We are cyclists. Everyone else rides a bike. How do you know you are serious?

[longworn]

Hi All,

Just wrote this post on 20 ways you know you are a 'serious cyclist'

http://decaironman-training.com/2013/12/18/we-are-cyclists-everyone-else-rides-a-bike-20-ways-you-know-are-serious/

Of course a little tongue in cheek but thought riders here would have some interesting thoughts on how you realize you are 'serious'. Blog was a little inspired by 'The Rules' by Velominati if anyone has read it.

 

[Manu3172]

Ahah, great

 

[RedheadDane]

Well, personally I use cyclist for the people who ride their bike as a regular get-from-A-to-B thing, and bike rider (sometimes with a "pro" in front) for people ride their bike for training (whether or not they compete in races).
Just makes the most sense to me to use the simplest word for the most numourous group.

 

[Stingray34]

This is pretty good, well done!

What I like about your list especially is the fact it is inclusive - it casts a wide and happy net over everyone who loves their cycling lifestyle.

I especially love this one:

Beer always tastes better after a ride.

In contrast, the velominati stuff lives up to its moniker; it's for certain initiates only and reveals a sneeringly condescending attitude to anyone who doesn't ride a bike in the 'right' way, in the 'right' clothes, or uses the 'right' kind of bike in the first place. This is because its values, attitudes and imagery is wholly informed by the professional sport itself, a very minor aspect of the activity of cycling.

The velominati edicts are an attempt to create a mainstream centre around a particular kind of cycling, relegating every other kind of cyclist and cycling activity to the less-valued periphery. Who cares what's 'pro' and what's 'fred'? What's important is that people are riding and loving every minute of it.

I prefer the positive emotions expressed by H.G Wells:

Whenever I see someone riding a bicycle, I feel there's hope for humanity

The velominati isn't merely childish, but exclusive and ugly in a manner similar to the way cyclists as a whole are stigmatized for their choice of transport by another, more dominant and oppressive group: motorists with attitude and a sense of entitlement.

Do some of you guys really wanna stoop to that level?

Apols for rant: nice list and welcome to the forum!

 

[ebandit]

vgood

v good!

girlfriend?...............I have my bike

several pints of beer on a lunch stop is cool...................until the 1st hill
and ones 'clubmates' suddenly are climbing like dat dawg

Mark L

 

[RedheadDane]

Let me see how each of these fits me!

1. You forget all the pain, tears, headwinds, bitter cold, rubbish road surfaces and punishing hills by bedtime after a long morning ride, and start dreaming about the next ride.

Wouldn't say I'm dreaming about the next ride (do my regular rides from A-to-B count here?) but... I can think of things worse than the pain: Being stuck in a bus with a thousand other people*!

*Number might be slightly exaggarated...

2. You can never get to work before 8:00am, but have no problem in getting up (and going to bed early) for a 5:30am ride. This situation may also lead to you being smug in your own head as you leave the pub earlier and start dreaming about the beast of a ride tomorrow.

True. Class at 8:00 am is inhumanly early! Getting up at 6:00 am to go for a ride; no problem! Almost...

3. You have more cycling jerseys than work shirts. You are proud of this fact.

Naah... I just cycle in my regular clothes. However, I don't really have "work shirts" either...

4. Whenever anybody mentions distance you immediately think of how long it would take to cycle it. You also mutter hush judgement on anyone that complains on the effort of a 3 hour drive.

I've had a period where everywhere I went was "about fifteen minutes by bike". I'm still counting in (estimated) bike-time, bit more differentiated now...

5. Your bike is worth more than your car and yet you are looking for another one, because that is your commuter one.

Obviously since I don't have a car. I'm... sorta looking for a new bike, but mostly because the one I have now is over 10 years old, and I sometimes fear it'll fall apart randomly when I least expect it.

6. You think about each hill profile as a cyclist, even when you are driving in a car.

Naah Again; I don't drive. I just like to pretend I'm a pro every time I go uphill (which is, fairly often...)

7. There is nothing odd about having bikes in your living room, no matter how many times it is explained to you. Additionally 8/10s of all washing you do involves cycling gear.

Yes it is. And no it doesn't!

8. You diet to raise your weight to power ratio

No I don't.

9. You ride on a dedicated indoor cycling trainer not to stay fit but to maximize your workouts in the mad brawl of modern life

No I don't!

10. You find out you are going to have a child and the first thing you think about is how you will schedule your rides to avoid divorce.

If I was gonna have a child I think I'd have to stop riding at one point...

11. You work out whether your holiday destination is near a category 1-2 cycling hill and whether you will get away with bringing your bike in the luggage. Will your girlfriend even notice?

Never been one for travelling on my Holidays. Also; I'm straight...

12. When camping your bike stays with you in the tent.

100 years since I last went camping.

13. Your boss shouts out you in work…..you grin…..you know that on a bike he would be no match

I don't really have a boss...

14. You complain that domestic chores are too much effort and argue the case for a maid. All this as you escape the dwelling on your bike for a century ride.

Domestic chores are something you have to do. Riding your bike is something you choses to do.

15. You spend the evening in a mood because you wimped out on pushing harder on your FTP session

Naah...

16. As long as you can get your dream bike, you are making enough money. Notably when you go shopping with the girlfriend you always excuse yourself and make a break for the closest bike store.

