Do you feel special? How special?
06-12-09, 02:13 PM
#26
cycling n00b
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: West Coast of Finland
Posts: 582
Bikes: EAI Brassknuckle fixed Sannino fixed, Thorn Club Tour, Soma Smoothie
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
-
Yes mattm,
And just to give you some context we were climbing at 5 - 6 mph up a 7 - 8% grade (from the floor of Death Valley to White Mountain Summit), temp. in the high 30's, drizzle/rain under very dark skies. Overall, a boring slog up the mountain.
Then we heard some thunder in the distance. Okay, we've got rain, thunder is not out of the question. But then, very rapidly, the thunder got WAY LOUDER and WAY CLOSER. In what seemed like no time, it was right over our heads (felt like 10 ft. above us, actually more like 200 ft.), the noise was intense and the "wash" from the displaced air caused the bikes/riders to wobble for a second
.
As soon as the pilot had the airplane past us he banked straight up . . . which was kind of impressive, really. So overall, yeah, terrifying, totally unexpected, but in retrospect kind of cool and it did break up the monotony of a 20 mi. climb on terrible pavement
!
Rick / OCRR
Yes mattm,
And just to give you some context we were climbing at 5 - 6 mph up a 7 - 8% grade (from the floor of Death Valley to White Mountain Summit), temp. in the high 30's, drizzle/rain under very dark skies. Overall, a boring slog up the mountain.
Then we heard some thunder in the distance. Okay, we've got rain, thunder is not out of the question. But then, very rapidly, the thunder got WAY LOUDER and WAY CLOSER. In what seemed like no time, it was right over our heads (felt like 10 ft. above us, actually more like 200 ft.), the noise was intense and the "wash" from the displaced air caused the bikes/riders to wobble for a second
. As soon as the pilot had the airplane past us he banked straight up . . . which was kind of impressive, really. So overall, yeah, terrifying, totally unexpected, but in retrospect kind of cool and it did break up the monotony of a 20 mi. climb on terrible pavement
! Rick / OCRR
06-12-09, 03:46 PM
#27
www.ocrebels.com
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Los Angeles area
Posts: 6,186
Bikes: Several bikes, Road, Mountain, Commute, etc.
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
2 Posts
Well . . . it was uncommon to me!
Rick / OCRR
06-12-09, 03:58 PM
#28
cycling n00b
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: West Coast of Finland
Posts: 582
Bikes: EAI Brassknuckle fixed Sannino fixed, Thorn Club Tour, Soma Smoothie
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Heh, yeah I'm no aircraft expert, just something that popped out of the back of my head. I was buzzed by a couple of Hawks (who really ought to be retired by now) doing a solo double metric a couple of years ago, I can agree with the "fast approaching thunder" bit :-)
Edit, and for adding content, no i don't know about feeling special, but most people i work with put me in the "special like the kids you see wearing hockey helmets at the mall" category, from the looks i get chatting at coffe breaks :-P
Edit, and for adding content, no i don't know about feeling special, but most people i work with put me in the "special like the kids you see wearing hockey helmets at the mall" category, from the looks i get chatting at coffe breaks :-P
06-12-09, 06:15 PM
#29
Tee Hee Hee
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Valencia, CA
Posts: 54
Bikes: Just a bunch of silly Frankenbikes
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I know i'm not special because I never got invited to ride the short bus. My Mom said I shouldn't worry about it and when I got older she gave me a mechanical pencil, a matching pen, and a pocket protector so I'd at least look special. Now I realize that was a big mistake because that led to this which when I ride my bicycle in my skin tight superman outfit, regular people point and chuckle, knowing all too well I'm one of those who want to be special...
06-12-09, 09:23 PM
#30
Uber Goober
Long ago, I was eating supper with a friend at a restaurant. He pointed at a sign and said "Zigflob!". Then he told me, "Do you realize that I'm probably the first person in the history of the universe to point at an exit sign and say 'Zigflob'?"
Old "magic" trick: You tell the audience, "I am going to show you something that has never been seen by human eyes before, and will never be seen again." Then you take a peanut, crack it, show them the nut, and then eat it.
The point being that "special" doesn't mean all that much. When you look at "century riders", how about the ones that ride industrial cruisers? That ought to narrow the list right down. But it doesn't seem to get me on Stupid People Tricks, either.
Old "magic" trick: You tell the audience, "I am going to show you something that has never been seen by human eyes before, and will never be seen again." Then you take a peanut, crack it, show them the nut, and then eat it.
The point being that "special" doesn't mean all that much. When you look at "century riders", how about the ones that ride industrial cruisers? That ought to narrow the list right down. But it doesn't seem to get me on Stupid People Tricks, either.
__________________
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
06-14-09, 07:14 AM
#32
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Rural Missouri - mostly central and southeastern
Posts: 3,013
Bikes: 2003 LeMond -various other junk bikes
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 78 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 44 Times
in
35 Posts
but most people i work with put me in the "special like the kids you see wearing hockey helmets at the mall"
Is 'Special' the same as 'Rare'?
06-14-09, 09:47 AM
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Dorchester, MA
Posts: 305
Bikes: Blue Competition
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
How does the saying go? 68% of all statistics are made up on the spot?
My biggest accomplishments to date have been a two time finisher of the Pan Mass Challenge. Tame by randonneuring standards... I hope to complete the Petersburg 300K in September this year. I still probably won't feel that special though.
Crazy maybe. But not special.
My biggest accomplishments to date have been a two time finisher of the Pan Mass Challenge. Tame by randonneuring standards... I hope to complete the Petersburg 300K in September this year. I still probably won't feel that special though.
Crazy maybe. But not special.
06-16-09, 11:14 AM
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: NorCal
Posts: 546
Bikes: 2009 Surly Cross Check Frankenbike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
We're all special in our own way. I learned that from TV. I think it was Barney the dinosaur.
06-16-09, 06:54 PM
#37
**** that
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: CALI
Posts: 15,402
Mentioned: 151 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1099 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times
in
30 Posts
Technically brevets aren't competitions, but people do pay attention to who is up front, and what the latest greatest fastest time was. (well, I pay attention to that stuff, even if it isn't me up there)
For instance, the Charly Miller society (PBP in <65h) or Cyclos Montagnards.
Sometimes the competition can be with yourself - not to fall asleep "at the wheel", not to DNF out of laziness, or to beat your previous best.
So if you "win" against yourself or others, why not brag about it a little?
11-27-09, 05:56 PM
#38
Newbie
Unless there is a time limit there is nothing special about riding a century, double century or whatever.... it is like running a marathon or a half marathon in races which have very generous time limits..
Good for you but nothing special, anybody can do it.
Good for you but nothing special, anybody can do it.
11-27-09, 06:27 PM
#39
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 16,880
Bikes: 1980 Masi, 1984 Mondonico, 1984 Trek 610, 1980 Woodrup Giro, 2005 Mondonico Futura Leggera ELOS, 1967 PX10E, 1971 Peugeot UO-8
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1858 Post(s)
Liked 664 Times
in
506 Posts
No, yes, and ******* This is a thread about how people recognize the mathamatical probabilites of the general human population acting with respect to long distance cycling events. It may or may not matter to those who participate in long distance cycling events. Such as the current long distance forum audience.
I'm not sure whether this thread has any value or not. I wanted to discuss the relative uniqueness of long distance cycling and I thought proposing a set of "peeps per population" ratios was an interesting
way of engaging an audience.
PS the ******** = "and so what."
I'm not sure whether this thread has any value or not. I wanted to discuss the relative uniqueness of long distance cycling and I thought proposing a set of "peeps per population" ratios was an interesting
way of engaging an audience.
PS the ******** = "and so what."
11-29-09, 11:43 AM
#40
Never enough miles...
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Cupertino, CA
Posts: 90
Bikes: Look 595, Rock Lobster Steel CX, Bianchi San Jose
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
What if you ride the 508 solo on a fixed gear beach cruiser without a saddle?
My question about the 'stats'... I seriously doubt that 1% of the population has done a century. And I seriously doubt that 10% of those have done a double. However, I would guess that more than 1% of the people who have done a double have done a triple... There just aren't enough people that have done doubles to match the percentages... As a point, 21 people did the LA Grand Tour's Triple last year, compared to 4 for the quad (remember that they have a stiff time limit, so this turns a lot of people away from attempting the quad!). 319 people did the double centuries...
But I'll settle for being 1 in more than 2 million...
My question about the 'stats'... I seriously doubt that 1% of the population has done a century. And I seriously doubt that 10% of those have done a double. However, I would guess that more than 1% of the people who have done a double have done a triple... There just aren't enough people that have done doubles to match the percentages... As a point, 21 people did the LA Grand Tour's Triple last year, compared to 4 for the quad (remember that they have a stiff time limit, so this turns a lot of people away from attempting the quad!). 319 people did the double centuries...
But I'll settle for being 1 in more than 2 million...
11-29-09, 12:35 PM
#41
Senior Member
Riding long distances does not make me "special," just grateful.
11-30-09, 05:20 PM
#42
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 11,375
Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
6 Posts
I'm so special that I even wear my helmet when I'm not riding my bike.
__________________
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
11-30-09, 05:39 PM
#43
just another gosling
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 19,535
Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004
Mentioned: 115 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3889 Post(s)
Liked 1,938 Times
in
1,383 Posts
I don't miss the helmet, but I sure miss the mirror. I'm always walking along or hiking and find myself checking my mirror - but it isn't there. I wonder if I wore glasses if I'd just wear a glasses mirror all the time. That'd make me feel special for sure. Nerd X 10!
