Getting Lost

[thePig]

Seems that over the years I have gotten lost while cycling quite a few times. So I was wondering how often everyone gets lost and what are some of the getting lost stories?

Here is one of mine!

Lost In Texas
While visiting my brother in the states he took me on my first ever group ride from a bike shop in texas. It all started well but as we covered some distance the big group got split into several small bunches. I happened to be in the last group and didn't know any of the other riders.

I was taking a turn at the front when suddenly everyone took a right turn. By the time I turned around I couldn't catch them. YEAH I was dropped off the front of a group.

So I was stuck somewhere in Texas without a clue as to where i was or even which way was North. I waited for about 30minutes before another cyclist came along and I begged him to show me the way home.

By the end of the day I was completely broken!


For some different ways to get lost check out:
http://www.cyclepig.com/archive/the-art-of-getting-lost/

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

i got lost somewhere in Norfolk last summer, it was a very bleak place...nothing for miles, it was raining hard, strong winds and getting dark. I was soaked, cold,tired and totally lost. The crows were circling above me and I felt that perhaps this was as far as my life would take me. Then from behind me appeard a little old lady on a 'basket' bike and showed me the way! I felt a right nob, but I was pleased she was there, or quite possibly I still would be.

 

[just jim]

BTFB - in these moments I like to tell myself (courtesy of "The Eels"), that "now you're really living."

 

[aidanp]

Although not technically lost I went way off track yesterday. I programmed my GPS to plot a route from Ealing to Richmond Park (a route I know v.well). I didn't view the route that the GPS plotted (programmed for bikes) and it sent me on a tour of west London via Brentford, Isleworth, Hounslow, Hanworth, Twickenham and finally Richmond - which was a 16 mile route as opposed to my normal 5 miles to Richmond. In fairness it was fairly traffic free and showed me a good way to clock up miles (and break in my new Brooks B17 saddle). But at the time I couldn't believe how "off track" I was sent...

 

[Percy]

When I was away last year I'd tend to try and head for the town centre of wherever I was planning to stay to get my bearings. Often I would end up going round in circles/getting lost and resorted to a number of 'tricks' to find my way - following overhead bus wires, taking the route that most seemed to converge on; following empty taxis, assuming they were going back into town (they usually were); and on one occassion, I noticed old ladies with full shopping bags were going one way and young people dressed up for a night out were going the other, so I followed them into the centre of town.

On many occassions, in towns and out on the road, I've literally just followed the compass, knowing that in general I needed to be going West/East/North whatever.

 

[yenrod]

An 'i'll go out for 2hrs ride..' once turned into a 4hr 30min...

(Started at around 6pm got back around 10.30pm)

 

[yenrod]

You know when things are serious when you have to check the direction of the sun !

 

[rich p]

When touring I always take a compass but generally not in England.

 

[yello]

I figure you're never lost.... it's just a matter of precision.

You might not know the street you're in, but you know the town... you might not know the town you're in, but you know the region... etc etc etc

That's what I tell myself anyway ... as I'm rather partial to going down roads I've not cycled before... just to see where they go.

 

[domtyler]

Series 1 was the best.

 

[ColinJ]

I got slightly lost last week in Cornwall. I don't know if I'd had a mini-stroke or something but I managed to convince myself that North was South and South was North, which meant that East and West were transposed, and also Left and Right!

I'd cycled over from Penzance via Marazion and St Erth to Hayle and was aiming for St Ives. I ended up riding towards Redruth for some time before I realised my mistake. I thought I'd sussed out where I'd gone wrong so I didn't bother fishing my map out. I went round in a big circle and ended up back at the same roundabout I'd been at 30 minutes earlier...

 

[psmiffy]

never actually really lost - more geographically challenged like on a couple occasions in a strange county discovering there was a gap between the maps I had in my possession - poddle onwards in what you think is the right overall direction hoping to find a signpost to somewhere on the next map - quite a relief to emerge on the next map

 

[Cathryn]

I kind of got lost in India last year. The group i was with pulled over for a tea stop, somehow I missed them and gaily shot on by myself! For the first ten minutes I loved it. I was totally sure I'd catch people round the next bend, and in the meantime I was enjoying the peace and quiet, and also feeling quite gutsy for cycling in India 'by myself'.

After 10 mins I got pondering why I hadn't caught the group as I know I'm not the slowest cyclist (I'm faster than my husband definitely). A bloke on a motorbike pulled up alongside me and said 'Guide say stop' but he had come from behind me instead of in front and obviously everyone was in front of me, so i ignored him and sped on. By now though, I had that cold feeling in my stomach and knew something was wrong. Twenty minutes later he comes back looking nervous and hands me a note from my guide saying 'Please stop and come back'. So I did and there everyone was, not at all worried about me.

We got lost LOTS on our recent trip. Pretty much every day.

 

[Dayvo]

On my first commute to my new job in early April (a route that takes 20-25 mins through a big forest) due to heavy fog, I missed my turn and ended up miles away from my destination. I had no idea of direction; I couldn't hear the air traffic flying north to the city airport; nor could I hear the motorway traffic heading north into the city. There were no signs, buildings, people, nothing. I eventually turned up two hours later!

 

[asterix]

Was in Kent in my yoof, looking for a boat I was crewing on near Faversham. Lots of creeks and walking along sea-walls and hadn't a clue where I was. So I knocked on the door of a cottage and the elderly couple gave me directions. They also insisted I take their torch as it was getting dark; when I told them I wouldn't be returning their way they said they didn't need it back.

(Fortunately one of the other crew was a local and kiindly took it round a week or so later.)

..but when cycling, wot regulator said.