a cage creature observation

Kevan Smith said:

When I am all spandexed out and on my racing bike, cage creatures give me room on the road, seldom
yell, and, in general, treat me well. But, when I am on my ATB, outfitted in normal clothes, I get
heaps of abuse -- cars pass way too close, people yell, etc. Nothing changes but the bike and
clothing. I find this odd.

They must be members of the Fabrizio Fan Club.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA terrymorse.combikeOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>, Kevan Smith
<[email hidden]/\/\> says...

Quoted message said:

I often ride to my LBS from my house, taking the same 7-mile route each time. When I am all
spandexed out and on my racing bike, cage creatures give me room on the road, seldom yell, and, in
general, treat me well. But, when I am on my ATB, outfitted in normal clothes, I get heaps of
abuse -- cars pass way too close, people yell, etc. Nothing changes but the bike and clothing. I
find this odd.

Are these different conditions also at different times of the day or week? You might be seeing (for
example) one batch of drivers when you're in your "roadie" clothes during the day, and a different
batch on the weekends when you're on the MTB.

Just a thought...

Kevan Smith /\/\ said:

I often ride to my LBS from my house, taking the same 7-mile route each time. When I am all
spandexed out and on my racing bike, cage creatures give me room on the road, seldom yell, and, in
general, treat me well. But, when I am on my ATB, outfitted in normal clothes, I get heaps of
abuse -- cars pass way too close, people yell, etc. Nothing changes but the bike and clothing. I
find this odd.

I have noticed some of the same behaviors with my commuter bike vs. my grocery shopping bike. I'll
be riding the same roads right near my house. Riding the same way, often at the same speeds
(assuming I don't have twenty pound sacks of rice in my baskets). Yet I get a lot more honking,
swearing, and bad behavior from motorists.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g You cannot run Windows innocently. Guilt
of aiding & abetting, at the very least, is automatic. Loading up on anti-virus and firewall
software, even decent ones, are merely well-meaning actions to be taken into consideration by judge
and jury when deciding your sentence. -- David P. Murphy from Scary Devil Monastery

On Tue, 9 Sep 2003 12:57:09 -0400, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> from Warren Rogers

Associates said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Kevan Smith
<[email hidden]/\/\> says...

Quoted message said:

I often ride to my LBS from my house, taking the same 7-mile route each time. When I am all
spandexed out and on my racing bike, cage creatures give me room on the road, seldom yell, and,
in general, treat me well. But, when I am on my ATB, outfitted in normal clothes, I get heaps of
abuse -- cars pass way too close, people yell, etc. Nothing changes but the bike and clothing. I
find this odd.

Are these different conditions also at different times of the day or week? You might be seeing (for
example) one batch of drivers when you're in your "roadie" clothes during the day, and a different
batch on the weekends when you're on the MTB.

Just a thought...

Same times and places. Doesn't matter. The racer getup gets "respect," and the commuter non-look
gets abuse.
--
home.sport.rr.comcuthuluOpen ↗ human rights = peace I have accepted Provolone into my life!
3:42:47 PM 9 September 2003

In article said:

I have noticed some of the same behaviors with my commuter bike vs. my grocery shopping bike. I'll
be riding the same roads right near my house. Riding the same way, often at the same speeds
(assuming I don't have twenty pound sacks of rice in my baskets). Yet I get a lot more honking,
swearing, and bad behavior from motorists.

Appearing to be engaged in a leisure-time avocation is one thing. Riders obviously on "training
rides" are innocuous in the eyes of motorized road users. Maybe nuisances, at the worst.

But to [appear to] use a bicycle for real, practical functionality is an insult -- maybe even a
threat to the more fundamentalist adherents to Car Culture, who are extremely protective and
defensive of their sacred cow's (The Automobile) place in society. Iconoclasts (ideophages?) have to
expect some reactionism.

Practical cycling also exposes riders to poor-bashing.

That's my intuitive guess, anyway.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

Kevan Smith wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

But, when I am on my ATB, outfitted in normal clothes, I get heaps of abuse -- cars pass way too
close, people yell, etc. Nothing changes but the bike and clothing. I find this odd.

