"Whites Only"?

On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 12:41:01 -0500, "Roger Zoul"
wrote:

My point was this: To most motorized yahoos, I'm just another guy on a
bike - in their minds, deserving a catcall but nothing worse. But if
I were black or female, I might fear that they'd be more physically
aggressive.

Of the readers who are not white males, let me ask: How frequent are
minor harrassments? How frequent are harassments that are really
troubling?

I did 2400 miles last year starting in mid April. During that time, I've
only had one event that bothered me. A Sunday morning, I'm on my first
major road ride with a buddy who has a lot more experience (20+ years and a
white guy) than I. We're riding along a narrow road and a car comes up
behind us very quickly. Before we could get all the way to the side (okay,
I was perhaps too far in the lane, but it was a narrow lane), the driver of
the car pushes down hard and long on the horn. Scared me crazy! Turns out,
it was a good-looking black lady going to Sunday morning worship! If I
could have caught up the her, she'd have gotten a piece of my mind (and I
probably would have asked for her number, too, after I'd laid that big guilt
trip on her! )

Haha. Just yesterday I had the first 'horn-blower' in a while. The funny
thing is, I was doing 18mph going down a narrowing downhill that had a very
sharp left turn at the bottom. Well this guys comes up behind me all of a
sudden and honks, but turns out he was towing a big empty trailer and
couldn't even keep up with me - his trailer was so unwieldy he had to slow
way down to make this corner with cars parked on both sides.

What a dumbass - just -had- to honk even though he couldn't pass me if he
tried.

jj

"Chris Zacho "The Wheelman"" wrote in message
...
Where are all the black riders? What is it about our sport that makes it
so unappealing to an entire race of people?

Anybody have any theories?


Could be they just aren't interested,

But look at the ratio of white riders according to the total white
population, then look at the ratio of black riders according to the total
black population. There may not be much difference,

jj wrote:
On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 12:41:01 -0500, "Roger Zoul"
wrote:

My point was this: To most motorized yahoos, I'm just another guy
on a bike - in their minds, deserving a catcall but nothing worse.
But if
I were black or female, I might fear that they'd be more physically
aggressive.

Of the readers who are not white males, let me ask: How frequent
are minor harrassments? How frequent are harassments that are
really troubling?

I did 2400 miles last year starting in mid April. During that time,
I've only had one event that bothered me. A Sunday morning, I'm on
my first major road ride with a buddy who has a lot more experience
(20+ years and a white guy) than I. We're riding along a narrow road
and a car comes up behind us very quickly. Before we could get all
the way to the side (okay, I was perhaps too far in the lane, but it
was a narrow lane), the driver of the car pushes down hard and long
on the horn. Scared me crazy! Turns out, it was a good-looking black
lady going to Sunday morning worship! If I could have caught up the
her, she'd have gotten a piece of my mind (and I probably would have
asked for her number, too, after I'd laid that big guilt trip on her!
)

Haha. Just yesterday I had the first 'horn-blower' in a while. The
funny thing is, I was doing 18mph going down a narrowing downhill
that had a very sharp left turn at the bottom. Well this guys comes
up behind me all of a sudden and honks, but turns out he was towing a
big empty trailer and couldn't even keep up with me - his trailer was
so unwieldy he had to slow way down to make this corner with cars
parked on both sides.

What a dumbass - just -had- to honk even though he couldn't pass me
if he tried.

Amazing!

wrote:
On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 08:46:39 -0700, Mark Hickey
wrote:

"Roger Zoul" wrote:

wrote:

Is there a chance that black folks feel too vulnerable out on the
road alone? FWIW, I once lived in an area of the country where
that might have been reasonable. (That's one of the reasons I
left.)

I have to admit that these kinds of thoughts always creep into my
head on my solo rides. I just ignore them and keep going.

Good for you... I once lived in an Asian country where (for various
reasons) there were spikes of anti-Western sentiments. I too had to
consider the possibility that someone might feel it prudent to reduce
the Western population in that country by one with a twitch of the
steering wheel, but didn't let that stop me either.

