You should not ride a bicycle
#1
Erect member since 1953
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Antioch, CA (SF Bay Area)
Posts: 7,000
Bikes: Trek 520 Grando, Roubaix Expert, Motobecane Ti Century Elite turned commuter, Some old French thing gone fixie
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 121 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 38 Times
in
21 Posts
You should not ride a bicycle
Thirteen reasons you shouldn't ride a bicycle.
https://ccorlew.blogspot.com/2013/02/...e-bicycle.html
All of them true.
https://ccorlew.blogspot.com/2013/02/...e-bicycle.html
All of them true.
#4
CAT4
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Posts: 1,681
Bikes: 2009 Cervélo S1, 2009 Felt F75, 2010 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 5, 2011 Cannondale CAADx, 2011 Specialized Transition Elite
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
So true...but I wish the snow would melt so that I can ride!
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Castle Rock, CO
Posts: 332
Bikes: '09 Gary Fisher "Kaitai, '09 Raleigh Team", '91 Trek 8700, '97 Cannondale SR500, '12 Raleigh Twin Six
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
"Rain is wet" - yes, yes it is.
"All wind is head wind" - gotta agree with that one too.
"All wind is head wind" - gotta agree with that one too.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Posts: 15,280
Bikes: Nashbar Road
Mentioned: 71 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2934 Post(s)
Liked 341 Times
in
228 Posts
#1 is just wrong, ccc. I think it might apply to why a hobbyist, or enthusiast, shouldn't ride a bike. Enthusiasts might spend extravagantly on the bike, clothes, helmet and other things you mentioned, but for someone more serious about riding and less serious about the hobby it's dead easy to slash those expenses.
I've saved more money this January alone (400 miles commuting) than I spent total on cycling last year (6500 miles).
I've saved more money this January alone (400 miles commuting) than I spent total on cycling last year (6500 miles).
#7
Portland Fred
Thirteen reasons you shouldn't ride a bicycle.
https://ccorlew.blogspot.com/2013/02/...e-bicycle.html
All of them true.
https://ccorlew.blogspot.com/2013/02/...e-bicycle.html
All of them true.
#8
Still spinnin'.....
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Whitestown, IN
Posts: 1,208
Bikes: Fisher Opie freeride/urban assault MTB, Redline Monocog 29er MTB, Serrota T-Max Commuter, Klein Rascal SS, Salsa Campion Road bike, Pake Rum Runner FG/SS Road bike, Cannondale Synapse Road bike, Santana Arriva Road Tandem, and others....
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
The only one I saw that made any sense to me at all was "Your hair will be a mess", and I have a comb.....
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,456
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 50 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Agree with some but strongly disagree with others.
- You can ALWAYS bike if it's hot out. Ok, it's harder to do hard slow climbs, but choose flat routes, and the wind will cool you sufficiently. It's WAY harder to run fast in hot weather due to the lack of big time air cooling.
- Your bike won't necessarily get stolen, especially your good bike.
- Sweat isn't YECH, it's legit.
- Bikes are prime time already. Hello Lance?
The only one that I actually do agree with is that it's expensive. Yes, you can minimalist it and barely get by, but if you want to really train day in day out, over years, you gotta make it enjoyable, and that requires a decent cash outlay. Nothing crazy big, but it's wayyy more than running or swimming, for example.
- You can ALWAYS bike if it's hot out. Ok, it's harder to do hard slow climbs, but choose flat routes, and the wind will cool you sufficiently. It's WAY harder to run fast in hot weather due to the lack of big time air cooling.
- Your bike won't necessarily get stolen, especially your good bike.
- Sweat isn't YECH, it's legit.
- Bikes are prime time already. Hello Lance?
The only one that I actually do agree with is that it's expensive. Yes, you can minimalist it and barely get by, but if you want to really train day in day out, over years, you gotta make it enjoyable, and that requires a decent cash outlay. Nothing crazy big, but it's wayyy more than running or swimming, for example.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Chauvin, Louisiana
Posts: 115
Bikes: BIANCHI INFINITO
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Posts: 15,280
Bikes: Nashbar Road
Mentioned: 71 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2934 Post(s)
Liked 341 Times
in
228 Posts
...
