I cycled to Pride Park for this event. There were a lot of groups and organisations represented there but the main focus of the day was (for me) the most important. It was eye opening and quite alarming to sit in the drivers seat of the cement wagon and realise how huge are the blind areas (they are not spots as car drivers call them). Although this wagon had extra mirrors beyond the statutory requirement, you still cannot see much along the nearside (or even immediately in front). Two bikes were placed at different positions on the nearside of the wagon and were completely invisible. This vehicle was also fitted with video cameras and it was only when they were switched on that the bikes could be seen in the display above the windscreen.
Now, no matter how much of a hurry I am in or
how late for a meeting or train, I will never be tempted to cut through slow traffic
containing heavy goods vehicles. Better to arrive late!
We
were given the chance to have glimpse inside the velodrome - still very much
under construction. They hope to be largely finished by April 2014 when an Open
Day for the public is promised.
There
was a “street velodrome” set up (cycle on a tight circuit round cones on the
tarmac but turn on near vertical curved ramps at each end) and it was good to
see youngsters in Derby Mercury kit fearlessly giving their all on that circuit.
Local successors to Laura Trott, Victoria Pendleton, Jason Kenny, Chris
Hoy and all the others?
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