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How superstitious are you?

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway
View Poll Results: How superstitious are you? Which of the following do you do, even if only occasionall
I avoid talk about not getting flats to prevent causing them
20
23.53%
I don't talk about crashing or catastrophic mechanical problems during or before an important ride
15
17.65%
I do not predict a ride will go successfully to avoid jinxing myself
15
17.65%
I have rituals (on or off the bike) to help all things go right
15
17.65%
I carry something for good luck
10
11.76%
I carry extra supplies (e.g. tubes) to prevent me from having problems in first place
47
55.29%
I think people who do any of these things are nitwits
32
37.65%
Other
11
12.94%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 85. You may not vote on this poll

How superstitious are you?

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Old 10-01-08 | 06:11 AM
  #1  
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How superstitious are you?

I'm not talking about what you know intellectually. Rather, do you actually observe superstitious cycling practices to prevent bad luck or to cause good luck?
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Old 10-01-08 | 06:15 AM
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I just took my first shower since the season started in March.
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Old 10-01-08 | 06:16 AM
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Originally Posted by gsteinb
I just took my first shower since the season started in March.

*reported*
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Old 10-01-08 | 06:17 AM
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Dunno if you call this superstition, but I believe every car is doing their best to kill me without making it look like it was their fault. It's my job to make sure they can't do it. Perhaps it's more of a healthy form of paranoia than a superstition.
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Old 10-01-08 | 06:20 AM
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From: A Coffin Called Earth. or Toronto, ON

Bikes: Bianchi, Miyata, Dahon, Rossin

I can't see any kind of flat inducing debris or pot holes until I'm within 5~10m of it.
I always have spare tubes and a repair kit on me when I ride.

latest flat I got was from a piece of bent scrap metal lying on the road.
probably was around 6in long and 2in wide. kicked it up with my front and punctured my rear.
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Old 10-01-08 | 06:22 AM
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From: NE Tennessee

Bikes: Giant TCR/Surly Karate Monkey/Foundry FireTower/Curtlo Tandem

My wife is not allowed to tell be to "Be careful" when I go for a ride. she can only tell me to "Do well."
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Old 10-01-08 | 06:32 AM
  #7  
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From: EAST VILLAGE, NYC

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Very...

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Old 10-01-08 | 07:10 AM
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From: Back. Here.
I ritualistically take a dump 20 minutes before any ride.

No problems so far...
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Old 10-01-08 | 07:29 AM
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From: Gainesville/Miami, FL

Bikes: '01 Gary Fisher Wahoo, '08 Giant TCR C2

Originally Posted by JMRobertson
Dunno if you call this superstition, but I believe every car is doing their best to kill me without making it look like it was their fault. It's my job to make sure they can't do it. Perhaps it's more of a healthy form of paranoia than a superstition.
Well they are.
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Old 10-01-08 | 08:57 AM
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I'm superstitious about unclipping when I come to a stop. I'm afraid I'll fall over if I don't.
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Old 10-01-08 | 09:00 AM
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From: Sagamore Hills, Ohio.

Bikes: Trek 1500

I do have those little rituals before and after a ride. For instance, I always sacrafice a virgin before the ride. Always make the ride goes smooth. Evidence: The first time I did not sacrafice a virgin was yesterday. Yesterday was the first flat I have ever gotten.
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What's frightening is how coherent Hickey was in posting that.
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Old 10-01-08 | 09:08 AM
  #12  
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From: Oost Vlaanderen in mind, Cleveland in body

Bikes: 2010 Mitcholo w/ Sram Force/Red

I now NEVER drink anything but water or sport drink before a race.

I also take a dump on the way to the race. I leave too early from home base to pinch one off at max effort, and it's just bad juju to poo at the race.
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Old 10-01-08 | 09:13 AM
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From: Boulder, CO
No mention is to be made of any wind condition other than headwind and sidewind. Ever.
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Old 10-01-08 | 09:49 AM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by valygrl
No mention is to be made of any wind condition other than headwind and sidewind. Ever.
Good point. There is a similar dynamic for rain and/or cold. Weather conditions are missing from the poll.
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Old 10-01-08 | 10:08 AM
  #15  
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From: Mohawk Valley/Adks, NYS

Bikes: 2003 Klein Q Carbon Race; 2009 Giant OCR-1

I never fart into my chamois.
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Old 10-01-08 | 10:20 AM
  #16  
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From: Cyclist hide away

Bikes: Beach crusier, Specialized FSR mt., retro Raleigh rebuild. Trek Madone 4.5, Schwinn steel frame Frankinstein. BMX rebuild, Specialized rock hopper,

It's all about the lucky socks ! End of conversation.
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Old 10-01-08 | 10:28 AM
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i have a livestrong bracelet on my seat post so my bike doesn't give me testicle cancer.

i also keep a living will and a copy of my DNR on my bike at all times, its on waterproof, dimpled, paper.
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Old 10-01-08 | 10:56 AM
  #18  
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From: suffering on the back
Vegas crit finals course was crash heavy and this was my number which I wasn't happy about so I guess that makes me superstitious

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Old 10-01-08 | 12:09 PM
  #19  
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From: Los Angeles, CA

Bikes: Pinarello Nytro, Momentum Transend

I shave my legs on the day of a time trial.
I request the number 13 and pin it right side up.
I talk about flat tires and crashing while riding.
I always put my socks and shoes on left foot first.
I also don't win races
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Old 10-05-08 | 04:03 PM
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Today I was out on the club ride, and the guy I toured with this summer was there too. I was riding my road bike, not my touring bike

I remarked to him "now I can say it, I didn't get a single flat on that whole tour" (2400 miles of loaded touring).

90 minutes later.... yeah. flat tire. first one all year. sigh.
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Old 10-05-08 | 04:05 PM
  #21  
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this much.
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Old 10-05-08 | 05:15 PM
  #22  
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From: Edge City

Bikes: 2009 Spooky (cracked frame), 2006 Curtlo, 2002 Lemond (current race bike) Zurich, 1987 Serotta Colorado, 1986 Cannondale for commuting, a 1984 Cannondale on loan to my son

Never talk about crashing! This cannot be emphasized enough. Talking about flats is the baby brother of this.

I always squeeze the front brake, then the back brake, and then bounce the front wheel twice before every ride. This includes commuting rides. I do this to make sure that neither brake cable is screwed up and that my front wheel quick release is secure. I have on occasion detected major problems before a ride by doing this that caused me to take a different bike that day. The reality is that I do it as an OC thing.

I don't ever talk about rides before I do them. If I could see the future I would use that for bigger financial gain.

I wear my HTFU wrist band on every non-commuting ride so it is my good luck charm. It reminds me to do the obvious. Also the last time I forgot to do so I had a horrible crash on a training ride and got to ride in an ambulance. That was also the first ride with a new pair of gloves, but I have ridden with those gloves since then without incident. The HTFU wrist band seems to be doing its job!
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