7men
Registered user
Last Sunday was'nt a great day for biking some foul spells rolling in from the Bantry coast. Turning for home the spin almost over I let my mind wander. I was brought back to reality on a bend that turned in fast on itself. I pressed the back brake first and in the wet conditions out went the rear wheel sharpish. Just like that I'm in a wobble and off the bike SMACKadoodle!
I'd gotten used to riding bikes with ABS over the last few years, and this bike didn't have ABS. I'd had a few little warnings previously now, the real thing. It was a minor incident. Damage to the bike was negligible, bent footpeg, indicator stalk and crash bars. But I'm sitting at home with my wrist in a cast and time on my hands.
When your out there in the next few weeks riding on a bike its wheels revolving, watching the rev counter readings on a twisty road on a planet that is itself rotating. As we come to the end of another complete revolution of the sun, here's a thought for you!
When a wheel rotates the outside surface of the tire travels faster than the spoke holes on the hub . Or put another way the tangenital velocity decreases as you move to the center. So there's a point in the center where nothing moves, a still point. When your revs read 4k there's a spot at the center of the crank shaft which isn't rotating.
Is there a still point in all this rotating which the mind enters. Is this the place to be? When we go for a spin is this the place we're really going to. If I'd stayed in the still point and not let my mind wander its likely I would'nt be writing this, ABS or no.
With that thought I want to wish you all a safe festive season and although I'd always prefer a full bottle in front of me to a full frontal labotomy, too much of one can lead to the other.
I'd gotten used to riding bikes with ABS over the last few years, and this bike didn't have ABS. I'd had a few little warnings previously now, the real thing. It was a minor incident. Damage to the bike was negligible, bent footpeg, indicator stalk and crash bars. But I'm sitting at home with my wrist in a cast and time on my hands.
When your out there in the next few weeks riding on a bike its wheels revolving, watching the rev counter readings on a twisty road on a planet that is itself rotating. As we come to the end of another complete revolution of the sun, here's a thought for you!
When a wheel rotates the outside surface of the tire travels faster than the spoke holes on the hub . Or put another way the tangenital velocity decreases as you move to the center. So there's a point in the center where nothing moves, a still point. When your revs read 4k there's a spot at the center of the crank shaft which isn't rotating.
Is there a still point in all this rotating which the mind enters. Is this the place to be? When we go for a spin is this the place we're really going to. If I'd stayed in the still point and not let my mind wander its likely I would'nt be writing this, ABS or no.
With that thought I want to wish you all a safe festive season and although I'd always prefer a full bottle in front of me to a full frontal labotomy, too much of one can lead to the other.
