- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
forum
Cycling sci-fi surrealism
I heard this on the radio and thought it might be of some interest.
The exploding library - Mark Watson talks about the Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien.
It's about a book written in the 1940's which is surreal sci-fi, murder, mystery and people turning into bicycles.
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
Latest Forum Topics
Latest Comments
- chrisonabike 2 sec ago
Does that Live And Let Die quote apply? "Just reach inside his mouth and pull out all his teeth!"
- mark1a 18 min 20 sec ago
I tried something similar with some timber and a pair of Delta hitches, with (unlike yourself) limited success, and so for people like myself with...
- chrisonabike 9 hours 43 min ago
If you haven't been it's recommended! An epicentre of beer diversity - there's probably nothing they haven't tried in the beer from spices to...
- David9694 10 hours 23 min ago
You and a friend have won first prize, a day out at Diddly Squat Farm.
- matthewn5 10 hours 30 min ago
Does not compute! If you ride a lot you're going to be boiling your chain every week or every fortnight.
- AidanR 10 hours 31 min ago
Let's hope it's another 4 years until she tweets again
- Andrewbanshee 10 hours 59 min ago
Tbf where I live 2 way roads look exactly like the one pictured.
- Rendel Harris 10 hours 57 min ago
Unless your formative cycling years were in the '80s and you grew up copying the hand either side of the stem position of greats like Lemond and...
- john_smith 11 hours 56 min ago
You're right--that was the other one. The relevance is that people keep complaining about how damaging the platform is, yet they carry on using it.
Add new comment
10 comments
I read it a few years ago. Surreal, but definitely worth a read.
Is it about a bicycle?
bits of it are, including probably the only written bicycle sex scene in literary history.
What grabbed me was part where they took atomic theory to the extreme. We are all made of atoms, whizzing around. So are bicycles. So if you ride your bike on a bumpy road, some of your atoms will bounce into the bike, and some of the bicycle's atoms will bump into you.
Over time, and many bumpy rides, the percentage of you which is actually bicycle will increase - 1%, 5% - may be up to 50%. Then are you a person or a bicycle? I think this is especially pertinent given how poor UK roads are at the moment.
Not the only bicycle sex in literary history if you include the script/book for the film "The Devil in Miss Jones" - 1973
I stand corrected, and also am in awe of your erotic bicycle literary knowledge!
I guess I should be saying one of the very few bicycle sex scenes in literary history. I will be even more impressed if someone can find a third one.....
That is the extent of such knowledge. When I wrote the comment I did wonder if anybody else on roadcc would know the film. I think it must have been in 1977, in Frankfurt, when an Aussie friend said some videos had come in to the office from the U.S. He worked for HP and could borrow a company video player so we arranged a film evening for some couples and he brought 3 films. One I don't remember the name of, one was the above mentioned and the third was Linda Lovelace in Deep Throat. The .... Miss Jones film was the best of the 3.
Sometime later I read in a UK newspaper that there was a court case about "The Devil in Miss Jones" and that the jury had been required to retire to a showing of the film. I never did find out what they thought of it but I'd bet the blokes wouldn't have dared stand up until well after it had finished.
ahh the innocent days pre-internet.....
Sorry, duncanap - I was quoting from the book for comedic effect (should have added a winking face emoji)
of course - good work.
Had you read the book before? It sounds full bonkers, but intriguing.
I've read it a few times, yes. Completely mad, but pretty entertaining.