Road Kills
Len Zedel
I once had a bird (Robin) fly into my front wheel. It was a shocking
experience because I ended up covered with feathers and blood. (The
Robin was bisected!)
I have come close to hitting rabbits but fortunately never connected.
Out here in Newfoundland there is the finite chance of coming across
a moose but this has not happened to me yet.
Anyway, to get to the point; I'd be interested to hear what other cyclists
have collided with (other than people and automobiles).
Len.
Drew W. Saunders
ze...@weejordy.physics.mun.ca (Len Zedel) writes:
>
> I once had a bird (Robin) fly into my front wheel....
>
> Anyway, to get to the point; I'd be interested to hear what other cyclists
>have collided with (other than people and automobiles).
A ground squirrel. These brainless little critters are to be found
in any field in Northern California (and probably throughout the
West as well). Squirrels may be incredibly stupid, but at least
they have the brains to be able to jump around in trees, while
ground squirrels don't.
One fine day while biking to the local shopping center on a path
that goes through a field with tall grass one of the little
brainless rodents ran out. It saw my front wheel and stopped. I
decided to accelerate while its brain was still temporarily
overloaded by, but it saw the gap after my front wheel and made a
run for it. Needless to say I felt my rear wheel go over a rather
soft bump. I looked back and didn't see it, presumably its spine
was snapped and it died on the side of the path. I wasn't too
thrilled, kinda gross to run over something, even if it is a really
dumb rodent that would someday be hawk-chow anyway.
Drew
Jeffq
I've come close to sawing through many a BIG BIG snake going up and down
the paved bike trail at UCSC. I always make a point of gently nudging the
reptilian speed bump off of the bike trail.
I had another encounter with something much worse than a snake. I was riding
a really leafy, slippery trail. I turned to ask my bike_buddy (behind me)
a question, and turned around just in time to see a spider the size of
my fist suspended from a web about 3 inches from my face. There wasn't
time to limbo the spider, so I smacked into it and its web at full speed,
locked the wheels, flailed about for a few seconds, and fell to the ground.
I did the Willie (a musicless dance common amongst people who have just
touched an icky bug or similar grossness) for about 2 minutes, making
sure no web material was on me. I set my bike back up and my bike_buddy
told me I had some web in my ghoti. I reached up and groped at it, and
my hand came back with a spider on it. Needless to say, my elbow extended
my hand away from my face at a rate approching light speed. I saw the
little beast crawl away under a leaf. I decided to let bike_buddy go in
front for the remainder of the trip.
-jq
--
,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,
,;';, cae...@cats.ucsc.edu Jeff Ishaq .,;';,
,;';, I am a meatball: Bite me. Guitar withdrawal! .,;';,
,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,.,;';,
andy
>ze...@weejordy.physics.mun.ca (Len Zedel) writes:
>>
>> Anyway, to get to the point; I'd be interested to hear what other cyclists
>>have collided with (other than people and automobiles).
I hit my first animal a week ago, it was a prarie dog....
i love these little guys -- the way thre whole colony communicates,
they seem to shout "real fast biker coming" right when I come into
view, and they all scurry away from the river/stream/canal on one side
of the trail I ride to their cumfy holes on the other side....
anyway, most of 'em usually make it about 4-5' in front of my front
wheel...but this one time, this real fat one dodged out....i braked
and swerved to avoid him as hitting him almost became inevitable...at
that point, i dunno if i frighteneed him by braking And swerving or
what, but, before i finished braking he dodged right into the path of
my rear wheel....i only hit his right front leg....
i heard this little crunch and felt this soft *thing* under the wheel,
and i couldn't believe i hit him..i've never hit *anything* driving in
my car, nor had i hit anything on my bike before....
anyway, i looked back and saw him almost *jump* into a whole, he was
obviously hurt and freaked out....call me sentimental, but it hurt me
too - that colony is on my daily path on the Highline Canal trail in
urban Colorado, and each time I pass I slow down, and look for him -
he was the fastest prarie dog i'd ever seen, i think i would recognize
him...
if there wasn't the possibility of disease, espeially that "Mystery
Illness" or whatever, I would bring him home with me and take him to
the vet... it really hurt that i *hurt* him, and he's probably still
out there hurting...
=.(
--
_______._.__._.... . . . . . . ..._.__.____.... . .andy.
Aaron Moody
humurous. wrecked bike, wrecked body. rest of day in
hot tub. this while careening down tunnel road in s.b.
on my way to high school ... way back when dogs and humans
were just freshly evolved and helmets were still made out
of old coconut shells.
over a fair sized gopher snake on angostura pass
road also. about a 4 footer, probably 2 to 2.5 inch
diameter at contact point. went back to check and
he/she/it (how do you tell with snakes) seemed fine.
curled up in astonished outrage and then whipped off
to the road's edge. encountered a couple rattler's
in these areas but never rolled over one.
still hoping for a cat.
Joe Gorberg
Not really a road kill, but I was biking along a deserted 2 lane road when I
attacked by a two foot tumble weed. It got stuck in my rear wheel and I had
to stop and untangle it from my spokes and chain.
Joe
JoJo was a man...
[snip!]
: I have come close to hitting rabbits but fortunately never connected.
: Out here in Newfoundland there is the finite chance of coming across
: a moose but this has not happened to me yet.
: Anyway, to get to the point; I'd be interested to hear what other cyclists
: have collided with (other than people and automobiles).
I was riding with some friends outside of Durango a few years ago
(when I lived there). We had gone up Junction Creek Road, and were coming
home. It was that stage of twilight where it was becoming hard to see.
I looked at my computer. It read 40 MPH. (Junction Creek Road is
a pretty good hill). I turned my head to tell my friends how fast we were
going (40 is fast for me on a MTB, even on pavement). When I looked in
front of me again, there was a deer on the road, maybe 100 feet in front of
me. I started screaming. The deer jumped out of the way when I was about
20 feet away. I guess I didn't really _hit_ anything. Lucky me.
-Joe
jsk...@slate.mines.colorado.edu
--
These opinions belong to me. Any re-broadcast or re-transmission of these
opinions without the express written consent of the NJF (National Joe
foundation) is a violation of applicable copyright laws.
