Nocturnal Ride from Thames Festival (12th September 2011)
Rode down using some less major roads from Fiona’s place to the South Bank. Met a couple of friends of Fiona while finding a place to lock our bikes. After a much-delayed but spectacular fireworks display, we rode back gently from about 10:40pm to about 11:50pm.
My parents had bought me some bicycle lights as a present a couple of years ago but I ended up never using them! Fitted them this afternoon which was super easy. They came with the right number of batteries, all screws done up. You just use glorified cable ties to secure them to the frame, with the front one having a knurled wheel to wind it really tight.
The headling is easy visible on the road a couple of metres ahead, even on the dimmest setting. Rear light flashes like a Formula 1 car going down a pit lane. They are secure in their brackets but inclip fairly easily, now that I understand where the push and in which direction.
My bicycle runs so smoothly! Have really gotten used to riding around on the dropped handlebars, although it’s quit hard on the shoulders to have that much of my weight of them. Seems to be counter-acting the hunch so common amongst IT professionals, from squinting at a PC screen all day.
On the way out it rained really hard which was a bracing experience to say the least. We got through it in one piece though; it really felt like and adventure. The sense of freedom and accomplishment is exhilarating! Fiona is very happy to be pedalling again, too.