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Uhh, what's a cyclist?

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Uhh, what's a cyclist?

Old 07-07-20, 08:24 AM
  #76  
rydabent
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
But what about tricyclists? Or is triclists?
Good question, since I ride both a bike and a trike.
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Old 07-07-20, 09:11 AM
  #77  
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Originally Posted by Juan Foote
I think there may be some confusion as to the ACT of cycling and being a cyclist. Not the same. Simply using a conveyance of bicycle doesn't instantly make you a cyclist, even though they are cycling.
So the guy who lost his license and commandeers one of the kid's bikes to get to work everyday... He's not a cyclist?
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Old 07-07-20, 10:05 AM
  #78  
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Originally Posted by BNSF
So the guy who lost his license and commandeers one of the kid's bikes to get to work everyday... He's not a cyclist?
Don't know. He is certainly cyclING...
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Old 07-07-20, 11:20 AM
  #79  
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When I was a teenager, I was moping around because I was not the best at anything I compared myself to others I knew and proceeded to list everyone who did this or that better than me. My Mom then asked me what about do this with that person or that with this person. I told her they don't do that. She then said I should be thankful that I do a lot of things things well enough to enjoy them. I have carried that with me my whole life.

I've done the 4 hour rides and the all day explores, but I've always been a hour or two rider. Just like everything else I do. I never surfed and then hung out at the beach all day. Never played golf and then sat around talking about it for hours.

I'm really not a cyclist, even though I've ridden road, for decades, and mountain bikes. I was almost 62 when I first started to ride trails. I crashed so much. That was such an eye opener and gave me so much respect for the skill of the good riders. I do okay, and certainly well enough to enjoy it.

John
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Old 07-07-20, 04:31 PM
  #80  
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Cyclist = "a person who rides a bicycle"
Cycling = "an act of riding a bicycle"

That's all there is to it.
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Old 07-07-20, 05:51 PM
  #81  
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Originally Posted by Juan Foote
Don't know. He is certainly cyclING...
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionari...nglish/cyclist

A position is easy to assert if one perverts a common term.

Posted from my abacus.
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Old 07-08-20, 05:16 AM
  #82  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
But what about tricyclists? Or is triclists?

It's a drug:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...s/art-20046983
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Old 07-08-20, 06:52 AM
  #83  
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I think that a cyclist is someone who earns his or her living riding and competing on bicycles.

Everyone else is a person who rides a bicycle. Those who build exotics and vintage bikes may even be called enthusiasts.

Most who ride and post on this board are simply run-of-the-mill blokes who happen to enjoy bikes more than other things.

Many on these boards have an overinflated view of their interest and accomplishments as bicycle riders. They imagine that they're Jason Bourne, when in reality they're Elmer Fudd...
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Old 07-08-20, 09:04 AM
  #84  
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Old 07-08-20, 09:07 AM
  #85  
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Originally Posted by Phil_gretz
I think that a cyclist is someone who earns his or her living riding and competing on bicycles.
That would be a professional of some sort, and I don't think the people that deliver pizzas on bicycles for a living would be considered professional cyclists even if they are competing for employee of the month. But what do I know?
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Old 07-08-20, 09:11 AM
  #86  
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Old 07-08-20, 09:15 AM
  #87  
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Originally Posted by FiftySix
That would be a professional of some sort, and I don't think the people that deliver pizzas on bicycles for a living would be considered professional cyclists even if they are competing for employee of the month. But what do I know?
Sort of a twisted example, but I'll bite. Any bicycle delivery person who is riding harder than every other delivery person, and doing so for the purpose of being recognized and rewarded as the best...is...[drum roll] a cyclist under my definition. Hey, can I get an order of the short ribs with that? Hold the sauce.
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Old 07-08-20, 09:29 AM
  #88  
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Originally Posted by Phil_gretz
I think that a cyclist is someone who earns his or her living riding and competing on bicycles.
Sounds like a rather tiny and exclusive subset amongst a world full of bike riders.
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Old 07-08-20, 02:04 PM
  #89  
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Old 07-08-20, 02:35 PM
  #90  
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Textbook definitions are for textbooks... and web forum debates.

My impression is that the debate is a proxy for a debate over a hierarchy -- real or imagined -- of people who ride bikes. This isn't limited to cycling. Musician forums have similar debates.

