Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > General Cycling Discussion
Reload this Page >

I am no longer a cyclist! Don't miss me too badly.

Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

I am no longer a cyclist! Don't miss me too badly.

Old 05-13-19, 08:38 PM
  #51  
AlmostTrick
Tortoise Wins by a Hare!
 
AlmostTrick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Looney Tunes, IL
Posts: 7,398

Bikes: Wabi Special FG, Raleigh Roper, Nashbar AL-1, Miyata One Hundred, '70 Schwinn Lemonator and More!!

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1549 Post(s)
Liked 941 Times in 504 Posts
I seem to remember that you sometimes claimed stopping at lights (on the bike) to be too dangerous because of the risk of being jumped by hoodlums. How is walking safer?
AlmostTrick is offline  
Old 05-14-19, 03:05 AM
  #52  
phile
Senior Member
 
phile's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: netherlands
Posts: 233

Bikes: van moof dropdown, btwin triban 100

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 89 Post(s)
Liked 30 Times in 10 Posts
Originally Posted by JoeyBike
Pretty standard skateboard bushing setup - one on each side of the truck hanger. My front and rear trucks are quite different as are most pumping setups. See: https://www.dtskate.com/searchresults.asp?cat=1965

Self made at first using a window washing pole and a dog toy for a foot(blade) against the ground. Now I upgraded to a Sk8Pole. Very nice! I need something collapsible due to transporting it easier.
i know the don't trip poppys, its just the bushing setup usually is cone barrel combo on front truck hence my comment. (i'm assuming based on your set up you know terms etc).

can honestly say i never heard of the sk8pole, seems interesting. might stop by skate shop in the weekend to see it in person. i tend to be accidentally destructive, wanna see if it's accidental destruction proof
phile is offline  
Old 05-14-19, 10:21 AM
  #53  
Eddie_E
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Galloway, NJ
Posts: 19

Bikes: 2012 Jamis Citizen 3

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I live in an area where some roads have no shoulders and blind curves. Cars come flying around those curves sometime just inches away. I am always scared to death on those roads but I don't have many safer options near me. So I more often throw my bike in the back of my truck and take it somewhere safer, like bike trails and the shore boardwalks near me. I guess since you do not have a vehicle that option is not open to you, but I fully understand your concern from my experience.
Eddie_E is offline  
Old 05-14-19, 11:07 AM
  #54  
Riveting
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Highlands Ranch, CO
Posts: 1,221

Bikes: '13 Diamondback Hybrid Commuter, '17 Spec Roubaix Di2, '17 Spec Camber 29'er, '19 CDale Topstone Gravel

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 590 Post(s)
Liked 445 Times in 260 Posts
I'll be looking for the JoeySkateboard posts over at LongboardForums
Riveting is offline  
Old 05-14-19, 02:25 PM
  #55  
mjac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 916
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 75 Posts
Sense

Originally Posted by JoeyBike
Over the past 3 years I have gradually given up recreational cycling entirely, sold the road bike and several others, and strictly used my bike for getting to work, doctor visits, grocery, etc. 100% utilitarian cycling. I have been car-free since 1989 as well.


During the past couple of years I have been searching for a new job closer to home. Landed one and started yesterday. Now I work ONE MILE from my home - a 20 minute walk or about 10 minutes on a longboard (giant skateboard). If I ride a bike it takes about 5 minutes to make the trip. So I am no longer a bike commuter! My walking/skating route passes through the campus of a community college (looks like a park), then I cross one street to enter City Park where I now work. My commute is literally 99% through parks.


I gave up unnecessary cycling a couple of years ago due to the current cellphone-while-driving mayhem. Now I don't have to do ANY cycling outside of a couple of MUPs and parks. Even to get to the grocery. Doctor visits will still require a nice 30-minute bike ride across town on back streets and trails.


I used to LOVE cycling. I have commuted to jobs as far as 18 miles each way and toured self-contained across the USA five times. I could not count the numbers of local tours I used to ride along with road bike training rides. Thanks to the prevalence of rumble strips on our nation's highways and motor vehicles commonly too wide for a normal highway lane, along with all of the electronic distractions, I gave up touring several years ago. Regular news reports of touring cyclists getting hozed out there on the roads has only reinforced my concerns.


