Today we had winds gusting up to 60mph (97kph). On a 30mph descent, a plastic bag came at me, as if it were shot from a cannon. In a matter of seconds it was wrapped around my smallest cog and rear derailleur, jamming the chain, and bringing my pedaling to a halt.

Fortunately, neither me nor my bike was damaged. But I still had a few angry words with the plastic bag as I tore bits of it out of my cassette.

As if drivers, pedestrians, and other cyclists weren't dangerous enough, now we have inanimate objects and forces of nature trying to kill us.