I obviously don't make enough money!
Still straight btw...

17. Your social calendar works around your ride calendar/training Schedule.

Naah...

18. Beer always tastes better after a ride.

So that's what I have to do in order to get to like beer?
I see no need to getting to like beer.

19. No matter how productive a day has been, it is second to one in which you have achieved a good ride.

I'm sorta undecided on this one.

20. As long as you are going faster on the bike who cares that you have smaller arms than your little sister.

I know neither who's the fastest on a bike, nor who has the biggest arms of me and my little sister.

 

[kielbasa]

21. Going downhill you have a compulsion to get in a tuck position behind the steering wheel.

No joke!

 

[the delgados]

Many years ago, when I decided I wanted to race bikes, I was inspired by a quote from Davis Phinney. He said you cannot consider yourself a cyclist until you ride a 40 km time trial in under an hour.
I remember thinking of him the time I made the cut with four seconds to spare.
I know it's not an earth shattering time, but I have to admit it was a proud moment.

 

[longworn]

Thanks for all your comments riders! Really appreciate it. Just writing a piece on the best responses from around the web,twitter, forums to this post - some funny lines!

 

[MarkvW]

You know you're a cyclist when you ignore a cycle-tourist's hello because you're totally immersed in your own experience.

 

[RedheadDane]

21. Going downhill you have a compulsion to get in a tuck position behind the steering wheel.

No joke!

My reaction:

LoL! Me too!
Wait...
In your car?

 

[Boeing]

when The women in your neighborhood ask you for leg shaving tips

 

[avanti]

#22, You buy a car in which you can transport your bike(s).
I bought a Honda Odyssy for that reason - will carry 4 bikes and 4 riders (bit squashed for two of the riders).

 

[Pandora]

#22, You buy a car in which you can transport your bike(s).
I bought a Honda Odyssy for that reason - will carry 4 bikes and 4 riders (bit squashed for two of the riders).

I'm with you on this one

And the trunk size and its shape (no bulges, sufficient height) are the first things to check when I/we even remotely consider buying a new car.

 

[ebandit]

ha Ha!

cars?................you're kidding me

if I'm offered a lift i always decline..............I would sooner walk/cycle however far

Mark L

 

[VeloFidelis]

You know you're a cyclist when you ignore a cycle-tourist's hello because you're totally immersed in your own experience.

I thought that was how you knew you were an a$$hole!

 

[alitogata]

You know that you are a serious cyclist when you friends call you "statistical error"... A friend of mine called me this way the other day because he said I'm woman, above 45, I don't own a car and I cycle every day in a city that very few prefer to do so..
As for the rest on the blog... same as RedheadDane said above: most of them don't fit me, but everyone has his/her own cycling habits and manners..

 

[GrilledFish]

You know you're a cyclist when you ignore a cycle-tourist's hello because you're totally immersed in your own experience.

You know you’re a cyclist when a person riding at a faster pace passes you, and it doesn't bother you at all - even if they are a girl.

 

[rhubroma]

Many years ago, when I decided I wanted to race bikes, I was inspired by a quote from Davis Phinney. He said you cannot consider yourself a cyclist until you ride a 40 km time trial in under an hour.
I remember thinking of him the time I made the cut with four seconds to spare.
I know it's not an earth shattering time, but I have to admit it was a proud moment.

This. Ok, this.

 

[VeloFidelis]

You know you’re a cyclist when a person riding at a faster pace passes you, and it doesn't bother you at all - even if they are a girl.

Thank you... you are a cyclist. Pretenders should take note.

 

[brucelee]

We haven't lost the ability to laugh at ourselves right guys?

Always remember to keep it pro!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t7fpG8Y-EM

 

[stainlessguy1]

21. Going downhill you have a compulsion to get in a tuck position behind the steering wheel.

No joke!

reason 22 , watching a Giro video on a descend stage while riding rollers and you ride over the "O" ring a lot .

reason 23 , you ride off the rollers while watching Cancellara descend .

reason 24 , you are watching Giro footage and lean in your chair while eating pasta at the dinner table during the mountain stages. (pasta misses plate )

 

[RedheadDane]

reason 24 , you are watching Giro footage and lean in your chair while eating pasta at the dinner table during the mountain stages. (pasta misses plate )

Are you basically saying your pasta had a crash off the plate?

 

[stainlessguy1]

Are you basically saying your pasta had a crash off the plate?

lmao , never thought of it that way .
Actually no , the pasta didn't crash , it missed the plate .
Let me try to explain this , so if your leaning and you shove a lot of pasta in your mouth like I do , and then bite the excess off , it normally would fall onto the plate again . But if your leaning so hard to make a cyber corner just perfect then your head is no longer over the plate and crunch splat; Noodles sauce and all .

 

[kielbasa]

reason 22 , watching a Giro video on a descend stage while riding rollers and you ride over the "O" ring a lot .

reason 23 , you ride off the rollers while watching Cancellara descend .

reason 24 , you are watching Giro footage and lean in your chair while eating pasta at the dinner table during the mountain stages. (pasta misses plate )

25. You don't listen to music or watch videos while training indoors. It all plays out in your head in HD Technicolor and slowmotion w/instant replay. Real cyclists don't use distractions because training is NOT BORING!