Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

Interesting sights on the commute

Search
Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

Interesting sights on the commute

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-05-10 | 09:04 AM
  #1  
daredevil's Avatar
Thread Starter
cyclepath
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,550
Likes: 1
From: "The Last Best Place"

Bikes: 2005 Trek Pilot 5.0, 2001 Specialized Sirrus Pro, Kona Lava Dome, Raleigh hardtail converted to commuter, 87 Takara steel road bike, 2008 Trek Soho

Interesting sights on the commute

How about a meteor coming out of the sky 30 yards away. It was probably further than it looked but it was close. I saw the streak of light over my left shoulder and thought I was hallucinating for a second.
__________________
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Without music, life would be a mistake."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
daredevil is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 09:13 AM
  #2  
Artkansas's Avatar
Pedaled too far.
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 12,851
Likes: 9
From: La Petite Roche
This morning as I rode through a KMart parking lot, I saw the Governor of our state.
__________________
"He who serves all, best serves himself" Jack London

Originally Posted by Bjforrestal
I don't care if you are on a unicycle, as long as you're not using a motor to get places you get props from me. We're here to support each other. Share ideas, and motivate one another to actually keep doing it.
Artkansas is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 09:30 AM
  #3  
rhm's Avatar
rhm
multimodal commuter
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,810
Likes: 597
From: NJ, NYC, LI

Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...

I saw a great blue heron the other day. I've seen them before, but from a distance. This one was standing right on the path where I was riding, and kept standing there as I got closer, and it was so big I didn't register that it was a bird until I was pretty close. I guess I was about fifty feet away when he spread his wings and took off, very slowly. Bird stands between four and five feet high --taller than my 11y/o daughter-- with a wingspan over six feet. Looks more like a dinosaur than anything.
rhm is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 09:35 AM
  #4  
Artkansas's Avatar
Pedaled too far.
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 12,851
Likes: 9
From: La Petite Roche
Originally Posted by rhm
I saw a great blue heron the other day.
Yeah, they are so cool. A few months ago, I saw one flying along the road I live on, between all the trees. She was about 5 feet up, taking the lane and flying with traffic. Very majestic.
__________________
"He who serves all, best serves himself" Jack London

Originally Posted by Bjforrestal
I don't care if you are on a unicycle, as long as you're not using a motor to get places you get props from me. We're here to support each other. Share ideas, and motivate one another to actually keep doing it.
Artkansas is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 05:57 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
From: Southcoast Massachusetts

Bikes: 1984 Bianchi sport

A stout woman, not more than 5' walking down the opposite side walk in a suburban area. She had on large head phones and was clearly enjoying the walk in the sunshine - leading a pony on a leash.
aharris is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 07:19 PM
  #6  
gerv's Avatar
In the right lane
 
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,556
Likes: 8
From: Des Moines

Bikes: 1974 Huffy 3 speed

Originally Posted by daredevil
How about a meteor coming out of the sky 30 yards away. It was probably further than it looked but it was close. I saw the streak of light over my left shoulder and thought I was hallucinating for a second.
Do you life in the Sudan?

Apparently there was a close call there a few weeks ago"

https://geology.com/news/2009/asteroi...ose-call.shtml

Asteroid 2009 DD45, a space rock the size of a large office building, streaked past earth yesterday – missing us by a mere 40,000 miles – and surprising astronomers. Our Moon is about 250,000 miles away to give you some idea of how close this object was to hitting us. How much money is in the Stimulus Plan for asteroid detection?
gerv is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 07:23 PM
  #7  
daredevil's Avatar
Thread Starter
cyclepath
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,550
Likes: 1
From: "The Last Best Place"

Bikes: 2005 Trek Pilot 5.0, 2001 Specialized Sirrus Pro, Kona Lava Dome, Raleigh hardtail converted to commuter, 87 Takara steel road bike, 2008 Trek Soho

