Non cyclists say the funniest things..

[gbb]

What a wierd thing Tete...i'm playing a Tarantula mix by Faithless..and your avatars dancing almost exactly in time with the track

 

[HLaB]

A work colleague saw me I arrive on my bicycle at a sailing club some eight miles from home and greeted me with "Did you cycle here?"
It was difficult to think of a polite response.

My sister has a similar comment when I turn up on my bike "Did you cycle all the way?", "no I walked the 15 miles pushing my bike"or after a while when I get up to go, clipping the lights on " you're not going cycle in the dark?"

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

my feeling fwiw has been that most peeps locally assume I am a prat, dressed up on a weirdo bike, just to go around the corner. However little do they know that what they are witnessing is in fact a superhuman effort beyond 90% of their abilities by a fat slob who isnt as fat as them any more.

Up in Norfolk this summer I had several peeps drop their jaw when I told them where I came from on the bike. I must say that up there i found all the interest in my bike to be positive and friendly.

I was out the other day, and on the way home after about 60 miles it dawned on me that i had ridden further on my bike than most drivers around me had driven that day.

It just never crosses non cyclists minds that a bike is in fact a long distance vehicle as well.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

What a wierd thing Tete...i'm playing a Tarantula mix by Faithless..and your avatars dancing almost exactly in time with the track

He can't get no sleep.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I grew up in Exeter and my Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles were all in Axminster, 25 miles away. In the late 60's and 70's that was quite a trip, well it certainly seemed so to me as a young child (old roads, old cars). Somehow 25 miles has stuck in my head as "quite a long way."

20 minutes ago I just got in the door from this evening's "quick 25 miler" which seems somehow so much shorter than those old 25 miles to Axminster...

 

[buggi]

He can't get no sleep.

tete... has spidey taken something?... he seems to be dancing a bit hyper.

 

[snorri]

Older gent whom I have never seen on a bike often sees me cycle along to the local shops on my 11 year old Raleigh Pioneer. One day he said to me "You should get one of them mountain bikes". I looked at him quizically and said "Do you think so?". "Yes" he said "they're great!"

 

[Tetedelacourse]

tete... has spidey taken something?... he seems to be dancing a bit hyper.

It's actually Spidey's brother, Gimpy. I don't know how it happened - the administrator took him to the Gents for a chat and when he came back he was a bit agitated, and colourless.

If you've seen the film Crank (I haven't) it's a bit like that. He only continues to live if he can keep his heartrate above 150bpm.

 

[frog]

This is a brilliant thread, almost crying with laughing here

 

[walker]

What makes me laugh is when someone ask's you how fast you have been. to which you say 'I normally go around 25mph', and they reply 'must of been some hill' 'no, thats on the flat, down hill is around 45mph' I just turn around as I hear their jaw drop, as if 25 mph is really that fast

 

[Carwash]

...I just turn around as I hear their jaw drop, as if 25 mph is really that fast

Quite - I've gone faster than that on my skateboard for goodness' sake!

 

[barq]

It just never crosses non cyclists minds that a bike is in fact a long distance vehicle as well.

Yeah, I think that's true. This is a funny thread, but I agree with Mickle that it is slightly troubling. I wonder if this is about people being car-centric in a general way rather than specifically ignorant about bikes. For example the notion of walking to the local shops is a pretty radical proposition for a lot of people.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Quite - I've gone faster than that on my skateboard for goodness' sake!

Petty criminals must be counting their blessings that the Red Hand Gang didn't have you with them.

 

[Brock]

Red hand gang!!
Wow, that was a long time ago.