Inquiry into the psyche of some cyclists



sparkwave

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Jan 27, 2008
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Dear Cyclists,



There is a beautiful paved bike path around Miramar Lake in San Diego which I have been riding around for about 5 years. One day, while my parents were visiting me, I thought it would be good if I take my parents for a walk around the lake mainly to inspire them (and my family) to cycle. There were six adults, two children, and one baby. About half-way into this 5-mile loop, we suddenly stopped in the middle of the road because the baby just started crying. While we were standing clustered in the middle of the road, two professional cyclists approached us and said loudly, “Look at these mother f**kers”. One passed us from the left and the other from the right. After they just passed, both looking over their shoulders at us, repeated the word, “Mother f**kers!” We were all shocked! I was really embarrassed to present myself to my parents and family as a cyclist and try to inspire them to be the same!



What was really interesting is that all other joggers and walkers seemed very nice, while these two professional cyclists (the only ones looping around the late) cussed us. What is going on with the psyche of some cyclists?

Sparkwave
 
They probably were no professionals.

For whatever reason road cycling attracts a lot of assholes.
 
Just to make sure there is no misunderstanding... you weren't having sexual relations with your mother at the time.. right?...:D

I agree with Bro. It is sad... but there are a few cyclists out there who do their darndest to give the whole cycling community a bad name.
 
Crankyfeet said:
I agree with Bro. It is sad... but there are a few cyclists out there who do their darndest to give the whole cycling community a bad name.
But the mountain biking community is said to be nicer to each other than the roadies.
 
TheDarkLord said:
But the mountain biking community is said to be nicer to each other than the roadies.
They are in general. The weed mellows them. :D

Road cycling has its share of 35 year old yuppies who pretend they are training for the Tour de France even though their big "race" of the season is the local MS150.
 
A paved multi-use bike path is no place for serious training. Those "professionals" were anything but.
 
Bro Deal said:
They probably were no professionals.

For whatever reason road cycling attracts a lot of assholes.
They were wearing bike gears, clean-shaved, middle-class, well-fit, and riding on hi-tech bikes. They can be perceived as professionals by the public even if they were not professionals. This is not just one incident. I can mention a dozen in the last 5 years. This makes me think WHY.



sparkwave
 
sparkwave said:
They were wearing bike gears, clean-shaved, middle-class, well-fit, and riding on hi-tech bikes.
Most of the people on this site look like that. :p

I don't ride on MUTs because they are dangerous. I'd rather take my chances with the SUVs and jerkoffs in Bimmers than roller bladers and children.
 
Bro Deal said:
For whatever reason road cycling attracts a lot of assholes.
Did they become assholes while cycling or did cycling, as you say, attracts assholes?
 
TheDarkLord said:
But the mountain biking community is said to be nicer to each other than the roadies.

A lot of things are said that have no basis in reality. I'm willing to bet that the probability distribution function for assholes in mountain biking is almost identical to that of road cycling.

To the OP, those riders were almost certainly not pros. The pros I've ridden with have been, to a man, nice joes to ride with.
 
Bro Deal said:
Most of the people on this site look like that. :p

I don't ride on MUTs because they are dangerous. I'd rather take my chances with the SUVs and jerkoffs in Bimmers than roller bladers and children.
Interesting comment about the Bimmers, Bro. See my new thread.
 
alienator said:
A lot of things are said that have no basis in reality. I'm willing to bet that the probability distribution function for assholes in mountain biking is almost identical to that of road cycling.
:D Well, it is going to be bit difficult really to determine the pdf's for the two samples...
 
alienator said:
A lot of things are said that have no basis in reality. I'm willing to bet that the probability distribution function for assholes in mountain biking is almost identical to that of road cycling.

To the OP, those riders were almost certainly not pros. The pros I've ridden with have been, to a man, nice joes to ride with.
What I have said is based on my own observation - it has a basis in reality. If I collect my own data in this last year and analyse it, I would find that there is a higher probability for a person you meet to turn out an "asshole" if he is a cyclist than if he is a jogger, or a surfer, or a hiker, at least here where I live.
 
Yojimbo_ said:
A paved multi-use bike path is no place for serious training. Those "professionals" were anything but.
Absolutely. It's for throwing winks at the girls, making nice with the tourists, and using the small chainring.
 
I'll agree with everyone else - it is highly unlikely that those guys were pros... and they absolutely shouldn't have swore at you.

But I'll go out on a limb here a bit too - you did something that was not so nice or smart yourself. If the trail was a multiuse trail you as a walker need to be aware of your surroundings and you should not suddenly stop, nor should you block the trail by stopping so many people right in the middle of it. If you need to stop, be considerate of the other users and go off the trail to do it. I think the guys likely had the right to be frustrated at you. It doesn't excuse the swearing, but you may have nearly caused them to crash, or they may have been (and again this does not excuse them swearing at you) taking out some frustrations on you for the times they have almost crashed.

Personally I do not like using muts because the walkers and the joggers (and some of the cyclists too) are so clueless and don't have a thought in the world for the other trail users. Just remember that you are never the only user.
 
sparkwave said:
What I have said is based on my own observation - it has a basis in reality. If I collect my own data in this last year and analyse it, I would find that there is a higher probability for a person you meet to turn out an "asshole" if he is a cyclist than if he is a jogger, or a surfer, or a hiker, at least here where I live.

Well, that only demonstrates your bias. It says nothing about fact or reality. Who knows, maybe in the "collection of data" by other people, you'd make the asshole list.

It seems like you could do with a bit more learning about how to think critically, especially if you're prone to making such bigoted observations.
 
Eden said:
But I'll go out on a limb here a bit too - you did something that was not so nice or smart yourself. If the trail was a multiuse trail you as a walker need to be aware of your surroundings and you should not suddenly stop, nor should you block the trail by stopping so many people right in the middle of it. If you need to stop, be considerate of the other users and go off the trail to do it.

You're not going out on a limb. You're absolutely correct. Pedestrians aren't free to do what they want ***** nilly. Pedestrians need to observer the "rules of the road," too. Standing in the middle of the MUT with a group of people either demonstrated a supreme arrogance or a supreme ignorance. Heck, it might just go to show that some pedestrians are assholes.
 

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