Transportation Not Recreation*

*i can't take credit for the title, it's Megan's line. we really want to make stickers.

I hate sport cycling and sport cyclists. I have a number of reasons for this.

They are as follows:

*Sport cyclists are generally rich assholes. They purchase huge amounts of silly and expensive gear, driving the bike industry in this country strongly toward marketing products almost exclusively to them, making sensible and afforable gear hard to find.

*Because of all the pricey gear and fancy bikes and absurd lycra outfits, they make biking seem difficult and expensive. The average non-cycling American associates anyone who rides a bike with these jock-douche bags. I think most average people would agree that bike jocks are pretentious tight asses who look down their noses at any form of cycling other than padded butt shenanigans [Dave, this doesn't apply to you, you're entirely too neurotic to be a bike jock].

*Calling cycling a sport denigrates it as transportation. When we accept it as sport, we reject it as transportation. When people think the place for your bike is a concrete trail around the lake, they (by extension) think that you have no place on the road. That's bullshit, and we all know it.

*Sport cyclists treat pedestrians the way cars treat bikes. They generally don't obey traffic laws, and present bicycling in a negative light to motorists and pedestrians, making people who drive cars more hostile toward all bikes. Sport cyclists are also terribly rude to commuter and utility cyclists (like us). Our bikes aren't good enough for them, apparently.

*Putting your bike on your SUV, driving it to the lake, riding around in circles, putting it back on the SUV and driving home is insane. It's horrid environmental stewardship and creates more greenhouse gases than if you'd just stayed home watching television. The lake is five miles from your house. When you get there, you ride the ten mile trail 3 times. You can't ride the extra ten miles? I think that's just sick.

So fuck off, bike jock. You're kind's not welcome here. Ride your bike, but ride it somewhere.
- posted by Mason @ 11:45 PM