The only one that I actually do agree with is that it's expensive. Yes, you can minimalist it and barely get by, but if you want to really train day in day out, over years, you gotta make it enjoyable, and that requires a decent cash outlay. Nothing crazy big, but it's wayyy more than running or swimming, for example.
The only one that I actually do agree with is that it's expensive. Yes, you can minimalist it and barely get by, but if you want to really train day in day out, over years, you gotta make it enjoyable, and that requires a decent cash outlay. Nothing crazy big, but it's wayyy more than running or swimming, for example.
ps, it does mess up my hair, what's left of it. That part is true.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 577
Bikes: 2008 Cannondale Six 13, 1980 Dawes Super Galaxy
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Some of them are BS. I bought a 1991 Fuji Roubaix for $65 in 2003 my freshman year of college and rode it to class everyday in college for 4 years. I replaced the tires and tubes once, thats it. I sold it for $200 when I graduated. Yeah, it was REAL expensive to commute I probably save $1000s in gas doing that. and it was faster too since I didn't have to deal with traffic and parking.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 2,745
Bikes: S-Works Roubaix SL2^H4, Secteur Sport, TriCross, Kaffenback, Lurcher 29er
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Sooooo incorrect it's nearly indescribable. Get out in the open flats on a 100 degree day with 95% humidity sometime. No amount of blast furnace wind is going to cool you down under those conditions.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,415
Bikes: 2010 Litespeed Icon, 1987 Nishiki Olympic 12
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 61
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I disagree again. To rephrase my earlier comment, I've saved more in the last 6 months by commuting (about 2400 miles) than I've spent in the last 6 years of cycling, including the purchase price of the bikes. You can enjoy it, even training, without exorbitant purchases. That equipment does have its uses of course, but by no means necessary for training or enjoyment.
ps, it does mess up my hair, what's left of it. That part is true.
ps, it does mess up my hair, what's left of it. That part is true.
And some of you really need to lighten up, it's a joke.
#18
Erect member since 1953
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Antioch, CA (SF Bay Area)
Posts: 7,000
Bikes: Trek 520 Grando, Roubaix Expert, Motobecane Ti Century Elite turned commuter, Some old French thing gone fixie
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 121 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 38 Times
in
21 Posts
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: chicago
Posts: 781
Bikes: cannondale crit 3.0, specialized allez, old giant mtb/hybrid
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
This is pretty funny, All 13 ring so true. but isn't the constant pain, maintenance, and agony the fun of it?
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: kennett sq. pa
Posts: 912
Bikes: 2008 Lynskey R220 2005 Lemond
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I have grown to like the deep furrows on my head from my helmet.
It reminds me of a freshly plowed corn field.
It reminds me of a freshly plowed corn field.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,456
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 50 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
I disagree again. To rephrase my earlier comment, I've saved more in the last 6 months by commuting (about 2400 miles) than I've spent in the last 6 years of cycling, including the purchase price of the bikes. You can enjoy it, even training, without exorbitant purchases. That equipment does have its uses of course, but by no means necessary for training or enjoyment.
ps, it does mess up my hair, what's left of it. That part is true.
ps, it does mess up my hair, what's left of it. That part is true.
Commuters can get away with worse stuff - I intentionally rode the ugliest, cheapest, (and most awful riding) bike that was given to me as a commuter do to theft risk. I would NEVER ride that for regular training rides.
#25
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Plymouth, WI
Posts: 24
Bikes: Cannondale CAAD9 & Jamis Citizen 3
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
You can argue back and forth about almost any of the reasons depending on your circumstances. Some may be able to ride for cheap while for others it's expensive but arguing about it misses the point. The point of the article isn't a literal list of reasons to not bike but rather an underlying love of riding where after each point that you think applies to you, you think to yourself "I don't care about that because I enjoy riding so much". Corlew obviously likes riding despite any of those arguements and so does anyone on this forum. Feel free to debate any of the points but remember that they were only brought up to point out how much fun it is to ride.