Cycling and Character
 

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?

I don't know, did Bernie madoff ride a bike?

How would you know they are 'serious' or 'avid'? A criminal is likely not to tell you the truth. Lots of criminals ride bikes, whether or not they tell you they are a serious rider or you find out for yourself, but I usually don't approach someone on a bike and ask if they are a serious cyclist I tend to mind my own business lol. If you are just talking about folks who are so into a particular sport that they can compete at a high level, then I'd say generally the same logic can be applied to most sports of this type. I don't think you'll find a pro marathoner, triathlete, swimmer, etc who is a career criminal or something like that lol, criminals are usually more about trying not to work hard.

So I guess the most relevant question is: how many people do you know that meet your description (below) that AREN'T cyclists?

I don't personally know too many career criminals, brazen thieves, jail birds, people who steal so much that they don't have a real job... regardless of whether they are cyclists or not.

Or, as someone else pointed out: maybe I do! But if so, most of them do a pretty good job of hiding it.

Snot-rocketing? Is that frowned upon?

In general almost everyone is a good person with some quirks (unless you interpet threat levels from the news). Are avid cyclists a slightly higher percentage? Probably no more then avid anyone's, The same for avid RC plane flyers, people with different education, income, family history, and any other number of social/economical factors. That being said, I don't trust or not trust anyone differently at face value regardless of any of the above. I will leave my phone or laptop out on an Amtrak train or a plane and walk away but I'd never do that on the subway or a mall food court.

I've rarely if ever met a true criminal. Maybe what's happening is that the shared interest in cycling has exposed you to a wider variety of people, and you're finding that most people are generally decent.

On the Nice, side..
 

Then Again,


One character, I read, rode to watch a World cup match

from his home in India, to Russia, where the games are.

Don't they say that "Hard Work builds Character"?

I think cyclists are a mixed lot. Some good, some not so much. Some a bit arrogant.

Watch the side of the road and trails for discarded bike tubes. Hard to say where those discarded CO2 cartridges are coming from. perhaps some are cyclists.

Setting aside Charles Manson's three Giro wins . . . how often do you hear about someone doing a double century, then breaking into random cars in the parking lot? Not too often.

Seriously though, is anyone gonna tell me that a group of serious motorcyclists, will have no greater incidence of criminals in it than a group of ultra-marathon cyclists? I don't buy that for a second.

"serious cyclist" is what i have a problem with. i consider tourists and commuters to be serious cyclists. i once fixed a bike for a guy who had just gotten out of prison. a few months later he murdered a prostitute. maybe he wasnt serious....

:foo:

There is a lot of suspicion towards those cyclists living under bridges with a large stash of bicycles and bike parts.

As far as motorcyclists... i don't know. There is a group of fat fifty year old motorcyclists... look tough on the road on the weekends, but holding down high paying day jobs during the week.

I know lots of guys who buy inexpensive bikes from Wal-Mart that are as hard core as any "expert" who just has too much money too blow. Is anyone who isn't a pretentious elitist just another criminal ? Harsh....

Assuming you are a cyclist (you are on BF!), you are implying you are of good character.

But isn't it a sign of a good character to not describe oneselves as "good", but let others judge?

How am I the first to say this.....ummmm....Lance Armstrong. :p

exactly. Let's now list off the dozens(hundreds) of pro cyclists who have systemically cheated race after race and year after year.
straight up lying to sponsors, competitors, fans, governing bodies, and the government.
effectively stealing from others by taking their potential for endorsements and money from placing well.

year after year after year.

I ran a yellow light the other day..........................

monster!

depends how you look at it. In those years, maybe even now, if everyone of them in the TdF where clean results would have probably been the same. Lance did work his tail off too. He didn't just dope and win it.

hey,,, green means go,,, yellow means go faster....

Op, I know a lot of "serious/avid cyclists" and none of them is a criminal (that I know at least). But 2 or 3 of them could be what's commonly called a bad person.

Those discarded CO2 cartridges are coming from serious cyclists.

Lance Armstrong. There. I said it.

You left out targeting detractors and trying to ruin their lives. Oh. Wait. Only Lance did that. Never mind.

I knew one that turned out to be a thief.