Why I shouldn't (or should) be a roadie.



O

OzCableguy

Guest
I've recently been doing mostly MTB trails riding instead or road riding
(due to moving 5 minutes away from the Bunya State Forest & I just couldn't
resist) but I've started to wonder in view of the increasing numbers of
psychopaths & druggies on the road (http://tinyurl.com/ysvoxg) why I just
don't stick to the trails all of the time?
Offroad also has these advantages:
* I don't have to get up early to beat traffic.
* Wind speed or direction isn't a factor because I'm shielded by bush and
traveling too slow most of the time for it to be too much of an assist or
nuisance anyway.
* I'm probably 10 times more likely to have a spill offroad but the injuries
are likely to be 10 times less severe.
* I can wear a camelback and still be a scene queen. :)
* Less likely to get punctures from bogan droppings

I grew up riding on the road so I'm not frightened in traffic or anything
like that but common sense tells me that stuff happens. However, I really
enjoy road riding. Yes, I love the bikes and I love the thrill of the faster
speed but I can get that from MTBs to a similar extent so I'm not completely
sure what the attraction is. I just know that it's there and won't be easy
to shake (if I wanted to).
I was going to buy a reasonable quality road bike when I reach my weight
loss goal but I'm starting to think maybe I should be looking at a higher
end MTB instead. I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on which code other
cyclists prefer and why, assuming of course you have access to both and have
a choice.

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com
 
On Mar 29, 5:26 pm, "OzCableguy" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I've recently been doing mostly MTB trails riding instead or road riding
> (due to moving 5 minutes away from the Bunya State Forest & I just couldn't
> resist) but I've started to wonder in view of the increasing numbers of
> psychopaths & druggies on the road (http://tinyurl.com/ysvoxg) why I just
> don't stick to the trails all of the time?
> Offroad also has these advantages:
> * I don't have to get up early to beat traffic.
> * Wind speed or direction isn't a factor because I'm shielded by bush and
> traveling too slow most of the time for it to be too much of an assist or
> nuisance anyway.
> * I'm probably 10 times more likely to have a spill offroad but the injuries
> are likely to be 10 times less severe.
> * I can wear a camelback and still be a scene queen. :)
> * Less likely to get punctures from bogan droppings
>
> I grew up riding on the road so I'm not frightened in traffic or anything
> like that but common sense tells me that stuff happens. However, I really
> enjoy road riding. Yes, I love the bikes and I love the thrill of the faster
> speed but I can get that from MTBs to a similar extent so I'm not completely
> sure what the attraction is. I just know that it's there and won't be easy
> to shake (if I wanted to).
> I was going to buy a reasonable quality road bike when I reach my weight
> loss goal but I'm starting to think maybe I should be looking at a higher
> end MTB instead. I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on which code other
> cyclists prefer and why, assuming of course you have access to both and have
> a choice.


What do you enjoy the most? That's the key. I ride both (and track)
and prefer road, but YMWV :)
 

>> I was going to buy a reasonable quality road bike when I reach my weight
>> loss goal but I'm starting to think maybe I should be looking at a higher
>> end MTB instead. I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on which code other
>> cyclists prefer and why, assuming of course you have access to both and have
>> a choice.

>


Buy a good bike of each kind and you will enjoy both even more. I do
both and it's 'horses for courses'. I find the fitness/exercise regime
easier to manage with road riding, but then I have very quite country
roads to do it on so it's much easier.
Halcyon
 
On Mar 29, 6:10 pm, Halcyon <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> I was going to buy a reasonable quality road bike when I reach my weight
> >> loss goal but I'm starting to think maybe I should be looking at a higher
> >> end MTB instead. I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on which code other
> >> cyclists prefer and why, assuming of course you have access to both and have
> >> a choice.

>
> Buy a good bike of each kind and you will enjoy both even more. I do
> both and it's 'horses for courses'. I find the fitness/exercise regime
> easier to manage with road riding, but then I have very quite country
> roads to do it on so it's much easier.
> Halcyon


Yep, get both, then look for the variants - SS/fixie roadie, duallie
etc. You can't have enough bikes.
 
OzCableguy asks -

>I'm starting to think maybe I should be looking at a higher end MTB
>instead. I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on which code other
>cyclists prefer and why, assuming of course you have access to both and
>have a choice.
>


Your choice, dear boy.

Language is however important and some useful acquired language from the
trails is attached - best, Andrew (who carries some of these scars)


A Concise Dictionary of Mountain Biking



Acro-Brat n a little kid who rides trails considerably better than you ,

Air n. space between the tires and the ground - both tires must be off
the ground or it isn't "air"; said to be caught or gotten; large amounts
of air = sky

Auger v. to involuntarily take samples of the local geology, usually with
one's face - synonyms include -

Face plant

Soil sampling

Cranial disharmony

Horizontal track stand

Gravity assisted rapid dismount

Bacon n. scabs on a rider's knees, elbows, or other body parts.

