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

[kielbasa]

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.

If it is a girl, is it OK to speed up just a bit and stay a few feet back for a while?

 

[stainlessguy1]

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!

oh so now its real cyclists , oh my .
I thought that the thread was about the difference between who is a cyclist and a biker .
Kielbasa , when you get to be my age , you will know every crack , every sewer grate that is on backwards , every bump or hole on every circuit and unless one is totally brain dead , it does become boring .
One needs motivation just to pump up the tires to get on the rollers never mind training. Training is getting up in the morning , and grinding the coffee with the windmill coffee grinder . lol .

However since you mentioned the word training that makes you a hopeful young cyclist , as a biker wouldn't say that .

 

[kielbasa]

oh so now its real cyclists , oh my .
I thought that the thread was about the difference between who is a cyclist and a biker .
Kielbasa , when you get to be my age , you will know every crack , every sewer grate that is on backwards , every bump or hole on every circuit and unless one is totally brain dead , it does become boring .
One needs motivation just to pump up the tires to get on the rollers never mind training. Training is getting up in the morning , and grinding the coffee with the windmill coffee grinder . lol .

However since you mentioned the word training that makes you a hopeful young cyclist , as a biker wouldn't say that .

Do you ride "stainless"? What kind of modern evil is that?! You young people have no respect for tradition.

Seriously though, the OP asks "how do you know you are serious" about cycling? What you described although funny appears to be the opposite of serious. Perhaps you intended that. FYI, I'm way over serious cycling, but I still remember what it was like when I was serious and I wasn't bored on the indoor trainer without movies or music. Tracking power, speed, and time kept me plenty motivated as I recall. Admittedly, that kind of introversion is not for everyone. Cheers.

 

[stainlessguy1]

Do you ride "stainless"? What kind of modern evil is that?! You young people have no respect for tradition.

Seriously though, the OP asks "how do you know you are serious" about cycling? What you described although funny appears to be the opposite of serious. Perhaps you intended that. FYI, I'm way over serious cycling, but I still remember what it was like when I was serious and I wasn't bored on the indoor trainer without movies or music. Tracking power, speed, and time kept me plenty motivated as I recall. Admittedly, that kind of introversion is not for everyone. Cheers.

LOL , Kielbasa , yes of course I still ride . Ahem . I wont admit I am old.
Stainless lasts forever if you keep it clean and let it breath . I love tradition because I grew up with it , and yes I wanted the posts to be funny .
I thought the OP was looking for quirks that cyclists do , and that separate's them from just bikers or commuters.
What is an indoor trainer , do you mean those contraptions one cant fall off of? NO NO , I never ride that. what is the point of that .
I ride the old fashioned ROLLERS, double belted and rusted on the base tubes over the years.
Tracking power and speed , what is that , those expensive gismos that give you watts and all that jargon . No NO , not me , cant afford that .
If I want to know my speed it isn't important , if I catch someone ahead of me I am going fast enough , if someone catches me I need to go faster. lol .
Pretty simple .
If some other geezer catches me or me catches him , I never disclose my age , because that is obviously the next question. If we end up exchanging pleasantries and then soon after that we exchange medical information as to how many by pass and broken things we have , in order to calculate the handicaps for the next veterans events we might see each other riding in .
Then of course not to forget the assessment of the racing bike and its vintage to further guess the ages , A racing bike from the late seventies sort of speaks words.
I either owe him time or he owes me time in a time trial down to the seconds per month of age difference .
Ya quite the formula us geezers have worked out here .
So how do you guys do it where you ride Kielbasa?

Ps. I have more funny lines if someone with goof bars catches me ...lol

 

[stainlessguy1]

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!

Hey Kielbasa .

Training is Boring . Real cyclists ride the same courses over and over unless they are pros and then the scenery and countries change . It becomes exciting for a while and its your job .
Touring isn't boring unless you ride with untrained or new bikers that take all day to do 50 km .
Performance touring isn't boring with as light a personal pack as possible and a large credit card .
Performance touring can simulate racing and one day you can promise yourself you are going to return too those mountains and actually stop at the look outs to take pictures. That day of course never comes .
You know your a cyclist because , you cant help it , you must go faster and the age old question of stopping to smell the roses is always over the next climb . AS a cyclist there are climbs just beyond the horizon and the only thing you will ever stop for is a puncture or a beer .

 

[Roude Leiw]

If this describes you rather well

http://youtu.be/TEhySzO14ik

 

[stainlessguy1]

If this describes you rather well

http://youtu.be/TEhySzO14ik

Sorry , its winter , and with all this snow and perfect molded beer holders available everywhere we don't need 12 bikes to ride to the corner coffee shop.
Maybe Roude , you want to try this one on for size .
Maybe I need to chirp you up a bit , you haven't read a single thing or understood what you read . So what do you think you are the bike police or something , or just upset at vintage cyclists beating you up the mountain .
A slap shot may be coming your way , don't forget to duck .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KoaMBvw9q8

 

[RedheadDane]

Oh, I just realised; this is about people being serious! I'm not serious, I just ride my bike because it's a conventient way of getting around.
And I've turned soft in my old days, not riding when there's snow.

 

[stainlessguy1]

LOL snow ...

Oh, I just realised; this is about people being serious! I'm not serious, I just ride my bike because it's a conventient way of getting around.
And I've turned soft in my old days, not riding when there's snow.

Hey RHDane ,

Ja snow , well don't feel bad , a lot of us older folks had enough of riding in the snow , especially when there are other sports and activities that serve as good cross training or recreational sporting for all to enjoy in the off season .

One of my absolute favourites is shovelling the fluffy white stuff . Its everywhere and comes almost daily . ( except during Olympic hosting years , then its nowhere to be seen ) Ha Ha .
That can be enough exercise if its done daily like we have here in the last 2 months .
If still not enough , help shovel out a retired neighbours driveway .

Have a great day , don't forget your skis .

 

[RedheadDane]

Snow's gone (mostly) I can ride again.