I have met a lot of serious cyclists, and have in general been very impressed by the character of them as a whole. Yes, you have DB’s, really insecure people (usually one and the same) cheapskates, braggarts, blowhards, wheel-suckers, people who yell at you in pacelines, snot-blowers, and other annoying types, eccentricity is practically a staple in the cycling world.

But I can’t remember ever having met a genuinely bad person who was a serious rider. I’m talking career criminals, everyone knows the type. Smooth talker, brazen thief, been in and out of jail since their teens, make their living ripping people off so that they don’t have to work. These kind of people never spend the time and effort needed to become a proficient cyclist or racer. The guy who steals bikes is never much of a serious rider, or that's been my observation anyway.

So if you run into someone who rides a lot, it’s almost guaranteed they will be a decent person, a chill bro, and won’t try to rip you off, not too badly anyway. This sport has a rather cleansing effect on people’s character, I like to think.

Has anyone here ever known a serious criminal / really bad person, who was also an avid cyclist?