OK, maybe it’s time for a bribe. What’s your favourite treat? I’m partial to most things in the bakery myself. Go on, you can because you’re burning kilojoules with every pedal stroke.
Some people seem to be able to eat anything they like without consequence. Others of us need to be aware that some treats are better than others.
Choose an apple or blueberry muffin over chocolate chip, and carrot or banana cake over scones with jam and cream. A date slice is better than a jam donut. If it contains fruit, there’s nutritional value in there. Chunks are also good, and nuts or seeds can mean a biscuit or muffin has extra fibre or protein. As a generalisation, sweet treats that are brown and rough in texture are better, as they might contain wholemeal flour or bran. The same rule applies to sandwiches, rolls or burgers: multi-grain or wholemeal bread is better than white.
Anything deep-fried is immediately out: no chips, wedges, chicken nuggets or dim sims. The quality of pies and pasties varies enormously from café to café. On average, meat pies contain an incredible 21 grams of fat and one third of the recommended daily intake of salt. In contrast, pies and pasties in specialty bakeries are as good as homemade, with fewer additives, less salt and high quality ingredients. If it looks like the kind of pie that would be served in a restaurant with vegetables, it’s probably a good choice; if it looks like the kind of pie that you’d find at the footy, think about ordering something else.
Be sure not to expect to lose weight in a hurry, because it’s rarely possible to see effects inside a month. In fact, regular riding might not affect your weight at all depending on your metabolism. However, you will definitely feel good from exercising your muscles, heart and lungs.
Tip – Claim your space
Ride one metre out from the kerb. You’re more visible that way and you avoid the glass and debris swept to the edge of the road.
Avoid swerving out around parked cars and obstacles. Instead, ride a straight line one metre outside all obstacles along the road so that other road users are clear where you’re going.
This post was for day nine of Ride On‘s June riding challenge.
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In the lower illustration, the rider is still too close to that parked car in my opinion. The dreaded ‘door zone’. Best to ride outside of that, even if it is in the carriageway.
You’re absolutely right: you also have to ride wide enough from parked cars to be outside the width of the open car door. If that requires you to ride in the next lane then you should do that and do it confidently because it is your right.
I would think both cars are too close in the 2nd picture. It is good to have taken that much of the lane in the 1st picture, but that 2nd one worries me.
Before getting to that parked car (or let the overtaking car get so close), I would have taken more of the lane, more on the dotted line or even a little to the right of it. A straight line is fine, but if you need more room, you should make sure you get it. If somebody in the parked car opens their door as you go past, it is going to hurt a lot.
Make sure you keep looking back and make eye contact with the driver to make them pull over more to the double line and give you enough room. Use hand signals if necessary. If the overtaking car is determined to not give you room, I would then slow down so that I don’t end up in that car door/overtaking car pinch point.
Excellent advice Kerry, you’re right on every count . The straight line that you ride should be outside the door zone and should anticipate any squeeze points. Assertively holding your space on the road is the key, as you say.
Homemade protein & oats cookies are the way to go, control what goes in it before you put it in your mouth and you’ll always win.
Winter = low light, so double up on the flashers and helmet light allows you to give up coming traffic the heads up with a polite flick of the light in there direction.
Take the road less traveled and avoid drivers with fogged windscreens if you can help it.
If you think they will pull out and cut you off they probably will.
Focus on time in the saddle rather than km’s on the sad winter rides.