Yes, there is this prescribed notion you have to wear one or the other. I wear from road riding clothes where it makes sense to me (lighter helmet, sunglasses, gloves, bright colored windbreakers/rain jacket), and wear "comfy" clothes where it makes sense (wool tee shirts, wool pants, waterproof hiking shoes, tennis shoes, etc).
I think it's because most of my riding is commuting and recreational, so I make a lot of stops, but I also ride for long periods and for long distances each outing. On Friday, June 8, 2018 at 1:18:44 AM UTC-4, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote: > > How Patrick, > > Well, I *did *warn you to use discretion in reading this account. And > while I did poke fun, the point wasn’t to laugh about people riding what > they want. It is to illustrate (using humor) how the culture has taken the > simplicity of a bike ride and sucked every drop of enjoyment out of it. The > special shoes and special clothes and special bike all worked together to > make the couple’s experience rather miserable. They will never admit this. > Burdened time and time again by their racing-inspired bikes and kit, they, > in saving their grams, knew best. And when Christine orders her new bike, > it will be another racing bike, because the industry told her it’s the best > and she will believe that. Even when her “undercarriage” is flaming from > spending miles in her skimpy saddle. Even when she’s tipped over on the > street, trapped in her pedals. Even when she doesn’t feel she can go to the > museum without a costume change. Even when Dan (an ortho doc) must be > hunched over portaging his backpack because a rack would add precious grams > to his race bike, they will still believe. > > That is why this is so interesting and even amusing. Even when presented > with stark evidence that racing gear is not meant for the majority of > riders, people will still insist it’s the standard. This vignette was just > a plucky little reference to that. > > But yes, I hear you. I’m a believer in freedom and riding what you want. I > just wish people would ignore racing’s influence and ride what MAKES SENSE. > Maybe we’d have more people on bikes if that were the case. What a win that > would be! > > Enjoy your bike and keep on riding! You are an example to us! > > Sent from my iPad > > On Jun 7, 2018, at 8:42 PM, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com <javascript:>> > wrote: > > A good story. But every story needs a counter story. Mine is attached as a > jpeg. > > I've owned 3 Riv Road customs and 5 Rivendells -- Sam and Ram as well as > the customs. I have to say that the one pictured (1999) is the most > comfortable bike I've owned in a long life of buying and flipping bikes; if > someone held a gun to my head and said: "Choose One!", I'd have to choose > this one. > > Note that I ride it in Rapha touring shorts over boxers, when I'm not > riding it in cut off khakis over boxers; no gloves or helment, and in SPDs > (7410s). I have an almost-identical one built up with dyno lights, fenders > (high desert!), and f and r racks for groceries and errands. > > More seriously, I think everyone should ride what he or she likes to ride. > I do know that we are all influenced in our views of "normal" by what we > grew up with; that itself is normal. I got "serious" about cycling about > 1969, age 14 -- perhaps earlier, because I was "hot rodding" my bikes at 12 > and 13 -- and built my first bike from scratch in 1970 (Indian roadster > frame bought at a Nairobi bike shop; donated 700C Czecho steel flip flop > rear, 24" front stolen from my brother's kiddie bike -- no brake fit. I > recall, on home leaves, annoying the owners of Genevan and Parisian news > kiosks by my halting French attempts to identify which cycling sportif mag > I wanted from the vast displays. I also recall scouring the slim selection > of cycling books in the Nairobi public library. > > Let's not be too quick to laugh at others; in my own case, I know I have > plenty to laugh at in myself. > > > > On Thu, Jun 7, 2018 at 8:04 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! < > jonasa...@gmail.com <javascript:>> wrote: > >> I just got off the phone with my sister. She accompanied a married couple >> who are dear friends from out east to Duluth, MN where they hit the bike >> trails and saw all the sights. Heather knows very little about Rivendell, >> but is tolerant of my enthusiasm for all things Grant and Co. When she told >> me this story we laughed until our sides hurt and I knew I had to retell it >> to a sympathetic audience. Now, here is the DISCLAIMER: Some of you like >> racy, skinny, lightweight bikes. Some of you appreciate the roadie life. >> Some of you are partial to drop bars and clipless pedals. And that’s >> lovely, and we are among friends here, but I’m about to poke fun of all >> those things. I don’t mean to offend, but I do so love to laugh, so I hope >> you will forgive me for being offensive this one time, and just giggle with >> me for a bit. If you are feeling gracious, and you like a little satire in >> your life, please do read on! If not, stop HERE... >> >> It was the first morning, and the plan was to hit the bike trails early >> and see some historic sights in the city. Heather dressed in a breezy, >> colorful, summery outfit, and bounded downstairs to the lobby. Christine >> and Dan arrived, looked at Heather, disbelieving and said, “Is that what >> you’re wearing?!” Heather looked back at them, eyes roving over their >> unusual outfits. They were covered in colorful, skin-tight lycra. They >> donned shorts that were oddly padded and somewhat profane, as their >> crotches were accentuated and bulging. Their shoes were weird, and made >> sharp clicks on the tile with every step. “Is that what YOU’RE wearing?!” >> Heather gasped. >> >> Ah, but they are good friends, so everyone shrugged and headed out the >> door. They made their way to their bikes, where they were about to have >> their next mutual shock. Heather has a lovely red Biria, bedecked with >> racks and a basket and capped with a nice, wide saddle. Hers are romantic, >> swept-back handlebars, and her tires are smartly covered with fenders. She >> has chosen this bike because she has commuted downtown for years in several >> cities and these attributes of the bike are