Unless something changes at this job I am officially OUT! No longer defined a "cyclist", just a dude who bikes to the grocery 1-mile away on an MUP. I have a wealth of knowledge from my 50+ years of cycling to share but I doubt you folks will be hearing from me very much in the future. I no longer have a passion for exposing myself to imbeciles behind the wheel nor the desire to encourage others to take the chance.


Be careful out there folks! The roads have become stoopid crazy. I will not miss the mayhem and stress. Something else is going to have to kill me.

This does not make sense. You are going to give up Cicyling altogether because Street Riding is too dangerous and stressful. While I totally agree that Street a Riding is too Dangerous an Unpredictable, especially in New Orleans, then just give up Street Riding. There are a tremendous amount of riding venues even in the City of New Orleans that are great experiences and very safe. You live right by City Park. One of the largest Urban Parks in the Country. With the largest collection of Oak Trees in a Urban Setting in the World which are Hundreds of years old. You can ride for two hours in City Park and never use the same street twice. See tremendous Landscape Architecture, Lakes, Lagoons, New Orleans Musuem of Art, The Sculpture Garden, Botanical Gardens, Greenhouses, Art Deco Architecture, Art Work by Enrique Alvarez, Tad Gormerly Stadium, The Abooretum Forest, the list goes on and on. Ten minutes from City Park you have the whole Lake Pontchatrain Lakefront. One of the Largest inland Urbsn Lakes in the Country. If you are Uptown you have Audobon Park. There is a dedicated Bike Path on top of the Mississippi River Levee that runs from Audobon Park to the Airport where you can watch the comings and goings of the river. There are many great places to ride that do not have the drawbacks of the street. Pick yours. Cycling is much more benefical to you as you age. You can be Cicyling long after you are no longer proficient at Roller Blading and Long Boarding.


Share your concerns of the utter mayhem and crime on the streets. But do not let that dictate Cicyling in general.
mjac is offline  
Old 05-14-19, 02:48 PM
  #56  
mjac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 916
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 75 Posts
Doubt

If anyone Doubts " JoeyBike's" past depictions of Street Life in New Orleans, I suggest you go to YouTube and search "Euric Cain" and look for the Video " Shooting of Tulane Medical Student Peter Gold" and further down " A Clearer CCV of Shooting." That is a clear and unfiltered picture of Street Life in New Orleans.
mjac is offline  
Old 05-14-19, 04:50 PM
  #57  
JoeyBike
20+mph Commuter
Thread Starter
 
JoeyBike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: New Orleans, LA USA
Posts: 7,490

Bikes: Surly LHT, Surly Lowside, a folding bike, and a beater.

Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1422 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 209 Posts
Originally Posted by Eddie_E
I live in an area where some roads have no shoulders and blind curves. Cars come flying around those curves sometime just inches away. I am always scared to death on those roads but I don't have many safer options near me. So I more often throw my bike in the back of my truck and take it somewhere safer, like bike trails and the shore boardwalks near me. I guess since you do not have a vehicle that option is not open to you, but I fully understand your concern from my experience.
I rent cars now and then to get up to the 30-mile Rail-Trail across our lake (about 40 minutes one way). However, I would prefer the skates or longboard on that Rail-Trail mainly because I just prefer skating over cycling. Skating is not always practical in the city but it is my preference. So YES...I could drag a bike up there but I likely never will.

Originally Posted by mjac
There are a tremendous amount of [bicycle] riding venues even in the City of New Orleans that are great experiences and very safe.
Yep, as stated above - I just prefer skating those places.

My bike is like your car (assuming you own one). I doubt most people think up cool places to go drive their cars for fun (sure, some do). My bike is a tool in my mind, not recreation. Just personal preference. Now I can do more of what I love and less of what I don't love!
JoeyBike is offline  
Old 05-14-19, 08:28 PM
  #58  
mjac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 916
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 75 Posts
Like I Said

Originally Posted by JoeyBike
I rent cars now and then to get up to the 30-mile Rail-Trail across our lake (about 40 minutes one way). However, I would prefer the skates or longboard on that Rail-Trail mainly because I just prefer skating over cycling. Skating is not always practical in the city but it is my preference. So YES...I could drag a bike up there but I likely never will.



Yep, as stated above - I just prefer skating those places.