^^^^nope, northern U.S. and as meteor's go, this was rather small.
__________________
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Without music, life would be a mistake."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
daredevil is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 08:36 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 857
Likes: 0
My brother found an 8GB iPod Touch on the side of the road last weekend.
mondaycurse is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 09:37 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 94
Likes: 2
From: Southwestern Ontario

Bikes: Surly LHT, Kona Big Honzo, CX frankenbike

Recently I saw what I think was a sparrow hawk trying to land on top of a hydro pole with some sort of prey clutched in its talons. It was nice to be on the bike, as I was able to watch it for a lot longer than had I been in the car.
aglauser is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 10:15 PM
  #10  
cyclokitty's Avatar
Not safe for work
Titanium Club Membership
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,123
Likes: 8
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Bikes: KHS Town and Country 100 & Jamis Durango Femme 1.0

I saw a red tailed hawk eating a squirrel one afternoon.

A raccoon resting head down on a tree trunk (I think he was resting. If he was troubled I wasn't any help. ).

I stopped to let a fat caterpiller cross the the bike path one time.

While stopped at a redlight, a homeless man sang to me. Badly, but the gesture was nice.

While stopped at a redlight, some random guy tried to sell me a car stereo for my bike. I didn't buy it.
cyclokitty is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 10:41 PM
  #11  
coldfeet's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,118
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by daredevil
How about a meteor coming out of the sky 30 yards away. It was probably further than it looked but it was close. I saw the streak of light over my left shoulder and thought I was hallucinating for a second.
Damn, I miss all the good stuff. We have had a couple of really big meteors here ( Alberta ) over the last year or so. In both cases I worked out that I had just gone indoors when they lit up the sky. Mutter, mutter.

Gerv, that asteroid was last March.
coldfeet is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 10:44 PM
  #12  
daredevil's Avatar
Thread Starter
cyclepath
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,550
Likes: 1
From: "The Last Best Place"

Bikes: 2005 Trek Pilot 5.0, 2001 Specialized Sirrus Pro, Kona Lava Dome, Raleigh hardtail converted to commuter, 87 Takara steel road bike, 2008 Trek Soho

I can hardly even describe how close this was. It was below the level of the trees and produced a delicate string of light. As I saw it appear over my shoulder it continued on the same path as me for about 50 yards or so. Eerie as hell at 5 AM with music playing away on the headphones. I'm curious if I would have heard anything if I hadn't had music on. I actually felt fortunate I wasn't hit by it.
__________________
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Without music, life would be a mistake."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
daredevil is offline  
Reply
Old 04-05-10 | 11:00 PM
  #13  
coldfeet's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,118
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by daredevil
I can hardly even describe how close this was. It was below the level of the trees and produced a delicate string of light. As I saw it appear over my shoulder it continued on the same path as me for about 50 yards or so. Eerie as hell at 5 AM with music playing away on the headphones. I'm curious if I would have heard anything if I hadn't had music on. I actually felt fortunate I wasn't hit by it.
If it had hit you, you would be in a very select group. One of only 2 or 3 I think. If it had not hurt you badly, it might have been worth it for the fame and being able to sell the meteor.
coldfeet is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 02:03 AM
  #14  
akohekohe's Avatar
The Professor
 
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 899
Likes: 7
From: Center Sandwich, New Hampshire

Bikes: Alex Moulton Double Pylon, Surly Big Dummy, Alex Moulton GT, AZUB TiFly

I saw a meteor once that was actually recovered back when I was in high school. Very impressive, it was a full fledged fireball with what looked like flames coming off from it (yellow, probably iron vaporizing). Looked very close but it was recovered about five miles away.
akohekohe is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 02:10 AM
  #15  
akohekohe's Avatar
The Professor
 
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 899
Likes: 7
From: Center Sandwich, New Hampshire

