Road Cycling - There's just something wrong with this

Ok, so here comes this couple up the hill on their jaunt through town.....they got their bike jerseys, bike shorts, bike shoes, bike helmets, bike gloves and bike sunglasses. I mean they were dressed to the hilt like they just walked out of a bike shop and ready to RACE. Then I looked at the bikes. Huffy mountain bikes.

I dont mean to troll or diss on mountain bikes (I own one of those cheapy brands) but I just couldnt help but to shake my head at the money spent on image rather than bike.




Olds

Ok, so here comes this couple up the hill on their jaunt through town.....they got their bike jerseys, bike shorts, bike shoes, bike helmets, bike gloves and bike sunglasses. I mean they were dressed to the hilt like they just walked out of a bike shop and ready to RACE. Then I looked at the bikes. Huffy mountain bikes.

I dont mean to troll or diss on mountain bikes (I own one of those cheapy brands) but I just couldnt help but to shake my head at the money spent on image rather than bike.




Olds
It's that Image thing LOL

they got their bike jerseys, bike shorts, bike shoes, bike helmets, bike gloves and bike sunglasses. I mean they were dressed to the hilt like they just walked out of a bike shop and ready to RACE. Then I looked at the bikes. Huffy mountain bikes.

Shorts, a helmet, gloves and sunglasses make sense for any cyclist... huffy or not. And I know I wear a jersey because it's far more comfortable than a cotten t-shirt.

I've got a cheaper hybrid with mountain bike tires, and I regularly do 40+ mile rides on it while wearing all that stuff (minus shoes since I have cheapy pedals and no real need). If they were really worried about image, they wouldn't be riding Huffies. It's quite likely that they just wanted a more comfortable ride without spending mega bucks on a road bike.

Just my 2 cents.

-Chris

If they were really worried about image, they wouldn't be riding Huffies.

Just my 2 cents.

-Chris[/QUOTE]





Botta-Boom, Botta-Bing............there it is! :) :)



Firebrand

If they were really worried about image, they wouldn't ride at all if they knew people would be looking down on them for using Huffy bikes! Clearly, they were wearing the gear for comfort, nothing wrong with that. Let's just be glad there are people out there riding, and if they have Huffy bikes, they'll see sooner, rather than later, how much they'll need a good, solid bike instead of the walmart bike.

Next time you see them, why not strike up a conversation and talk with them about their bikes? I bet they wouldn't even know enough about cycling to know they should upgrade, but once they talk to other cyclists, they'll realize they should get a better bike. I talked to a guy on the path in a similar situation- he was pulled over trying to fix his bike, so I rode up to him and proceeded to help him fix his bike since I had my repair kit on me. Then he began asking questions about my bike, and I took that time to give him a basic introduction to the road bike, and I talked about the differences between his bike and mine. He'd just bought his, but I think he was sold on getting a road bike for next summer. I let him hold it and see how light the bike was, and he was happy for the opportunity to chat with someone about cycling in general.

Looking down on someone for the kind of ride they have won't help the general cycling population, but helping them out and getting them to realize they could do better for themselves goes a long way, I think. Let's get the cycling population educated and expanded!

Koffee

I once did a poll (http://64.191.20.129/showthread.php?t=32976&highlight=huffy) which showed that about 80% of the responders have or had a Huffy or similar bike in their past or present.

These folks may be just starting out, and are wearing what they see as appropriate, and are riding a bike they think is fine because they don't know much about bikes yet.

Well, I never had a Huffy, but... Those folks had everything they needed. Seeing as they had to wear some clothing. So they chose to wear clothing appropriate to the activity. Why not, it's usually not any more expensive than casual attire? The bikes also were probably well suited to the riding they do. They may get better ones if they want to go faster or longer. A Giant (or other) comfort bike would ride smoother and last longer and they could benefit from knowing this, but at least they got the clothes right! When the Huffy quits working right it's easy to replace for less than a new jersey and shorts!

okay, well I'll step up and side with OldsCool on this one.

if your outfit costs twice as much as your bike you're a little misguided in how you devote your resources. not that comfort or safety aren't important, but yeah - how much can someone like that ride that they need all the gear but don't need a bike that costs more than $150 from wallmart.

probably a case of we've-had-these-bikes-in-the-garage-for-years-and-don't-even-know-that-they're-crap-and-aren't-money-conscious-enough-to-worry-about-a-few-hundred-bucks-on-clothes-and-shoes syndrome.

happens all the time - you'd think they'd have an abbreviation for it by now. from now on we can just use WHTBITGFYADEKTTCAAMCETWAAFHBOCASS to save time.

