In a fit of “why not” idiocy this evening, I have changed the header image at Cheese and Beans to a photo taken of my bike handlebars. Notice the motion blur? That’s not an effect. Notice my hands are not on the handlebars? Yes…
I fully expect a big fat/loud complaint from a certain person about my lack of safety precautions (you know… like holding onto the handlebars at all), but I might point out that I was in the middle of a country estate, miles from anybody else on the road.
The worst that could have happened - and almost did on my way home due to a chronic lack of attention - would have been me hitting one of the various speed bumps while not looking, and prostrating myself across the road - with the bike poking uncomfortable bits of metal into even more uncomfortable bits of my body.
Recent readers of the blog might not remember the time I was cycling home late in the winter (dark nights), and managed to crash flat-out into a chain across the road. The brake lever did a pretty good job of sticking into my knee, and may or may not have been a contributing factor to the dislocated kneecap I suffered a few weeks later - it’s almost certainly to blame for the old rope sounds that come from my knees while climbing stairs.
The crash was a pretty good one. I flew through the air with the greatest of ease, and landed (after doing a complete somersault in the dark) on my backpack. I remember getting up in the middle of the road, and making sure my legs still bent the right way. Isn’t it amazing how you do stupid things following an accident… I looked around, and my bike was still upright, five yards behind me, entangled in the chain.
I vaguely remember seeing the chain flash through my headlight as I approached it. My cat like reactions slowed the bike at least 5 mph before the chain snapped tight, and I launched myself.
Stop laughing.