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Who is a real cyclist ?



 
 
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  #21  
Old August 31st 18, 10:28 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_2_]
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Default Who is a real cyclist ?

On Friday, August 31, 2018 at 1:57:59 PM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:

If I waived at every cyclist around here, I'd be exhausted. I'll waive sometimes, but I don't want it to be a requirement -- and I'm not hurt if others don't waive at me. Do all the riders in Amsterdam waive at each other?


OK, I'll WAIVE any requirement for you to WAVE at every cyclist. And no, I'm sure
that Amsterdamers don't wave at every cyclist either.

As I said above, it depends on context. Around here, we just don't have many
cylists. If I ride past someone else on a bike, it means they're likely to be
as weird as I am. That's brotherhood! So yes, I wave.

One day some years ago, I had ridden my motorcycle to work. I was returning
not by the freeway, but by my bike commute route. I came across a guy who was
obviously bike commuting and heading toward my suburban village. That was so
unusual that I pulled over and got in a nice conversation with him, and
mentioned our bike club.

It's astonishing, but he joined the club anyway. ;-) He became very active,
in charge of the ride calendar, etc. In PDX, there would be no justification
for even batting an eye.

And it's been said that in Amsterdam, there are no "cyclists" any more than
there are "refrigerator users." Bikes are an expected tool in every household,
just like refrigerators. And there are no refrigerator clubs, no refrigerator
competitions, no special refrigerator hats, so none of that for bikes. Very
different from biking in MOST American cities.

- Frank Krygowski
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  #22  
Old August 31st 18, 10:30 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_2_]
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Default Who is a real cyclist ?

On Friday, August 31, 2018 at 2:22:42 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Friday, August 31, 2018 at 11:19:17 AM UTC-7, Emanuel Berg wrote:
sltom992 wrote:

I have the same attitude. Anyone riding
a bike is another brother of the wheel.


???

Waive at other riders?

Unknown concept.

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573


Then don't complain if you need help and others simply ride by. Four or five bike riders stopped to help me around the first of the month when I was stuck but none of them had a chain breaker with them which would have allowed me to repair my failure.


And none would help you find a rock and a nail?

You should have phoned Joerg!

- Frank Krygowski
  #23  
Old August 31st 18, 10:34 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_2_]
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Default Who is a real cyclist ?

On Friday, August 31, 2018 at 2:54:07 PM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, August 31, 2018 at 10:58:41 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Friday, August 31, 2018 at 9:31:18 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/30/2018 11:27 PM, Tim McNamara wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2018 03:35:27 -0700 (PDT), OK
wrote:

Probably a homeless guy with depend on two-wheels is the real cyclist
in my view. Not guys with riding $5k bike on the bike lane who just
use bike for exercise or fun and these guys never use bike for main
transporter. And next real cyclist would be Dutch and Denmark cyclist
using for a main transporter.

If you're riding a bicycle, you're a real cyclist. Why be judgey about
it?

People are amazingly tribal. I actually do wave at the super-low-income
guys riding past me on bikes - not that I see that many. But most of
them don't respond, just as many of the guys in "Look, I'm a racer!"
garb scowling along at 20+ mph don't respond to waves.

I think we are much more likely to accept and acknowledge those we
perceive as being like ourselves - although that's relative, and depends
on context. I remember being at an outdoor restaurant in Venice and
meeting a black American couple who appeared to be several economic
levels above us. As fellow Americans in a foreign land, we chatted like
old friends for nearly an hour. But I bet if we met them in downtown
Chicago, they wouldn't have bothered talking to "those bike riders."


--
- Frank Krygowski


I have the same attitude. Anyone riding a bike is another brother of the wheel. When I got a flat out in the middle of nowhere a homeless guy riding by offered me his patch kit if it would help. Could I do any less?


O.K., start waiving. https://bikeportland.org/2016/05/04/...o-essay-182506 "Hey ... hi there, hey, hello . . . how's it going . . hi . . "

BTW, what was a homeless guy doing riding a bike in the middle of nowhere? Was he training for the homeless Olympics?


I have absolutely no doubt there are people who are homeless and are in the
middle of nowhere on bikes. For some, that's a lifestyle choice.

We hosted some Warm Showers guests a few weeks ago. One guy said he thinks of
himself as a full time traveler who works (teaching school) sort of on the side.

- Frank Krygowski

  #24  
Old September 1st 18, 08:50 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
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Default Who is a real cyclist ?

On Friday, August 31, 2018 at 7:57:59 PM UTC+2, jbeattie wrote:
Do all the riders in Amsterdam waive at each other?

-- Jay Beattie.


I don't think so, but the funny thing is that when I am on a lonely country road I say hello, nodding my head or raise one or two fingers to the few cyclist I come across. Yesterday just after a corner I came across three cyclist from a bike club from a neighbouring town and just after I recognized their teamshirts and said 'hello' I hear 'helmet'. I am not wearing a helmet when I ride alone on flat terrain, which is becoming rare but people telling me to wear a helmet **** me off. A couple of km later I see an approaching rider also not wearing a helmet so he got my attention. It appeared to be Peter Winnen a former pro rider living nearby (won the Alpe d'Huez stage in the TdF two times). I just said 'Hi Peter' and got in my flow again and set a new PB and fastest time for that day on a Strave segment ;-).

