"Oh Shit" moments...

Slowing down gradually is easily done on a fixed gear, for me anyway, the hardest part was trying to keep the same pace with one gear, especially when the hills got steeper.

but anyway, i would of preferred at least have a front brake next time i do anything like that, for every one else's safety.

"Last thing you want is the person behind rear ending you for whatever reason, unless of course you're so inclined."

"Very true, but functional brakes certainly limit the potential for this to happen."

Not sure functional brakes are the issue here... Lol!

/Sarcasm

Yes, I agree.

unless of course you're so inclined.

Herein lies the problem

Ah, I see.

OT but..

I'm having a bit of an "oh shit" moment now.

This morning as I was leaving for work I noticed that after messing around with my bike this weekend the handlebars were not on straight so I was sorting that out on my doorstep.

I noticed a dodgy looking man just stood on the other side of the road, now usually there is no one just hanging around opposite my house, it's not like there is a bus stop or anything there.

So I hung around a bit longer to see if he left and he just seemed to be watching me and waiting for me to leave. I started to get a bit paranoid that he would break in to my house if I left so I hung on a bit longer, while I continued to mess around tightening things on my bike that did not need to be tightened he stuffed something down the back of a green phone line hub and walked off still staring at me as he left.

I waited until he was out of sight and cycled over to see what he had stuffed down there and found there was a box of tools and a carrier bag containing car stereos. Without really thinking I took them inside my house, went to work and informed the police.

It's just dawned on me though that when he goes back looking for his thieving gear and finds it not there it is going to be pretty obvious who has taken it .... and he knows where I live.

Smoooth move. I'm half expecting to get home and find my windows smashed and my other bike missing.

Inform the police, yes, but why take his gear inside your house?

So he doesn't retrieve his housebreaking tools and break into his house when he comes back from buying his morning bacon roll?

Or maybe leave it to the police to monitor the situation and question the guy as he retrieves his tools and [potentially] stolen goods...

Yeah, they're well-known for their usefulness, efficiency, and prompt apprehension of criminals.

Running the risk that by the time the police show the fella has done his broken in and moved on. I would have taken the tools.

He is obviously a car thief and not a burglar, I wouldn't worry.

I'm not sure that housebreakers and other types of crims operate a strict separation of roles type policy. I mean, he has been nicking car stereos today, but I am sure that he would be happy to turn his hand to breaking and entering should the opportunity present itself.

Why did this guy stash the tools instead of just walking off? It is weird - but then if he was one of life's thinkers he might have got a proper job.

You didn't even replace the stolen loot with a bag of poo? Missed opportunity.

Anyway, I am here to report an "oh shit" moment. Friday evening rush. Cycling home with a rack in a bag - a large bag of course. I decided to hold it in my hand - yeah, I know. Most of the time I was holding it at my side, so it is not hanging off one end of my handlebars - and we all know we shouldn't do that, right? However, just as I am getting up some speed after coming out of the top of St John Street and going into the first part of Islington High Street, I needed to stand for a couple of strokes so put both hands to the bars. Of course, on the upstroke of my left leg, the bag jammed between the left end of my handlebars and my knee - my knee effectively pushed the bar to the right and swerved me a couple of metres into the traffic.

"Oh shit!", and pulled it back to the left sharpish, too sharpish, had to adjust again to miss some parked cars. Lucky for me nothing was on my right shoulder, although I don't think I lost much forward speed so I might have been alright as I was moving at traffic speed. It could have been bad though, I could have fallen, and it could have been in front of something big and nasty.

Lesson learned - DO NOT hold stuff in your hand when riding.

He looked like a homeless dude. I'm guessing that he stashed the tools there some other time and he was retrieving them until I disturbed him, as he was only holding a carrier bag when I first spotted him but once I had a look behind the phone hub there was a carrier bag (stolen car stereos) and a toolbox .... which I have since discovered contains a drill. Im not sure how that is useful to a car thief so maybe he is just an opportunist and he nicked that from elsewhere.

I'm not sure that housebreakers and other types of crims operate a strict separation of roles type policy. I mean, he has been nicking car stereos today, but I am sure that he would be happy to turn his hand to breaking and entering should the opportunity present itself.

Why did this guy stash the tools instead of just walking off? It is weird - but then if he was one of life's thinkers he might have got a proper job.

They most certainly do stick to form.

fantastic artwork

"...and a toolbox, which I have since discovered contains a drill. Im not sure how that is useful to a car thief..."

Any question answered>>>>>>>

A drill is handy for drilling out locks, car locks are terrible quality.

^Car thieving bastard!

Lol no, I know a few policemen and we have conversations.
I know about the habitual offender thing, as they are always talking about searching Mr X or Mr Y, because of a spate of certain crimes. I've asked about this and it turns out that it is incredibly common for a thief to stick to his crime type, be it pick pocket, burglar, car thief etc. I also know about lock drilling as I've had it done to my car boot once and was told that car locks are shite and there's little you can do to stop it, as no company makes strong replacement locks.

"I know a few policemen..."

Pig loving bastard... even worse!

Lesson learned - DO NOT hold stuff in your hand when riding.

No more polo for me then.

"Lesson learned - DO NOT hold stuff in your hand when riding."

"No more polo for me then."

Just don't get your thingy jammed between your knee and the handlebars.

Not that big is it?