Originally Posted by
treadtread
Heh, I didn't actually mean disrespect by calling someone a cager - and I don't call them that to their face either. I read that term here on BF first, and it just seemed to describe someone driving a car. I didn't realized that it indicated disrespect. If not cager, what's a handy way to describe a car commuter? Carist?
I just call them motorists.
Oh, and I probably got a little carried away with the rolling orgasm comment. We tend to be an enthusiastic bunch when it comes to bike commuting. It's easy to forget that riding even a few miles, especially in hot weather, can be an unpleasant experience if you're not accustomed to it.
Every Spring for the last few years I've gone on a 10 mile ride with a group of friends. Actually it's a 5 mile ride to a bar and then a 5 mile ride back. Most of them only do the occasional recreational ride with their kids or spouse. For some of them it may be the only ride they do all year. The guy who organizes the ride is a commuter like me.
Anyway it is astounding how much work that 5 miles is for some of these guys. They huff and puff up the smallest of hills. But it was like that for me too when I first started. So I think it's important to let people know that it may take awhile for their bodies to get accustomed to the distance and not to get discouraged if they're not going as fast as they'd like. It's not a race. It's just going to work.