Right on, Boze! And wouldn't comfort and safety be enhanced as much by riding a real bike? At least they are riding and the clothes show a commitment to the sport, it's obviously something they intend to do again. Now if we could just get them on some nice bikes... but maybe they are having too much fun already! A $100 bike can be a blast if you don't know any better!

if your outfit costs twice as much as your bike you're a little misguided in how you devote your resources.

That can't be known from what was observed. Maybe

1. They can't afford the bikes they really want, but can afford to dress sensibly while they save up; or

2. Those aren't their bikes. Maybe they're rentals, or are owned by hosts they're visiting, or

3. They are satisfied with the Huffys. That's no reason to forgo the comfort and convenience of "real" attire. This doesn't seem at all misguided to me, especially since the cost of regular street clothes might also exceed the price of an inexpensive bike.

As some have said, there's no image thing here since the riders use Huffys. Maybe it's us who have the image problem, since we're the ones who noticed the disparity :eek:

Lew

probably a case of we've-had-these-bikes-in-the-garage-for-years-and-don't-even-know-that-they're-crap-and-aren't-money-conscious-enough-to-worry-about-a-few-hundred-bucks-on-clothes-and-shoes syndrome.

happens all the time - you'd think they'd have an abbreviation for it by now. from now on we can just use WHTBITGFYADEKTTCAAMCETWAAFHBOCASS to save time.

That's kind of my father right now, except he doesn't have the clothes and he knows his bike is crap. So I guess it's not like my father at all, BUT... He was given a POS Huffy-type "mountain bike" and has started riding around on it. He does realize it's a POS but he doesn't care right now as he's just getting on a few miles to see if it's for him. Of course, he's not ready for a full on road bike (doesn't want one) but he's out riding and that's cool. I plan on getting him to buy a comfort machine in the coming year if he sticks with it.

PJ

I must look super funny on my commute! Here I am HI-VIZ yellow jersey, cycling shorts, Shimano SPDs, rack & fenders, and a 215lb fat guy on a 1978 ten speed.

When I started riding more seriously last fall is when I began wearing cycling specific clothing. Why? Well, being that cycling for me at that time was a way to trasform my body, my health, and my life, I needed the mental edge that the clothing gave me. Getting dressed to go out on my bike changes my mindset. It tells my mind an body to get ready to move. That may sound nuts to many folks, but it has worked for me.

Seems to me that the really imporant thing is that they were out there doing it. Unless you visit with them, you really don't know their motivation for the choices they have made. If they were enjoying themselves them more power to them. :D

if your outfit costs twice as much as your bike you're a little misguided in how you devote your resources. not that comfort or safety aren't important, but yeah - how much can someone like that ride that they need all the gear but don't need a bike that costs more than $150 from wallmart.

That's kind of silly isn't it.
Which would you rather ride? A really nice bike (so you can impress people) but wearing a $10 helmet, no gloves, regular shorts (after all saddle sores build character) and sneakers.
or
A cheap bike along with comfortable riding shorts, a good helmet, gloves, good shoes, etc.

Which will be more enjoyable to ride for any distance?

Andrew

I'm pretty sure that my mountain bike is a Huffy.
I ride that thing through ruts of snow and ice (and sometimes snowstorms)
But it is very cheap and rusted now, after one winter of riding.



A cheap bike along with comfortable riding shorts, a good helmet, gloves, good shoes, etc.

Which will be more enjoyable to ride for any distance?

Andrew

No matter what gear, I would rather ride my road bicycle over a cheap bike. I can be comfortable without good gear and a good bike, but not comfortable with good gear and a cheap bike.

If they were really worried about image, they wouldn't ride at all if they knew people would be looking down on them for using Huffy bikes!
Koffee

Agreed - and it was a COUPLE, for crying out loud! I take that to mean a man and a woman, out for a bike ride together. I don't think they were trying to impress anyone. I think they were wearing standard cycling gear. I think people who don't wear helmets are the posers, cause their displaying their ig'nance.

They could have at least removed the decals off their bikes...... then everything would have been cool & dandy....... :p

if your outfit costs twice as much as your bike you're a little misguided in how you devote your resources. not that comfort or safety aren't important, but yeah - how much can someone like that ride that they need all the gear but don't need a bike that costs more than $150 from wallmart.

probably a case of we've-had-these-bikes-in-the-garage-for-years-and-don't-even-know-that-they're-crap-and-aren't-money-conscious-enough-to-worry-about-a-few-hundred-bucks-on-clothes-and-shoes syndrome.

So they shouldn't wear cycling specific clothing if they just ride once or twice per week? That makes no sense.

Why does anyone care about what other people ride or wear? If they're happy, that should be enough. I just want people to wear some clothing and a helmet.

Many on the forum often lament that not enough people are interested in cycling. Part of the interest is going to come from people who don't do it everyday, maybe just occasionally, like the aforementioned Huffy riders probably were.

