Kapusta

Got out for a ride today. Left at noon and had a great fat bike ride in the snow. I was really in my happy space for over 3 hours.

Turned on the radio on the way home at around 4 PM, and learned.... well, you know, attempted subversion of our democracy and all that. Guess we lost those “peaceful transition of power” bragging rights after today.

Made me think of a story I read of some folks who were rafting in on the Colorado with no cell service for weeks just as the pandemic started. They emerged cold turkey to a world on lockdown, and no toilet paper.

So what big events have you missed while out riding?

indyfabz

Michael Jackson’s and Farrah Fawcett’s deaths. The GF and I were in Glacier National Park for a couple of days. No cell service. We saw a newspaper when we left the park through the west entrance. It was the last day of the tour, and we had a hotel booked that night, so we got caught up by watching TV.

Koyote

When I was in my 20s, I often traveled for weeks at a time in my pickup truck, doing a lot of hiking and backpacking along the way, often far away from any radio reception. And cell phones were but a sci-fi fantasy back then.

One night, sleeping under the stars somewhere in southern Utah, it dawned on me: something big could happen — say, a relative could die — and I wouldn’t know about it for quite some time.

I rolled over and went back to sleep. Nothing I can do about those things. They happen whether I know about them or not.

BobbyG

If it's 'Fear of Missing Out' vs. disengagement I vote for time spent in "happy space".

Pridedog

I was on my morning commute (20+ miles) when the Towers were hit. Walked in front door and first thing I heard was "Did you hear what happened?" Then I received calls from both my kids before I could get changed.

Kapusta

It's not

mark_schiess

So many events missed this year

Barry2 

I was teaching a multi nationality class in the USA.
I asked the German in the class “what he thought of the Wall”
He replied “All countries have their walls, just some you can’t see”

I got to break the news.. “your wall came down yesterday”
He didn’t believe me, he suspected a translation issue, I had to describe bricks on the floor and people climbing over them.
He ran to phone home, still in disbelief.

Barry

Reflector Guy

On a Friday night back in 1994, I went to be really early - like 7PM - because I was getting up at some crazy dark hour to leave on a road trip. So while I slept, millions of people were glued to the TV watching O.J. Simpson's "Low Speed Chase" through the streets of LA.

delbiker1 

If I had been trying to get updated with the latest news and missed my bike ride, then I would have missed something important to me. I have not had TV reception since I bought and moved into my present home, almost 6 years. I rarely have the radio on in my car, and now, do not drive that much anyway. I never go to news or social media sites. I believe I have missed nothing that I regret missing. It is kind of amazing what little effect being up to date on all that stuff has on ones everyday life.

Chinghis

Hah, I was riding near his house that day. Helicopters were flying over and stuff, I had no clue what was happening until I got to the trail head and my buddies told me ht was being pursued. We went for a ride.

Troul 

Those rides are deliberate, yet I find myself in the know.

Need to take longer rides it seems.

indyfabz

There’s something to be said for that. BITD (1999) I spent close to 4 months on a bike tour. Rarely read a newspaper or watched TV. Didn’t really miss it all that much. A chair with a back was more of a treat.

The biggest event I remember hearing about was the Kennedy kid being killed in the plane crash. Our group of 13 spent the weekend in a hostel in Minneapolis that had a TV.

canklecat

Can't think of any significant event -- in terms of regional, national or global significance -- that I missed while riding a bike.

Most of the memorable events and tragedies I can think of, I heard about during commutes -- driving, train, etc. That includes the space shuttle Challenger explosion, 9/11, many others, including personal losses such as deaths in the family. For some reason I usually heard about those during a commute or at work.

The only alerts I set for my phone to notify me during bike rides, walks, jogging, etc., are for weather and national emergencies. There isn't much else I'd really need to know about during the brief period I have to decompress on the bike or walking. I've disabled most news alerts on my phones, permanently. I check the news a couple of times a day anyway.

Koyote

This x 100.

Most of what is passed off as "news" is just entertainment presented by people with nice haircuts. And the vast majority of it has no impact on our lives.

Russ Roth

I was spending a week riding from Amsterdam to Paris and didn't pay any attention to the news, turns out I was riding through one of the biggest heat waves to hit Europe in something like a century with a huge death count from heat stroke and I came back to NY hours after the power was restored to most of the state from a power failure in Canada that effected the whole grid. Starting in Amsterdam meant I was spending the whole ride completely stoned, bought lots of good stuff and had a smoke at bed time and did a wake and bake in the morning. Although I did drink plenty of water I mostly traveled on Fanta and munchies. Would do it again.

Flip Flop Rider

gonna be tough to top this one

Flip Flop Rider

I do it again with you

Reflector Guy

When they started putting viral videos - water-skiing squirrels, piano-playing cats, etc - on the national news, the message became clear. It had become an entertainment show.

epnnf

I got back from a ride & found out about the Oklahoma bombing.

mstateglfr 

Not riding, but...
I was on an internship for college at a nice golf course in the Chicago area back in '01 and was golfing with some staff on 9/11. It was an awesome morning- quiet, crisp, and some leaves but not too many. We made the turn and heard about the first tower, but at the time thought it was just some crazy awful accident. Halfway thru the back 9 our phones were buzzing left and right because more became known.

I rarely seek out news, so I may have missed something while riding and not even known. Ignorance is bliss.

notthe1freeman

Nothing...my best life events minus my children's births...I was riding!

Aroyobob

When I got back from my ride yesterday I learned that Harry and Meghan have sworn off social medial.