Superstitions. pelicans.

Jpez

Down on the left!
TLDR? ^^ Who has em and what are they?


I’ve never been superstitious or believed in any hocus pocus but when I lived in Cambodia for a couple of years that started to change. I had a really bad run over there including a bad dirt bike accident, work and personal dramas etc.
A good Khmer mate of mine had a lot of traditional Sak Yant tattoos which he believed protected him from all sorts of misfortune. Khmers are ridiculously superstitious about everything and I guess it rubbed off.
As I was having a bad run and have a few tattoos he lined up an ancient ol spiritual healer much older than you’d expect given their history.
And that’s how I found myself in the middle of the jungle getting traditional bamboo Khmer protection tattoos and ritual blessings.
Probably placebo but things improved big time after that.

Any way back to present day and on my drives down the Princes highway to go riding I often see pelicans flying across the highway. Love the things. They are massive and always put a smile on my face.
So every time I’ve seen those pelicans I’ve always had a good ride. No offs, no blood spilt and generally a good time had.
On the other hand if I don’t see those pelicans I usually have a pretty crappy ride or worse a stack.
Sometimes I see wedgetail eagles and that’s like second best but they ain’t no pelicans.
My missus is a psychologist so I’m not blind to the obvious that I’m creating my own luck.

So somehow I’ve become superstitious that these pelicans are a good omen. A bit like the sailors rhyme “ A red sky in the morning sailors warning.”
Pretty nuts hey.

So anyone else have wacky superstitions?
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Like your pelicans, there is a small beast in Japan called kamoshika/serow. Over the years I've been telling the people with me that seeing them in the snow is a sign that it is going to snow soon. This turns out to be true more often than not (peak snow season in Japan...it's always going to snow soon!) and now I believe it! I've seen quite a lot of them over the years and they are quite groovy.

This is a baby one that was near a chair lift last trip.
 

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Jpez

Down on the left!
Like your pelicans, there is a small beast in Japan called kamoshika/serow. Over the years I've been telling the people with me that seeing them in the snow is a sign that it is going to snow soon. This turns out to be true more often than not (peak snow season in Japan...it's always going to snow soon!) and now I believe it! I've seen quite a lot of them over the years and they are quite groovy.

This is a baby one that was near a chair lift last trip.
Amazing looking creature!
 

Halo1

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I have a MTB jersey that I tend to crash in more than my other MTB jerseys. I broke my arm wearing it a few years back. I still wear it now, as it is in good nic, but I am way more cautious in it than my other gear. I won’t wear it on some trails.
 

schred

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Not really a superstition or I'm in denial but listening to the right tunes before a ride and having all my gear sorted. If something isn't quite right with gear it pisses me off all ride, like a pebble in my shoe do to speak. In fact I reckon the more I obsess about it the worse it is. Hmm, I'll try taking it easy in 2019, thanks for the free therapy.
 

Mica

Likes Dirt
Left shoe on before right every time. Things just don’t feel right otherwise.

And if anyone says “ride safe” before I jump on the bike I know I’m going to have a problem.
 

Jpez

Down on the left!
I have a MTB jersey that I tend to crash in more than my other MTB jerseys. I broke my arm wearing it a few years back. I still wear it now, as it is in good nic, but I am way more cautious in it than my other gear. I won’t wear it on some trails.
That reminds me of the Hat on the bed in Drugstore Cowboy.
I’d be binning that bad boy right now.
 

Cardy George

Piercing rural members since 1981
Left shoe on before right every time. Things just don’t feel right otherwise.

And if anyone says “ride safe” before I jump on the bike I know I’m going to have a problem.
I get ride safe from everyone. "no fun in riding safe" is now the automatic response
 

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
Left shoe on before right every time. Things just don’t feel right otherwise.
Oh, that must be the problem. I think I mostly put the right shoe on first. Look after the chocolate foot first.

Sent from my F5121 using Tapatalk
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
I wont ride if someone says its the last run
Oh yeah forgot about that one. Even if I KNOW it’s the last ride I will say its my second last out loud.
I'm in a similar category here! I won't even call second last - everyone knows it's the last, so it's the last. Instead I wind down. Things like "starting to feel it." and "getting ready to call it." then just calling it abruptly and stopping. One of the guys I ride with once decided to yell last run over and over on our last run of Ourimbah DH...he railed down the start ramp, popped the first little jump, "last run, last run, last run!!!" non-stop all the way into the first corner where he washed out and took a good tumble through the dirt.

I also feel wierd when people start leaving the crew or riding after someone has a reasonable crash. None of that is any good either.
 

Mica

Likes Dirt
You're doing it wrong. Right first...…..
It’s all about the coriolis effect. Left shoe first provides traction avoiding rotational deflection while putting on the right shoe. Just have to remember to reverse it in the northern hemisphere.

 

Jpez

Down on the left!
I'm in a similar category here! I won't even call second last - everyone knows it's the last, so it's the last. Instead I wind down. Things like "starting to feel it." and "getting ready to call it." then just calling it abruptly and stopping. One of the guys I ride with once decided to yell last run over and over on our last run of Ourimbah DH...he railed down the start ramp, popped the first little jump, "last run, last run, last run!!!" non-stop all the way into the first corner where he washed out and took a good tumble through the dirt.

I also feel wierd when people start leaving the crew or riding after someone has a reasonable crash. None of that is any good either.
That dude deserved to lose some skin for tempting fate! Who does that!??

A mate of mine has just come back after a broken wrist and same deal. Wondering if he’s still carrying some bad juju and how far it extends!
 
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