Route Planning For Safety

After embarrassing myself this morning, I was in no mood for an involuntary dismount again this evening - there’s only so much humiliation a man can take.

When I set out from Walker Riverside, it was already pretty damned cold. As I pulled out from my client’s car park there was a sparkly shimmer on the road - frost was forming and the puddles freezing, even though it was only just two hours after dusk. More worrying, the frost was forming on the road, not just on the footpaths and pavements.

The only way to get home while keeping the rubber side down was to think my way through the problem. I had to pick the busiest routes for the traffic to keep the frost off . . . but quiet enough to be safe for cycling.

While I was thinking about this, I got to a left hand turn . . . and a car came past and across, right in front of my path. If you live in a part of the world where everyone drives on the wrong side of the road, think of it as an attempted right hook.

I mean really. Just what the feck is it this week? I’m usually paranoid, convinced that everyone is out to get me, but I have to say that this week is just taking things too far.

But you’ve just got to shrug it off. It doesn’t really happen that often at all, and to date, no one’s actually hit me. It’s just . . . a little scary.

Anyway, I figured out a route, right through the centre of Wallsend, and then North Shields. Lots of traffic, and lots of side turnings to be wary of. The key is to keep well out of the gutter and on the well driven & salted part of the road.

In short to ride assertively. And. That. I. Did.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 12/11/2008
• Time: 21:53:31
• Total Time: 00:40:00.00
• Calories: 521
• Distance: 9.5 miles
• Average Speed: 14.25 mph

Filed under: Assassination Attempts, Bike Culture, Bike to Work, Cycle, Cycle Infrastructure, Newcastle, Road Safety, Weather, Whitley Bay