Add a sign, this bike charges a $750 modelling fee, send payments via paypal to .....

My favorite quote of the month!



Bottom line, it's poor upbringing. And parents like these just pass it down to another generation.

I think you nailed it. It shows lack of respect for other people's property and that comes from what they saw when they were growing up.

Yes, kids need to watch more pulp fiction to get respect for another man's vehicle. And a lot of other life lessons as well

If I see an attractive woman, I won't go up to her and touch her without asking for permission, so I don't expect other people to do that with my bike.

People fondle and even try to mount (while it's locked to a post, rack, etc) my high wheels. I have a mixed opinion. Part of me really despises them, but the other part realizes that a good 90% of all high wheels were crashed before I got my hands on them.

"Mess with this bike, and find out if there's life after death!" j/k

I agree with all above about the inappropriate touching and your right to be annoyed/angry about it. However, the last post about the high-wheeler made me realize something- it's all about the comedic, "fun" aspect of the ride. Folks probably can't imagine that you'd take issue with them messing with your "clown car" bicycle. It's all a big joke- right? So what's the big deal?
Most people already consider bicycles a toy, but when you pile-on with penny-farthing wheelsets, or triplet frames, then you're just taking it to Steve Martin levels of absurdity- so why not get in on the joke?
The reason I bring up Steve Martin is because his use of the banjo in his early comedy routines engendered a similar reaction. He was, and is, a serious and skilled practitioner of the 5-string banjo, but he recognized that in the public square the banjo had a ridiculous quality. So he used that assumption, and his skill with the instrument, to augment his comedy in a really effective way. But most folks still considered his banjo-playing nothing more than a sight-gag. (Which in his case was fairly intentional.)
But getting back to the bike. To most people the idea of using a bicycle as a serious form of transport, and one to be considered the equal to an automobile, is simply incomprehensible. So when a bicycle such as the triplet or the high-wheeler comes into view, it's clown-car time and all fun and games. Who would think to deprive them of the amusement?

I'm beginning to find myself drifting into a rant, so I'll stop here...
cheers, Joe

oh yeah, 5-string rules!

I always very quietly ask them if it's their bike?
As they say "no," they realize I'm not being friendly.

The ones that I catch picking them up; those get a more personal message.
You have to be careful, though. If you startle them too much, the bike can fall over.

Try living aboard one of these. Not only do they get drunk and try to board at 3 in the morning, they gotta do their best pirate accent for their ren fest wanna be buddies.

Das Machine is nicht fur gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist easy schnappen der springenwerk, blowenfusen und poppencorken mit spitzensparken. Ist nicht fur gewerken by das dummkopfen. Das rubbernecken sightseeren musten keepen das cotten-pickenen hands in das pockets - relaxen und watchen das blinkenlights.

Translation to Englisch, courtesy of Babelfish:
The Machine is not fur gefingerpoken and mittengrabben. Easy snatches if that is jumping work, blowenfusen and poppencorken with sharpen-park. Is not fur trades by the dummkopfen. Rubbernecken sightseeren musten keepen that cotten pickenen hands in pockets - relaxen and watchen blinkenlights.

I had a variation of this on my stereo when I shared a house. It was a little cruder, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDrzMGdYWZc

OP, I love your triple. But the geometry on this Gordon is screaming, "ride me rough, baby!!". Dang, I want to ride that thang.

less engine shrouding and an exposed exhaust will fix some of that. someone i knew thought it would be ok to sit on my motorcycle without my consent and they ended up burning their leg.

that is a great movie.

I read this sentiment fairly regularly on the boards here but I've never seen it out while actually riding my bicycle. I suspect it's an attempt to rationalize why others don't take our passion as seriously as we do, but I just don't see the evidence that "most" or even very many people feel that bicycles (or motorcycles) are "toys".

Since this kind of behavior happens to motorcycles, classic cars, and in my own personal example, riding a horse into town, the reality is that people just get excited when they experience something novel, exciting, unique, or nostalgic.

In the US culture we have attached significant value to modes of transportation (usually automobiles) and especially private property. So while I understand that people will develop strong feelings and reactions to things that seem to violate their personal space it's probably worth remembering that it's a fairly unique and modern concept to conflate "private" property with personal boundaries. At the end of the day, especially considering what one will reflect upon when getting ready to travel beyond this reality, it's probably not worth stressing over. And it's definitely not reasonable to compare fiddling with an object to fondling another person (and a minority at that).

Since I do not take my good bikes out and park them, I have had no problem with bicyclist wanna-bees, however, a motorcycle story comes to mind.

A long time ago, in a far away land (Canada) a middle age guy, and me, another middle age guy, rode our motorcycles to a coffee shop. While there, a lady walked up to my buddies 1943 Harley forty five in civilian trim. She plunked her little boy onto the sprung solo saddle and my bud immediately jumped up from the table, and zoomed towards the door.

As I caught up to him, I heard him say, "That ain't no f**k*ng pony, lady." The kid was off, and so were they, in a heart beat. I did, however, think it to be a bit much.

I can relate. dbx Soundfield 1's, ruined by someone who "didn't see the lights" and turned them up.
Replaced under warranty, but I don't let the Cleveland Philharmonic's "1812 Overture" LP into the public domain.

I often wonder what sykerocker would do in that situation.

I've had people lean on, or bump into, my bike resulting in my jumping up and snatching the bike from tipping over. The reaction I get is usually a trifling laugh, as in "no big deal". Maybe I should lean on their car hood while making a cell phone call to get the point across? Yes it's a public space but that doesn't mean it's okay to ignore other people's space and possessions.

I think I draw the line at sitting on the bike. Over the last twenty years, I've had dozens of folks tap on my brooks saddles and shake their heads in wonder. Used to make me feel good, because I knew I'd still be able to find them cheap-like, because all the folks thought they were uncomfortable. Of course,they've now gained some fashion cred, much to the disgust of my pocket book.

On the other hand, I wouldn't touch another person's bike, especially because I know fingerprint residue causes crabon fibre to shatter.

Before I vote, what the @#$% is "Nare?"

I assumed he meant Nair and wanted them to be hairless.

I was hoping it was Sake you could drink while smacking them in the cranium with an empty (Sake bottle, not Cranium).