Lou
  #25  
Old September 1st 18, 02:25 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Emanuel Berg[_2_]
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Default Who is a real cyclist ?

lou.holtman wrote:

Yesterday just after a corner I came across
three cyclist from a bike club from
a neighbouring town and just after
I recognized their teamshirts and said
'hello' I hear 'helmet'. I am not wearing
a helmet when I ride alone on flat terrain,
which is becoming rare but people telling me
to wear a helmet **** me off.




Yeah, I think most people would be ****ed off
by such an answer no matter the setting when
oneself is saying something polite/neutral and
get the arrogance back.

One has to wonder tho why all this ravage to
begin with between cyclists? Why do they care
so much what other cyclists do?

That's immature, right?

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573
  #26  
Old September 1st 18, 04:28 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
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Default Who is a real cyclist ?

On Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 12:50:51 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Friday, August 31, 2018 at 7:57:59 PM UTC+2, jbeattie wrote:
Do all the riders in Amsterdam waive at each other?

-- Jay Beattie.


I don't think so, but the funny thing is that when I am on a lonely country road I say hello, nodding my head or raise one or two fingers to the few cyclist I come across. Yesterday just after a corner I came across three cyclist from a bike club from a neighbouring town and just after I recognized their teamshirts and said 'hello' I hear 'helmet'. I am not wearing a helmet when I ride alone on flat terrain, which is becoming rare but people telling me to wear a helmet **** me off. A couple of km later I see an approaching rider also not wearing a helmet so he got my attention. It appeared to be Peter Winnen a former pro rider living nearby (won the Alpe d'Huez stage in the TdF two times). I just said 'Hi Peter' and got in my flow again and set a new PB and fastest time for that day on a Strave segment ;-).


I also will do the two finger waive when I'm out in the country, but I do object to the idea that it is mandatory and that if you do not do it, you are a scowling pretend racer in Lycra. I will also help people who really need help but not try to inject myself into every situation, assuming that the person is incompetent.

Some of my son's friends ended up riding with Peter Sagan in Park City, UT. He hangs out there and half the local cycling community has a selfie with him. Euro pros in the US, however, are pretty rare -- in fact, most any pro.. Ian Boswell down in Bend and of course retired Chris Horner, also in Bend.. I have to content myself with seeing a squirrel or deer.

-- Jay Beattie.


  #27  
Old September 1st 18, 05:04 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_2_]
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Default Who is a real cyclist ?

On Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 9:26:01 AM UTC-4, Emanuel Berg wrote:
lou.holtman wrote:

Yesterday just after a corner I came across
three cyclist from a bike club from
a neighbouring town and just after
I recognized their teamshirts and said
'hello' I hear 'helmet'. I am not wearing
a helmet when I ride alone on flat terrain,
which is becoming rare but people telling me
to wear a helmet **** me off.




Yeah, I think most people would be ****ed off
by such an answer no matter the setting when
oneself is saying something polite/neutral and
get the arrogance back.


  #28  
Old September 1st 18, 05:13 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_2_]
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Posts: 7,511
Default Who is a real cyclist ?

On Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 9:26:01 AM UTC-4, Emanuel Berg wrote:
lou.holtman wrote:

Yesterday just after a corner I came across
three cyclist from a bike club from
a neighbouring town and just after
I recognized their teamshirts and said
'hello' I hear 'helmet'. I am not wearing
a helmet when I ride alone on flat terrain,
which is becoming rare but people telling me
to wear a helmet **** me off.




Yeah, I think most people would be ****ed off
by such an answer no matter the setting when
oneself is saying something polite/neutral and
get the arrogance back.


One young lady I know has two small kids who ride bikes, usually without
helmets. She's noted that it's considered VERY rude to tell someone how to
raise their own kids.

Except, that is, when talking about bike helmets.

Same with avid cyclists. Nobody ever yells "Where's your safety flag?" or
"Why are you riding in a black jersey?" or "Where's your daytime running light?"
Hell, it's rare to hear "You're riding in the door zone" or even "You're
riding facing traffic" or "Stop running red lights."

But if you ride without the magic hat, you're a pariah to many people. You
deserve to be lectured.

Helmeteers are assholes.

- Frank Krygowski

  #29  
Old September 1st 18, 05:16 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
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Default Who is a real cyclist ?

I'm sorry, but I don't understand the difference between waiving your breaches and waving your breeches. Jay, would you please explain?
  #30  
Old September 1st 18, 06:48 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Andre Jute[_2_]
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Posts: 10,422
Default Who is a real cyclist ?

On Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at 11:35:29 AM UTC+1, OK wrote:
Probably a homeless guy with depend on two-wheels is the real cyclist in my view. Not guys with riding $5k bike on the bike lane who just use bike for
exercise or fun and these guys never use bike for main transporter.
And next real cyclist would be Dutch and Denmark cyclist using for a main transporter.


Mmm. I'm not homeless, but I gave up the car altogether in 1992 and have cycled everywhere I wanted to go since then.

I don't claim to be a "real cyclist" but I get fed up with assholes who own several automobiles telling me this or that class of cycling is "real cycling".

Here on RBT the underlying assumption is that only those who ride road bikes with thin tyres and drop handlebars to work at not less than 25mph are real cyclists. It's that foolish elitism and its counterproductive presentation (together with the history of the growth of the automobile and the associated infrastructure development) which will forever assure that there will be no mass cycling movement in the States. It's what makes the question of who are "real cyclists" and therefore the natural "spokesmen for bicycles" so important. It's why I have consistently stepped on Krygowski's dumb dream of himself as "a spokesman for bicycles": he's a mindless moron with a bee in his bonnet.

Andre Jute
Recreational cyclist, and proud of it
 




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