Autumnal thoughts….Phil
Been blowing a storm most of the week and we’ve almost sold out of lights in the shop, a sure sign we’re into the dark days of winter. I seem to have been ordering lights at Mosquito since time began but I still struggle to get it right. We either end up with stock room shelves creaking under the weight of unsold light sets in march or we’re scratching around to find stock in November when the things should be selling themselves. The problem is that the reps come round showing their wares for the coming season in July when I still struggle to come to terms with the prospect of darkness descending by 5pm on a winters evening. Judging by the number of ‘bike light phobic’ cyclists I see speeding down the Essex Road of an evening it seems I’m not the only one struggling to come to terms with the drawing in of the days.
The Autumn can be a great time for riding (it can also be a crap time for riding, as it was on my rain sodden commute in to the shop on tuesday) but only when it’s not blowin a gale and precipitating it down. Last sunday was one such glorious autumnal day - not too cold, bit of sun in the sky and leaves on the road. And what better way to spend it than a couple of hours riding with son, Thomas, in the local Surrey Hills. We decided on a hilly one (not a lot of choice on that one around Dorking) and managed to fit in three decent climbs and a stop for hot chocolate in Peaslake.Almost perfect, only slightly spoiled by the altercation with middle aged man in Lexus assaulting me for holding him up at a roundabout as I tried to show Thomas some basic rules of the road. I think we may have been holding him up on his way to the golf club! Great way to behave in front of an 11 year old I thought, thankfully the women in the car behind saw it all and were on to him before he could get violent, to see him slinking away to the cry of ‘you ignorant pig’ almost made it worthwhile.Welcome to the joys of being a cyclist on British roads Thomas!