What odd people

I needed a few things from the hardware store, so I pedaled up there to
get them. When I got there, I noticed several bikes parked near the
door. They weren't chained up to anything.

I chained up to my familiar parking sign (there is no rack) and headed
for the door with my helmet under my arm. As I approached the door, this
big fellow of a man, at least 20 years my senior and with a nice white
beard, comes out and starts beating his chest.

"Isn't it a just splendid day to be riding a bike?!!" he proclaims to
me. I turn my head and look at him oddly because I ride my bike every
day, rain or shine and he goes on, "Yes, a glorious day and what a
glorious way to keep the cardiologist at bay!!!"

It began to click in that he wasn't speaking to me, but to his younger,
probably whiny children or grandchildren. So I agreed with him and
ducked in the store to buy my air conditioner filters.

"vey" wrote in message
...
I needed a few things from the hardware store, so I pedaled up there to get
them. When I got there, I noticed several bikes parked near the door. They
weren't chained up to anything.

I chained up to my familiar parking sign (there is no rack) and headed for
the door with my helmet under my arm. As I approached the door, this big
fellow of a man, at least 20 years my senior and with a nice white beard,
comes out and starts beating his chest.

"Isn't it a just splendid day to be riding a bike?!!" he proclaims to me.
I turn my head and look at him oddly because I ride my bike every day,
rain or shine and he goes on, "Yes, a glorious day and what a glorious way
to keep the cardiologist at bay!!!"

It began to click in that he wasn't speaking to me, but to his younger,
probably whiny children or grandchildren. So I agreed with him and ducked
in the store to buy my air conditioner filters.

You shoulda thoed a coke can at his head. Somebody in a pickup threw
something at me today. Frank, where were you at 5:30 pm eastern?

On Sep 30, 7:59 pm, vey wrote:
I needed a few things from the hardware store, so I pedaled up there to
get them. When I got there, I noticed several bikes parked near the
door. They weren't chained up to anything.

I chained up to my familiar parking sign (there is no rack) and headed
for the door with my helmet under my arm. As I approached the door, this
big fellow of a man, at least 20 years my senior and with a nice white
beard, comes out and starts beating his chest.

"Isn't it a just splendid day to be riding a bike?!!" he proclaims to
me. I turn my head and look at him oddly because I ride my bike every
day, rain or shine and he goes on, "Yes, a glorious day and what a
glorious way to keep the cardiologist at bay!!!"

Well, Greens, most people ride sparingly, most ride for 'fun' and do
not use their bicycle for everyday transportation and probably never
will until fuel is scarce and anarchy reigns...remember golf is
growing faster than cycling.

It began to click in that he wasn't speaking to me, but to his younger,
probably whiny children or grandchildren. So I agreed with him and
ducked in the store to buy my air conditioner filters.

In article .com,
"Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" wrote:

remember golf is growing faster than cycling.

It was recently reported in the media that 17 million fewer Americans
are cycling. I can't recall what the comparison time frames were. In
any event, American cycling is contracting rather than growing.

Tim McNamara wrote:
In article .com,
"Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" wrote:

remember golf is growing faster than cycling.

It was recently reported in the media that 17 million fewer Americans
are cycling. I can't recall what the comparison time frames were. In
any event, American cycling is contracting rather than growing.

Wouldn't know that if you looked at my neighborhood. I've watched
cycling increase dramatically in the last few years and a new branch LBS
opened 3 years ago and they are doing well. But if you go a few miles
away, to a less prosperous neighborhood, you will not see children
riding bikes, much less adults.

Tim McNamara wrote:
It was recently reported in the media that 17 million fewer Americans
are cycling.

That's more than 1 in 20 of our population. I would think the number
that _are_ cycling would be less than that.

Art Harris

Tim McNamara wrote:
In article .com,
"Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" wrote:

remember golf is growing faster than cycling.

It was recently reported in the media that 17 million fewer Americans
are cycling. I can't recall what the comparison time frames were. In
any event, American cycling is contracting rather than growing.

That can't be possible, as there is no mandatory helmet law for adults.
We all know that the _only_ reason for fewer people cycling is the
establishment of an MHL.

On Mon, 01 Oct 2007 07:58:46 -0700, SMS wrote:

Tim McNamara wrote:
In article .com,
"Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" wrote:

remember golf is growing faster than cycling.

It was recently reported in the media that 17 million fewer Americans
are cycling. I can't recall what the comparison time frames were. In
any event, American cycling is contracting rather than growing.

That can't be possible, as there is no mandatory helmet law for adults.

Not true.

MHLs exist in many countries, including the USofA, where, starting in 1991
46 MHLs for ALL ages have been enacted.

We all know that the _only_ reason for fewer people cycling is the
establishment of an MHL.

The reduction in cycling correlated with the introduction of MHLs is well
established; but the characterisation of that as the only reason for this
decline is (to put it most charitably) disingenuous - there are a number of
anti-cycling measures and attitudes which frequently occur in places that
are willing to pass MHLs, and it is probable that they each have some
effect on the numbers of cyclists. If SMS wishes to encourage cycling he
would do well to focus not only on MHLs, but on the other factors as well.

On 2007-10-01, Bill Sornson wrote:
Art Harris wrote:
Tim McNamara wrote:
It was recently reported in the media that 17 million fewer Americans
are cycling.

That's more than 1 in 20 of our population. I would think the number
that _are_ cycling would be less than that.

Wonder if the real stat is 17 /percent/ fewer Americans are cycling? That
sounds plausible to me.

Agreed, but I'd like to see a cite of the "media report" to see how they
inven^H^H^H^H^H measured the decline.

A big decline in recreational MTB'ing, for example, is much different than
a decline in urban commuting/utility cycling.

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_
(_)/ (_)

"vey" wrote in message
...
Tim McNamara wrote:
In article .com,
"Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" wrote:

remember golf is growing faster than cycling.

It was recently reported in the media that 17 million fewer Americans are
cycling. I can't recall what the comparison time frames were. In any
event, American cycling is contracting rather than growing.

Wouldn't know that if you looked at my neighborhood. I've watched cycling
increase dramatically in the last few years and a new branch LBS opened 3
years ago and they are doing well. But if you go a few miles away, to a
less prosperous neighborhood, you will not see children riding bikes, much
less adults.

When you play golf, you get to sit. Hardly anyone walks around the course
anymore. Can you really say it's a sport if all you do is get off your cart
every few miles and hit the ball? The calorie burn per hour must be less
than a quarter of what you get with cycling.