Bike Riding vs Cycling
#76
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The difference in terms could be in your mind. Here are some thoughts:
You start thinking about the next ride; you start reading bike magazines while at Barnes & Noble; while driving in your car, you notice bike lanes and who is on it and what kind of bike they are riding; you go to the local bike shop just to browse around, people ask you questions about your bike riding, etc.
You start thinking about the next ride; you start reading bike magazines while at Barnes & Noble; while driving in your car, you notice bike lanes and who is on it and what kind of bike they are riding; you go to the local bike shop just to browse around, people ask you questions about your bike riding, etc.
#77
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Lycra = cyclist
Leather = biker
If you're somewhere in between, you get to choose!
Leather = biker
If you're somewhere in between, you get to choose!
#78
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Maybe to some extent our subconscious takes us back to a earlier time in life where we were some super hero as we rode our bikes with abandoned. It reminds me of my grandson who would tag along with me to different sporting goods stores, bike shops and of course Bass Pro. We had been in REI and I was picking something up and I missed him. I found him over in the bicycle department. It wasn't a week later that he asked me to take him to REI so he could show me the most beautiful red bicycle he had ever seen. Of course we went and came home with his red dream bicycle.
I would take my grandson to the main mountain bike area and ride the paved road up and back. My grandson would stop as guys came by on their carbon fiber full suspension mountain bikes and yell: Hey, do you want to look at my mountain bike? Many would stop and he would point out all the benefits of training wheels. We would ride together whenever possible. He was five then and now is thirteen. Wish he were close by so we could again share the experience.
A bicycle is a time machine taking us back to more carefree times and giving us a new perspective on our future. A healthier and happier future because we are taking care of ourselves.
Behold the wise Jobst Rider,
Whose unfettered mind
Sees God in dirt
And hears him in the spokes.
(Adapted from a quote by Alexander Pope)
Jobst Brandt leaves behind memories to last a lifetime
I would take my grandson to the main mountain bike area and ride the paved road up and back. My grandson would stop as guys came by on their carbon fiber full suspension mountain bikes and yell: Hey, do you want to look at my mountain bike? Many would stop and he would point out all the benefits of training wheels. We would ride together whenever possible. He was five then and now is thirteen. Wish he were close by so we could again share the experience.
A bicycle is a time machine taking us back to more carefree times and giving us a new perspective on our future. A healthier and happier future because we are taking care of ourselves.
Behold the wise Jobst Rider,
Whose unfettered mind
Sees God in dirt
And hears him in the spokes.
(Adapted from a quote by Alexander Pope)
Jobst Brandt leaves behind memories to last a lifetime
__________________
F Thomas
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
F Thomas
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
#79
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Behold the wise Jobst Rider,
Whose unfettered mind
Sees God in dirt
And hears him in the spokes.
(Adapted from a quote by Alexander Pope)
Jobst Brandt leaves behind memories to last a lifetime
#80
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As the originator of this thread I've followed it with interest and amusement. Some folks understood exactly what I was saying, others didn't so much read it as read INTO it! I was not referring to an identity, persona or label; my post was not about being a cyclist or a biker or a bike rider. It was about the experience of cycling and how some of the words used by people who don't ride bikes seem inadequate to describe the quality of that experience.
I am not a "wanna-be racer boy" but it is true that I am a "has-been!" Now, at almost 67 and coming back from quadruple bypass surgery you might imagine the joy I feel to recapture the blissful experience that drew me to cycling and racing 45 or so years ago. A little over 2 years ago after surgery I could barely spin the pedals on a stationary bike with no resistance. I have become an evangelist of cycling for the heart disease crowd because cycling is really a perfect exercise for folks like myself. On foot, you basically have 3 speeds: walking, jogging or running. Physiologically and bio-mechanically those are very different. Cycling, on the other hand, offers the ability to ride at any speed from a walking effort to a flat-out sprint.
