These lights were originally used (and are still used this way, in some parts of the world) to increase your car's visibility when parked in a poorly-lit and/or narrow road. In fact, at one time they were run off a seperate electrical system so that you could leave them on for hours, but still start your car again.
I just deleted a long post about this because I can sum it up in one sentence -- parking lights are for parking, not for driving in rain/sleet/low-light, so if your pre-Neanderthal, single-celled brain can possibly compute that, please turn that switch an extra half-inch and use your headlights from now on. Thankyou.
-Gray
Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
[Bike] Kings Park & Wet Riding
Yesterday, at the suggestion of my good friend "DJ Langy", I hit up King's Park. Lovely afternoon, lovely park, lovely ride. A lovely 40kph limit within the park let's me cruise in a relaxed, lovely fashion -- just the way I like it. This is important for my bike, because it let's me cruise along with the revs at 4 thousand. Below 5 thousand, it almost sounds like a normal bike, which I enjoy. Above 5 thousand, it turns into a whipper-snipper, which I don't enjoy so much.
Enjoyed a nice 'chicken and rocket' sandwich which cost over $7.
Today, his suggestion was to enjoy a "hot and cold" at the San Churros at Hillarys. I'll make a separate post about this place in a minute. But what was interesting was riding to and from there, in the pouring rain. Bear in mind I don't have wet-weather gear yet, so my jeans were soaked through, sneakers all squishy with water, and my gloves were wringing wet.
Rain takes a lot of the fun out of riding. You get cold. Sitting at the lights is annoying since you're steadily getting wetter and colder. And then cruising at 80kph is annoying since the wind feels pretty "arctic" against your wet clothes. You have to watch the road like a hawk, and adjust your position to dodge pools of water, slippery bits of tarmac, and painted arrows and such which basically become like patches of ice. Road paint has no traction when wet. I've known 90 year old ladies with arthritis that had more grip than those arrows.
When stopped, my visor fogs up even on a clear day. In the rain, it's pretty much like a blindfold. So I have to flip it up a bit to clear it. Then the rain hits my glasses, and that's worse.
Bah. Maybe after I buy a better visor and some waterproof gear, it'll be more bearable.
-Gray
Enjoyed a nice 'chicken and rocket' sandwich which cost over $7.
Today, his suggestion was to enjoy a "hot and cold" at the San Churros at Hillarys. I'll make a separate post about this place in a minute. But what was interesting was riding to and from there, in the pouring rain. Bear in mind I don't have wet-weather gear yet, so my jeans were soaked through, sneakers all squishy with water, and my gloves were wringing wet.
Rain takes a lot of the fun out of riding. You get cold. Sitting at the lights is annoying since you're steadily getting wetter and colder. And then cruising at 80kph is annoying since the wind feels pretty "arctic" against your wet clothes. You have to watch the road like a hawk, and adjust your position to dodge pools of water, slippery bits of tarmac, and painted arrows and such which basically become like patches of ice. Road paint has no traction when wet. I've known 90 year old ladies with arthritis that had more grip than those arrows.
When stopped, my visor fogs up even on a clear day. In the rain, it's pretty much like a blindfold. So I have to flip it up a bit to clear it. Then the rain hits my glasses, and that's worse.
Bah. Maybe after I buy a better visor and some waterproof gear, it'll be more bearable.
-Gray
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)