Now you know why FREDS like Zoot are so bitter and have such a bad attitude.

One question, why get on a ATB in normal clothes in the first place?

When guys like Cipollini and Me aren't out training we are seen in the Tuscany region on stuff like
Honda's 16-valve DOHC inline-four cylinder CBR 1100XX with the 42mm slanted flat-slide CV-type
Carburetors.

Save the lame ATB for the poor people like F. Golighty.

I have experienced the opposite reaction. Less respect while in bikewear.

Nobody messes with me when I'm in 'normal' clothing. I always figured people thought better of it
because they were uncertain about whether I might bash them at the next light. Seems like the helmet
itself is the most important factor in this. Something about a bike helmet just makes the rider look
harmless. Bike helmet would be a good cover for doing crimes.

Robert

"Tom Keats" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article said:

I have noticed some of the same behaviors with my commuter bike vs. my grocery shopping bike.
I'll be riding the same roads right near my house. Riding the same way, often at the same speeds
(assuming I don't have twenty pound sacks of rice in my baskets). Yet I get a lot more honking,
swearing, and bad behavior from motorists.

Appearing to be engaged in a leisure-time avocation is one thing. Riders obviously on "training
rides" are innocuous in the eyes of motorized road users. Maybe nuisances, at the worst.

But to [appear to] use a bicycle for real, practical functionality is an insult -- maybe even a
threat to the more fundamentalist adherents to Car Culture, who are extremely protective and
defensive of their sacred cow's (The Automobile) place in society. Iconoclasts (ideophages?) have
to expect some reactionism.

Practical cycling also exposes riders to poor-bashing.

That's my intuitive guess, anyway.

cheers, Tom

Here is another thought; lycra clad, high dollar bike riding guys, probably can afford a lawyer.
Now, mountain bikes are expensive, but cheap knock offs are plentiful, and they are not easily
distinguished at 60 mph. IME the people you see around here on mountain bikes on the roadare either
kids or that can't afford, or aren't allowed to drive. In short cannot afford a lawyer, or get
respect from the police. Just a thought. Len

On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 22:04:51 GMT, "Fabrizio Mazzoleni" <[email hidden]> from Shaw Residential

Internet said:

Kevan Smith wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

But, when I am on my ATB, outfitted in normal clothes, I get heaps of abuse -- cars pass way too
close, people yell, etc. Nothing changes but the bike and clothing. I find this odd.

Now you know why FREDS like Zoot are so bitter and have such a bad attitude.

One question, why get on a ATB in normal clothes in the first place?

When guys like Cipollini and Me aren't out training we are seen in the Tuscany region on stuff like
Honda's 16-valve DOHC inline-four cylinder CBR 1100XX with the 42mm slanted flat-slide CV-type
Carburetors.

Save the lame ATB for the poor people like F. Golighty.

Man, you are like the greatest ever. Thanks for helping me regain my perspective. I don't know what
I was thinking. Thanks, man.

--
home.sport.rr.comcuthuluOpen ↗ human rights = peace Well, here I am in AMERICA. I LIKE it. I HATE
it. I LIKE it. I HATE
it. I LIKE it. I HATE it. I LIKE it. I HATE it. I LIKE ...EMOTIONS are SWEEPING over me!!
5:50:48 PM 9 September 2003

In article <[email hidden]>, Kevan Smith

/\/\ said:

Man, you are like the greatest ever. Thanks for helping me regain my perspective. I don't know
what I was thinking. Thanks, man.

Whudda toady!

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

When I take out the Rocket-----my bike with a full front fairing and a 6-foot long, streamlined
fiberglass trailer and wear my streamlined helmet, drivers give me plenty of room and courtesy. But
when riding a plain bicycle, I often feel like a [censored] pheasant on opening day. It's a whole
different world on the roads without my special rig and I'm fair game for the drivers' rudeness.

When I finish my recumbent tricycle with quadraped lever drive, a front fairing and a
streamlined cargo box and tow the trailer, I wonder what my status will be?

Steve McDonald

In article <[email hidden]>, Kevan Smith
<[email hidden]/\/\> says...