My bike is like your car (assuming you own one). I doubt most people think up cool places to go drive their cars for fun (sure, some do). My bike is a tool in my mind, not recreation. Just personal preference. Now I can do more of what I love and less of what I don't love!
Like I said however, even though I did not realize how much more you love skating and boarding now over Cicyling, Cicyling is much more benefical and forgiving as you age. You can and will be more proficient at Cicyling for a much longer period of time then skating and boarding. Something to consider. You obviously loved or enjoyed Cicyling at some point. You have been doing it for fifty years through many venues and disciplines. I have no right to assume this, but it seems the bitter taste you have for Cicyling now was caused by your legitamate bad experiences on the streets of New Orleans. That is understandable. I know how New Orleans is and can be. But it would appear that if you get off the streets and do some fun recreational riding just for the fun of it you might save an activity that you enjoyed for so long that you will be able to do at a much older age then you can skate or board. What happens at that point? No activity? The idea is to stay young.
mjac is offline  
Old 05-15-19, 04:11 PM
  #59  
satrain18
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 118
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 95 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 11 Posts
Originally Posted by mjac
Like I said however, even though I did not realize how much more you love skating and boarding now over Cicyling, Cicyling is much more benefical and forgiving as you age. You can and will be more proficient at Cicyling for a much longer period of time then skating and boarding. Something to consider. You obviously loved or enjoyed Cicyling at some point. You have been doing it for fifty years through many venues and disciplines. I have no right to assume this, but it seems the bitter taste you have for Cicyling now was caused by your legitamate bad experiences on the streets of New Orleans. That is understandable. I know how New Orleans is and can be. But it would appear that if you get off the streets and do some fun recreational riding just for the fun of it you might save an activity that you enjoyed for so long that you will be able to do at a much older age then you can skate or board. What happens at that point? No activity? The idea is to stay young.



Well, not only does JoeyBike regularly blows through red lights, he also tells other cyclists to do so. I guess he had one close call too many.

​​​​​​​
satrain18 is offline  
Likes For satrain18:
Old 05-15-19, 05:30 PM
  #60  
JoeyBike
20+mph Commuter
Thread Starter
 
JoeyBike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: New Orleans, LA USA
Posts: 7,490

Bikes: Surly LHT, Surly Lowside, a folding bike, and a beater.

Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1422 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 209 Posts
Originally Posted by satrain18
Well, not only does JoeyBike regularly blows through red lights, he also tells other cyclists to do so. I guess he had one close call too many.

​​​​​​​
I can't remember the last time I had a close call running a red light, which I still most certainly do. I look both ways, then cross when it is safe to do so. You should try it!

I wonder how some cyclists ever get anywhere if the only intersections they can handle are the ones with traffic signals. It would be impossible for me to get a block from my home without crossing a regular street at a stop sign. If you can figure out how to negotiate an intersection with a stop sign, you should be able to handle the same technique at a red light. Go when you are POSITIVE nothing is coming at you. I know how difficult and crazy that sounds but it is possible to do it many times a day for 50+ years. I am living proof.
JoeyBike is offline  
Likes For JoeyBike:
Old 05-15-19, 07:30 PM
  #61  
mjac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 916
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 75 Posts
Originally Posted by satrain18
Well, not only does JoeyBike regularly blows through red lights, he also tells other cyclists to do so. I guess he had one close call too many.
Just trying to get him to not giving up Cicyling altogether because riding in the streets of New Orleans is really bad and dangerous. Give up the street riding and ride other areas.But it his his decision, not mine. I don't know what his thinking is. But you can cicyle for a very long time as you get older. It would be a shame to give it up.
mjac is offline  
Old 05-15-19, 08:29 PM
  #62  
JoeyBike
20+mph Commuter
Thread Starter
 
JoeyBike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: New Orleans, LA USA
Posts: 7,490

Bikes: Surly LHT, Surly Lowside, a folding bike, and a beater.

Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1422 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 209 Posts
Originally Posted by mjac
...you can cicyle for a very long time as you get older. It would be a shame to give it up.
I am not selling any more bikes. I have 3 left. I will still bike to the grocery, dentist, doctors, and at times to work when I have to restock the fridge or haul some work clothes to launder. I doubt I will ever forget how to ride a bike either. However, my new job nixes the danged commute into the city grid. And I quit recreational cycling a couple of years ago.

You all may be picturing some old man on a skateboard in a skate park. No. You should picture some old man on inline, quad skates, or a longboard doing 100km sessions (takes me about 8 hours) at the local Rail Trail or that same old man skating one mile through a deserted park at 6:30 a.m. going to work.

