Faggit Helmets

Thu, 9 Dec 2004 18:53:04 -0500, <[email hidden]>,

Roger Zoul said:

|| Ah, I got it! She's the "anti-cyclist" who envisions herself as the
|| "common woman" trying to bring sanity to everyone else--because she
|| hasn't taken the time to educate herself on the sport she is trying
|| to do.

Bingo!

By narrowly defining cycling as a "sport", it's easy to understand why
one might think they need special clothing. As long as cycling is also
utilitarian transportation or occasionally undertaken as a
recreational pastime, a person really doesn't require racers' kit.

There are several styles of cycling specific clothing for people who
aren't comfortable in the neon coloured lycra of sport cyclists. It's
not necessary for recreational riding but commuters appreciate the
utility of thoughtfully designed clothing.
--
zk

Thu, 09 Dec 2004 23:19:01 +0000,
<[email hidden]>, "Just zis Guy, you

know? said:

Quoted message said:

I have a question. WHY do people who ride bikes wear those goofy
clothes?

Because I have great legs :-)

But you can't stand up and show off your butt to the caged babes.
--
zk

[email hidden] wrote:
|| My problem with sport related clothing is the mark up. I may not be
|| informed about cycling but I have three kids who participate in a
|| variety of sports. Now if I buy my son warm clothes for
|| snowboarding.....and I buy them in a department store, they are much
|| less expensive but perfectly acceptable....If I go into a ski
|| shop...buy the same quality...but it has a logo on it...the price
|| jumps up more than double...usually triple. He buys his shirts at
|| the ski shop and he pay a fortune for them. I think he is being
|| ripped off, because the quality is not any better than the
|| department stores. But it's snappy looking, it's a name brand and
|| it comes from the ski shop. I never had alot as a child, but my kids
|| were raised with tennis lessons, gymnastics, ballet, snowboarding,
|| etc. etc. etc. One thing I found out raising them this way. Every
|| sport made clothing that they had to have, with a mark up that was
|| obscene. I have an associates degree in marketing, and I know how
|| we are all sucked into buying things we do not need. I think sports
|| specific clothes are made for a good reason.....but when they are
|| marked up three times over what they are worth....something is wrong
|| in my opinion. Maybe someday I will look into clothes for riding my
|| bike....but I think I will stay away from the bike shops. Unless I
|| become a competivie rider.....which is doubtful. I am in it for the
|| exercise and fun.
|| Maggie...Who never posts in Moderation.

Don't buy clothes in a bike shop....You'll pay full price. Go to
www.performancebike.com. I'm sure you can find something no so expensive.
Don't buy for looks, but for comfort! A nice pair of riding shorts will
increase your chances of having fun and that means you'll get more exercise.

Zoot Katz wrote:
|| Thu, 9 Dec 2004 18:53:04 -0500, <[email hidden]>,
|| "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote:
||
||||| Ah, I got it! She's the "anti-cyclist" who envisions herself as
||||| the "common woman" trying to bring sanity to everyone
||||| else--because she hasn't taken the time to educate herself on the
||||| sport she is trying to do.
|||
||| Bingo!
||
|| By narrowly defining cycling as a "sport", it's easy to understand
|| why one might think they need special clothing. As long as cycling
|| is also utilitarian transportation or occasionally undertaken as a
|| recreational pastime, a person really doesn't require racers' kit.
||
|| There are several styles of cycling specific clothing for people who
|| aren't comfortable in the neon coloured lycra of sport cyclists. It's
|| not necessary for recreational riding but commuters appreciate the
|| utility of thoughtfully designed clothing.

Neon lycra? I don't wear no nean lycra.

|| --
|| zk

On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 01:57:43 GMT, Fabrizio Mazzoleni <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Bill Baka" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> >
> I would rather be caught with normal people.

Great, Bill you know where you belong!

I have nothing but distain for those types.

You still need a spell checker. 2 lines and you goof.

Sorry bill but I checked Random House dictionary
and 'types' is spelled correct.

Anyway, real cyclists don't worry about girly things like
correct spelling.

Disdain, not distain. You don't even know a mistake when I point it out.

--
Bill (?) Baka

"Bill Baka" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 01:57:43 GMT, Fabrizio Mazzoleni <[email hidden]>
Disdain, not distain. You don't even know a mistake when I point it out.

Whatever, the issue is you're avoiding the fact that you have
never climbed the Koppenberg.

Doing that climb is a rite of passage in becoming a real
road cyclist.

As a real roadie said to you in here yesterday:
You no cyclist, you nobody.

