I Knew It: Bikers Crazy

Image by Tambako the Jaguar via Flickr

From a 2006 New York Times profile of ultra-endurance cyclist Jure Robič who apparently regularly goes nuts during his races:

The craziness is methodical, however, and Robic and his crew know its pattern by heart. Around Day 2 of a typical weeklong race, his speech goes staccato. By Day 3, he is belligerent and sometimes paranoid. His short-term memory vanishes, and he weeps uncontrollably. The last days are marked by hallucinations: bears, wolves and aliens prowl the roadside; asphalt cracks rearrange themselves into coded messages. Occasionally, Robic leaps from his bike to square off with shadowy figures that turn out to be mailboxes. In a 2004 race, he turned to see himself pursued by a howling band of black-bearded men on horseback.

This could explain some of the assholes on the Brooklyn Bridge.

HT: Mind Hacks