A blog about skating and cycling, or vice versa

New Year's Revolutions#

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:11:53 +0000

It's not a New Year's Resolution to blog more often, though it is something I should do anyway. Miscellaneous stuff follows

Critical Mass vs the Fuzz, from the LFNS sekrit marshals forum:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldjudgmt/jd081126/metro-2.htm :
We almost get a mention:
Quote:
29. The question for decision in this appeal arises out of section 11 of the Public Order Act 1986, which has been set out by my noble and learned friend, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers. The section is loosely modelled on section 62 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. In broad outline, it requires the police to be given six days' notice (subsections (4)-(6)) of any proposal to hold a "public procession" with one of the intentions set out in subsection (1). It is significant that the requirement is confined to these kinds of procession. The limitation means that if anyone proposed to hold a mass cycle ride simply for the joy of cycling, or a mass roller skate trip through the city streets, again simply out of sheer joie de vivre, he would not need to give notice in terms of section 11(1). Since the possible interference with other traffic would be exactly the same, whatever the motivation for the ride, in my view the essential purpose of section 11(1) is not so much to warn the police of possible interference with traffic as to warn them of a procession whose aim might provoke opposition and so give rise to public order problems. This is, of course, consistent with the provision being included in a Public Order Act.

I'm pleased for them that they succeeded, and of course also from an LFNS point of view I'm happy that there are people out there less regulated than we are - as long as they're still around it's less likely the killjoys will start trying to spoil our fun as well.

Had my Android phone for almost two months ago now, and still mostly happy with it.

I am slightly in mourning for the - perhaps inevitable - demise of Another Cycling Forum - whatever its faults, it at one time played host to some of the best cycling writing around and in that respect is without adequate replacement (no, if you're about to recommend yacf, don't bother).

In principle this means I get more work done. In practice I think I am probably compensating with more time spent on lesser forums and on Facebook instead.

The November FNRttC - wow, months ago - was brisker than usual and good fun as always. At least until I stopped on the climb into Brighton after passing the A27 to check my loose cleat, and found it

was actually a loose LH crank. Tightened it and finished the ride slightly more cautiously, but it repeatedly reloosened itself the next time I went out, so, new crankset time.

My first foray into exotic bottom bracket technology, occasioned mostly by learning that every Campag chainset above the bottom-end Xenon now comes with Ultra Torque instead of Ye Olde Square Taper. Haven't tried it in earnest yet, though it did survive riding to the park on Saturday: tonight is time to bung it on the trainer and see if it stands up to some more balls-out riding.

Which brings us on neatly to training, and the reluctant admission that I've done absolutely zip on the "getting fit" front for the past couple of months. On the other hand, the last time I was fit in December (2006) I'd pretty much lost interest in all forms of skating by April, so perhaps a later start is a good one. Have been spending some time tarting instead: I can now transition forwards-backwards on both sides with non-zero (though still small) amounts of style and grace, and the unexpected consequence is that a left-foot-forward scissor also almost feels natural.

OK, that's enough for now. Future entries may be more frequent and less long.