On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 03:03:20 GMT, Fabrizio Mazzoleni <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Bill Baka" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 01:57:43 GMT, Fabrizio Mazzoleni <[email hidden]>
Disdain, not distain. You don't even know a mistake when I point it out.

Whatever, the issue is you're avoiding the fact that you have
never climbed the Koppenberg.

Doing that climb is a rite of passage in becoming a real
road cyclist.

As a real roadie said to you in here yesterday:
You no cyclist, you nobody.

I not B trying 2 B sumbuddy.
And I seriously doubt that I will even see that climb, too far away.

--
Bill (?) Baka

Quoted message said:

Don't buy clothes in a bike shop....You'll pay full price. Go to
www.performancebike.com. I'm sure you can find something no so expensive.
Don't buy for looks, but for comfort! A nice pair of riding shorts will
increase your chances of having fun and that means you'll get more
exercise.

You pay "full price" at Performance too, unless you're negotiating something
off whatever the price is listed at (which generally isn't the way they do
business). I assume what you mean is that you'll pay less at Performance,
but this isn't always the case either. We sell $30 shorts and $35 jerseys,
but they're not nearly as popular as the more-expensive offerings. Part of
this comes from how things are sold; at a Performance shop, customers often
buy based on price first, features second. At a bicycle shop, the
salesperson is going to (hopefully) spend the time to explain the different
features of the various shorts, and this will often result in someone buying
a more expensive item because the benefits make sense to them. I know, evil
salesperson tactic, explaining why something might be better than something
else.

There's room for both types of retailers. The Performance customer may
prefer learning what they can from a catalog or display rather than talking
with a salesperson. Nothing whatsoever wrong with that. And the local bike
shop customer may want a bit more personal attention than afforded by a
catalog outlet.

Obviously, things aren't always so cut-and-dry. There are local bicycle
shops that may have very unfriendly or unhelpful (there *is* a difference)
staffs, and there may be catalog outlets with exemplary employees.
Regardless, I (with obvious bias) disagree with your statement "Don't buy
clothes in a bike shop...."

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

: My problem with sport related clothing is the mark up.

Okay, that's fair. But, you can search the catalogs and buy in the off
season, too. Also, stores like Oshman's have the Canari brand which is an
inexpensive cycling brand. Look for it. Do you think everybody else buys at
full price? I was wearing Santa Claus and Rudolph socks all summer because I
got them for 3 for $10 last spring!

But, you should now that there is a reason--and a darned good one--why
cycling clothes are designed as they are. More than a single reason, in
fact. Just because you can't discern it as a newbie doesn't mean those
reasons do not exist. These things have been worked out over the years to be
the cut, the fabrics, the shapes that they presently are....

Pat in TX

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

I have a question. WHY do people who ride bikes wear those goofy
clothes? (ok don't shoot).....I don't know anyone who wears that stuff
around here to ride and I do know people who ride bikes. What is the
purpose of those jerseys and lycra pants? Is it for comfort, or to
show you are a real cyclist? I never understood it. I really do not
see people in clothes like that except on TV. We seem to have a
costume for every sport imaginable.

Am I the only one to see it? Maggie sure smells like a troll. More subtle than
our Mikey Vandeman, but she writes like a troll none the less.

<snip>
My niece has her kids in many

Quoted message said:

different activities and they all require a costume which I seem to
think is unnecessary. Did you ever see a little 4 year old taking
Karate wearing one of those karate suits? Tell me he could not jump
around in his sweats!! Or a 3 year old girl who needs 43 gymnastics
outfits to look cute while learning to tumble? Work out clothes are
good for just about everything in my opinion. Warm up suits are great
too. I think its all a money making thing. If you have the money to
spend on Bicycle clothes I guess its fine, and if you are willing to
take alot of [censored] from people who think you look like a jerk, I applaud
you. Really, what is the purpose of those clothes? It certainly is a
big business. The only thing worse is the golf outfits of the old men
at my uncles golf club in Boca. I think they dress with their eyes
closed. Or they just can't see to match their shirts to their shorts.
And don't even mention their golf caps. And their SOCKS!!!!!
Forgetaboutit!!!!!!!

In article <[email hidden]>, "Jim Boyer"

Quoted message said:

I recently posted this story in another thread.....There's a local club of
racers who were yelled at by some yokel in a truck who shouted some comment
about the cyclists clothes. They caught up to the guy at the next light and
one of the women tells the guy "you know, you're right...my clothes do look
funny. But I can go home and change them. That beer belly and double chin
you're wearing you're stuck with."

Reminds me of one of my favorite Churchill stories. The British Prime Minister
was at a dinner when a woman next to him remarked about his weight. He is said
to have replied" " I could go on a diet tomorrow, but you Madam would remain
ugly and stupid."