R. Wagner
> Anyway, to get to the point; I'd be interested to hear what other cyclists
>have collided with (other than people and automobiles).
>Len.
Do trees count? I've met many of them (some quite intimately) while MTBing.
Anyway, this is a near miss story. I was riding with a buddy in an old semi-
reclaimed strip pit and we had just come off some gnarly type singletrack
and were motoring down a dirt road at about warp 3. My buddy was in front
and I was about a micron behind. We got to "the hill" which is a dirt road
descent that gets up to about 30 mph (that's movin' for a MTB on dirt) and
then curves drastically right. Just as we got to the curve Chris yelled
something unintelligible (sp?) and I looked over his head. There in front
of us was a huge, monstrous, Godzilla sized deer. It was about an 8 point
buck and easily outweighed either of us. It just kind of jumped out
glanced at us and strolled away with a completely serene expression on it's
deer-face about 10 feet in front of us. Needless to say we locked up, yelled,
screamed, and all of those other things you're supposed to do in an accident.
It took a while for Chris' heart to start up again and even longer to get
my eyeballs back in after the rapid decelleration. I could just see Chris
and I gutted and strapped to the back of a deer while it takes us home for
dinner.
Raydude.
Clinton L. Hartner
>Len.
With all the rain we've had here in Nebraska, we have a bumper crop
of wee little frogs. When the sun comes out, they come onto the roads
(I don't know why, they just do, OK?) I seem to find one about every
half mile or so (there must be hundreds of these things to dodge -
overwhelms my avoidance capability). Make a funny snapping sound when
you hit 'em.
These are definitely less dangerous than the sugar beets I used to
have to dodge as they came bouncing off the trucks in Germany. Imagine
a 25 pound beet the size of your head unpredictably bounding toward
you at 35 mph. Yikes! They all missed me :-)
Clint
John Ozcomert
Chicago. Keeping your speed up on the city streets is a good idea as the
taxicabs like nothing better than to try to run you off the road. Anyway,
I was headed for the lakefront bikepath at about 6 a.m. one day, going
east on Roosevelt, and was making a sweeping left turn onto Michigan
Avenue. I noticed there was a group of pigeons gathered on the traffic
island at the intersection, and wouldn't you know, they took flight as I
reached their location. One of them evidentally flew straight into my
rear wheel. I had a lot of trouble controlling the bike, but made the
turn without crashing. When I looked down there were a lot of feathers
in my wheel and back on the street near the intersection.
Oh well. It is not as if they are an endangered species or anything.
Another time I took one square in the chest as I was riding down Taylor
Street. It survived, I am sure.
-John (bird killer) Ozcomert
--
John Ozcomert (ozco...@wam.umd.edu)
"I woke up this morning with someone else's blues. I swear I don't know why."
-David Bromberg
Chip Workin' Man
reason to believe this has something to do with my training.
I also recently noticed that the spout on my waterbottle is
filled with little black bacteria (Stuff burgeons in
high humidity heat waves). Could this be causing intestinal
difficulties? Any experiences?
(2) I just purchased two new waterbottles and I'm trying
to get rid of the plastic smell/taste. Anybody have a
shortcut other than using them a million times? I didn't
see this in the faq but i skimmed it quickly...
Thanks for any suggestions.
--Chip kn...@psych.rochester.edu
Michael Smith
>FROM: Len Zedel <ze...@weejordy.physics.mun.ca>
> Anyway, to get to the point; I'd be interested to hear what other cyclists
>have collided with (other than people and automobiles).
My score to date: one big ugly rat and one small dog, both in a New
York City park. The rat made a truly horrifying and indescribable
noise.
The dog was on a leash, whose other end was attached to a *cyclist*
riding in the opposite direction to me. Poochie was running alongside
and apparently had some kind of panic attack when he saw me coming. He
ran right under my wheel, and I went right over the handlebars.
Amazingly enough neither the dog nor I was seriously hurt, though I
imagine Fido's ribs were sore for a few days. Mine sure as hell were.
Fido's presumed owner, the other cyclist -- a yuppieish young
woman -- was quite annoyed at me for hitting her poor doggie. No doubt
he was a valuable specimen of some recherche breed -- a canine BMW, so
to speak.
(I hope this doesn't provoke the Cyclist Inquisition to call for martial
law; this is probably a bad time to tell the story, since the last
Berkeley Critical Mass ride has got 'em all out with bloodhounds. Or
perhaps that baying I hear is only the Spandex Pharisees themselves.)
I don't know whether you had in mind only collisions with living
things, but if not, I must confess that I also once ran into a
completely innocent and stationary lamppost. In this particular story,
however, my role is so intensely foolish that I'm reluctant to tell it.
--Michael Smith
--Michael Smith
Daniel WJ Johnson
the fence right next to me. Turned away at the last instant.. Whew!! That would
have been a mess! Two of us all over the road. Yuk.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Johnson IBM Power Parallel Systems dw...@austin.ibm.com
(512)838-1278 AUSTIN(DWJJ)
Carl Bergstrom
dirt bike run into a skunk that darted out of the bushes and into
the road. The kid somehow managed to stay on the bike and as best
as I could tell not even get sprayed! The skunk got flipped into
the air but didn't seem to be bleeding as it sprinted back into the
bushes.
Glad that wasn't me! I almost hit a big fat racoon sitting in the middle
of the Potowatame trail last week, came around a bend on a descent doing
maybe 15 or so, and there it was. Dodged it, but it didn't even try to
move. Just growled at me as I went past.
---
Carl Bergstrom "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog"
berg...@husc.harvard.edu -The New Yorker
Stella Hackell
My friend hit a chicken while he was riding his mtn bike (on the road).
He dumped but didn't get hurt. The chicken squawked like crazy and
hurried away. No word on how badly it was hurt.
Chuck Anderson
>Two questions: (1) I have recently been experiencing indigestion and have
> reason to believe this has something to do with my training.
> I also recently noticed that the spout on my waterbottle is
Yuucchh!
