Pacific Northwest - Hey - Guy in Corvalls - You have gears

I keep seeing this guy in town who rides his Scott - haven't seen the drivetrain close enough to tell but perhaps something like this http://scottusa.com/us_en/product/8296/45090/cr1_team - and NEVER shifts. I see him just standing up, utterly in slow motion. Why didn't someone sell the guy a fixie - or did they just tell him that was one if he didn't shift.

This totally should not bother me. But it does.

I keep seeing this guy in town who rides his Scott - haven't seen the drivetrain close enough to tell but perhaps something like this http://scottusa.com/us_en/product/8296/45090/cr1_team - and NEVER shifts. I see him just standing up, utterly in slow motion. Why didn't someone sell the guy a fixie - or did they just tell him that was one if he didn't shift.

This totally should not bother me. But it does.

OK- but what does he do when he gets out of town? Maybe he's pedaling slow because he's just getting started and is trying to get stiff muscles moving- or maybe he's warming down after a long effort and he's stretching out. Or maybe he hasn't had his morning omelette at the Broken Yolk.

Maybe ask him?

It is Corvallis, after all.

I have determined that he is a "to school" commuter and just never changes out of that one gear. Saw him again yesterday.

I'm guessing he doesn't ride too far out of town because he looks very "college-y" and never has anything on that would indicate he bicycles seriously.

If I pass him again, I am going to explain "brifters". It is possible he just doesn't know!

I will also accept "It is Corvallis, after all".

I ride a single speed most of the time

It's not the red one that's sometimes at Dutch Bros. is it? The guy who rides it looks kind of serious.

Then again, I don't know how you can own a bike that nice and NOT be serious about it.

I was on a group ride today and saw only one Scott -- it was black.

hahahaha

Hilarious development. Saw him again today walking into Safeway with his bike. Slumped over, pushing it through the automatic door.

Great important detail: had one of those HUGE kyptonite chain-link locks all around his mid-section. I can't figure it out.

Spotted again, standing entirely again this time, cadence sooo slow.

This is about to be like the cycling version of the television show Intervention.

hahahaha

Hilarious development. Saw him again today walking into Safeway with his bike. Slumped over, pushing it through the automatic door.

Great important detail: had one of those HUGE kyptonite chain-link locks all around his mid-section. I can't figure it out.Maybe the lock is for use at school and he works at Safeway, where he can park it in the back of the store, safe and sound.

You seem to have reached the point of being a stalker.

I'm guessing he doesn't ride too far out of town because he looks very "college-y" and never has anything on that would indicate he bicycles seriously.

I probably don't wear anything that looks like I take cycling seriously. But then I did a half-century ride on Saturday, against a killer head wind, and have been on my bike every day since ( except Sunday, when I was busy kayaking ).

OK

This is too much. I'm not a stalker, but I'm definitely a people watcher and bicycle advocate, so let me clarify and add some nuance.

There are lots of people in Corvallis who have (sometimes nice roadie) bicycles they ride like BMXs, one gear, mashing, standing up, NEVER sitting down.

This guy does this, and has every time I've seen him.

Other people do this. I think Dr. Irwin Goldstein or plain idiocy ruined bicycling for a tiny subset of the riding population.

About the "Intervention" comment. As an extrovert who is one of "those people" who just enjoys the random conversation aspect of life I'm going to have to find a way to figure out WTF is with this trend.