Speed differentials

I was motoring along at a nice clip today when I caught up with this chap. Catching up with him was unlikely to ever present a problem - a heavy bike with fat tyres - most of these are easy meat for a racer. Although it is terminally embarassing when the odd one riden by a prodigiously fit bastard overtakes you like you are standing still.

This guy was moving at a good rate for one of these truck bikes - about 22km/h. I was slowing down to 32km/h when I caught him, and I decided to brake and tuck in behind him because it was not far to the office at that point, so overtaking would be silly, and I always feel safer riding in a small group - even a group of two. I'd had a bloke hanging on my tail for the last few kms, and he felt the same way as well. He braked and tucked in behind me.

A trio is even better. I guess there will come a day when we say to each other, "You grab his arms, you grab his legs, and I will stuff this phone up the taxi driver's arse" (taxi drivers yammering into phones and not looking where they are going being one of the banes of my life).

Dropping down to Mr Truck's speed was a chore though - it's like doing 110 on the freeway, and having to slow to 70 when stuck behind a lumbering, smoke belching truck overloaded with hay bales. It's hard to remain restrained and to put up with one's journey taking an extra 20 seconds or so.

I shouldn't knock these heavy, overweight bikes though, as I corner like a beer truck.