Thursday, August 25, 2016

On Your Left! Blog Post Coming Through!!!

Darn mountain bikers!  Remember last year when one burned his toilet paper and charred like half of Idaho?  Well now another one has apparently set fire to California (and their Cousin Eddie-like neighbor Nevada) due to a single instance of pedal strike:


“The cause of the Rock Creek fire that started on August 5th has been determined. Investigators have concluded that the fire was started from a bicycle pedal strike to a rock. Conclusive evidence was found in the fire origin area that was on the Lower Rock Creek mountain bike trail. A fire ignition from this type of trigger is a testament to how dry the area is right now. All residents and visitors are asked to be extremely careful with anything that may cause a fire while you are out in the forest,” the post read.

Really though?  Really?  I dunno, sounds far-fetched to me.  But who am I to argue with a confusing cheese metaphor?

Speaking on behalf of the Inyo National Forest, fire prevention technician Kirstie Butler told BikeRadar that, while the exact cause of many forest fires go unresolved, the evidence in this instance was definitive.

“All the holes in the Swiss cheese lined up perfectly,” Butler said.

Still, I can't help but wonder if she's laying it on a bit too thick, like Mario Cipollini slathering his partner with Camembert at his notorious annual "festivo de quattro formaggi" bacchanal:

According to Butler, while this may seem like an incredibly unlikely chain of events, the US Forest Service has evidence that this has happened before. She notes that sparks from chainsaws and lawn mowers are frequent causes of wildfires. To date, there have been 4,084 wildfires in California, burning a total of 150,498 acres in 2016.

Okay.  Quiz time.  Which of these does not use an internal combustion engine?

1)


2)


3)


Well at least I'm assuming #1 and #2 use internal combustion engines.  I live in an apartment building in New York City, what do I know?  Maybe this stuff has gone green now and runs on electricity and kitten farts.  Anyway, I'm sure if I'm wrong I'll never hear the end of it from from the Lawn Care Freds:


("Hey Fred, where's your helmet?")

And for that matter I don't know the first thing about forest fires either, so I should probably shut up about it.  However, I'm a blogger, and when has ignorance regarding a certain topic ever stopped me before?

Nevertheless, the danger here is that this could serve as a pretense to ban mountain biking from the area, but fire expert and cheese enthusiast Butler assures us this is not the case:

Butler, who is a mountain biker and has frequently ridden the Lower Rock Creek Trail, doesn’t believe the incident will result in trail closures to mountain bikers, nor does she view mountain bikers as more of a fire hazard than any other trail user group.

“This is not about pointing fingers; we know it wasn’t done maliciously. We understand that mountain biking is a popular activity and we’re not trying to say that this is a reason to stop. It’s just something to be aware of,” said Butler.

Though if they could find a way to pin this all on e-MTBs and ban those I'd say that would be a win-win for pretty much everybody--except maybe this guy:


Actually, if they could pin it all on that guy so much the better.

In the meantime, expect IMBA to recommend that mountain bikers in fire-prone areas ride with oven mitts over their feet.

As for me, yesterday afternoon I headed out for a ride on my Milwaukee:


I'm pleased to report I set absolutely nothing on fire, and that includes the Strava leaderboard, because not only am I slow as warm Camembert, but I also don't use Strava.  Indeed, I'm proud of being slow.  Plus, if I rode quickly I'd miss out on the local fauna:


Shortly thereafter I came to this raging stream.  "Hey beaver, why don'tcha chew me up a nice dam?," I shouted at the nearby varmint:


To which he replied with a scowl, probably because he wasn't a beaver at all, he was a groundhog:


Of course I didn't realize that at the time, and I thought he was just being lazy.  Fortunately though after a couple of hours I finally mustered up the courage to cross the stream myself:


In case you're wondering, I shouldered the bike and used a staff I whittled from a tree branch to check the depth.

For awhile after that all was going well.  I stopped at a café and spent like $47 on an iced coffee and a gluten-free cookie.  Then I headed over to the paved bike path for the return trip:


"On your left!," announced a voice from behind, and I turned as a Fred on a fancy new carbon bicycle passed me, another rider on an old metal bike glued fast to his wheel.  As they continued on their way I wondered why this intrusive and distracting announcement was even necessary.  After all, I was already all the way to the right and traveling in a straight line.  Furthermore, the bike path was both amply wide and totally empty.  So why not just pass me in silence?

