Figures showing the velocity
of gliding and the momentum
of landscape.
2002
threethreethreethreethreethreethreefourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfivefivefivefive fivefivefivefivefivefivefourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfivefivefivefourfou rfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfivefi vefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivef ivefourfourfourfourfourfourfourfivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefive fivefivefivefivefourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethreethreethreet hreethreefourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethreethreethreethreefourfourfourfourfou rfourfourfourfourfourfivefivefivefivefivefivefourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethr eethreethreethreethreethreethreefourfourfourfourfivefivefivefivefivefivefourfourfou rfourfourthreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreefour fourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethreethreefourfo urfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreeth reethreethreethreethreefourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfivefivefivefivefive fivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivesixsixsixsi xsixsixsixsixsixsixfivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefive fivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefiv efivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfo urfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourf ourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethreethreethreethreetwotwotwo twotwotwotwotwothreethreethreethreethrethreetwotwotwotowtwotwotwotwothreethreethree threethreefourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourf ourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefivefourfour fourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethreethreethreefourf ourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreefourfou rfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethreethreethreethreefourfourfourfourfou rfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreetwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotw otwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwothreethreethreethreethreethreethreefourfourfourfo urfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethreethreethreethreefourfourfourfourfo urfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreetwotwotwotwotwo twotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwothreethreethreethreethreethreethreefourfo urfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreet wotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwothreethre ethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreefourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourf ourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethr eethreethreethreethreethreethreetwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwothreet hreethreefourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthreethreethreethreeth reethreethreethreethreefourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfour fourfourfourthreethreethreethreethreethreefourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourfourthree threethreethreetwotwotwotwothreethreethreethreetwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwothreet hreethreethreetwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwothreethreethreethreethreethreethreethreethree twotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwothreethreethreethreethr eethreethreethreethreetwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwot wotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwotwoone ...................................................................................
Descending along a country road using neither pedals nor brakes, provides a distinctive view of the changing landscape. A sequence of differing speeds and aspects are experienced by the rider as the road varies in both direction and gradient. The speed is determined by the gradient of each particular section of the road that is being passed over, as well as the gradient of the preceding parts:
A stretch of slow road, followed by a slightly faster stretch, will result in a further distance of slow road being covered slightly faster than the first; conversely, a stretch of slow road followed by a slightly slower stretch, will result in another distance of slow road being covered slightly slower than the first.
The landscape adjacent and beyond the road—the immediate topography that the road passes and is part of—determines the speed of passage and the perception of that landscape. In addition, the landscapes that precede alter the experience of the landscapes that follow. To simply free-wheel is a demonstration of geographical momentum—the passive experience of the particular duration of here to there.