Friday, September 08, 2006
Of hedges, bicycle lanes and "flying lessons".
(Category: life)
The Vicarage here in MLPK is "blessed" with hedges. You may remember that I am not the world's greatest gardener - primarily becuase I can be rather lazy. I appreciate a good lawn, or a good hedge, but that doesn't help motivate me to do anything to them one iota. Instead I tend to (inwardly) mutter and grumble when doing it - even if I quite enjoy usuing the hedgetrimmer (a sort of wimp's chainsaw!) Still, if I hadn't have been doing the hedge then I wouldn't have had this encouraging experience.
There I was, getting towards the end the task when a schoolgirl, returning home at the end of the day, stopped and talked to me. Hardly earth-shattering stuff you might say. And at one level I would have to agree. The delight was not only that she said hello, but that she greeted me by name and was pefectly open to saying what she had been up to, why she was late, and how she was enjoying her new school, having left one of the two primary schools here at the beginning of the summer. What was so encouraging to me was that this was just a little indication that I might be getting things right. MLPK has no secondary schools for me to visit. The children here have a choice of almost a dozen secondary schools to attend. I've been trying to build bridges so that once the children leave at least they will have positive memories of me, and all that I stand for. I should take heart. Perhaps the effort is sowing seeds after all.
Over the past few days, in a fit of enthusiasm (either for health purposes or to make the most of the good weather) I've got my bicycle out again. The fact that it's been in the shed for the best part of two years with minimal maintenance is by the by! It's a great way to be seen, a good bit of exercise and actually rather enjoyable - and given the size of MLPK it's not much slower than using the car. In fact I've already had enough passing conversations to justify it, which is good. That doesn't mean I'm a particularly sociable cyclist. I ride to get from A to B with the greatest speed and efficiency, and it's that fact which has led me to return to my musings and ponderings about cycle lanes.
Here in MLPK many footpaths along through roads are designated as dual purpose for pedestrians and cyclists. And I have very mixed feelings about them.
[gripe="on"]
At the one level I'm not really convinced of their necessity. The roads here in MLPK are pretty quiet, although I would concede that they get busy at peak times as parents take children to school, or leave to go to work etc. However since it is already an accepted principle that children may ride on the pavements (even if technically illegal), why do you need the cycle lane?
I also have practical, and principled, reservations. On the practical note they are prettily designed in quite a few places. Nice for pedestrians, but a pain for cyclists, as the sinuous curves force you to slow down and the overhanging trees and adjacent bushes force you to duck and weave, with the same effect. Thus, these sections do not really endear themselves the the cycling maniac who is the vicar!
The principled one is slightly different, and doesn't quite apply so much here, although it has been a regular issue in the past. I object to cycle lanes as they deny me of my rights as a road user. If I am driving my car past a lesser sideroad I have the right of way then the traffic joining the road has to give way. However, using the cycle path at the same juction I not only have to look behind me to see whether a car is turning into the side road, but also have to give way to any traffic joining the main road from the sideroad. I have been demoted to the rank of pedestrian, and well, that's just not cricket!
[gripe="off"]
On the funny side though, and it is rather funny, I had an involutary "flying lesson" yesterday too. There was I, whizzing around on two wheels, and frustrated by the courses of paths and cycle tracks, I tried to be clever. A quick bunny hop up the kerb would save about 20 seconds. The prolem of course, lay in me having given minimal attention to the bike. I pumped the tyres, true, and checked the brakes. It was only when I attempted this manoeuver did I realise what I'd forgotten to do. You see my mountain bike has a quick release mechanism on the front wheel... and it chose this moment to demonstrate that it had been accidentally released at some point. It's not much use pulling the front forks up when the wheel decides to stay where it is. I'm told the resulting "flying lesson" was rather amusing when viewed side on! Instead of hopping up the kerb, the bike stopped... sharply. The only ever time I can remember a similar experience was when once as a child I slipped on the way downstainrs and found myself in the curious position of temporary flight. All I can say is that adrenaline is a wonderful thing and the whole experience was rather more one of exhilaration than injury - although if my left arm isn't back to normal by the end of next week I may have to visit the doctor's as I put rather a lot of stress on the muscles and connective tissues on landing.
Has it stopped me cycling? Fat chance!
Don't you just love bikes? ¶ 1:26 pm
The Vicarage here in MLPK is "blessed" with hedges. You may remember that I am not the world's greatest gardener - primarily becuase I can be rather lazy. I appreciate a good lawn, or a good hedge, but that doesn't help motivate me to do anything to them one iota. Instead I tend to (inwardly) mutter and grumble when doing it - even if I quite enjoy usuing the hedgetrimmer (a sort of wimp's chainsaw!) Still, if I hadn't have been doing the hedge then I wouldn't have had this encouraging experience.