No sooner had I completed this thought then there came another "On your left."  This time it was a group of five riders.  Already annoyed from the last encounter, I was now doubly so, and to make matters worse another rider in the very same group also said "On your left" to me as they passed:


This was three "On your lefts" now in about as many minutes.  Worst of all, after passing me they just kind of sat there in front of me, so my only choices were to either pass them back or stop and fire off some angry tweets about Freds who say "On your left" to put some distance between us.

I chose the latter.

Even so, I passed them two more times: once when they were stopped for a group chat, and again as they were loading their bikes onto the trunk racks of their cars.

I also passed this couch:


"On your left!," I did not say to it.  Why?  Because it was already on the right and it was behaving perfectly predictably.  You know, just like I had been when all these people said "On your left" to me.

I mean really, if you need to pass just pass.  And if you think the person ahead of you needs to know you're coming because they're swerving or something, sure, go ahead alert them--but try to be more polite about it.  For example, why not work in an "Excuse me?"  You really shouldn't address people differently on a bike then you do on foot.  Even a simple "Passing on your left" can make a world of difference.  Do you say "On your left" to your fellow shoppers when you're pushing your shopping cart down the produce aisle at the supermarket?  Of course not.  You sweeten it up a little.  (But not too much.  "Excuse me, do you mind if I get a look at those melons?" can easily be misinterpreted in certain situations.)  It's those three monosyllabic words alone that can be so infuriating.  I'm sure Martin Amis would explain that it's because "On your left" is a molossus, and those three stressed syllables impart a sense of urgency and unrest.

Perhaps most vexing of all though was this sign:


Let's have a look at this turn that's so hazardous it requires dismounting your bicycle.  First you approach it like so:


Then it goes this way:


Then it's completely straight for miles:


I'm lucky to be alive.

Lastly, a reader by the name of Don alerted me to this video, which contains language that is NSFW (unless you work in a cursing factory):



Duuude!  He's the SoCal Keith Maddox!

96 comments:

bad boy of the north said...

Wow.passed an early quiz.on your left...

McFly said...

2st

bad boy of the north said...

Better call trump,huckleberry.passing on your right.

dop said...

podium scranus

Louis Ceiline said...

I shit my molossus out in my diapers with my spondee and litotes

BamaPhred said...

5th Loser. Nice beaver shot, no, make that a marmot shot.

Jasper said...

Early doors

N/A said...

I saw a nice beaver and I said, "Dam!"

Anonymous said...

"On Yer Left!" is just Fred's way of saying "Look at me! I'm a fat loser fuck and I passed you! Don't you feel like a worthless piece of of shit now? Hahaha". I've also mistaken a few groundhogs for beavers in my day. Alcohol was usually involved.

Jesse said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mike w. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
dnk said...

"I'm your huckleberry?"

Clearly that guy aced the Australian slang quiz yesterday.

Jesse said...

i started out on the cyclists side, but by the 4th "sharrow" I was starting to think the driver may have a point.

Everbody said...

The tenth comment will be this afternoon, long read.

N/A said...

I was always taught that "on your left" was polite/proper. Concise, and quick to holler out before you were up somebody's ass. So, I guess it doesn't register as rude or douchey to me. And I do make an honest effort to be considerate of others on MUPs.

I will say, however, that in recent years I have almost entirely dropped the habit, though not out of any sense of it being curt or impolite. It's because the smartphone zombies and non-English speaking folks either ignore it, don't know how to respond to it, or don't know their right from left. If a person ahead of me is all the way to the right and moving predictably, I'll just quietly pass. If there are kids or dogs being walked, or somebody weaving around on the path, I always shout "passing", ring a bell, or click my brake levers, so that I get their attention.

McFly said...

They say a beaver smacks its tail when it senses danger so I always smack the tail first to diffuse the situation and show that I come in piece.

Olle Nilsson said...

