General Cycling Discussion - MUST be spring!

Sure is quiet in here tonight, everyone must be riding late or fine-tuning the bike.

Naw, Jean! I'm here! (That's a NO-BRAINER!) ;)

I tuned up my bike a little last night. Good to see ya!
Any touching experiences to share? Life is poetry, you know!

:)

I cleaned and oiled my mountain-bike chain this afternoon, and that cut into my Forum time....

Trying to get up the energy to dust off my long-unused old road bike (which weighs almost as much as the mountain bike, but is prettier), and air up the tires and see if they explode.... :eek:

Originally posted by Pete Clark
Naw, Jean! I'm here! (That's a NO-BRAINER!) ;)

:)

Aww, buy you're always here. What status does 500 posts qualify one for?

Chris

Originally posted by Chris L

What status does 500 posts qualify one for?

Chris

Early retirement?

Pete is a posting machine.

Hmmm...I'm going to need to start multiple SPAM threads in order to catch up.

I must express my strong--ahem--disapproval of all this SPAM stuff--uh, huh--er--along with with my gratitude for this opportunity to submit my 100th post! :beer: Woo-hoo!

Congrats Jon! (from a fellow Missourian) :thumbup:

Congrats on your 100th post Jon :thumbup:

Of course I would never use a SPAM thread to pad my Post total... :angel:

Originally posted by JonR
I must express my strong--ahem--disapproval of all this SPAM stuff--uh, huh--er--along with with my gratitude for this opportunity to submit my 100th post! :beer: Woo-hoo!
Congrats on your "posting century," Jon! We'll be looking for a WHOLE LOT MORE!

Pete

Originally posted by Chis L.
What does 500 posts qualify one for?


Originally posted by JonR
Early retirement?

BikeForums Posting Champion? :D

Actually, I dig BikeForums because it's the best way to
get with other people who are into what I'm into, or at least, to some extent they are. I'm just excited because I've spent so long without such a common thread of experience. Everyone with things in common
finds ways to assemble, why not we isolated cyclists who seem so often to be "Lone Rangers" in the motoring landscape?

The first thing that amazed me about BikeForums was that there were so many people out there with exactly the same experience: "I am the only one of 1,000 employees who bikes to work," or, "I was riding yesterday and some irate motorist shouted profanities at me," or, "Ever since I started cycling, I've been getting stronger, healthier and happier," etc. Until then, I felt totally alone in my experience. Even in my family I was mostly an oddball.

Personally (joking aside for a moment), I think the internet is one of the most effective ways of increasing
our enjoyment of cycling (apart from cycling itself), our bonds to each other and our power by connecting us.
I have learned a great deal and met so many interesting
characters and wonderful people here.

I'm going to ride this one for all it's worth, or until I run out of steam. ;)

I've been so encouraged by posts on this forum, and especially yours, Pete. I share every feeling you expressed in the above post, and look forward to no. 700, no. 1000, etc.

I really don't think there's much that we, as cyclists and motor-vehicle minimizers, can do to "improve" the world; the forces working to destroy the environment are too heavy and have too much government support for all the cyclists and environmentalists in the world to make much difference.

Yet who's to say that efforts such as cycling, through their symbolic value, don't somehow make a difference? I suspect there's more to the whole issue than a black-and-white reading of it might suggest. Maybe our aspirations and regrets today will have a positive effect in the next world cycle or whatever it is that happens when a tired, abused old world finally crumbles away...and eventually a new one comes along.