Bicycling Magazine - Time to Vent!

The neighbor gave me a copy of Bicycling Magazine's 2009 Buyers Guide
Issue. Perhaps some have seen it. They kicked the tires on hundreds
of bikes; kids, mountain, road, hybrid, trekking, commuting,
touring... EVERYTHING except recumbents. I am not much for conspiracy
theories, but the obvious omission of recumbents looks like a very
intentional conspiracy of silence. They found space on this issue to
"differentiate" all of these diamond framed bikes but not a single
mention of the word recumbent. Talk about slicing the cheese with a
sledge hammer! Give me a break! I am heading to Rodale Press (about
a 3 hour bike ride) to knock some sense into a block head editor!
Who's with me?

Jim Reilly (Stratrider)

stratrider wrote:
The neighbor gave me a copy of Bicycling Magazine's 2009 Buyers Guide
Issue. Perhaps some have seen it. They kicked the tires on hundreds
of bikes; kids, mountain, road, hybrid, trekking, commuting,
touring... EVERYTHING except recumbents. I am not much for conspiracy
theories, but the obvious omission of recumbents looks like a very
intentional conspiracy of silence. They found space on this issue to
"differentiate" all of these diamond framed bikes but not a single
mention of the word recumbent. Talk about slicing the cheese with a
sledge hammer! Give me a break! I am heading to Rodale Press (about
a 3 hour bike ride) to knock some sense into a block head editor!
Who's with me?

Jim Reilly (Stratrider)

It's worse than that in my area, I've been to several bicycle shops
and none of them want to know about recumbents. There must be a
reason, they can't use price as a reason because most good diamond
frame bicycles are way up the scale in price now a days.

--
A website is a place, where, when you go there, it does everything
possible to distract you, from finding the information you came there
to see.- E.W.

stratrider wrote:

EVERYTHING except recumbents.

I didn't see many touring bikes in that issue either

stratrider wrote:
The neighbor gave me a copy of Bicycling Magazine's 2009 Buyers Guide
Issue. Perhaps some have seen it. They kicked the tires on hundreds
of bikes; kids, mountain, road, hybrid, trekking, commuting,
touring... EVERYTHING except recumbents. I am not much for conspiracy
theories, but the obvious omission of recumbents looks like a very
intentional conspiracy of silence. They found space on this issue to
"differentiate" all of these diamond framed bikes but not a single
mention of the word recumbent. Talk about slicing the cheese with a
sledge hammer! Give me a break! I am heading to Rodale Press (about
a 3 hour bike ride) to knock some sense into a block head editor!

Good luck, i hope you knock some sense into him.

Another option would just be to read another magazine, possibly Velo
Vision http://www.velovision.com/



JonB

stratrider wrote:
The neighbor gave me a copy of Bicycling Magazine's 2009 Buyers Guide
Issue. Perhaps some have seen it. They kicked the tires on hundreds
of bikes; kids, mountain, road, hybrid, trekking, commuting,
touring... EVERYTHING except recumbents. I am not much for conspiracy
theories, but the obvious omission of recumbents looks like a very
intentional conspiracy of silence.

Never put down to malice what can be explained by incompetence...

In the meatime, another suggestion to try Velovision.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Touring is out of fashion.

I remember years ago there was a bike touring magazine. They couldn't stay
in business and when they went out, my subscription was converted to
Bicycling. I was not pleased as I had no interest in the kind of things that
Bicycling covered. I used to read the touring magazine from cover to cover,
however.

The current fashion, probably largely due to Tour du France and other racing
events is shorter and faster (although oddly enough, judging by its length,
the Tour du France really would be considered touring).

Riders these days are in A or B or whatever groups while someone like me (if
I were still riding) would be in W, X, Y, or Z. I'd do my 80-100 mile days
but it would take me all day and I was never in a hurry. But that is not the
current fashion. Pity

Jeff
wrote in message
...
stratrider wrote:

EVERYTHING except recumbents.

I didn't see many touring bikes in that issue either

"Jeff Grippe" wrote in message
...
Touring is out of fashion.

I remember years ago there was a bike touring magazine. They couldn't stay
in business and when they went out, my subscription was converted to
Bicycling. I was not pleased as I had no interest in the kind of things
that Bicycling covered. I used to read the touring magazine from cover to
cover, however.