Snob, think about what you're saying. You want people to be able to distinguish the appropriate situation to warn when passing? That's like asking the general public to grasp the concept of turn signals. But a good rant is entertaining. If this was a car blog, I'd have one right now.

recumbent conspiracy theorist said...

Earlier this summer I made a sweet 80-yard head shot on a plump ground hog sow with my .22 rifle. It's eyeball bugged out on the far side and she dropped in her tracks.

recumbent conspiracy theorist said...

I've got a Husqvarna weed-whacker. That thing runs great. Never started a forest fire with it though.

RJaySquirl said...

http://durangodevo.com/2009/page/15/

(scroll down)Could this an early avatar of Babble?

I love her style!

N/A said...

If it were, in fact, bikecyclistridingpeople that started the fire, I'd theorize that there was some sparking, but it weren't from no pedal. I'd guess that they were gettin' gnar and bro-ing out with some sticky buds.




Also, I assume that every single part of a bike can now house either a motor, or electronics of some sort, so I guess that pedals could have something sparky in 'em.

Anonymous said...

SHARROW! SHARROW!

jt said...

Wow. That guy was crazy. He also might be a little confused about his own sexuality.

janinedm said...

There is a sort of beautiful order to the universe that almost makes me believe in lob. A barrel shaped, car worshipping, short tempered fuck like the one in the video is a prime candidate for a heart attack. Let's just hope he doesn't hurt any cyclists before his time comes. Also, cyclists are annoying in endless ways with our nerdy focus and waking up at butt o'clock in the morning to go up and down the same hill so that later we can go up and down the same hill faster. But how can people think we're pussies. I gout on the road perched on a 20-something pounds of metal and you sit in your Ford Escape with the windows up and the AC on and you think you're the fearless one? Please.

Also, I tend to try to give people warning as I approach in the streets if they're not one of the regulars I see every day. The WorkCycles is big enough that people seem startled sometimes. But I usually say something like, "Would you mind if I passed on your left, honey?" followed by a "Thanks." I usually discard the honey if it's another woman.

Anonymous said...

It's not the spark in/from the engine, but the spark created from spinning metal things hitting stationary rocky things.

Time for crabon pedals...

Knüt Fredriksson said...

When they build the wall, can someone make sure that the guy in the video is on the other side of it? Thank you in advance...

leroy said...

The tweeter who took umbrage with Mr. BSNYC's modest disquisition on passing etiquette yesterday hypothesized simultaneously that he was both over 50 and a whiny teenage girl.

The irony is that she certainly once was a teenage girl herself and, if not already there and plays her cards right, will someday be over 50.

Of course, if she doesn't play her cards right, she will someday be over 50 with a teenage daughter in the household. That's when you lose a bathroom at a time in life when you need it more.

But that's a whole different disquisition on passing etiquette.

crosspalms said...

Huckleberry seems to have memorized several years' worth of Bad Movie Dialog.

Glory said...

'sokay, Wildcat, you'll feel calmer after your prune juice. Freds these days, eh?

babble on said...

Mmmmmmm, melons. :)

Bill Yearwood, great guy, fast fred and top of the totem at both the BC Master's Cycling Association AND BC's branch of Transportation Safety Board of Canada, does it best: he whistles when he's coming up on cyclists behaving perfectly and predictably. Y'know, just so's they know he's there.

babble on said...

Heh. Leroy, I love you. Your mind is a fine tooled machine. Clearly your brain hasn't suffered nearly as many hits as has mine... xo xo

Mr Squirrel? Many thanks. :)
Um, and I'm old enough now (thank lob!) that it could just have easily have BEEN me. :-/

Grump said...

"On your left"?????....I usually say "Out of my way, Loser".........Seriously, many riders will turn their head when the hear a noise behind them. A true Fred will veer two or three feet to the left, when they do that. A person walking will take a step or two to their left and turn around.



Anonymous said...

Classic surfer localism. That sort of thing often does come to blows (or shoves or occasionally bites) in the line-up. The stupidity was just as identifiable to a surfer as as a biker. I can only imagine what would have happened if the biker guy was carrying his board with him. Double-whammy? At some breaks, sabotaging people's cars, bikes, stuff on the shore is also not uncommon while they're out in the water. And funnily enough, it often involves aggressors as old as that twerp. Somebody snaked a wave from him earlier in the day.

