Bike riders know this, the streets are never truly empty.
“You see some weird things, lot of brake pads, spark plugs, sunglasses, cell phone,” said Leon Towson, of San Diego, Ca.
“If I could stop and collect all the stuff that's been left behind I’d have hundreds of dollars worth of gear,” said Tony Toson, of Atlanta.
“I found a 20 dollar bill just glowing in the sunshine,” said Jackie Michael, of Evans.
More than 3000 athletes are taking part in the Ironman in Augusta Sunday, a combination swimming, biking and running race.
The bike leg is 56 miles.
Riders spend hours on the road training and racing, and they’re in perfect position to find what’s been left behind.
“One time we came upon a kitten, and one of my friend’s grandparents adopted it,” said Chris Blanco, of Augusta.
But for bikers, not every find is cute and cuddly.
“I found a purse once and it was next to vomit,” said Kathy Gagnier, of Orlando, Florida.
In one three foot section of the bike course I found a bottle, some litter and a beat up pair of shades, when you ride you see it all.
But sometimes what you don’t see on the road can cost you a tire.
That’s what happened to Mike Piposar of Cincinnati, Ohio. He hit something during a practice ride Friday. “The glass in the road, nails and what not...screws. You can't really avoid that...just chance," he said, repairing his tire.
I told him about Jackie Michael and the 20 dollar bill.
I wish I was that lucky,” he said.
The Ironman is serious competition but during the race, is there anything on the road riders would hit the brakes for?
“If I saw some jewelry, or a nice watch, I’d probably stop for a watch,” said Tony Tonson.
“I wouldn’t stop for 100 dollars. I’ve got...I've got too much invested in this. Every second is worth more than 100 dollars to me,” said Mike Gagnier, of Orlando.
These Ironmen and women play for keeps, at least some of the time.
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