botto 

Today, with a pleasant 70°s temps, with some wind, I found myself on a group ride.

As it happens, there was a rider from Wiz-CON-sinn. I'm riding next to said rider, and make a comment about the guy in front of me, who's in his 53x12, riding at +/-33kp/h.

Our exchange went like this:

botto "looks like someone's assumed Jan Ullrich's mantle."

Wiz-CON-sinn "who"

botto "jan ullrich, german bike racer...

i point again to the guy in front, and say "how many rpms do you think he's doing, 42?"

Wiz-CON-sinn "that's not how i like to ride, i like high cadence"

botto "yeah, that's what i was getting at"

Wiz-CON-sinn "I just look at that guy who won the tour DAY france" 7 times in a row. he had a fast cadence."

botto "tour DAY france", is that anything like the tour de france?"

Wiz-CON-sinn "it's something that bob roll says"

My question to those in the dairy state, or there abouts: is there an embargo against irony in WizCONsinn?

Psimet2001 

Generally, yes. The only things they let through the border are cheese and beer making materials and some Canadian shoulder chips.

Actually I think it spills across the border. Co-worker walks in and tells me that he went to go have his powertap laced to some HED rims (don't ask). He walks into a huge local shop. Place does Computrainer racing and indoor time trials all winter, huge floorspace, etc...

Talks to the manager. Asks for the rims. Manager says, "I've never heard of HED, but I can probably order it for you if that's what you want."

I think he believes the only component manufacturer out there besides Mavic and Shimano is Bontrager.

ilmooz

Irony helps cheese grow. Beer tempers it. Can't spare any for flatlanders unless Brett Favre says it's OK.

tzracer

Why limit your self to Wisconsin? I used to spend time on uk.rec.motorcycles and they often commented on 'merikins lack of irony.

I have found the use of irony to be wasted on most people so I rarely use it these days, becoming a lost art. I think it has to do with our proximity to Chicago.

Wisconsinites that understand irony also know good beer and not to put ketchup on a brat.

iab

Yes, absolutely, he is the epitome of Wisconsin. Just as you are of the east coast and all of Europe.

Jose Perez

One thing I've learned living in the mid-west, irony and sarcasm are both wasted on the locals.

zonatandem

. . . and their bratwursts are legendary!
BTW it's pronounced WisCOWsin!
Being a Euro, am used to have 'mericans mispronounce/butcher the French (or any other) language!
They even butcher their 'merican . . . have you talked with anyone from Brooklyn, Ten'see or 'bama or Min'sota? Yeah, sure, you betcha eh, we all speak 'merican (in some fashion or other)!

iab

It seems the humor impairment is also alive and well out east.

zonatandem

While not residing in the Great Lakes area any more, have done lots of riding in MI, WI, IL, OH, NY, MN, and ONT.
Having been born/raised in Europe, do have an idea of how different Americans sound when speaking 'merican/English.

CyLowe97

where's recursive to either be the exception to prove your theory, or the opposite theory to prove you ran into an exception?

jpfieber

Thanks for the post. I'd been considering looking into group rides. I can see now that my not subscribing to 'Bike Racing World' magazine will limit me from communicating with member of such a group (I still measure distance in miles and what the heck is a 53x12?). It makes sense though, anything that can be enjoyed by some, can also be used as a platform for snobbery by others. No group rides for me!

CyLowe97

Bike Forums is much cheaper and more chock full of cycling arcana than glossy cycling magazines. Come on out to New Glarus on April 27th for the BFNIC Spring Classic. We all make fun of one another. Self-effacement deflates any snob.

And don't mind the botto. He's a snob wannabe. We up here all know he's just a Midwestern at heart despite his upbringing in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.

testtube

Wisconsin is a horrible place. I would never live there...

iab

Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get along fine down there too.

Severian

Actually it's too cold here for irony... the best we can make do with is bratwurst and a faint hope that we may actually see the road under the piles of ice that we like to call our roads. This is of course while dodging former mayors who think that anyone who bikes in the wintertime should shot for their own good.

In other news...



just because... *points at the OPs self-title*

Severian

Dare you to disprove the negative that you're NOT a troll.

Psimet2001 

There is no such thing as trolling the the Great Lakes subforum....only opportunities to seek truth.

Now....pass me a beer and go milk your cows. We'll shoot the sheit when you get back. Farve said it was OK.

Sage23

No, Alanis, we don't get irony here.

And if this bimbo really said "that guy who won the tour DAY france" 7 times in a row" instead of just calling him Lance, then she was obviously a transplant from Connecticut.

Frankly, the only irony I see in your post is the guy who, in a group ride after talking about Jan Ullrich and cadence, says "Tour DAY France . . . is like the Tour de France."

CyLowe97

I think we forgot the introductions here:

botto, Great Lakes sub-forum.

Great Lakes sub-forum, botto.


Hey botto, how long are you in Memphis? If you're around until late in April, hop a flight or Amtrak up to Chicago so you can provide irony support at the Second Annual BFNIC Spring Classic in New Glarus on April 27th. You get to Chicago and the logistical support will be provided through a grant from the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and generous donations from viewers of this thread. No, seriously.

recursive

Yeah.

Wait... what?

I don't get it.

testtube

I think it has something to do with the biker chick saying she was from Wis-CON-sin, then making a reference to bobke's use of tour DAY france.

Not really irony, maybe a (slightly) humorous coincidence. Doesn't translate well over text.

I guess the funny part is watching the banter between botto, our Friendly Illinois Brethren, and some overly defensive Wisconsinites...

recursive

Speaking of not translating well over text, I fear my post has missed the mark as well. I was attempting to represent the wizCONNsunnites.

CyLowe97

I always find it fun to pronounce it WEST-con-sin. That seems to raise some hackles.

Then again, it is pronounced Ill-Annoy. Sick and annoying pretty much sums up us FIBs.

sekaijin

Hmm, let's see ... I am ... everyone I know is ... yes we are!

testtube

sorry, i should have known you were being sarcastic.

dude, nothing translates well over text. that's why everyone on the internet thinks everyone else on the internet is an ***hole.

i hope you don't think i'm an ***hole.

or, or... the irony is that she watches the TdF and knows of bobke but not ulrich. i totally missed that angle. I guess that part didn't really surprise me. I mean for most people in the U.S the tour was lance vs. the-world.