Fungus: Beware of the Bermuda Triangle moss

Few things flood our hearts with fear faster than the black moss from hell. Sometimes I call it Bermuda Triangle Fungus because of its mysterious ability to make cyclists vanish off the radar screen. It’s as slippery as BP oil. If your bike isn’t perfectly upright when you ride over it, you’re going down really hard without warning. Now is the time when the black moss is out in full force, waiting for bicycle tires – the thinner the better.

You can’t see it that well in the above photo, but the black moss is growing on the pave along the fence. It thrives in wet places that don’t get much direct sunshine. I stepped on a patch of it today. Just as I began pushing off with the ball of my foot and toes, my foot quickly slipped out from under me. I recovered my balance before my knee went crashing into the sidewalk.

We often encounter the moss on shady stretches of mountain roads lined with trees. My Canadian riding buddy Dean has become a permanent fixture in Guangzhou expat cycling folklore because the moss once ambushed him during a ride on Nan Kun Mountain. I didn’t witness the incident, but I’ve heard the story told by Dean, who moved away a couple years ago, and others who were there. He was riding along in a seemingly proper upright position with a couple other riders when he suddenly went down hard on his hip. His wheels just went out from under him, and the moss body slammed him with extreme prejudice.

Dean is a tough rider and wasn’t seriously injured. The incident definitely secured his Guangzhou legacy. I’ve been on several rides when the group encounters some black moss and someone says, “Look out for that stuff. Remember what happened to Dean!” And once again, the story is retold.