Re: What a disappointment

Quoted message said:

Speaking for myself again, it's just boring going through the same
programming sub-routine "conversation tree": did you make it
yourself? How much is it? Where did you get it? Is it unsafe? How
much does it weigh? How is it on hills? Don't you need clipless
pedals? Where's your helmet?

I must admit in the early years of my recumbent trike riding I found these
endless repetitious conversations so boring after the 100th.
How much did it cost- what is the weight-isnt it dangerous-on and on and on.
In the end I made up a plaque with all the data on it.
I still return to find someone waiting for more data.
Its just part of the recumbent triking experience.
Tam

"tam" wrote: I must admit in the early years of my recumbent trike riding
I found these

Quoted message said:

endless repetitious conversations so boring after the 100th. (clip)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
When someone asks me about something of mine, (bike, homemade belt buckle,
camera, etc) I consider it a compliment that they want to talk to me. Maybe
I'm just lonely. Why don't you hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your trike,
along with the list of answers to FAQ? :-)

Quoted message said:

When someone asks me about something of mine, (bike, homemade belt buckle,
camera, etc) I consider it a compliment that they want to talk to me.
Maybe I'm just lonely. Why don't you hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your
trike, along with the list of answers to FAQ? :-)

I see you have no experience of continental triking.
When triking in a large city in Europe people of all ages and types are
verrrrrry interested in trikes.
Its probably the first one they have seen.
When you get asked the same questions 15 times in one day-including
interupting your meal in a restaurant- it gets wearing.
I am always polite and answer all their questions.
I would not hang a do not disturb sign on my trike I am a well brought up
Scot-but-its as well to be warned-owners of trikes are going to get a lot of
attention.
Tam

tam said:

I see you have no experience of continental triking.
When triking in a large city in Europe people of all ages and types are
verrrrrry interested in trikes.
Its probably the first one they have seen.
When you get asked the same questions 15 times in one day-including
interupting your meal in a restaurant- it gets wearing.
I am always polite and answer all their questions.
I would not hang a do not disturb sign on my trike I am a well brought up
Scot-but-its as well to be warned-owners of trikes are going to get a lot of
attention.
Tam

Eh? I would have thought that given the continentals' great interest
in cycling, it wouldn't be the first time they've seen a 'bent -- even
a trike!

At first, I would try to encourage people's interest, but the last
straw for me was last summer, when, while going over the Staten Island
ferry, one of them underpaid Third World security guards asked me how
much my HP Velo SMGTe cost, and when I finally told him, he started
laughing like I just showed him my ass or something. I was just like,
you know, sorry you could have bought a house in your country with the
money I used to buy a bike, but don't choke on it, okay, jeez....

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I see you have no experience of continental triking.
When triking in a large city in Europe people of all ages and types are
verrrrrry interested in trikes.
Its probably the first one they have seen.
When you get asked the same questions 15 times in one day-including
interupting your meal in a restaurant- it gets wearing.
I am always polite and answer all their questions.
I would not hang a do not disturb sign on my trike I am a well brought up
Scot-but-its as well to be warned-owners of trikes are going to get a lot
of
attention.
Tam

Eh? I would have thought that given the continentals' great interest
in cycling, it wouldn't be the first time they've seen a 'bent -- even
a trike!

Certainly in Holland and France its ok but in Berlin-as you say-where bikes
are king of the road-often when I stop at a red light on the road the
enquiries begin.
I suppose its because my trike folds and has suspension on all three
wheels-the 63 ratio s impress to.
On the cost issue thats not a problem for Dutch and German cyclists they
know a good bike costs money.
Most bike shops stock bikes starting at 400 euros and up to 1500 in ordinary
shops.
Off road prices are like the UK you could buy a good second hand car for the
price of an off roader----well my sons pals 3 off road bikes cost £10000
collectively plus custom bits of course---wish I could justify laying out
that!!.
Tam

Leo Lichtman said:

"tam" wrote: I must admit in the early years of my recumbent trike riding
I found these

Quoted message said:

endless repetitious conversations so boring after the 100th. (clip)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
When someone asks me about something of mine, (bike, homemade belt buckle,
camera, etc) I consider it a compliment that they want to talk to me. Maybe
I'm just lonely. Why don't you hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your trike,
along with the list of answers to FAQ? :-)

I plan to do something just like that if I can find a way to mount
visible signs that do not cause extra drag.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"the grinning buddy bear carries a fork." - g.d.

