Thursday 26 February 2009

Other commuters...


Another view of my commute, showing some of the other people cycling at the same time. There are always quite a few, and they cause a bit of a traffic jam on the cycle path sometimes.

I arrive in Groningen in time for 8 am, and leave for home again after 5 pm. It's a 63 km (39 mile) round trip, and on the day of making the video the total time recorded on the bike computer for both directions together was two hours and 8 minutes. I had a headwind in both directions. I dream of the day when I actually have a tailwind in both directions...

A few days later...

Finally I managed an average of over 32 km/h (20 mph) in both directions, on the same day as I made the video with the open bridge. Since then I've done it even quicker again in a borrowed velomobile.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice vid - and good to see some crowded cycle routes.

Now, I know you're an optimist, but you do know that McCracken's First Rule of Cycling is that you never, ever, ever get a tailwind in both directions. Sorry. Nope. Life's just not like that!

Tim Beadle said...

What do you use to film these videos, David? I'd like to do something similar, but specialist helmet cams etc. look quite pricey.

Anonymous said...

Headwind and driving rain coming home today. If your mood's right though, it just makes you feel alive. ;-)

I for one would be in interested in hearing more about how the (dumbstrikingly sensible) bicycle priority at junctions thing came about.

David Hembrow said...

Oh, don't talk to me about headwinds. While it took me 58 minutes to get to work this morning, when the air was nearly still, it took nearly 1:10 to get home due to the headwind. Oh, and it had decided to rain too, though luckily only lightly.

I agree, though. It's basically quite pleasant cycling into the rain. Well, pleasant unless it goes on and on and on and it's horribly cold at the same time.

There are more examples of getting priority here. It's generally the case that you get priority unless crossing a very major road. What do you mean "how did it come about" ? You mean this isn't normal elsewhere ? ;-) It's just an example of thinking about cycling seriously.

David Hembrow said...

Tim, I've been asked a few times how I make my videos. Nothing at all fancy. The camera is always hand held. I've just put a description of the process on my other blog.