High Janus, Expert Motorist said...

Ric Flair should have beaten the crap outta the little bike-riding weenie. He could have bludgeoned him with a sharrow-shaped foreign object while repeatedly yelling "On Yer Left!". Then the Nature Boy coulda shoved a copy of the Highway Code up the chamois-sniffer's bunghole and fed what was left of his carcass to the groundhogs. Stay off our highway pedal-pumpers or me and Real Men like Ric Flair will use our steroid-fueled righteous indignation to yell at you real hard while you film us.

bikeshepherd said...

We have a really nice bike/walking trail up here in CNY almost all the way around Onondaga Lake. I rarely utter "on your left" as it is a truly annoying phrase. However, when uttered to the oblivious, standing in the middle of the trail, many will veer to the left, almost causing a collision. I expect this from kids, not adults.

paulb said...

Nothing against bike clubs, but don't they indoctrinate all that "on your left," "car," pointing at road pimples, etc?

Freddy Murcks said...

"On your left!," I did not say to it. Why? Because it was already on the right and it was behaving perfectly predictably. You know, just like I had been when all these people said "On your left" to me.

This quote perfectly encapsulates my feelings on this issue.

Anonymous said...

I think some kind of sound is beneficial when I am getting passed. I find myself startled when I'm doing my usual 16 in the bike lane, and somebody goes by at 22 without warning.

Lately I've been trying "Good Morning" or ringing a bell. I seem to be unable to correlate "Good Morning" with actual morning, but the idea is to let someone ahead know that I'm coming up on them. I reserve "On your left" for when I really don't know which way the passee will veer.

I suppose a really squeaky, dry-lube chain, plus a LOUD Chris King freehub would solve this, but I cannot abide squeaky, loud bicycles. I'm the guy who will go through the trash at gas stations, looking for the last drips of motor oil, to get rid of a little chain squeak.

Daniel said...

Can someone please explain what the fuck is happening in this bikey video?

https://i.imgur.com/3eizJGT.gifv

Dave said...

Many years ago I had at least two crashes caused by me avoiding persons who moved to their left after I said On Your Left. So my policy is never to warn anybody unless circumstances really demand it, and then to do so loudly and with time for me to react to their stupidity. I get the occasional outrage for my silent passing, which of course I ignore.

Squeaky brakes are annoying but do a great job of stabbing the ears of the oblivious with a twinge of danger.

Hmm - now I want some pie. Cold blueberry would be good.

Anonymous said...

Angry dudes like in that video scare the hell out of me. So angry, just ready to hurt someone. That dude is a hair's breadth away from punching someone in the face and/or a heart attack.

Anonymous said...

He apologized:

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/08/11/driver-apologizes-after-road-rage-caught-on-camera/

N/A said...

Dickheads always apologize after they're caught and/or shamed. Usually, it's a "joke" or "sarcasm", too.

Anonymous said...

There was one time I wish I said "on your left" even though, as in your circumstance it seemed unnecessary. Which is why I didn't say it. Dude pulled a sudden 90 degree left turn on the path directly in front of me as I was passing and CRASH!

Anonymous said...

I don't know, a guy who is that much of an ahole might just make me say eff it and give it a go. Probably have to remove my shoes though unless they had recessed cleats.

Anonymous said...

You stay out of our quiet beach town Lebowski!

Some guy from upstate said...

Man, up here in the frozen north bikes are uncommon and people are easily startled. I have adopted a friendly "good morning" (to stir them from their reverie) followed by an "on your left" (to alert them that there are these things called bicycles that may be faster than their morning stroll). I can see how this might get annoying if it happened every two minutes. I also believe snob has shared the experience of the joggers who abruptly stop and turn around.

Theodore said...

When people pass me very close, you know, like buzzing the tower, without saying anything (which i do feel is kind of rude) i like to yell out, "on your right!" as they zip by.

