As it’s only been one day, I hesitate to claim the “GEOMETRIC INCREASE IN PEDALING ABILITY” that I’ve heard from some. That said, climbing feels a lot easier. I definitely notice the ability to pull up on the pedals when I’m out over the handlebars. Also the whole notion of “pedaling circles” seems to make more sense with clipless pedals, although that may just be wishful thinking on my part.

I gather that making proper use of them isn’t entirely straightforward, and I suspect that having my feet firmly attached may point out some flaws in the way I have my bike set up, and I’m pretty sure that I want to move the cleats back a bit on the shoes. What I need is to ride with Stephanie more, as she hangs out with the spinning/roadie crowd and knows much more about the physical mechanics of bike riding than I do.

For me, the cars don’t seem to generate so much heat. It’s more the absence of apparent wind due to standing still that really kills me. My glasses fog up ~15 seconds after I stop, cars or not.

I heard “The IT Crowd” is also coming to the US, and I’m sort of scared.

Sure, Clarkson’s an arse, and Capt. Slow can prattle on a bit. But it’s those two with the ever loveable Hamster that makes the show so funny. Have you ever watched older seasons of Top Gear? I mean the ones from five or ten years back? They’re just not so funny.

In short, I hope this isn’t going to be like Fifth Gear, or even worse…. I guess we’ll just have to see.

Also, the REAL Top Gear should be back on soon. Just an fyi…

That said: yeah, do it with him a few times and he’ll almost certainly be fine to do it on his own afterwards.

I managed to wipe out spectacularly a couple of times, but never dangerously. We adults sometimes forget how competent younglings actually are… The Kid will undoubtedly be fine.

Warrior: Wolverine

Smartypants: Mr Fantastic

Hottie: Lara Croft

Comic Relief: Johnny Storm

Other tricks I’ve learned: get a really strong rear wheel. LA streets suck, and neither of us is at the optimal 160 lbs. riding weight that mass produced bikes seem barely able to support. Gloves and crash-safe sunglasses are good as well. I haven’t got a rear view mirror yet, but it is clear that doing so would be a good idea (even if for nothing more than piece of mind). Oh, and don’t kid yourself: invest in a pair (or better still, multiple pairs) of bicycle shorts. Yes you’ll look stupid in them, but you can wear them under your pants to minimize embarassment. Hydration is key, but it turns out you don’t need nearly as much as you think. A glass of water 15 minutes before you go and the occassional swig at a red light are about all you need even in hot weather. Finally: gearing down is key. My brother told me 90rpm is optimal for pedaling, and I told him he was crazy… until I got my breathing rhythm matched with it and suddenly everything just became easier.

That said, his super-crafty aunt has found a great way to encourage him to ride. She’s said that if he wants to come out to London to visit this summer, he’ll need to be ready to ride all around town. Much more motivating than riding to school.