The commuter thread for the rest of us!
06-23-15, 08:26 AM
#126
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You aren't being ostracized at all. I've been on BF for a while now, and in that time the commuting forum has really morphed from being a place where roadies talked about how they rode to work
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I see this thread as just a place where the more sportfully-minded commuters are talking about what they do. I suppose it could have been better titled, although mostly because it provided too easy an opportunity for Defender Of The People ILTB to fly in here and go through his usual routine of accusing anyone who doesn't ride like he does of being Smug Serious Cyclists. Not that a better title would have stopped him but whatever.
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My point was more that people make such a big deal about fenders, and how miserable those without them must be, that you would think that they have magical water-repelling qualities. With any luck I will one day have a more dedicated commuter bike (still a road bike, though), and that bike will certainly have full fenders. In the meantime, I do without or preferably with clip-on fenders, and it's really not so bad. That's in good measure because, yeah, I'm wearing spandex for my commute right now.
[Skip]
I see this thread as just a place where the more sportfully-minded commuters are talking about what they do. I suppose it could have been better titled, although mostly because it provided too easy an opportunity for Defender Of The People ILTB to fly in here and go through his usual routine of accusing anyone who doesn't ride like he does of being Smug Serious Cyclists. Not that a better title would have stopped him but whatever.
[Skip]
My point was more that people make such a big deal about fenders, and how miserable those without them must be, that you would think that they have magical water-repelling qualities. With any luck I will one day have a more dedicated commuter bike (still a road bike, though), and that bike will certainly have full fenders. In the meantime, I do without or preferably with clip-on fenders, and it's really not so bad. That's in good measure because, yeah, I'm wearing spandex for my commute right now.
Thanks for thinking about me.
BTW, it doesn't take "luck" to have a have a more dedicated commuter bike, or a bike with full fenders, or any other type of desired bicycling equipment.
06-23-15, 08:31 AM
#127
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You would think that if any group could reject dogmatism, it would be bike commuters.
06-23-15, 09:04 AM
#128
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This whole thread smells. Why am I ostracized for not wanting a sweaty back, wanting to be easily seen at a distance, and not wanting to be in an aero tuck during my commute? I definitely don't pedal at a relaxed pace on my 7 mile commute, despite my riding a 40lb city bike. Average heart rate of 150bpm.
Do you drive a Ferrari to the supermarket? No, you take the hatchback.
Do you drive a Ferrari to the supermarket? No, you take the hatchback.
06-23-15, 09:19 AM
#129
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06-23-15, 12:06 PM
#130
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But the OP and your post and this thread indicate that there are still those posters who are roadies talking about how they ride and like to think of themselves as being something special because of their bicycling equipment; ya know -"the rest of us."
Thanks for thinking about me.
BTW, it doesn't take "luck" to have a have a more dedicated commuter bike, or a bike with full fenders, or any other type of desired bicycling equipment.
Thanks for thinking about me.
BTW, it doesn't take "luck" to have a have a more dedicated commuter bike, or a bike with full fenders, or any other type of desired bicycling equipment.
Taken at face value, and I'm not sure why you'd take it any other way, it simply means that some of us commute on bikes other than the stereotypical commuter bike.
What do you mean by "roadie"? Is that anyone who ever rides a road bike? Track bikes included? Someone who races road bikes? Are you only a roadie if you're riding a road bike at the time? Or perhaps it's a state of mind and it doesn't matter what you ride?
To be honest, I do take a little pride in commuting by bike. Should I not? It's not always the easy choice but I do it anyway for my health and environmental concerns.
When I was actively competing in triathlons, I was also proud of what I was able to do and the level of fitness I achieved, though I wish I were a lot better than I was. I'm sure my choice of commuting bikes are influenced by my recreational cycling activities (past and present). So what? It's what I like. It may or may not be different in 10 years.
Last edited by tjspiel; 06-23-15 at 12:39 PM.
06-23-15, 12:21 PM
#132
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06-23-15, 12:22 PM
#133
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06-23-15, 12:59 PM
#134
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What the OP is trying to say is that if you ride a track bike to work, you will be mistreated and shunned by real bike commuters. Probably true. I often conspire with other "real" commuters to do just that. All it takes is a quick nod of the head and we're off. We work together to either drop the offender, or make him do all the work up front. We intentionally lean our "real" commuter bikes against the offender's bike in the rack, without regard to scratching his paint job. Derisive, rude and mocking comments and sneering at stoplights are all too common. You're just going to have to get used to it.
06-23-15, 02:04 PM
#135
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But the OP and your post and this thread indicate that there are still those posters who are roadies talking about how they ride and like to think of themselves as being something special because of their bicycling equipment; ya know -"the rest of us."
Thanks for thinking about me.
BTW, it doesn't take "luck" to have a have a more dedicated commuter bike, or a bike with full fenders, or any other type of desired bicycling equipment.
Thanks for thinking about me.
BTW, it doesn't take "luck" to have a have a more dedicated commuter bike, or a bike with full fenders, or any other type of desired bicycling equipment.
And no, it does not take luck. Pardon my use of colloquial English. It does take money, and I've got priorities that are not adding yet another bicycle to my collection. Pardon for me for making the wrong decision, I've been too busy thinking about how special I am to distribute my spending money correctly.
06-23-15, 02:13 PM
#136
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Seriously, what implies that anyone thinks of themselves as something special? The phrase "the rest of us"?
Taken at face value, and I'm not sure why you'd take it any other way, it simply means that some of us commute on bikes other than the stereotypical commuter bike.
What do you mean by "roadie"? Is that anyone who ever rides a road bike? Track bikes included? Someone who races road bikes? Are you only a roadie if you're riding a road bike at the time? Or perhaps it's a state of mind and it doesn't matter what you ride?