Longboard world records FYI:

Furthest Distance in 24 Hours (Mens)
Rick Pronk - 313 miles (503.725 km). We're exhausting writing this record. 313 miles in 24 hours was set by Pronk at the Ultra Skate at Dutch Ultra 2017.


Furthest Distance in 24 Hours (Womens)

Saskia Tromp – 262 miles (421.648 km). Tromp also set this record at the Dutch Ultra 2017. WHEW.

. - Source
^THIS is the kind of skating I do but only good for 100km these days in about 8 hours. Same with roller skating. Distance stuff mostly.
JoeyBike is offline  
Old 05-15-19, 09:51 PM
  #63  
mjac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 916
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 75 Posts
Originally Posted by JoeyBike
I am not selling any more bikes. I have 3 left. I will still bike to the grocery, dentist, doctors, and at times to work when I have to restock the fridge or haul some work clothes to launder. I doubt I will ever forget how to ride a bike either. However, my new job nixes the danged commute into the city grid. And I quit recreational cycling a couple of years ago.

You all may be picturing some old man on a skateboard in a skate park. No. You should picture some old man on inline, quad skates, or a longboard doing 100km sessions (takes me about 8 hours) at the local Rail Trail or that same old man skating one mile through a deserted park at 6:30 a.m. going to work.

Longboard world records FYI:



^THIS is the kind of skating I do but only good for 100km these days in about 8 hours. Same with roller skating. Distance stuff mostly.
V

I have no right to stick my nose into your business. I am sure you have your reasons for doing what you decided to do.But I am curious, after all this time, what made you give up recreational riding a couple of years ago and now strictly do utilitarian rides?

Now for the serious stuff and I may need your advice. I was basically assaulted today on the Hayne Blvd. Bike Path on top of the levee between the old Lincoln Beach and the flyover that leads to Lakefront Airport by three youths. Yes they were Black. It wasn't too bad, they saw me coming and turned around to be in front of me then would not let me pass by swerving in front of me. Then chain came off I think because of a worn Biopace. When I got back going they had blocked the path with their bikes and I had to dismount and walk around. On the way back they played chicken with me and hit me in the back as I went past. Then one caught up with me and slapped me behind the head. I just kept riding and the darn chain came off again The three of them basically cornered me but did not advance when they saw I was serious. Escalate?
mjac is offline  
Old 05-16-19, 01:55 AM
  #64  
Jax Rhapsody
Rhapsodic Laviathan
 
Jax Rhapsody's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Louisville KY
Posts: 1,003

Bikes: Rideable; 83 Schwinn High Sierra. Two cruiser, bmx bike, one other mtb, three road frames, one citybike.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 222 Post(s)
Liked 123 Times in 91 Posts
Originally Posted by Wildwood
Some cities are less safe for cyclists than others.
Road cycling in Las Vegas is terminal, for an example.

NOLA is probably high on the Terminal List.


edit: FWIW - just saw a clickbait list of states with motorist fatalities - though not cycling statistics, it may be indicative.
Five worst states are: 5) LA, 4) KY, 3) WV, 2) MS, 1) SC.
Southern states seem to be the worst for driving fatalities.
LOL Louisville is supposed to be great for cycling though. It's not Portland at all, but you can manage. Our mayor has been trying with Bicycling For Louisville to make it as Portlandy as he can.
Jax Rhapsody is offline  
Old 05-16-19, 02:08 AM
  #65  
Jax Rhapsody
Rhapsodic Laviathan
 
Jax Rhapsody's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Louisville KY
Posts: 1,003

Bikes: Rideable; 83 Schwinn High Sierra. Two cruiser, bmx bike, one other mtb, three road frames, one citybike.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 222 Post(s)
Liked 123 Times in 91 Posts
Originally Posted by mjac
V

I have no right to stick my nose into your business. I am sure you have your reasons for doing what you decided to do.But I am curious, after all this time, what made you give up recreational riding a couple of years ago and now strictly do utilitarian rides?

