On 1/3/2020 11:32 PM, Joy Beeson wrote:

I went to a lot of trouble -- or rather, I commissioned my spouse to
go to trouble (I don't do Amazon) -- to obtain a copy of _Cyclecraft:
North American Edition_, yet it's been months and I'm still only on
page 34.

Perhaps reviewing it as I read will move me along.

On page 34, in the section "Toe Clips and Clipless Pedals", we find
the puzzling sentence "If you haven't used toe clips before, try just
the left one first."

First off, it isn't clear whether the "left one" is the clip or the
strap. Second off, rather; since I didn't notice the ambiguity until
I started analyzing the sentence. In isolation, the sentence clearly
states that one is to install only one clip, but the previous sentence
was about toe straps, so I first read it as meaning install both
clips, but only one strap.

I was probably right the first time, but the puzzled remains: why
*left* foot first?

I stand on my left foot, put the right foot on a stationary pedal,
then stand on the right pedal to get enough steerageway to get into
the saddle and get my left foot on the pedal. A clip on the right
pedal is very useful in getting the pedal to the top of the stroke,
and a clip on the left foot is hard to get used to.

Perhaps right-foot-down riders are common enough that he forgot that
there were left-foot downers? Since left-foot-down is better suited
to British roads than American roads, this doesn't seem likely.
Perhaps left-foot-down is more common, and he had a reason for trying
the hard part first?

Perhaps left-foot-down is common enough that he forgot the
right-foot-down riders, then the translater had a senior moment and
changed "right" to "left"?

Whatever, I personally don't need this bit of advice, and I'm not
likely to ever teach anyone.

My first question is, did you get the North American edition of the
book, or did you get the original British version by mistake? I assume
you got the correct one; but that serves as preamble to my main point.

John Franklin wrote for the British market. I already had contact with
him before I bought the British book, and I suggested he do an American
edition. Others agreed. After some hesitation about marketability (since
everyone in America already knows everything about riding a bike!) he
and his publisher decided to try it.

But he asked for help converting his book to "ride on the right" and
explaining a foreign system of road markings, signs, etc. A team of us
spent time combing through his manuscript for necessary changes,
recommended illustrations, and translating English into... um, English.
(British English tends to sound overly formal to American ears.)

Of course, there had to be a lot of changing "left" to "right" and vice
versa. Perhaps the passage you were reading slipped through? I can check
later, when I have time.

About the issue itself: Personally, I think its logical to stand with
the the curb-side foot in the pedal. That's because the road is
typically crowned, so the other side is easier to reach. In fact, some
situations would have your curb side foot in a wet gutter.

But despite that, I do it backwards. It make less difference for me
because I'm almost always at lane center when I stop. And my left leg
just feels stronger for pushing off from a stop.


--
- Frank Krygowski