Doug64

As my wife and I were riding along the beautiful Main River Route in Central Germany an older couple passed us. They were typical of many European bike tourists; gray haired, dressed in street clothes, one pannier each, and riding what we call comfort bikes here in the States.

I am not a gear snob, contrary to what my wife says, but I do take note of what people are riding. For instance, on this trip I observed that out of the hundreds or touring bikes we saw, only 5 of the obvious touring bikes had drop bars.

The first thing I thought of was how much easier it would be for them if they were riding modern touring bikes rather than old utility bikes. Changing the bullhorn bars for flat bars will change the aerodynamics, and will look a lot better too. Everyone knows that replacing those heavy fat tires with light, narrow, kevlar-beaded slicks will noticeably decrease rolling resistance, increasing speed, and reducing weight.

Thinking about the couple, I couldn’t help but wonder if their enjoyment and efficiency could be improved by incorporating some of the wisdom I have acquired over the years. The first and most obvious area was appropriate cycling clothes. How can you ride all day wearing “golf” clothes; polo shirt, slacks, jeans or Bermuda shorts for the men, and similar attire for the women? I would bet that they both would be much more comfortable in padded shorts; and just think how handy those three pockets on a full zip jersey are. While we are discussing attire, a pair of gel-padded cycling gloves would certainly be a welcome addition.

I’ll bet that they would also really be thankful for the boost in pedaling efficiency and comfort gained by replacing their sneakers with cycling shoes. Adding toe-clips and straps has the potential to add miles to their touring day.

As my wife and I cruised along, I was wondering how I could share some of my hard earned touring wisdom with this couple. I finally decided it really didn’t matter because I don’t think I could catch up to them anyway.

imi

Haha! 😂 Love the last line! Well played, sir!

Tourist in MSN

Yup, been there.

alo

You can make suggestions to people, but accept that some people may see things differently to you. I listen to suggestions from people. Sometimes I get good ideas from them. Sometimes I don't agree. When I suggest things to other people, it is ok if they have a different opinion.

I choose to do things differently to you. For example:

I ride a fat bike. You may tell me thinner tires will reduce rolling resistance. Where I am fat tires actually result in less rolling resistance overall, because of mud, sand and rough tracks. I am sure there are some patches of mud that I ride through, that you couldn't ride through on your bike.

Let's say you and I were both riding on good cycling paths, where the fat bike has no advantage. I would probably choose to have a less expensive bike than you. Not because I can't buy an expensive bike, but because a less expensive bike is good enough for me. If it's performance is not quite as good as your bike, I don't care.

I prefer strength with a bike, not light weight.

I wear regular clothes, and have a comfortable seat. If I have a little more wind resistance, I don't care. If I go a little slower, I don't care. I am not racing, or trying to set speed records. It is personal opinion as to what looks better.

I can't speak for the people you saw. They may or may not have already thought it through, and be happy with how they do things. They may have learnt from your ideas.

djb

Nice morning smile there Doug, danke

keeping regularly active and enjoying oneself no matter what we do or how we do it is the real kicker isn't it in life?

andrewclaus

Yes, nice story, great twist.

Amen to this. I was passed the other day on a long climb (Mt Lemmon from Tucson) by a guy (half my age) on a racing rig. I was on my touring bike, wearing comfortable clothes and hiking shoes, with extra clothing and lunch in a pannier, making a day of the 75 mile round trip to the summit. I bet he could have given me all sorts of advice on how to ride faster and more efficiently. As he passed, making it look effortless, I told him, "Man, I wish I could do that." He replied, "You are!" Nicest thing another cyclist has ever said to me.

Indigo82

They're enjoying their life. That's what I see. Those were the times when cycling was cheap and fun. Brings me back to childhood. Not focused on the gear but on little joys. Simple. I think they reached wisdom. As long as we have each other it's all we need and nothing else that money can buy because money can't buy what we need anyways. Perhaps, they could have told you something wise too

downtube42

Nice!

Cycling as a normal part of a normal life, rather than cycling as a more sporting activity undertaken by enthusiasts.

Doug64

I hope you all know that this was written tongue-in cheek. Only the first two paragraphs are true! OK, maybe there may have been some truth in the last sentence

Papa Tom

I absolutely LOVED this story.

Although not quite as old as the folks in the picture, I am them in many ways. As I've matured, I have learned to respect others' need for speed, style, and efficiency, but I've become a lot more comfortable with my own choice NOT to pursue any of those things when I'm on two wheels.

DeadGrandpa

And you absolutely nailed it. The best part of the story, the real art of telling the story, is the build-up. Well done.