Friday 30 August 2013

Flip, Flop & Fly; Don't Care if I Die

When The Blues Brothers recorded Flip, Flop & Fly for the movie of the same name they probably did not have in mind the fact that this would be used as a catchy headline for a blog on cycling some decades later. See the YouTube link if you have not got a clue what I am talking about!

Cycling home from work towards Merton on Cycle Superhighway 7 (don't get me started, that's another blog!) through Tooting, I was struck by the idiocy of two cyclists (not together) both wearing flip flops as their chosen cycling footwear. One was a bearded guy in his thirties on an old school city bike (he had no helmet on) and the other was a young woman (maybe 28ish) on a hybrid - she did have a helmet on, but there may have been a basket on the front of her bike. I lost track of beardyman somewhere in the rush hour peleton, but the woman went straight to the front of the cycle box at a set of traffic lights, which she is perfectly entitled to do......

The traffic light turned green, she tried to take off like a bat out of hell, which was never going to be a good idea as she was always going to be caught within a few metres by others on speedier mounts including me. But that was not the problem. Suddenly from nowhere a flip flop caught in her chain or the spokes of her back wheel and she flew in the air landing on the road in front of the following group.  Her flip flops literally flew from her feet and landed several yards away. Fortunately she appeared to be not seriously injured and she was helped to her feet by several guys, probably hoping to get her telephone number to check if she was OK later. It could have been worse; if she had been followed by a van, bus or truck, she may have found herself underneath. It does not bear thinking about. I continued on my way thinking that surely anyone riding a bike anywhere other than along the promenade at a seaside resort should really be wearing shoes.

So, I suppose what I am saying is don't call a foul-up in your flip flops, don't cause a balls up in your Birkenstocks, or hell in your Havaianas just put some proper shoes on; it's safer for you and everyone else! You don't have to go the whole hog with roadbike cleats but just some flipping shoes! Flip flops are not compatible with cycling!

What do you think?


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