Now for the serious stuff and I may need your advice. I was basically assaulted today on the Hayne Blvd. Bike Path on top of the levee between the old Lincoln Beach and the flyover that leads to Lakefront Airport by three youths. Yes they were Black. It wasn't too bad, they saw me coming and turned around to be in front of me then would not let me pass by swerving in front of me. Then chain came off I think because of a worn Biopace. When I got back going they had blocked the path with their bikes and I had to dismount and walk around. On the way back they played chicken with me and hit me in the back as I went past. Then one caught up with me and slapped me behind the head. I just kept riding and the darn chain came off again The three of them basically cornered me but did not advance when they saw I was serious. Escalate?
I carry a knife. I've also beat somebody with a bike before. Get rid of that bullspit biopace. That was tye first thing to go on my High Sierra, slows you down too.
Jax Rhapsody is offline  
Old 05-16-19, 03:52 AM
  #66  
mjac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 916
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 75 Posts
Originally Posted by Jax Rhapsody
I carry a knife. I've also beat somebody with a bike before. Get rid of that bullspit biopace. That was tye first thing to go on my High Sierra, slows you down too.
Going to do my best to ignore them. Don't want to give them the satisfaction. But I don't know where it will escalate from here. They think they found a Mark. I ride at certain times.If they are sitting waiting for me, I guess there will be trouble. Thinking about a gun or mace. Or give up Bike Path.

The he only thing about BioPace is that I had the high spots in the wrong place. I rotated it to where I thought it should be and I felt the difference. So I am experimenting with it. Not a racer by any means. Mostly what ya'll call low cadence. That is who it is supposed to help.
mjac is offline  
Old 05-16-19, 04:33 PM
  #67  
JoeyBike
20+mph Commuter
Thread Starter
 
JoeyBike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: New Orleans, LA USA
Posts: 7,490

Bikes: Surly LHT, Surly Lowside, a folding bike, and a beater.

Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1422 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 209 Posts
Originally Posted by mjac
V

I have no right to stick my nose into your business. I am sure you have your reasons for doing what you decided to do.But I am curious, after all this time, what made you give up recreational riding a couple of years ago and now strictly do utilitarian rides?
From my OP:

Originally Posted by JoeyBike
I gave up unnecessary cycling a couple of years ago due to the current cellphone-while-driving mayhem.
The whole story is that I had to drive a car daily for about 6 months in (2014 I think) which allowed me to keep up with auto traffic for long periods. Because of this I noticed HOW LONG these morons gaze at their phones at a stretch. Sometimes 5-10 seconds! That's when i knew it was time to quit. Bad enough that in New Orleans HALF of them are legally drunk at any given moment. Not New Years Eve or 4th of July but any day, any time. Worse in the early a.m. when it might be pleasant to ride in the hotter months.

Originally Posted by mjac
Now for the serious stuff and I may need your advice. I was basically assaulted today on the Hayne Blvd. Bike Path on top of the levee between the old Lincoln Beach and the flyover that leads to Lakefront Airport by three youths. Yes they were Black. It wasn't too bad, they saw me coming and turned around to be in front of me then would not let me pass by swerving in front of me. Then chain came off I think because of a worn Biopace. When I got back going they had blocked the path with their bikes and I had to dismount and walk around. On the way back they played chicken with me and hit me in the back as I went past. Then one caught up with me and slapped me behind the head. I just kept riding and the darn chain came off again The three of them basically cornered me but did not advance when they saw I was serious. Escalate?
Keep your bike in perfect repair is #1 . Including flat resistant tires. For #2 , if you see a group of people you don't want to tangle with just turn around ASAP and ride a different route until you pass them. I encounter a number of youths walking in the street like gunslingers in an old Western movie - spread out across both lanes of a quiet back street. I turn off immediately and pick another street. I also carry an alloy A.S.P. collapsible baton in my pocket.

Sorry that happened to you. I am sure it freaked you out real good. I hate that s***. You were lucky to avoid a nice sucker punch.
JoeyBike is offline  
Old 05-16-19, 05:30 PM
  #68  
flieger
Newbie
 
flieger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Pahrump, NV
Posts: 45

Bikes: 2016 Kona Wo, 2021 Fatback Corvus

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10 Post(s)
Liked 27 Times in 13 Posts
I quit riding street motorcycles due to inattentive drivers. I'm lucky in that i can ride two blocks from my house and be in open desert. There is a law here in Nevada that cyclists are to be given at least three feet of space when being overtaken. If possible, the motorist must actually change lanes. If they are staring at their phone? Forget it.
flieger is offline  
Old 05-16-19, 07:01 PM
  #69  
mjac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 916
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 75 Posts
Originally Posted by JoeyBike
From my OP:



The whole story is that I had to drive a car daily for about 6 months in (2014 I think) which allowed me to keep up with auto traffic for long periods. Because of this I noticed HOW LONG these morons gaze at their phones at a stretch. Sometimes 5-10 seconds! That's when i knew it was time to quit. Bad enough that in New Orleans HALF of them are legally drunk at any given moment. Not New Years Eve or 4th of July but any day, any time. Worse in the early a.m. when it might be pleasant to ride in the hotter months.



