Things I've seen when riding my bike

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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

Its to stop his trousers getting a shiny **** as the saddle polishes it as he cycles
 
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
Driving home today as I passed someone on the motorway, they were watching a film on their phone. The phone, although technically being hands free, was stuck on the windscreen to the right of the steering wheel!
 
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This morning was a right weird one. I volvo estate pulled out of a side road then off it went. In the back was a sheep!
That's pretty standard my way. A guy in a suit would be stranger.
Last time out on my bike it was eagle, pine Marten red squirrel Deer. No people at all, although im talking mountain bike not commuting.
Few months ago when my brother was over we went out on the bikes vaguely intending on foraging for mushrooms and half way up a mountain on a grassy single-track seldom trodden path found two crisp fifties.
 
That's pretty standard my way. A guy in a suit would be stranger.
Last time out on my bike it was eagle, pine Marten red squirrel Deer. No people at all, although im talking mountain bike not commuting.
Few months ago when my brother was over we went out on the bikes vaguely intending on foraging for mushrooms and half way up a mountain on a grassy single-track seldom trodden path found two crisp fifties.

This is the thing though, it was on the outskirts of London not in the middle of the sticks (New Malden, although they like to pretend their in Surrey)
 
I didn't ride my bike today but I met Charlie Kelly. He was one of the original Marin county MTBers and organised the first ever downhill races.
 
Well, I don't have a cycle, and I find all these funny stories really, well, funny and I though you might like a funny story from the world of truck driving. Very ironic because while it appears funny at first, think of the devastation a 44 tonne truck can cause at 56 mph, it takes a lot of smashed up cars to stop one.

A few years ago Birmingham (WM) Police bought an old Merc tractor unit. I think they have several of these now, but anyway, these trucks had cameras fitted into the nearside window with the sole purpose of filming inside the cab of the truck they were overtaking. This is mainly for drivers not wearing seat belts, or using a phone. However, one of the main transgressors are the Dutch, who come out of Immingham docks, set their laptop on the dashboard and stick a film on to watch. The M180 - M18 - M62 is a boring old job! However the Birmingham spy-truck on the M5 southbound found an enterprising Polish driver who had set up his cooker on the engine cover of an old DAF, filled a saucepan with water and had peeled a pound of potatoes, and was cooking his tea while driving down to Bristol.
 
Driving home today as I passed someone on the motorway, they were watching a film on their phone. The phone, although technically being hands free, was stuck on the windscreen to the right of the steering wheel!

Unfortunately I see this kind of thing way to much here in gloomy Birmingham.

People don't care as there aren't enough police to actually police them.

And on these dark mornings now there faces a lit up by the glow from the mobile down at their lap.

Others I see with the phone wedged into the steering wheel watching films or TV whilst drinking a coffee while on the way into town for work.
 
Well, I don't have a cycle, and I find all these funny stories really, well, funny and I though you might like a funny story from the world of truck driving. Very ironic because while it appears funny at first, think of the devastation a 44 tonne truck can cause at 56 mph, it takes a lot of smashed up cars to stop one.

A few years ago Birmingham (WM) Police bought an old Merc tractor unit. I think they have several of these now, but anyway, these trucks had cameras fitted into the nearside window with the sole purpose of filming inside the cab of the truck they were overtaking. This is mainly for drivers not wearing seat belts, or using a phone. However, one of the main transgressors are the Dutch, who come out of Immingham docks, set their laptop on the dashboard and stick a film on to watch. The M180 - M18 - M62 is a boring old job! However the Birmingham spy-truck on the M5 southbound found an enterprising Polish driver who had set up his cooker on the engine cover of an old DAF, filled a saucepan with water and had peeled a pound of potatoes, and was cooking his tea while driving down to Bristol.

My mate did, until a year or so ago, drive permanent nights in a large van. Bring from round here, the M180/M18 route was his stomping ground. He often saw foreign plate HGV drivers watching films at night, including grot movies (this isn't an anti foreign driver rant, out just seems that having your steering wheel on the opposite side to those overtaking you leads to greater temptation).

Scary.
 
Those crisp fifties...a bit unusual...get a look round for any disturbed ground ..may be some loot buried! I found a set of sawn through cuffs with my metal detector!
 
