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#1
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Ever think abt giving bicycling up?
Give it up cause its become TOO equipment oriented?
Too dangerous on the streets? Maybe sell all bike equip and take up hiking and backpacking? |
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#2
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Ever think abt giving bicycling up?
Give it up cause its become TOO equipment oriented?
IT doesn't become too equipment-oriented. PEOPLE do. You have a choice about whether to give in to that way of thinking. I've been riding the same $300 GT Outpost mountain bike for ten years. It has taken me thousands and thousands of miles, through many different states and countries. I've kept up the maintenance over the years, but I've never upgraded the components or added any fancy gear to it. I also rode in denim cutoffs and a t-shirt for my first five years of cycling as an adult, switching to $39 padded shorts only when I realized I didn't have to whine about a sore ass after every ride. I still ride in a t-shirt, usually a torn one. And my helmet is a $45 Bell model. The point I'm making is that you, and only you, have the decision about whether to spend your time drooling over the gear they fill the pages of Bicycling Magazine with -- or getting your butt on the saddle and riding the sh-t out of what you've got. (Continued below, if you haven't had enough) Too dangerous on the streets? I think we bicyclists have a long way to go before we can be so arrogant as to declare that the streets are too dangerous. That's not a direct attack on you, by the way. There seems to be a prevailing attitude among bicyclists that the streets are too dangerous because of the cars and drivers out there. I think we need car-friendly bicyclists as much as we need bicycle-friendly drivers. When cyclists stop running red lights, crossing at pedestrian crosswalks, riding on the wrong side of the road, and doing other stupid things to confuse drivers and keep them guessing as to the predictability of our behavior, the streets will be much safer. Until then, we can't claim the luxury of blaming everything on automobile drivers. (Continued below, if you STILL haven't had enough) Maybe sell all bike equip and take up hiking and backpacking? I've found walking to be a cool alternative to cycling, especially during the cold weather months. But, just like I've learned not to build my life around the latest frame alloy or the newest energy drink, I've learned that I don't have to fall into any particular category (i.e "bicyclist," "jogger," "backpacker"). You can do ALL these things and you can choose when you want to do them. Bike only on traffic-free rail trails if you want to. Walk to town to buy the newspaper. Hike in places that bicycles can't go. It's still an awesome country we have here, so enjoy it before stupidity and locker room politics bring it all to an end. In all seriousness, you sound like you're just a little burned out on an activity that probably started out being the be-all and end-all of your life. I've been through that phase several times and I've put the bike away for weeks or months at a time. In the end, I return to it and feel great about it all over again. Don't get caught up in black and white. Sometimes gray is a good thing. |
#3
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Ever think abt giving bicycling up?
NY Rides wrote: Give it up cause its become TOO equipment oriented? IT doesn't become too equipment-oriented. PEOPLE do. You have a choice about whether to give in to that way of thinking. I've been riding the same $300 GT Outpost mountain bike for ten years. I recently started to ride again. Probably the most serious I have been about it ever. A few years ago I bought a nice bike and plan to ride it as much as I can. Its great if you have three or four bikes, but I have trouble at this point rationalizing the space and time it would take to maintain and store more than the one bike I have. I currently ride the 9 km to work and enjoy it. I plan to longer rides this summer, but nothing too serious. I want to enjoy my time on the bike. So today, I have a one bike policy. Too dangerous on the streets? I think we need car-friendly bicyclists as much as we need bicycle-friendly drivers. When cyclists stop running red lights, crossing at pedestrian crosswalks, riding on the wrong side of the road, and doing other stupid things to confuse drivers and keep them guessing as to the predictability of our behavior, the streets will be much safer. Yep. On the up side. I have noticed that many cyclists are following the rules of the road. At least more than earlier in the summer. |
#4
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Ever think abt giving bicycling up?
"Dougii" wrote:
So today, I have a one bike policy. So what type bike did you keep as your only bike? Touring bike? Road bike? |
#5
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Ever think abt giving bicycling up?
wrote in message
... Give it up cause its become TOO equipment oriented? Too dangerous on the streets? Maybe sell all bike equip and take up hiking and backpacking? Give up bicycling because it's TOO equipment oriented, and take up backpacking? Backpackers seem far more obsessed with weight than recreational cyclists. This makes sense, as the weight is on you rather than on the tires, but it gets expensive (and VERY tiresome to listen to). |
#6
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Ever think abt giving bicycling up?
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