Prisoner at War said:

...
At first, I would try to encourage people's interest, but the last
straw for me was last summer, when, while going over the Staten Island
ferry, one of them underpaid Third World security guards asked me how
much my HP Velo SMGTe cost, and when I finally told him, he started
laughing like I just showed him my ass or something. I was just like,
you know, sorry you could have bought a house in your country with the
money I used to buy a bike, but don't choke on it, okay, jeez....

I tell people my Sunset cost about "two" with the hope they will think
$200 instead of $2000 [1] (unless they are a cyclist and will know better).

[1] Used, that is.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"the grinning buddy bear carries a fork." - g.d.

Tom Sherman said:

Leo Lichtman said:

"tam" wrote: I must admit in the early years of my recumbent trike riding
I found these

Quoted message said:

endless repetitious conversations so boring after the 100th. (clip)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
When someone asks me about something of mine, (bike, homemade belt buckle,
camera, etc) I consider it a compliment that they want to talk to me. Maybe
I'm just lonely. Why don't you hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your trike,
along with the list of answers to FAQ? :-)

I plan to do something just like that if I can find a way to mount
visible signs that do not cause extra drag.

The Xtracycle attracts lots of comments and questions.

The two most common: "did you make that?" and "where can I get one?"
--
zk

Zoot Katz said:

Tom Sherman said:

Leo Lichtman said:

"tam" wrote: I must admit in the early years of my recumbent trike riding
I found these
> endless repetitious conversations so boring after the 100th. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
When someone asks me about something of mine, (bike, homemade belt buckle,
camera, etc) I consider it a compliment that they want to talk to me. Maybe
I'm just lonely. Why don't you hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your trike,
along with the list of answers to FAQ? :-)

I plan to do something just like that if I can find a way to mount
visible signs that do not cause extra drag.

The Xtracycle attracts lots of comments and questions.

The two most common: "did you make that?" and "where can I get one?"

You could always print out copies of the Xtracycle contact page [1] and
hand them out to the curious.

[1] <http://www.xtracycle.com/contact.php>.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"the grinning buddy bear carries a fork." - g.d.

Prisoner at War said:

(Tom Keats) said:

Y'mean like daring to ride a /real/ bicycle?

OMG, that's so stupid, that's like a motorist saying "a /rea/ vehicle"
or something.

Quoted message said:

Y'know what? I've heard of women recumbent riders,
but I've never seen any. Whuzzup with that?

Is partly because there are less female cyclists in general.

And very few recumbent cyclists.

Thus it is to be expect to the intersection of these two groups is
very tiny indeed.

Quoted message said:

I suppose attitudes such as your is one major factor. Females are so
about not being made fun of. That's their biggest weakness, as many a
pick-up artist knows.

Quoted message said:

I see lots o' women riding normal bikes. Sometimes
I even get to socially interact with them, in a
"small talk" sort of way -- usually at stoplines &
stoplights.

Ack, I don't care for small talk. It gets boring; the same chatter,
like a programming sub-routine. Believe it or not, conversations on
usenet are much more intellectually stimulating! Of course, it's just
a bunch of guys here, too.

Quoted message said:

But the few recumbent riders I encounter are always
men, and they don't wanna talk to anybody. I dunno
if they're antisocial, or just too embarrassed to
talk to anybody. Or maybe they're just a bunch of
shy, underconfident nerds?

Speaking for myself again, it's just boring going through the same
programming sub-routine "conversation tree": did you make it
yourself? How much is it? Where did you get it? Is it unsafe? How
much does it weigh? How is it on hills? Don't you need clipless
pedals? Where's your helmet?

Quoted message said:

cheers,
Tom

Quoted message said:

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca