, for those that don't know it, is speed restricted to 30 mph, is fairly wide with a hashed section down the centre of it demarked by a broken white line, frequent pedestrian refuges and the occasional set of traffic lights.

At the time, it was later into the evening, we were out of the city centre and traffic levels had dropped.

This van driver decided to overtake us all, which meant remaining on the wrong side of the carriageway facing any oncoming traffic for a considerable distance/length of time. Although the road was straight, at the point the van driver overtook it gave rise to a summit a few hundred yards ahead that was just high enough just to obscure visibility of the road as it continued beyond. In any case, treating the mass as one long slow moving vehicle, there was not a long enough line of sight to commit to an overtaking manoeuvre.

Sure enough, the van driver met oncoming traffic before completing his overtake. Consequently the driver of the oncoming car performed an emergency stop. As a result of which, the driver of the vehicle behind braked hard, but lost traction and slid into the back of the first oncoming car. Meanwhile, the van driver swerved into the mass and stopped dead just in front of a pedestrian refuge, forcing Maffie among others to take swift evasive action.

Fortunately, no one was hurt. The Van driver tried to make his get away, but I chased him down and held him up at the next set of lights. I informed him politely and assertively that he had caused an accident and as such, should go and give his details. Peacefully, other massers helped make the point and the van driver did eventually turn around, however by the time we reached the scene of the accident, all that remained was shattered headlamp glass as those involved had already left the scene.

I have to say, I think the situation was handled calmly and peacefully by the Critical Mass and it reflected very well on them.