:
: By narrowly defining cycling as a "sport", it's easy to understand why
: one might think they need special clothing. As long as cycling is also
: utilitarian transportation or occasionally undertaken as a
: recreational pastime, a person really doesn't require racers' kit.
:
: There are several styles of cycling specific clothing for people who
: aren't comfortable in the neon coloured lycra of sport cyclists. It's
: not necessary for recreational riding but commuters appreciate the
: utility of thoughtfully designed clothing.
: --
: zk

She wrote earlier that she was in training to do two charity rides next
Spring. We weren't talking about what commuters need...or at least she
wasn't. She was comparing cycling to karate, tennis, and all the rest. There
aren't "karate commuters" or "tennis commuters". She doesn't need "racer's
kit" but she does need some padded pants and maybe a shirt with pockets in
the back. Oh yeah, she COULD wear jeans and a tee shirt for that 25 mile
ride, but we both know she wouldn't exactly be comfortable---and she might
quit because she was chafed or rubbed raw by her clothes.

Pat in TX

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Maggie has it right, you guys just have too much money to waste.
I don't care how I look when riding, just that I am riding.

Sorry Bill, but Freds like you won't ever be riding with
my group.

And don't say you don't care, I know you types envy us.

I would rather be caught with normal people.> Bill (?) Baka

Then why hang out in rec.bicycles.misc? Tough to read that remark without
someone thinking troll...

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

: You pay "full price" at Performance too, unless you're negotiating
something
: off whatever the price is listed at (which generally isn't the way they do
: business). I assume what you mean is that you'll pay less at Performance,
: but this isn't always the case either. We sell $30 shorts and $35 jerseys,
: but they're not nearly as popular as the more-expensive offerings. Part of
: this comes from how things are sold; at a Performance shop, customers
often
: buy based on price first, features second. At a bicycle shop, the
: salesperson is going to (hopefully) spend the time to explain the
different
: features of the various shorts, and this will often result in someone
buying
: a more expensive item because the benefits make sense to them. I know,
evil
: salesperson tactic, explaining why something might be better than
something
: else.
<snip>
: --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles

Last summer, I bought a sleeveless jersey from Performance---their house
brand for $24. The first time I wore it, my Hydrapak chest straps "picked"
the fabric so bad that it looked all snagged. I got a Pearl Izumi one on
sale and the fabric is tighter, stronger, and finished with a smooth finish
that resists snags and pulls. So, I discovered you really do "get what you
pay for" although I also have a couple of Canari jerseys that are still
going strong after 3 years. I guess the bottom line is that you need to
look at the item to tell if the fabric is tightly knitted, etc. A person
can't do that when ordering on-line.

Pat in TX

Quoted message said:

OK, I figured it out....I looked up Jerseys on Bicycle Performance shop
and this is how they promoted the Jersey...

The same great jersey worn by members of Italys premier cycling team,
Saeco. Made with Micro C polyester for warmth, breathability and
comfort, this long sleeve jersey lets you feel like a pro.

You'll feel like a Euro Pro......gives me a reason to buy a 100.00
bicycle Jersey.
I don't think so!!!

What's your fixation with $100 jerseys?

Do you own a car? Some of them cost $250,000!!! Yikes! Why would someone
own something that people spend $250,000 on???

Bikes are like so many things; they can be appreciated on a number of
levels, by people of varying abilities, and used for different purposes.
It's great that you enjoy (I think, but not really sure) riding a bike. And
there's no reason in the world to believe that you're not a real cyclist
unless you spend a zillion dollars on apparel & equipment. But that leaves a
huge middle area in which, for example, there are reasonably-price cycling
shorts (yes, lycra) that almost anyone riding more than 10 miles will find
significant advantages to (in terms of comfort, efficiency and avoidance of
skin issues).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

:
: Reminds me of one of my favorite Churchill stories. The British Prime
Minister
: was at a dinner when a woman next to him remarked about his weight. He is
said
: to have replied" " I could go on a diet tomorrow, but you Madam would
remain
: ugly and stupid."

I went all over looking for this quote. Could not find it as a Churchill
quote. Can you give a citation?

Pat in TX

: > I would rather be caught with normal people.> Bill (?) Baka
:
: Then why hang out in rec.bicycles.misc? Tough to read that remark without
: someone thinking troll...
:
: --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles

I don't know about you, but my ears are tired of hearing from B(?)B....or is
it my eyes?

Anyway, just tired.

Pat in TX

:
: Am I the only one to see it? Maggie sure smells like a troll. More subtle
than
: our Mikey Vandeman, but she writes like a troll none the less.

