Connell

I just got back from a 2-mile jaunt around the 'hood with my wife. I wore the same shoes, jeans, shirt and sweater I was wearing when she suggested it. I put on a heavy coat because despite the sunshine, it's nippy out there.

If the sunny weather holds, I'll go for a 40+ mile ride on the weekend. I'll wear my cycling shoes, tights, fleece and bright yellow cycling jacket with probably a wicking layer or two underneath.

I can't imagine being comfortable doing a long ride wearing the clothes I wore today. So...yeah, I'm not really sure where I'm going with this either.

Phil_gretz

This is the third consecutive Christmas that I've used my bike for gift shopping trips. It's been pretty fun, especially getting into and out of jammed holiday parking lots. Last night, I wore my normal "around the house" jeans and a cotton sweater with a tee shirt beneath. I did put on my mtb (spd) shoes and a windproof vest. And, I wore my helmet. But otherwise, I looked "normal" walking through the stores. Admittedly, the rides were short and I didn't have time to work up a sweat.

Anyway, it was fun to ride my bike dressed in ordinary clothes. I'd do it again for short rides...

Another advantage of Christmas shopping with panniers is that you can't "impulse buy" a large screen TV that way.

Mobile 155

While is is nice that a amout of smoothing over is taking place. It has been civil. The probem still exists. The Just Ride book is not aimed at people that already agree with Grant, or because of the way it is worded, it seems as it it is aimed directy at people that enjoy a different type of cycling than the one he is talking about. In this forum I am sure just about every one of us started riding out riding simply from early childhood to returning adult. But there were limitations and we stared trying to improve ourselves or our equipment or our diet and sure enough we started to improve. We picked up books much like we might pick up a book on improving our tennis or golf game. Sure enough we inproved and we received encouragement and both the equipment, nutrition and training methods added to our enjoyment. The people that helped us gain this enjoyment never said people that just feel like riding around the block were doing it wrong they said specifically that if we wanter to address a specific issue like riding hills, longer distances, going faster there were some things we could try that might help. What causes the strong opinions is the voice that assults us saying, "stop you are bing duped with gears. He said if you try to spin in circles you are wasting your time. He said specifically we have too many gears. Who is he talking to? Not to people like him with fewer gears and mashing everywhere he goes. He is talking to the "others" not like him and saying we should give up what we are doing and do as he does for more hapyness. If you happen to be one of the others then is is an attack your decission and the advice you have received from those that already have helped you move in a direction you decided a some point you wanted to go. I guess it is easy for some to say, "Oh that is just GP and you have to put up with his passion. But to some of us it is like getting a sales call for an alarm system after telling them you already have one. I don't think many here have a beef with those who like or agree with Grant. I don't think we have a beef with how Grant rides or what he buys. But I get the impression from Just Ride that a lot of people have a beef with what some of us ride, how we ride and what we wear while we ride. Because I do see a lot of thresds that someone has to deride "spandex wearing racer wanna bes." Even if we have never attacked their choice or how, what and what they wear.

David Bierbaum

Sorry! I had to break it up into manageable chunks so I could read it more easily.

Dudelsack 

It's offensive when one takes offense at taking offense over an offense that has offended the offender.

Yes.

Now back to my car with factory air conditioned air direct from our factory equipped air conditioned factory.

Rowan

If GP did subscribe to this forum, I am sure his eyes would be opened as to the extent of the cycling communities, and how many different approaches there are to it. The 50+ forum is a microcosm of what exists in the broader world.

CB HI

Really?

https://www.rivbike.com/Articles.asp?ID=253

Seems to apply to Grant Peterson as well. Guess those with blinders cannot see it.

Bikey Mikey

Maybe I'm not getting it here. I haven't read the book, but I have been reading things on his site, or on the rivbike site. My impression is that he's telling people it's okay not to become a spandex warrior...not condemning those who are. Maybe I need to read more to get a better idea of what some are saying he does/is/believes/professes/preaches. I think he just wants to get more people to ride who might think they "have" to get the special clothing and let them know that it's fine to ride without the special gear.

I think there's a place for special gear and a place without gear. I wear the gear, but not the shoes(I use toe-clips and straps). The only thing I ever shake my head at is those who are not wearing a helmet--a helmet is definitely necessary equipment(be it $25 or $400).

This is just my take...maybe I'm wrong about Peterson, maybe I'm right on...not sure. Remember, this is JMHO...no flaming please.

curdog

Originally Posted by curdog

If you aren't like me, you're obviously stupid and destructive to the sport (lifestyle?).



This is totally out of context. I was saying that it is a human tendancy to denigrate what others do, if different from your own choices. I don't have a problem with anything Grant says. It's not going to affect me one way or another. I make my own choices.

curdog

Thank you for your reasoned assessment. I totally agree.

Dudelsack 

How.......DARE........you............

rydabent

I have posted on several bike forums this very idea. I think far too many cyclist buy into the the hugely expensive fully kitted wannabe road racer type of cycling. Much of it is just for appearance sake. If you are a catagory cyclist, or actually wanting to ride well known races, go for it. Other wise for the rest of us that just ride for exercise and and general enjoyment, save yourself a lot of money and pain. I for instance ride recumbents, both a bike and a trike. Other a helmet and shoes to clip in with, my attire is t-shirts and inexpensive rugby shorts. Expensive clothes are not needed on a bent. Thats one of the advantages of a bent. I am riding to please myself, and dont give a rats tail what anyone else thinks. The fact is most people dont think anyway. No one has ever yelled get off the trail with those cheap clothes!!!!!

