Who is weirder, Roadies, Trackies or Mountain Bikers?

[szbert]

Road Toads, Track Dweebs, and Mud Lovers have different mindsets, equipment, goals and personalities.
Is each one equally weird (Hey, we're all a bit weird. We wear lycra tights with padding for our bottoms, shave our legs, take pride in road rash and discuss carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium, aluminum and steel like mettalurgy grad students.) Or, is one group in particular, really, really screwed up?

 

[jhuskey]

Road Toads, Track Dweebs, and Mud Lovers have different mindsets, equipment, goals and personalities.
Is each one equally weird (Hey, we're all a bit weird. We wear lycra tights with padding for our bottoms, shave our legs, take pride in road rash and discuss carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium, aluminum and steel like mettalurgy grad students.) Or, is one group in particular, really, really screwed up?

You left rides in heavy traffic with bloodthirsty drivers who want nothing more than to hit a cyclist who is only there to **** him off and slow him down.

I have both road and mountain bikes and not for that fact but "just because"
I challenge anyone to be weirder than me.

"You think therfore you are"
I don't think but I am anyway.

 

[Telegram Sam]

Hands down-Downhill and freeride guys. These guys are out their heads and thinkl that breaking something is fun...sounds wierd to me. As for the bikes, I have pretty much every style except a tandem and a Surrey (gawd I want one though- they are really hard to steal) and I figure most folks are just about the same...although I never borrowed wifey' lady bic to go for a ride on the roadie (yeah-OK, thats wierd too...crosses the line between sport and ****-erotic fantasy, this redneck can't go there).

 

[vichercules]

Road Toads, Track Dweebs, and Mud Lovers have different mindsets, equipment, goals and personalities.
Is each one equally weird (Hey, we're all a bit weird. We wear lycra tights with padding for our bottoms, shave our legs, take pride in road rash and discuss carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium, aluminum and steel like mettalurgy grad students.) Or, is one group in particular, really, really screwed up?

I don't believe these are separate groups of people. Most if not all track guys I know ride on roads and trails, and most if not all roadies I know have mountain bikes. The only non crossover people I know are new mountain bikers who will eventually get road bikes when they learn how it helps their fitness and is a great alternative grin creator.

The only exception is the car/lift shuttling downhillers who are not actually bicyclists, but motorcyclists in search of a motor. I don't think they are weird, just lazy.

Regards,
Vic

 

[meehs]

Wow! That's a tough question as each are so damn weird in their own way! Like jhuskey, I don't fit neatly into any one cycling "category" so I'm assuming that I myself am weirder than any of the purists.

Hmmm.... I guess if I have to vote I'll give the pure roadies the nod for being the weirdest. They have the colorful, tight fitting outfits, walk around like penguins when they're off the bike because of their cleats, eschew all kinds of sensible cycling accessories and clothing in the name of style, there's the leg shaving thing... Lots of reaons I suppose.

 

[szbert]

I don't believe these are separate groups of people. Most if not all track guys I know ride on roads and trails, and most if not all roadies I know have mountain bikes. The only non crossover people I know are new mountain bikers who will eventually get road bikes when they learn how it helps their fitness and is a great alternative grin creator.

The only exception is the car/lift shuttling downhillers who are not actually bicyclists, but motorcyclists in search of a motor. I don't think they are weird, just lazy.

Regards,
Vic

I see your point, but disagree. I have raced on road, track and velodrome, carted a bike up a ski lift to dive down a slope I couldn't ski down, raced a little cross country and, don't tell my son, plan on getting a tandem for Christmas so we can ride on the road together more (That 9 year old drops my butt on tight single track regularly. I'm so proud of him! )
Anyway, I still consider myself a trackie because that's what I've always been best at, and so, enjoyed the most. I will go out of my way to look for hills to climb, in the name of masochistic pleasure and fitness, but think "climbers" are skinny dweebs who can't sprint with me.

Maybe I should have put the downhill guys in the list - I've done a fair bit of dirt bike (motorcycle) riding, but what those guys do is completely nuts.
I guess what I've learned most is, when I'm on a group ride I meet lots of people who are about as weird as me, at least as the non-cycling world sees us, but in different ways.

Keep pedaling in circles . . . .

 

[Roleur]

What about 'cross riders? I think they are the weird ones.

 

[Bikesoiler]

Road Toads, Track Dweebs, and Mud Lovers have different mindsets, equipment, goals and personalities.
Is each one equally weird (Hey, we're all a bit weird. We wear lycra tights with padding for our bottoms, shave our legs, take pride in road rash and discuss carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium, aluminum and steel like mettalurgy grad students.) Or, is one group in particular, really, really screwed up?

None of the above.

I'm a cyclist. I ride on or off road, commute & tour, XC & downhill.
If it's riding it's good. Looking for tribal rivalries is divisive.

It says more about you by calling something "weird". Some activities/groups/people are just different. I can deal with that, if they can deal with me.

