Stogie cyclist

[Charlotte]

Riding back down Chiswick High Road this evening, I caught a strong whiff of cigar smoke.  A few hundred yards down the road, I caught up with the source of it.

A bloke in Ronhills and a bright yellow cycling jacket, smoking a large cigar as he pedaled.

Now I've smoked one or two cigars in my time and I know full well just what a head-rush blast of nicotene you get from one.  What puzzles me is just how on earth this chap was managing to crank out at least 15mph and smoke his stogie!

I'd have been fascinated to know why he was wasting what was probably a very good cigar by cycling at the same time.  It was dropping lumps of ash all over the place and was going a funny shape.  He was wearing a shirt and tie under his jacket and looked rather well heeled - maybe he didn't care?

Just had to share that.  Dunno why 

[fuzzy]

It is the cycling eqivalant of sitting in the driving seat of your Bentley, window down, AC blasting, elbow on the window sill, cigar in hand thinking 'I am the Lord of all I survey'

[TheLurker]

I wondered if perhaps the "credit crunch" was having an effect on City bonuses this year and the poor chap  couldn't quite stretch to a new Merc/Porsche/whatever.

[Chris N]

Smoking when cycling always felt* just a little bit norty.  It was difficult to keep a roll-up lit too.

*not feels - I gave up.

[Deano]

I see this a fair bit, but it's always the pavement-riding sportswear fetishists on beaten-up full sussers.  And there's usually a mobile phone in the non-smoking hand.

Before I quit, I could never smoke while riding along - I think I remember too vividly when my sister's boyfriend tried rolling himself a fag while riding up the wet, cobbled back alley.  I'll leave you to imagine the result

[RogerT]

I see this a fair bit, but it's always the pavement-riding sportswear fetishists on beaten-up full sussers.  And there's usually a mobile phone in the non-smoking hand.

Before I quit, I could never smoke while riding along - I think I remember too vividly when my sister's boyfriend tried rolling himself a fag while riding up the wet, cobbled back alley.  I'll leave you to imagine the result

I have seen, on more than one occasion, a pipe smoking BMW rider proceeding in a stately manner on his elderly R100RT.

[fuzzy]

Two things-

1) THAT photo of Cippo springs to mind

2) It was always the blowback, into the eyeball, of sparks and ash that disuaded me from continuing in my bike related tobacconism

[ian]

Chiswick High Road is posh, innit (posher now that I don't sully it with my local residence). We don't do cigars down here in the badlands, just big fat blunts. Usually a ganster-wannabe on a stolen Apollo full suss, wobbling down the pavement, chugging like a marijuana-powered steam train, can of strong lager wedged between hand and trigger shifter, mobile in the other hand, pressed permanently against the ear. Pure, south London class.

[Wobbly John]

I have, on the rare occasion, been known to smoke a cigar while riding.

[RogerT]

Isambard Kingdon Brunel ponders on a new version of the atmospheric railway.

[andygates]

It is devilish tricky to take a pinch of snuff whilst riding. 

[spesh]

It is devilish tricky to take a pinch of snuff whilst riding. 

Somewhere in the multiverse, there has to be at least one tandem stoker who partakes of the stuff... 

[andygates]

Tucked into the slipstream where the air is still?  You're a genius.  Where's my captain?

[Tom M]

Much as I dislike smoking, there's something about a nice old gent smoking a pipe that warms the cockles. There's the slow methodical actions involved too that are rather soothing, and I do like to sniff the odd tobacconists...

[fuzzy]

ok- ok, Ill set you up for the punchline!

..the odd tobacconists what?

[Wendy]

I used to smoke whilst ridge soaring in my paraglider back when I used to smoke and when I used to paraglide.  I did need one of those jet-exhaust style lighters though, a zippo is no good in that much wind!  Followed by a landing near the beerhall and a couple of quick cool ones at the end of a day's flying.

[Jezza]

I stopped for a cigar on Dunwich beach today. I wouldn't fancy smoking one while pedalling though.

[teethgrinder]

Hmmm?
A cigar smoking cyclist you say?
Sir James (Jimmy) Saville?*

*He came last in the Tour of Britain. I think it was the 1950s. Was also once a professional wrestler.