In my experience it takes time to reach a fitness level where longer distance cycling, whatever that might mean, is truly comfortable. For me it is on longer rides and higher sustained effort that the joy of cycling lives. It's not about the clothes or the bike, true, but a well-fitted and finely-tuned bicycle is a marvelous machine and many cyclists come to feel love and affection for these inanimate objects. I even coined a term: velosexual, for those that carry more affection for their bike than their partners!
When I decided to get back on the road I purchased what would now be called an "entry-level" road bike. I'd been riding mountain bike for years but I fell too often to make that safe after heart surgery. After the first two seasons of riding (Northern Minnesota has two seasons - winter and road construction) I treated myself to a Raleigh gravel bike: bigger tires, steel frame. It's not light, but it is a go-anywhere do-anything bike. As a Swede, my gravel bike reminds me of a Volvo - not the fanciest, fastest, cheapest but comfortable, safe and durable. There is a Swedish word that describes our culture as much as anything:lagom. It means something like "just right" - not too fancy, not too shabby - the middle ground I suppose. My gruscykel (gravel bike in Swedish) is lagom.
Finally, I have entered a "race" for the first time in over 30 years. It's called the Filthy Fifty - a gravel race near Rochester Minnesota. Gravel racing is a wonderful new development in cycling. These are unsupported, usually free to enter, open to anyone. You can race or just ride, it doesn't matter. You can wear jeans and a t-shirt (although I would not recommend that in October) or the usual jersey and shorts - no one cares. You ride on roads you would never normally see - hilly with little traffic, great scenery etc. There are 600 riders entered. My goal is first to finish and second to not finish last.
Thanks for reading and posting!
I am not a "wanna-be racer boy" but it is true that I am a "has-been!" Now, at almost 67 and coming back from quadruple bypass surgery you might imagine the joy I feel to recapture the blissful experience that drew me to cycling and racing 45 or so years ago. A little over 2 years ago after surgery I could barely spin the pedals on a stationary bike with no resistance. I have become an evangelist of cycling for the heart disease crowd because cycling is really a perfect exercise for folks like myself. On foot, you basically have 3 speeds: walking, jogging or running. Physiologically and bio-mechanically those are very different. Cycling, on the other hand, offers the ability to ride at any speed from a walking effort to a flat-out sprint.
In my experience it takes time to reach a fitness level where longer distance cycling, whatever that might mean, is truly comfortable. For me it is on longer rides and higher sustained effort that the joy of cycling lives. It's not about the clothes or the bike, true, but a well-fitted and finely-tuned bicycle is a marvelous machine and many cyclists come to feel love and affection for these inanimate objects. I even coined a term: velosexual, for those that carry more affection for their bike than their partners!
When I decided to get back on the road I purchased what would now be called an "entry-level" road bike. I'd been riding mountain bike for years but I fell too often to make that safe after heart surgery. After the first two seasons of riding (Northern Minnesota has two seasons - winter and road construction) I treated myself to a Raleigh gravel bike: bigger tires, steel frame. It's not light, but it is a go-anywhere do-anything bike. As a Swede, my gravel bike reminds me of a Volvo - not the fanciest, fastest, cheapest but comfortable, safe and durable. There is a Swedish word that describes our culture as much as anything:lagom. It means something like "just right" - not too fancy, not too shabby - the middle ground I suppose. My gruscykel (gravel bike in Swedish) is lagom.
Finally, I have entered a "race" for the first time in over 30 years. It's called the Filthy Fifty - a gravel race near Rochester Minnesota. Gravel racing is a wonderful new development in cycling. These are unsupported, usually free to enter, open to anyone. You can race or just ride, it doesn't matter. You can wear jeans and a t-shirt (although I would not recommend that in October) or the usual jersey and shorts - no one cares. You ride on roads you would never normally see - hilly with little traffic, great scenery etc. There are 600 riders entered. My goal is first to finish and second to not finish last.
Thanks for reading and posting!
#81
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Here we go again with the derogatory remarks about the ones who enjoy going faster than you or wear bike-specific clothes. They don't worry about you; I think you need to examine your own attitudes and figure out why you have such animosity toward them.
"Racer boy?" Really?
"Racer boy?" Really?
And yes I do have a problem with the egotistical snobs that try to dictate to everyone else what a "cyclist" is, or must be.
#83
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As the originator of this thread I've followed it with interest and amusement. Some folks understood exactly what I was saying, others didn't so much read it as read INTO it! I was not referring to an identity, persona or label; my post was not about being a cyclist or a biker or a bike rider. It was about the experience of cycling and how some of the words used by people who don't ride bikes seem inadequate to describe the quality of that experience…
In my experience it takes time to reach a fitness level where longer distance cycling, whatever that might mean, is truly comfortable. For me it is on longer rides and higher sustained effort that the joy of cycling lives. It's not about the clothes or the bike, true, but a well-fitted and finely-tuned bicycle is a marvelous machine and many cyclists come to feel love and affection for these inanimate objects. I even coined a term: velosexual, for those that carry more affection for their bike than their partners!…
Thanks for reading and posting!
In my experience it takes time to reach a fitness level where longer distance cycling, whatever that might mean, is truly comfortable. For me it is on longer rides and higher sustained effort that the joy of cycling lives. It's not about the clothes or the bike, true, but a well-fitted and finely-tuned bicycle is a marvelous machine and many cyclists come to feel love and affection for these inanimate objects. I even coined a term: velosexual, for those that carry more affection for their bike than their partners!…
Thanks for reading and posting!
Just last week I was discussing cycling, while riding with a “roadie” Bike Forums subscriber I had recently met, and I was somehow prompted to comment that I posted more to BF as an experience than about the technical or mechanical aspects of cycling. So in considering your post, my first thought was I think I see the distinction you are drawing, but then thought it seems to hint a bit of elitism…I am a real cyclist; the others are just riding their bikes, though I presume that was not the intent…
But to get back to the immediate experience you described, as I understand it, I describe to myself as "becoming one with the bike."...
But to get back to the immediate experience you described, as I understand it, I describe to myself as "becoming one with the bike."...
My bikes are tools ... but they are tools I cherish.
Maybe it's unnatural, but the bikes I own are extremely meaningful to me and play an important role in my life.
I don't baby them by any stretch, and part of cherishing a bike is riding it often, in my mind.
So yes ... in my mind, I do cherish my bikes.
Maybe it's unnatural, but the bikes I own are extremely meaningful to me and play an important role in my life.
I don't baby them by any stretch, and part of cherishing a bike is riding it often, in my mind.
So yes ... in my mind, I do cherish my bikes.
Agree. My pristine carbon fiber bike is especially cherished because I don't take it out in the rain. My beater mountain bike is also cherished even though I take it out anywhere, any time. As a year round cycling commuter, the bikes have an added significance and importance for my lifestyle.
Most importantly, my bikes are very personalized for fit and quality, perfectly for my encompassing cycling lifestyle. Shopping for a new one is a challenging and unwanted hassle, as when my cherished and classic Bridgestone RB-1 was totalled.
So as Merriam Webster expects by their definition of cherish, I will “hold dear, feel/show affection for, keep/cultivate with care and affection, and entertain/harbor in the mind deeply and resolutely (as in my daydreams and planning about riding)” my bikes, as long as we both shall live.
Most importantly, my bikes are very personalized for fit and quality, perfectly for my encompassing cycling lifestyle. Shopping for a new one is a challenging and unwanted hassle, as when my cherished and classic Bridgestone RB-1 was totalled.
So as Merriam Webster expects by their definition of cherish, I will “hold dear, feel/show affection for, keep/cultivate with care and affection, and entertain/harbor in the mind deeply and resolutely (as in my daydreams and planning about riding)” my bikes, as long as we both shall live.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 08-27-15 at 11:43 AM.
