LDD

Taking science into his own hands in the service of road harmony, Ashley Holtmeulen explores  the damaging effects of LDD.

As always science has been a little slow to substantiate or be willing to look at what most cyclist have always known, that LDD has always been the single biggest cause of stress and anger experienced by and expressed by non-cycling motorists.

This, mostly unknown phenomena, which is now being accepted by some health professionals as a mental health issue, is starting to be recognised as a major reason for the rise in “road rage” over the last 10 years.

For a lot of motorists, LDD can go undiagnosed for years, which can and has lead to stress related health issues, relationship breakdowns and, in the extreme cases, a loss of identity.

As mentioned in the 2008 study by Dr Arshurtsalot most non-cycling motorists are completely unaware of the impact on their health that LDD can have and what positive changes can be made once LDD has been recognised, accepted and dealt with.

His study found that LDD was effecting people of all ages and that it was mostly ignorance and misunderstanding which initially created the “belief” and that had then led to the physical symptoms appearing. These symptoms include but are not limited to, impatience, blind spots, confusion, lose of temper and inability to measure time and space.

What can we do about LDD or Lycra Deficiency Disorder?

There is very little science available to help someone with recovery from LDD, however, I have found that trying to lend a pair of my cycling knicks (cycling shorts to the uninitiated) to a motorist who is yelling abuse at me or has just cut me off has not been successful in the past. However, I will continue to carry a spare pair just in case.

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