When nature sucks?

Everyone has experienced nature from its best side on a bent. But what about those times when you
could have done without it?

For me it happened last summer while touring. It was very hot and sunny weather with nary a breeze
so I was wearing a thick coat of sunscreen and sweating a bit as I rode along with all my gear.
Sticky is the word that comes to mind.

What then appears 10 meters in front of the bike? A dustdevil containing lots of sand and grit. It
swept over me so now I had a nice coating of sand all over that stayed put because of the sunscreen.
Nature sucks. ;-)

M.

 

Flies. They cannot hear. They cannot speak. They cannot operate machinery. What they *can* do, on
warm summer evenings when you're panting up a steep hill on a laden touring bike, is get stuck in
your throat, leading to a three-hour coughing fit which threatens to turn you inside out.

Trying to avoid a similar incident a year later, while screaming along a road next to the Thames, I
had my head down and thus did not see the parked car until a considerable portion of Me had passed
through its rear window
:-(

Dave Larrington - http://legslarry.crosswinds.net/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

Sort of like rolling a wet chicken in breading,huh? Ben Fox "Mikael Seierup"
<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Everyone has experienced nature from its best side on a bent. But what about those times when you
> could have done without it?
>
> For me it happened last summer while touring. It was very hot and sunny weather with nary a breeze
> so I was wearing a thick coat of sunscreen and sweating a bit as I rode along with all my gear.
> Sticky is the word that comes to mind.
>
> What then appears 10 meters in front of the bike? A dustdevil containing lots of sand and grit. It
> swept over me so now I had a nice coating of sand all over that stayed put because of the
> sunscreen. Nature sucks. ;-)
>
> M.

 

That wasn't Nature sucking...that was Nature blowing...and I HATE THAT!

Paul W

 

"Paul Worden" skrev...
> That wasn't Nature sucking...that was Nature blowing...and I HATE THAT!

Nah, thermal detaching from the ground. IMHO the vortex is caused by the warm air exiting upwards.

So I still maintain it sucked. ;-)

Mikael

 

A suggestion. There are a couple of sunblocks that do not form that film on your skin. I use one
called 'bullfrog' which does not sweat off. You have to apply it, then rub it back in a few minutes
later, but it protects well, and in my mind does not reduce the effectiveness of perspiration like
the gooey, nasty creams do.

My least favorite natural phenominon for riding would have to be hail-- One of Kansas's best
arguments for wearing a helmet, and painful, even when only pea sized. At marble sized, it starts
actually injuring you. And we sometimes get it golfball sized around here. That shatters windshields
and makes the hapless car a unique peice of art.

Randy

> For me it happened last summer while touring. It was very hot and sunny weather with nary a breeze
> so I was wearing a thick coat of sunscreen and sweating a bit as I rode along with all my gear.
> Sticky is the word that comes to mind.

 

"Dave Larrington" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Flies. ...
>
> Trying to avoid a similar incident a year later, while screaming along a road next to the Thames,
> I had my head down and thus did not see the
parked

Yowch! I have a bit of netting about 2-1/2 feet square. Really light, fine mesh. When I get caught
out in the evening in bug country I fold it diagonally and put it on like a stagecoach robber in an
old Western and ride on. I wear glasses so they don't hit my eyeballs.

Works even in a swarm of those damned gnats. Even if your'e breathing hard.

 

"Randy N." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> My least favorite natural phenominon for riding would have to be hail-- One of Kansas's best
> arguments for wearing a helmet, and painful, even when only pea sized. At marble sized, it starts
> actually injuring you. And we sometimes get it golfball sized around here. That shatters
> windshields and makes the hapless car a unique peice of art.

Yes, Kansas has serious weather.

Growing up in Wichita, Kansas, I witnessed some amazing weather phenomena. I've ridden my DF road
bike into 40mph gusting headwinds - at about 1 mph - until it finally blew me backwards. On the way
back, with a 40mph tailwind, I hit speeds exceeding 55mph!

Tornados are absolutely commonplace in Wichita, particularly in the area of town where I grew up. We
used to stand in our yard and watch white tornados flick their tails lazily as they glided overhead.
It was eerily peaceful, with a strange yellow sky and calm winds that always mean "tornado" in
Kansas. I can't count the number of times that a tornado on the ground came within a few blocks of
our house. We got so used to it, that when The Big One - an F5 killer - finally hit in April 1991,
my grandparents (1 block away) almost decided not to go to the basement. Thankfully, they sought
shelter, because after decades of near-misses, the granddaddy of all tornados leveled my old
neighborhood, cutting a swath more than 1/4 mile wide. It was one of the largest tornados on record,
and it stayed on the ground for 46 miles, destroying hundreds of homes and killing 17 people.
Several weeks later, my grandmother received a slightly tattered and water-stained personal check
that she had written in Wichita. It was sent to her by someone living near Kansas City. The storm
cell had carried the little paper check for almost 200 miles!

Amazingly, though virtually every house in our neighborhood - including our immediate neighbors
house - was reduced to matchsticks, my parent's house was spared, with only minor roof damage.

http://www.andovernet.com/tornado/tornado/pages/looking_back.htm
http://www.austin360.com/shared/weather/tornadotracker/426911_vtornado.html

Back to the topic of hail: In 1992 - just one year after the huge tornado outbreak - a large
section of west Wichita was bombed by large hail. It shattered tempered glass shop windows,
destroyed large commercial signage, cars and damaged rooftops, etc. I drove through the area a few
days later. It looked like west Wichita had been bombed. It was like a Biblical plague. I can only
assume that any people who were caught in this storm on a bike would have almost certainly been
hospitalized if not killed. The storm produced baseball-sized hail, 80mph winds, and caused an
estimated $500 million in damage.

Here are some interesting hail factoids:

http://www.realcities.com/mld/realcities/news/weather/3269438.htm

Actually, one of the things that I remember fondly about Wichita was sitting outside and watching
summer storms roll in. It's an awesome display of nature's power.

-Barry

 

My bike trail follows one of our cities rivers. In the evening at sunset, the bugs come out! It's a
regular event to see a swarm of gnats coming at you down the trail. It's all woods except the trail
in places so they fly down it like a runway. Sometimes the swarm is 5'-6' wide, the same high and it
may be 20 or 30 feet thick! I wear clear wraparound glasses and a bandanna cowboy style. They stick
to you if you're sweaty (duh) and in your hair. Yech. Mostly I just jump in the pool and let the
filter clean them out!

 

Dave Larrington wrote:
> Flies. They cannot hear. They cannot speak. They cannot operate machinery.

You are describing slugs I think.

 

> I had a nice coating of sand all over that stayed put because of the sunscreen. Nature sucks. ;-)

Naw.. you are too picky! Nature has a sense of humor, she was telling you to relax and lighten-up.

 

Once this winter (I can spell now!), I rode home one night at 2 am and the landscape was covered in
thick fog. Oncoming cars made my speed go to about 5mph. I could barely see the road striping with
my 2 X B&M halogen lights.. The ride was about 25miles after a nice game of poker and the
corresponding whisky.

First time I ever experienced bad neck pain after a recumbent ride, I guess it was from leaning
forward in order to look over my mist covered glasses most of the time.

Need I mention that my bottle freezed, so I didn't get anything to drink?

"Mikael Seierup" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Everyone has experienced nature from its best side on a bent. But what about those times when you
> could have done without it?
>
> For me it happened last summer while touring. It was very hot and sunny weather with nary a breeze
> so I was wearing a thick coat of sunscreen and sweating a bit as I rode along with all my gear.
> Sticky is the word that comes to mind.
>
> What then appears 10 meters in front of the bike? A dustdevil containing lots of sand and grit. It
> swept over me so now I had a nice coating of sand all over that stayed put because of the
> sunscreen. Nature sucks. ;-)
>
> M.

 

Me:

> Flies. They cannot hear. They cannot speak. They cannot operate machinery.

Paul Bruneau:

> You are describing slugs I think.

Curses, I have been found out! However the description is still valid for flies. And pedestrians,
(most of whom are mercifully free of the ravages of intelligence).

Dave Larrington - http://legslarry.crosswinds.net/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

Who told you that (U can spell now)?? re: my bottle freezed...U might try (the contents of my
bottle froze)

