Something Strange turned into someone great - The Sequel

After all the abuse I took yesterday about cycling clothes and the guy
I saw, I discussed it at dinner. Turns out my daughter knows the guy.
He is from Russia and in training for an event. He actually rides in
our area every single day at about 7:00 a.m. He goes to Montclair
State University. My daughter said she would introduce me.

As the conversation continued I realized that my oldest son has a
friend who has been competing in the Iron Man
Triathlon wearing spandex and Triathlon Cycling Shoes every year for
the past 6 years. I even attended one year. He was a wrestler in High
School and always wore spandex.

At the Iron Man event he wore a Triathlon Suit in order to run, swim
and cycle at his best. I was told this was the most advanced
multisport performance suit with Lycra Power and is a proven
performance-enhancing muscle compression product.

I was totally wrong yesterday about lycra spandex. Once I had a
conversation at dinner where people were not calling me names, I
realized I was wrong. When I am wrong, I am wrong..and I apologize.

I noticed that young man on the bike because I just started cycling
recently. I have probably seen him a hundred times before and never
noticed. I think my reaction came from the fact that I am just
starting to notice cycling now that I have a bike. I never took an
interest before. I am looking forward to meeting this college student
from Russia. I am sure I will be very impressed with his dedication to
his training.

I'm sorry I offended so many people yesterday.

When I had a conversation at dinner with my kids, I realized that I
have been around people wearing bright colored spandex forever.

The swimmers I know wear Wet suits, the wrestlers that I knew in school
wore spandex, and my sons friend has been coming to my house wearing
his multi function Triathlon Suit for the past 6 years or more. He won
a few medals in the event and I was always very proud of him. I never
once thought about what he was wearing.

My own son had spandex all the years he was on the gymnastics team in
town and I purchased it. When he competed, he wore bright colors too. I
picked them out. The top had the gymnastic teams name.

I'm sorry it had to come to the point where you had to call me ignorant
and 20 other adjectives to try to explain my reaction to the cyclist I
saw yesterday morning. I can't wait to meet him and tell him about the
morning I saw him. My daughter thinks he will find it amusing and he
will be very understanding of my reaction. She said he is very funny
and extremely kind.

It is funny that I have been surrounded by people who wear these
clothes for years and never took notice until I started riding.
Especially my sons friend Derrick, the Triathlon Iron Man.

I've know him since he was a kid, and his Multi Function Triathon
Performance gear is quite colorful, and I never once thought about it.
Not once!!! He was just an amazing kid to me and now he is an amazing
man. An athlete who worked and trained hard to accomplish that
Triathlon event. Once again, my apologies. Lycra has always been around
me, I just never noticed until the day I started to ride my bike. Who
knows why. Not I!!!

Have a "fabulous" day my friends....

All Good Things,

Love
Maggie.

PS. My kids also told me to start talking to cycling people in person,
rather than posting on a NG....because I always have a way of ****ing
people off in e-mail. I guess I should listen. I think its time to
join a cycling club. Hopefully there is one in my area.

Life is a learning experience which never ends.

http://www.geocities.com/lindaannbuset/mypage.html
http://hometown.aol.com/lbuset/

http://memberdirectory.aol.com/aolus...set%26req%3Dvp

Maggie wrote:

[a lovely retraction of her overreaction to spandex]

It always amuses me when people make fun of guys wearing spandex, and
then go home and watch football. A 300-pound linebacker in spandex
tights is somehow *less* ludicrous than a cyclist?

RichC

Maggie wrote:
:: After all the abuse I took yesterday about cycling clothes and the
:: guy I saw, I discussed it at dinner. Turns out my daughter knows the
:: guy. He is from Russia and in training for an event. He actually
:: rides in our area every single day at about 7:00 a.m. He goes to
:: Montclair State University. My daughter said she would introduce me.

It figures. so you likely almost mis-stated how people (men in your town,
specifically) react when they see guys in spandex. Perhaps they were slowing
down because it was the right thing to do based on road conditions.

BTW, I suggest you at least get a pair of Lycra shorts for your upcoming
charity ride. You can just wear a shirt on top, though. The 25 miles will
go much better for you with some cycling shorts. It is time to start
training, too. It should not take you long to build up.

As for talking to people in person and on NG, it really just takes common
sense. The response you got here should have been obvious to you. In fact,
I think this has been discussed before in threads you've started.

In article . com,
"rdclark" wrote:

Maggie wrote:

[a lovely retraction of her overreaction to spandex]

It always amuses me when people make fun of guys wearing spandex, and
then go home and watch football. A 300-pound linebacker in spandex
tights is somehow *less* ludicrous than a cyclist?

RichC

Rich:

Riding around Philly you know people will argue with a cyclist, even boo
Santa Clause.

No One makes fun of a 300lbs linebacker. (...or lives to tell about
it...) ....

HAND

Nice apology, Maggie, and probably better than I would have done at it.

Cheers, helen s

wafflycat wrote:
Nice apology, Maggie, and probably better than I would have done at
it.

Cheers, helen s


THANK YOU!! :-) - happy face.

Maggie

"Maggie" wrote:

[snip]

I got what you meant. Always did. Found it kinda' funny.

What I really want to know is: what did the Russian cyclist tell his
friends/family/favorite newsgroup about *you*, having seen *you* on
his morning route ;-)

Still waiting on my latte. Check's in the . . . yeah....

Neil

Personally I thought your anti lycra rant was kind of funny. I wear the
stuff a fair bit, but I have to say it looks a little silly once you're off
the bike.

So when are you going to start wearing lycra bike clothing? Maybe some
gloves that give you funny tan lines on your hands?
--
mark

Neil Brooks wrote:
"Maggie" wrote:

[snip]

I got what you meant. Always did. Found it kinda' funny.

What I really want to know is: what did the Russian cyclist tell his
friends/family/favorite newsgroup about *you*, having seen *you* on
his morning route ;-)

Still waiting on my latte. Check's in the . . . yeah....

Neil


I would never, ever want to know what he thought of me on my
inexpensive bike in street clothes carrying a purse. Good Lord. I
can't even imagine what he thought when he passed me. Maybe I will ask
him when I meet him.

He is a young guy. Probably 22. I think he will be nice to me as I am
old enough to be his Mom. Plus he knows my daughter. So I doubt if I
will ever know what his thoughts were seeing me on my morning route.

Gads, I don't even want to think about it. I need to move to the city.
No one cares what you wear or look like there. A whole different
mentality in NYC.

When I went in on Saturday night, there was a benefit for AIDS at the
Marriott and the guys dressed in drag looked beautiful. Really
beautiful.

I was coming down the escalator from "The View" on the 47th floor and I
passed a guy dressed as a bride and told "him" he was absolutely
gorgeous. What a smile he gave me. At that point I was clueless. (as
usual)

Do you want a donut with the latte?
All Good Things,
Maggie The Infamous

On Thu, 07 Apr 2005 15:25:24 GMT, "mark" wrote:


Personally I thought your anti lycra rant was kind of funny. I wear the
stuff a fair bit, but I have to say it looks a little silly once you're off
the bike.

Lycra off the bike? I am never more than a car length from my bike if I'm in
kit. Preferably have at least one hand on it.

So when are you going to start wearing lycra bike clothing? Maybe some
gloves that give you funny tan lines on your hands?

I knew there was a reason I prefer the crochet backed gloves.

Ron