5 Degrees of Separation
04-02-12, 11:35 AM
#1
You gonna eat that?
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5 Degrees of Separation
I think cycling removes 1 degree of separation on average. The cycling community around here cuts a wide swath through the entire socio-economic spectrum. A lot of community leaders can be accessed directly through cycling events (our mayor actually holds a weekly ride from April to October, plus there are several other events where people can rub elbows with movers & shakers).
But even on a less grandiose level, I find that I'm meeting more and more acquaintances at the group rides. Friday's Critical Mass was fairly small by standards of CM rides in other cities; I think we had 80. But a guy that I work with showed up. I haven't really talked too much with him in the past, but now we have that connection.
We typically have 3 or 4 dozen people on our pub crawl rides, and I've closed the gap of separation with several people who post here on BF. I also ran into a woman that I knew in a totally different context previously, when she was in marching band with my son. I think that is one of the cool things about these group rides- they cut through generational barriers. People turn more of a blind eye to a lot of the traditional barriers like age, race, class, gender, when united by riding in a group.
At first I'd be quite surprised by running into people I knew on rides, now it feels normal.
But even on a less grandiose level, I find that I'm meeting more and more acquaintances at the group rides. Friday's Critical Mass was fairly small by standards of CM rides in other cities; I think we had 80. But a guy that I work with showed up. I haven't really talked too much with him in the past, but now we have that connection.
We typically have 3 or 4 dozen people on our pub crawl rides, and I've closed the gap of separation with several people who post here on BF. I also ran into a woman that I knew in a totally different context previously, when she was in marching band with my son. I think that is one of the cool things about these group rides- they cut through generational barriers. People turn more of a blind eye to a lot of the traditional barriers like age, race, class, gender, when united by riding in a group.
At first I'd be quite surprised by running into people I knew on rides, now it feels normal.
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I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi 
"However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
04-02-12, 12:02 PM
#2
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Originally Posted by Doohickie
now it feels normal.
Was CM 80 people? I figured it was at least a good 50+. That was a fun ride. My wife will enjoy that and the night riders, if I can ever get her riding further than around the block.
My favorite quote was after the CM ride, when I was asking around to see if anyone was pedaling home in my direction, and someone replied: "This is Texas, we drive to ride our bikes!". The funniest things are that way because they have an element of truth to them.
04-03-12, 05:19 AM
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One of the reasons i don't do events is that i would need to drive to them. We need a bus company that caters to cyclists and events. Further reducing the separation
Last edited by Jamesw2; 04-03-12 at 05:20 AM. Reason: spelling
04-03-12, 11:21 AM
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Cycling is not unlike other group activities in this regard. Join an athletic league/amateur sports team, get involved in group community activities, participate in continuing education at a local college or junior college, ....
04-04-12, 08:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Yo Spiff
My favorite quote was after the CM ride, when I was asking around to see if anyone was pedaling home in my direction, and someone replied: "This is Texas, we drive to ride our bikes!". The funniest things are that way because they have an element of truth to them.
Can't HELP but laugh at that degree of ridiculous.
04-05-12, 11:28 AM
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Turns out Kevin Bacon & wife Kyra Sedgwick are distant cousins ... https://www.people.com/people/article...6pLid%3D149468
04-17-12, 09:37 AM
#7
You gonna eat that?
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Originally Posted by Looigi
Cycling is not unlike other group activities in this regard. Join an athletic league/amateur sports team, get involved in group community activities, participate in continuing education at a local college or junior college, ....
__________________
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