Keep your bike in perfect repair is #1 . Including flat resistant tires. For #2 , if you see a group of people you don't want to tangle with just turn around ASAP and ride a different route until you pass them. I encounter a number of youths walking in the street like gunslingers in an old Western movie - spread out across both lanes of a quiet back street. I turn off immediately and pick another street. I also carry an alloy A.S.P. collapsible baton in my pocket.

Sorry that happened to you. I am sure it freaked you out real good. I hate that s***. You were lucky to avoid a nice sucker punch.
I guess you are right. You can not assume benevolence especially in groups. You have to assume possible consequences and avoid the whole situation. You ain't gonna change anything.

Tried to bring the Topic to the General Discussion Forum and was repeatedly excoriated for making a racial comment and being a racist for describing what happened. Then the moderator closed the so called thread. So it goes.

What I do not understand is you stopped recreational riding because of the habits of drivers. But recreational riding is not done on the streets.
mjac is offline  
Old 05-16-19, 08:27 PM
  #70  
JoeyBike
20+mph Commuter
Thread Starter
 
JoeyBike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: New Orleans, LA USA
Posts: 7,490

Bikes: Surly LHT, Surly Lowside, a folding bike, and a beater.

Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1422 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 209 Posts
Originally Posted by mjac
What I do not understand is you stopped recreational riding because of the habits of drivers. But recreational riding is not done on the streets.


There is an entire BF thread dedicated to the definition of "recreational cyclist" HERE.

For me, utility cycling is a forced march basically. Work, doctors, grocery, visiting friends and relatives across town i.e., bicycling with a PURPOSE and a destination/event/cause that is somehow related to work or getting through daily life using a bicycle as basic transportation.

RECREATIONAL CYCLING is everything else. Anytime you jump onto your bike with "fun" in mind and ride your bike for the sake of riding a bicycle because you WANT TO. You just want to ride the bicycle. Sure, your destination may be the ice cream shop or even the grocery for that matter. It is your state of mind that makes all the difference. I have bike toured across the USA 5 times fully self contained ON ROADS. This is called "recreational cycling" as well as bicycle touring. I was on vacation and my touring bike was my RV (recreational vehicle).

So perhaps your definition of recreation should be tweaked. Check the link I supplied above if you want more input on this topic.
JoeyBike is offline  
Old 05-16-19, 08:56 PM
  #71  
mjac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 916
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 75 Posts
Originally Posted by JoeyBike


There is an entire BF thread dedicated to the definition of "recreational cyclist" HERE.

For me, utility cycling is a forced march basically. Work, doctors, grocery, visiting friends and relatives across town i.e., bicycling with a PURPOSE and a destination/event/cause that is somehow related to work or getting through daily life using a bicycle as basic transportation.

RECREATIONAL CYCLING is everything else. Anytime you jump onto your bike with "fun" in mind and ride your bike for the sake of riding a bicycle because you WANT TO. You just want to ride the bicycle. Sure, your destination may be the ice cream shop or even the grocery for that matter. It is your state of mind that makes all the difference. I have bike toured across the USA 5 times fully self contained ON ROADS. This is called "recreational cycling" as well as bicycle touring. I was on vacation and my touring bike was my RV (recreational vehicle).

So perhaps your definition of recreation should be tweaked. Check the link I supplied above if you want more input on this topic.
Do not mean to pry or to belabor the point. I am sure Recreational Riding includes the whole gamut of possibilities.Like you said, a state of mind where the ride is just for the sheer enjoyment of it. But there is a segment of Recreatioal Riding that does not include any streets. Dedicated Bike Paths and Parks for instance. You said you gave up "all" Recreational Riding even that does not include any street riding. All of your objections involve street riding. I am just asking why give up non street riding Recreational Riding as a matter of curiosity. Don't mean to be bothersome.
mjac is offline  
Old 05-17-19, 11:30 AM
  #72  
Eric S.
Senior Member
 
Eric S.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 932

Bikes: '04 LeMond Buenos Aires, '82 Bianchi Nuova Racing, De Rosa SLX, Bridgestone MB-1, Guerciotti TSX, Torpado Aelle, LeMond Tourmalet 853, Bridgestone Radac

