Eric This is a point well made. I also feel there is not only elitism in some cycling circles but distain for cycling as well. Either biking is for the well-heeled with the lean composite racers ridden by people unashamed to wear gaudy spandex they wouldn't otherwise wear in public without their bike nearby.
Then there are those who buy bicycles for kids as toys to get the pre-driving kids out of the house. By extension, mountain biking is pleasure biking for big kids playing king of the mountain. Then there are those who feel that cyclists are too cheap to have automobiles or have lost their license for some shameful reason. Somewhere in the middle cycling ought to be promoted as a practical mode of transportation as well as an acceptable means of tourism and recreation without appearing recklessly spendthrifty, reckless in traffic or reckless on the trails. And if some people are serious in adapting a more "European" regard for cycling, then serious long term (generations) promotion is needed to compete against the auto which offers 'more appearent' speed, safety and security. That promotion has to come from all participants and benefactors of cycling, such as yourself in your Ripon Race. Municipalities can provide safe routes. Businesses can set up accessible bike racks. Charity rides can be more frequent affordable, doable events with different themes or style of bikes, bike manufacturers and retailers publishing catalogs and books on practical cycling, and magazines promoting commuter, touring, and alternative cycling instead of the emphasis on carbons frames and suspensions. While I have a traditional steel diamond-frame hybrid bike, I'm intrigued with recombents and velomobiles. And as "liberal" as Madison seems to be for some people, there is an orthodoxy in cycling here. Where we may differ in opinion is how government spends the money for transportation and cycling. Let the discussions continue. --- Eric Westhagen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > "Bikies of Madison" > > Dear Group, > > Let me explain my view of the "bicycle culture" as I > have observed it in my > area during the past thirty years: First let me say > that as children we > all rode the fat tired "Schwin-type" bicycles and in > the mid-1950s English > bikes were "re-introduced" to America. But there > was NO adult bicycle > riding in the villages and towns of Wisconsin except > possibly a few factory > workers with lunch pails. > > In the late 1970s a form of professional sanctioned > bicycling for young > adults appeared in a highly organized form. > Bicycles costing thousands of > dollars put us in awe wondering how each screw > might cost hundreds? These > were the Italian bicycles and the riders traveled to > towns like Ripon on > prearranged circuits of criterium riding. This was > the time of the Eric > Heidens and what seemed an aristocratic form of > "sanctioned" riding. Our > local papers never explained the rules or if this > form of riding was open > to anybody local. But the Ripon "service clubs" > donated their time and > streets were closed and local businesses donated > much prize money. Riders > came with vans equipped for servicing riders as > though it were the Tour de > France and in actuality was as distant in concept to > Ripon as the "Tour" > itself. Eventually an evening riding group formed > in Ripon and was well > attended once a week by an adult group. But this > group was well equipped. > And their conversation was continually about newer > and lighter equipment. > Our primary surgeon killed himself by riding up our > area's steepest hill > with a heart condition. But here also there was > hardly a bicycle worth > less than a thousand dollars. I bought Gregg > LeMond's book and took up his > training methods and wanted to race at some level on > a personal basis. But > there were no races that I could find. There were > touring "centuries" and > their were a few "charity races." I raced in one > expensive race and did > well only to find the organizers say they didn't > bother to keep time on > those over thirty years of age! > > How could an adult find a goal in their bicycle > training--a goal of speed > and endurance and not merely of "touring miles?" In > fact a person could > not even train on the adult Ripon weekly club rides > because the weekly > course was never disclosed --even as we "started out > into the wind." It > was made clear that speed would not be tolerated and > that "group touring" > was the only goal. > > So, sixteen years ago I determined that I must > create a type of race for > "individuals" of any age who might ride on ANY FORM > OF BICYCLE. I had > known about a Ripon Champion from the days of > "League of American Wheelmen" > in the "First bicycle craze" of the 1890s. Twice > champion, "Louis Reed", a > Ripon College student was champion when the State > Bicycle Championships > were held on a horse track in Ripon. There is now a > municipal park where > that horse track stood. The following year I > organized the "Louis Reed Ten > Mile Time Trial Race" starting on the site of the > 1890s races. I > determined the race would be free, carefully timed, > open to all ages riding > on any equipment. A personal racer competed with > himself year after year. > I found volunteers for all the corners on the ten > miles heading off toward > Fairwater and back in a loop. The Athletic Director > of Ripon College has > volunteered as time keeper all these years and my > other volunteers have > continued. Unfortunately, there does not seem much > of a need for this > form of race. Nobody from Madison has ever > appeared. A professional rider > from Wauwatosa, though, has come up each year > since the beginning and has > called this race refreshing since it is not about > money--and he has done > this even when our race gets under way about quarter > after eight on the > second Sunday in July. This year the date will > be----Sunday, July 8 at > Barlow Park at the South edge of Ripon. We have > always been listed on > "Silent Sport"'s calendar but in some years we have > fewer riders than our > "volunteers!" This declining and specialized high > priced interest in the > bicycle is the SYSTEMIC PROBLEM. > > We have "aristocratic adult sports." Triathletes > need thousands and spend > thousands on their sport. Even runners don't dare > running without hundred > dollar shoes for their foot protection. No wonder > the average motorist > thinks the bicycle is not for the common man! The > sport's only promotion > is done by bicycle makers and bicycle stores. And > the events are most > likely organized around some disease and, once > again, an average family > cannot afford such a charity donation. Only the > upper middle class > associates with the bicycle in Wisconsin. I say > Wisconsin because I saw a > different circumstance in Seattle this Christmas. > In the "Louis Reed Ten > Mile Time Trial" in 2006, there was a fellow riding > a mountain bike and > aged over sixty who averaged better than twenty > miles per hour over the > course! And the first four miles is upgrade and > most often into the SW > wind on those Sunday mornings. > > The bike should be for everybody. Those with money > and Treck triathlon > bikes have a place as do children and the middle > aged desiring a degree of > fitness for life and who are not concerned about > equipment. But I fear > that my "volunteers" for the LOUIS REED annual race > in Ripon will finally > toss in the sponge when they see the decline of > interest in our truly free > "race for everybody." > > Eric Westhagen > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies > _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