 

[ryan_velo]

im a roadie, i shave my legs and wear a funny little cap thats kinda weird

 

[szbert]

What about 'cross riders? I think they are the weird ones.

must one cross dress in order to be a 'cross rider?'

 

[szbert]

im a roadie, i shave my legs and wear a funny little cap thats kinda weird

Who is Kerry Edwards, and what does she do?

 

[ItsikH]

One common feature: All cyclers I have met so far are friendly. Roadies are more "aggressive" in nature, but still open and helpful, while MTB rides are true angels (wipe those silly smiles off your faces, will you? Yeah, it is a beautiful day. You all seem "high" all the time ). Devoted roadies like me are considered suicidal in nature, especially here in Israel...

 

[szbert]

One common feature: All cyclers I have met so far are friendly. Roadies are more "aggressive" in nature, but still open and helpful, while MTB rides are true angels (wipe those silly smiles off your faces, will you? Yeah, it is a beautiful day. You all seem "high" all the time ). Devoted roadies like me are considered suicidal in nature, especially here in Israel...

Very true - I'm always amazed how many times when I stop along side the road and appear to be 'fiddling' with my bike - another biker, in a car or on his bike, will stop and see if I need help. It's the same bond when I'm on my motorcycle. I guess we all feel like we're two wheeled targets for nuts in cages (cars).

Besides, when your out for two, three or more hours riding with people, you tend to develop good conversational skills - or you get dropped

 

[Doctor Morbius]

The MTB crowd is definitely the strangest bunch. Riding around in nature all day wearing their hemp shirts and sandles sporting goatees with their pony tails tied back. What a bunch of stoners. Definitely throw backs to that early 90's grunge era. Just read an article by Zapata Espinoza (editor of Mountain Bike Magazine) and you'll see what I mean. Far out, dude!

 

[meehs]

The MTB crowd is definitely the strangest bunch. Riding around in nature all day wearing their hemp shirts and sandles sporting goatees with their pony tails tied back. What a bunch of stoners. Definitely throw backs to that early 90's grunge era. Just read an article by Zapata Espinoza (editor of Mountain Bike Magazine) and you'll see what I mean. Far out, dude!

Haha! Good point. Can we already have "throw-backs" to the early 90's? Damn I'm old!!!

 

[Bikelux]

I ride road, track and MTB.

Those MTBrs are snobby bastards . As for freewheelers and downhillers , I can never understand the attraction of breaking bones and very expensive bikes.
However, the real weirdos are the 'greenies' with camper trailers in tow behind their bikes , yes . Ingenius indeed.
I want a camper bike trailer

 

[Jaguar27]

Road Toads, Track Dweebs, and Mud Lovers have different mindsets, equipment, goals and personalities.
Is each one equally weird (Hey, we're all a bit weird. We wear lycra tights with padding for our bottoms, shave our legs, take pride in road rash and discuss carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium, aluminum and steel like mettalurgy grad students.) Or, is one group in particular, really, really screwed up?

I voted for Road Toads, not because I am one, but I look at it this way...
Who else, not only in the Cycling community, but the community as a whole, would pay $100 for a Jersey that advertises a Companies Products and actually wear it without any kind of commission for Products sold to someone who may be passing in a Car and thinks "Hmmm, Saeco...I need a new Coffee machine, I think I'll stop by and buy one immediately"!!

In my mind, Company Logo'd Jerseys and shorts etc should be gladly doled out free of charge, with say, a fee paid of maybe 15 cents a mile to anyone willing to wear it...

After all, professional sponsored Riders are paid to do it...probably more members of the American Public see me riding on a Saturday Morning than watch the TDF....

What do you think?

If anyone from Cannondale/Saeco is reading this, please send me a Jersey free of charge, along with a contract and I'll consider wearing it for at least 8 hours every weekend...

 

[mmpc001]

I think we're all strange in our own ways, but we all share a commonality of purpose. As far as people are concerned, riding both road and mtb, I've met many really cool people and a few arrogant jerks; it doesn't seem to matter whether it's dirt or asphalt passing beneath their contact patches...

 

[donhix1]

Road Toads, Track Dweebs, and Mud Lovers have different mindsets, equipment, goals and personalities.
Is each one equally weird (Hey, we're all a bit weird. We wear lycra tights with padding for our bottoms, shave our legs, take pride in road rash and discuss carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium, aluminum and steel like mettalurgy grad students.) Or, is one group in particular, really, really screwed up?

I think that to the outside world anyone who wears lycra in public are a little out there. You could take Eddie Merckx or Lance armstrong put them on a $5000 bike and a nice bicyling kit and 95% of the people in my neighborhood would think they are just another weird bicyclist. We are all Freds, from Cat I's to Cat V's.

 

[ryan_velo]

Who is Kerry Edwards, and what does she do?

shut the hell up you smartass by the way, if it wernt for the french in the revolutionary war we may never have gained our indepindence. the french where smart not to get caught up in this iraq mess.