Funniest conversations with non-cyclists.

[Kubla]

Hi Kubla,

perhaps you could surprise John with a tandem bike ride, sounds pretty romantic and makes the time cycling together even more special.

just a thought

Lilly99, There are no tandem bikes in our future, I'm afraid. We tried a tandem kayak once during a watersport demo day, and it did not go well for us. They call them "divorce boats" for a reason. <LOL>

[Susan]

Nice stories

Last week we where on a bike tour in a quite large group of 6. This tour has a really nice and long downhill, so we where all on full suspension bikes, some even enduros, everybody had Pads, backpacks with water and food and the guys even wore downhill helmets along with thick clothing because it gets really cold here in November.

On one spot I had to stop and wait for a group of hikers to pass us by. While walking by an old guy asked me: "Do you have a bell?" (I don't, on my MTB.) "Of course you don't! So you could save another 10 grams (less than half an ounce) of weight!"



(I don't know why he would have liked me to have a bell... maybe I could have been standing there, waiting for 2 minutes while ringing at them to speed them up...)

[Eden]

two ladies: (last night in the snow) - you're not going to ride that tonight are you!

Me: (3/4 of the way home, had stopped to knock some ice out of my brakes) - H&ll yes, I'm moving and they're (the cars stuck spinning out on the hill) not going anywhere!

I also had someone yell something like "for gods sake be careful" - silly man.... it was probably safer out last night than usual.... fewer cars and they were all going very slowly.... Yes, I could slip on some ice and fall if I wasn't careful, but I'm a good bike handler (no I didn't fall down at all). I'm positive that it was safer to not be in a car last night..... I wasn't at all likely to crash into a tree or roll over and if my mode of transportation got stuck, I was not only already dressed to handle the weather, I could throw it over my shoulder until I got to a better spot....

[lph]

hee-hee, nothing like being more mobile than the drivers

That's my very favourite "why I bike"-point - if something happens to me, the weather, the bike or the road, I can pick my bike up, carry it onto the sidewalk and take the metro home. Try doing that with your car!

[Crankin]

My favorite conversation occurred last summer. The group ride I was on was going to a lunch place that I knew would not have enough room for 50 riders. So, I peeled off and went to a nearby coffee/sandwich place, with the intention of riding home (about 8 miles) from there. I walked in to order my sandwich, when I heard:
(Woman I know slightly from my temple, loud enough for everyone to turn and look at me): OH my G-d! You look like a professional. You rode here, from your house?
Me: Actually I just rode about 41 miles with my club.
Woman: I didn't know you did that (insinuating everyone knows DH rides, but a woman couldn't possibly do what he does). You ride with Mr. Crankin?
Me: (sigh) Yes. OK, I gotta go, it looks like rain moving in.
Woman: Do you think you can make it? Do you want a ride?
Me: No. I am going to have to ride an extra loop, past my street to get 50 miles.
Woman: You ride 50 miles?
(To myself.. Oy.) Me: Have a nice lunch.

[happinesshill]

This was kind of funny...me and my son were riding and had only gone about 8 miles and we turned onto a new road. We mostly ride on back roads and stuff, not the highways. Anyway, there was an old man sitting in a chair on his porch watching us. I called back over my shoulder to my son, "Only 15 more miles to go!" and the old man laughed and said really sarcastically, "Only 15, eh?"

[PamNY]

This was kind of funny...me and my son were riding and had only gone about 8 miles and we turned onto a new road. We mostly ride on back roads and stuff, not the highways. Anyway, there was an old man sitting in a chair on his porch watching us. I called back over my shoulder to my son, "Only 15 more miles to go!" and the old man laughed and said really sarcastically, "Only 15, eh?"

Oh, I can easily imagine that one! Because my late father and all of my uncles could have been that man.

And my mother would have tartly reminded them of the energetic things they did when they were younger...