Cycling Cultures: Hull

Simon Green of Hull has very kindly and expertly compiled a fascinating list of dialect words used in Hull and given permission for us to use it within our research and publish it on the blog. This document arose in response to an interesting conversation we had a few weeks ago. Rachel and I were stumbling over a number of curious local terms such as tenfoot (back alleyway) and more familiar words that had alternative meanings in Hull such as fussy (to be pleased. eg: ‘she was really fussy about your present’).

I experienced a number of technology fails on the weekend.

I admit I was secretly hoping a GPS track of one of my rides might somehow turn into a really interesting shape, like maybe a giant rabbit. This, however, is not what I had in mind. My GPS tracker made these maps during my last few days in Hull. Although we were together, it seems that we have very different memories of shared events. While I went on lovely long rides across the city and over the bridge, it seems my GPS device just went up and down the same streets a few times.

Sadly, it appears my much prized Go Pro camera is no longer working. I am hoping this is but a temporary blip in what has otherwise been delightful relationship. It stopped working during a ride on Friday and has since frozen during setup. I was kind of expecting this of my handheld snappy camera as it has taken some spectacular spills from the bike, while the Go Pro has been securely strapped to my handlebars. I am hoping it just needs a break as I have been working it pretty hard. It took over 1000 photos during some rides.

On Saturday night after a lovely leisurely ride with Larks and Owls , I joined some of the riders for a drink at a local which turned into a bit of dancing. Happily, I wasn’t alone in being caught on the dance floor in a frock and cycle shoes. While this seemed destined to be a fail, surprisingly I discovered they work pretty well. Cycle shoes on the dance floor – FTW.

Finally, a technology fail of epic proportions. I arrived home late on Saturday night to discover my key would not unlock my front door. I could access the hall but not my actual flat. The lock which until this point (over a month I have spent in Hull) had exhibited no such curmudgeonly tendencies suddenly, completely and inexplicably barred access to my shower, bed, change of clothes, supper…..etc. So, I slept in the hall. Well, I kind of slept in the hall. As a cyclist I feel fairly well prepared for many things – from temperamental weather to bike problems to anything that requires a few tools or perhaps the creative use of an inner tube or cable tie. But, sadly these did little for a jammed lock or impromptu bedding. The motion sensor hall light added a particularly special touch to this spontaneous camping experience.

I went out again with the Beech Holme Tandem Club on Wednesday night (23.6.10). This time there were five tandems. We cycled from Beverley Road to North Newbald, via Skidby and Little Weighton. It was about a 30mile ride and we stopped at The Tiger Inn for refreshments. Topographically it was quite different to anything I had done with them before. This time there were hills. Tackling hills on a tandem is technically and physically hard work. Everyone was putting in a lot of effort. It was a gorgeous summer evening which meant that it was pretty warm work as well. And oh my, do they go fast on the downhills.

I chose to ride my road bike this week as I’ve found that when I pilot a tandem, I can think of nothing but piloting the tandem. It makes me completely re-think how I cycle, which is terrific for fieldnotes. But, this time I wanted to capture the broader experience of cycling with the group. As a single rider I could get closer to tandems, talk more with riders and think about the landscape we were traversing – all of which is more than possible for an experienced front rider but not me (yet).

Photos were captured every 5 seconds using a Go Pro camera attached to my handlebars. I used over 1000 images in this time-lapse sequence.

Music is “Ambient-M (2003)” by Antony Raijekov. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5 Bulgaria License.

Beverley Road to North Newbald with the Tandem Club from Kat Jungnickel on Vimeo .

I take accidental portraits of myself everyday. I fix a GoPro wide angle camera to my handlebars and set it to take photos every 2, 5, 10 or 30 seconds depending on what kind of ride I am doing and how I intend to use the footage. Because I often check to make sure it is working, I end up with photos of me.

This is one of the more descriptive ones – I was in Pearson Park, near the cafe waiting on a interviewee who had gone to the toilets.

They mostly look like this:

This join-up image is from May, when Rachel and I spent our first week in Hull. We had a quick break between interviews and meetings, so we grabbed some lunch and cycled into Pearson Park. We leant our bikes against a tree and sat on the grass in the sun. I’m hoping that lovely summery weather returns. It’s been a much colder and rainier June than I expected.