Road Cycling - rate these

This may seem negative and probably is but please rate these four situations, #1 being the worst. WIND, DOGS, SEMIS, HILLS

I'd put them like this.

1) DOGS

2)WIND

3) HILLS

4) SEMIS

Thanks

1) Wind
2) Semis
3) Dogs
4) Hills

Hey! I like hills! I look forward to them, and try to sprint every one I see. Wind I think of as just a challenge, except when it gets up to 50-60 km/h, I have never been bothered by dogs.

So... My vote for the worst thing about cycling is any internal combustion engine-driven vehicle.

I hate wind. What's a semi?

Wind and hills have not put me in the hospital. A dog has.

Semis worst because they are too big for many of the roads and they have huge blind spots.

With hills its a challenge and you can anticipate the top. With a headwind you never know when it will stop or get worse.

Never had problems with dogs since I was a teenager. One chased me - quick application of brakes so it got ahead of me, put my foot under its butt and lifted it over its head.

I would say WIND: 90%
DOGS 5%
Semi's 3%
hills 1%
rain 1%

I have very little problem with semi's. Again, because I have a rear view mirror i know the situation on the road so well thatI just take corrective action when its needed. The wind, on the other hand, just blows.

roughstuff

1. dogs
2. semis
3. wind
4. hills

Semis, wind, dogs, uphills.

Maybe it is the altitude here in Colorado, but we just don't seem to have dog problems around here. They are either well trained, or on a leash. In 4 years and 13,000 miles, I have never been chased by a dog.

I generally enjoy hills, and even a headwind, as long as it is not a hurricane or something like that, and I seem to avoid roads where there are semis.

So??

I guess a STRONG headwind would be my first choice.

semis
wind
dogs
hills

Where I live there is a lot of logging and not a lot of shoulders on the roads. The logging trucks *try* to give bikes some room, but it's difficult.

I've only been chased by a dog twice, both were dogs that were hanging out, untied, in the back of construction workers pickup trucks.

Wind is a given around here and so are hills.

1. Semi.
2. Wind.
3. Hill.
4. Dogs.

Semis almost always pass me way too close and way too fast. They are worse than SUVs. It's kinda scary when a HUGE semi passes within inches of me at 35+ mph. :irritated

Wind is just a pain. It seems it is always a head wind, never a tail wind. ;)

Hills are a challenge unless I'm tired. Then they are an obstacle.

Dogs don't bother me. I've only been chased by a dog one time and he never even got close.

semi
dog
wind
hill

semi's - too big, too dangerous, too close
wind - as long as it blows in one direction that's OK, I hate it when it turns around on me
dog's - only been chased twice, not much of a problem
hills - enjoy them a lot

CHEERS.

Mark

Depends on the situation. I can think of positive situations for each:

Wind: Face it, it makes you stronger when riding into a stiff headwind. Ever catch a nice tail wind? Nothing else like cruising with little effort at 30mph.

Semis: The perfect drafting tool when done right. On my old commute i could draft a semi for close to 5 miles. It was great!

Dogs: They teach you how to sprint. :)

Hills: Like wind, you really need to work on hills to become stronger. They also provide much needed resting time once you peak the hill and go down the other side!

I tend to agree with Joe. They are all good for something.

Dogs are fun to torment and then sprint off. Meowing like a cat really screws with little dogs. I'm so glad my Rotty doesn't care about bikes.

Hills make you stronger and they are good for getting warmed up.

I love semi trucks. When they're passing as high speeds they create an awesome pull on the highway. Of course, I was very early eaten by one tonight on my way to work.

I learned to love the wind when I lived just east of the Rockies near Calgary. The wind is terribly strong but very warm. Having it in your face forced me to learn to sort of sail with it. It's like getting back to nature. Tail winds are awesome.
My only problem is when the wind is roaring over my ears. I can't stand that.

Wind tops my list. As I write this at 9 am, the local wind is 20-30 mph with gale-force gusts, and I'll be riding in it in about a half hour. Wind is a major factor here on the Central Coast of California. The wind direction tends to shift from offshore to onshore around mid-day. So if you don't plan right you can land up with head winds coming and going. On a day like today, I like to ride in the redwoods where the forest acts as a good windbreak.

Fortunately, dogs are more a fear than a reality, so far. I was lucky not to have joined three friends on a ride last week. Two of them were hospitalized due to a border collie who appeared out of nowhere. He appeared so fast and did his evil so quickly that even a quick hand on the trusty Zefal frame pump would not have helped.

The local roads I have to take that have semis on them also have bike lanes about 10 feet wide. The only real danger I have ever had on those roads was from a library bookmobile, not one of the big rigs. However, a semi passing you in a strong headwind can create a very disconcerting gust.

Uphills are a way of life and sometimes a real joy.

Rich

I hate wind. But, I have to say that if you don't have at least some amount of headwind, you probably aren't riding fast enough.
Cheers,
Jamie