Try this ridding in thick fog experience...I was riding many years ago (summer 1976) on a DF and
this thick fog descended upon me. I slowed down because the fog was so thick I could not see
anything around me and finally I stopped with the plan to get off the road. When I went to climb off
I found myself with tractor trailers on both sides of me. Somehow I rode right down the middle of 2
"parked" tractor trailer trucks who had stopped at the same time in the fog. Weird part was the
space between the two huge trucks was so narrow...I could not dismount. I managed to ride maybe 30
feet in the fog (without) realizing the trucks were only a few feet apart. As I tried to get the
drivers attention...hey I'm down here routine...I heard screeching and kabooms all around me. When
the fog cleared there where 27 cars and trucks all around me smashed up...my being wedged between
the two trucks saved my life.
-------------------------------------------------
"Torben Scheel" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Once this winter (I can spell now!), I rode home one night at 2 am and the landscape was covered
> in thick fog. Oncoming cars made my speed go to
about
> 5mph. I could barely see the road striping with my 2 X B&M halogen
lights..
> The ride was about 25miles after a nice game of poker and the
corresponding
> whisky.
>
> First time I ever experienced bad neck pain after a recumbent ride, I
guess
> it was from leaning forward in order to look over my mist covered glasses most of the time.
>
> Need I mention that my bottle freezed, so I didn't get anything to drink?
>
>
> "Mikael Seierup" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Everyone has experienced nature from its best side on a bent. But what about those times when
> > you could have done without it?
> >
> > For me it happened last summer while touring. It was very hot and sunny weather with nary a
> > breeze so I was wearing a thick coat of sunscreen and sweating a bit as I rode along with all my
> > gear. Sticky is the word that comes to mind.
> >
> > What then appears 10 meters in front of the bike? A dustdevil containing lots of sand and grit.
> > It swept over me so now I had a nice coating of sand all over that stayed put because of the
> > sunscreen. Nature sucks. ;-)
> >
> > M.
> >
>

 

"Joshua Goldberg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Who told you that (U can spell now)??
I can spell _that_ word. It all adds up, don't it?

> re: my bottle freezed...U might try (the contents of my bottle froze)
jest tessticling You ;-)

> Try this ridding in thick fog experience...I was riding many years ago (summer 1976) on a DF and
> this thick fog descended upon me. I slowed down because the fog was so thick I could not see
> anything around me and
finally
> I stopped with the plan to get off the road. When I went to climb off I found myself with tractor
> trailers on both sides of me. Somehow I rode
right
> down the middle of 2 "parked" tractor trailer trucks who had stopped at
the
> same time in the fog. Weird part was the space between the two huge trucks was so narrow...I could
> not dismount. I managed to ride maybe 30 feet in
the
> fog (without) realizing the trucks were only a few feet apart. As I tried
to
> get the drivers attention...hey I'm down here routine...I heard screeching and kabooms all around
> me. When the fog cleared there where 27 cars and trucks all around me smashed up...my being wedged
> between the two trucks saved my life.

Well, 1st time I ever heard that tractors were (are?. Bummer) lifesavers.

> -------------------------------------------------
> "Torben Scheel" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > Once this winter (I can spell now!), I rode home one night at 2 am and
the
> > landscape was covered in thick fog. Oncoming cars made my speed go to
> about
> > 5mph. I could barely see the road striping with my 2 X B&M halogen
> lights..
> > The ride was about 25miles after a nice game of poker and the
> corresponding
> > whisky.
> >
> > First time I ever experienced bad neck pain after a recumbent ride, I
> guess
> > it was from leaning forward in order to look over my mist covered
glasses
> > most of the time.
> >
> > Need I mention that my bottle freezed, so I didn't get anything to
drink?
> >
> >
> > "Mikael Seierup" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > Everyone has experienced nature from its best side on a bent. But what about those times when
> > > you could have done without it?
> > >
> > > For me it happened last summer while touring. It was very hot and sunny weather with nary a
> > > breeze so I was wearing a thick coat of sunscreen and sweating a bit as I rode along with all
> > > my gear. Sticky is the word that comes to
mind.
> > >
> > > What then appears 10 meters in front of the bike? A dustdevil containing lots of sand and
> > > grit. It swept over me so now I had a nice coating of sand all over that stayed put because of
> > > the sunscreen. Nature sucks. ;-)
> > >
> > > M.
> > >
> > >
> >
>

 

"Torben Scheel" skrev

> Well, 1st time I ever heard that tractors were (are?. Bummer) lifesavers.