Dudelsack 

Seriously now. I remember reading an article in Bicycling magazine (yes, I admit I'm a subscriber) about the "invisible riders", almost always immigrants, usually Hispanics, who ride there bikes everywhere because it's either that or the bus. I have never seen conditions so bad that they won't be out there if they have to.

In the Spring I stopped at the Krogers on the way home on my bike. As I was getting ready to leave, the heavens openned up a Biblical level deluge. I'm standing under cover digging into my bag looking for my raingear when a middle aged Hispanic woman walks by with her small bag of groceries, puts them on her bike rack, looks at the rain, shrugs her shoulders, hops on her bike and rides off. She was only wearing street clothes and she got drenched.

I felt like a total wuss.

Each to his or her own, but this type of cyclist has my utmost respect.

I-Like-To-Bike

GP's eyes might be opened "to the extent of the cycling communities, and how many different approaches there are to it," by looking through the many different discussion groups on BF.

I don't believe he would find his eyes opened much to that microcosm in the 50+ forum. He might find a microcosm consisting mostly of aficionados of road bikes, distance and group riding, and N+1 thinking, and affection for classic and/or expensive bicycles very well represented. Probably prime customer prospects for the products that he sells.

Of course all of the BF microcosm lacks representation for the overwhelming number of U.S. cyclists who never set foot in an LBS for their bicycling needs, and if they did, would likely be chased out.

Hermes

After reading this thread, I searched the web to find something that GP wrote. Here is an interview with GP. He is an interesting guy and a successful entrepreneur. It is unclear whether he makes any money over a living from the business or whether his business will have any future value.

I doubt that GP will ever fly in a new Boeing Dreamliner - too light weight and too much carbon fiber that fails catastrophically.

Rowan

Except... you bought one of his bikes. Ergo, you must have been affected by the sales pitch (whether implied or direct).

Rowan

But you obviously do, or you wouldn't be making observations about kit, and buying into wannabe road racer type of cycling.

Rowan

You don't spend much time participating in this forum, and I doubt from the lack of perspicuity in this post that you know much about any of the posters here.

I-Like-To-Bike

Don't need to "participate" to read. Do you disagree with my take on the relatively narrow slice of the cyclist profile spectrum (irrespective of age) represented by the "participants" of the 50+ Forum, or that this narrow slice IS NOT representative of the extent of the cycling population in the U.S. or anywhere else?

My perspicuity from reading your posts on BF on this subject lead me to ask you the following questions about your statement.
Do you believe that this narrow slice, as I have observed, of the cycling population (not by age but by cycling preferences) that dominate the posts on this list are the only cyclists that rate any consideration as being in the cycling microcosm at all?

Do you base your belief in the cycling microcosm representativeness of the 50+ posters because the majority of cyclists don't fit your own preferred profile and are irrelevant because they are only persons on bike shaped objects, riding only short distances on unworthy bikes, from unworthy sources, without any concern for improving times or documenting their mileage, and worst of all, with no respect for the finer points of the "sport," proper "equipment" and "efficient technique?"

curdog

I owned two Bridgestones and the Riv. I know enough about the product without your advice

Dudelsack 

OK, now listen. Put down the Starbucks, step away from the computer, and no one will get hurt.

wphamilton

I read the Grant Peterson interview linked earlier in the thread and I have to say he seems like an all right guy with his head on straight. I can't say I agree with all of his opinions or that I'd buy one of his bikes, but I'd ride one. After slamming the stem of course.

Why is Peterson so divisive? He's selling his line of bikes so he's going to hype his own philosophy, and I hear far worse from salesmen all the time ... is it because he has a bigger audience than most?

Rowan

There are people here who ride their bikes for pleasure, leisure, utility, performance, endurance. There are people who ride road bikes, hybrids, MTBs, recumbents, tandems. There are people here who earn a fortune (comparatively) and those who are struggling a little without employment. There are people here who are simply retired.

There are people who eschew the idea of clipless pedals, and equally those who eschew platforms and straps. And there are some who ride all sorts of pedals. Some get on their bikes and ride in the clothes and shoes they are wearing without any special preparation. There are some who enjoy the ritual of getting dressed in bike kit.

There are some who ride to smell the roses, and to meet others on the way. There are some whose objective is to get as fit and fast as possible so they can compete. There are some who ride to lose weight and increase fitness; there are some who have battled enormous odds to just sit on a bike and pedal, whether those odds have been physical, economic or emotional.

Probably more importantly, there are men and women who post here regularly on what they ride, how they ride, and the enjoyment they have received from their riding. And equally importantly, there are people who post from places as diverse as the US, the UK, South Africa, Central America, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Canada.

My point is, that people generally post here about anything to do with cycling and despite the fact they might do it differently from others here, there is general acceptance of what they do and how they do it.

DnvrFox

Great post, Rowan. Thanks.

Dudelsack 

The goal of cycling is now and has always been to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women...