I'm an adrenaline junkie. Going downhill fast on a bike is the best bit. I had a longtime ambition to break 50mph and finally did it last year, which was a bit of an anti-climax.
Prior to that on a steep narrow country road with a sharp corner about 2/3rds of the way down I was convinced I'd done it. I was too busy trying to slow down enough to manage the corner to look at my garmin, but I got home, plugged it in to my computer and found 49.9mph.
I also broke 49 on Glenshee, it would have been more, but there was a large bird of prey sitting on a rabbit in the middle of the road and I began to worry that it would fly off just as I reached it. I imagined it hitting me in the chest and killing both of us.
Finally the night before the etape caledonia I did part of the course as a short ride to test my legs. Heading backdown to Pitlochry, against the direction of the route I hit a deep pothole at about 40mph on a tight corner. I swear, my wheel bounced out of the pothole, the front wheel moved sideways about 18" to 2' and I somehow managed to stay upright and carry on.
I think one reason I'm so willing to accept risk is that I've never had a bad accident. The ones I have had I've been able to rationalise (as somebody else's fault.)
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