I'm your worst nightmare said...

that guy seems kind of fat to be a surfer? when people pass me with an unnecessary "on your left" I respond with an "on your right". What is really annoying is when some moron yells "hold your line" like it's a race or something. Can we all just try to take ourselves and our childish hobby (cycling that is) a little less seriously. Thanks!

N/A said...

If somebody tells me to "hold my line" then I assume they're an idiot because I don't ride in pacelines. Also, I'm slow. Also, also, I'm on a trainer, and how the hell did they get in my garage?

Anonymous said...

But saying on your left wouldn't help if, as is true in most cases, they have headphones in.

Anonymous said...

did he say "I'll pull Trump on you" ladies and gentlemen, I present your typical trump supporter: A dumb, fat, aggressive, racist, homophobic bully. Although he didn't make any racial slurs, because the guy was white, I'm going to go out on a limb and say the bloated surfer probably also harbors some of those tendencies.

Anonymous said...

STRAVA!! I want a feature that scores points for how many "ON YOUR LEFT" call outs I make. Conversely, the rider that gets passed would score negative points. You got the data to make this happen Strava - it only takes a few tweeks to your FlyBy function.

Anonymous said...

To many people in NYC "on your left" or an annoying bell ring means "get out of my way, I'm coming through" rather than a friendly warning. If you're on a shared path, with walkers, joggers, etc, don't fucking do that. You need to just slow down and carefully ride around slower people. I'm not talking about in a dedicated bike path or on the road (which is where you belong if you want to ride quickly), but a crowded shared path like the Hudson Greenway. You probably can't help being stupid, but try not to also be a dick.

Beaver or Groundhog, you be the Judge said...

"All the holes in the Swiss cheese lined up perfectly”. Describes my mind perfectly when listening to "The Donald".

I once came across a what I thought was a Groundhog, turned out to be a Beaver and I wasn't even on Wreck Beach.

Anonymous said...

Got to say, I'm surprised by road rage guy's contrite apology. He seems sincerely sorry about acting like an ignorant uncontrolled asshole. The cynical side of me suspects that there are ulterior-- i.e., financial-- motives involved as, usually, these types never admit wrongdoing.

NRA said...

RCT @ 948: Scope on the rifle?

babble on said...

anonyrighteous @ 1:39? Sorry, but I beg to differ. Dicks are wonderful, while the idiots speeding through shared path are not. Actually, I'm not sorry at all. I adore dicks. Dicks are awesome, as are cocksuckers. And cunts. I love mine!! If somebody like that Heathen Socal slimebucket pisses you off, please call him out for the shit eating scumbag he is, rather than denegrating my happy place. That is all.

Um, and for those of you who don't speak HTML, here's a link to a hyperlinks for dummies page that makes it easy peasy pumpkin pie.

Wolf Man Jack said...

Babble @ 11:23 "he whistles when he's coming up on cyclists" but only for women cyclists :-)

Anonymous said...

Sharrows are actually redundant - at least here in CA. Bikes have full lane rights in multi-lane surface streets whether or not the pretty, vertigo inducing pictures are painted down. They're just a reminder to road users in the Fred infested burgs.

I do try to practice some courtesy with drivers who actually pass me fully in the next lane instead of a halfassed swerve-around. When approaching the next traffic signal, I'll happily stack behind them so they don't have to pass me again.

No more territorial ape than a surfer.

Jenni G said...

Theodore @ 1:13 - I'm going to start using that. 'On your left' is perfectly appropriate when coming up fast or passing close. Silent buzzing is so rude.
I've stopped using 'on your left' for pedestrians, though, esp those with dogs, because the idiots always stop and turn around or do a frantic dance from one side of the path to the other, apparently trying to figure out which way is 'left.' A cheerful ring of the bike bell seems to be universally understood and produces smoother results.

Left Right, Left Right, Left Right said...

On your Left, On your Left. I already live on the Left Coast, so should I yell On your Right? What if I move to South America where everything swirls in the opposite direction? Or one of those nations where everyone drives on the non American side of the road? It's all too confusing. Ride done, I think I'll start the re-carbing consumption of ale early today.

On the Receiving End said...

