That people have said to you while you were riding your bike.

Most of the comments I've gotten, have been replies from pedestrians when I rang my bell to alert them of my approach from behind them.

I had a retired railroader complement me on "continuosly sounding my bell as I passed him." For the record, in Canada, trains or engines moving in a rail yard, or any location where people are on the ground in proximity to active tracks, are required to sound the bell when moving".

"You're not an ice cream truck. I'll sue for deceptive advertising." (This one was pretty common, actually) His wife was less than impressed.

Yesterday evening, while out for a ride (to see if I needed to change the batteries in my LED headlights (I really needed to change them. nice and bright now), I encountered the local run club. I rang my bell and they called out BIKE!!! As I passed them, some of the runner burst out in song, namely: I Want To Ride My Bike" (I think that's the title), while others in the group complemented me on my lights.

What have people said to you?

I'm a bit of a fixture around here since I use the bike for all manor of everyday transport in an affluent suburb where it's just about unheard of.

The most common thing I get is "didn't I see you in (someplace else 5-10 miles away) the other day" or same thing "an hour ago".
Usually I'll say yes, and explain that it's well within the range. Every once in a while, I'll deny it saying it was my (non-existent) twin brother or a clone.

People are staggered that you can use a bicycle to get around within a 10 mile or so radius.

Better suited to off-topic?

As sort of a twist on your post...

A lot of times when the wife and I are riding and stopped at an intersection and there's several guys on CF bikes, I'll turn to her and say "Look sweetheart, there's one of those plastic bicycles I told you about". I then turn to the cyclists to see if I get a reaction.

Twenty-something years ago I was stopped at a light and was asked by a "working girl" if I wanted to go party with her somewhere. I'm still trying to figure out how she thought that would work.

On a large charity gran fondo type event last year, I passed a couple putzing around on rather nice carbon road bikes while riding my Peugeot, and the wife looks over and tells her husband "Look, he's got shifters on his tube!"

The same sort of thing happened to me in Camden, NJ early one morning while I was riding to the beach, except the woman stepped out between to parked cars and I almost hit her.

I get the infamous "I didn't hear you" when I let them know that I am passing on the rail trails. I don't see how they could when I could "hear" their music blasting from their headphones. Luckily,I saw and heard them so they didn't need to "hear" me.

Did you wave?

Back in 1986 I showed my dad my brand new panasonic dx 3000. When I told him how much it cost (350.00) he said where's the motor?

A friend's father was propositioned stopped at a red light with the very direct, "Hey want some p***y?" He said he was so startled he blurted out, "I don't know, ya got any?". Fortunately the light changed before he realized what he had said.


Back on topic, last week a CLICK (Car Load of Idiot College Kids) yelled "Wear a helmet!" as they drove by. I was wearing a helmet.

My other fave is at intersections and rest stops:
"How Far did you ride?"
"X miles"
"Really?"

Uh, no, I was hoping to impress you. It doesn't matter if X is 5 or 40, "Really?" or "Good day for it" seems to be the standard response.

A coworker had a similar story. He was discussing buying a tandem, and his dad said that at that price it should include the guy in the back.

More than three decades ago in Atlanta, riding on Peachtree near the Ponce de Leon intersection, was asked by a woman "Hey baby, you want a date?"

Couldn't she ride on your handlebars? I don't know much about that particular profession, but I'm guessing most of them have a place close by to, um, conduct business.

I had to google that to make sure a Panasonic DX 3000 wasn't a shortwave radio.

Friend: can I go with you on Saturday?
Me: no
Friend: why not?
Me: That's my long ride and you're not going to keep up
Friend: I can make it 10 miles!
Me: we have different definitions of long

My ******bag ex-Boss (D.E.B.): so you like riding bikes?
Me (hesitating already, teeth ready to clench): yes, I like riding bikes
D.E.B. (smirking): do you actually put on that mushroom helmet and the super suit?
Me (internally rolling eyes): yes
D.E.B. (continuing to smirk with his rat-like, oh-so-punchable little goateed face): I'll bet that looks great! (laughs sarcastically)

One of many subsequent conversations I had with this guy. Saving grace: I got promoted into another job soon after this conversation, he got fired a few months later... because he sucked at his job.

Heh. I bought on of those in '86 as well.

The Super Suit is the magic that makes the bike take off....pfft, doesnt he sound stupid.

Whilst riding a recumbent toward an attractive young woman out for run, she commented "that looks like fun" as I slowly passed her. I smiled and said "I was just thinking the same thing".

Heh! That was my first thought too. Sometimes I'll tote a portable shortwave where I can get away from the usual city RFI and listen to shortwave without all the static. Planning to do that this Halloween, a busy night for shortwave radio pirate stations (technically it'll be October 30, since shortwave radio buffs use Universal Coordinated Time -- but some pirates will broadcast both nights).

If I was a ham op I'd try mobile comms from the bike, but I'm just a DXer.

When I was a teenager in a rural island a local would always call out "Hey, your wheels are turning!" My retort was equally obvious: "Catch anything?" He was by far the most prolific fisherman I'd ever seen, catching a bunch of good sized stripers, bluefish and weakfish every time he went out in his little jon boat with a rod and reel.

Nowadays I mostly hear "Wanna race?" from young guys in pickup trucks. Sometimes I manage to scoot across the intersection before them, if it's not a wide multi-lane boulevard. Usually surprises them how quickly a bicycle can accelerate.

The nighttime group rides I join a few times a month mostly get good natured honks and shout-outs from locals who are friendly toward cyclists, or have joined these groups occasionally. Over the past year I've heard maybe two or three unfriendly catcalls. Those are far outweighed by the positive responses.

Wow - I would have thought my prostitute story was unique, but it seems not!

I was riding down Michigan Avenue through Detroit, late at night, and came to a seedy rent-by-the-hour motel and rode through the parking lot to take a look, when one of the local girls yelled out "Hey, is that the only thing you're riding tonight?".

This goes back a few years. I had borrowed my brother's bike as mine was in the LBS for repairs. At that time, his was pretty much a generic 3 speed with the brand name 'Plymouth' on it. Was stopped at a stoplight and a guy in full kit and quite the beer gut comes up alongside me, glances over, and kind of snorts. "Something funny?" I ask. He's like 'Plymouth is a crappy car brand. Do they make crappy bikes as well?' I don't remember what brand bike he was riding, but I replied, as the light changed, "well, at least I'm not trying to be a poser." He gave me a half-hearted middle finger as he sped off. I still chuckle about it when I think of him (granted, which isn't often LOL).

I stream audio from my radios over the internet, so if I want to I can run shortwave or scanner audio online and listen to it on my phone as I ride. I am a ham and can take a little Baofeng HT along on my bike, but there's not a lot of VHF/UHF ham activity around here any more.

I've got to get my wire antenna back up since it came down in the storm so I can listen to pirates, but most likely I'll be taking the kiddos out trick-or-treating.