Posted on 06/30/2014 8:38:03 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A new breed of cyclist is infecting our roads and destroying the inclusive nature of bike riding. Jamie Fewery introduces 'sportive snobbery'
It was inevitable that with the rapid growth in cycling, factions would emerge. Sub groups of cyclists who define themselves by how seriously they take the sport, their kit, their observance of cycling’s heritage; gangs and coteries who jostle to adopt the lifestyle to a greatest degree. Reach a critical mass of humans who enjoy a shared interest and lines will inevitably be drawn. The peloton rarely sticks together.
For the most part, this is fine. As with any pastime there will be those who are content with occasional participation and those who immediately look to emulate the pros. But there’s a downside as well: snobbery. The idea that some are not only better than others, but that those at the lower end of the commitment and ability scale shouldn’t really be there at all.
I’ve noticed it a few times in discussions about the professional side of cycling, where commentators have a disdain for the popularisation of their sport since Bradley Wiggins won the Tour in 2012. It's as they hold Wiggins personally accountable for allowing the ‘great unwashed’ in on the secret. Or in forums and articles, where self-defined guardians of recreational cycling denigrate those who have the gall to wear a yellow jersey, as if doing so aligns the amateur with Eddy Merckx. And then there's the articles about whether people should or shouldn't wear Lycra (I do, in case you’re wondering).
But cycling snobbery at its worst is on the road.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
There are okay riders - mostly I hear about what happens in the cities, the way they ride - Seattle is pretty bad where they don’t bother to obey road signs like they’re supposed to.
A couple have even taken to challenging trains for the right to ride.
http://www.santafenm.gov/news/detail/bicyclist_identified_following_fatal_train_accident
http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2014-06-16/story/bicyclist-killed-train-clay-county-monday
Physics, apparently, wasn't their strong point.
And it’s those idiots that give the rest of us a bad rap.
When I ride, I am fully aware of the weight and mass differential ... I am on the losing end. I ride accordingly and obey all the laws. I’d be a fool not to.
Personally, I think bicyclists need to register their bikes and pay a fee if they are going to be on the roads with vehicles (and subsequently be liable for moving violations). Out my way in Western PA, a LOT of roads are tight (i.e., two full size trucks can barely pass each other without knocking mirrors). Add just one snob bicyclist on that road and the traffic can back up very quickly.
The other thing I have been seeing recently are bicyclists on state routes. I have absolutely no sympathy for them if they get killed in a traffic accident. The road was designed for 50MPH+ for combustion engine vehicles, not peddles; go find a bike route somewhere.
What really irks me are these expensive bike paths to nowhere that are built with taxpayer dollars. Governments don’t subsidize my sport. I have to pay money every time I tee it up..
“It’s the fact that those tiny little seats really crush your b@llz that attracts them.”
DING DING DING WE HAVE A WINNER!!
No more phone calls please.
“We blow by you on our Italian tackle, too, but you have to admit, a Duc’s twin sounds beautiful doing it.”
No argument. Lots of great Italian bikes out there, thoroughbreds with a long and proud history.
Then there are others. Remember the Benellis that were marketed in the late 1960s by Monkey Ward, under the Mojave moniker? Could barely get off the line at a stop light before ejecting parts all over the road.
But, I see the “blow by” encounter as a win / win situation most of the time. The blower thinks “Hah! Take that you slug!” as he blasts past. The blowee thinks “What an asshole! Enjoy your funeral!”
Taken to the extreme, there’s a sobering video posted showing what happens when someone thinks it fun to cut it a little too close and too fast. Took off the foot and lower leg of the guy just crusing along minding his own business. Great fun, right?
Well, aren’t you special...did your tantrum make you feel better?
Here’s hoping their reproductive capabilities shrink.. we got enough road rage around as is..
I’ve always been partial to the idea of a trunk mounted pop-up cannon, say a three-pounder or so.
No kidding. These threads and the people here who get all excited talking about how they love to intimidate cyclists and fantasize about killing them for having the temerity to inconvenience them for a minute are one of the reasons I've moved (mostly)to mountain biking. I don't think there's any other activity that so infuriates Freepers as riding a road bike.
Bonus points for using “caltrops” in a sentence.
You’re primitive.
I like that in a guy.
:D
“Verily, for ‘tis the way we roll.”
Put a motor on that bike.
RT 40 started as a wagon train trail west. .
I can assure you that things have not gotten significantly better in the passing centuries.
In many places, the “shoulder” is more of a theory than a reality.
Where I live, a few inches of error could result in no one finding your body until long after the porcupines have had their way with you.
Yet the guv insists on making western Maryland one big nature quest for reality-impaired liberals.
(They love to go commune with the same bears we petitioned to shoot in our hinterlands)
Occasionally, you are faced with a “me or them” choice on a blind curve/hill and oncoming traffic.
I’m really in no hurry or mood to sacrifice myself for their disregard of right of way.
LOL
Come to think of it, I’ve never seen hot babes hanging around, hoping for a ride on the handlebars.
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