SpokEasy

Kaleidoscopic Effect

Kaleidoscopic Effect

I’d feel like the kaleidoscopic effect if I went for a ride attired in the jersey shown above! I must say, it’s very colorful.

But when we’re riding, we don’t need to worry about kaleidoscopes. What we’ve got going is the gyroscopic effect.

Ever notice how much harder it is to hold a straight line at a slow pace? Or how much harder steering is? That’s because of the gyroscopic effect.

As a new rider, increasing the pace is scary. It made me feel like I was going out of control; but as I got more practice, I learned that the opposite is true. In an easy gear/high cadence, it’s still hard to ride in a straight line; but I suspect that’s a core-strength issue. 

Today I created no kaleidoscopic effect; my jersey was sky-blue, with black side panels. It was mostly covered by my vest (which is white). Things got a bit more garish when I added my reflective vest. It’s neon yellow, with orange-edged reflective stripes. Even so, I was sporting relatively few colors.

I needed the visibility, too. When I went out, there were areas of light fog; and the sky was mostly overcast. It was still rather early anyway; so the light level was rather low.

Getting my Sunday mileage back into the 20s now; but still a ways to go before I can do 40 again. Especially with a lapiplasty coming up next month!