4 ms·
I cycle every day in the city and so in certain areas it's common to cross paths with pigeons or other birds. I've noticed that regardless of whether the bird w
by ics 8y ago
I cycle every day in the city and so in certain areas it's common to cross paths with pigeons or other birds. I've noticed that regardless of whether the bird was walking or already in flight, if their path is perpendicular to mine they almost invariably adjust to cross in front of me only a few inches off the ground. Sometimes this increases the risk of collision, as veering left, right, or simply going up would take them out of my path completely. Thinking about it on a recent ride I wondered if part of the reason they get so close to the ground is to feel faster– either psychologically, or in an attempt to gauge their own speed relative to an incoming object.
(I've never ridden a recumbent tricycle but can imagine the effect of being closer to the ground. Crouching on a skateboard or leaning in on a bicycle or motorcycle all change my perception even before an actual change in speed.)
- thrill 8y agoI think they are probably just naturally (to them) trading a slight amount of potential energy (altitude) for increased velocity - after all they'd rather be one inch past your front wheel at the crossing point than one inch on the other side.
- carpdiem 8y agoThis is very likely. There's also the chance they're taking advantage of some portion of the ground effect ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_(aerodynamics) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_effect_(aerodynamics) ), thereby allowing themselves to increase their speed even further.
- tboughen 8y agoMy father is a keen birdwatcher, and he told me that birds go low to the ground as a defence mechanism against birds of prey - the bird of prey cannot catch the swooping bird without crashing into the ground. I suppose they might do similar with cars and bikes if they feel threatened as an evolutionary misfiring.