A good disenfectant (after washing away any growth) is to use a mild
bleach solution. Just a few drops of bleach in a full water bottle is
enough. Let it sit for a few minutes (10) and rinse with tap water.
That will kill everything.
> (2) I just purchased two new waterbottles and I'm trying
> to get rid of the plastic smell/taste. Anybody have a
> shortcut other than using them a million times?
For a new or disenfected water bottle, put lemon juice in the bottle and
let it sit for a while. Or just use a little lemon the next time you
use the bottle. If using lemon juice, be sure to rinse well. This
should freshen up any new or used water bottle.
--
*************************************************************************
Chuck Anderson uucp : uunet!nyx!canderso
Boulder, CO internet: cand...@nyx.cs.du.edu
*************************************************************************
Ed Frank
> I also recently noticed that the spout on my waterbottle is
> filled with little black bacteria
I only buy clear bottles for this reason. I've been amazed by the growth
on the the bottom of a "clean" bottle.
> (2) I just purchased two new waterbottles and I'm trying
> to get rid of the plastic smell/taste. Anybody have a
> shortcut other than using them a million times?
It occured to me that bottled water sellers would be out of business if
the bottles spoiled the water like cycling bottles do, so I bought a
bottle and tasted it: yup, water. No bad taste. I then found that
16 oz bottles of powerade (like gatorade) fit in my bottle cage and don't
spoil the taste. Note that you do need a few soakings to get the lemon-lime
taste out. As proof, I use one of these bottles in the refigerator all
the time now for general use.
The problem now is volume and access. I wish the bottle was bigger and
wish it had a nipple. Other things have kept me from going further with
this. Do others have ideas?
Don't the people who make/sell bottles use them?
-Ed
-----
Ed Frank
efr...@upenn5.hep.upenn.edu
brad.l.grande
Other that the normal insects, I have run over a snake and a chipmunk. No
real challenge. I too have had the "deer in the headlights" experience only
to have the deer get out of the way in time for the adrenalin rush to be real
intense!
Two other experiences: 1- On my MTB going down a slight incline trail about
10mph, I duck to go under a low oak tree branch. Said branch has one leg
about the diameter of your small finger with a slightly larger knot on the
end. Said branch and knot pokes through an air vent on my hard shell helmet.
Said knot holds helmet, said helmet holds head, said head holds body. Helmet,
head and body stay put, bike continues down trail! It was a real strange
feeling getting pulled off my bike by my helmet and landing on my feet. I
didn't even get a sore neck.
2 - When I was a kid we were camping next to a lake. I had brought my bike
along. After dinner my folks were sitting in front of the lake fishing. I
come screaming down towards the lake on my stingray intending to come skidding
to a stop right next to my folks. The grass is wet, I skid straight into the
lake! The water was over my head right up to the shore and I held onto my
bike. As it pulled me under I caught a glimpse of the most horrified look on
my moms face as she saw her son being taken away, and the most disgusted look
on my dads face as he said "And he is wearing his brand new shoes!" A true
story!
Brad Grande WB0OYX
Another bike riding beer brewing kite flying amateur radio operator who
still likes CD's!
AT&T Bell Labs
Naperville Illinausea
PLEASE SEND RESPONSES TO: gra...@iwtil.att.com
att!iwtil!grande
(708)-979-7853
Jason O'Rourke
I was rolling out of my driveway (narrow and steep), looking at the
street I was about to turn into, when I saw a blurr coming from the
right. An instant later, I and a very fast moving jogger were 5 ft
away and on a collision course. Though we scared the shit out of
each other, we both managed to survive (glad I worked on brakes that
week). Good thing too....it wouldn't have been a pretty crash, and
it would have been all my fault.
Jason
PS: when I go out riding (esp. on off road), I find all kinds of
nice big DEAD animal life. And every so often, I suddenly run into
a herd of horses or cows, who are going up the same hillside trail.
Scott Seligman
>
> My friend hit a chicken while he was riding his mtn bike (on the road).
Fascinating. And what was your friend riding?
Scott Seligman
Internet: seli...@CS.Stanford.EDU
Packet: kn6ev @ n0ary.#nocal.ca.usa.na
Carlos Martin
> (2) I just purchased two new waterbottles and I'm trying
> to get rid of the plastic smell/taste. Anybody have a
> shortcut other than using them a million times? I didn't
> see this in the faq but i skimmed it quickly...
The best way I've found to get rid of that plasticky
smell and taste is to let the bottle stand around empty
with the top off. The smell is probably just plasticizers
diffusing out of the plastic. They probably won't kill
you. Not for a while anyway.
--
Carlos Martin mar...@morticia.Princeton.edu smileys: collect the
:-) =) :) :)) ;-) ;^) :v) ;^] >;-) 8-) 8^) 8-> ;-D -B(|) entire set
|-> B-) B^) ;^> ;>) [|:-) :-)) (:>) [8^) =(8-> =8-) =B^] >:) {;-}
*<:)%=0< (|;-) *(:-) (8*}> >B'} ;+) &*] %^) =8) ;^)= %*) <:) =(:-))
Joseph Hall
>It occured to me that bottled water sellers would be out of business if
>the bottles spoiled the water like cycling bottles do, so I bought a
>bottle and tasted it: yup, water. No bad taste. I then found that
>16 oz bottles of powerade (like gatorade) fit in my bottle cage and don't
Why not get yourself a Blackburn bomber cage? Holds plastic 1.5l bottles,
works like a charm. After 100 miles or so I'm getting used to handling
the bigger, squishier bottles. Since the bottles only "cost" a dollar
or so apiece, you can just toss/recycle them after a few rides. Or if
you're particularly fond of bottled water, after 1 ride. :-)
I'm now carrying a little over 2 l of water on my bike, as opposed to
about 1.25l before the bomber cage. It makes desert cycling even more
pleasant.
--
Joseph Nathan Hall | Joseph's Rule of Thumb: Most folks aren't interested
Software Architect | in your rules of thumb.