The current fashion, probably largely due to Tour du France and other
racing events is shorter and faster (although oddly enough, judging by its
length, the Tour du France really would be considered touring).

Riders these days are in A or B or whatever groups while someone like me
(if I were still riding) would be in W, X, Y, or Z. I'd do my 80-100 mile
days but it would take me all day and I was never in a hurry. But that is
not the current fashion. Pity.

All you ever see in the bike shops anymore are mountain bikes (hybrids) and
some few road bikes. As Jeff says, touring has indeed gone out of fashion if
it was ever in fashion. The truth is that bike touring is hard work and the
enjoyment to be derived from it is strictly for connoisseurs

I think week long organized group bike tours are still going strong, but it
is only recumbent cyclists who can properly enjoy them. We recumbent
cyclists can go fast if we want, but there is no penalty for going slow. I
like to go slow and spend all day on the bike. Most upright cyclists like to
go as fast as they can so as to get their suffering over with as quickly as
possible. A pity indeed!

By the way, 75 miles is plenty to do in 1 day. 100 mile days are for jerks.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

Jeff Grippe wrote:
Touring is out of fashion.

Not obviously more so than it was...

I remember years ago there was a bike touring magazine. They couldn't stay
in business

But to what degree is magazine subscription an indication of the
vitality of a pastime? To some extent, but not any further... I don't
think any serious bike tourist is actually that short of ideas on where
to go and the bike and bags work the same as they did last year, so what
do you actually put in it? I think there may be a significant
proportion of cycle tourists who'd rather just get on their bikes and do
it rather than read about someone else doing that. There's no calendar
of events to follow, touring bike technology isn't evolving at anything
like the rate of MTBs and even where you /do/ have those advantages
magazines tend to get a bit samey after a few issues.

The current fashion, probably largely due to Tour du France and other racing
events is shorter and faster (although oddly enough, judging by its length,
the Tour du France really would be considered touring).

Do they stop for cakes when there are patisseries? No. Then it isn't
proper cycle touring! ;-)

Riders these days are in A or B or whatever groups while someone like me (if
I were still riding) would be in W, X, Y, or Z. I'd do my 80-100 mile days
but it would take me all day and I was never in a hurry. But that is not the
current fashion. Pity

I don't see any shortage of folk doing big, slow days and it's easier to
buy a good touring bike now than it was a few years ago IMHO.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Jeff Grippe wrote:
Touring is out of fashion.

I remember years ago there was a bike touring magazine. They couldn't stay
in business and when they went out, my subscription was converted to
Bicycling. I was not pleased as I had no interest in the kind of things that
Bicycling covered. I used to read the touring magazine from cover to cover,
however.

The current fashion, probably largely due to Tour du France and other racing
events is shorter and faster (although oddly enough, judging by its length,
the Tour du France really would be considered touring).

Riders these days are in A or B or whatever groups while someone like me (if
I were still riding) would be in W, X, Y, or Z. I'd do my 80-100 mile days
but it would take me all day and I was never in a hurry. But that is not the
current fashion. Pity

Try Randonneuring?

"Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported endurance cycling. This
style of riding is non-competitive in nature, and self-sufficiency
is paramount. When riders participate in randonneuring events, they
are part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the
sport of cycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie, not
competition, is the hallmark of randonneuring."

You do talk miles, so you might be from USA
http://www.rusa.org/



JonB

"Edward Dolan" wrote in message
news:e9udnf9XQfejV37UnZ2dnUVZ_tudnZ2d@prairiewave. com...

All you ever see in the bike shops anymore are mountain bikes (hybrids)
and some few road bikes. As Jeff says, touring has indeed gone out of
fashion if it was ever in fashion. The truth is that bike touring is hard
work and the enjoyment to be derived from it is strictly for connoisseurs


I don't have a problem with mountain bikes or hybrids. Before I discovered
recumbents, I rode mountain bikes and they were a big step up from road
bikes and drops

By the way, 75 miles is plenty to do in 1 day. 100 mile days are for
jerks.

I've only done one century and feel no need to ever do another. I don't know
if I'd go as far as say that its for jerks. It is however, for much younger
people then me. As I said, I'm in no hurry. Back in 2005, 40-50 mile days
were quite adequate. If I were planning a long multi-day ride I would plan
40-50 mile days and I wouldn't plan to ride every day.

Jeff