I have to rant. Especially on this thread.

Big live stock lorry overtook me within inches on a duel carriage way in the fog. With no one coming the the way.

All the people thinking that theyre unseen using their phones. Except the blue glow from their lap is illuminating their face.

It was foggy this morning so I'll leave my blinding fog light on for days. (Because it might be foggy tomorrow or next week)

Massive puddle that a car wouldn't drive through. Neither will I! So decide to drive within a mm of my arm!

Arg the list goes on.

Not a militant cyclist by the way. Just don't wanna die.

Pass wide pass safe.
Give cyclists room.
 
......... Big live stock lorry overtook me within inches .........

....... So decide to drive within a mm of my arm! ..........

Those reminded me of the lorry that overtook me many years ago on the outskirts of a village. The driver realised that he couldn't leave enough room to get past me without hitting oncoming traffic, so when the cab got past me the driver pulled back in again.

There was a kerb on my left, the flat-bed of a lorry hovering over my right shoulder and a pair of double-wheels slowly catching up with me!

I was on an 80cc Suzuki motorbike at the time so I could at least keep up with the lorry for the 50 yards or so until we went past a junction and I could pull off into the side-road; where I stopped and waited until my heart-rate got back to somewhere near normal.

I hoped that the lorry driver died a long and lingering death and that his parents finally got married.
 
I've spent years (40) in trucks of all shapes and sizes, some little ones (Boys' toy's) but mostly in big 'uns proper man-jobs - wide loads and dangerous chemicals. I've always had the greatest respect for other people on the road - not just cyclists, but people with animals, lost map-readers: we all have to live; we all have to use the roads. Most (MOST) of the truck drivers I know, while moaning about other road users, horses, car drivers, cyclists, wasps and flies in the cab, etc., are generally of my way of thinking thus: "Okay, so I might have to slow down for a cyclist, hey, I have 400 miles in front of me and all day to do it, so what?" However, I have also known some truck drivers that should never be on the roads at all! Shouldn't be in charge of anything larger than a push-chair and those I'd never defend, I'd go further, my pet hatred is bad driving and I wish more drivers were reported for dangerous driving - and just as important that the police would do something about it.
 
I once saw two foxes running at full pelt across the park (a popular dog-walking park) to get to the long grass. For a second I thought they were chasing me....
Other than that its squirrels, birds, cats, dogs and if i'm really lucky, a horse. Not bad for suburbia.
 
Up here in Shetland, you often see ferrets, rabbits, otters etc when you're pedalling - oh, and bonxies (Skuas). You see them when you're on the bus, in the car or just looking out the window and when I peek out the living room window, I see sheep, lots and lots of them. Makes me think it'll be reestit mutton for dinner:cool:
 
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I think twats must be like buses. You don't see any for a while then two come along at once. This happened both on quiet residential roads. On my commute into work, a woman was walking right down the middle of the road. Not crossing but walking down the centre. Not only that she wasnt even looking where she was going, she was playing with her phone!
Then on my commute back home again a jogger was jogging right down the middle of the road. Both pavements either side of him were completly empty. So why he was jogging down the middle of the road, I dont know. He didnt half get a scare when I silently cycled past him about two feet away. :laugh8:

I''ve recently bought a new front bike light. It's quite expensive (£68) but pretty powerful. It can kick out 500 lumens on it's high mode (for 3 1/2 hours) and can even do 1000 lumens for 2 mins. But it's worth every penny. I used it in anger for the first time today. On the way home it was dark. I almost immediatly noticed that on coming cars give me a lot more respect. Especially on small residential roads where there are cars parked both side. On coming cars are pulling over loads more and letting me cycle past. I think what is happening is that because the light is so bright cars are seeing me from much further away, rather than just noticing me when I get into there head lights. For any other forumite cyclist, I heartily recommend spending some money and getting a powerful headlight.

The one I bought is this one

https://www.olightstore.uk/led-flashlights/all-flashlights/olight-s30r-baton-iii

Its really a torch but I've always liked torches for bike headlights as you can use it as...a torch too. I use a lokblok to strap it to my handle bars but olight do something similar

https://www.olightstore.uk/flashlight-accessories/olight-fb-1-bike-mount
 

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