But the very act of cycling already creates natural hierarchies that make any artificial one seem silly. For instance, within my small circle of friends, while out on my bike, and even among some BF members, I know exactly who's faster than me -- often much faster. I don't need a special title to know who they are. The very act of riding a bike settles the matter. Similarly, I know who's more dedicated to utilitarian cycling than I am, e.g., who's out in worse weather, or makes a better effort to avoid driving a car. I know who's a more dedicate advocate of cycling, e.g., engaging in community activities, volunteering at the bike co-op, and so forth.

I also know who's slower than I am, few as they are, or less dedicated.

Creating a precise distinction of "cyclist" only runs the risk of exposing obvious exceptions, and is thus self defeating. This is true for a lot of terms that are better off left as understood but undefined.
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Old 07-08-20, 02:36 PM
  #91  
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Originally Posted by rosefarts
...
"I'm not illiterate. My parents were married in City Hall."

Last edited by BillyD; 07-09-20 at 06:39 AM.
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Old 07-08-20, 02:49 PM
  #92  
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Originally Posted by Flip Flop Rider
cyclists wear lycra. bike riders do not
If you ride a bent or a trike you do not have to buy high priced lycra to protect you from your bike.

Please dont reply and tell me bent riders and trike riders are not real cyclist. Due to the long days of riding, more and more cyclist are choosing to ride them on cross country rides.
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Old 07-08-20, 02:57 PM
  #93  
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Originally Posted by krecik
I really don't know what you find so constructive about this thread. It's literally the kind of pissing contest you mention. Dividing cyclists into categories based on the kit they use and how much they ride. A cyclist is a cyclist and people react badly to these kinds of threads because they're pointless.
The point here is that ONLY some want to divide cyclist into categories.

Why not leave it that everyone that rides a bike or trike or quad is a cyclist, and one form of riding is not superior to another.
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Old 07-08-20, 11:43 PM
  #94  
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Old 07-10-20, 12:17 PM
  #95  
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Originally Posted by rydabent
If you ride a bent or a trike you do not have to buy high priced lycra to protect you from your bike.

Please dont reply and tell me bent riders and trike riders are not real cyclist. Due to the long days of riding, more and more cyclist are choosing to ride them on cross country rides.
You don't have buy high-priced Lycra to protect yourself from the bike. You don't even have to buy cheap Lycra for that. I see lots of cyclist riding in jeans or baggy shorts.
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Old 07-10-20, 12:42 PM
  #96  
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Originally Posted by MattTheHat
You don't have buy high-priced Lycra to protect yourself from the bike. You don't even have to buy cheap Lycra for that. I see lots of cyclist riding in jeans or baggy shorts.
What is the bike supposed to do to us if we don't wear lycra? Call us names?

I wear cargo shorts. I don't believe I've ever worn lycra anything in my entire life.
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Old 07-10-20, 12:47 PM
  #97  
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Originally Posted by MattTheHat
You don't have buy high-priced Lycra to protect yourself from the bike. You don't even have to buy cheap Lycra for that. I see lots of cyclist riding in jeans or baggy shorts.
I commute in jeans every day. I wear lycra on my group or solo road/gravel rides. So what?
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Old 07-10-20, 12:49 PM
  #98  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
What is the bike supposed to do to us if we don't wear lycra? Call us names?

I wear cargo shorts. I don't believe I've ever worn lycra anything in my entire life.
Originally Posted by Reynolds
I commute in jeans every day. I wear lycra on my group or solo road/gravel rides. So what?
I agree. I was responding to the claim that you need to buy expensive Lycra to "protect" yourself from the bike.
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Old 07-10-20, 01:08 PM
  #99  
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Originally Posted by Gresp15C
I also know who's slower than I am, few as they are, or less dedicated.
Slower cyclists are more dedicated... it takes them longer to get there.
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Old 07-10-20, 01:15 PM
  #100  
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Originally Posted by Reynolds
I commute in jeans every day. I wear lycra on my group or solo road/gravel rides. So what?

I'm sure you have very good reasons for wearing lycra when you do. I'm also pretty sure "protecting yourself from your bike" isn't one of them. Correct me if I'm wrong.
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