Not a tractor in the agricultural sense though. In our good old native danish I suppose we'd call it
"en truck."

http://www.alliancetractortrailer.com/

Mikael

 

even more so.. "Mikael Seierup" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Torben Scheel" skrev
>
> > Well, 1st time I ever heard that tractors were (are?. Bummer)
lifesavers.
>
> Not a tractor in the agricultural sense though. In our good old native danish I suppose we'd call
> it "en truck."
>
> http://www.alliancetractortrailer.com/
>
> Mikael

 

"Joshua Goldberg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Who told you that (U can spell now)?? re: my bottle freezed...U might try (the contents of my
> bottle froze)
>
> Try this ridding in thick fog experience...I was riding many years ago (summer 1976) on a DF and
> this thick fog descended upon me. I slowed down because the fog was so thick I could not see
> anything around me and
finally
> I stopped with the plan to get off the road. When I went to climb off I found myself with tractor
> trailers on both sides of me. Somehow I rode
right
> down the middle of 2 "parked" tractor trailer trucks who had stopped at
the
> same time in the fog. Weird part was the space between the two huge trucks was so narrow...I could
> not dismount. I managed to ride maybe 30 feet in
the
> fog (without) realizing the trucks were only a few feet apart. As I tried
to
> get the drivers attention...hey I'm down here routine...I heard screeching and kabooms all around
> me. When the fog cleared there where 27 cars and trucks all around me smashed up...my being wedged
> between the two trucks saved my life.

Incredible story! You sure you're not telling a tall tale? That must have been pretty eerie and a
little spooky, especially the part about the pile-up. Do you have a guardian angel or something?

-Barry

 

tall tale thing again....sheesh Location was a place called Cobourg (about 5 miles West of Cobourg).
It is a Low lying area next to Lake Ontario (north shore) about 90 miles East of Toronto. Very
hot/humid morning around 8:00 am on or near August 01. I forgot to mention that apart from being
wedged between the big trucks, the trucks were on a collision path with Gasoline Fuel Pumps at a
roadside gas station. Had the 2 trucks NOT stopped, they would have slammed into the gas pumps and
lit up the area...and me. I was pedaling to an outdoor Rock Concert called the Big Toad
festival...headliners were Ronnie Hawkins and Roy Buchannan. The concert site was in a Valley and
had 2 days of heavy rain just before the concert began....so it should have been renamed the "Big
(up to your knees) in Mud" festival. To make it more interesting the festival of Peace, Love and
Music had the Satan's Choice MC Gang act as Festival Security...the Choice are a nasty division of
the Hell's Angels MC. To think I pedaled (round trip) 300 miles attending an event that was 3 days
of non-stop drunken fist fights, group fornication, looting and tents being torched and it was all
done in knee deep mud. Oh Yeah...event organizers figured Water was for wimps, so the ONLY hydration
available and ALLOWED for 3 days was Warm cans of Beer...Brador Beer, which had an alcohol content
of something like 9.6. Weird being in the middle of thousands of pissed off, mud soaked concert
goers being totally PICKLED!

"B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote in message news[email protected]...
> "Joshua Goldberg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Who told you that (U can spell now)?? re: my bottle freezed...U might try (the contents of my
> > bottle froze)
> >
> > Try this ridding in thick fog experience...I was riding many years ago (summer 1976) on a DF and
> > this thick fog descended upon me. I slowed
down
> > because the fog was so thick I could not see anything around me and
> finally
> > I stopped with the plan to get off the road. When I went to climb off I found myself with
> > tractor trailers on both sides of me. Somehow I rode
> right
> > down the middle of 2 "parked" tractor trailer trucks who had stopped at
> the
> > same time in the fog. Weird part was the space between the two huge
trucks
> > was so narrow...I could not dismount. I managed to ride maybe 30 feet in
> the
> > fog (without) realizing the trucks were only a few feet apart. As I
tried
> to
> > get the drivers attention...hey I'm down here routine...I heard
screeching
> > and kabooms all around me. When the fog cleared there where 27 cars and trucks all around me
> > smashed up...my being wedged between the two trucks saved my life.
>
> Incredible story! You sure you're not telling a tall tale? That must have been pretty eerie and a
> little spooky, especially the part about the pile-up. Do you have a guardian angel or something?
>
> -Barry

 

On 20-Mar-2003, "Mikael Seierup" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Everyone has experienced nature from its best side on a bent. But what about those times when you
> could have done without it?
>
> For me it happened last summer while touring. It was very hot and sunny weather with nary a breeze
> so I was wearing a thick coat of sunscreen and sweating a bit as I rode along with all my gear.
> Sticky is the word that comes to mind.
>
> What then appears 10 meters in front of the bike? A dustdevil containing lots of sand and grit. It
> swept over me so now I had a nice coating of sand all over that stayed put because of the
> sunscreen. Nature sucks. ;-)
>
> M.

riding in hail rates on the sux-o-meter fairly high too...

Daniel