Aug 2, 2007

Take what no else wants

Often, when you read the official biographies, unofficial exposes, and/or autobiographies of famous people, the thing that stands out is the same. They had the vision to adopt/propose/do something that others wouldn't. In there lies a lesson in gaining time and speed in traffic. Oh yes, I can see that expression on your face and hear the wet slap sound of your palm striking your forehead... I'm like that only.

No, seriously. There's a lesson to be learnt. If you can figure out a way to use what no else wants – like say the gym early on Sunday morning – you suddenly gain space and time. No more waiting for a queue to the treadmill... you get the picture, right? It's the reason why in the days of CLI dial-up connections, 0200 to 0300 was considered the golden hour.

In traffic terms, especially in the rains, it means riding where no one else will. Like the potholed stretches, or submerged stretches where you know the road intimately. Or even through some muck that no one else wants splattered on themselves.

When traffic backs up trying to avoid a two lane wide, 200 metre long stretch of broken road, you will find yourself going faster than them no matter how slowly you take the stretch. Me? I stand on the pegs and ensure that I accelerate through the stretch. Acceleration keeps the front fork travel available and the bump-steering to the minimum, standing on the pegs reduces the bodily shock. And usually, if you go fast enough, you'll skim over the surface and not feel a thing.

Be careful though. When you get good at this, you will be travelling way, way faster than the slower crawling people – who won't be expecting you to fly through.

Also, if a auto rickshaw is in the broken stretch, be double, extra careful. Once inside, they seem to totally forget they have mirrors and are still in the middle of traffic. The idiots seem to totally focus on keeping their wheels out of holes, no matter how dire a direction change that means.

6 comments:

Hrishi said...

I have forgotten what it is to ride on flat roads. I commute from Gandhinagar to Hiranandani, and have to take the exteme left both ways.

Standing on the pegs and speeding is exactly what i do. The reason for me is to protect my bad back. :)

Anonymous said...

hey, i still use CLI dial-up ! and the golden hour is now longer ... 2230-0630.

some issues with the bloody cable guy means no more broadband for now.

Anonymous said...

Lovely picture!

And yeah, great write-up as usual :).

sanket kambli said...

standing on foot-pegs....etc...great yaar....you always seem to get stuff...which most bikers can relate to...and yes the rick-guys are damn unpredictable....they try to squeeze into space of two wheelers knowing that their rick wont go in..only in the hope to get that space before anybody else....I always give them honk or two to make them aware of my presence..while at night a pass light is sufficient...for the idea of standing on foot pegs..i took a que from my cycling experience..and it worked..and found out from you that its common pratice!!!

Anonymous said...

' I'm like that only '. Nobody's asking you to change! Stay the way you are. Blog. Stuff us with gyaan! Awesome read.

Unknown said...

absolutely true about the autowallahs!!! just couldn't stop laughing.