Best & Worst

[neshi]

I have seen some place that "The best and worst thing about riding is that you get to smell the world"

Well last night I was hit with the extremes of both ends on my trip to Atlantic City NJ from Brooklyn NY and back.

The Good

One the 278 @ the belt parkway fork something smelled like cotton Candy
There was something that smelled like popcorn some along route 278 in Staten Island
The entire garden stat parkway smelled like fresh cut wet grass
Atlantic City it self smelled like the ocean

The bad

In Brooklyn near the prospect express way 278 merge smelled like a gallon of vomit
On the I-95 entrance from the 278 smell like a waste water plant that could not handle the load
There was one ally next to a stop sign in Atlantic City that just smelled like piss

Links to all points

Share what you have smelled?

 

[PhatPhizzixxer]

Well, this weekend when I was out riding, I was sitting at a light, and smelled some (very strong) weed coming out of the car in front of me. Then, out by the ocean, there was the smell of the ocean / saltwater in the air mixed w/ all tlhe fumes from the fast boats out on the water...there was some competition going on. Mixed in with all that was the smell of horseflesh & horse you-know-what as there were a bunch of people riding their horses near the beach. The smells that got my attention the most was the meat cooking on all the barbeques everywhere!!! Yum!

 

[jdesiano1]

I live in East Tn near the dragon so I get all sorts of smells. I am weird in that I like a lot of smells that other people don't.

I LOVE the smell of cow and horse farms.
I like the smell of skunk. (I guess it is just primal wilderness)
But the smells here of the different seasons are awesome.

However the farms here use reclaimed water and chicken poop to spray their fields. OHMIGOD! No thank you!

 

[Craxican]

I live in Florida...but NOT like "yay Mickey" Florida. I live in the Panhandle...which most people native to the area (i'm not native) consider LA (Lower Alabama). Around here, you smell fish....more fish....people cooking fish...the ocean (which smells like fresh fish no supermarket fish) probably because people are catching fish...and pavement. It gets extremely hot here and to be honest I have to be careful where I park because the asphalt might melt and my bike might tip Still, wouldn't trade it for the world...love riding...

East TN huh? My friends and I were thrown out of a place in East TN...not like thrown out of a bar....we were thrown out of Chattanooga, the city We were not nor are bad people, just a misunderstanding with some locals...at a wedding (no fighting or arguing involved)...any who...Loved it while it lasted.

 

[JonKerr]

Living in San Diego you get quite the mix.

The Bad:

In the city - traffic and exhaust from cages. Cigarette smoke coming from cars while you're sitting at red lights. (believe it or not I notice this a lot!) Driving around the city sucks.

In the mountains - skunks, farms, (jdesiano1 sorry but I think you're nuts, the cow and horse farms are the worst. And yes, in east San Diego County there is a lot of farming and livestock.)

The Good:

In the city - The beach, the smell of the ocean is awesome when you go riding up the coast on a bike. You can even deal with the cars around when you've got the ocean 30 feet away.

In the mountains - Fresh air. The trees, cold dew on the trees and grass on a cold morning. Fire places (haven't had this one yet on the motorcycle but it's great smelling that on a cold day out on a mountain bike in the middle of the mountains.) Colder weather seems to bring out the smells in the mountains more I think. That is until it starts snowing.

Living in a place like San Diego my whole life I really took the scenery and beauty for granted until I got a motorcycle. I've driven up the 101 a number of times and always thought it was a nice drive. But combine that with the freedom of being on a bike and the smells of the fresh air, it's totally different. I've driven through some of the mountain roads with my wife and on the way to go mountain biking in some of our mountain areas, but it's just not the same as being on a bike. I've been to places in this county in the last month that I'd never even thought about going to or knew existed before I got a bike and I've lived here for all of my 31 years. And it's some of the most beautiful landscape and countryside I've ever seen. (or smelled. ) Riding just makes you appreciate your surroundings even more.

 

[cavscout3]

Good - fresh mowed grass, burning wood.

Bad - Fresh road kill skunk, vehicle exhaust

 

[jdesiano1]

Living in San Diego you get quite the mix.

The Bad:

In the city - traffic and exhaust from cages. Cigarette smoke coming from cars while you're sitting at red lights. (believe it or not I notice this a lot!) Driving around the city sucks.

In the mountains - skunks, farms, (jdesiano1 sorry but I think you're nuts, the cow and horse farms are the worst. And yes, in east San Diego County there is a lot of farming and livestock.)

I agree with the cigarette smoke, I hate it. And I guess since I grew up on horses it brings back good memories of the farm. Oh well.

 

[JonKerr]

You're not alone Jess. My wife had horses growing up and she loves the smell of a horse farm. And skunks. Must go hand in hand for some reason.

 

[cbzdel]

I love the smell of farms haha!! In the morning on my way to work the cow poo just makes the air smell so fresh, to bad the smell is not noticeable any other time of day..

I also love the smell of the forest and ocean..

but I hate the smell of dumps and downtown cities..

 

[xplodnstar]

I'm with you, Jess, the animal smells can be the best part of the ride, at least when partnered with fresh green smell (grass, trees, etc).

The one that perplexes me the most, though, is the smell of marijuana on the freeway. Who in their right mind thinks it's safe to toke and drive?

 

[99vengeur]

The best smell is the open country, especially after or just before a rain.

The worst smell is right outside the hospital I work at. It smells like raw sewage right on the street.

Another perplexing smell is on the highway as I come by a local factory. They manufacture industrial lubricants (Calumet) and the smell changes daily, but smells like flatulence most of the time.

 

[cbzdel]

I'm with you, Jess, the animal smells can be the best part of the ride, at least when partnered with fresh green smell (grass, trees, etc).

The one that perplexes me the most, though, is the smell of marijuana on the freeway. Who in their right mind thinks it's safe to toke and drive?

I was behind a semi truck last night on my way home, only vehicle in front in front of me and every 30 seconds or so a big PUFF would come out the window and all I would sell was a the wacky tabacky!

 

[neshi]

I was behind a semi truck last night on my way home, only vehicle in front in front of me and every 30 seconds or so a big PUFF would come out the window and all I would sell was a the wacky tabacky!

That is the worst!

In NYC you get that a lot as they hold the cigarette out side the window.

Some times I want to say if ya gonna smoke it keep it to your self

 

[BluePill]

The Best: Evergreen trees.

The Worst: Being behind one or more Harleys spewing out fumes from their "performance modified" carbs. (+100 for FZ6R with fuel injection and catalytic converter)