#1
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not a cyclist
Whilst discussing life, politics and the meaning of existence a co-worker who knows me well enough described me as an anarchist [I'm not - it was merely a bit of good humoured banter and devil's advocacy] because, as is my habit of perusing widely differing types of currents affairs mags from radical left to radical right to the mushy middle, I was reading an anarchist magazine. My reply was that I didn't consider myself anything that ended in -ist with the possible exception of cyclist. He laughed at the idea that I would consider myself a cyclist. You see I don't compete. I don't 'race' either off-road or on. I don't participate in organized events. I commute year-round and get about town by bike. In season I go on 20 km, 50 km, even 70 km rides regularly and have clocked a couple in the 100-200 km range. But according to him I am not a 'cyclist' because I do this alone, untimed, and not in organized events. By his definition; using a bike for basic transportation and for recreation doesn't make one a cyclist. He is pretty much a jock type: recreational hockey, golf, softball, and football & rugby in his younger days. [He _might_ get on a bike twice in a summer and would not even consider using a bike for a 7 km commute to work and instead drives an SUV.] In his mind a _real_ cyclist is pretty much in the Lance Armstrong mould I guess. Or it should at least be as part of an organized event like his 'sports'. Dunno why I'm relating this episode. It just struck be as a curious way to look at cycling.and those who shall or shall not be deemed 'cyclists'. Comments? -- 'Just because you're wearing a tie Doesn't mean you're bloody important' -chumbawumba |
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#2
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not a cyclist
In article . rogers.com,
"loki" writes: Comments? How intertwined is your lifestyle with cycling? The routes & destinations you choose, your hairstyle, your clothing & accoutrements, etc? Anyhow, "rider" fills the bill as good as "cyclist". Maybe "[bi]cycler" would do the trick, too. Words and labels are just food for thought. And as Walt Kelly's Pogo once said: "food for thought is no substitute for the real thing." cheers, Tom -- -- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca |
#3
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not a cyclist
Hi Loki
Your co-worker seems to have a very narrow-minded view of what a cyclist is. The fact that you ride solo and not competitively or in a peloton doesn't make you any less of a cyclist than those who do. Competition doesn't make a cyclist; cycling makes a cyclist... And from your description, you seem to have already achieved many of the milestones that dedicated cyclists strive for: a metric century (100 km), an imperial century (100 miles or 161 km), and a double-metric (200 km). If your co-worker laughs at you when you call youself a cyclist, tell him to put his golf clubs down and get him on a bike. You can ask him to comment again after you smoke him on the first uphill you encounter. Just because you're not a competitive cyclist doesn't make you any less of a cyclist. In fact, you seem to be more of a cyclist than many posers with $5,000 bikes and all the lyrca you can shake a stick at who simply keep their bikes at home like a museum piece. Forget the labels, just ride. Yeti |
#4
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not a cyclist
"loki" wrote in message
ble.rogers.com... Whilst discussing life, politics and the meaning of existence a co-worker who knows me well enough described me as an anarchist [I'm not - it was merely a bit of good humoured banter and devil's advocacy] because, as is my habit of perusing widely differing types of currents affairs mags from radical left to radical right to the mushy middle, I was reading an anarchist magazine. My reply was that I didn't consider myself anything that ended in -ist with the possible exception of cyclist. He laughed at the idea that I would consider myself a cyclist. You see I don't compete. I don't 'race' either off-road or on. I don't participate in organized events. I commute year-round and get about town by bike. In season I go on 20 km, 50 km, even 70 km rides regularly and have clocked a couple in the 100-200 km range. But according to him I am not a 'cyclist' because I do this alone, untimed, and not in organized events. By his definition; using a bike for basic transportation and for recreation doesn't make one a cyclist. He is pretty much a jock type: recreational hockey, golf, softball, and football & rugby in his younger days. [He _might_ get on a bike twice in a summer and would not even consider using a bike for a 7 km commute to work and instead drives an SUV.] In his mind a _real_ cyclist is pretty much in the Lance Armstrong mould I guess. Or it should at least be as part of an organized event like his 'sports'. Dunno why I'm relating this episode. It just struck be as a curious way to look at cycling.and those who shall or shall not be deemed 'cyclists'. Comments? -- 'Just because you're wearing a tie Doesn't mean you're bloody important' -chumbawumba Your friend is wrong...you are a cyclist. Per dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=67&q=cyclist), "One who rides or races a bicycle, motorcycle, or similar vehicle.". -- ~_-* ....G/ \G http://www.CycliStats.com CycliStats - Software for Cyclists |
#5
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not a cyclist
On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 09:26:24 +0000, loki wrote:
By his definition; using a bike for basic transportation and for recreation doesn't make one a cyclist. That's his problem, not yours. Ignore it. -- David L. Johnson __o | You will say Christ saith this and the apostles say this; but _`\(,_ | what canst thou say? -- George Fox. (_)/ (_) | |
