Funny times in the saddle

[beelnite]

Originally Posted by poser

And we dug deep. We were absolutely NOT going to let some 5’ 5”, chain-smoking French guy drop us on OUR mountain! (18 year old cyclists generally don't know anything about strength to weight ratios) I’m not sure that I’ve experience more pain in any single cycling event than I experienced in those 9 miles. Tears were streaming down our cheeks – we both almost threw up. And there he went. Out of sight in under a minute. We never saw him again on the climb.
--

Zat is beautiful! I can't help but grin being a little guy myself. It's almost unfair that we're carrying at least 70-80lbs less then 'regular' folks, n'est ce pas?

I opened the door for a seasonal rider this week to have some fun. Muscular, tatooed gent not "dressed" for riding but on a sweet road bike - wearing an ipod with a bald shaved head. He saw me coming on SE Lincoln and tried his darndest to not let the inevitable happen. I expected him to be miffed and snipey when I caught him, but when I did he was resigned and sorta chuckled and admitted what was up.

Me referring to my freddly bike computer: "Hey bro you were cruising up that hill - - top speed 20 mph!"

"Oh man, I know, I saw you coming and I'm like, dang, this guy is too fast!"

"Well heck I ride every day year round. Thanks man."

"Wow, not me."

Poor guy was at least twice my size. Gravity - the great equalizer. Interesting how privately competitive we can be - and good naturedly so.

Then we went through Ballard on our way to Queen Anne Hill... oh never mind - private joke!

[fredlf]

For years my main riding partner was one of those wiry little guys. He tipped the scales at about 115 including a large beard. He would always politely hold back at the start of the climb, chit-chatting until my wind ran out. Then sure enough he would just quietly, effortlessly climb off into the distance as I would be panting and foaming spittle around my mouth. I wouldn't see him on the climb again. Ever.

I could usually catch him on the descents given my 65 extra pounds of momentum and the fact that in my oxygen-deprived stupor I would take all sorts of stupid risks without knowing it.

Today he is a professional mountain guide and I am a desk jockey. I can still get myself up hills by imagining I'm mad at him again. Funny sort of friendship, the riding partner...

[jr98664]

I take it that most cyclists knows what it's like to be "sidewalked." For those of you who don't know, it's when an ignorant motorhead yells out their window to get on the sidewalk. Obviously, they must not know the meaning of the word walk.

The other day, I was riding in Vancouver on NE 18th Street, the street just to the north of the BPA right-of-way. For those of you who know anything about this street, you can quickly attest that this street has no idea what sidewalks even are. Some developers were nice enough to include something of the sort, but as a whole, the street is severely lacking. As a cyclist, however, I don't mind; I just ride like I always do—in the street.

Anyway, I had just safely turned onto the street when a car who had been turning from the same street yells out of their window, "Get on the sidewalk!" There were probably expletives in there, but I'll refrain from mentioning them. They quickly made another right turn off of the street at the next intersection. Maybe they realized how foolish they had just been. There were no sidewalks.

[djasonpenney]

(note there is not a sidewalk on the other side.)

For more in this vein go here.

[bikerinNE]

Originally Posted by fredlf

...probably Bob Roll! In my mind, I replayed his description of their ride and realized they were spinning back into town after a 100+ mile training ride with about 10,000 feet of climbing. *sigh*

Bob Roll... now that guy is funny, but why are his books so damn expensive.... He isn't that funny, to bad you didn't get a chance to call him Bobke, and drop the hammer on him.

[K'Tesh]

I didn't think that this belongs in close calls now, but it would have twenty years ago...

In my rides down memory lane that I've been doing recently (remembering the bugs), I remembered this brush with celebrity...

I used to live in Ashland, and it has it's local celebrities... One of them Jack Elam (of "Cannonball Run" fame) nearly ran me down one day while I was heading home.


Jack Elam

I was heading to my apartment on Normal Avenue (now that I have moved on, I think that it's been renamed Ab-Normal Ave.) when I spot this crazy driver driving way too fast for the street in his Chrysler New Yorker or similar old farts boat. I was going too fast to stop, and we passed uncomfortably close sandwiched by two parked cars on either side of the street. As he passed I recognized him...

Jack passed away back in 2003, and I don't mean to speak ill of the dead, but I'm sure that the roads are safer there now...

Rubberside Down!
K'Tesh

[beelnite]

Me: I'm coming up here on your left side.

Rider: Yeah I heard you about 2 blocks away.

Time to oil the chain maybe... or taper off on the "performance breathing."