Elkhound

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/o...,2022651.story

Hobartlemagne 

Well, I put in a reply.

ilmooz

Wow. Just.....wow. I can't believe someone like this wields the power of the pen for the Chicago Tribune.

maddyfish

What because he expects riders to stop at signs and lights? And because he says mixing bikes and walkers on sidewalks is dangerous? He is right, bikes should stop at lights and signs. And bikes should not ride on paths with pedestrians. Bikes should ride on the road.

Dude Abides

Not to comfortable with the way he tries to paint us as elitists. How many of you own a titanium bike?

frymaster

no. because his ability to actually get a "fact" correct is almost completely lacking.

defending the ozone layer by cycling? what the hell does the internal combustion engine have to do with the ozone layer? "space age metal curtain"? what "space age metal" are bikes in chicago made from? aluminum? maybe "beer can metal curtain" would be a better phrase. and besides, the space age started in 1957. not very futuristic. bike cops wearing "cutoffs"? i'll admit i don't live in chicago, but i strongly suspect this isn't accurate.

but, most egregious is his bizarre notion that lyrac-clad roadies give a rat's ass about the environment or oil shortages or anything like that. if nothing else indicates that this desk jocky did absolutely zero research into his piece, it's this.

this grossman guy has to have the cushiest job in the city: write 300 words on a topic he knows nothing about doing zero research and ship it off to the printers without having to go through the painful fact-checking process.

derath

Talk about painting with a broad brush. I happen to be a lycra-clad roadie and I care about the environment and oil shortages. Am I to believe that only grungy hippie types on busted up cruisers do it for the environment?

-D

frymaster

that's actually very heartening to hear.

let me rephrase it this way: the break down of roadies who would say they "give a rat's ass" (or suitable, non-biased statement of equivalence) about the environment is probably the same or worse than that for drivers.

surveyor

My favorite part of the piece was where he mentioned his kids not understanding how to up/downshift, and then derides cyclists as not being able to understand multiple gears, ostensibly because they cannot comprehend the technology they are utilizing.

Maybe your kids should have had a better teacher, eh Ron?

gcottay

Yes, this needs an answer.

Mine includes showing respect for walkers in MUPs and slowing down in congested areas.

genec

Well the only real answer is to move all those cyclists out to the street... and remove the cars.

Sledbikes

what you guys dont understand is those ****ers are very real like all the duches of the world traded their camaros and firebirds for roadbikes and fixies

frymaster

+1

rando

I think it's supposed to be funny, or at least tongue in cheek.

genec

Yeah but but about as poor taste as the recent New Yorker cover of Obama...

thebarerider

This was my favorite part, too.

maddyfish

I'd say that is wrong as well. I have quite a bit of lycra, I even have a team Phonak jersey. I ride a carbon fiber Orbea. But I also commute by bike, and have a bike with baskets all over it that I use to go to the farmers market and grocery store.

I also stop at stop signs, and lights. And I don't think that bikes don't stop at lights and signs because they don't know how to shift. I think bikes don't stop at lights and signs becasue their riders are weak sprinters.

garydogwood

I do. I do!!!

gw

trackhub

Another poorly written newspaper column, from a bike-hating columnist. There seems to be a lot of them. Too bad there's no smiley for yawning.

Of course, Mr. Grossman is free to state what's on his mind. In kind, we are free to disagree with it, or ignore it.

Someone needs to inform Mr. Grossman that such bikes are readily available. Electra makes some fine cruisers, as do others.

I-Like-To-Bike

apricissimus 

I rode my bike over to my parents' house yesterday, and they actually asked me if I shifted into different gears when I ride. I was taken aback. Like, why wouldn't I? It's really not hard, but I guess it is intimidating to some people.

Dchiefransom

Maybe they've watched the Land Rider infomercial too many times.

My favorite reply is the one by Dan Korn.

derath

I would still love to understand where you get this, other than pulling it from your backside. I don't know a ton of roadies (not in a club or anything) but the majority of the ones I do care about the environment. One in particular (who is on this forum) commutes every day to work on his full carbon Giant TCR. It is quite interesting actually to see a race bike tricked out with clip on fenders and lights. But he is also a Cat 4 racer and puts 10k+ miles on that bike every year.

-D

ilmooz

I took an overview of the entire article before I commented, not just two aspects of it.

I disagree with your contention that bikes should not ride on paths with pedestrians if the path is and always has been designated for bicycle use as this one is. You could just as easily say pedestrians should walk only on sidewalks.

However, I do agree with your 'Democrat voting for McCain' tag line.

mondaycurse

Whoever this is can write much better than the paid man.