La Flamme Rouge **off topic discussion**

buffalo

What a class A wanker:

Frequently while cycling I encounter horses, often in small to medium groups, going in the same direction.

One option is to overtake them very slowly. This places the head and neck area within easy kicking range of the animals, whose views on cyclists are never quite clear, for a significant period of time.

Alternatively I can go far onto the other side of the road, and overtake in a sedate fashion, thus maximising my chances of colliding with oncoming vehicles.

Or, indeed, one can continue to cycle behind the horse.

From this vantage, it is more a matter of when rather than if you’ll be struck by compelling confirmation of their animal status, either literally or at an olfactory level.

So while I’ve never really had cause to think it out before, I think I’ll do my best to keep whizzing past for the foreseeable future.

Of course, ultimately the reciprocal question every cyclist asks when encountering people on horseback is why do they always have to travel in groups, and then block up the road by riding two or three abreast? – Yours, etc,

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/cycling-and-horses-1.4269947

RobertFoster

Sounds like some drivers' attitude to passing cyclists, perhaps the writer was trying to be funny?

The letter starts with:

If you notice that a pattern of behaviour is common to a group, it is likely to be rational from their viewpoint, rather than, say, some collective display of eccentricity.

CramCycle

I couldn't tell was it failing at being sarcastic at first but by the end of the letter I realised you were right. What a grade A Twat.

The answer to Suzanne Flood’s question of why cyclists “whizz” past horses is a good example, and is partially answered by her uncontentious observation that “a horse is an animal” (Letters, June 1st).

I would disagree with Suzanne, while some do, either out of ignorance or asshole-ness, the majority know how to pass a horse safely and without any issue.

Frequently while cycling I encounter horses, often in small to medium groups, going in the same direction.

You mean 1 to 4 tops?

One option is to overtake them very slowly. This places the head and neck area within easy kicking range of the animals, whose views on cyclists are never quite clear, for a significant period of time.

No it doesn't, the same as a car overtaking another car or cyclist, you don't drive up to the ass of the vehicle in front and swerve out, you pull out before getting that close, hardly f*cking rocket science. You overtake slowly, from a distance behind and make your presence known to the rider before doing so.

Alternatively I can go far onto the other side of the road, and overtake in a sedate fashion, thus maximising my chances of colliding with oncoming vehicles.

Not if you wait till it is clear to overtake.

Or, indeed, one can continue to cycle behind the horse.

From this vantage, it is more a matter of when rather than if you’ll be struck by compelling confirmation of their animal status, either literally or at an olfactory level.

I swear this is just a troll trying to drum up anti cycling sentiment so stupid are his points

So while I’ve never really had cause to think it out before, I think I’ll do my best to keep whizzing past for the foreseeable future.

Pr!ck

Of course, ultimately the reciprocal question every cyclist asks when encountering people on horseback is why do they always have to travel in groups, and then block up the road by riding two or three abreast? – Yours, etc,

I can't tell if this is the ultimate flag waving exercise to wake up the anti cycling brigade and the one comment that cemented in my mind that he is not a cyclist at all, and in fact, may not even be human. Bots writing letter, interesting. (A quick google of previous letters to IT indicate that Brian may actually be a learned person capable of far higher levels of thought than indicated by this letter, maybe it is a joke and I just don't get the punchline).

Chips Lovell

It sounds like he got lost on his way to The Journal's comments section.

dastardly00

Deleted User wrote: »

Out with the dog there and doing it's best rain , a few spits no more and that smell when it hasn't rained in a while. I wish I could bottle it!!!!!

I love that smell! :)

eeeee

dastardly00 wrote: »

I love that smell! :)

So do I.
It's spectacular.

magicbastarder

TFW you flag a ride on strava and as you're flagging it, you realise you know the person...

magicbastarder

weirdly, the second place on that segment, also suspiciously faster than the others, is set by someone with these weird stats. surely a glitch?

All-Time
Distance 47,132.0 km
Rides 957
Biggest Ride 182.1 km
Biggest Climb 38 m

Seth Brundle

They just tend to do downhill spins and get the bus home?

silverharp

they probably should have done a take 2 , dismount was average at best

https://twitter.com/JesseKellyDC/status/1268692587977859075

LollipopJimmy

Anybody ever had a Garmin repaired?

I have a 1000 which is an old enough unit now and the backlight has stopped working making the screen difficult to see. Battery life etc is brilliant on it so I'm loathe to bin it.

Hurrache

Ha ha, they completely fail to look serious and intimidating.

RobertFoster

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Anybody ever had a Garmin repaired?

I have a 1000 which is an old enough unit now and the backlight has stopped working making the screen difficult to see. Battery life etc is brilliant on it so I'm loathe to bin it.

I don't know a local repair place, but it looks like a straightforward replacement if you were up to doing it yourself. A few screws and ribbon cables, no glue or difficult clips. A replacement screen from eBay or AliExpress is around €40, but it could take a couple months coming from China.

Randomly channel hopping was watching TG4 there and it seems they'll be showing The Program on Monday night. Don't recall seeing that film.

CramCycle

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Anybody ever had a Garmin repaired?

I have a 1000 which is an old enough unit now and the backlight has stopped working making the screen difficult to see. Battery life etc is brilliant on it so I'm loathe to bin it.

I sent one to Garmin for repair, way out of warranty, you end up just getting a new or refurbished one heavily discounted.

eeeee

Deleted User wrote: »

Randomly channel hopping was watching TG4 there and it seems they'll be showing The Program on Monday night. Don't recall seeing that film.

I think that's on Netflix if you have it?

Harrybelafonte

Deleted User wrote: »

Randomly channel hopping was watching TG4 there and it seems they'll be showing The Program on Monday night. Don't recall seeing that film.

Doesn't look like it's on Monday night

https://www.tg4.ie/en/irish-tv-schedule/daily-schedule/

Have searched the site and only "Program" I can find is misused American spelling of "programme".

Wish Armstrong would just go away at this point. It's like watching Richard Nixon come out and try to back track and apologise after his "I am NOT a liar" speech.

tomasrojo

Second picture is funny alright.
https://twitter.com/A_W_Gordon/status/1269074056814436353

CramCycle

From individuals, not even one person. Christ I have carried far more dangerous stuff on my commute.

tomasrojo

I sometimes have two knives when I'm out on the bike. (Tiny penknife and mini Leatherman).

cletus

I almost always have a pocket knife on me

tomasrojo

I once borrowed a sort of scythe to get the lawn of the house I was rent-sharing under control and cycled across town with that. Carefully wrapped multiple times and in a shoulder bag, but would have looked pretty damning in a photo line-up.

tomasrojo

The pink orb with eyes seems to be some sort of child's firework.
https://www.jakesfireworks.com/fireworks/fountains/frog-princess

(I mean to entertain children, not for use by children.)

magicbastarder

i once carried a splitting maul into our (large corporate) office.
the security guard just lifted an eyebrow, didn't seem to worry i was going to stage a lo-fi matrix style building invasion.

CramCycle

I just realised that I also carry a sort of swiss army knife thing on my commute as it has loads of tools that are really convenient for fixing HPLCs, and it would be nicked if I left it in work. Loads of other things that could be mistaken for weapons, including my kryptonite mini U lock.

Wishbone Ash

magicbastarder wrote: »

i once carried a splitting maul ....

I had to Google that. Never heard that term until now. Has 'axe' gone out of fashion?

magicbastarder

a (felling) axe and a splitting maul are different beasts entirely. a spitting maul is intended just to split wood, you'd not try to chop into a tree with it.

Hurrache

silverharp wrote: »

they probably should have done a take 2 , dismount was average at best

https://twitter.com/JesseKellyDC/status/1268692587977859075

Semi related, I've seen the video Fuji refer to
https://twitter.com/FujiBikes/status/1268984830353694729?s=19

buffalo

tomasrojo wrote: »

I once borrowed a sort of scythe to get the lawn of the house I was rent-sharing under control and cycled across town with that. Carefully wrapped multiple times and in a shoulder bag, but would have looked pretty damning in a photo line-up.

One of our local Scouts down home was the subject of a Garda callout after he returned an axe to the scout den while wearing a hoody last week. He nonchalantly walked from his house to the den with it plain to see, but his hood up.

He reckoned they arrived within two minutes of the call, which is sort of comforting.

magicbastarder

i have also walked around to the local lawnmower/garden equipment service centre carrying a chainsaw which needed the chain sharpened, and got a couple of stares that were so disapproving, that i reckon if i'd been wearing a captain kirk mask they couldn't have been worse.