Doesnt matter what bike you fall off of,you need helmet and gloves and if your riding for awhile,padded shorts is a must and of course sun glasses even if your walking your bike so where's the problem,i missed it. What would you say if they were on 5900's in shorts and t-shirt? I know what i'd be thinking,lucky.

Honestly, a cycling jersey costs about $40.00 and cycling shorts another $40.00, a helmet is at least $30.00

If you're going to wear cycling gear that costs more than your bike than I do agree there's something weird.

I did see a couple of guys wearing USPS team jerseys and shorts and riding on Magna (the Target brand) mountain bikes once in Central Park. I didn't think much about it.

200 for bibs,150 for a helmet,200 for shoes,75 for a jersey,100 for sunglasses,50 more for gloves and socks.775 bucks so i cant ride a bike under 800 bucks,wow!

exactly! +)

it just wouldn't be right!

I must look super funny on my commute! Here I am HI-VIZ yellow jersey, cycling shorts, Shimano SPDs, rack & fenders, and a 215lb fat guy on a 1978 ten speed.

I would seperate cost from quality. The bike you ride may not cost a lot but is of high quality (if I recall your bike correctly). However, if it were a Huffy, I would think it odd and maybe try and come up with possible scenarios as others here have done as to why someone sporting an expensive riding kit would be riding a low-quality dept. store bike. I'm not going to necessarily look down on them but it is something I'd notice and wonder about. Now granted, if there are cyclists who are shallow enough and unknowledgable enough about bikes to look down on your 1978 classic then that's their problem.

oldscool didnt say it was expensive riding gear. The stuff he talked about could have been under 100 bucks easy and i'm sure the sunglasses was already there.

So what? just keep ridding

Who knows, maybe they actually liked the huffy frames and did some creative upgrading. I saw a rather tricked out toy-store honda FS a few months ago. frame was actually modified to take 1-1/8" headsets, had fox suspension front/back, and shimano LX all around. I had to ask hiim why so much effort on a 150 dollar bike..his answer was "I like the frame, something about it jsut works for me". So who knows...maybe the frames on those huffys were a jewel amongst the turds or something.

Or they might live in a an area where bikes are frequently stolen, so they bought a bike that was cheap enough to get ripped off without hurting their wallet too much.

exactly! +)

it just wouldn't be right!

Please,i need a list of what to wear with what bike,i've misplaced it. In fact,give me the whole list of "it just wouldnt be right".

At least they're out riding... you'd prefer overweight and behind the wheel of a Lincoln Navigator?

Ok, here's the flipside of this issue....


Down in our little rural lakeside village there is a couple in their 60's that I know well. He often asks me if I've been out riding and says someday we'll bump into each other riding our favorite route (which we share at seperate times).

I asked him what bike he rides and he said "single speed". He says it's an old 10sp that and he never shifts. He says if he shifts he'll pass up his wife :)

The bikes aren't new, neither are they expensive. They wear jeans and t-shirts.



And they are out riding.




Olds

OldsCOOL, "There's just something wrong with..."
someone who is worked up enough about what some couple chose to wear on their bikes that they feel the need to post a rant here about it. As others have said, good for them to be out riding in whatever gear works best for them. Everyone starts somewhere, so why not encourage everyone to just ride whatever they've got. Sure, they may not know what they're missing by riding what we may deem to be an inferior product, but cut them some slack. We all have different priorities and resources, and no one knows just what their story may be. I'd like to imagine they have a couple of beautiful road bikes sitting home and they go out on their Huffies just to rile folks like you up. There's just something wrong with making snooty judgements about others.

let them be, no need to be an stuck up person about it

OldsCOOL, "There's just something wrong with..."
someone who is worked up enough about what some couple chose to wear on their bikes that they feel the need to post a rant here about it. As others have said, good for them to be out riding in whatever gear works best for them. Everyone starts somewhere, so why not encourage everyone to just ride whatever they've got. Sure, they may not know what they're missing by riding what we may deem to be an inferior product, but cut them some slack. We all have different priorities and resources, and no one knows just what their story may be. I'd like to imagine they have a couple of beautiful road bikes sitting home and they go out on their Huffies just to rile folks like you up. There's just something wrong with making snooty judgements about others.



AMD, not a rant.....an observation. Call me way old fashioned or oldschool (I'm 46) but there was something odd about seeing what I saw that caused me to post the original comments. Not a rant.

Prio, if you knew me you'd not say I was stuck up. Snobbery is the last thing. I guess it's the limitation of communication by internet.

Sorry if this post offended anyone...sheeeeeeesh. I'm going riding. No helmet, jean shorts, tshirt and no gloves. :)




Olds