Banana scraper n. low hanging branches, that redistribute by smearing any
food in your jersey pockets when you don't duck low enough

Boing-Boing n. a bike with full (front and rear) suspension; often
derogatory and offered by those with lesser amounts of suspension

Brand ***** n. a rider that will only buy high-end parts/gear with name
recognition - never seen with a generic or unbranded product, especially
clothing.

Bring Home A Christmas Tree v. to ride (or crash) through dense bushes,
so adding leaves twigs and branches to your apparel helmet and ears

Captain Crash n. a likely participant for a gravity assisted rapid
dismount, often presents with Bacon and a Sharkbite

Clotheslined v. the act of catching an upper body part (e.g. the neck) on
a low piece of vegetation, resulting in sudden separation of the rider from
their bike.

Death Cookies n. fist-sized rocks that knock your front wheel bike in
every direction but the one you want to proceed in.

Death March n. form of exercise that tests just exactly where you reach
utter exhaustion - first popularised in Bataan in WW2.

Fair Grunt n. an expression exclusively used nonchalantly by survivors of
a Death March, in hopes others will try it, fail, and revere them as bike
gods.

Foot Fault n. when a rider forgets to or can't disengage his cleats from
the pedals before falling over. See Horizontal Track Stand

Gutter Bunny n. a mountain bike rider who commutes on road, rather than
riding off road.

Honk v. violent expectoration of stomach content due to cycling exertion.

Impedimenta n. all the junk sold with a bike that impedes performance and
looks bad - such as those silly reflectors in the spokes. Quickly and
effectively removed with a Yard Sale.

JRA - expression universally adopted by those making warranty claims, often
presenting with a bike frame in 3 or more pieces and with only some parts of
the fork - acronym for "I was Just Riding Along when"

Mo n. momentum. "Aw, don't use your brakes on this - you'll lose too much
Mo."

Organ Donor n. rider without a helmet.

POD n. = Potential Organ Donor

'rhoid buffing v. descending a very steep hill and hanging your backside
over the rear wheel for balance offers the opportunity of polishing your
butt with the knobblies

Rockwell adj. the Moh scale of hardness applied to mountain biking -
measured by depth of scratches on metal or the number of stiches in flesh.

Sharkbite n. the mark that your large chainring makes in your calf or
other exposed body parts - impression often improved by getting grease in
the wound creating a semi permanent tattoo.

Snowmine n . an object hidden by snow on the trail

Spider Patrol n. the lead riders, always first to run into monster spider
webs.

Vegetable Tunnel n. path often chosen by the Spider Patrol heavily
overgrown with foliage; may or may not be the trail; often presents an
excellent opportunity to Bring Home A Christmas Tree.

VTT n. Velo Tout-Terrain, the French term for mountain biking; more
sophisticated than bush bashing

Vultures n. spectators who line up at dangerous obstacles in hopes of
seeing blood.

Wild Pigs n. poorly adjusted brake pads, as in "sounds like ...".

Yard Sale n. a horrendous crash that leaves all your various "wares" --
water bottles, lights, pump, tool bag, et al scattered up and down the trail
for some distance, as if on a widely arrayed display to attract passing
trade
 
OzCableguy said:
I've recently been doing mostly MTB trails riding instead or road riding
(due to moving 5 minutes away from the Bunya State Forest & I just couldn't
resist) but I've started to wonder in view of the increasing numbers of
psychopaths & druggies on the road (http://tinyurl.com/ysvoxg) why I just
don't stick to the trails all of the time?
Offroad also has these advantages:
* I don't have to get up early to beat traffic.
* Wind speed or direction isn't a factor because I'm shielded by bush and
traveling too slow most of the time for it to be too much of an assist or
nuisance anyway.
* I'm probably 10 times more likely to have a spill offroad but the injuries
are likely to be 10 times less severe.
* I can wear a camelback and still be a scene queen. :)
* Less likely to get punctures from bogan droppings

I grew up riding on the road so I'm not frightened in traffic or anything
like that but common sense tells me that stuff happens. However, I really
enjoy road riding. Yes, I love the bikes and I love the thrill of the faster
speed but I can get that from MTBs to a similar extent so I'm not completely
sure what the attraction is. I just know that it's there and won't be easy
to shake (if I wanted to).
I was going to buy a reasonable quality road bike when I reach my weight
loss goal but I'm starting to think maybe I should be looking at a higher
end MTB instead. I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on which code other
cyclists prefer and why, assuming of course you have access to both and have
a choice.

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com
I was riding MTB before I started road, and I still generally prefer MTB riding. I have a fairly nice roady (older frame w/Ultegra bits), so I don't feel bike quality is affecting my opinions. MTBing is just more my thing. That said, I get out on the roady quite often as there is nothing like going for a nice long hill ride on back roads with the MP3 player going.

I think the answer is to get both a roady and upgrade your MTB :). What are you riding at the moment, and do you feel it is holding you back? It might just be because I race MTB whereas my road riding is basically just training, but I tend to notice more difference upgrading my MTB than the roady. As long as it works and is comfy I'm not really fussed about the weight or other small performance benefits. If I had a few thousand to buy a roady I'd probably go Tiagra level and spend the rest on my MTB.
 