Gorca Systems Inc. | ----- jos...@joebloe.maple-shade.nj.us (home) -----
(on assignment) | (602) 732-2549 jnh...@sat.mot.com (work)
Mike Iglesias
used to be a creek/small river a long time ago), the ground squirrels and
rabbits like to play "chicken" with the bikes. They will wait by the
side of the trail for bikes to come along and run in front of them to
the other side. I recently had 4 rabbits within 50 ft do this - they
were all at the edge of the trail patiently waiting for a bike to come
by. I haven't hit one yet, but I've come close a couple of times.
Mike
Derek W. Wade
>
>
>I had another encounter with something much worse than a snake. I was riding
>a really leafy, slippery trail. I turned to ask my bike_buddy (behind me)
>a question, and turned around just in time to see a spider the size of
>my fist suspended from a web about 3 inches from my face. There wasn't
>time to limbo the spider, so I smacked into it and its web at full speed,
>locked the wheels, flailed about for a few seconds, and fell to the ground.
>I did the Willie (a musicless dance common amongst people who have just
>touched an icky bug or similar grossness) for about 2 minutes, making
>sure no web material was on me. I set my bike back up and my bike_buddy
>told me I had some web in my ghoti. I reached up and groped at it, and
>my hand came back with a spider on it. Needless to say, my elbow extended
>my hand away from my face at a rate approching light speed. I saw the
>little beast crawl away under a leaf. I decided to let bike_buddy go in
>front for the remainder of the trip.
"EEEWWWWWW!!!"
Man.. that would put me in a psychiatrist's chair for days... I HATE spiders..
Well, the worst I ever had was some time ago, off-road in a field. I was
panting rather heavily, and I saw a bright orange flutter being kicked up
by my tires. It fluttered up into my vision, into my face, intmy OPOPEN MOUTH!
I tasted something dusty, spat, did the Warner Brothers head-shake (aibltaiblt)
and turned my head to see the relatively unharmed butterfly trying to get
away from what must have been a traumatic experience for it.
Derek W. Wade
>
>I don't know whether you had in mind only collisions with living
>things, but if not, I must confess that I also once ran into a
>completely innocent and stationary lamppost. In this particular story,
>however, my role is so intensely foolish that I'm reluctant to tell it.
>
>--Michael Smith
Aww, cmon... let's hear it! (Everyone else, lets get some peer pressure going
...)
Tommy Reingold
that is intended for washing baby bottles. This will help clean the
inside of your bottle.
--
Tommy Reingold
AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ
to...@boole.att.com or att!boole!tommy
Howard Helbein
: Along my commuting/riding route (a bike path next to a storm channel that
On the trails where I usually ride, there used to be a lot of chipminks and
squirrels all over the place. Chipmunks are the most frenzied, stupid animals
I have ever seen. They must be on some natural drug. Chipmunks would fly
back and forth across the trails taunting speeding bikes. I never
hit one, but one once landed right on top of my right show. It sat there
staring up at with a stupid grin for a few minutes as I pedaled along and
finally slowed down and flicked it off.
---------------------------------------+----------------------------------------
Howard Helbein h...@astro.ocis.temple.edu
Jim Shankland
> (2) I just purchased two new waterbottles and I'm trying
> to get rid of the plastic smell/taste. Anybody have a
> shortcut other than using them a million times? I didn't
> see this in the faq but i skimmed it quickly...
Jeez.
I asked this exact question on the former net.bicycles back in 1984,
when I was working for AT&T in Denver. The next day, Bruce Hildenbrand
(now bhi...@eng.sun.com) walked into my office, handed me a water
bottle, and said, "This one won't taste like plastic." It didn't.
But I haven't figured out what to do if I ever lose that bottle ....
jas
(btw, Thanks, Bruce :-).)
R. Wagner
Inquiring minds want to know. Mi-chael Mi-chael Mi-chael!!!!!
Raydude.
R. Glenn Stauffer
kn...@prodigal.psych.rochester.edu (Chip "Workin' Man") wrote:
> (2) I just purchased two new waterbottles and I'm trying
> to get rid of the plastic smell/taste. Anybody have a
> shortcut other than using them a million times? I didn't
> see this in the faq but i skimmed it quickly...
>
Try a vinegar solution. Let it stand in the bottle for a while and it will
remove the plastic taste.
Christ Ward
Vinegar? Uck...I hate vinegar. Try a few teaspoons of baking soda and
warm (or hot) water, let it sit (a few hours or over night) then rinse it
well. I do this every time I do the bleach thing...water taste like water.
ward
P.S. I have to admit my Mom taught me this one....
james feldman
|>> (2) I just purchased two new waterbottles and I'm trying
|>> to get rid of the plastic smell/taste. Anybody have a
|>> shortcut other than using them a million times? I didn't
|>> see this in the faq but i skimmed it quickly...
reduces it's ability to whack the nasties. Contact time should be a minimum of
10 minutes. I use it all the time in homebrewing.
Look for the bottle to be made of foodgrade Polyethylene,either LD or HD. This
is what milk jugs and pop bottles are made from. Polyvinyl will always have
that "plastic" taste. If the bottle has a recycle label on the bottom, look
for types 1 or 2.
--
Jim Feldman || This space for lease, contact your
Digital Equipment Corp || Digital Sales Rep.
CSC/Colorado Springs ||
My opinions are my own and in no way reflect Digital's POV (unless they're
charging somebody for me to give them).
Dick King
>
>
> Anyway, to get to the point; I'd be interested to hear what other cyclists
>have collided with (other than people and automobiles).
>
Nothing substantial, although i once took a spill dodging a racoon.
I routinely swallow whole tribes of insects on my way home. Unfortunately
there's an Insect Airport right where i end up after a fast straightaway which
has me doing a vacuum cleaner imitation, and i have to ride through the
approack pattern. Air Traffic Control doesn't seem to know about me yet.
-dk
Glenn Stauffer
> In <CAKs5...@news.ucs.mun.ca> ze...@weejordy.physics.mun.ca (Len Zedel) writes:
>
>
> > I once had a bird (Robin) fly into my front wheel. It was a shocking
> >experience because I ended up covered with feathers and blood. (The
> >Robin was bisected!)
