rydabent

Some cyclist need to understand where some of us come from and why the attitude we have. I for instance worked as a service rep on office machines. I was on call 24/7/365. It was always hurry, now, immediately, fast, and it has to be done this way. Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed the job, but now I am retired.

Now the words fast, and rules and kits and cadence mean absolutely nothing to me, and probably many others. We just ride for the fun of it on the bike or trike of our choice. I went to recumbents in 2005, and now ride a trike. It is a totally relaxing way to ride. The view is great, and no clipping in and out at every stop. Sometimes I like to ride slower thru the older parts of town and look at the beautiful old homes that were built from 1890 to about 1930. My trike is perfect for that, and I ride about 25 miles every other day. BTW I wave at most cyclist on the bike path, and hand out bicycle maps to anyone that seems to need them. My trunk pack is a mini bike shop, and I always stop to help anyone that has a problem. I really enjoy my relaxed style of cycling.

This small rant is meant for the very few that think speed, cadence, and the kit, are the holy grail of cycling.

rosefarts

Or you know, ride in a way that makes you happy.

Are you dissing the people who you perceive as dissing you?

TimothyH

Ride any way you want but making an employee be on-call 24x7x365 is immoral. A company which does this is abusive. I would never allow an employeer to treat me unjustly like that.

My my manager once tried this. “We are a 24x7 shop” he said in a big meeting. I replied right to his face, “We are a 24x7 shop but I am not a 24x7 employee.”


-Tim-

canklecat

Okay. I don't disagree. I think...

That's why when I ride the MUP I regard myself on a conventional bike as lower on the priority rung. I always defer to walkers, joggers, kids and dogs, folks on city bikes or recumbents. The MUPs are designed for casual users, not wannabe racerboys. If I'm in such a big hurry to get somewhere that 15 mph isn't fast enough I'll move over to the city streets. Fortunately the roadie club I hang out with has the same philosophy and we slow down on the MUPs when it's necessary to use it to get from one public thoroughfare to another.

But I'm wondering whether you're reacting to other local cyclists competing for scarce resources, or to perceptions of elitism online. If the former you have a valid concern. Every user of navigable surface way -- including cyclists and pedestrians -- should enjoy those resources equitably.

But if the latter, heck, who cares what people think on cussin' and discussin' forums? They/we don't represent any majority of cyclists. We're just the loudmouths with too much time to waste online.

dedhed

Remember that when your water, electricity, or natural gas are out.

anon06

That's nice that you help other cyclists and wave to them. Not everyone would do that.

I've cycled alone for several years, so it's felt nice when a few strangers who were also cycling alone, would say "Hello" to me as we'd pass each other.

BirdsBikeBinocs

Some give all .......

Machka 

Good for you.

But ...

GlennR

I also worked in a 24x7x365 shop as a Systems Programmer with my largest client being a major New York hospital, so i understand the high pressure, can't make a mistake, have to fix it yesterday, has to be transparent and zero downtime environment. I'm also retired, but why do you care what others think?

First off in every hobby or activity, there are always those that think their way is the only way... ignore them. My attitude is "a long as you are moving forward, you're doing great".

I'm one of those carbon bike, full kit all matchy matchy guys. I'm a "B" rider but do go out with the "A" guys every now and then. My wife is less than a casual rider and riding my daughter's 20 year old mountain style bike. She's finally allowed my to get her a new bike which will be a "low entry" comfort bike. I will have no problem riding with her, a long as I can go that slow without falling over.

So bottom line... ignore them.

livedarklions

It's a good reminder that "General Cycling" is a forum for all kinds of riders, and that the concepts of training and kit are foreign to a lot of us.

I just find the references to "ordinary" $10,000 bikes, and endless stuff you must wear or do to be considered "serious" just so divorced from the way most people on this forum ride that it's kind of funny. You can love that stuff, and it's just fine to advocate for their merits, but when you start to talk in a way that makes it sound like it's the secret handshake to join the "real" club around here, you'll just sound silly.

BTW, I know I'll get a "why do you care" response, and it's basically because if someone coming to this forum for the first time sees enough of that type of post, they might not come back because they think that's what it's really about. So, yeah, when I see these, I tend to jump in to say some variation of the above.

shelbyfv

Same old, same old.

TimothyH

He works for a copier company. He's not military or first responder.


-Tim-

indyfabz

It's been a while since his last one, but the OP is notorious for starting this type of thread in one form or another. Guess he held out as long as he could.

shelbyfv

Yep, have to admire his restraint, been a month or two!

Stormsedge

24x7x365(29yrs) in your U.S. Navy....worked 48 hr weeks to support a wife and child, and to pay my own way thru college to get there. If I do not understand entitlement, it is my own fault.

And I ride slow...mostly because I don't go very fast...except on downhills when the donuts and physics are in my favor. Lol!

bruce19

This really comes down to something too many people don't seem to understand.....Ride to enjoy the ride the way YOU want to do it. Let others do the same without trying to impose your "philosophy." I am an ex-college football player and I can be competitive with myself. Often looking to go faster than I've gone before on a particular route. I love that. I also want to continue to learn skills and, especially, riding in a group. There I am not competitive. That's what I do. It works for me. Do what works for you.

jon c. 

never understood the point of these threads. do what you want, no one cares.

JohnDThompson 

I worked as a staff RN for a local hospital chain, so we were open 24/7/365. If staff couldn't make it in for their shift because of weather, sudden illness, etc. and left the next shift understaffed, we were expected to stay until replacements could be found, often not until a full shift later. In fact, on my very last day of work before I retired, I ended up pulling a double shift. I smiled, thinking to myself, "this is the last time this will happen to me."

TimothyH

The OP might have volunteered for 24x7x365 on-call. In that case he shouldn't complain.

I'm on-call 24x7 but the schedule is rotated through several individuals. Each of us has to do it once per month. It is voluntary.

The company I work for acquired a company which required its employees to be on call 24x7x365. We ended that the first week. Several expressed their relief at not having to carry a phone or be on constant alert for an incoming call after years of doing so, how nice it was to finally be able to relax.

I've done triples and work late when it is a customer down situation. No one expects a surgeon or rescue worker to walk off the job because their shift has ended. Sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

The OP makes it sound like he worked 24x7x365 for a long, long time. I hope it was voluntary. It sounds like he is enjoying retirement though. I hope so.


-Tim-

caloso

Shouldn’t it be 24x7x52?

caloso

Also, the OP needs to understand that no one cares how slow he is or what he wears.

Road Fan

Hear, hear!!!

shelbyfv

Thread winner!!

Road Fan

My only concern is that if I'm walking on the same MUP as he is riding and I overtake him closely, that I don't trip over his front wheel as I pass. That might hurt.

livedarklions

Well, at least he isn't calling us liars if we say our butts don't hurt.


Some of the kind of posts he's talking about are actually pretty funny--the OP will be asking something like how to go from 11 mph to 13 mph on their 5 mile hybrid rides without spending more than $100, and they'll get answers like aero clothing, shaving their legs, clipless pedals and the like.