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Le cycliste regardant la circulation est patient.

Le cycliste regardant la circulation est patient.
The cyclist watching the traffic is patient.
From Lesson 160:Present participles replacing relative clauses (-ant)·French

Breakdown of Le cycliste regardant la circulation est patient.

être
to be
patient
patient
regarder
to watch
le cycliste
the cyclist
la circulation
the traffic

Questions & Answers about Le cycliste regardant la circulation est patient.

How is regardant replacing a relative clause here?
Regardant (watching) replaces the relative clause qui regarde (who is watching). Using the present participle ending in -ant makes the sentence a bit more concise, just like in English.
Does regardant change its ending if the cyclist is female?
No, it stays exactly the same. When a present participle has a direct object (like la circulation), it acts as a verb rather than an adjective, meaning it is invariable. It never adds an -e or an -s.
Why isn't there an en before regardant?
You only use en plus the present participle to mean "while doing" or "by doing" something. Here, "watching the traffic" describes the cyclist, replacing "who is watching". Because it describes the noun rather than how another action is performed, you must leave out the en.
Can I use le trafic instead of la circulation for traffic?
You can, but la circulation is the standard, everyday word for cars moving on the road. Le trafic is often used for commercial transit, network data, or even illegal trade.

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