Long bike rides: Sports Fitness (Individual & Team)

Y's Guy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

We used to get storms like that in Texas a lot... Houston is one of the worse places for those kind of storms because after the rain the power would usually go out for about 4 or 5 hours. The rain would cool down the temperature from 98 degrees to 94 degrees, but it would be so muggy outside that you didn't know if you were wet from the rain or sweat... and it used to smell so bad... In Washington after that rain it felt so refreshing and crisp! Too bad it doesn't happen more often... I miss the storms!

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

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I got out and went in the gym and those little hail nuggets hurt!

I can't remember the last time it hailed here. Must be that global warming stuff not letting it get cold enough anymore.
I remember thinking it was cool when I was a kid though and couldn't understand why on earth my parents didn't want me going outside when it happened. lol

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Too bad it doesn't happen more often... I miss the storms!

You're insane ! lol
Every time I see lightning I cringe for two reasons.
1) My power is probably going to flicker on and off a few times before it's over
2) The two people I've known who were struck by lightning are just plain strange lol

Laughing Gravy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

We had a corker of a hailstorm here about a fortnight ago. Beautifully warm and sunny day, went a little dark, then bam! Down came the hail like marbles.

My brother came round and was caught mid storm- he assured me they hurt! Fortunately hailstorms are very brief here.

Half an hour later it was sunny again, and you'd never have known it had happened in the first place.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Laughing Gravy wrote:

We had a corker of a hailstorm here about a fortnight ago. Beautifully warm and sunny day, went a little dark, then bam! Down came the hail like marbles.

My brother came round and was caught mid storm- he assured me they hurt! Fortunately hailstorms are very brief here.

Half an hour later it was sunny again, and you'd never have known it had happened in the first place.

That sounds like the exact same experience I had here in Washington.. except I was the one getting caught in the storm and feeling the pain of the hail!

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

Y's Guy wrote:

We used to get storms like that in Texas a lot... In Washington after that rain it felt so refreshing and crisp! Too bad it doesn't happen more often... I miss the storms!

joebert wrote:

Quote:

Too bad it doesn't happen more often... I miss the storms!

You're insane ! lol

I'm with Y's Guy, I love crazy, unexpected weather storms!! Don't get me wrong, I am not a fool, I have the utmost respect for storms. I wouldn't be caught out in one, on purpose anyway. But I love watching the awesome power of them. It's exciting, unbelievable, and scary all at the same time. I figure it's God's "10, 15, 20 minute awesome sideshow of the month" for us to watch, or either his fury on the worlds craziness.

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

I hate to wish them on anyone, but you guys apparently need to experience a few more hurricanes. lol

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

joebert wrote:

I hate to wish them on anyone, but you guys apparently need to experience a few more hurricanes. lol

I agree, I wasn't meaning disastrous or life threatening or killer storms. Those kind are dangerous and frightening. I'm not that crazy!! lol Are you, Y's Guy??

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

Oh I know. You know how some people get spooked by simple things like firecrackers and car doors slamming after seeing someone be shot ? It's kinda the same thing with small harmless storms in Hurricane land.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

joebert wrote:

I hate to wish them on anyone, but you guys apparently need to experience a few more hurricanes. lol

Experience a few more hurricanes? I need to experience my 1st hurricane first!

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

joebert wrote:

Oh I know. You know how some people get spooked by simple things like firecrackers and car doors slamming after seeing someone be shot ? It's kinda the same thing with small harmless storms in Hurricane land.

Oh, I understand now, like a former bus driver of mine had her house catch on fire (years ago). She had to go back into the burning house to get one of her kids. She made it in and out safely. After the summer was over, in August, the bus drivers would have an in-service meeting. One drill we had to do was go into a smoke (fake) filled bus and escape within a few seconds. When it was her turn, she freaked so badly, she couldn't get out of the bus, screamed until someone had to go in and get her out.

So I definitely know what you mean, living where you do, about any peculiar looking cloud coming your way. We have had wind storms with over 90 mile an hour gusts here in Western Washington, and that is very scary.

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

I came across this today.

It's unfortunate that it was an elderly man, but I'm glad to see people who ride too close to cyclists getting ruffed up.

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When that happens or when a car suddenly cuts off a cyclist, "you feel like someone is trying to kill you," he said. "I know I've gotten hot under the collar when that happens."

But attacking motorists isn't the answer, he added.

Ok, let's take a look at the options here.

1) They write down his tag number, if somehow it gets past the he-said-she-said phase since not everyone can be expected to be video taping every single thing that happens to them at all times, the guy gets off with a traffic ticket and a few points on his license, which, considering he's driving a new Lexus convertible is probably going to just lead to him paying a little more to keep the points off his license and he'll just end up doing it again when he forgets about the whole ordeal.

2) They ruff him up a bit. I don't care what anyone wants to admit, you get jumped by a group of people for being an asshole you're never going to forget it, and unless you're a complete psychopath who shouldn't be behind the wheel to begin with, you're going to be a lot more careful when you pass cyclists from now on.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

I know a guy who would commute to work a lot on his road bike and he actually got hit by a car. I'm pretty sure the driver wasn't like the one in that article, but I see cars come pretty close to bicyclists all the time on the roads. I'm not surprised when they do get hit.

I like the cyclists lanes on the roads because it makes it easier for cars to pass them. What is hard is when you have a cyclist trying to become a car and they ride right in front of you so you can't pass... do they know that they can't go as fast as a car can???

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

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do they know that they can't go as fast as a car can?

A person on a bike pays taxes to maintain the road just like a person in a car does.
Highways are where cars rule. On public streets, bikes have as much right to be there as cars.

If anyone wants to argue that cars have to be registered/tagged and pay more taxes, well, feel free to jump on the highway in your car and come argue with me about it.

When law enforcement stops issuing traffic tickets that effect your drivers license, I'll think about changing my tune. My drivers license was suspended when I was 16, before I even had a learners permit, because of a bike ticket for towing someone on my handlebars.

Laughing Gravy · **Site Rank:** Moderator

Your driving licence was suspended because of something you did on a bicycle? They can do that in the States?

You can do what you like on a bike over here - you can still get fined if you act like a jackass, but it won't affect your licence.

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

I'm sure different states have different laws, but where I lived a bike ticket is the same as a motor vehicle ticket.

I was a kid and afraid to tell my parents about the ticket, so I just threw it away and forgot about it. Next thing I know my parents got a letter in the mail telling them about the ticket and I received a letter telling me my drivers license had been suspended for failure to pay a traffic ticket. I didn't even have a learners permit, let alone a drivers license.

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