Staggering density of insane bikes
04-16-09, 08:45 AM
#1
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Staggering density of insane bikes
There's a lake with a MUP in OKC that I ride around a few times a week. It's about 10 miles around, and is nice short ride if I don't have much time to spare. I'm fairly new to road cycling, and I ride a pretty modest entry level Giant. Every time I go, I notice several people with high-end Cervelos, Pinarellos, or Cannondale TT/Tri bikes with Zipp or Reynolds wheels and aerobars. I casually put on my gear and pump up my tires, shooting lusty glances at their machines while trying not to stare.
Then a funny thing happens about 3 miles around the path; I start passing these people like Lance Armstrong. It's especially shocking when I do it riding into a 25mph headwind, considering the slipperiness of their bikes. My question is, are they training in some way that I don't understand? Some of them are pretty fat, but most of them are trim, fit looking people. Am I missing something?
Then a funny thing happens about 3 miles around the path; I start passing these people like Lance Armstrong. It's especially shocking when I do it riding into a 25mph headwind, considering the slipperiness of their bikes. My question is, are they training in some way that I don't understand? Some of them are pretty fat, but most of them are trim, fit looking people. Am I missing something?
04-16-09, 08:48 AM
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Slow is pro... but probably not in this case. ;p
04-16-09, 08:49 AM
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04-16-09, 09:00 AM
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04-16-09, 09:03 AM
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Just because you have a nice bike and nice clothes does not make you fit or even capable of riding said bike. The inverse is also true.
Just get out and ride.
Just get out and ride.
04-16-09, 09:05 AM
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Yes. You don't ride fast on the MUP. These people with fancy bikes are smart enough to know this.
They're likely on the MUP doing a recovery ride, riding with friends, or just using the MUP to get someplace where they are going to ride faster.
And a few of them are probably posers that have bikes designed to be ridden faster/harder than they're capable of.
Riding on a MUP is not a race.
They're likely on the MUP doing a recovery ride, riding with friends, or just using the MUP to get someplace where they are going to ride faster.
And a few of them are probably posers that have bikes designed to be ridden faster/harder than they're capable of.
Riding on a MUP is not a race.
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You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
04-16-09, 09:06 AM
#7
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Bike paths are not the place to go very fast. I only take a bike path when I have to, as a means to get to the ROAD I want to ride on. If there are people walking the path with kids and dogs, riding very fast is asking for trouble. I changed my route to keep the amount of bike path down to 2 miles out of 50.
04-16-09, 09:11 AM
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Yes. You don't ride fast on the MUP. These people with fancy bikes are smart enough to know this.
They're likely on the MUP doing a recovery ride, riding with friends, or just using the MUP to get someplace where they are going to ride faster.
And a few of them are probably posers that have bikes designed to be ridden faster/harder than they're capable of.
Riding on a MUP is not a race.
They're likely on the MUP doing a recovery ride, riding with friends, or just using the MUP to get someplace where they are going to ride faster.
And a few of them are probably posers that have bikes designed to be ridden faster/harder than they're capable of.
Riding on a MUP is not a race.
Couldn't agree more...there are typically too many unpredictables (peds, dogs, rollerbladers, etc) on MUPs
04-16-09, 09:14 AM
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1. Its April
2. Plenty of guys with top end carbon bikes probably grew up riding or wanting to race, then the need to make a living set in and they went to college and got good jobs. Probably the average age of a carbon bike rider in my town is 45; where with any luck years of hard work has generated enough funds and free time to buy the best bike and get out and ride it. Good for them, I'd say (though I still enjoy blowing by, if I can).
2. Plenty of guys with top end carbon bikes probably grew up riding or wanting to race, then the need to make a living set in and they went to college and got good jobs. Probably the average age of a carbon bike rider in my town is 45; where with any luck years of hard work has generated enough funds and free time to buy the best bike and get out and ride it. Good for them, I'd say (though I still enjoy blowing by, if I can).
04-16-09, 09:14 AM
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Yes. You don't ride fast on the MUP. These people with fancy bikes are smart enough to know this.
They're likely on the MUP doing a recovery ride, riding with friends, or just using the MUP to get someplace where they are going to ride faster.
And a few of them are probably posers that have bikes designed to be ridden faster/harder than they're capable of.
Riding on a MUP is not a race.
They're likely on the MUP doing a recovery ride, riding with friends, or just using the MUP to get someplace where they are going to ride faster.
And a few of them are probably posers that have bikes designed to be ridden faster/harder than they're capable of.
Riding on a MUP is not a race.
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Some sort of pithy irrelevant one-liner should go here.
04-16-09, 09:19 AM
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1. Its April
2. Plenty of guys with top end carbon bikes probably grew up riding or wanting to race, then the need to make a living set in and they went to college and got good jobs. Probably the average age of a carbon bike rider in my town is 45; where with any luck years of hard work has generated enough funds and free time to buy the best bike and get out and ride it. Good for them, I'd say (though I still enjoy blowing by, if I can).
2. Plenty of guys with top end carbon bikes probably grew up riding or wanting to race, then the need to make a living set in and they went to college and got good jobs. Probably the average age of a carbon bike rider in my town is 45; where with any luck years of hard work has generated enough funds and free time to buy the best bike and get out and ride it. Good for them, I'd say (though I still enjoy blowing by, if I can).
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04-16-09, 09:23 AM
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You should stop and talk to them and find out what they are doing to be able to afford such nice bikes. They have figured out something you haven't.
Think of how fast you could go if you could afford one.
Think of how fast you could go if you could afford one.
04-16-09, 09:26 AM
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Yes. You don't ride fast on the MUP. These people with fancy bikes are smart enough to know this.
They're likely on the MUP doing a recovery ride, riding with friends, or just using the MUP to get someplace where they are going to ride faster.
And a few of them are probably posers that have bikes designed to be ridden faster/harder than they're capable of.
Riding on a MUP is not a race.
They're likely on the MUP doing a recovery ride, riding with friends, or just using the MUP to get someplace where they are going to ride faster.
And a few of them are probably posers that have bikes designed to be ridden faster/harder than they're capable of.
Riding on a MUP is not a race.
