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Post #3:  Silly things cyclist say.  Tammy and I went for a gravel ride.  While on the ride, Tammy made a comment about how he was "Overbiked" in contrast to my bike.  The "Overbiked" and "Underbiked" comments and usage have always made me look at people weirdly.  Tammy's usage was fine, he was commenting on his own equipment and making a comparison to himself.  Often times when I hear those phrases it is another person, providing their opinion to another to what they should ride.  I find that to be rude and absurd.  The person making the comment is making a lot of assumptions.  And really the only person whom it matters to is the rider.  Let people ride what they want to an extent.  I can see reasons for regulating bikes styles and genres if you are Pro.  But for the remainder of us recreational riders, who really cares?   Making those comments often turn other people off, and give even more credence as to why cycling is bourgeoise activity.   

    If we truly want to grow cycling, we often times should keep our opinions to ourselves.  I use to be (still am) the guy, that gave unwanted advice.  I have been that person, and really, it was me being insecure and showing off how well read I was on the most current marketing.  As I age, I am finding ways to silently help others out, and not make a big production of it.  So if you find yourself critiquing another persons bike, maybe you should pause.  I am pausing a lot lately, and I let the urge pass.  I often find what I was going say was not helpful to begin with.  
       In closing, I am of the opinion, we are unwittingly subjected to marketing of the cycling companies.  I use to drink the sugar water from a certain brand and thought I needed their next bike and or widget.  Their marketing was really good.  That plays into the silent competition we find ourselves in.  Hence why I think cyclist get into comparison matching and being more concerned about what others are doing.  When in the end, we should each be focused on drawing the maximum amount of fun behind the bars we are riding at that moment.  

Comments

  1. bluecolnagoApril 22, 2021 at 8:16 AM

    You might want to consider a Surly. Surlys make you smile.

    Once upon a time, in a different life, I published a "cycling" blog. It was a lot of fun, mostly. Then a couple of my cycling friends told me that blogs were so last year, that I needed to move over to facebook. I think that was about 12 years ago. The world has never been the same. Perhaps blogging is better?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NY RollApril 22, 2021 at 9:12 AM

      so far yes, facebook leads to knee jerk reactions and self gratification.

      Delete

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