serious cyclist
03-16-17, 08:18 AM
#51
wears long socks
If they don't have a power meter, check for tubular tires. If they have neither, they are not serious... Unless they have a carbon fiber bike. Then they might be. Either way, a power meter is a dead giveaway.
03-16-17, 08:19 AM
#52
Senior Member
When I first heard the expression "serious cyclist" years ago, it was pretty simple. It was what we called any rider we saw wearing cycling-specific kit rather than street clothes.
While that may seem superficial, and like it would allow in folks who are rather dilettantes and dabblers, it is still helpful. To commit to only the trappings of the religion may be a kind of piety without virtue, but it is an outward and visible sign of SOME kind of inward and spiritual seriousness.
Of course this doesn't mean that wearing cycling kit is necessary for a serious cyclist. What is necessary is a level of commitment that would lead the person to do something(s) in a particularly "cyclist way" that requires some sacrifice or additional significant and continuing departure from the ordinary.
While that may seem superficial, and like it would allow in folks who are rather dilettantes and dabblers, it is still helpful. To commit to only the trappings of the religion may be a kind of piety without virtue, but it is an outward and visible sign of SOME kind of inward and spiritual seriousness.
Of course this doesn't mean that wearing cycling kit is necessary for a serious cyclist. What is necessary is a level of commitment that would lead the person to do something(s) in a particularly "cyclist way" that requires some sacrifice or additional significant and continuing departure from the ordinary.
On the other side;
Maybe someone who spends hours trying to decide which tires, bar tape, saddle, or socks to buy? Or someone who thinks about cycling while they are cycling?
03-16-17, 08:20 AM
#53
Erik the Inveigler
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Thank you for the clarification. I'm writing all of this down and making a little cheat sheet to take with me on my next ride. It will be kind of like a little ornithological outing.
03-16-17, 08:26 AM
#54
wears long socks
Just remember, there is no direct correlation between being a serious cyclist, and being fast.
03-16-17, 08:27 AM
#55
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03-16-17, 08:31 AM
#56
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That is not my view.
Last edited by Doge; 03-16-17 at 09:45 AM.
03-16-17, 08:34 AM
#57
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I wnet to bed a bit after this post and asked my wife who the most serious cyclist she knows is. I dropped some old timer names. Pete/Jim Penseyres, Wayne Stetina, Thurlow Rogers, John Howard - all locals that still put in the miles. Without hesitation she said "Brandon" [McNulty]. So her view was to be serious, you needed it to be a profession.
That is not my view.
That is not my view.
03-16-17, 08:44 AM
#58
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I'm with @Heathpack. If you don't ride a Brooks saddle, and if you don't call it a saddle, then you are not a serious cyclist. For myself, I would also require toe clips, but to each her own.
03-16-17, 08:46 AM
#59
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The piston like, stomp, stomp, stomp is how you go faster.
03-16-17, 09:11 AM
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A serious cyclist owns at least one pair of Rapha jeans to don after the ride.
03-16-17, 09:11 AM
#63
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03-16-17, 09:15 AM
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03-16-17, 09:15 AM
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Many people own bicycles but people who ride are cyclists <--- serious.
Welcome to Bike Forums where many are serious bike owners, not cyclists.
Welcome to Bike Forums where many are serious bike owners, not cyclists.
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Keep the chain tight!
03-16-17, 09:22 AM
#67
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I think we need to come up with some sort of empirical rating system for all of this. Something to consider: should we establish something like they have in golf--a handicap--for those people who are called upon to pile up their miles in the more inhospitable climes? I mean, if you live in southern California (just as an example!) it is no challenge at all to rack up those coveted "KOMs" and Strava miles.
Last edited by Scarbo; 03-16-17 at 10:32 AM.
03-16-17, 09:24 AM
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03-16-17, 09:29 AM
#71
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For those average >4000 mi OR >300K ft of elevation per yr:
Tan lines, flat stomach, lean and fit but without significant muscle mass on the upper body....narrow shoulders (looking good in very slim Italian suit...)
It's not unusual for serious cyclists to check out or comment on each others' body shapes, eg, "you must be a good climber.." "good sprinter..."
03-16-17, 09:35 AM
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03-16-17, 09:39 AM
#73
wears long socks
03-16-17, 09:40 AM
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Wearing a cycling hat is the dead giveaway for a serious cyclist. If no cap then not so serious.