I don't think "troll" exactly. More like a newbie who expected to go to a
newsgroup and find everyone just exactly like her instead of what she did
find...and now she's wanting everyone else to change.

Pat in TX

Quoted message said:

I have a question. WHY do people who ride bikes wear those goofy
clothes? (ok don't shoot).....I don't know anyone who wears that stuff
around here to ride and I do know people who ride bikes. What is the
purpose of those jerseys and lycra pants? Is it for comfort, or to
show you are a real cyclist? I never understood it. I really do not
see people in clothes like that except on TV. We seem to have a
costume for every sport imaginable. My niece has her kids in many
different activities and they all require a costume which I seem to
think is unnecessary. Did you ever see a little 4 year old taking
Karate wearing one of those karate suits? Tell me he could not jump
around in his sweats!! Or a 3 year old girl who needs 43 gymnastics
outfits to look cute while learning to tumble? Work out clothes are
good for just about everything in my opinion. Warm up suits are great
too. I think its all a money making thing. If you have the money to
spend on Bicycle clothes I guess its fine, and if you are willing to
take alot of [censored] from people who think you look like a jerk, I applaud
you. Really, what is the purpose of those clothes? It certainly is a
big business.

The Jersey's are handy having pockets in the right place and not flapping. I
consider them optional for fitness rides, I'm only out for an hour and don't
need to bring food or anything..

The shorts have important features:

1 - Chamois liner, or faux shammy made out of some fake goat. This might be
optional for shortish rides. But is sure welcome if you're going to be spending
any amount of time on a saddle.

2 - They are snug where they need to be. This is NOT optional. I have an
occasional tendency to get important anatomical features lodged between the
inside of my rapidly pedaling thigh and the extraordinarily rigid leather and
plastic side of the saddle. This never happens with bike shorts.

3 - They also have seams where they belong. Shorts and supporters which might
help with the issue addressed in item 2 have seams in exactly the wrong places.

I frequently ride in bike shorts and a T shirt. No tremendous pain has ever
resulted from wearing a T shirt.

The shoes are cool. Literally. They're vented top, side and bottom and are
perfectly designed to mate your feet to the pedal. Nice after hours of hard
riding to have at least one part of your body that isn't sore.

Helmets, well you see the arguments here. I wear one for playing in traffic, as
much for the message it sends drivers, as for any other safety aspect. Being
largely bald it gets some sun on the dome without burning so's better than a hat
which is an either or proposition.

Quoted message said:

The only thing worse is the golf outfits of the old men
at my uncles golf club in Boca. I think they dress with their eyes
closed. Or they just can't see to match their shirts to their shorts.
And don't even mention their golf caps. And their SOCKS!!!!!
Forgetaboutit!!!!!!!

If it weren't for golf middle aged white men would have no excuse to dress like
that. Actually, they still don't.

Ron

Roger Zoul said:

[email hidden] wrote:
|| Well this ignorant woman will keep riding but not with those clothes.
|| I raised three kids. All in sports of some kind...including dancing
|| lessons & gymnastics. When a kid is a pre-schooler they don't need
|| fancy outfits to take lessons. You can dance, do gymnastics, and
|| train without expensive clothes. You can do anything you have the
|| passion for without expensive clothes. Not all children are from
|| well to do families. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth
|| and I took tap lessons without tap shoes until my mother could
|| afford them. And guess what...I actually learned to dance. My adult
|| kids now snowboard, ski, and skydive. My avid snowboarding son wants
|| equipment and a new board for Christmas. It's a nightmare going into
|| the ski shop. I understand he needs warmth and insulated gear to
|| keep from freezing to death, but until I ride 200 miles at a clip I
|| will never understand the bicycle clothes. If I can't ride a bike
|| without paying 100.00 dollars for a jersey something is wrong. How
|| the heck do poor people ride bikes? Those clothes are way too
|| expensive. Only people with money to waste buy that stuff. And only
|| people with money spend thousands on bikes. So I guess Cycling is
|| for the elite. Not those who actually need a bike to get places
|| because they can't afford a car. If you like those jerseys and
|| spandex and you can afford it........Go for it. Its your choice. I
|| just gave my opinion. Ignorant as it was. ;-)

The really sad part of this is that attempts to educate you don't seem to
help your ignorance. So perhaps your issue isn't simply ignorance....there
are worse things, you know.

Dude, you missed the important part of that whole thing: "until I ride 200 miles
at a clip I will never understand the bicycle clothes."

When she goes 100 miles at a time, or even 60, she will understand.

Face it, the stuff doesn't make sense for half-hour rides.

Ron