>
> > I have come close to hitting rabbits but fortunately never connected.
> >Out here in Newfoundland there is the finite chance of coming across
> >a moose but this has not happened to me yet.
>
> >have collided with (other than people and automobiles).
>
I've killed snakes - much to my dismay since I like them just fine. A few
weeks ago, a crow flew out of the weeds along the road and into my rear
spokes. It was flopping around on the road, so I rode back and picked it
up and threw it against the road until it died (it's head flopped loosely
when I picked it up - broken neck). I'd like to have run over a few small
dogs that I know of, but they're too smart to get in front of the wheel and
I'd probably come out in worse shape than they would.
Stella Hackell
>In article <22pgoi$o...@apple.com> ste...@apple.com (Stella Hackell) writes:
>>
>> My friend hit a chicken while he was riding his mtn bike (on the road).
>Fascinating. And what was your friend riding?
He was riding the chicken. Don't you understand English?
:wq
A
A
ABWI...@bcsc02.gov.bc.ca
couple of good ones.
My friend passed a cop car on the right, looked down at his back wheel to check
what gear he was in, and slammed into the back of a parked van. The damage:
- 1 broken toe clip
- 1 broken cleat
- 1 bent handle bar
- 1 broken rear axle
- 1 sprained thumb
- 1 bruised knee
- 1 mild concussion
- 1 night in a hospital
This incident is slightly more disgusting. We were riding some single track.
I rounded a corner to see on of my fellow riders lying on the trail, screaming,
with blood gushing out of his calf. After treating the wound, I noticed that
there was a branch of about 1/2 inch in diameter sticking out into the trail.
It appeared that he had been skewered. He managed to get back to the car and
proceeded to the closest military hospital (he's navy). The doctors picked
a few slivers out and sent him home. Next day, his leg was HUGE!, probably
double its normal size (who says calves are hard to build). Back to the
hospital. XRays turned up nothing, but an operation produced a stick about
2 inches long that had buried itself into his leg and snapped off.
Al
Jym Dyer
>> >16 oz bottles of powerade (like gatorade) fit in my bottle
>> cage and don't spoil the taste. [...]
=o= Bottled water tends to come in "PETE" plastic, whereas bike
water bottles tend to be made of "HDPE" or "LDPE." PETE doesn't
taste like leftover free monomers.
=o= The downside is that PETE isn't as soft as HDPE or LDPE.
It's not as easy to squeeze and it may not hold up to as much
squeezing. I've also heard that they're more likely to break
when dropped.
=o= I used to have a 1-liter PETE soda bottle (formerly Canada
Dry Ginger Ale), which fit right into my standard-sized cage.
The only real problem was that it had no pop-up cap on it.
But read on . . .
> Why not get yourself a Blackburn bomber cage? Holds plastic
> 1.5l bottles, works like a charm.
=o= Also, it comes with a pop-up cap. In the Bay Area they sell
the bomber cage with a coupon for Crystal Geyser brand water,
but the pop-up cap doesn't fit right on Crystal Geyser! It
works with Evian water bottles, though. Just make sure to
peel off the label or you'll look like a yuppie. :-)
=o= You can get pop-up caps off of squeeze bottles, such as
those used for chocolate or maple syrup. Alas, these types
of bottles tend to be some kind of plastic laminate (I presume
this is so they have squeezability of HDPE without the free
monitor flavor), and thus utterly unreusable. Being ecology-
minded, I avoid buying this kind of packaging.
> Since the bottles only "cost" a dollar or so apiece, you can
> just toss/recycle them after a few rides.
=o= Again, being ecology-minded, I try to limit my consumption
of this kind of packaging (especially given the sorry state
that plastics recycling is in). I poached my Evian bottle from
a neighbor's recycling bin at the beginning of the summer, and
it's still holding out. When it breaks, it'll go back into the
bin and I'll poach another one.
<_Jym_>
Mend ::::: Jym Dyer ::: j...@remarque.berkeley.edu :::: ::::
Your :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: __Q :::
Fuelish :::: Bumpersticker: "My other car is :::: ==`\<s ::
Ways :::::::::::::::::::::: also a bicycle." :::: (*)^ (*) ::
Jody Gilbert
from the Pacific Northwest who run over hundreds
of those giant 4-8 inch slugs as they crawl out
or the bushes at the side of the road or trail
voraciously seeking tender vegitation? When
the weather is moist enough, they come out
in such quantities that you can't avoid them.
Aside from the wierd popping and squirting
noises that used to make me want to hurl,
the main problem is that the slime that
sticks to your tires picks up enormous
amounts or gravel and whatever else
happens to be around. It's sort of like
a snowball effect.
I hit a dog once. It was a member of a pack
that was intent on gnawing off some of
my body parts. I went ass over teakettle
and landed on the wounded seagull that I
had just rescued and was carrying to
the vet's. The seagull died. The dog
escaped. The bike got damaged. The owner
of the dog paid for all damages rather
than ending up like the seagull. He was
such a samll guy that I almost felt
uncomfortable about threatening to
beat him to death if he didn't
cough up.
This was a long time ago before
I became intolerant of irresonsible
drivers and dog owners. I drive
and own dogs myself but have never
knowingly interfered with a biker
and except for one minor occasion
where I was less than vigilant, never
let my dogs do so either. The biker
threw a chunk of pipe at the dog, which
came back to my calling before it got to
him anyhow. When he came bak to get
his pipe, he appologised, but I told him it
was cool. As I saw it he was within his rights.
Eric Segerstrom
One night I was on the back of a paceline, slight downgrade, 30ish mph.
suddenly the guys in front of me parted, leaving me staring at a RIPE dead
possum 18in in front of my wheel! Before I could do anything there was possum
everywhere! Luckily there was a river nearby to clean up in.
The trail story is shorter. Duck against helmet. Hard. The duck was okay but
I went down. I can't figure that one out.
eric
Matt Garretson
>
>On the trails where I usually ride, there used to be a lot of chipminks and
>squirrels all over the place.
The few squirrels we have here in Albany are really dumb. And the rabbits
aren't much smarter. They both have a tendency to run alongside your bike,
or just in front of your front wheel for a few seconds until it occurs to
them to try to escape to one side or the other.
The one weirdest encounter I had was when a big hawk or turkey vulture swooped
down on me; it never made contact, but I swear I could hear it fluttering just
behind my head. I don't know what it was thinking; most rodents around here
don't wear blue helmets....
Another time a big old moth flew right down my throat while I was going down
a pass.
And if you ride at night in the summer: watch out for bats!!
--
Matt Garretson
bul...@rpi.edu (BHT added to preserve freshness)
Albany NY, USA
Mr. S.J. Wooding
bypass that is bounded by fields. With insects. Big ones. People are regularly
hit by flying insects (I am, so I assume others must be!). The big ones make
a strange crunching/splatting sound if they hit your helmet or glasses. I've
had a bee stick itself in my right temple, tho' not during a club event,
had a bruise caused by a rather large bee hitting my upper left arm while I
was going flat out with a tail wind (30mph+), and a clubmate had to stop
and remove her helmet when a large wasp got stuck in her hair after
getting 'sucked' through one of the vents. Apparrently it made and incredible
noise, which I reckon made matters worse while trying to get it untangled
from her fairly long hair !!
I'm another one who regularly ingests a sizeable amount of small flying insects
when trail riding. I wonder if they serve any nutritional purpose ? Vitamins ?
Electrolytes ? Sugars ?..........
Oh, one other incident involves a small dog, a friend of mine on an MtB,
an impromptu bunny hop at speed, the business end of a large chainring
and lots of yelping, blood, bruising and road rash. You can figure the rest
I'm sure...
Steve JW (MadBritishMountainBikerAndMaterialsScientist)
!faster and faster until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
S.J. Wooding
Radiation Damage Group
Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
University of Liverpool
PO Box 149
L69 3BX fax: (051) 794-4675 tel: (051) 794-5384 raddamsw @liv.ac.uk
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Dick King
>
>
>I'm another one who regularly ingests a sizeable amount of small flying insects
>when trail riding. I wonder if they serve any nutritional purpose ? Vitamins ?
>Electrolytes ? Sugars ?..........
I didn't figure trace nutrients, but i once calculated that i would need to
take in about two insects per pedal rotation of the pedals to break even on
Calories. Too yecchy to contemplate, and i'm amazed that bats and songbirds
manage to keep themselves fat and happy [although i suppose they don't weigh
140 lb].
Oh, well, let Bussard Propulsion stay in fusion starships where it belongs.
-dk
Jeffrey L Bell
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Flattened Fauna, a field guide
to animals that have lost not only their lives, but much of their
third dimension as well. Instead of pictures it has outlines and
photocopies for identification purposes, each with a lane marker
to indicate scale.
The book mentions that bicycles are particularly well suited to
observing flattened fauna. A cyclist holds the record for the most
sightings in a single day: 507 while on a 50 miler in Idaho. Most of
the citings were frogs.
-Jeff Bell
Steven Law
creatures. I'm not sure what damage it did to him.
Steve Law
Andrew Wood
>I routinely swallow whole tribes of insects on my way home. Unfortunately
>there's an Insect Airport right where i end up after a fast straightaway which
>has me doing a vacuum cleaner imitation, and i have to ride through the
>approack pattern. Air Traffic Control doesn't seem to know about me yet.
Reminds me: How can you spot a happy cyclist?
By the number of bugs between his/her teeth :-)
Andrew
__0 _-_|\ har...@cs.uq.oz.au is: Andrew Wood
-\<, / * <-- Comp Sci Dept, U. of QLD, Brisbane
0/ 0 \_.-._/
v "This is a job for 'The Australian'" Delicatessen.
Doug Landauer
M.Smith> I must confess that I also once ran into a completely innocent and
M.Smith> stationary lamppost. In this particular story, however, my role is
M.Smith> so intensely foolish that I'm reluctant to tell it.
Aw, c'mon!
Jason> No joggers, anyone?
Yup, a friend we were riding with (we were on the street, in a bike
lane, and this idiot was jogging in it, on the wrong side of the
street). He (the idiot jogger) got what he deserved, sorta limped
away from it.
Jason> I was rolling out of my driveway (narrow and steep), looking at the
Jason> street I was about to turn into, when I saw a blurr coming from the
Jason> right. ... it wouldn't have been a pretty crash, and
Jason> it would have been all my fault.
Au contraire -- barely your fault, and arguably the fault of the inattentive
wrong-way jogger. Anyone moving quickly in the "wrong" (i.e., unexpected)
direction (as the jogger must have been if he was coming from your right)
should always be looking actively for side traffic. Jogging on the wrong
side of the street is almost as stupid as riding one's bike on the wrong
side.
[Ignore this if your driveway happens to be in the UK or Australia,
but I figured that since you were posting from Berkeley ... ]
Jody> Where are all the early morning or dusk riders from the Pacific
Jody> Northwest who run over hundreds of those giant 4-8 inch slugs ...
Although I've come very close to killing some of the daredevil
squirrels in Mountain View Shoreline park, and hopped over a snake or
two, the only creature I actually have roadkilled (well, actually,
"trailkilled") was a banana slug. We have plenty of those in the Santa
Cruz mountains (UCSC's mascot is one), though they're not as ubiquitous
here as they are farther north. When I picked this one up in my front
wheel, it stuck to the wheel and then got stuck in the brakes. Took a
while to clean it off -- they're made of real sticky stuff. Too bad I
forgot to bring my "Banana Slug Recipes" book on that ride!
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Doug.L...@sun.com || "We think *every* sport should
SUNW[STE]->SunPro:: || be played cross-country."
Languages.IPE(C++); || -- Calvin & Hobbes
John Vance
Dick King writes:
However, if you managed to scoop up the larger deceased fauna, _Buzzard_
Propulsion might be feasible.
With apologies to Larry Niven.
John Vance
Larry Smith
>
>Jason> No joggers, anyone?
>
Well, no joggers yet, but I bagged a rollerblader Wendsday.
