There's a dude who cycles around Cambridge
with a knackered old radio blasting some barely discernible metal music. I can only describe the sound as a mix of hidden rhythms and white noise, coming through speakers packed full of foil. Everything on his bike is wrapped in carrier bags, including his special broken radio.

It works as a great cycle bell, though. When walking down the pedestrianised bits, you can always hear him coming from miles away and therefore prepare to get out of his way in good time.

He's been doing it for at least ten years, though I've no idea of the rationale behind it.

Edit: after a bit of Googling I've discovered he is also known as 'Angry Wasp Bike Man'. There's a blog about him and everything.
( Yo 'Ho of Charlie mass-market saucetrepreneur, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 10:36, 6 replies)

Yes yes yes
9/10 times that we go into town, we see him! Scruffy looking fella, cycling on a beaten up old mountain bike, has a radio inside a series of old carrier bags hanging off his handlebar, weaves in & out of people, playing an indiscernible metal music at medium volume. Every time I see him, I point him out to the wife & say something about how we always see him. She doesn't care.

I've always wondered how he pays for the batteries, or perhaps it's on a dynamo and he has to keep cycling to keep the music going.

I've lived here 10 years & have always seen him.
(harrypitta friends with the chilli saucerer, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 11:21, closed)

Haha! Maybe that's it
He's just been on a constant, decade-long cycle marathon to keep his radio alive. Maybe time will stop and the sun will cease to shine if the radio becomes silent.
( Yo 'Ho of Charlie mass-market saucetrepreneur, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 11:29, closed)

Actually, that's quite a nice book idea...

( Yo 'Ho of Charlie mass-market saucetrepreneur, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 11:31, closed)

The battery of the universe, contained within this single mortal shell.

( drimble he'd been white, he'd been black, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 11:59, closed)

I
Shall make it my duty to find him next time I'm in town, if only to identify this mysery music.
(Ovon Bort Wondering why he chose this username, since 1999, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 12:39, closed)

Sidney Street and St John's Street are known cycling radio man hotspots.
Loved the Encyclopaedia Flangica, btw :)
( Yo 'Ho of Charlie mass-market saucetrepreneur, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 12:50, closed)

Route
Normally see him on St John's Street, weaving in out of people near Heffers. Never seen him as far down as Kings Parade - think he must turn left and do circuits via the marketplace, back up Sidney Street and round. Often we'll see him 2-3 times in one trip.

I have on occasion seen him miles away on Burleigh St near Primark (needed a longer charge perhaps?)
(harrypitta friends with the chilli saucerer, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 12:58, closed)

Ah yes
encyclopaedia Flangica. It's a wonder that the shame of that event didn't turn me into one of these space cadets.
(Ovon Bort Wondering why he chose this username, since 1999, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 17:56, closed)

i know him as Man With Noise.
I think he was interviewed by Varsity, the student paper, about 5–6 years ago. Something about him being pissed off with everyone, so he planned to annoy them back with music.

They also interviewed Clive, the Sainsbury's Big Issue seller. He has had a fascinating life
(Le Misanthrope last procrastinated on, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 13:04, closed)

I do like Sarcastic Clive
I would be quite interested to read those interviews, but Varsity's archive isn't the easiest to navigate.
( Yo 'Ho of Charlie mass-market saucetrepreneur, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 13:20, closed)

Proper Cambridge celeb!
On any trip into town, you're guaranteed to see both him and Rory McGrath cycle past at some point. I often hear him crackle past around the Corn Exchange, and sometimes up near Fopp.

It's great how, whenever I talk to anyone about Cambridge, he's a point of reference we can both relate to. Someone suggested a while ago that he should've been an Olympic torch bearer when the relay came to the city. I'd love to have seen that.

There's also the busker who plays fully enclosed in a litter bin. He's pretty cool.
(costas, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 23:35, closed)