Are you a Cycling Dork?

[kneighbour]

Well, I use a camelback, so I am obviously a dork!

Actually, while I find the points somewhat funny, it reinforces many attitudes us more sedate recreational riders have towards the fancy "cafe set".

I am in a recreational riders club here in Brisbane, with many older (50+) riders, most with a very healthy aversion to the "racers" we see every weekend.

I have been on rides where we averaged 30+, everyone went basically flat out, and no one talked to anyone else. I found it a total waste of time - I might as well have ridden by myself.

The people I ride with have the attitude that cycling should be fun, and that you should have time to enjoy it. We have coffee stops - we wait for people at intersections. We fix each others flat tires, etc. When we talk about each other's bikes, or a bit of interesting gear, we do it tongue in cheek. Who can possibly get too serious over a push bike, after all!

We also have quite a few laughs at the "racers" with their campag gear, full pro colours, etc, etc. I think a lot of people take this hobby much too seriously - and can get caught up in "my bike is better than yours" very easily.

Having said this, and no doubt raised a few hackles, I have to admit being a gadget junky myself, and I use a full Polar S720i system (with Power Output), Garmin GPS, etc, etc. But I do not race, and have zero interest in doing do. I weigh my bike down with all these gadgets so that I can keep myself motivated - so that I actually get out on the bike each weekend.

I get laughed at every ride I go on - but I also laugh at myself. I do not take myself seriously at all. And how can you take yourself seriously if you are standing there in skin tight lycra shorts and a top too colourful for my teenage daughters to wear!

 

[Lazy legs]

Hi kneighbour, I agree with you 100%, it’s a matter of different strokes for different okes!
We all cycle for different reasons and therefore have different goals, motives and more importantly different equipment. As you know its always fun to joke about other people and their "stuff". At the end off the day we are all cyclist with one common interest and that is cycling, and that’s what makes this a great forum, we make fun of each other and we help each other wherever we can! What more do you want.
BTW, I used to wear jocks under my cycling pants, and I only shaved for the first time this year before the Argus. I haven't done another race yet so I'll see if I'm going to keep it up?

 

[kneighbour]

Originally posted by Lazy legs
goals, motives and more importantly different equipment. As you know its always fun to joke about other people and their "stuff".

Yes - I actually find a lot of the stuff we do/wear quite funny. Especially on fat, balding older guys like myself.

BTW, I used to wear jocks under my cycling pants, and I only shaved for the first time this year before the Argus. I haven't done another race yet so I'll see if I'm going to keep it up?

I could never work out why people shave their legs. In Lance's book he says he does it so that when he crashes, the hairs do not get caught up in bandages, etc. I thought he might be joking - is this why everyone else does it, or is it for speed or something?

I would certainly NEVER shave my legs - god, if my daughters caught me doing that I would never live it down. It is bad enough wearing lycra...they think I might be gay now...

 

[Loki]

I thought shaving your legs causes a lot less skin to come off in a high speed crash? I'd never do it anyway. Besides, I'm not a roadie. (MTBer)

BTW, what if you wear 'shy shorts'? (Normal looking shorts with nicks built in) Can you wear those around a bit when you're off your bike? I'm thinking of getting them - don't like skin-tight stuff

EDIT: Said "I'm a roadie" rather than "I'm NOT a roadie". Whoops.

 

[Lazy legs]

As far as I know the main reason for shaving is for crashes. Besides the hair getting caught in the bandages it also greatly reduces the chances of infections, ie. hairless = clean.
I very much doubt that shaving will have much of an influance on speed, I mean how much lighter are you without the hair and the amount of resistance I think is next to nothing! (IMO)

 

[bleachtblond]

Originally posted by Guest
well im a nonshaving dork who sometimes wears a camelback on rides where there is no water for nearly 60k

You are cool! Anybody can wear anything they so choose! USA RULES Even if ya do look silly to some of those GODS who can judge us hehehe

 

[bleachtblond]

Oh yes by the way...shave! nothing like SMOOTH legs! SMILES

 

[bleachtblond]

Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass!

 

[bleachtblond]

Look up dork in the dictionary HA! eeeeeeewwwwww LOL!

 

[bleachtblond]

You all are so funny! I love this. I take back the you can wear anything you want comment! HEHEHE I am lmao

 

[Vo2]

Too late...first comments leave an impression...

 

[bleachtblond]

Okay Vo2, so I am new to biking. We learn as we grow...correct? Though I wouldn't wear any of this stuff, I still believe that one can whatever we want.Do you think that we should make fun of people who do?Honestly, do you think that's an appropriate way for us to treat one another? To me, that's like the bullies in school.Ever deal with one of them?So they look funny...so what? Get a laugh but meanness is not necessary. It hurts people. I don't EVER want to intentionally hurt another of my brothers and sisters. I have always been the blacksheep and even possibly the bully as a child. I hope that I am forgiven for my indiscretions, both then and now...

 

[Vo2]

You are forgiven, my child. Now go, and bully no more.

 

[mtbjedi]

To me leg shaving is a right of passage..to me it was a way of commiting to a lifestyle..it made me feel faster..it did not make me faster.

Also, its cool being able identify another bike racer in a shopping mall or otherwise....

And yes I am a MTB'er...but old skool cross country (days of JohnnyT when cross country was MTB and freeride was a classic rock song) lol

 

[GearGrinder]

If you feel faster you go faster, a lot of cycling is mental

 

[Kupa]

I like exhibiting a little of the dork quality. It makes dropping the fashionable dentists with TI/carbon bikes all that much more pleasureable...

 

[Chester1]

With posts like that, I live in hope.

Can't afford a new bike yet, but the old one still looks and goes pretty well.

 

[Lab_Rat]

The shaven legs also help with us "more serious racers" when we go for our weekly massage. Wounds heal faster and you don't have to scrub as much to get stones and hair out of the abrasions.

As for the lycra kit and tops, they're designed to minimise drag as much as possible, keep you dry and be visible. That's why so many people struggle to chat at an average of 30. And some serious riders do wait for people at intersections, so don't make judgements purely on the way we dress and the bikes we ride. We don't spend our money on flashy cars etc. (Think of a harley rider who gets his bike as trick as possible.) It's his hobby, so let him enjoy it.

I have seen many people enter the ranks of cycling, and berate the speedsters, only to become one of the rude ones at a later stage. Don't become one of the loathed when you hit the upper ranks, coz in my opinion, it makes you the biggest dork of all.

 

[kevin edmundson]

what about mirrors that attach to your eye glasses?

 

[Lazy legs]

How the hell do you see them????