He was blading down the center of the path, I came up from the rear
(at about 15mph) yelled "on your LEFT!", and he promptly moved left,
directly into my path. I took him in the left lower back with the handlebars
and brake lever, then rolled over his ankle with the back wheel.
I'm out a ruined wheel, bent brake lever and twisted bars, he has 2 cracked
ribs and a broken ankle. Not to mention his walkman was destroyed.
This BTW was on a path marked in 4 ft long letters
BIKES
ONLY
--
Larry Smith
University of Nevada
System Computing Services
T Orth FP/207/ 8505
in a slow rain, the whole line went over this dead racoon, spraying the
decaying debree in our open mouths as we went over like lemmings!
OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!
Tom Orth
Speaking for myself
Mike Fike, Manchester, Maine
In article <1993Jul28....@unlv.edu>, lsm...@equinox.unr.edu (Larry Smith) writes...
his presence, this episode makes me question the usefullness of yelling "on
your left" "on your right" "track" or similar warnings which mean absolutely
nothing to someone unfamiliar with bike racing etiquette. It seems to me that
the appropriate action would be to either: a; ring a bell or blow a horn-
which everyone seems to recognize as a warning that something is bearing down
on you, or b: just SLOW DOWN and steer around them. Yes it breaks your pace,
but not nearly as much as ending your ride for repairs/injuries does.
Mike
********************************************************************************
Mike Fike * No comment until I see a lawyer....
17 Myrtle St. *
Manchester, Maine, 04351 *
********************************************************************************
Will Duquette
fi...@chezp.enet.dec.com writes:
> In spite of the fact that the rollerblader was in the wrong just by
>his presence, this episode makes me question the usefullness of yelling
"on
>your left" "on your right" "track" or similar warnings which mean
absolutely
>nothing to someone unfamiliar with bike racing etiquette. It seems to me
that
>the appropriate action would be to either: a; ring a bell or blow a
horn-
>which everyone seems to recognize as a warning that something is bearing
down
>on you, or b: just SLOW DOWN and steer around them. Yes it breaks your
pace,
>but not nearly as much as ending your ride for repairs/injuries does.
I find "on your left" to be a very clear, useful warning. I knew
precisely what was meant the first time I heard it--another cyclist
was going to passing me on my left, so be careful. I adopted it
immediately, since it's much clearer than shouting "Excuse me!",
which is what I had been doing. Not only does it alert someone
that you're there, but it also gives them information about where
you're going.
I agree about slowing down and steering around them; that's what I
usually do. But before I actually go around, I will say "On your
left" as a courtesy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Will Duquette, | C Functions, SIMSCRIPT Processes,
WI...@SOLSTICE.JPL.NASA.GOV | but OPS5 Rules
Michael Smith
>FROM: R. Wagner <crwg...@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>>>> ...I also once ran into a
>>>however, my role is so intensely foolish that I'm reluctant to tell it.
>>Aww, cmon... let's hear it! (Everyone else, lets get some peer pressure going
>>...)
>
>Inquiring minds want to know. Mi-chael Mi-chael Mi-chael!!!!!
>
Okay, okay.
When I first started cycle-commuting, a few years ago, I asked cyclist
acquaintances of mine what kind of bike I should get. Most of 'em said
I should get a mountain bike, so I did. Once I had the bike, I figured
I ought to at least try it out at what it was meant for, and discovered
that I liked hacking around out in the woods on it.
I also worked out a commuting route that led me through Riverside Park
(in Manhattan) on my way home. The northern, or Harlem, end of
Riverside Park is so poorly maintained by the city fathers that it
practically qualifies as wilderness. I would enter the park at the top
of a long and fairly steep hill. A flight of broad, shallow steps leads
down the hill, but there is a sort of scrubby cleared area to one side
of the steps that will accommodate a mountain bike quite nicely. At the
bottom of the steps, an ornate, cast-iron lamppost stands smack in the
middle of this improvised bicycle route, but there's enough space on
one side of it to squeeze past.
So what I would do is hop over the curb onto this "path", rocket down the
hill, zip past the lamppost, and return to the paved walkway: my little
20-second hit of trail riding every day.
Now on the day in question, the Rough, Tough, Urban Mountain Biker is
zooming down the hill as usual, rump extended over my rear wheel,
teeth clenched, shades glinting in the dappled light of a Manhattan
afternoon. A hell of a dashing figure. Unfortunately, I'm not aware
that a maintenance crew has recently paid a visit to the area
(somebody must've screwed up down at the Parks Department).
Approaching the bottom of the hill at top speed, I realize, to my
horror, that something is not right about the path. There's a
big pile of clippings, branches, and assorted debris right across it,
just a few feet in front of the lamppost. No time to react: I'm
airborne.
Of course I don't clear the lamppost. I still remember the sound. Think
of hitting the Liberty Bell with a side of beef.
Some years ago, I formulated Smith's Law of Ridiculous Blunders:
whenever you do something really foolish, there'll be an extremely
attractive woman nearby to be convulsed by it. Needless to say, the law
held true in this case of all cases. She expressed concern and was
clearly trying very hard not to laugh, but she was *not succeeding*.
Humiliated beyond endurance, my only goal in life is to get out of
there -- I don't care what's broken -- and lick my wounds in solitude.
So with a preposterous false grin of feigned nonchalance, I blurt out
some attempt at an offhand joke, and leap back onto the bike -- only to
find that the collision has rotated the handlebars 90 degrees. The
brake lever catches me right in the groin -- almost the only part of my
body not already screaming in agony -- and without having moved a
millimeter forward, I sloooowly topple over to the side.
Now the witness is breathless, helpless, weeping with laughter. She
actually has to sit down on one of the steps to catch her breath. I've
given up my plans of going anywhere for a while. Finally I disentangle
myself from the bike and struggle to my feet. Amazingly, nothing *is*
broken (though it turns out I have three lovely parallel vertical
black-and-blue stripes up my ribcage from the fluting on the lamppost).