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 101 Post(s)
Liked 46 Times in 36 Posts
I don't ride for recreation nearly as much as I used to (I should probably sell a couple road bikes). Cycling has become increasingly utilitarian for me as a commuter, and next week I'm starting a job as bike patrol security so it'll be REALLY utilitarian!
Eric S. is offline  
Old 05-17-19, 01:10 PM
  #73  
wphamilton
Senior Member
 
wphamilton's Avatar
 
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
I can't get over how reversed this is from my own story. I started cycling as Joey Bike's "forced march", always and only with a purpose and specific destination. I pretty much hated it at first. Joey was always a cyclist and loved it, but ends up cycling only when he has to.


Now I bike to work, still, because I enjoy the ride. Anywhere I go on the bike, it's because I enjoy it. Yet also one reason I dislike driving a commute are the randomly inattentive and senseless drivers, which cycling gets me away from, while Joey stays OFF the bike for the same reason. Rush hour driving is stressful, cycling the same hour is relaxing, but for Joey Bike it's the other way around. Everything, reversed.


Heck, Joey even taught us that running red lights and stop signs, if you do it right and in the right places and times, is not only rational but sometimes safer. But if he's afraid to mix in traffic now, do we need to reconsider that? Does the fear of traffic contradict the confidence of flowing with the traffic while loosely affiliated with traffic laws? Maybe ...
wphamilton is offline  
Likes For wphamilton:
Old 05-18-19, 10:25 AM
  #74  
JoeyBike
20+mph Commuter
Thread Starter
 
JoeyBike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: New Orleans, LA USA
Posts: 7,490

Bikes: Surly LHT, Surly Lowside, a folding bike, and a beater.

Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1422 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 209 Posts
Originally Posted by mjac
All of your objections involve street riding. I am just asking why give up non street riding Recreational Riding as a matter of curiosity. Don't mean to be bothersome.
Fair question, not a bother.

Almost anyplace I can think of that is away from traffic makes for great skating. So I prefer to do that. However, weather and other factors may push me towards a bike, or just staying home. I have zero interest in cycling over dirt or rocks offroad.

Originally Posted by Eric S.
I don't ride for recreation nearly as much as I used to (I should probably sell a couple road bikes). Cycling has become increasingly utilitarian for me as a commuter, and next week I'm starting a job as bike patrol security so it'll be REALLY utilitarian!
Congrats Eric! That is a fantastic way to keep on two wheels and make money at the same time! I got paid to ride a bike a few times running documents Downtown for neighbors who knew I had to ride down there anyway. Generally not cash, but Bar-B-Q!! (Selling my beautiful Cinelli Supercorsa dripping with Campy still leaves a hole in my heart).

Originally Posted by wphamilton
...Rush hour driving is stressful, cycling the same hour is relaxing, but for Joey Bike it's the other way around. Everything, reversed.
Correction: NO WAY ON EARTH will I drive a car to work 9-5 every day to the city grid. I would starve or live under a bridge first. Cycling to the old job is much more relaxing than driving/parking a car anywhere NEAR Downtown. I have no clue how people do that daily. And FYI, I am not constantly stressed commuting Downtown, just alert and aware, which does take extra energy as compared to a quiet MUP.


Heck, Joey even taught us that running red lights and stop signs, if you do it right and in the right places and times, is not only rational but sometimes safer. But if he's afraid to mix in traffic now, do we need to reconsider that? Does the fear of traffic contradict the confidence of flowing with the traffic while loosely affiliated with traffic laws? Maybe ...
Obviously this could be argued but my feeling is that if I had obeyed every traffic law for the past 50 years I would be long dead or at least crippled. Given all of my past commutes since the Mid '80s and as far as 18 miles each way. But this is kinda like proving a bike helmet saves lives. Impossible to know. But one thing is for certain, running red lights my way has decreased my exposure to passing cars/trucks by AT LEAST 50% and many days as much as 99%. So I am sticking to my guns that in my city, running red lights is often the safer course.

Cheers All.
JoeyBike is offline  
Likes For JoeyBike:
Old 05-18-19, 11:42 AM
  #75  
mjac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 916
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 481 Post(s)
Liked 100 Times in 75 Posts
Like I said I did not mean to pester you. It's just I enjoy my rides so much on the Bike Path and receive so many benefits from it I can't imagine someone giving all of it up. Must be a skate thing.
mjac is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.