Things I've seen when riding my bike

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MyQul

Chairman of the Bored
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Royal Hamlet of Peckham. London.
I often see strange, unusual, amazing and downright weird things when riding my bike around London. Yesterday on the way to work I was cycling near the hogsmill river in new malden, down a cycle/pedestrian path when I saw a stag beetle ambling across the path. I've never seen a live one before, it was huge!

A weird thing I saw riding through kennington the other week was a vicar/priest on a brompton. Nothing strange in that. He was wearing what you'd expect a vicar/priest to wear. smart black suit, dog collar, shiny shoes. But the weird thing was he was wearing a pair of running shorts over his smart trouser. I can't for the life of me think why. Did he think they would make him cycle faster?

We've also got a czech T-34 army tank in South London on mandela way , Bermondsey which I cycle past on my commute home. It's got it's own wiki page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandela_Way_T-34_Tank
 
Yesterday on my way to work at six am i saw theee young deer and then a large,and i mean large owl sitting on the farmhouse roof.
Nothing strange about that, just good i guess
 
Ive also seen a Staffordshire Bull terrier hanging on a branch with its teeth whilst a local junkie thought it was funny to keep pulling the branch down then releasing it.
To be fair to him,it was a little funny until i realised that branch could be my leg,i pedalled a little faster past that pantomime
 
I often see strange, unusual, amazing and downright weird things when riding my bike around London. Yesterday on the way to work I was cycling near the hogsmill river in new malden, down a cycle/pedestrian path when I saw a stag beetle ambling across the path. I've never seen a live one before, it was huge!

A weird thing I saw riding through kennington the other week was a vicar/priest on a brompton. Nothing strange in that. He was wearing what you'd expect a vicar/priest to wear. smart black suit, dog collar, shiny shoes. But the weird thing was he was wearing a pair of running shorts over his smart trouser. I can't for the life of me think why. Did he think they would make him cycle faster?

We've also got a czech T-34 army tank in South London on mandela way , Bermondsey which I cycle past on my commute home. It's got it's own wiki page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandela_Way_T-34_Tank

Hey
You were really close to where i reside (New Malden) along with another member Gareth H W, again New Malden.
May i ask where you work ?
 
Hey
You were really close to where i reside (New Malden) along with another member Gareth H W, again New Malden.
May i ask where you work ?

I'm a community support worker so like it says on the tin work out and about in the communtiy. I work all over the borough of Kingston. My office is based in Surbiton, I'm supposed to be based in Chessinton but I have clients in Chessington and New Malden since the Chessington and New Malden teams were merged But in reality I get all round the borough for various client based reasons
 
I'm a community support worker so like it says on the tin work out and about in the communtiy. I work all over the borough of Kingston. My office is based in Surbiton, I'm supposed to be based in Chessinton but I have clients in Chessington and New Malden since the Chessington and New Malden teams were merged But in reality I get all round the borough for various client based reasons
Interesting, ta.
Won't give specifics over open internet but live in close proximity to Shannon Corner:)
 
Interesting, ta.
Won't give specifics over open internet but live in close proximity to Shannon Corner:)

I go past there on the way home. If you ever see anyone twatting it round the roundabout under the flyover by B&Q on a recumbent bike. That'll be me :D
 
I live in the big smoke of Birmingham, so also often see some weird sights. Drunk people at 6am is pretty common, door handle chancers I see a lot (people walking g down the road trying car doors to see if they open) one guy asked me for 50p cause he was short for the chip shop...bemused face....it's 6am.

Err....quite a bit of wildlife, including a big urban Charlie going back to the den with a Chinese takeaway bag, handles and all in his mouth.

People fighting in the streets after drunken nights out, and at one point I'm feeling lazy and catch the train on Thursday or Friday morning, the all night clubs are kicking out and people catch the first train home, plenty of flesh and vomit to be seen.

Oooo, people watching such fun ;-)

Oh also saw a very colourful bird this morning, but I happen to know someone lost a parrot in my area the other day, and was pleased to see on Twitter they were reuinited today. ;-)
 
I go past there on the way home. If you ever see anyone twatting it round the roundabout under the flyover by B&Q on a recumbent bike. That'll be me :D
Ok what sort of time?
I can stand on the roundabout and give you some stick:lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
I go past there on the way home. If you ever see anyone twatting it round the roundabout under the flyover by B&Q on a recumbent bike. That'll be me :D

Do you never feel vulnerable on that? Have you practiced bailing out?
 
I live in the big smoke of Birmingham, so also often see some weird sights. Drunk people at 6am is pretty common, door handle chancers I see a lot (people walking g down the road trying car doors to see if they open) one guy asked me for 50p cause he was short for the chip shop...bemused face....it's 6am.

Err....quite a bit of wildlife, including a big urban Charlie going back to the den with a Chinese takeaway bag, handles and all in his mouth.

People fighting in the streets after drunken nights out, and at one point I'm feeling lazy and catch the train on Thursday or Friday morning, the all night clubs are kicking out and people catch the first train home, plenty of flesh and vomit to be seen.

Oooo, people watching such fun ;-)

Oh also saw a very colourful bird this morning, but I happen to know someone lost a parrot in my area the other day, and was pleased to see on Twitter they were reuinited today. ;-)

I once had to cylce home at 1.30am. It was so weird. I'm used to the noise and hustle and bustle of London but the quiet and empty streets at that time in the morning felt really weird. All I could hear for long periods of time was the whir of my cranks
 
Do you never feel vulnerable on that? Have you practiced bailing out?


No. It's like anything with practice you get used to it. I've been riding it for about 8 years now. It's a high racer version so has 26" wheels rather than the lower ones with 20" wheels. So I dont feel vulnerable as I'm at about the same height as a car driver so can make eye contact. It's also got quite short wheelbase so is really nippy through traffic. London traffic just gets worse year on year so being so maneuverable is very useful

Bailing out? It's not a WWII bomber you know :lol:
 
On separate occasions I've found not one, but two twenty pound notes in the road on my commute. Before anyone asks no, I have no social conscience, I just trousered them and moved on.

Karma I guess, since I've also been knocked off three times, deliberately driven into twice, had two bikes written off, once due to careless driving, and the other time nearly went under a lorry when my chain snagged in the derailler and demolished most of the bike's rear end. what with that and theft I think I'm on my fourth commuter bike in ten years.
 
On separate occasions I've found not one, but two twenty pound notes in the road on my commute. Before anyone asks no, I have no social conscience, I just trousered them and moved on.

Karma I guess, since I've also been knocked off three times, deliberately driven into twice, had two bikes written off, once due to careless driving, and the other time nearly went under a lorry when my chain snagged in the derailler and demolished most of the bike's rear end. what with that and theft I think I'm on my fourth commuter bike in ten years.

You do know that's classed as 'theft: other' or 'theft by finding' did you buy something with that money? Oh well you just commited another offence by laundering the money. ie disguising your I'll gotten gains. You terrible person you! You should have handed it into the local plod office and waited for 6 weeks to claim your find ;-)

Just saying.
 
No. It's like anything with practice you get used to it. I've been riding it for about 8 years now. It's a high racer version so has 26" wheels rather than the lower ones with 20" wheels. So I dont feel vulnerable as I'm at about the same height as a car driver so can make eye contact. It's also got quite short wheelbase so is really nippy through traffic. London traffic just gets worse year on year so being so maneuverable is very useful

Bailing out? It's not a WWII bomber you know :lol:

Ahh makes sense. I'd like to be able to look the driver in the eye too.

The only ones I've seen in brum are door handle hight, and with people looking at the satnav or mobile, whilst merging lanes, you've got no hope.

I just use a cheap carrera crossfire with the 700 wheels and large frame. Puts me above the line of site of some cars like the VW UP!

Also, I can't see why people choose to drive through brum. I overtook a guy leaving town on the pershore road, he didn't come past me untill about 6 mile later at kings Norton park. His face when he spotted me was a picture!
 
On separate occasions I've found not one, but two twenty pound notes in the road on my commute. Before anyone asks no, I have no social conscience, I just trousered them and moved on.

Karma I guess, since I've also been knocked off three times, deliberately driven into twice, had two bikes written off, once due to careless driving, and the other time nearly went under a lorry when my chain snagged in the derailler and demolished most of the bike's rear end. what with that and theft I think I'm on my fourth commuter bike in ten years.
I lost two twenties last time i was in Brum, i will pm my addy over, just stick em in a plain envelope:lol::lol:
 
We've also got a czech T-34 army tank in South London on mandela way , Bermondsey which I cycle past on my commute home. It's got it's own wiki page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandela_Way_T-34_Tank

Love the yellow cab version :thumb:

Graffiti4hire-tank.jpg
 
Ahh makes sense. I'd like to be able to look the driver in the eye too.

The only ones I've seen in brum are door handle hight, and with people looking at the satnav or mobile, whilst merging lanes, you've got no hope.

I just use a cheap carrera crossfire with the 700 wheels and large frame. Puts me above the line of site of some cars like the VW UP!

Also, I can't see why people choose to drive through brum. I overtook a guy leaving town on the pershore road, he didn't come past me untill about 6 mile later at kings Norton park. His face when he spotted me was a picture!

I dont think I feel safe riding one of the lower ones as your no higher than a bus wheel, which I think would be terrifying.

In London along with traffic jams, traffic lights are the great leveller. There's millions of the buggers. I regularly get passed by cars 20,50,100 times worth my bike then just pull up next to them at the next lights and do this over the course of 5 miles or so. Especially if I happen to be cycling during rush hour.

Cyling though Knightsbridge is always fun especially on sat afternoons. You may well have read in the papers of Saudi Princelings and other such wedged up types driving top of the range super cars through the area. The problem is it's REALLY congested along the Brompton road, it alway gives me great satisfaction as I peddle my way past some Lamborghini with a top end paint job reveving its engines cuz its stuck behind a bus
 
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