Babble at 1:52: "Dicks are awesome, as are cocksuckers." The giving of great head is an art form.

Anonymous said...

I hate "on your left" -- it is only ever rarely needed and is more annoying than trackstands at crowded intersections. I do love seeing WRM putting the english major skills to good use with molossus. Made my day.

In New England, we call those varmints woodchucks rather than groundhogs -- not sure why.

Great post today

Anonymous said...

I just sing a little Air Supply or Manilow - that gets their attention and they really move out of the way.

Anonymous said...

I reserve "on your left" for bike paths, but am starting to see the point of its use in other situations. The other day I was on a regular road passing a predictable looking rider on a road bike in full kit. The road was empty so I took the opposite lane to pass him. Just as I reached his 8o'clock position, he goes into a u-turn with no warning; for a moment it appeared 100% likely that we would crash, but we somehow avoided it. Quick apology, with the explanation that he's "doing hill repeats", and then he rides off.

One nice thing about strava is that you can use it after the fact to identify folks like this. Triathlete.

recumbent conspiracy theorist said...

NRA @ 1:51 -Yes, Nikon 2-7X rimfire.

crosspalms said...

I don't usually need to use "on your left" because I'm slower than most riders. I reserve the bell for anyone who looks distracted and slow down to make sure they don't go squirrel on me.

Now I want a jersey that says "Molossus please"

Dooth said...

I envy slow riders.I can't help riding fast ( 6ft tall, 150 lbs),especially, on that trail shown in today's post, so I pass a few folks. I try not to say onyourleft. If I have to say It, it's my fault.

Anonymous said...

someone tell Kirstie Butler that that majority of modern pedal bodies are made out of aluminum or plastic, both of which do not spark when they strike a rock. Funny how the genius at BikeRadar did not pick up on this.

Anonymous said...

I'm with Some guy from Upstate. I just say "hello", "good morning" etc. It's civil, pleasant and prevents those annoying U-turns in front of you.

I don't use "on your left" because all the triathletes use that when they pass families with strollers at 25 mph. If a walker hears "on your left", they invariably jump 3 ft to the right because prior experience tells them that they are about to get an 80mm deep carbon front rim up their ass crack if they don't.

And, always say something nice to the kids. They're our future (ie. who I hope to sell my bike to when it wears out)

1904 Cadardi said...

On your left seems to invariably make people move in the last direction they heard. Did someone say left? I should move left.

How about "Hello", or "Excuse me". I feel bad if I scare people on the trails and try to pass with as much room as possible. Unless they're wearing headphones, then I don't feel bad at all.

Ric (not Flair) said...

Whenever someone unnecessarily yells "Hold your line!", I always yell back "Love isn't always on time!".

Seattle lone wolf said...

I go with "Out of my way, jerk-ass!"

Lieutenant Oblivious said...

Anonymous @ 3:59, my thoughts exactly. I used a popular interwebs searching engine to learn that high carbon steel and magnesium are two metals that can make a spark against flint to start a fire. So maybe the errant mountain biker had some magnesium pedals or some cheapo old 10 speed steel rat trap pedals? Or maybe said mountain biker's pedal struck one rock that subsequently struck another rock and the gnashing of those two rocks together sparked? What kind of rocks are there in Lower Rock Creek? And in a forest fire of thousands of acres how do the forensic scientists pin point the exact point where the fire started?

I find that in the NYC metro area it is douchebag freds yelling on your left to point out they are passing me. I sometimes tell them I am on their right. I sometimes tell them you go ahead, I did a double century yesterday and am on a recovery ride today. The cooler freds say hello as they pass by.

babble on said...

Heh I like Ric's response. :)

I can't whistle to save my soul, even without a fat lip, so I usually just say hello, or good morning, or nice ass, or whatever comes to mind.

dancesonpedals said...

cooler freds? gonna have to run that by the oxymoron police...

babble on said...

Heh heh. Oxymoron. I resemble that word. :)

BikesnDirt said...

Cleat engagement piece is steel and since both sides of mtn bike pedals have this, there is always a potential "sparker" exposed to the trail. Also, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who was hoping the cyclist was going to punch that guy in the balls.

