A little bit of air in the tires and the old mountain bike is back on the road. It is crazy weird switching from a road bike back to this behemoth. Particularly because I’m switching back from the typical road bike moustache style handlebars to cruiser style; which means instead of hunching over my bike I’m now sitting tall and feel a little bit like Elmira Gulch (aka the Wicked Witch of the West).

I mentioned in my first post that I wanted to use this forum as a place to collect the wonderfully weird and horribly rude things yelled at bikers from passing cars. First let me add that while I am endlessly amused that the mere sight of someone riding a bicycle can inspire such anger in people that they feel the need to shout insults at them at the top of their lungs and/or throw things at them, in the final analysis, that shit is just not funny. Bicyclists are surrounded by a danger on all sides; even if it weren’t for the one ton boxes of metal flying by them at speeds of up 70 mph, there would still be the fact that we are riding on pavement and the slightest spill can lead to serious injuries. When I’m bicycling, particularly when I’m bicycling near any cars, I’m paying attention to everything that is going on around me. Seeing is only half of paying attention, listening to the sounds of traffic can be crucial in keeping safe on a bike; which is one reason I get nervous every time I see bicyclists whipping down State Ave with their headphones on. When I’m bicycling and you drive up behind me, I’m listening closely to the sound of your engine and trying to gauge how far away you are, how fast you are approaching and if there are other cars following you. So my ears are on super-alert and when you lean out your window and yell at the top of your lungs from right behind me it can cause me to, as my good friend’s uncle puts it, take a shock. Now when I take a shock, I often move involuntarily. Which when I’m bicycling can mean turning involuntarily; which can lead to me being in front of you, messing up your grill and catching you a nasty case of vehicular manslaughter. This is not an ideal situation for any of the parties involved. So if you absolutely feel compelled to let me know that I’m a “faggot” because I ride a bicycle, do us all a favor and wait till you are past me, then lean your head out the window, look me in the eye and say whatever the hell you want.

So how about it Oly-area bicyclists, what is the most random thing you have ever had yelled at you from a car?