On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 07:26:19 GMT, "OzCableguy"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>* I'm probably 10 times more likely to have a spill offroad but the injuries
>are likely to be 10 times less severe.


Are there going to be people around if you have a bad one?
Traffic has its pluses.
 
"Bleve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What do you enjoy the most? That's the key. I ride both (and track)
> and prefer road, but YMWV :)
>


Yep, I do love both and I wouldn't be trading one for the other but I would
like to choose which one to put more effort and $$ into. I just retired my
beater/ride to the shops bike (needs too many repairs) and made my "road
bike" (a hybrid) more of a tourer/commuter so I can still use it for
training duties as well as for all the chores. This leaves a gap now for a
better/faster road bike but I can also see myself wanting to upgrade the MTB
sometime within the next year. I guess a decision will present itself when
the time comes and there's probably middle ground where I can have my cake
and eat it too even if it's a slightly smaller cake...

I guess another question is that although I've always believed that
statistically there is very little risk in road cycling, should I ever fall
victim to that risk, are the consequences too great? And do I have a duty to
my wife, kids & employees not to take that risk, however small & unlikely it
may be?
OTOH with that kind of thinking I shouldn't ever get into a car as I'm far
more likely to come to grief with 4 wheels & petrol than I am on a bike.
Case closed...

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com
 
cfsmtb wrote:

> i.e.: Man's gotta have a hobby. Correction, a Woman has gotta have a
> hobby.


Sat behind a woman in a crappy old Laser yesterday. Sticker on the back
window said "My other toy has a ****".

Theo
 
I reckon you need both. With both, each bike will last longer, because
some of the time, you'll be riding the other one.

Convert the freshly retired beater to SS, and you'll have three bikes,
then all you need to do is plot your way to N+1 (again).

I quite enjoy road riding as well, but mtbs are my love, and more
versatile.

Tony F
who only has mtbs, but they're set up quite differently and get used
for different types of riding.
 
Aeek said:
On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 07:26:19 GMT, "OzCableguy"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>* I'm probably 10 times more likely to have a spill offroad but the injuries
>are likely to be 10 times less severe.


Are there going to be people around if you have a bad one?
Traffic has its pluses.

Yeah, what's the use of a decent off if there's nobody to see?
 
"thefathippy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I reckon you need both. With both, each bike will last longer, because
> some of the time, you'll be riding the other one.
>
> Convert the freshly retired beater to SS, and you'll have three bikes,
> then all you need to do is plot your way to N+1 (again).
>
>


SS... hmmm... yes, the main problems are with the drivetrain after all... I
guess I shouldn't be too hasty to toss it! But then it is an uncomfortable
old POS and I think I'd rather a cruiser type frame for an SS project.
Perfect for tootling around the Redcliffe peninsular on a Sunday afternoon
with the kids in tow.
Incidentally, I hate being ignorant but what exactly is meant by N+1? I've
only ever seen it mentioned in this context in this group and googling
doesn't really hit the nail on the head. About the closest I get to a
definition that fits is "N+1 Redundancy ensures maximum uptime and
continuous availability".

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com
 
On Mar 30, 10:32 am, "OzCableguy" <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Incidentally, I hate being ignorant but what exactly is meant by N+1? I've
> only ever seen it mentioned in this context in this group and googling
> doesn't really hit the nail on the head. About the closest I get to a
> definition that fits is "N+1 Redundancy ensures maximum uptime and
> continuous availability".


In statistical jargon, N+1 = one more than the current number.
 
"Aeek" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 07:26:19 GMT, "OzCableguy"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>* I'm probably 10 times more likely to have a spill offroad but the
>>injuries
>>are likely to be 10 times less severe.

>
> Are there going to be people around if you have a bad one?
> Traffic has its pluses.


Yeah but there's also going to be no traffic around to run over my
unconscious body either. ;-)

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com
 
OzCableguy said:
Incidentally, I hate being ignorant but what exactly is meant by N+1?

N+1 is the optimum number of bikes to own.

Basically, all of us would be happy if we had just one more bike. Except of course when we do, we're then pining for the next one.

I've actually purged my bikes lately - I've gone from nine down to five. Yes, it hurt.
 
suzyj wrote:
> OzCableguy Wrote:
>> Incidentally, I hate being ignorant but what exactly is meant by N+1?

>
> N+1 is the optimum number of bikes to own.
>
> Basically, all of us would be happy if we had just one more bike.
> Except of course when we do, we're then pining for the next one.
>
> I've actually purged my bikes lately - I've gone from nine down to
> five. Yes, it hurt.
>
>


I suspect our significant others have a variation on this, the n-1 rule.

DaveB
 
"suzyj" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> N+1 is the optimum number of bikes to own.
>
> Basically, all of us would be happy if we had just one more bike.
> Except of course when we do, we're then pining for the next one.
>


Ahh, that makes perfect sense. :)

> I've actually purged my bikes lately - I've gone from nine down to
> five. Yes, it hurt.
>


I feel your pain...

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com
 

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