Bikes: Alex Moulton Double Pylon, Surly Big Dummy, Alex Moulton GT, AZUB TiFly

I saw one of these the other day off the sea cliffs on the ride to work. There was a stiff wind and it was just hanging there about 15 feet beyond the road shoulder level with my head. It is usually very hard to see the red tail even with binoculars but not this time.
akohekohe is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 03:26 AM
  #16  
Yan's Avatar
Yan
Senior Member
Titanium Club Membership
20 Anniversary
Community Builder
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,655
Likes: 1,678
I saw a dead guy bobbing in the canal, and a police boat trying to hook him out of the water.
Yan is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 04:05 AM
  #17  
kaliayev's Avatar
Gouge Away
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 984
Likes: 12
From: BFOH
I used to commute across the Englewood Dam on National Rd just north of Dayton, OH. Pretty much every morning I would see a Blue Heron fishing in the spillway. I still go this way(by car now) to pick up and drop off my daughter every other weekend. A couple of Sundays ago while returning I saw a Bald Eagle fly about twenty feet to my front then overhead. I had heard that they were returning to this part of Ohio and it was very cool to see one not in an exhibit. I still miss commuting across there some ten years after. During the dark days of my marriage it was often the best part of my day.
kaliayev is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 04:34 AM
  #18  
Juha's Avatar
Formerly Known as Newbie
Titanium Club Membership
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 6,249
Likes: 5
From: Helsinki, Finland
A few winters back, I saw the Northern Lights. They are not too common here in Southern Finland, partly because there's too much ambient light sources everywhere. But stunning nevertheless.

--J
__________________
To err is human. To moo is bovine.

Who is this General Failure anyway, and why is he reading my drive?


Become a Registered Member in Bike Forums
Community guidelines
Juha is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 05:16 AM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 175
Likes: 0
It is sad, but somehow I lose the ability to see neat things when I'm on the bicycle. The last two weekends I have gone for longish bike path rides with some friends. On these rides I have missed and was later told about 2 snakes, a turtle, and 3 deer.... The deer were on the path. According my friends they crossed right in front of me and I somehow did not notice them at all.

I do see lots of rednecks though.. So that's something.
snorkel is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 05:58 AM
  #20  
tarwheel's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,896
Likes: 7
From: Raleigh, NC

Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia

I saw a bunch of yellow pollen. It is so thick in NC right now it looks like snow in my headlight beam. It's probably not too healthy to be riding in it, but I figure I'll be breathing it one way or the other.
tarwheel is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 06:07 AM
  #21  
ModoVincere's Avatar
Riding Heaven's Highways on the grand tour
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,675
Likes: 3
Water Moccasin trying to cross the road, I gave it a wide berth.
__________________
1 bronze, 0 silver, 1 gold
ModoVincere is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 07:39 AM
  #22  
SlimAgainSoon's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,267
Likes: 2
From: Down South
A couple of geese coming in low, following the road, honking a bit, like geese do, then a sharp left over the trees to land in a hidden pond.

Me and the birds were going at about the same speed for a while. Got a really good look. Cool.
SlimAgainSoon is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 08:35 AM
  #23  
zoodude's Avatar
Internal gears FTW!
 
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
From: Kalamazoo, MI

Bikes: 1986 Raleigh Reliant, 2010 Schwinn Sporterra NX8

A guy in front of me hitting a tree head on while on his bike. He was looking down at his gears and bam! Broke his helmet and handlebars but he was ok.
zoodude is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 08:39 AM
  #24  
destikon's Avatar
FNG
 
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 877
Likes: 0
From: Quarry Stone

Bikes: Raleigh Special * Nishiki MTN Winter Commuter * Trek Soho 3 * Specialized Langster Seattle

Originally Posted by daredevil
How about a meteor coming out of the sky 30 yards away. It was probably further than it looked but it was close. I saw the streak of light over my left shoulder and thought I was hallucinating for a second.
This happened to me once. But not the hallucinating part :-)
__________________
Originally Posted by powers2b
time's up
destikon is offline  
Reply
Old 04-06-10 | 09:27 AM
  #25  
It's true, man.
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,726
Likes: 0
From: North Texas

Bikes: Cannondale T1000, Inbred SS 29er, Supercaliber 29er, Crescent Mark XX, Burley Rumba Tandem

Saw a bobcat on the bike path in an urban park.
truman is offline  
Reply


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.