The way I look at it, if prejudice keeps you from doing what you want
to do, the weenies win, and we can't have that! Sadly, we live in a
world where we can legislate equality (which is a good thing), but we
can't legislate the attitude of the individual. Hopefully those who
are truly warped will die off and not pass along the behaviors to
their offspring.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

That's a very good point. Letting social pressure dictate your leisure
activities is counterproductive. This isn't the third reich! The truth
is you're much more likely to have a stupid crash on the railroad
tracks or slip on a slick painted line than get mowed down by some
racist idiot. We don't let the possiblity of falling and hurting
ourselves stop us from cycling and that's much more likely.

Funny you should mention that. In late Novemeber of 2004 my front wheel got
caught in some railroad tracks and I went down -- while moving at about
12-13 mph. Tumbled over a time, tore my jacket and brand new tights, and
moved my left shifter out of position (I could not reposition it by hand and
had to ride back to my car without use of it). I was sore for a week, but I
did my first century the following weekend.

On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 12:52:29 -0800, "Claire Petersky"
wrote:

"Cheto" wrote in message
...

But isn't it a fact that Blacks are more likely to be the victims of
crimes
perpetrated by other Blacks than by Whites? I think a solo Black rider
would be safer riding alone in a primarily White area than a primarily
Black
area.

FWIW, as a white woman, I feel safer riding in urban black neighborhoods
than I do on many rural roads. Young black men apparently find very little
percentage in harrassing me for the sake of harrassing me; somehow in the
woods a young white guy in monster truck will think it's fun to run me off
the road.

Has the latter actually happened?

Ron

:
: Is that why I've never had any trouble? Out here in the SC Piedmont,
: logging is a big thing (mostly tree farms). My Voyager was "painted"
: with a simulated wood grain finish...
:
: Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Hey! I have a Voyager, too! I got mine in 1984 and it is a champagne color.
It is a Voyageur SP and is a 23" frame. I have it in my bedroom for use as a
stationary bike right now. Those lugs and dropouts are just nice to look at
if nothing else. I can't get rid of it.

Pat in TX

wrote:

Of the readers who are not white males, let me ask: How frequent are
minor harrassments? How frequent are harassments that are really
troubling?

Incredibly rare, and rarer than they used to be. I've had my share of incidents
too, but in the distant past. I've seen and heard of more road rage driver to
driver than driver to cyclist.

This doesn't mean people don't feel vulnerable as cyclists though. In fact this
is one of the biggest barriers to people taking up cycling -- they're scared to
death of riding in traffic. Many people join cycling clubs because they're
afraid to ride alone.

Matt O.

:
: As far aws their needing to be members of their own race, religion,
: creed, etc. in a sport to inspire others to join, I would thing the LACK
: of would be equally inspiring. Again, look at baseball. Not intending to
: sound stereotypical, but the black race is noted as one that tries to
: integrate itself where it is lacking in representation.
: Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"


I think you're off base, there. No one that I know of thinks of themselves
as a member of a race first and an individual second. I think people
gravitate to baseball or basketball because they love to play the sport and
they can get rewarded handsomely for doing so. I can't imagine a young kid
saying: "I am going to integrate baseball because it is lacking in the
representation of my race!" If a black kid starts riding road bikes, it
will be because he thinks it is fun and possibly because he can see a
monetary reward. But, the love of the sport comes first.

Pat in TX

:
: Funny you should mention that. In late Novemeber of 2004 my front wheel
got
: caught in some railroad tracks and I went down -- while moving at about
: 12-13 mph. Tumbled over a time, tore my jacket and brand new tights, and
: moved my left shifter out of position (I could not reposition it by hand
and
: had to ride back to my car without use of it). I was sore for a week, but
I
: did my first century the following weekend.

Jeez, I read too fast! I thought you wrote that your "left shoulder" was out
of position. Maybe I just have shoulders on my mind lately. I remember your
accident now. How much did it cost to get that shifter repaired?

Pat in TX
:
:

: Where are all the black riders? What is it about our sport that makes it
: so unappealing to an entire race of people?
:
: Anybody have any theories?
:
:
: Could be they just aren't interested,
:
: But look at the ratio of white riders according to the total white
: population, then look at the ratio of black riders according to the total
: black population. There may not be much difference,

Yeah, when people find out that I ride (and these are white people by and
large), they are astonished because none of them have ridden a bike since
they were 12 years old! They are just amazed that an adult would ride a
bike. In fact, they tend to make fun of it at first with a kind of "Aren't
you through with childish things by now?" attitude.

Pat in TX
:
: