On distance and perceptions!
 

I rode from SW Iowa yesterday to Omaha (73 miles) to watch my son play soccer. He didn't know I was coming so it was fun to surprise him! When he told his friends that I had ridden my bike to come, they asked him, "How long did that take him; 3 days!" These guys chase a ball up and down a large field for 1 1/2 hours hard with only a 10 minute break and think that what I did was hard!

What is there about this mode of transportation that seems so "out there" to most people, even those in good shape? My son should have known how to answer them since he's done it several times himself, but at 18 y/o, dad isn't quite cool enough to defend yet! :roflmao2:

Cyclists get a perception of reality that non-cyclists can not grasp. For years I drove my car to the gym to spend an hour in a spin class, then showered and drove to work. During those years I fantasized about biking to work - but all I had were reasons why it couldn't be done - I'm too far away, roads aren't safe - those were the main reasons. I actually moved to an apartment that was situated 5 miles from my office on a route I deemed safe enough to bike, and began commuting to work by bike. Two years later I now live 18.5 miles from work, and I realize how insane it is to drive your car to stupid SPIN class! How insane is that?!

But I continue to get that "out there" look everytime I explain to someone that yes, you CAN ride a bicycle 18.5 miles to work. But what's even better is when they see me riding in with my GF. Yesterday, as I coasted into the parking garage and greeted my coworker, I pointed back at my GF and introduced him to her. Later that day, he asked "So, does she work in a building right around here?".

"No", I replied, "She rides the 18.5 miles in with me, gives me a kiss, then rides back home".

And then, there it is, the frown on the forehead as he's trying to get his mind wrapped around that.

Just wait one_beatnik, When you ride double-centuries, non-cyclists can't get their heads around that at all. I get comments like "Wow, 200 miles, that's a long way in my car!"

Starting in the pre-dawn, riding all day and finishing in the dark is just so far beyond the imagination of the typical non-cyclist that most of the time, they don't really believe me:roflmao2:.

Rick / OCRR

Actually, Rick, a double century is pretty hard for a lot of us cyclist to get our heads around!! Are you crazy or just insane! ;)

I don't believe you either!! :p

Wait Denver, don't put words in my mouth. That just ain't sanitary! :D I didn't say I didn't believe him, just ain't gonna do it myself.

I am a cyclist and have a hard time believing, well more like understanding.

I think it is because most people do not associate bicycles with transportation.

Paul

I ran across this on Sunday -- I was out on a 50-mile loop, and I stopped in at Issaquah, Washington, to watch salmon swimming up a salmon ladder to a hatchery. About 10 or 12 miles later, I was one valley over, riding along the Cedar River, and ran across a bunch of naturalists explaining the salmon run on that river (it's salmon season here). I started chatting with them, and mentioned I had just come from the Issaquah hatchery.

They were sort of amazed, "Do you mean you were there several hours ago?" And I explained, no, it had only been about 45 minutes or so. They didn't quite get it.

I get that a lot when I stop at convenience store controls on brevets. Someone will invariably ask, "How far are you riding?" When we reply, "131 miles", or whatever distance it is, they look at you like you're an alien. I've been surprised at how often the next question is, "How many days?"

Even after my 12.5 mile commute from Crowley to my job in Fort Worth, one of my coworkers said, "You rode all the way from Crowley? Are you crazy?"

Did he play at the sports complex in Council Bluffs or somewhere in Omaha? Dodge Park perhaps? I hope you got to see/use the new bridge.

He played at Tranquility Park at 120th and Maple.

Yes I crossed that bridge. Beautiful beast, but NOT bicycle friendly on the Omaha side. You have to ride an additional 3 blocks just to find the street. (maybe I was just not familiar enough with that area.) They call it a pedestrian bridge and that's what it's designed for. Actually, Omaha overall is just a pain to pedal in. Nothing is bicycle friendly, even the trails have such limited access to get on them or are in such bad repair that the streets are easier and better.

I rode the trail that goes south past UNO and then tried to get on the trail that heads northwest at Pacific. That's a nice trail when I finally got on it.

Paul, I think you've hit square on. The whole concept of riding a bicycle ANYWHERE with purpose is so outside of our realm of experience or thinking, that we (American society) can't grasp it.

I saw your post in the mountain-plains forum and responded there. Omaha is kind of weird/enigmatic in that there are good safe places to ride on the trails but transportationwise there is a lot of work to do in getting bike lanes established. It kind of fits with the theme of the recent post: people tend to think of bikes as recreation devices but not as means of transportation. Get in touch if you come back to town.

One,
This is an interesting post. Most have commented on non cyclists point of view. My comment is about some cyclists point of view.

I always get a laugh at the folks who ride bikes along the same route that I do because many of them arrive along my route with their bikes loaded on their cars. They park, unload their bikes and begin their ride. Then they load up again and drive back to the same neighborhood that I live in. Cars are parked at the beginning of the route, in the middle of the route, and at the far end of my route. All are there because the owners hauled their bikes to that point to begin a ride. I guess that I just don't get it.

Even runners look at me funny when I tell them I rode 100 miles. What they don't seem to grasp is I would rather ride a century than run a half marathon. Even though the century takes longer it just seems easier to me while to them even metric distances sound very far. To the non athlete it must be mind boggling.

You must realize the last time many rode a bicycle was childhood,maybe high school.We live in a large country that's just not friendly to riding for transportation.It doesn't make you special,just different.

People just don't get it...For years, I commuted 12 miles each way most of the summer on my bike. It was a 40-45 minute ride--about 20 minutes longer than it took to drive, depending on lights, so I got an hour and a half of exercise every day in only 40 minutes of extra time, plus I enjoyed the ride.
I started when I was in my early 30s, and continued until I retired two years ago at 62. Last week I had to go back to deal with some insurance stuff, and the new HR manager was shocked when I wheeled my bike into the office. He asked three or four times, "You rode all the way from YOUR house?"

Better to be a smartass than a dumb one... :roflmao2:

SP
Bend, OR

The last time I had a physical my MD refused to believe that someone could ride a bike 500 miles a month. He is a weight lifter and golfer(odd combo) so I asked him how much time he spent with his workout activities? Can't remember the exact time spent but it was about the same time I spend on a bike every month, or try to do so.

A couple of years ago we mentioned a 20-mile ride we did ---- the response: "You rode 20... MILES??? :eek:" When we first started this crazy activity I thought 50 miles was insane. Then, we rode 50 and it seemed reasonable but quite an accomplishment. After I rode 54 miles a few weeks ago, it didn't seem like a big deal (I was training for an upcoming metric). My own perception has changed during these two years.

Most forms of exercise don't involve several hours of participation. Most people who exercise don't spend 4, 5, or 6 hours at the gym, walking or running, or lifting weights. But there's something about a bike that makes you want to keep going for as long as you can or have time for.

Did a 100 miler on an organised ride on the Tandem and finished up 30 miles from home with no transport back. No problem- we would ride it but just after every one left in their cars- A van was found that was going back 20 miles in our direction. Obviously we took the lift and were gratefull for it.

Rode the 10 miles home and even stopped at a Pub for a pint. Just as we were getting into our home town- A car pulled out of its driveway in front of us and stopped. It was my spinning class instructor and her husband. They had also been on the ride and had just got home by car- in traffic- and unloaded the bikes and were just going out shopping. They could not believe how quickly we had got back but we did not let on that we had a lift for part of the way.

Next spinning lesson and the instructor related how they had done a bike ride with us in the week and how we had ridden back and almost beat them home. Her final message to the class- was that she and her husband had done the ride in a good fast time and the only time she saw us was when we overtook them going 20 mph faster than them (Downhill of course) So If they ever get invited out on a ride with me or Stuart- DON'T GO-- we are animals.

A couple of months later and I had to look for a co-rider for a charity ride so I asked in the spinning class. They all looked away or were busy that day. The only one that showed interest was the "Star" of the class but he did not know if he could do 40 miles in one hit on a bike.

A couple of years ago, I rode my bike regularly to monthly breakfast meetings of our "senior" group at church.

One lady asked me how far I rode. I said "3 miles." She was amazed and did not know how someone could actually ride 3 miles on a bike!

Especially an old guy...

No old guys around here!!