Foo - Am I still a bicyclist?

I'm having an identity crisis, and could use some help from foosters. I've been an avid bicyclist for all of my adult life. For four decades I've been a roadie, commuter, tourer, sometime MTB rider, and full time two-wheel junkie. I commute year round, have way more cycling shorts than jeans, and think a car looks naked without a roof-rack. The wall-clock in my garage is made from a chainring. Bikes hang above my car, in front of my wife's van, and beside the workbench. Bike projects hang from various hooks, sit in boxes, and rest among the rafters. My hair is cut with a #2, so I don't have to deal with helmet hair. What a joyful day it was when I realized there was room above the minivan to hang wheels from the ceiling. My non-cycling acquaintances cringe when I engage in a conversation, because they know I'll relate the topic to bicycling somehow. Since September 19th of this year, aside from my commute, I've ridden my bike (any bike) exactly twice. Why? Illness you think? Perhaps a broken collarbone or cracked skull? Nope. The intruder in my life was a birthday gift from my family - a unicycle. I was intimidated at first, but with some persistence and a few hundred spills, I've learned to ride the thing. Now, on a nice weekend day, I'll look at the bikes, look at the unicycle, and go with the ridiculous, one-wheeled, unbalanced clown machine. I ride it on the road, on the MUP, and lately offroad on a local trail. I've even shamelessly commuted to the office on the thing.

With the weather turning cold and the days shortening I can pretend the nasty weather and darkness are keeping me off the bike, but I know that's a lie. I still call myself a cyclist, but I'm only tricking myself - I'm riding a (uni)cycle, not a (bi)cycle.

So my identity crisis: Am I still a biker, a bicyclist, a bike nut, a true cyclist? If not, then who the hell am I???

I'll check back in a few days. Spending more time on unicyclist.com lately....

Doooooood, I worked a couple of cyclo races last year and this man rode up on his unicycle outfitted with mtb tires and stood poised (didn't unclip - I guess either) in front of me as I told him the big arse hill was closed off for a race and he goes ... UM OK - but not before I asked ... do you do this often and he said "Once a day" and then he jumped the curb and rode off ...

:eek:

The hill I was "guarding" is quite "nasty", I do that stretch on a mtb as a downhill - in fact the cyclo course (this year) was changed to be less of an uphill course and it was still amazing (yeah I had to ride it).

On a Uni? freaking amazing.


And yeah - yer still a bike nut :) No way could/would I do that and survive!!

I just consider it a threesome when it am riding my two wheels. You are simply prude.

jim

A unicyclist is more of a cyclist than a bicyclist in my book. More power to ya, brother!

BTW, there is a guy at Richardson Bike Mart that commutes on his unicycle every day.

wow..I'm impressed...I'm gonna need to see some pictures of this...I cannot imagine riding on the road on a unicycle

No, you aren't a bicyclist, unless you're bi, which I suppose would make me a quadcyclist? I don't know, I just confused myself.

I just want to know how you get your panniers on that thing.

I'm having an identity crisis, and could use some help from foosters. I've been an avid bicyclist for all of my adult life. For four decades I've been a roadie, commuter, tourer, sometime MTB rider, and full time two-wheel junkie. I commute year round, have way more cycling shorts than jeans, and think a car looks naked without a roof-rack. The wall-clock in my garage is made from a chainring. Bikes hang above my car, in front of my wife's van, and beside the workbench. Bike projects hang from various hooks, sit in boxes, and rest among the rafters. My hair is cut with a #2, so I don't have to deal with helmet hair. What a joyful day it was when I realized there was room above the minivan to hang wheels from the ceiling. My non-cycling acquaintances cringe when I engage in a conversation, because they know I'll relate the topic to bicycling somehow. Since September 19th of this year, aside from my commute, I've ridden my bike (any bike) exactly twice. Why? Illness you think? Perhaps a broken collarbone or cracked skull? Nope. The intruder in my life was a birthday gift from my family - a unicycle. I was intimidated at first, but with some persistence and a few hundred spills, I've learned to ride the thing. Now, on a nice weekend day, I'll look at the bikes, look at the unicycle, and go with the ridiculous, one-wheeled, unbalanced clown machine. I ride it on the road, on the MUP, and lately offroad on a local trail. I've even shamelessly commuted to the office on the thing.

With the weather turning cold and the days shortening I can pretend the nasty weather and darkness are keeping me off the bike, but I know that's a lie. I still call myself a cyclist, but I'm only tricking myself - I'm riding a (uni)cycle, not a (bi)cycle.

So my identity crisis: Am I still a biker, a bicyclist, a bike nut, a true cyclist? If not, then who the hell am I???

I'll check back in a few days. Spending more time on unicyclist.com lately....

Great read. Yup, and still a cyclist!

I have one too. X-mas present back in the 70s...taught myself in the kitchen. Now I ride it every so often just so I can. Kinda like riding a bike, you just never forget! I have never really ridden it for anything much more than a curiousity, but more power to you and to all unicyclists who commute, race, do tricks, my hat (helmet) is off to you. :thumb:

zac

No, you're not a bicyclist anymore. I'll gladly spare you the embarrassment and agree to take all of your bikes free of charge. Trust me, it's for the best. You can keep your shorts though. :D

No, you're not a bicyclist anymore. I'll gladly spare you the embarrassment and agree to take all of your bikes free of charge. Trust me, it's for the best. You can keep your shorts though. :D

The plus side is it will give him room for another minivan in the garage.

http://johngushue.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/09/29/moms_minivan.jpg

See? Everyone wins. Now hand over the bikes.

See? Everyone wins. Now hand over the bikes.

You sure you got room for 'em? I could take at least one off of your hands.

Let's just call you a cyclist instead of bicyclist, and we'll all be happy without the ambiguity.

Let's just call you a cyclist instead of bicyclist, and we'll all be happy without the ambiguity.

No, then people will think he rides a Harley from donut shop to donut shop.

No, then people will think he rides a Harley from donut shop to donut shop.

No. No. No. Those are bikers.

C'mon man!

No. No. No. Those are bikers.

C'mon man! It's all ball bearings these days!

Chevy'd it for you.

As long as you don't abandon using your bicycles, you're still a bicyclist.

No, you're not a bicyclist anymore. I'll gladly spare you the embarrassment and agree to take all of your bikes free of charge. Trust me, it's for the best. You can keep your shorts though. :D

THANK YOU, I had not even considered giving up my bikes, and the sheer horror of that thought makes it quite clear that my identity is safe.

foo is awesome

Yeah, you'll know you're not a cyclist anymore when the thought of keeping your bikes is way worse than selling them and becoming a grown-up.

Hey! I need that grin smiley, stat! Otherwise people are going to start thinking I'm a jerk.
:D

going to start?





j/k

*underlines MV on the people-to-kill list* Bet you wish I had th

*makes note to swap places with jsharr*

wow..I'm impressed...I'm gonna need to see some pictures of this...I cannot imagine riding on the road on a unicycle

Okay. First, here's a clip from the unicycle hour record run of 29.993km

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-mwFULp808

Commuter
http://ozsoapbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/unicyclist.jpg