Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Bycycle courier mishap

Yesterday I saw a collision between a cycle courier and a London black
cab. The cab was pulling left into the cycle lane which was rapidly
being filled by an undertaking cycle courier who flailed about,
knocked repeatedly on the cabs side, no doubt to the alarm of the
passengers, and then virtually threw down his bike and in what I can
only describe as a very practiced manouver, unclipped himself, jumped
off his bike while throwing it down and ran a few paces forward.
Neither bike, cyclist or cab seemed harmed. I cannot speak for the
suited and booted inside who will no doubt claim for some form of
shock that will never allow them to travel in anything less than a
bentley in future!

The reason of writing this is not to comment on the gymnastic ability
of the rider, which frankly rates up there with some of the beat pomel
horse dismounts I gave seen, but to comment on his bike. Odd though
this may seem for someone who rides every day in and our of the London
trafic taking thief lives in hand to deliver packages to lawyers and
bankers alike, but not only did the courier not have a helmet, he had
no brakes!

No brakes! On a bike. No wonder you have that disnount down to
perfection mate.

It was a single speed vehicle at both the back and rear and one can
only assume that it was essentially a fixed drive so that you slow by
putting reverse pressure on the pedals. is this even legal? Do bikes
not require at least one break?

What possesses someone to not have breaks on thier bike? Is it some
form of macho vanity? I can hear what my father would say "bloody
stupidity more like", and frankly I must admit this is my feeling at
the moment. But I still don't understand why it is done.

One thing I can say us that if we are short of gymnasts for the GB
team - we could do worse than approach the cycle couriers!

No comments: