What's wrong with me?

Over the winter I got used to riding the indoor trainer. I get a good workout in an hour, and I feel
good. Now that the weather is nice, I have biked outside only 7 times. And sometimes I think to
myself, why am I out here anyway? Last season I was out maybe 3 times a week, and I loved it. The
traffic just gets worse every year. Places that used to be country are now ex-urbia. And it didn't
help that I got bitten by a dog 2 weeks ago.

What's wrong with me?

Me

 

In article <[email protected]>, "Just Me" <[email protected]> writes:
> Over the winter I got used to riding the indoor trainer. I get a good workout in an hour, and I
> feel good. Now that the weather is nice, I have biked outside only 7 times. And sometimes I think
> to myself, why am I out here anyway? Last season I was out maybe 3 times a week, and I loved it.
> The traffic just gets worse every year. Places that used to be country are now ex-urbia. And it
> didn't help that I got bitten by a dog 2 weeks ago.
>
> What's wrong with me?

Not enough utilitarian rides. An investment in cargo carrying capability, like a trailer, or even a
milk crate on a rack, ought to provide some incentive.

If suburban dogs hassle ya, maybe pack along something that would be a satisfactory trophy to them.
Another poster here has, in the past, suggested Milk Bones. I bet a stinky old shoe would do the
trick, too. Plus, you could get rid of your old shoes that way. Hand the shoe to the dog, rather
than just hucking it at him. Let him think he just tore your foot off. Or, just swat the mutt on the
snout with it.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

 

Tom Keats <[email protected]> wrote:

: If suburban dogs hassle ya, maybe pack along something that would be a satisfactory trophy to
: them. Another poster here has, in the past, suggested Milk Bones. I bet a stinky old shoe would do
: the trick, too. Plus, you could get rid of your old shoes that way. Hand the shoe to the dog,
: rather than just hucking it at him. Let him think he just tore your foot off. Or, just swat the
: mutt on the snout with it.

: cheers, Tom

That is about the silliest remedy for a dog problem that I have ever heard on Usenet.

--------------------------------
Bob Masse' [email protected]
--------------------------------

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] writes:

> That is about the silliest remedy for a dog problem that I have ever heard on Usenet.

No worse than digging up all kinds of excuses to not go out 'n ride.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

 

On Fri, 30 May 2003 11:15:09 -0700, [email protected] (Tom Keats) wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] writes:
>
>> That is about the silliest remedy for a dog problem that I have ever heard on Usenet.
>
>No worse than digging up all kinds of excuses to not go out 'n ride.
>
>
>cheers, Tom

I have to agree with the previous poster. Rewarding a dog for chasing cyclists is plain stupid.

larry

 

Although I never had one in hand at the right time, a ping pong paddle is the best weapon against a
dog, because it is too fast for the dog to dodge and a medium smack on the tip of the nose (the
point of attack), will lay the animal motionless on the road. I have done this a couple of times
with a lucky hit with my Silca tire pump, the kind bicycle racers used to carry in days of yore. The
first time I managed it my friend believed I had killed the dog, it lay so still on its back. This
would probably work well on a grizzly bear except that you couldn't reach his nose, the weapons of
choice being the claws that are fast and outreach a human by a bit. However, the nose is the spot...
similar to a KIB for a man.

Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA

 

[email protected] wrote:

> Although I never had one in hand at the right time, a ping pong paddle is the best weapon against
> a dog, because it is too fast for the dog to dodge and a medium smack on the tip of the nose (the
> point of attack), will lay the animal motionless on the road. I have done this a couple of times
> with a lucky hit with my Silca tire pump, the kind bicycle racers used to carry in days of yore.
> The first time I managed it my friend believed I had killed the dog, it lay so still on its back.
> This would probably work well on a grizzly bear except that you couldn't reach his nose, the
> weapons of choice being the claws that are fast and outreach a human by a bit. However, the nose
> is the spot... similar to a KIB for a man.
>
> Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA

Great idea! I got menaced by a dog last fall/winter. Managed to survive the encounter without a
bite. It might have gone even better if I'd remembered to bring a ping pong paddl with me. Instead I
had to come to full stop and play the stern, unhappy father and tell him to get off the road, remind
him what a bad dog he was, etc. I hate it when I go for a ride and forget my weapons. Bernie

 

Just Me <[email protected]> wrote:

: Over the winter I got used to riding the indoor trainer. I get a good workout in an hour, and I
: feel good. Now that the weather is nice, I have biked outside only 7 times. And sometimes I think
: to myself, why am I out here anyway? Last season I was out maybe 3 times a week, and I loved it.
: The traffic just gets worse every year. Places that used to be country are now ex-urbia. And it
: didn't help that I got bitten by a dog 2 weeks ago.

: What's wrong with me?

You're merely human??

I know where you're coming from. As another noted; utility rides can keep you in the saddle. For
me, as I rely on the bike for all my transit needs summer and winter, I never got out of the habit.

But still... with a late arriving spring I found myself slow in getting out for 'joy' rides. But
it's coming along. Yesterday I did my first south loop - a nice hour's ride over moderate trails.
Even though the weather is threatening rain I'll be going out again today.

--
'They paved paradise And put up a parking lot' -Joni Mitchell

 

In article <[email protected]>, Barry Gaudet <[email protected]> writes:

> I know where you're coming from. As another noted; utility rides can keep you in the saddle.
> For me, as I rely on the bike for all my transit needs summer and winter, I never got out of
> the habit.

One benefit of that approach is having destinations already selected. I rather enjoy knowing where
I'm going, and why I'm going there. Practicality is so wonderfully tangible. For myself, it's even
easier to come with reasons to ride, than it is to come up with reasons to not ride. Like you, I
rely on my bike for all my transit too. Reasons to ride are often downright /imposed/ on us, whether
we like it or not -- like necessary trips to the laundromat, barber shop, bank, supermarket, etc.

> But still... with a late arriving spring I found myself slow in getting out for 'joy' rides. But
> it's coming along. Yesterday I did my first south loop - a nice hour's ride over moderate trails.
> Even though the weather is threatening rain I'll be going out again today.

I admit there have been times when I've felt reluctant and unmotivated to get out of my chair and go
out. Yet, once on the bike, the enthusiasm and joy of velomobility returns with the first pedal
stroke, and the reluctance and inertia quickly melt away. I guess, that joy is like math -- it can
be so forgettable if not practised enough. But it nevertheless eventually comes back to haunt and
nag us. I guess that's why there's so many people who return to cycling. Once it's in the system, we
can't get rid of it.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Only a man harrowing clods, in a slow, silent walk, with an old horse that stumbles and nods,
half asleep as they stalk

 

"Just Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> > Now that the weather is nice, I have biked outside only
> 7 times. And sometimes I think to myself, why am I out here anyway?

Wait until the summer heat / humidity / and air quality alerts. Enviro-Can warns people with
health problems (raise your hands) to stay inside an air conditioned building and avoid exertion.
Fools. They obviously never watched "Conan the Barbarian."

> The traffic just gets worse every year.

yep.

>Places that used to be country are now ex-urbia.

Double-yep. I hate seeing them clear-cut 50 year old forest to build housing for people who
will end up driving all the way downtown every day. Pollution, traffic, complaints about the
cost of driving.

Meanwhile, a block away volunteers are planting seedlings in empty farmer's fields.

If they MUST build houses for people we don't need, why not do it on empty fields? Since they
decided we should rely completely on imported produce (rhetorical question).

Why does the film "Soylent Green" flash before my eyes every time I cycle (what used to be) north
of the city?

> And it didn't help that I got bitten by a dog 2 weeks ago.

Sorry to hear that. I have a fear of a few dogs which chase me regularly. Pepper spray is a
restricted weapon here, so I don't have an obvious solution which won't harm the dog.

I may face my fears, and stop and talk to the beast. As long as the rest of the pack isn't
charging along behind him.

In the USA, I could shoot the dog(s), then the owner to be sure s/he doesn't get another
dog (pack).

>
> What's wrong with me?
>
You OBVIOUSLY need a new outfit. Ask Fabrizio Mazzarella what the kids in "The Tour" are wearing
this week.


> Me

 

Another thing that works (not that we would carry one on a bicycle) is an open umbrella. A dog just
can't get past or through an open umbrella. They just can't deal with them. Too bad it's impractical
to carry one on a bike.

[email protected] wrote:

> Although I never had one in hand at the right time, a ping pong paddle is the best weapon against
> a dog, because it is too fast for the dog to dodge and a medium smack on the tip of the nose (the
> point of attack), will lay the animal motionless on the road. I have done this a couple of times
> with a lucky hit with my Silca tire pump, the kind bicycle racers used to carry in days of yore.
> The first time I managed it my friend believed I had killed the dog, it lay so still on its back.
> This would probably work well on a grizzly bear except that you couldn't reach his nose, the
> weapons of choice being the claws that are fast and outreach a human by a bit. However, the nose
> is the spot... similar to a KIB for a man.
>
> Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA

 

Gary Smiley wrote:

> Another thing that works (not that we would carry one on a bicycle) is an open umbrella. A dog
> just can't get past or through an open umbrella. They just can't deal with them. Too bad it's
> impractical to carry one on a bike.
>
> [email protected] wrote:
>
> > Although I never had one in hand at the right time, a ping pong paddle is the best weapon
> > against a dog, because it is too fast for the dog to dodge and a medium smack on the tip of the
> > nose (the point of attack), will lay the animal motionless on the road. I have done this a
> > couple of times with a lucky hit with my Silca tire pump, the kind bicycle racers used to carry
> > in days of yore. The first time I managed it my friend believed I had killed the dog, it lay so
> > still on its back. This would probably work well on a grizzly bear except that you couldn't
> > reach his nose, the weapons of choice being the claws that are fast and outreach a human by a
> > bit. However, the nose is the spot... similar to a KIB for a man.
> >
> > Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA

If one is walking, they work very well for aggressive geese too. Just open and close rapidly while
aiming at the goose. Has a very good and harmless effect. Bernie