phantom helmet syndrome

[John Kane]

Darin McGrew wrote:
> Tom Keats <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I don my favourite baseball hat, and go to
> > do up the (nonexistent) straps.
>
> When I hear something behind me while walking, I often glance up at my
> rear-view mirror to see what it was. Except that the mirror is attached to
> my bike helment, which is at home.

Annoying isn't it?
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

 

[Steve McDonald]

Zoot Katz wrote:
> On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 21:22:04 -0800, [email protected]
> (Tom Keats) wrote:
>
> >I'm snowed in. But I still gotta get around
> >to do errands, which I typically and habitually
> >do by bike. So, intending to hoof it, I get
> >myself prepared to bravely step out into the
> >sub-zero winter wonderland we're currently blessed
> >with. I don my favourite baseball hat, and go to
> >do up the (nonexistent) straps.
> >
> >The sensation is rather like climbing a staircase
> >in the dark, and mis-counting the steps, and the
> >last step you think is there ... isn't.
>
> These past few days I've been riding the SS snow bike with flat
> pedals. Wearing work boots, I keep trying to twist out of the pedals
> like I would with the clipless pedals to which I've become
> accustomed.
>
> Claire mentioned doing the same thing with the accelerator pedal
> while driving and I recalled smacking my head on the steering wheel
> reaching for toe straps.
>
> When I first switched to clipless pedals I kept reaching for the toe
> strap when approaching stops.
>
> I've often walked out of the house without the helmet because I'm
> already wearing a skull cap.
> --
> zk

Since my skull is one inch thick I don't need an add-on helmet. But, I
do reach up and check at the beginning of each ride, just to make sure
it's still attached.

Steve McDonald

 

[Rex Kerr]

Werehatrack wrote:
> Or stabbing for the clutch pedal with your left foot
> when coming to a stop light in a car with an automatic?

Problem is they make the brake pedals so darn wide on automatics.
Then, you end up stamping on the brake when you catch the corner of the
extra wide pedal tossing everybody through the windshield. They must
assume that automatic drivers are too stupid to hit a narrow brake
pedal.



To bring it back on topic... what about when switching back to a
freewheeling bike from a fixie -- the strong impulse that jerks your
entire body when you stop pedaling as your body suddenly says "NO,
DON'T DO THAT!" and you start pedaling again to avoid being tossed,
just to realize that you CAN coast!

 

[Rex Kerr]

Darin McGrew wrote:
> When I hear something behind me while walking, I often glance up at my
> rear-view mirror to see what it was. Except that the mirror is attached to
> my bike helment, which is at home.

There's an easy solution to this problem....

..... just wear the helmet everywhere that you go!

 

[me]

On Wed, 29 Nov 2006 05:33:52 +0000, Werehatrack wrote:

> On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 21:22:04 -0800, [email protected] (Tom Keats)
> wrote:

>
> Is that more embarrassing than reaching for the zipper on a pair of
> sweatpants? Or trying to shift into 6th gear on a car that has a
> 5-speed box?

Reminds me of the first time I drove a 5-speed with left hand drive,
"must remember to shift with right hand" "must remember!" I remembered
alright! what I forgot was to keep my left hand on the wheel! I smacked it
into the door while reaching for the non-existant shifter on my left!
Completely automatic, just so instinctive.

 

[John Kane]

[email protected] wrote:
> John Kane wrote:
> > Tom Keats wrote:
> > > In article <[email protected]>,
> > > Werehatrack <[email protected]> writes:
> > >
> > > > You're in good company. Or at least, I'd like the solace of thinking
> > > > so.
> > >
> > > Accidentally doing emacs navigational key sequences in MS Word
> > > coughs-up some pretty weird consequences, too.
> >
> > Getting in the car and finding the steering wheel's been stolen ! Oops
> > I'm in Ireland not Canada.
>
> This is closely related to the phenomenon of waking up to find someone
> has removed the steering wheel from the rental car and mounted it on
> the wrong side. This is often accompanied by maniacs driving on the
> wrong side of the road toward you. Strangely enough this has only ever
> happened to me while travelling.

Now that you metion it this is generally true in my experience too.
And the natives talk funny too. Still, as soon as everyone started
speaking French the problem went away so I'm wondering if it might not
be neurological problem linked to the language centres of the brain.

There is that one Rolls in Ottawa with the right hand drive! A really
strange experiece catching a ride with the owner, And he talks funny
too.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

 

[nash]

The sensation is rather like climbing a staircase
in the dark, and mis-counting the steps, and the
last step you think is there ... isn't.


This happened to me yesterday and may affect anyone with winter
boot/shoes.
I stopped using my winter shoe and changed over. I could not for the
life of me get my shoe in the spd. Finally about 2 blocks down my
route I realized I also put the pedal cleats on my winters. I did the
whole ride without them. Made me feel like I did not know how to ride
a bike yet until I looked.