Actually this was much better than karaoke... I had a great dinner at the pub and enjoyed 3 great beers, including one of my favorites, Ommegang Rare Vos... I was looking forward to a nice ride home, so I started up the canal path, when I encountered a veritable mob of cyclists (with blinding lights), heading the opposite way... I knew a few of these lads, and realized they were several miles into their annual 60 mile night ride to Trenton and back... Like a scene out of Doctor Zhivago, when the Bolsheviks force Yuri (on his way to town) to join up with them... I was forced to join the mob.... 40 miles and several hours later I had ridden into Princeton, then down to Trenton and back along the D&R Canal. (I called my son at home from the streets of Trenton and told him "This is Dad... I'm in Trenton, I'm on my bike, I'm OK... tell Mom I'm with a group of bikers, and not to worry, I'll be home very late").... Temps were in the 20s, but there was no wind and skies were clear... PERFECT for night-riding. (And I have to say, I felt so comfortable and relaxed on my Bombadil for the entire ride, even more than most of the other riders, many who were complaining of aches and sore butts from riding their cross bikes, mountain bikes, etc...) At first, a few looked at me like I was nuts, riding this big (and comparatively heavy) bike with baskets and racks, wearing jeans and street shoes... By the end of the night they were asking "WHAT kind of bike is that?"...
Peace, BB On Dec 10, 4:52 pm, JoelMatthews <joelmatth...@mac.com> wrote: > > 3 and I'm singing old "Bread" tunes on the Karaoke > > machine. > > For all our sakes we definitely hope you stick with 2! > > On Dec 10, 3:24 pm, Montclair BobbyB <montclairbob...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > > You give me WAY too much credit, friend... I'm a cheap date. 2 pints > > is my max... 3 and I'm singing old "Bread" tunes on the Karaoke > > machine. But either way, I ALWAYS ride in control, thank you. > > > Peace, > > BB > > > On Dec 10, 4:13 pm, William <tapebu...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > The biggest sacrifice from the big BobbyB will be if he forgoes pint > > > number 11 in the interest of keeping his head about him. We'll see if > > > he can take his convictions that far.... > > > > On Dec 10, 12:38 pm, Montclair BobbyB <montclairbob...@gmail.com> > > > wrote: > > > > > It's a shared responsibility, period... AND a matter of common sense. > > > > We debate this topic ad nauseum within the cycling community in my > > > > home state of NJ, in terms of who has what rights, and who has > > > > accountability... Although I'd much rather be cycling than driving, I > > > > spend far more time as a motorist than as a cyclist, so my take on > > > > this issue: > > > > > AS A CYCLIST I try to maintain the mindset that I'm merely one bad > > > > situation away from being mowed down, so I try to stack the odds in my > > > > favor by any and all means necessary. That includes riding where > > > > there are fewest cars. One of the great things about riding a Riv, I > > > > can take sidewalks, paths, alleyways with rough surface... I don't > > > > have to stick to the car routes. But when that's impractical and I'm > > > > forced to ride with traffic I make sure I can be clearly seen and that > > > > I stay out of the way of motorists, regardless of what I perceive my > > > > rights as a cyclist to be. I don't care about whether I'm right; I > > > > just care about not getting hit. I say ride defensively in every way > > > > possible.... > > > > > AS A MOTORIST I try to maintain the mindset that I'm merely one bad > > > > situation away from hitting another motorist, a cyclist, pedestrian, > > > > deer, etc., so again, it's a matter of stacking the odds in my favor, > > > > like slowing down, and maybe being aware of the stretches of road > > > > where people, deer, and ninja-clad-stealth-night-riders all lurk. It > > > > comes down to this: If you allow yourself to fall into a situation > > > > where someone else's misjudgment, compounded with your own misjudgment > > > > creates conditions that are ripe for an accident, it's time to rethink > > > > your role in that equation. I say drive defensively in every way > > > > possible. > > > > > Tonight I'll be driving home from the office and then riding my bike > > > > to my favorite pub... First, (thanks to this enlightening > > > > conversation) I'll take my time driving home. Then before I hop on my > > > > Riv, I'll trade my jacket with the reflectorized bands for my wife's > > > > blazing DOT vest (she's an EMT)... No such thing as overkill... just > > > > gotta stack those odds... > > > > > Peace, > > > > BB > > > > > On Dec 10, 2:42 pm, newenglandbike <matthiasbe...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > "Drivers.. they're you and me." > > > > > > They're not me... i don't drive. nor do many others. Most who don't, > > > > > can't afford to own a car. That's the real world. > > > > > > On Dec 10, 2:36 pm, Steve Palincsar <palin...@his.com> wrote: > > > > > > > On Fri, 2010-12-10 at 11:20 -0800, newenglandbike wrote: > > > > > > > I'm all for riding with lights and reflective gear, and do it > > > > > > > myself, > > > > > > > but take umbrage to the blame-the-victim attitude that puts the > > > > > > > responsibility for not getting hit by a car on all on the cyclist. > > > > > > > What about pedestrians, should they be all ablaze too? What > > > > > > > about > > > > > > > people who can't afford to keep CatEye in business trying to make > > > > > > > themselves look like a bipedal quasar? > > > > > > > Nice rant. Now back in the real world, if you are virtually > > > > > > invisible > > > > > > in the dark you certainly have yourself to blame if someone fails > > > > > > to see > > > > > > you and runs into you. Responsibility is shared, and if you're > > > > > > wearing > > > > > > nighttime camouflage -- dark clothing, no lighting, no reflectors, > > > > > > dark > > > > > > gloves, black balaclava pulled down over the face -- as so many > > > > > > cyclists > > > > > > and pedestrians seem to do, blame yourself if you aren't seen. > > > > > > Drivers > > > > > > are neither demigods nor demons. They're you and me.- Hide quoted > > > > > > text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