By this time, the woman has gotten a grip on herself and is feeling
very shamefaced. We exchange a glance, tacitly agree to pretend nothing
has happened, and go our ways. I still see this woman in the park every
now and then, but we pretend not to recognize each other.
--Michael Smith
EEDP System
: Jason> I was rolling out of my driveway (narrow and steep), looking at the
: Jason> street I was about to turn into, when I saw a blurr coming from the
: Jason> right. ... it wouldn't have been a pretty crash, and
: Jason> it would have been all my fault.
: Au contraire -- barely your fault, and arguably the fault of the inattentive
: wrong-way jogger. Anyone moving quickly in the "wrong" (i.e., unexpected)
: direction (as the jogger must have been if he was coming from your right)
No no -- a jogger is a pedestrian and should be on the left side of the
street. He was where he was supposed to be.
: should always be looking actively for side traffic. Jogging on the wrong
: side of the street is almost as stupid as riding one's bike on the wrong
: side.
In California, anyone entering a roadway from a driveway must yield to
ALL persons or vehicles. (I don't have my CVC book here today, but can
look up the reference later if desired.) If you hit someone while
exiting a driveway, it will almost always be your fault.
Alan Bloom
Dennis Lou
>Keywords:
>|>In article <1993Jul23.1...@galileo.cc.rochester.edu> kn...@prodigal.psych.rochester.edu (Chip "Workin' Man") writes:
>|>> (2) I just purchased two new waterbottles and I'm trying
>|>> to get rid of the plastic smell/taste. Anybody have a
>reduces it's ability to whack the nasties. Contact time should be a minimum of
San Diego tap water has so much chlorine taste to it you could
probably use it without the Clorox.
Anyone know how to make tap water taste better?
--
Dennis Lou || "But Yossarian, what if everyone thought that way?"
dl...@ucsd.edu || "Then I'd be crazy to think any other way!"
[backbone]!ucsd!dlou |+====================================================
dl...@ucsd.BITNET |Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak went to my high school.
Dennis Lou
> In spite of the fact that the rollerblader was in the wrong just by
>his presence, this episode makes me question the usefullness of yelling "on
>your left" "on your right" "track" or similar warnings which mean absolutely
>nothing to someone unfamiliar with bike racing etiquette. It seems to me that
>the appropriate action would be to either: a; ring a bell or blow a horn-
>which everyone seems to recognize as a warning that something is bearing down
>on you, or b: just SLOW DOWN and steer around them. Yes it breaks your pace,
>but not nearly as much as ending your ride for repairs/injuries does.
While on a visit to Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC, I noticed that the
rules require you to have a bell on your bike.
On a recent bike-a-thon, I was pushing kind of hard in order to make
it to an interview I had scheduled immediately afterwards. As well, I
had my mind on other things. As I was passing, I said my "on your
right" and "on your left" as I approached other bikers and non-bikers.
It wasn't until 1/4 the way through that I realized that my mind was
on other things and that I had reversed my right and left. It was
interesting though that the speed difference was large enough that a
vocal warning isn't audible enough until you are less than a second
away from the target (unless you shout which is hard to do if you are
pushing yourself rather hard).
I suppose that the roller-blader didn't have enough time to react
(unless he was really cooking).
/Ed Botsko
|>
|> Does an overweight, adolescent girl eating KFC chicken and
|> chatting with her equally overweight adolescent girlfriend
|> instead of watch where she was going while crossing the
|> street count?
|>
|> Doug
|>
|> PS. She went down, I didn't. See what eating that crap will
|> do to you.
Whoa there chief....You are bragging about knocking down an overweight
adolescent girl who was chatting and eating???? What impaired you from
taking evasive action? Was she too fast for you? What were YOU looking
at??? Then what happened? Did you help her up? Did she sue you??
Inquiring minds and all that
Ed B
Alan Bishop
I have to agree with Mike - the old addage about seeing the whites of the eyes applies.
It seems to me to be absolute folly to depend on any member of the human race to behave in a predictable and rational manner.
Strollers, joggers, kids, dogs, skaters and other cyclists are bike path hazards. If you speed past them, you will have an accident.
QED
R
AJB
Alan Bishop
Unless they are stone deaf or under remote control (plugged int a walkman) then they will turn around, look at you, apologise and move.
No problems and no hassles....
R
AJB
ilan vardi
>From Mike Fike, we got:
>> In spite of the fact that the rollerblader was in the wrong just by
>>his presence, this episode makes me question the usefullness of yelling "on
>>your left" "on your right" "track" or similar warnings which mean absolutely
>>nothing to someone unfamiliar with bike racing etiquette. It seems to me that
>>the appropriate action would be to either: a; ring a bell or blow a horn-
>>which everyone seems to recognize as a warning that something is bearing down
>>on you, or b: just SLOW DOWN and steer around them. Yes it breaks your pace,
>>but not nearly as much as ending your ride for repairs/injuries does.
How about deaf and hearing impaired people? Just yelling or ringing a
bell seems pretty useless given the fact that a significant percentage
of the population suffers from such disabilities.
-ilan
Dick King
>
> I particularly like the [bike bells]
>with a pictue of a dinosaur on them.
The BarneySaurus*?
-dk
* A recently discovered species that captured prey by nauseating it
Alan Bloom
a steep, 2-lane country road when a car coming in the other direction
attempted to pass. I squeezed right, he squeezed left (thank God!),
but I nearly joined the "flat bicyclist" brigade.
I guess the moral is: when you're going fast, look far ahead and be
prepared for anything.
Alan Bloom
Andrew Wood
>In article <23kmt7...@myall.awadi.com.au> abi...@hakea.awadi writes:
>>From Mike Fike, we got:
>>>It seems to me that
>>>the appropriate action would be to either: a; ring a bell or blow a horn-
>>>which everyone seems to recognize as a warning that something is bearing down
>>>on you, or b: just SLOW DOWN and steer around them. Yes it breaks your pace,
>>>but not nearly as much as ending your ride for repairs/injuries does.
>How about deaf and hearing impaired people? Just yelling or ringing a
>bell seems pretty useless given the fact that a significant percentage
>of the population suffers from such disabilities.
Pardon?