#84
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I am totally against marriage equality for velosexuals - it's bound to end badly!
#87
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#88
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#89
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You guys crack me up. I've been away from the forum for a while, and I come back to find a thread with 88 comments on it discussing whether it's "cycling" or "biking." Only in the 50+ group!
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#91
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I share Viking55803's thoughts and passion for riding (biker or cyclist). I did a fair amount of riding with my father my late teens then didn't touch an outdoor bike again until 3 months ago (35yrs), I had done some spinning through the years. A few friends of mine who ride urged me to go for a ride with them. I couldn't believe how exhilarating and experience it was. I was by far the anchor in the group, but, it didn't matter I felt alive and young again.
I recently purchased a "gravel grinder" and enjoy riding even more. There are many moments during the day that I daydream about getting on the bike when I get home and ride. I have a long way to go being a Clydesdale and in my mid-50's but every day I feel better and stronger. I am getting over mountains that I walked up earlier. What a great sport and form of exercise. What a wonderful piece of machinery.
Like others have repeated..... when I ride I am not really thinking of anything or sometimes thinking of everything at once. It is great freedom for you mind. I love those moments when you sort of wake up and realize you are 5 miles down the road and don't have any recollection of the time or effort you put in to get there. Maybe it is a form of meditation. Sometimes I ride focused of time / speed to push myself, but, the times I really enjoy is just getting on the bike and riding. I love MZilliox post when he said "he rides like a 12y/o" that is a great mindset. I'll try and keep that in mind, all to often it is too easy to get caught up in speed, cadence, segments, meters climbed etc., which takes a lot of enjoyment out of the experience
Looking forward to today's ride.... mild temps no humidity.
Rick D
I recently purchased a "gravel grinder" and enjoy riding even more. There are many moments during the day that I daydream about getting on the bike when I get home and ride. I have a long way to go being a Clydesdale and in my mid-50's but every day I feel better and stronger. I am getting over mountains that I walked up earlier. What a great sport and form of exercise. What a wonderful piece of machinery.
Like others have repeated..... when I ride I am not really thinking of anything or sometimes thinking of everything at once. It is great freedom for you mind. I love those moments when you sort of wake up and realize you are 5 miles down the road and don't have any recollection of the time or effort you put in to get there. Maybe it is a form of meditation. Sometimes I ride focused of time / speed to push myself, but, the times I really enjoy is just getting on the bike and riding. I love MZilliox post when he said "he rides like a 12y/o" that is a great mindset. I'll try and keep that in mind, all to often it is too easy to get caught up in speed, cadence, segments, meters climbed etc., which takes a lot of enjoyment out of the experience
Looking forward to today's ride.... mild temps no humidity.
Rick D
#92
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Welcome aboard, xraydog/Rick, good to have you join in with us. I'd say you are hooked. No looking back now, and its the best thing you'll ever get into. The Diverge is a sweet bike, the Gravel Grinder scene is fast growing, BluesDawg has built up a nice one.
Bill
Bill
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I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
#93
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I wonder if I can offer an opinion without causing (or adding to) a flame war...
Based on what I've seen on the roads, and also based on my own personal style, Bike Riders and Cyclists are broken down into two groups:
Cyclists
Think nothing of spending $7500 on the latest, most high tech, CF with Di2, racing style bike.
Lycra is not just required, it is mandatory!
Favorite riding position = aero bars, seat up high, body crunched up minimizing wind resistance.
Are sometimes oblivious to others (i.e. "bicycle wave"), and focused on maintaining a 25mph A Pace.
High knowledge of racing bike brands. Can recite specs right out of a catalog from memory!
Bike Riders
Some may wear lycra, some may not.
Are a little on the frugal side and try to wait for sales, or will buy last years close-out model.
Sometimes don't see the need to get from Point A - Point B in the fastest time possible.
Has a different bike for different needs:
- - Can hang with the Cyclists (as listed above).
- - Can hang with the Mtb riders and get all muddy and grungy, and enjoy it!