#6
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not a cyclist
Loki wrote:
Whilst discussing life, politics and the meaning of existence a co-worker who knows me well enough described me as an anarchist [I'm not - it was merely a bit of good humoured banter and devil's advocacy] because, as is my habit of perusing widely differing types of currents affairs mags from radical left to radical right to the mushy middle, I was reading an anarchist magazine. My reply was that I didn't consider myself anything that ended in -ist with the possible exception of cyclist. He laughed at the idea that I would consider myself a cyclist. You see I don't compete. I don't 'race' either off-road or on. I don't participate in organized events. I commute year-round and get about town by bike. In season I go on 20 km, 50 km, even 70 km rides regularly and have clocked a couple in the 100-200 km range. But according to him I am not a 'cyclist' because I do this alone, untimed, and not in organized events. By his definition; using a bike for basic transportation and for recreation doesn't make one a cyclist. He is pretty much a jock type: recreational hockey, golf, softball, and football & rugby in his younger days. [He _might_ get on a bike twice in a summer and would not even consider using a bike for a 7 km commute to work and instead drives an SUV.] In his mind a _real_ cyclist is pretty much in the Lance Armstrong mould I guess. Or it should at least be as part of an organized event like his 'sports'. Dunno why I'm relating this episode. It just struck be as a curious way to look at cycling.and those who shall or shall not be deemed 'cyclists'. Comments? 1. He's full of crap. 2. If he can self-define who is and isn't an athlete, so can you. 3. By his definition, when he gets into that SUV for a short (or even long) haul, he's not really a "driver" because he's not in a timed race over a closed course or track. 4. Ignore him. 5. Find new friends with less-closed minds. Bill, riding bent in Florida (hence the screen name) To e-mail, remove undies |
#7
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not a cyclist
By his definition; using a bike for basic transportation and for recreation
doesn't make one a cyclist. He is pretty much a jock type: recreational hockey, golf, softball, and football & rugby in his younger days. Well, this seems to be a definition thing. Who knows exactly what he is thinking of? He could have a certain bit a justified thinking in trying to limit the term "cyclist" to people who are more than "casual". From your account he seems to think that taking part in organized events is a sort of affirmation. He probably does not realize that cycling ranges from very structured events like races to less structured events like sanctioned centuries to completely independent activities like self contained touring. Personally, I am more impressed by the lady who hops on her touring bike loaded with 50 lbs of gear and proceeds to ride across the North American Continent all alone on her bike and with no support than the hot shot who does a sub 5 hour century in a pace line. Then there are the commuters who ride through rain and fog and snow and gloom of night all on roads thronged with crazed drivers and they do this unscathed. I think the variety of impressive things that cyclists do makes cyclists a bit more flexible about whom they accord the honorific "cyclist" to than in some other sports. |
#8
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not a cyclist
"loki" wrote in message ble.rogers.com... Dunno why I'm relating this episode. It just struck be as a curious way to look at cycling.and those who shall or shall not be deemed 'cyclists'. Comments? So, does this guy drive to work? Does he not consider himself to be a "driver"? RichC |
#9
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not a cyclist
"Tom Keats" wrote in message
... In article . rogers.com, "loki" writes: Comments? How intertwined is your lifestyle with cycling? It is my basic form of transportation in that I don't even own an auto. I've bicycle-commuted to work every day that I work for over a year [Since 11 Nov 2002 to be precise] And this includes through the snow and ice of Canadian winter. The routes & destinations you choose, For fun in season: Up north to the lake; East along the river trails; The southern loop. I'd say that in season it is my primary form of recreation. your hairstyle, your clothing & accoutrements, etc? Not at all. -- 'Just because you're wearing a tie Doesn't mean you're bloody important' -chumbawumba |
#10
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not a cyclist
"Cwazee Yeti" wrote in message
om... Hi Loki Your co-worker seems to have a very narrow-minded view of what a cyclist is. The fact that you ride solo and not competitively or in a peloton doesn't make you any less of a cyclist than those who do. It wasn't just tcompetition - though that did seem to one of his points - it was also the unbstructured nature of my cycling. It would be somewhat analgous to saying the only proper baseball is what MLB says is and sanctions as apropriate. IOW someone who plays a sandlot game is a _Real_ baseball player. I'm not worried about his acceptance. I've grown beyond seeking the approval of others for such things. I just found it an interesting standard for him to have. And it wasn't like he was doing it to diss me. He had a mental definition of what it meant to be a 'cyclist' that I found curious. -- 'Just because you're wearing a tie Doesn't mean you're bloody important' -chumbawumba |
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