NE Tiger

This afternoon I rode the Nashua River Rail Trail. I was coming up a gradual incline, and called out "passing" to the woman on the bike in front of me. She didn't respond, and as I went by, I saw why.

She was too engrossed in the BOOK she was reading WHILE CYCLING. No helmet, on a crap bike, wobbling side to side like a person texting while driving a car, reading a paperback book while holding the handlebar with the other.

Please tell me you've never seen this. The world can handle only so many of these people.

Sirrus Rider

Don't worry sooner or later both Murphy and Darwin will thin them out..

Greyryder

You should have pulled up next to her, paced her, and started reading over her shoulder.

CB HI

Better on a bicycle than car. I almost got hit by a women reading a religious pamphlet. She was letting God do the driving. I yelled at her at a red light “ that she almost hit me and pay attention to her driving”. She turned her nose up at me and started reading again as she drove off.

jharte

On the street, smoking a cigarette, AND on the phone (riding with one hand). I passed one of these guys this year. It was so absurd I just shook my head, held my breath (second hand smoke) and passed with caution.

Sirrus Rider wrote: "Don't worry sooner or later both Murphy and Darwin will thin them out.."



Jerry H

travelmama

This. People will do unsafe things at all times. I would rather deal with a cyclist reading a bike than one on a stupid text machine or driving with a phone pinned to the ear.

itsmoot

Couple years ago I passed a gal on the local mup who was rollerblading, reading a book, and eating an apple while talking on a handsfree headset. I clocked her at at over 13 mph. Almost snagged my jaw in my front spokes. Wish I'd thought of taking a video with my phone.

rumrunn6

head butt

dynodonn 

Over the years, I've been awe struck/ made envious numerous times after watching several women at their ability of multitasking.

Velo Dog

I did a long drive across the Southwest in an RV a couple of years ago for a magazine story. Normally I drive a Mazda or Honda, so I can't see much of other drivers, but from my elevated perch I could look down into their cars. I was surprised how many people read on those long Interstate stretches. Also apparent in a surprising number of cars that seemed, from the back, to have only one occupant: Intergenderal activities involving the passenger assuming a position where her head wasn't easily visible.

Retro Grouch 

Unfortunately, multi-tasking is a misnomer. Human's don't multi-task. They sequential-task.

colombo357

You should've taken your water bottle and sprayed her book with it. That would've been hilarious.

kjmillig

+1
Agreed. Her brain was using bits of time to read then ride then read then ride then read...............obviously using very tiny bits of time to steer.

nice_marmot

I just got all excited, because I grew up in Nashua and I had no idea that there was a bike trail of any significance there. Then I Googled it, and found out that the actual trail is in Massachusetts. I know the Nashua River runs through Mass, but I mean, c'mon.

arej00dazed

I saw a woman balancing her checkbook while driving thru downtown traffic.........A friend of mine once changed her clothes, but she was at a stop sign and a van full of rednecks was ogling her. Wish I was in the car at the time.........

billyymc

Really?

FisherQueen

OT question: I've only been here for a few days, so maybe it's just coincidence, but I've been surprised at the amount of anti-woman humor I've seen here so far. Is the sexism a forum culture thing, or something I can expect to see if I connect with my own local cycle club? I don't want to waste my time trying to be part of the larger community, if cycling is just a sport in which women aren't welcome, like football.

Or have I just joined the community during a bad week?

Velo Gator

I'm new but I've lurked a while. I haven't seen much of it at all. Stick around!

CbadRider

Sexist comments are a violation of the forum guidelines (located at the top left of your screen under the FAQ link).

As a community with a diverse variety of members and readers, we ask that our members to post without using vulgarity. Vulgarity not only includes vulgar language and pictures but also sexist, racist, anti-religious, images of graphic violence, political statements and homophobic language which may offend other members. In addition, the "masking" of vulgarity by inserting * or another keystroke in place of one or more letters in a vulgar term is unacceptable in most cases. It will also be impermissible to anagramize a word to bypass the filters. This applies to all content submitted by users including posts, PMs, avatars and signatures.

Feel free to use the "report post" button (exclamation point in a triangle) if you think a post is in violation of the forum guidelines.

There is a women's forum you are eligible to gain access to after posting for a month. Send a PM to Siu Blue Wind (administrator) to get access.

TrainerMicDude

What if the book was about cycling?

NE Tiger

The trail ends in Nashua. I rode up from Ayer into Nashua and back. You can do the reverse. Come on down.

NE Tiger

Regarding sexism, I can't speak for anyone else, nor am I criticizing anyone else's subsequent comments, but my intent with starting this thread was discuss the stupidity of this particular woman, not women in general. I would have written the same thread if it was a guy. The only way it might have been different is that I would be far more likely to say to the guy, "What the **** do you think you're doing?"

The other thing I wanted to get the board's feedback is this, another multi-use etiquette issue. Is it not considered courteous for a rollerblader to..how to phrase this...stop the side to side kicking thing when going past someone traveling in the opposite direction? Shouldn't that person just coast for literally one to two seconds to keep their feet out of the other lane?

This happened last night on a relatively narrow stretch of the Minuteman bikeway in Lexington. This goofy old man (see? Man) came flying down a slight hill, passing a family with young children in a dangerous spot with a drop off on either side into a ditch, and grazed the sleeve of my shirt he was so close to me. When I saw him coming, I speculated to my wife that he would be a jerk, and he was. I was so annoyed with him, and I had my left hand off the handlebar anyway, it would have been so easy to shove him into the ditch that he was ready to send those kids into. I really almost did it.

Artkansas 

You may want to contact the moderators for access to the Women's Forum

NightShift

Wait, there's a women's forum?
Is there a men's forum?
Is a gender specific forum for discussing gender specific issues, or is the segregation more of a sexist girls club/boys club thing?

SlimAgainSoon

Reading a book while riding a bike? Good for her! That's awesome.

She was on a bike trail, not driving on Route 3 with kids in the backseat. Calm down.