BamaPhred said...

Cooker Freds? I thought those where the people who bought Yeti's and sat around talking ad nauseum about how much longer theirs could hold ice.

YouknowWho said...

Would you believe cooler freds

The Nature Boy said...

I don't always ride a bike, but when I do, I always give a big "WWWOOOOOOOOOOOO!" to all the riders I overtake.

David G said...

More of an anapest I'd say: on-your-LEFT

The nice thing about the bike bell is that a slight push of the lever alerts the person in front of you of your presence without sending any confrontational message. I'm very free with it.

Dooth said...

Karl Marx. If you hear that on the South County trail. It's me with the water bottle in the jersey back pocket.

Arizona hillbilly said...

I used to work on the INF. While I was there they claimed a ricochet caused a fire. When I suggested that lead doesn't cause sparks all my coworkers just rolled their eys. A little later when alone one of the old timers told me everyone know that Prevention tech was a gawddamn idiot..

Unknown said...

It would take one hell of a pedal strike to achieve the sparking heat/energy and would need to happen in perfect fire conditions. It would be hard to re-create in a lab situation, as in nearly impossible w/o trying pretty hard. Very unlikely.

bad boy of the north said...

babble...glad to see your humor....or is it humour up north?...is intact.

Holy Roller said...

When I am passing by a slower sinner, I just shout out, "Praise the Lord Jesus", and those sinners recoil like I'm one of the riders of the apocalypse.

PeterL said...

I worked one summer for the British Columbia Forest Service. There were some days when the fire hazard was so high that we weren't allowed into the woods (and, of course, nobody else was allowed either). On slightly less hazardous days (when we were only allowed into the woods in the early morning and everyone else was forbidden), it felt as if the friction of our rubber-soled boots would start a fire ... walking on the forest duff was like walking on popcorn. But unlikely ... most fires were started by idiots and campfires or cigarettes; or by lightening.

Pathetic Old Cyclist said...

Wow, I think the fists would have started flying when he started drilling that finger at me.

Anonymous said...

often i dont bother 'cause people have headphones in and do not give a f
sometimes i say it if space is tight.. but then again I slow down too
sometimes do say it, and people say thanks
and I appreciate when people say it.. especially if proximity is close its nice to know
whats more objectionable? i think bells are super fucking annoying and smug and I like a human voice saying "hello.. passing by on your left fyi" even though I have superb lane discipline and am always riding steadily on the right. at 13 mph.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for everything about this post. I will go back to silent protest of all bikeen ettiquette. Why are people stupid???

atom bomb said...

"Huckleberry"?! Very classy. Quoting from Johnny Mercer. I don't think "sharrow" has been used in any numbers from the Great American Songbook.

Anonymous said...

Sparrow broken arrow where is my wheelbarrow

E-bike Zen Master said...

If pedal strikes are a fire hazard, plastic pedals would be an easy way to address the issue.

BTW.. yes, there are now battery-powered electric mowers, I had one when I lived in the burbs with a lawn. I don't know why they aren't more popular. Or do people enjoy being fumigated weekly while mowing their lawn, while annoying the neighbors with a deafening racket?

I see you had a nice spin on the South County Trailway. I actually use that road to go places I NEED to go. I think it is signed for amateurs incapable of controlling their bike --- and also as a way for avoid liability for careless drivers. Stop sign with road crossing? Dismount. Construction? Dismount. Sharp corner? Dismount. Narrow path? Dismount. And so it goes. At Mile Square Road, they tell you not just to dismount, but also walk your bike half a block over to the crosswalk. To cross a two-lane neighborhood road. Pity the biker who lives on Mile Square Road and needs to take a left turn out of their driveway.

Although South County Trailway is full of spurious "Dismount" signs, navigating it is NOT for amateurs. There are absolutely no signs indicating exits, cross streets, or how to get anywhere interesting. If you don't already know where you're going, you will be... Lost in Yonkers. Imagine if Interstates were as well marked.

If you made it past Elmsford... did you notice the "bike pelt" hung on the fence at the UPS depot? Is it a safety message to UPS drivers, or an ominous warning to bikers who dare use the path?

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