Antique Bicycle Light

my collection antique bicycle lamp lamps carbide oil candle 1880 - 1920

view in to my collectionroom with antique bicycle lamps of carbide oil and candle from the pre-electric era

Sugden suggests starters stop cycling « On the bummel

by onthebummel

For this article deserves to be noted and scorned publically.

Written by a self confessed evangelical cyclist, it seethes with vitriol and attacks the latest wave of wheeled brethren who dare brave the road using those new marketing steeds of the British bank which are scattered liberally about London’s streets. Under the pretence that this comment piece is concerned with the safety of the new fledgling cyclists of London town, Sugden cries out that novices should remain novices and off Boris’ Bikes. Why? Well the London roads are dangerous and they (the new cyclists) in the naïveté will be unable to cope with the perils that the town will throw at them. “Yes yes gather round my children and pay attention to me,” cries Sugden, “Do as I say…but not as I do.”

Now anyone who recalls their first fumblings upon the metropolis’ highways and byways will recall the fear and perhaps trepidation they felt when braving the city’s arterial routes – and even the quieter backstreets – and surely Ms Sugden should be included in this number, unless like Athena, the Greek goddess for wisdom et alii, she sprung from some great cycling god’s head, armoured with the fully developed capabilities to tackle the mean streets of London town…As we have all learned the only way to overcome such fear is to confront and grow aware of it – not to stand on the pavement and ignore it – and at the same time nor should we grow complacent, for as soon as the cyclist grows overly confident, soon enough the urban jungle will throw up some challenge to shake and inspire a reassessment of our positioning on the road (both metaphorically and  physically). Now Sugden argues that the new bikes are heavy and unwieldy – ill suited for those that are mounting the plastic saddle and taking to the streets, where speed and quick wits are the only difference between life and death…what rot.

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