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Categories: all aviation bicycle gadgets misc motorcycle theater Tue, 06 May 2008I've got the race report sort of finished. All the text is done, but I haven't yet uploaded the few pictures I have. I'll be updating it in the next few days. If you'd like the pictureless version: Race-day report, May 3rd and 4th 2008 Check back, and I should have pictures inserted by the end of the week. Posted at 22:30 permanent link category: /motorcycle I left work today somewhat annoyed: a server for which I'm responsible was being finicky, and had attracted the attention of some folks much higher up in the organization. Not really the kind of attention you want. I got on the bike and headed out, taking my usual route. I ride up under the Aurora bridge, then jog over to Linden. On about 44th, I jog over to Fremont Ave, and then follow the main road around the south end of the Zoo. Lately, I've been short-circuiting the light at 50th and Fremont by taking a left at 49th, and popping out on 50th a few blocks up. It's a particularly good path when there are no cars waiting at the light -- the bike doesn't trip the light, so I end up waiting forever. Only this time, I was in a pack of bikes, and the light timing was about right, so I went through the light (which turned green just as I pulled up to the last car in line), and went straight from Fremont to 50th. I rode a couple of blocks, when my eye was caught by an odd sight: someone was lying on the grass on the far side of the street. In fact, it was a cyclist, and their bike was lying on its side, in the middle of a parking spot. That's not right! I pulled over as she was struggling to sit up and asked if she was alright. She didn't really answer, and I wasn't sure she'd understood what I said. I had a moment of curiosity: did she not speak English? Had she just fallen off her bike? Concussion? So I quickly laid down my bike on the grass and knelt in front of her. "Are you ok?" I was trying to remember any of the first aid I learned so very long ago. She clearly heard me speaking, but didn't say anything. I asked again -- rendering first aid to someone when they don't need it is embarrassing. She finally nodded, and said, "I'm ok." By this time, a small crowd had gathered -- I was amazed at how many people were suddenly on this small, infrequently used sidewalk. She sat further up, and as one of the women crouched down and started asking her questions, I went over and grabbed the fallen bicycle, getting it off the road. The story gradually unfolded: our mystery cyclist had epilepsy, and had felt the onset of a seizure. "I have an aura," she explained, "in my hand." I'm not entirely sure what that meant, but aside from some apparent confusion, she seemed ok. She'd apparently felt the seizure coming on, and had quickly gotten off the bike and onto the grass. I'd found her in a classic chalk-outline pose: on her back with both legs bent in one direction, one arm up near her face. The cyclist instructed the woman who'd been talking to her that her phone was in the top of her saddlebag. The woman pulled it out and handed it over. The cyclist called a friend, still sounding dazed, and apparently got voicemail, explaining that she was going to leave her bike at the friend's house. At this point, the helpful woman offered to drive the cyclist home, which offer was accepted. I helped load the bike into the woman's car, and the cyclist slowly got into the passenger seat. They drove off, and I set off on my way again. I'm not sure what lesson I take away from this, exactly. It was thrilling, in a way, to see the number of people who stopped to see if they could help. One bystander asked if we (the cyclist and I) were together, and when I said we weren't offered that she lived in the building right there, giving her apartment number. "Let me know if you need anything," she said, and walked on. A man had pulled his car over, and offered a ride, moving on when it became apparent that the situation was in hand. The helpful woman who eventually drove the cyclist off was obviously happy to be helping. It was pleasing to see that kind of response (although a cynical part of my brain was wondering if it would have attracted quite the same crowd if the cyclist had been an overweight 60 year old man instead of an attractive mid-20s woman). Of course, it also prompted me to think that I don't possibly have the kind of currency in first aid that I should. Fortunately, that's a thing I can correct pretty easily. I think our collective response was right, though -- the cyclist, although dazed, didn't obviously require assistance beyond a ride back to her house. She was slowly coming back to herself, and an epileptic seizure is one of those things that happens every day all over the world. I did find myself feeling a trifle smug at the other cyclists I encountered as I rode the rest of the way home. "I helped a fallen cyclist today. What did you do?" I didn't say it out loud, though. It's not like everyone comes across a body lying in the grass next to a bicycle on its side. You have to take these opportunities when you come across them. It did occur to me that of the four cyclists who passed by that spot within seconds of each other, I was the only one who stopped. Ok... maybe a little bit smug. It was also a nice way to be reminded that, although work is important, and what happens there has meaning, it's not the end of the world. Finicky servers take a far second place to real people. Posted at 18:52 permanent link category: /bicycle The results for this last weekend have been posted over at the WMRRA site. Somehow, I came in 17th out of 22, despite having failed to finish the first heat, and coming in either dead last or next-to-last in the second heat. The scoring system is causing a lot of unhappy discussion among the Vintage 160 folks -- it seems to be done almost at random. Transponders don't seem to work (for instance, mine tested fine at the little tester at Registration, but I didn't get a single ping on the track). Lots of other folks from Vintage were having transponder problems too. Anyway, I've got a race day report brewing, and I'll post it here when it's finished. The extremely short summary: I worked corners Saturday and didn't die (although I almost froze after it started raining). We were late on Sunday, and I couldn't do the practice due to a leaking petcock (fuel all over the engine, potential fireball territory). I started the first race, but had to exit early when my brake pedal decided to depart the bike. I finished the second race, but the bike seemed to be a little down on power. My overall impression from Sunday was, "Why am I doing this again?" It wasn't any fun. I was very frustrated at the bike -- when my skill is lacking, that's fine. When the bike is so broken that I can't even get to the point of checking my skill, that's annoying as hell. I'm not giving up yet, but I can't really say I'm having a good time yet, either. Posted at 09:57 permanent link category: /motorcycle Categories: all aviation gadgets misc motorcycle theater Written by Ian Johnston. Software is Blosxom. Questions? Please mail me at reaper at obairlann dot net. |