- - Also can enjoy a relaxing, family style, charity ride for a good cause.
Based on what I've seen on the roads, and also based on my own personal style, Bike Riders and Cyclists are broken down into two groups:
Cyclists
Think nothing of spending $7500 on the latest, most high tech, CF with Di2, racing style bike.
Lycra is not just required, it is mandatory!
Favorite riding position = aero bars, seat up high, body crunched up minimizing wind resistance.
Are sometimes oblivious to others (i.e. "bicycle wave"), and focused on maintaining a 25mph A Pace.
High knowledge of racing bike brands. Can recite specs right out of a catalog from memory!
Bike Riders
Some may wear lycra, some may not.
Are a little on the frugal side and try to wait for sales, or will buy last years close-out model.
Sometimes don't see the need to get from Point A - Point B in the fastest time possible.
Has a different bike for different needs:
- - Can hang with the Cyclists (as listed above).
- - Can hang with the Mtb riders and get all muddy and grungy, and enjoy it!
- - Also can enjoy a relaxing, family style, charity ride for a good cause.
#94
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Well, if you haven't already, you may care to read the original article from which I found the quote. It's chiefly about Robin Williams' love of very expensive bicycles. Of course, he could afford them. Reading the article made me wonder what has become of his supposedly incredible collection...
Robin Williams and Dario Pegoretti: The Comedian and the Bike Builder - WSJ
Robin Williams and Dario Pegoretti: The Comedian and the Bike Builder - WSJ
#96
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You may have seen these before
Last edited by oddjob2; 08-31-15 at 09:30 PM.
#97
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A rose by any other name... Depends on who I'm talking to. I'm not a "biker," because most people think Harley when they hear that. With riding friends I use the "cyclist" word, but with other folk I usually just say I'm a "bike rider." I try to avoid the "How far?" and "How often?" questions, because people who don't ride or who tool around the neighborhood (nothing wrong with that, mind you) don't really get it and they think you're either nuts or you're showing off. I just know that, like canoeing, cycling is one of those things that allows me to be a creature in a way that I just thoroughly enjoy.
One of my great regrets is that, because of recurring calf and achilles challenges, I can't run. I've always wanted to be able to put on a pair of shorts and shoes and just run for hours, just me and the road or the trail, like we used to when we were loping across the savannah thousands and thousands of years ago. Cycling and paddling are real close to that. They get me back into a humanness that today's world has stolen from me. I didn't "discover" cycling till my early 20s. I had ridden as a kid, of course, but I never rode to ride. I had a bad break up, was probably clynically depressed, and cycling saved me, kind of rewired me. I look forward to rolling along into my 80s. At least.
One of my great regrets is that, because of recurring calf and achilles challenges, I can't run. I've always wanted to be able to put on a pair of shorts and shoes and just run for hours, just me and the road or the trail, like we used to when we were loping across the savannah thousands and thousands of years ago. Cycling and paddling are real close to that. They get me back into a humanness that today's world has stolen from me. I didn't "discover" cycling till my early 20s. I had ridden as a kid, of course, but I never rode to ride. I had a bad break up, was probably clynically depressed, and cycling saved me, kind of rewired me. I look forward to rolling along into my 80s. At least.
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Don't complain about the weather and cower in fear. It's all good weather. Just different.
Don't complain about the weather and cower in fear. It's all good weather. Just different.
#98
Senior Member
My thoughts on biker or cyclist is as follows:
I am both and I am neither. If you try to define me, whatever your answer, you are probably wrong.
I am both and I am neither. If you try to define me, whatever your answer, you are probably wrong.
#99
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The difference between a cyclist and a bike rider is dependent on the pomposity of the definer.
#100
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Or the self-righteousness of one who believes everyone should use one's word of choice.
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Don't complain about the weather and cower in fear. It's all good weather. Just different.
Don't complain about the weather and cower in fear. It's all good weather. Just different.