To be honest, I do take a little pride in commuting by bike. Should I not? It's not always the easy choice but I do it anyway for my health and environmental concerns.
When I was actively competing in triathlons, I was also proud of what I was able to do and the level of fitness I achieved, though I wish I were a lot better than I was. I'm sure my choice of commuting bikes are influenced by my recreational cycling activities (past and present). So what? It's what I like. It may or may not be different in 10 years.
Taken at face value, and I'm not sure why you'd take it any other way, it simply means that some of us commute on bikes other than the stereotypical commuter bike.
What do you mean by "roadie"? Is that anyone who ever rides a road bike? Track bikes included? Someone who races road bikes? Are you only a roadie if you're riding a road bike at the time? Or perhaps it's a state of mind and it doesn't matter what you ride?
To be honest, I do take a little pride in commuting by bike. Should I not? It's not always the easy choice but I do it anyway for my health and environmental concerns.
When I was actively competing in triathlons, I was also proud of what I was able to do and the level of fitness I achieved, though I wish I were a lot better than I was. I'm sure my choice of commuting bikes are influenced by my recreational cycling activities (past and present). So what? It's what I like. It may or may not be different in 10 years.
06-23-15, 02:17 PM
#137
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What the OP is trying to say is that if you ride a track bike to work, you will be mistreated and shunned by real bike commuters. Probably true. I often conspire with other "real" commuters to do just that. All it takes is a quick nod of the head and we're off. We work together to either drop the offender, or make him do all the work up front. We intentionally lean our "real" commuter bikes against the offender's bike in the rack, without regard to scratching his paint job. Derisive, rude and mocking comments and sneering at stoplights are all too common. You're just going to have to get used to it.
06-23-15, 02:26 PM
#138
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I'm all confused, lately I've been commuting on a drop bar road bike.....that has fenders and a rack.....and weights 40 odd pounds.
I don't know where I fit in.....I need a hug.
I don't know where I fit in.....I need a hug.
06-23-15, 08:14 PM
#140
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But it is a major plank of the ILTB platform that anyone who takes any pride in their riding or has any interest in riding past going down to the corner to get a gallon of milk is morally suspect if they don't feel sufficiently ashamed of themselves. Heck, you don't even have to indicate that you think you're special - all you have to do to get the Scarlet S is admit that you sometimes like riding a bike for fun.
06-23-15, 08:16 PM
#141
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I'm merely pointing out that some drivers and cyclists are not luddites. I appreciate the improvements in function, comfort, and sustainability that technology offers. YMMV.
06-23-15, 08:19 PM
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You fit in fine because there are dozens of threads singing praises of this style of bike without a single critical comment (the surly cc thread is one massive example). Meanwhile, a single thread singing the praises of lighter bikes attracts a motherload of butthurt from people who simply cannot accept that some commuters prefer sporty rides.
06-23-15, 08:52 PM
#143
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You fit in fine because there are dozens of threads singing praises of this style of bike without a single critical comment (the surly cc thread is one massive example). Meanwhile, a single thread singing the praises of lighter bikes attracts a motherload of butthurt from people who simply cannot accept that some commuters prefer sporty rides.
06-23-15, 09:35 PM
#144
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I don't think anybody, including myself, find fault with anybody's preference for this or that kind of bicycle equipment. The issue here is that the OP did not sing praise for the kind of bike equipment he likes but rather chose to start off by establishing his (and the rest of us) bona fides by spouting derision at those who use equipment different than that he and "the rest of us" do not prefer; i.e. his desire to establish the special status of "The commuters who don't run fenders or racks, no panniers, no Dynamo hubs, no milk crates bungeed onto a DIY fender made from recycled milk jugs, no high viz green safety vests, no internally geared hubs, etc."
We may not ride the most conventional bikes or have the most conventional ideas, but we ride to work. We use backpacks, messenger backs, laptop bags, and we almost always have a sweaty back.
I have a bike with an IGH, fenders, and a rack. One fender is attached via zip ties. I'm seriously considering a dyno hub for that same bike. I started with a frame and built it from there. I've put more time and money into it than any other bike I own. It's the closest thing I have to a conventional commuter bike and I like it a lot. I was not the tiniest bit offended by the OP.
Of course I'm sympathetic to his point of view because I too prefer simpler/lighter/faster bikes for those occasions when I don't need all the benefits that a more standard commuter bike brings to the table. For me that turns out to be a lot of the time but that doesn't mean I see the simpler bikes as "better" than my commuterish bike.
Last edited by tjspiel; 06-23-15 at 10:33 PM.
06-23-15, 11:03 PM
#145
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Commuters are all equal no matter what bike we ride. We all put ourselves at risk, face the same road hazards and crazy drivers. Whether we ride road bikes at higher speeds or hybrids at lower speeds, the dangers we face are equalizers. I respect all cyclists, independent of what bike they ride, what cycling attire they wear, how fast they ride.
06-23-15, 11:12 PM
#146
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Why so much fuss about it? I commute mostly on my hybrid bike, complete with flat bar, fenders, rack, dynamo hub, IGH, panniers if needed, etc. But sometimes I commute on my slick tire MTB or even on my drop bar road bike with 23 tires.
06-23-15, 11:24 PM
#148
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Less arguing more pictures of gorgeous Felt (and other) road bikes please 
.
.
06-23-15, 11:45 PM
#149
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More than just him. I didn't start the thread to start a war. Just wanted a place for the "rest of us" who don't use the normal commuter bike to be able to chit chat without the non stop "where are the fenders" or "I don't see a rack on that bike" comments that are thrown around like nobodies business.
06-24-15, 08:48 AM
#150
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