Bike Week - Who Cycles to work?

[thebigfella]

Do youse all wear helmets?

yes, been knocked off the bike 4 times now. None my fault either 

[Eamonnca1]

If I lived a bit farther from work I'd cycle it. As it is it's only a ten minute ride and I'd rather get a better workout than that, although I suppose I could add a detour to let me work up a bit of sweat. 

I bring the bike in on the car and every Tuesday and Thursday there's a simulated criterium in a nearby parking lot at lunchtime. It's a huge lot, several acres and completely disused. Usually gets a crowd of about 20 or 30 riders.  Some of them are Cat 2, I'm only Cat 4 so my job is to stay tucked in out of the wind and hang in there for as many laps as possible. Stick your nose out into the wind for even a few seconds and you'll blow up very quickly, so it's a great bit of training from the point of view of forcing you to take all the shelter you can get.

Usually results in a three-man breakaway, and one of the leaders shot a bit of video of the final sprint a few weeks ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y2k1rEtFs

[Eamonnca1]

I never ride without a helmet. Feel very expose without it.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Do youse all wear helmets?

Nope, have never worn one, and no doubt if I did begin I'd soon end up head first into a kerb somewhere.

Though, having said that, some big clot of a driver flung, not just opened, but flung his driver door open just as I was passing his car a few weeks back... instinctively swerved to miss it and ended up sprawled on the asphalt, with my side and shoulder taking most of the hit.

Then he came out with "he didn't even hit the car" (did you want me to?), "he'd already gone past the car when I opened the door" (my rear view eyes are in order then (and I was the first of three cyclists, not just one)), and "I got an awful shock too so I did" (but you're not sprawled on the asphalt with a busted side and shoulder!). What a plonker.

[magpie seanie]

Used to cycle a lot when I lived in Dublin. My favourites were the drivers whose indicator never worked when they were turning left. 

[Dubh driocht]

I have a target of 100 days a year and have just about managed it for 5 years. Belfast is comparatively handy with the tow-path as my brother negotiates Dublin traffic most days and to quote ROCK, it's a total mare.Use the helmet most days and have stopped listening to music- too dangerous.
It is a great way to get exercise without too much effort, environmentally friendly, much cheaper and you become so self-righteous