Yesterday, Seattle was dark for 15 hours 34 minutes and 37 seconds. Let us not count how much it was light– it is of no use to us. I rode to work in the black, and in the black I rode home.
The darkness is good to me. It shields my filthy chain from those who would judge it. It casts anonymity over the creaking of my bottom bracket. It erases your matching kit to shear black, pretty socks and all. It calls you to simply pedal. And, on the best of days, it gives me the jump on a fellow commuter just asking to be dropped like a pedal wrench in a two-year-old’s hands.
Today will only be one second less dark. Come feel the power of the darkside.
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@frank
I'm hanging my head in shame looking at how clean your bike is! Unreal.
@mcsqueak
Is that the "if it gets any longer it'll be a tandem" stem?
Nice one jim. Thankfully we don't have that length of darkness down here in Sydney. At the moment it's unseasonably cold and wet with a high humidity while the sun's shining thrown into to boot. Four seasons in one day; not sure if I'm in Melbourne at times...
and frank, you have shiny bits
@Frank - what tyres are you running on Bike No. 3? Love the retro tan side walls - Vittorias? Veloflex? Glad to see you pay as much attention to that bike as No. 1 and No. 2... sweet, old skool wheels
@Chris
It's scary stuff indeed
I'll link to the vids when they get into some gnarly stuff - it's basically just insane, bordering on suicidal
Good to respect hardmen from other sports (just can't include golfers and cricketers in that (no matter how hard getting a full toss on the hand may appear to them))
Brutal commute on the south coast of England this morning, by far the worst of the year. Riding into a 35kmh rainy headwind. I started laughing at one point because it was so ridiculous, then I saw that the surfers were in at the marina break so I figured the weather couldn't be too bad for cycling. What this does mean is that I've got a massive tailwind waiting for the dark ride home, should be great.
A small point about the sounds a bike makes when its dark. To me it always sounds noisier than in daylight, I assume its because you aren't using the full range of your sense of sight and so your ears are working harder.
@Dr C
Plenty of hardmen in cricket. I will Open the batting with Rick McCosker - or should I say I will put him in at 10?
Just like to add my congratulations to Mark Cavendish who won BBC's SPOTY 2011 with almost 50% of the vote. Only the third cyclist to have done so, after Tom Simpson and Chris Hoy.
Cav has matured from boy-racer into a true champion. Although his victory speech wasn't his most eloquent, as always he paid a big tribute to all his team mates. Not only that, he saluted everyone who goes out to ride including the humble cycle-commuter. Top man!
@motor city
Bloody surfers, do they never do any work!!
One thing I would do if I could do it all again, is live upwind (prevailing) of my work
My commute is like yours - frigging headwind all the way in, just what you need on a cold morning with a full belly of Crunchy Oats and Golden Graham's (breakfast cereal!)
Much rather take my anger out on the headwind on the way home
@Jim
thanks for the article. I hate riding in the dark, but maybe your roads are better maintained ...
btw "a fellow commuter just asking to be dropped" = it's not a race ...