Thursday, 15 October 2009

Two wheels good


Boats are good to see the countryside from, and so are bicycles. My route to and from work takes in a minor country road (no, they're NOT all like that in Norfolk) which has farmland on both sides. Three weeks ago there was a spectacular sunset, and I stopped to take some pictures. The two images here are separated by only 13 seconds but the sky was changing very quickly. (They're both of the same bit of sky, but the second picture is zoomed in to the right.) I can't claim that the colours really changed as much as it appears, the camera settings were obviously different.


I love having my bike with me when boating. It gives so much freedom from having to worry about running out of essential supplies. I just cycle off to the nearest shop and restock. The bike's definitely coming on our forthcoming cruise on the LLangollen and Montgomery canals: towns and villages look quite sparse.


A major problem for cyclists on towpaths, though, is punctures caused by thorns after hedge trimming, and from my Waterscape alerts I see that BW is attending to the hedges on the Oxford and Grand Union canals imminently (if not sooner). Why do towpath hedges always (or so it seems) have to be pesky puncturing hawthorn?

Cycling home from work yesterday evening, on an unlit road after dark, the same road from which the photos were taken, I was overtaken twice - TWICE - by cars which switched from dipped headlights while passing to full beam once past. They must be learning in Norfolk. Nearly always a car will come up from behind on full beam, dip when overtaking me, and stay on dipped headlights. Is it my reflective jacket and my working lights which confuse them?

3 comments:

Dave Winter said...

Hi,
Just to say I enjoy reading your blogs.
To stop punctures you can buy a puncture prevention tape from Halfords that fit between the inner tube and the tyre.I fitted this on both wheels of my bike 3 years ago and have not had a puncture since.
Regards
Dave Winter(Brassiclint)Twitter

Halfie said...

Dave, thanks for that tip. I'll see if I can get some of that tape. Glad you enjoy the blog.

Vallypee said...

Impressive shots Halfie. The colours are amazing. I am beginning to feel I must visit Norfolk. Having left the UK in my early twenties, there are many parts of the country I've never been to and Norfolk is one of them. I'd love to go there as I hear the wildlife is amazing.

Being a daily cyclist myself, I can only agree about what useful things they are...