AlmostTrick

All winter there was nary a peep out of the roadie cyclists around here. Today, the temps hit 80 and I seen 4 of them on my ride home!

I did not wave.

FBinNY 

Did they see their shadow? If so, we have 3 more weeks of winter.

Abe_Froman

Yea i saw a couple this morning too.

San Pedro

I don't hibernate, maybe because it barely dips below freezing here all year long.

HardyWeinberg

Roadies here ride year-round. I can draft them through ~January but past then they are past me.

mcours2006

This roadie is out all winter long.

InTheRain

True. Roadies in the Northwest would be considered hard core elsewhere for the conditions they ride in most of the time. If roadies in the Northwest only came out when the temps hit the 80's, they would ride less than 30-40 days per year. There are many more roadies that ride in poor conditions in this area than bicycle commuters. I guy couldn't really call himself a roadie around here if he only trained in decent conditions... you can't really be race fit training for 6-7 months of the year.

Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlmostTrick

All winterthere was nary a peep out of the roadie cyclists around here. Today, the temp**** 80 and I seen 4 of them on my ride home!

I did not wave.

Quote:

Originally Posted by In the Rain

True. Roadies in the Northwest would be considered hard core elsewhere for the conditions they ride in most of the time. If roadies in the Northwest only came out when the temps hit the 80's,they would ride less than 30-40 days per year.

There are many more roadies that ride in poor conditions in this area than bicycle commuters. A guy couldn't really call himself a roadie around here if he only trained in decent conditions... you can't really be race fit training for 6-7 months of the year.

Just last week I posted to the Commuting thread,”Warm Spring day brings out the fair weather commuters,”

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Boston is a relative hotbed of cycle commuting (for North America at least), even in winter. I leave downtown at about 6 AM…

Quote:

Originally Posted by noglider

You ain't kiddin'.

I lived there many years ago, and it was true then and clearly still is now, even more so. The Strava heatmap shows the Boston metro area is a lot hotter than the NYC metro area...

After about 4 miles going outbound the cycling traffic thins out for my next 10 miles, but even in the winter early morning I might see a couple of cyclists in either direction. In the nice weather I extend my commute into some premier cycling suburbs where I see many individual, and a few pacelines of fully-kitted cyclists out for early morning apparent training rides, less likely commutes.

I would estimate that around here, the roadies come out at about 40⁰ F. But I have to ask this question, does a being a roadie necessarily imply that a cyclist is a racer?

gregf83 

How do you identify a roadie in the winter if they've covered up their spandex and are using a winter bike? I rode pretty much every day through one of the coldest winters in years and saw a big drop off in commuters of any type.

2manybikes

Some roadies ride Mountain bikes too. If there is no ice, and it will not be cold enough for ice, I do over 100m long rides in the winter, on a road bike in whatever temperature. If there is ice, the mountain bike that has studded tires goes out. But usually ending up about 70 miles. If there is no potential for ice, and still a lot of salt and sand on the road, I ride a mountain bike with full coverage fenders or possibly my touring bike with very good coverage fenders.

wolfchild

When somebody shouts "on your left" and does a very close unsafe pass, I immediately assume they must be a roadie.

fietsbob

Early bird gets the fast bike shop service turnaround. too

mr geeker

Nah, roadies are the people who give you the stink eye when they pass you, if you say something to them about it, with all of an inch between the two of you with nary a word of warning. At least around here anyway.

AlmostTrick

Yeah, it's not like they wait for 80's around here either. It was an unusually high temp for us to have in March. Based on what I've witnessed over the years, I'd say 50-60 is more likely a cut off for most.

But many do hang their bikes up for the "off season" (their words) or attach them to indoor trainers. Once a cyclist does this, it seems to take a lot of extra effort for them to get their butts back outside, no matter the temp.

Two Saturdays ago when I hit the MUP at 9 am I only seen two other cyclists. And yes, based on their fancy gear and bikes, they were roadies. It was 38 degrees (f). On my ride the Saturday before that I seen no other cyclists of any sort. It was 19.

TenSpeedV2

Biting my lip here. Saw. You saw them. You didn't seen. Saw.

Have you seen that new movie yet?
Yep, I saw it.

InTheRain

I don't consider every person on a road bike a roadie. I have a road bike that I ride but it would be mistake to call me a roadie... first based on my "speed" and second how marvelous I look in spandex. Most people would identify me as a "wannabe" if they saw me on a road bike. I have never raced and have no desire to race. However,a road bike is a very efficient bicycle for longer rides... which I do enjoy. Maybe I'm the type of rider the OP was talking about... because yes, I'm a fair weather road bike rider... but a year round bicycle commuter.

Daniel4

So if a roadie dressed in slick gawdy spandex were to pass me, on my fat bike, lit with flashing lights on my helmet and rear rack, pannier packed with supplies, dressed with reflectors, shells and a toque, what would he call me?

TenSpeedV2

I would just say "enjoy your ride." That is all that is necessary. You ride what you ride and worry about you, not about what some stranger says. Either that or drope the hamer on him and show him the back side of that fattie.

kickstart

I think roadies would describe you as a "Fred", if I'm interpreting their parlance correctly.

My definition of a roadie is a cyclist who's always in competition with themselves, and others with a penchant to gauge others by their cycling prowess.

AlmostTrick

What movie, and what was your favorite scene?

Oh, and thanks! It's good to learn something everyday, even when it's something we should've already knew.

Now that it's been brought up, and I think about it a bit more, maybe there are several types of "roadies". Does one necessarily have to ride fast or be competitive to be a roadie? I don't think so. Wouldn't a slow riding cyclist touring across states be a roadie?

kickstart

IDK, hard to say without a recognized definition. It seems that "roadie" is generally associated with fast, competitive cyclists wearing full kit on a road bike.
At least personally, "roadie" doesn't bring up an image of someone touring on a bike.

SCRcat6

That would be a cyclotourist. If he/she were riding faster, a randonneur or endurance cyclist.

Choctaw

If you're on the road with full kit spandex and that spandex is covered in brand names that you have no affiliation with, and you showcase those brand names to look legit to others, then you might be a roadie.

San Pedro

Actually, the correct grammar for that answer would be "Yes, I have seen it," since you brought it up.

mstateglfr 

What if you showcase those brand names because you identify with them and like them?
If I could get my hands on a Miyata jersey, I would wear the crapoutta it. I wouldnt wear it to look legit to others as most probably wouldnt know what it is.

When we start determining if someone is accepted or derided based on intent without knowing the intent, is all this really just unnecessary?