riddle me this...

[k0no]

so i've been commuting on my TRX, and i noticed something strange.


there's a hill on my commute, with a mini-roundabout at the bottom, and a 90-degree 30mph-40mph corner at the top. the road is banked on the left by earth and hedges.

twice, two days running, i accelerated up the hill to about 75mph and then slowed for the corner... and upon slowing, noticed a sudden and distinct smell of burning rubber.

so let me break down for you what is strange about this:

1- there are no other times i have noticed this smell.
2 - i accelerate/brake much harder on other roads, without the smell.
3 - the road surface is even and doesn't seem like it would cause loss of traction (although the first day, the road was damp)
4 - i didn't feel any wheel-spin on acceleration or braking.

but here's where it gets stranger.

- i tried to replicate the smell the following day from the first, and i got the same thing the second time, in exactly the same place.
- however, i haven't been able to replicate it since.



so here's some of my (probably misguided) thought processes:

- the high bank on the left side of the road creates circulating turbulence as i reach the top of the hill and slow down, which brings the smell into my helmet. the smell might be happening elsewhere but i just can't smell it.
- the smell came from something behind the hedge
- something was touching the exhaust
- leprichauns did it.


i'm at a loss. is my rear tyre just slipping slightly? is the engine about to explode? should i be worried?

honestly i'm finding the whole thing sort of amusing, how it's managed to play on my mind so much.

[bagmaker]

you dont usually smell your own rubber burning, generally the person behind you smells it.

Were you wearing a condom?

[trixynut]

if you are sure you know what burning rubber smells like and this smells like that, then thats what it is, so the omly place on a bike it could some from is the tyres.
Otherwise a quick check round the bike would show anything melted.
Also check your boot soles for meltage off the link pipes.
Or its a tramp behind the hedge burning an old pirelli for warmth.

[cal]

Old tramp with a wry smile, burning an old pirelli, knowing he's fuk'n with your head without even looking, aka supertramp, (He has the power)

[Stankflapper]

check your boot on the exhaust

[cobbadiggabuddyblooo]

as Mince pointed out in previous threads..make sure there's not a speed camera there and it's been torched with a bunch of tyres

[Mincehead]

I just wish that to happen to ALL the GREED cameras cobba!
Actually get off the bike at the place you smell the rubber and do have a good look around, on the A1 / M1 there is an asphalt / tarmaccadam works that stinks to high heavens.
When the wind`s in the right direction you could almost gag on the smell it`s that offensive.