PimpMan

I call them "wanna be tour de-france riders" i see every day a few who dress fancy expensive riding clothes and ride bikes that cost more than grand and ride as if they trying to set world record in speed, (often are running trough red light).

They all are skinny and probably would be fast riding any bike, but when they invest in lighter bikes this get's them even faster.

Never understood this what this riders are all about, are they try to set world record in speed or something, i doubt that they ever will participating in any cycling sport events.

I know there's such thing as bicycle industry and marketing that popularize this, e.g. fishing industry for example and if you go to fishing store you see thousands of lures, hooks, and different types fancy rods when in reality do you really need to make it so complicated to catch a fish?

I know this is also some kind of popularized thing, but what is it all about?

pdlamb

Is your point that some people dress differently than you, or that they ride faster than you do?

Iride01 

They just like doing something in a manner that you don't. Not much different than anything else. Are we all supposed to act the same and do the same as each other?

Not that I don't understand partly. We had a organized group ride last Saturday and had three or four pacelines of not quite a dozen riders each blow by us like we were standing still. Some of those dropping off the front seemed to miss me by about 3 inches which was a tad annoying.

But why should I be concerned that they don't ride as slow as me?

caloso

(Giving this post the benefit of the doubt that it is not a troll post.)

Why do you doubt that they race?

Trakhak

Which sports should adults be allowed to participate in? Pie-eating contests?

jamesdak 

Sign me up!!!!!!

bOsscO

We just watched 'Stand by Me' with our 12-y/o son and I forgot about the pie-eating contest scene. Classic.

surak

Can't believe the OP missed the obvious answer that every non-cyclist yelling out of a car knows: they're all Lance wannabes.

smashndash

Well... you've certainly come to the right place.

I'd say don't knock it until you've tried it. Riding in a big group with a bunch of strong guys (and gals) all riding very expensive bikes and wearing expensive clothes is a lot of fun. I'm gonna go do it this weekend

You seem to be upset that there exist people who are more passionate, more physically capable and perhaps more wealthy than you. I'd say that you probably have things in your life that you are uniquely passionate about or that you are significantly better than average at. If not... what exactly are you doing out here? Were you born to work, raise ungrateful kids, and die? Maybe try having some fun. It'll take an inordinate amount of time, money and energy, but maybe you'll do something one day that makes you glad you were born.

indyfabz

Depends. What flavor pie?

Rolla

Seems like it's mostly about you making assumptions and judgments about people doing things they like to do.

No one owes you an explanation or cares about your approval.

PimpMan

Does this sport has a name i can read about because i never heard of it.

This actually brings me to the second point i forgot to make - when one is riding for health, not to compete with others.

Whats the actual difference if one ride light bicycle fast with many speeds vs one rides heavier bicycle slower speed, IMO at the end of the day person with heavier bicycle puts more effort into pedaling...

indyfabz

Cycling.

/thread

Rolla

This you?

Trakhak

It's called toasting:

Bearhawker

My neighbour has a Nascar decal on his car.

He doesn't race.

Who do I report him to?

fredlord

If you scroll down the General Cycling Discussion page a little you'll find a whole thread dedicated to just such a discussion.

Trakhak

You're a bit behind in the "What's up with . . . ?" schedule: a thread on precisely that topic in roughly the same words was reintroduced (as usual in the spring) a week ago and is percolating along nicely.

Several other perennial favorites are currently available, though, including "Why don't Tour-de-France-type riders wave back when I wave at them?" and "Why do people waste money buying bikes more expensive/less expensive than mine?" and "Don't spend money on expensive bikes! Losing body weight is free!"

PimpMan

Ahha this image is so false, its someone on steroids or hormones.

Although i get the point you are trying to make, i get compliments for my legs beefy many times and its mostly due to circling.

Of course if you put big legs on "Ectomorph" body type (most fast riders are) this would look disproportionate to the rest of his skinny body.


Thanks this best laugh i had in a while.

msu2001la

I'm more of a "wanna be Giro" type of rider, myself.

Rolla

Apparently, the sport is called circling.

Eric F 

Bicycle racing. The Tour de France - as you referenced in your thread title - is one example of a bicycle racing event. There are many, and quite a lot of variety of different types.

It is possible to do both.

This is false. The weight of your bicycle doesn't change your effort. Weight (among other factors) will change how fast you go with that effort.

HTupolev

This says a lot more about you than about them.

Riding a performant bike in good working order is fun. Non-flappy clothing is fun.

No, if they were trying to maximize speed they'd be on TT bikes. Or recumbents. Or, really, a motorcycle. If they're on a road bike, they probably just like road riding on road bikes.

Why?

People doing what they like doing.

Cycling?

What makes you think they're riding for health, or that health and competition are mutually exclusive reasons to be riding?

If I'm trying to ride fast, and I get on a faster bike, it doesn't make things any easier. I just go faster.

skidder

Did someone say 'pie?'

Those guys on the spendy bikes with matching kit don't bother me except when individually or a group racing down the local MUP, taking up the entire path with no regard to anyone else, and when blowing through stop signs and red lights on city streets. I always hope karma will catch up with those stop sign/red light runners; 'bummer you got clobbered by that car, but you totally blew through that stop sign".

big chainring

"Never understood this what this riders are all about, are they try to set world record in speed or something, i doubt that they ever will participating in any cycling sport events".
I'm with you OP. Although in my neck of the woods there are quite a few old timers, such as myself, that raced at high levels back in the day and just can't give it up. We gotta keep going at it even when we're overweight and slow.