Sebastian Abbott - Cycling

I cycled

Somehow, I managed a 50 km cycle today, over two stints: to work, and back. I definitely struggle on the ride back, after a normal day at work, and (whilst probably only marginally) back upstream along the Neckar.

Still, Ladenburg is always a welcome sight: my photo was rubbish in the end, though, since I moved the phone whilst it was still taking the night-time shot. Kind of arty, but pointlessly so. The cloud layer over the illuminated water tower could almost (well, not at all) have been an aurora.

→ 9:40 PM, Nov 11

Most effective cycling

Great to see the Global Cycling Network (GCN) - predominantly a sports bike channel in the past - really taking on motonormativity on their YouTube channel

GCN would really have been John Forester’s channel, his tribe - experts in lycra on fast bikes, as The War On Cars pointed out recently - but they’re taking a broader stance on bike transport now, and it’s good!

→ 10:30 PM, Jul 27

Looking sideways

Travel often doesn’t happen quickly enough, even if you’re travelling fast. Often it’s a case of losing perspective, losing the perception of speed. We all know it from driving on the Autobahn - our brains trick us into feeling that overtaking lots of cars slowly in a traffic jam is swifter or more effective than cruising along at the same 140 kmh speed. Similarly, sitting in a train with others in a carriage is torture for me - there is no feeling of progress.

I had this feeling recently when cycling home from work one pleasant evening (weather-wise, at least: work-wise it had been a crappy day) and suddenly felt that I wasn’t proceeding fast enough. It was creating a tension: I wanted to be on my bike, pedalling away my stresses from work - yet, I wanted to be at home straight away, knowing that I would then be in the vortex of kiddy dinner times and puttings to bed.

Then I looked sideways. My shadow was fair flying over the fields between Eppelheim and Grenzhof. Looking sideways radically changed my perspective. I was no longer monitoring the imperceptible angle and distance changes of the road ahead, but seeing the turned soil and the remaining maize stalks sweep my complete field of view in sub-second times. I was experiencing speed again (yes, I wish to reclaim this word) - and it was refreshing.

→ 6:07 PM, May 11

Daydreaming and winning

Source: Getty Images via BBC

I'm certainly succumbing to the elation surrounding Bradley Wiggins' current lead in the Tour de France; he's looking like becoming a great winner as part of an amazing team. What sums it up for me is the photo of him slipping into a winning reverie as his colleague Chris Froome drives them both up to the mountaintop finish at Peyragude. Such daydreaming can be fatal to a sportsman's chances, but in this case, Froome woke him up again soon enough that he didn't drift off the side of a mountain or simply let the competition drift past him. Nothing is certain until it's over - but it's looking good so far!

Allez Wiggo!

→ 11:43 AM, Jul 20

The Long Way Round

My cycle to work takes only eight to ten minutes. Usually I need it to be that short in order to get to work at a reasonable hour after the long pre-work rituals of getting everybody's breakfast ready, getting myself into some vague semblance of work-like shape and taking the eldest to Kindergarten.

But sometimes the commute - to or from work - is simply too quick. Sometimes I feel the need for some sport, for some time to myself between family and colleagues, and for some rather nice scenery. In those cases I ride the long way round.

Instead of 3 km I ride 13 km, along the Neckar to Edingen, then up into Grenzhof and through the wheat and barley fields to... Well, Eppelheim can't be described as being the nicest place on the planet, but it's still not work, and that's the main thing.

I noticed that the scenery is nicely varied, and riding it often enough makes me realise how the seasons affect the scenery. So I now try to take a camera with me, stop riding and take some photos as I go. Here are a few, in no particular order or camera (some noticeable mobile phone shots in there, too!).

→ 10:21 PM, Mar 4