Scarbo

You know, it strikes me that we are wasting time here, as usual. This thread is clearly trying to identify something in the most unspecific way. No good at all.

I think that, perhaps, we could benefit from a system of binomial nomenclature as instituted by Carl Linnaeus in his taxonomic studies. What kind, or classification--specifically--of roadie are we trying to identify? We could do something like the following, for example:

rodentia lapilliarum - Road cyclist, gravel
rodentia sedentalis - Armchair cyclist, or one that doesn't actually ride much but prefers to bloviate on internet fora

You get the picture . . . .

Scarbo

Oh, good heavens. Rodentia is already taken, I see. By RATS, it seems. I'll come up with something; give me a moment . . .

cthenn

I ride a road bike, therefore I am a roadie.

grolby

It probably STILL hasn't been long enough since this was published for me to get away with holding this opinion, but... I don't think Roadie is all that great of a book. Didn't speak to me, anyway. And while my MTB racing teammate thinks I'm "too adventurous of a bike handler" to be a roadie, and many of the roadies I know would consider me more of a cyclocrosser, the fact remains I've been racing road bikes to one degree or another for nine years, now. And I don't own a mountain bike. So I probably qualify as a roadie.

Doge

@grolby is a roadie.

grolby

Well, yeah, I mean I will call myself one in front of other people. In real life, even.

Doge

I'd call my kid a cyclist. He is likely a roadie, but he sure likes the dirt too.
I ride a fraction of what he does.
I ride 100% on a UCI legal mass start road bike (sans sometime a saddle bag).
I'm more a roadie than he is.

Seattle Forrest

This.

There's more difference between a dirt road and a dirt trail than there is between a gravel road and an asphalt one.

BillyD

Is this a trick question?

BillyD

You guys need to HTFU. You act like you're afraid to get an infraction or something.

This is the Road Cycling forum, dammit. Here's how you do it.

Mountain bikers suck!

Gravel bikers are stupid!

Cross bikers are confused.

All the rest don't even count!

It's road bikes or NOTHING!

Any questions?

smarkinson

The Vexatious Subject of the Taxonomy of Cyclists.

A roadie is someone who rides a drop bar road racing bike with gears while wearing lycra and who isn't fat.

A MAMIL could be called a roadie but they are usually a bit fat so they lack the lean figure of a true roadie and are therefore referred to as MAMILs.

A roadie with aerobars (even clip-ons) or a sleeveless jersey is a triathlete.

Someone who rides a single speed or fixed gear bike and does not wear lycra is a hipster or a bike messenger.

Someone who rides a fixed gear bike while wearing lycra is lost and should be directed to the nearest velodrome.

Doge

If the fat rider is faster than the skinny roadie can the fat rider still be a roadie?

Seattle Forrest

Faster on the way down the hill, but slower on the way up the next one you mean?

caloso

Many of us old school roadies left who still ride FG on the road, especially during the winter.

smarkinson

No. This is about applying silly arbitrary labels to people. Facts have nothing to do with it.

smarkinson

Only if the FG is your winter training bike and has mudguards (preferably) may you still be considered a roadie. Or if you a doing a hill climb. Riding a fixed gear in summer while wearing lycra and not doing a hill climb puts you at risk of being considered a very confused individual.

Trsnrtr

Thank you. End of thread.

Bandera

Yes, we do indeed and carry on the century old tradition of Base Miles on a FG from an era when one was either a Trackie or Roadie but both rode FG.

Pretty simple back when:
Trackies specialized in racing on the Velodrome and Roadies wished they would stay there instead of racing Criteriums on the road as well.

The distinctions now are:
MUP-ie, Sidewalk-ie or Road-ie in the paved surface operation of bicycles?
That really lacks any of the panache, hard work and pinning on of numbers and having at it in competition when the term "Roadie" meant something very specific, being beaten like a gong in every sprint finish by a "Trackie".

-Bandera

shafter

End of Thread, as far as I'm concerned. Couldn't have put it better myself.

Doge

No. Faster in all respects.
Of course we'd have to have a thread to define fat as well, but I think we have all seen very lean riders who are not that fast and not-so-lean riders that are.

This is a local 50plus racer that does some of the cat 2 races. While he became world famous (or cycling famous) as a track rider - he's a roadie now.


This thinner rider not a roadie.


Also not a roadie:

Scarbo

^^^ The one on top.

Rodentia Crassus. We'll add it to the list.

10 Wheels

My $15 Road Bike was what I needed

jon c. 

I only ride road bikes. Wouldn't consider anything else. And I love to ride. But I might be too slow to be a true roadie.

deacon mark

I vote no. Member of RA.....runners anonymous.... runners with a cycling problem

kbarch

Oy! That's me!