The first rule of bike club

You can stop on a hill, if your body refuses to go any further but you can't move - no walking - and you have to get going again as soon you can. Of course, it's a sub-clause of the revered rule 5 but since that is presumed, the bike club rule is really just an addendum to the official rules.

It is still necessary to think about this rule on Arthur's Seat and tonight, as well as the problem of the hill itself, I had the additional problem that getting a little further up than before meant that the heart, lungs and legs packed in at the wee steep rise just before it flattens out a bit and becomes bearable. Getting started after the heart was back at a manageable level was particularly tricky on the one-geared bike, especially the bit where I pulled both feet out of the pedals.

In other news, the accidental bike frame arrived today. A thing of chocolately metallic beauty that will need to be dressed with appropriately specified birthday and Christmas presents. And which might meet my blipping needs tomorrow.

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Photo: outside the Parliament while waiting for Joe and wingpig.