Contrasting Cycling Fortunes

Ah, the day started so well - but two very different cycling events to bookmark a busy day at work to end the week.

Alarm goes off at 6.15 and, remarkably given the lateness of the last four nights getting citycycling online, I spring out of bed. I'm meeting a load of cycling buds at Peter's Yard for a morning chinwag before work (including a new member of our band, complete on his Lothian and Borders Police bike, and showing off the weight of the stab vest he has to wear to ride ever day - 2 stone it weighs!), and I want to ride up Arthur's Seat for a DuddingstonSunrise before work, realising along the way that I haven't done a Hubshot for a while.

I've still got one offbeat version (after ridin' on the ceilin' and no hands and minibike and Seafield sunrise) to do. Trust me, it'll be great. Though perhaps not as great as tractorfactoryphotos today (with the assistance of wingpig (who was, as it happens, at the morning Peter's Yard chinwag)).

Anyway. Work. Then home. And Closest I have EVER come to being smeared across the road tonight. Picasso (the car not the painter) moves to overtake on a blind corner with me already doing 30mph. I see a van coming, stick out hand to get overtaker to stop. My mistake. Apparently that means 'speed up and cut straight into the side of the cyclist'. At 30mph. Van coming the other way, horn, brakes hauled. Picasso driver is bloody lucky I didn't catch up with it. Came within a whisker, but they jumped a red light, must have seen me coming.

THEN eejit boy racer takes offence to me pointing out the 20mph zone (I was in a belligerent mood by then). Tells me I should move over. Of course I was overtaking parked cars at this point. With cars parked on the other side too and speed bumps in the road. WHERE should I go?

Was rather fidgety with righteous rage when I got in. Gin has been deployed.

And curry shall also be indulged in as we head to Leith shortly to try out Mithas. It's got a good review from (amongst others) Joanna Blythman, and it's always nice to have a reviewer who in the main seems to have a very similar taste in food, atmosphere and just general 'niceness' as us. So hoping for good things.