the ones that make sense to >> her. She has never read Grant’s book. She doesn’t care about online forums >> or bike literature. She arrived at these conclusions because she knows that >> they work. Thus, when she looked over at her friends’ carbon racing >> machines, she couldn’t help but gawk. Dan’s bike is a 20 year old carbon >> machine, and Christine’s carbon bike was purchased in October. No fenders. >> No racks (Dan had a giant backpack he was carrying like a pack mule, and >> the day was a sweltering one.). Christine and Dan mounted their bikes and >> suddenly their feet were glued to their pedals. What fresh horror was this? >> My sister kept staring at this couple struggling to release their feet from >> these traps at every intersection and stop. Christine was less skilled at >> this, and at one of their stops she tipped over, padded shorts and all. >> “Why do you use those?” Heather asked incredulously, pointing to the >> pedals. “Oh, these REALLY help with efficiency,” explained Dan, as >> Christine scraped herself off the pavement. >> >> They reached their first destination. There was a lovely waterfall to >> appreciate, so they dismounted and made their way to it. Clickety-clack, >> clickety-clack went the Efficiency Shoes on the boardwalk. The rest of the >> afternoon was much like that, and 25 miles later, so ended the first day. >> >> The next morning found the couple dithering about what to wear. They were >> going out for a nice lunch and to visit a local museum, and the couple was >> in a quandary about their clothes. They were biking so they needed “bike >> clothes.” But they were also planning to do fun, touristy things, so they >> needed “normal clothes.” They didn’t want to wear the clickety-clacks, but >> their pedals called for it. “I don’t know if I can ride my bike without my >> padded shorts,” said Christine. They compromised. They put on normal >> clothing with their clickety-clacks. Then they stuffed extra shoes into >> Dan’s large backpack. They pedaled off, crotches on fire, Dan sweating >> under the weight strapped to his back. >> >> “Why do you have that bike seat if it hurts to ride it?” asked Heather, >> genuinely curious. >> >> “Oh, well, I probably save 5 grams using this one!” crowed Dan, “And you >> may not think that sounds like much, but a few grams here and a few grams >> there really adds up!” >> >> They continued on, where their way was impeded by several puddles. >> Heather lifted her legs up and sailed gleefully through the water, outfit >> intact and free of mud. Oddly, she was alone. She looked back and saw her >> friends, who had come almost to a halt, negotiating their way around the >> puddles. “Do fenders add weight too?” Heather asked. “Yes,” they said. “And >> we don’t really ride around puddles anyway, so we never need them.” >> >> After they got to the museum, they locked their bikes up. Broad daylight, >> to a bike rack, they with cable locks and Heather with a U-lock. When they >> returned, an employee was wheeling Dan’s bike away from the rack, it’s >> cable lock cut and dangling uselessly from the frame. “Hey, that’s my >> bike!” Dan called to the employee. The employee had noticed the cable was >> cut, and being rather astute, she chose to take the bike to safety and was >> heading inside with it. Relieved, Dan took possession of his bike, which >> was about when Christine noticed that hers was nowhere in sight. Poor >> Christine was not so lucky that day. Some dirty rotten thief made off with >> her new bike, and even if it is The Most Disappointing Bike, (and not >> TBBITW) it’s tragic to lose it. There is something raw and personal about >> having something stolen from you. My hopeful mind prompts me that this is >> the opportunity to slide in a good word for Rivendell, now that Christine >> is in the market for a new bike. I should get her phone number. It’s >> probably too soon….yeah, it’s definitely too soon. >> >> As we laughed about poor Christine and Dan (though NOT about the stolen >> bike), Heather marveled, “I have never ridden with anyone who had a race >> bike. I just can’t fathom having a bike that does only one thing. I mean, >> why? They can’t even wear normal clothes! They are in pain every time they >> mount those skimpy saddles and for what? Are we in the Tour de Minnesota? >> Are we saving a whole 30 seconds by leaving off our fenders and wearing the >> clickety-clacks??? And why the rush? I would never bike if that's what I >> had to go through.” >> >> Of course we’ve all read Just Ride, and we’re got Rivendells because we >> subscribe to these theories, but it was rejuvenating to see the velosophy >> worked out in real life. Heather's husband (also a recent victim of bike >> theft) had his first real Rivendell, a 59 Clem L delivered to their local >> bike shop for assembly today. He wasn’t a Rivendell fan either, but they >> were the lone makers of a step-through in his size, so he gave them the >> money. I think they are going to appreciate it even more after this. >> >> Now that you've let me have this one indulgence, please forgive me and >> have a lovely evening. >> >> Leah >> Owner of The Best Bike In the World (TBBITW) >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>. >> To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com >> <javascript:>. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > > > > -- > Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews. > By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching. > Other professional writing services. > http://www.resumespecialties.com/ > Patrick Moore > Alburquerque, New Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique > ************************************************************************** > ************** > *Auditis an me ludit amabilis insania?* > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the > Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this topic, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/V-avoxtDl0g/unsubscribe > . > To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to > rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com > <javascript:>. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > <RE-BUILT 032718.jpg> > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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