There I was, getting towards the end the task when a schoolgirl, returning home at the end of the day, stopped and talked to me. Hardly earth-shattering stuff you might say. And at one level I would have to agree. The delight was not only that she said hello, but that she greeted me by name and was pefectly open to saying what she had been up to, why she was late, and how she was enjoying her new school, having left one of the two primary schools here at the beginning of the summer. What was so encouraging to me was that this was just a little indication that I might be getting things right. MLPK has no secondary schools for me to visit. The children here have a choice of almost a dozen secondary schools to attend. I've been trying to build bridges so that once the children leave at least they will have positive memories of me, and all that I stand for. I should take heart. Perhaps the effort is sowing seeds after all.
Over the past few days, in a fit of enthusiasm (either for health purposes or to make the most of the good weather) I've got my bicycle out again. The fact that it's been in the shed for the best part of two years with minimal maintenance is by the by! It's a great way to be seen, a good bit of exercise and actually rather enjoyable - and given the size of MLPK it's not much slower than using the car. In fact I've already had enough passing conversations to justify it, which is good. That doesn't mean I'm a particularly sociable cyclist. I ride to get from A to B with the greatest speed and efficiency, and it's that fact which has led me to return to my musings and ponderings about cycle lanes.
Here in MLPK many footpaths along through roads are designated as dual purpose for pedestrians and cyclists. And I have very mixed feelings about them.
[gripe="on"]
At the one level I'm not really convinced of their necessity. The roads here in MLPK are pretty quiet, although I would concede that they get busy at peak times as parents take children to school, or leave to go to work etc. However since it is already an accepted principle that children may ride on the pavements (even if technically illegal), why do you need the cycle lane?
I also have practical, and principled, reservations. On the practical note they are prettily designed in quite a few places. Nice for pedestrians, but a pain for cyclists, as the sinuous curves force you to slow down and the overhanging trees and adjacent bushes force you to duck and weave, with the same effect. Thus, these sections do not really endear themselves the the cycling maniac who is the vicar!
The principled one is slightly different, and doesn't quite apply so much here, although it has been a regular issue in the past. I object to cycle lanes as they deny me of my rights as a road user. If I am driving my car past a lesser sideroad I have the right of way then the traffic joining the road has to give way. However, using the cycle path at the same juction I not only have to look behind me to see whether a car is turning into the side road, but also have to give way to any traffic joining the main road from the sideroad. I have been demoted to the rank of pedestrian, and well, that's just not cricket!
[gripe="off"]
On the funny side though, and it is rather funny, I had an involutary "flying lesson" yesterday too. There was I, whizzing around on two wheels, and frustrated by the courses of paths and cycle tracks, I tried to be clever. A quick bunny hop up the kerb would save about 20 seconds. The prolem of course, lay in me having given minimal attention to the bike. I pumped the tyres, true, and checked the brakes. It was only when I attempted this manoeuver did I realise what I'd forgotten to do. You see my mountain bike has a quick release mechanism on the front wheel... and it chose this moment to demonstrate that it had been accidentally released at some point. It's not much use pulling the front forks up when the wheel decides to stay where it is. I'm told the resulting "flying lesson" was rather amusing when viewed side on! Instead of hopping up the kerb, the bike stopped... sharply. The only ever time I can remember a similar experience was when once as a child I slipped on the way downstainrs and found myself in the curious position of temporary flight. All I can say is that adrenaline is a wonderful thing and the whole experience was rather more one of exhilaration than injury - although if my left arm isn't back to normal by the end of next week I may have to visit the doctor's as I put rather a lot of stress on the muscles and connective tissues on landing.
Has it stopped me cycling? Fat chance!
Don't you just love bikes? ¶ 1:26 pm
Comments:
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I hate dual-purpose bike lanes - pedestrians don't believe that bikes have a right to cycle on them and don't give way! The "side-by-side" versions are better, although pedestrians often don't realise that they're walking on the bikes' side.
As for the roads - there's nothing compelling you to use the cycle path if you prefer the road. Although the Govt was proposing to add a clause to the Highway Code that would make bike's automatically liable for accidents if they didn't use "facilities", however bad they were.
pax et bonum
As for the roads - there's nothing compelling you to use the cycle path if you prefer the road. Although the Govt was proposing to add a clause to the Highway Code that would make bike's automatically liable for accidents if they didn't use "facilities", however bad they were.
pax et bonum
# posted by 
: 3:34 pm, September 08, 2006
: 3:34 pm, September 08, 2006
As a folluw up I feel I should add that GLW (no speed freak, she) made a test run down to where she will be helping at Girl's Brigade tomorrow.
It took her 20 minutes on the way, using the joint cycle/pedestrian path (at least partly due to unco-operative pedestrians) and only 6 minutes back, which is actually slightly uphill.
Point made.
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It took her 20 minutes on the way, using the joint cycle/pedestrian path (at least partly due to unco-operative pedestrians) and only 6 minutes back, which is actually slightly uphill.
Point made.
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