Quoted message said:

On Tue, 9 Sep 2003 12:57:09 -0400, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> from Warren Rogers

Associates said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Kevan Smith <[email hidden]/\/\>
says...

Quoted message said:

I often ride to my LBS from my house, taking the same 7-mile route each time. When I am all
spandexed out and on my racing bike, cage creatures give me room on the road, seldom yell, and,
in general, treat me well. But, when I am on my ATB, outfitted in normal clothes, I get heaps
of abuse -- cars pass way too close, people yell, etc. Nothing changes but the bike and
clothing. I find this odd.

Are these different conditions also at different times of the day or week? You might be seeing
(for example) one batch of drivers when you're in your "roadie" clothes during the day, and a
different batch on the weekends when you're on the MTB.

Just a thought...

Same times and places. Doesn't matter. The racer getup gets "respect," and the commuter non-look
gets abuse.

Interesting. I haven't noticed that phenomenon, though I'll keep my eye out for it to see if we
might have it around here but at a lesser level.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

Fabrizio Mazzoleni said:

When guys like Cipollini and Me aren't out training

In your dreams.

--Bill Davidson
--
Please remove ".nospam" from my address for email replies.

I'm a 17 year veteran of usenet -- you'd think I'd be over it by now

On Tue, 9 Sep 2003 16:22:02 -0700 (PDT), [email hidden] (Steve McDonald) from WebTV

Subscriber said:

When I finish my recumbent tricycle with quadraped lever drive, a front fairing and a
streamlined cargo box and tow the trailer, I wonder what my status will be?

Full Fred-dom. 🙂

--
home.sport.rr.comcuthuluOpen ↗ human rights = peace I wonder if BOB GUCCIONE has these problems!
12:43:51 AM 10 September 2003

Tue, 09 Sep 2003 22:04:51 GMT,
<[email hidden]>, tastelessly, "Fabrizio Mazzoleni"
<[email hidden]> admitted:

Quoted message said:

When guys like Cipollini and Me aren't out training we are seen in the Tuscany region on stuff
like Honda's

Pros like you and Mario should be riding Ducati's Testasretta SuperBike 998 with those gorgeous
Marchesini wheels. Or something manly like the Moto Guzzi V11 Sport Ballabio. Leave the Hondas and
Harleys for amateurs.
--
zk

Bill Davidson said:

Fabrizio Mazzoleni said:

When guys like Cipollini and Me aren't out training

Quoted message said:

In your dreams.

Uh, duh.

It seems pretty factual to me anyway, as Mario said he hasn't been out training for several months,
on retiring from the Vuelta.

Kevan Smith /\/\ said:

I often ride to my LBS from my house, taking the same 7-mile route each time. When I am all
spandexed out and on my racing bike, cage creatures give me room on the road, seldom yell, and, in
general, treat me well. But, when I am on my ATB, outfitted in normal clothes, I get heaps of abuse
-- cars pass way too close, people yell, etc. Nothing changes but the bike and clothing. I find
this odd.

I've seen the same thing. I think it has as much to do with your speed as your clothing though.
Maybe it's nothing more than the drivers considering the fact that someone who's going fast just MAY
be able to catch them at the next light.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles habcycles.comhabcycles.comOpen ↗ Home of the $695 ti frame

Mark Hickey said:

speed as your clothing though. Maybe it's nothing more than the drivers considering the fact that
someone who's going fast just MAY be able to catch them at the next light.

I don't think there are any concious decisions by the drivers to respect or buzz a cyclist; I think
it's mostly subconcious, or a result of the circumstances.

I couldn't begin to guess how that actually applies, though.

Quoted message said:

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles habcycles.comhabcycles.comOpen ↗ Home of the $695 ti frame

--
Rick Onanian

Kevan Smith /\/\ said:

I often ride to my LBS from my house, taking the same 7-mile route each time. When I am all
spandexed out and on my racing bike, cage creatures give me room on the road, seldom yell, and, in
general, treat me well. But, when I am on my ATB, outfitted in normal clothes, I get heaps of abuse
-- cars pass way too close, people yell, etc. Nothing changes but the bike and clothing. I find
this odd.

So, Kevan... how does your ass look in spandex?

--
Baker, Jane Baker "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once."