Thing you notice on a bike

[Lazy-Commuter]

Top list, jonnny. And if paint on the road is slippy, WET paint on the road is the best non-stick surface known to man. Other than a big ole diesel slick lying on the road on a roundabout. Watch out for that one!!

I love the combination of the speed bumps with a gap in the middle and a moton who simply HAS to get past me.

I love those. There's a mile or so section of road through a housing estate that I go along with some big ole bumps. It's the main drag through the estate, and the bumps are every coupla hundred yards. I do enjoy the motons who pretty much destroy their car in their rush to Get.Past.Cyclist. Then I invariably catch them up at the traffic lights at the junction with the main road a bit later. Get off the bike, push past them on the ped crossing, smiling at them as I go and whistling a merry tune and cross the road to the bridleway to take the next (off road) leg of my journey home.

That moment of terror while U wait to find out if that wasp bounced off your helmet or went in one of the air slots

I had one of them last night. It WAS in an air slot - I could hear it buzzing most of the way down the last hill to home. Didn't know it was a wasp 'til I got home though. Luckily the impact with the helmet had stunned it.

 

[Davidc]

Thing I hate is cars that over take with the windows open, and they are smoking, disgusting

Smoking cyclists and pedestrians aren't any better.

(My wife hates the smell so much she wants the ban extended to all vehicles and all open space that isn't on enclosed private land.)

 

[swee'pea99]

That moment of terror while U wait to find out if that wasp bounced off your helmet or went in one of the air slots

You see how dangerous helmets are?

 

[Toshiba Boy]

Good list Jonny.

What about "clipless" moments, mine came some 30 yrs ago (toe clips in those days!) and I can still remember it like it was yesterday, pulled up at traffic lights, and.....over I toppled while trying to get my foot out.

 

[Wheeledweenie]

[quote name='swee'pea99']You see how dangerous helmets are? [/quote]

Aha! But when it's a flying stag beetle the size of a plum trust me you're glad of the protection!

And as for the smoking, I know a lady who had a full ashtray dumped on her leg at the lights by a guy who blindly tipped it out of the window at a junction. So she scooped the ash and butts up and put them through his sunroof before riding off like the clappers!

 

[swee'pea99]

Aha! But when it's a flying stag beetle the size of a plum trust me you're glad of the protection!

And as for the smoking, I know a lady who had a full ashtray dumped on her leg at the lights by a guy who blindly tipped it out of the window at a junction. So she scooped the ash and butts up and put them through his sunroof before riding off like the clappers!

Once heard of a little old dear who witnessed a scrote dropping a fag packet out the window. She picked it up and returned it to him. 'salright love, I don't wan' it anymore'. 'Neither does Cheltenham!'

 

[Banjo]

[quote name='swee'pea99']You see how dangerous helmets are? [/quote]
Walked into that one didnt I?

 

[notsolazy]

Just having time to yourself is what I notice most about cycling. I can just switch off, enjoy the scenery if on a track/country lane and go off into a world of my own without any worries

 

[blxm]

Thing I like is when you need to make eye contact with a cager so you stare and stare at them until they do. Then I just keep on staring.

 

[Goffins]

You need to add the general shitty-ness of Britain's road surfaces.

Always gets me that one, I ride everyday yet as soon as I hit a good bit of Tarmac and and have to shift up because my legs are overspinning I'm reminded of just how poor the surfaces are on 90% of the roads.

 

[mds101]

That's a really good list, nie to see the +ve and -ve. Can I add:

RUBBISH every hedgerow bottom is full of crap. Motorists don't see it as they wizz past as it isn't at there level. But it is there. It will never be collected because nobody can get to it. It will sit, an almost permanent feature, fading colours on the plastics bottle, washed out crisp packets, fag packet shells, ripped up sandwhich boxes. Who are the people who do this. Why weren't they brought up to care?

SPEED not really how fast but I never tire of working out how many times my wheels are going round a minute, doesn't matter how fast...its quite a lot. And even though hubs look slower, they go round the same number of times (obvious but brilliant). Maybe I should look up.

 

[tordis]

I've only just started cycling to work recently and I'm loving it. First thing I realized is how much more focused and open my mind is. On a train/tube/DLR I tend to shut myself off, I concentrate on surviving the trip and getting to my destination, while on a bike I;m actually enjoying my journey.
Another thing: places. I've found so many lovely spots while cycling. There's the riverside pubs, little cafes, buildings full of character. And the smells, too. After a while you start recognizing places solely by their smell. A
Oh, and the other cyclists. The sheer number of people who cycle every day still astounds me. And it's not just the lycra-clad performers; it's the office workers in their suits, it's the well-dressed ladies wearing heels. Since the car became affordable and available to just about everyone, bikes have been thought of as "sporting goods". Now, it seems, they're starting to regain their position as mode of transport. And I'm liking it a lot

 

[J4CKO]

I love the combination of the speed bumps with a gap in the middle and a moton who simply HAS to get past me.

Oh yes, +1

I have a stretch round a lovely road that circles a lake and nature reserve, it is heavily traffic calmed, pinch points, bumps, tables the lot, I can do 25 mph round there and some car drivers cant have that so I crack on and I can hit the bump at full pelt by just lifiting myself up (you know the drill) but cars cant but they have this inner turmoil that they must pass me, this leads them into hitting the bumps way faster than they should, Sporty Audi's tend to be driven by competitive thrusty types but these are very low and have rock hard suspension, the thud and grind from behind amuses me immensely

I turn onto a second road and its the same so for a mile I can enjoy being faster than an RS4 !

 

[J4CKO]

Its being able to park - pretty much anywhere

Being able to take routes impassable to cars, to be able to carry your own transport should you need to.

You can still carry enough gear for pretty much every eventuallity in panniers and or rucksack.

You cant get a speeding ticket (not in the traditional sense)

You can eat more or lose weight

Bikes dont depreciate like cars

You dont have to tax it

You get to look like you are being all healthy, double hard if its dark, cold or rains and can carry off eccentric quite well, especially if you go for a recumbent.

You can wear skin tight pants and no undies and nobody thinks you are weird.

You avoid listening to the radio

you fart, you leave it behind you

You get to be all smug in eco-discussions even if you arent that fussed either way, I love winding up eco people who drive everywhere in a tiny pathetic car as my bike is still 500 times less polluting.

30 mph feels like 150 in my car.

If you dont fancy a long wait, by all means go to the front of a queue of traffic.

 

[threefingerjoe]

The thing that I notice while riding a bike is how overpowered the cars are! You don't have to spend much time on a bike to notice that we don't need cars that can do 90 mph.

Another thing I notice, is that so many cars are carrying one person. No wonder we burn so much fuel! We're burning enough fuel to move a 2 ton machine, when we really only need to move a 13 stone person!