.:Jimbo:.

Im selling my bike and buying a car as a result.




...but seriously, that movie really put a bad name to people who commute by bikes, i have never felt like such a dork. Anyone else seen the movie, and is there any truth to the way a bike commuter is symbolized via that movie, im only 18 so theres time to just ditch the bike thing and go with a car, even though its far more costly it just seems more socially accepted then a guy who shows up at a party on a bicycle, or even worst, has to get picked up by his girlfriend. Just curious on others input.

Wulfheir

at 18 it's probably cooler to have a car. at 28 it's probably cooler to ride a bike. i'm the fittest person among my friends.

as for the attraction thing, i nail a 23 year old hottie every night; my wife. no complaints here.

manual_overide

they also show him as very timid when crossing road and they also have him riding on the sidewalk.

.:Jimbo:.

Well, the way I see it, Im just worried that other might think a guy bikin places as dorky, just as thos guys who play pc games all day, people consider them as pathetic, dorky, and geeky. I know commuting in NYC is considered to be quite an edgy experience, but im afraid of being labeled as a dork because i bike places, where as other drive, and that dam movie only made it worst.

btw, i like your perspective on it Wulfhier!

peregrine

I think a guy biking places is sexy ... but better avoid the sidewalk

Az B

While that movie is funny, it's typically far from reality.

I do realize that many people get part or most of thier reality from media, but you don't have to be one of those people. Meeting people that are interesting rarely centers around displays of conspicuous consumption. If you are mostly interested in bleach blonde golddiggers with implants, then yes, you need a Corvette. Preferably a convertible.

Az

.:Jimbo:.

ha....man, if all the girls thought that way...

And very resonable post Az, you guys have quelled my fear of the notion of biking being dorky...just can fall into the trap of wearing lycra, and i guess ill be just as lucky as the guy with the new 'vette.

I guess being in shape via bikin' can only work in my favor in the long run too.

MMACH 5

I'm pretty sure that people consider me a dork, but it has nothing to do with my commuting to work on a bike .

It sounds cliche but, don't change how you live because of what people might think. I guarantee, in 10 years, (or 20, in my case), your fondest memories will be about the times that you lived for you and not someone else.

Have fun and enjoy the ride.

Cyclist0383

It's a FILM. Films are generally not based in reality. Get over it.

As for women, I've never had any problem with women not liking the fact that I commute. In fact many women like it a lot. Women who are keen on the fact that you cycle are generally more, um, fun, in my experience.......

Satyr

If it were that simple. Another poster said that while many get their culture from media, we don't have to. Yet it is terribly difficult to not be influenced by the media, especially advertisements and such.

As a basic example, take someone who knows next to nothing about bicycle commuting. If they watched this movie they would file away dork=bicycle commuter. While the association would be taken with a grain of salt due to the humorous nature of the film, it still would be their main association for bicycle commuting. This is not to say there was any bad intentions in the film itself, but to deny its rather strong effects is to deny the basics of human psychology.

It's why modern media tries to shy away from presenting black people, even in a humorous context, as big lipped watermelon eaters with half a brain. (Too bad it still presents women as incompetent, or when competent, somehow abnormal).

Lucky07

Hilarious movie. Although after it came out, a bunch of coworkers couldn't WAIT for me to see it. ("He RIDES TO WORK, ON A BIKE!") Have any of these people travelled? Europe? Asian? AMSTERDAM? Biking is more common almost everywhere else on the planet.

Guest

And where did black people come into this to begin with? If that's the image that springs to your mind, then I would have to seriously consider if that's really how you think of black people, regardless of how the media portrays us or not. :-/

Koffee

huhenio

Yes .... I am a byke dork too. Big bike dork with an orange vest; very funny looking ...

But I do not think that many cager a#oles will like to be in a boxing match with me, they limit to yell from a safe distance.

FLBandit

Heck, I don't need to ride a bike to be a dork! I can do that all by myself thank you very much!!! Seriously, who cares what anyone else thinks. If the worst anyone calls me is dork (it's not ) I can live with that.

jyossarian

If you notice in the movie, as the 40 yo virgin "progresses" in the movie, his bikes get subtley cooler. He goes from the full Fred model to a cool mtb to I think a tandem in the end. As for bicycling being dorky, I'd say it depends how you roll. Are you:

1. Lance Armstrong wannabe in full spandex kit
2. 40 yo virgin on upright cruiser w/ every safety accessory imaginable
3. Kevin Bacon in circa late 1980's messenger wear

Even as a bike commuter, I consider the first two dorky and the third out-of-date and not retro. So I roll the 4th way which is however I feel comfortable.

purple hayes

I'd be more worried about not losing my virginity before 40 than I would about being considered a dork for biking to work.

oboeguy

Zing!

I think the OP is concerned that the latter would lead to the former, i.e. being a dorky bike commuter would lead to, errr, wouldn't lead to, well... you get the point.

A true romantic, eh?

Artkansas 

When I was young, being on bicycle seemed to be the kiss of death on romances. In part, having a car says to them that you are capable of holding a job, on an upward path, etc.

Now that I am older, women have established themselves, a car is not as important, in fact cycling to work shows that you are fit, strong and independent, not just a couch potato. Funny how things change.

vegcrow

I got my driver's license at 16 and suddenly became very hostile to cyclists. I could not comprehend why somebody older than me would be on a bicycle. A decade later I became a "bicycle dork" as my environmental awareness grew. My ex-wife (notice the "ex" part) got really upset with me one day because I wore an orange vest while riding with her and she was embarassed to ride with me. Today, age 35, I do what I please, and I don't care what anybody thinks. Ridicule decreases with age, while those doing the ridiculing become fat bastards with age. Stick with the bike.

ItsJustMe

I don't want to get involved with someone weak-minded enough that they get their ideas about other people from the media. Admittedly, that lets out about 98% of the US population, but that's OK by me.

peregrine

I'm sorry if my comment's inappropriate, vegcrow but that sounds quite conceited.

Anyway, dorkiness isn't limited to guys, is it? Would a woman wearing an in-your-face bright yellow jacket and really really bright blinkies be dorky?

In any case, I agree with all the others who said don't care what other people might think. It's something that would never ever keep me from riding.

huhenio

Embrace your inner dork and be visible and safe on the road.

A high visibility vest in your local hardware store goes anywhere from 10 to 20 bucks

GTcommuter

No, she would be hot.

genec

+1

vegcrow

I don't want to derail the thread, so I'll reply once to clarify: I no longer associate with anybody (spouses included) who think image is more important than substance. If being a bike dork (i.e. wearing a helmet, bright clothes, etc.) means that somebody will be too embarassed to be seen with me, then I don't need to waste my time with them. Maybe that's conceited, but why should I put up with somebody so shallow that they'd actually berate me for riding safely? My point was: Do what you believe in. Don't let anybody hold you back. My wife was holding me back (on many, many levels) thus she is no longer my wife.