Man, that's an effective analogy! I'm going to use that... Steve, make mine loafers.
On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 1:26 PM, Peter Pesce <petepe...@gmail.com> wrote: > Exactly. What if every shoe store in America only sold running shoes and > hiking boots? And the staff looked at you cross-eyed if you dared suggest > you might want to do anything but run or hike. You'd have to dig deep into > the dark corners of some internet "sub-culture" to buy loafers, or sandals! > > On Monday, May 21, 2012 12:03:40 PM UTC-4, Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery > wrote: >> >> When I first started cycling as an adult, I purchased a $430 big-brand >> "hybrid" style bike that was god-awful ugly but served my novice self >> perfectly as a commuter and general transportation/recreation machine. But >> when I decided that I was committed enough to bikes to get something >> fancier/cooler, the big-brand shop didn't have any upgrades that weren't >> racing-style bikes or suspended MTBs. The message was clear: the only way >> to be a serious cyclist was to aspire to the racing image and racing >> paradigms. I knew that probably was not ever going to be my cup of tea. The >> ensuing internet research led me to conclude that a touring bike was what I >> really wanted, but the only one likely to be found locally was the Trek >> 520, and none of the local shops I called had one in stock. Eventually, I >> "discovered" and purchased an Atlantis. That was my first truly good bike, >> and even though I no longer own it, it has influenced all my subsequent >> ideas about bikes. >> >> Anyway, I agree that some people who own race bikes and related kit are >> probably stimulated by that aspect of cycling. BUT, how many of them went >> that direction because of peer pressure or because they didn't know of >> other options? >> >> On Monday, May 21, 2012 10:05:41 AM UTC-5, Patrick in VT wrote: >>> >>> On May 18, 8:18 am, Pondero <cj.spin...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> > Totally on board with the ride for fun philosophy, but I also suspect >>> that >>> > some of those in-training racer folks are actually having fun. >>> >>> Agreed. Almost every racer I know has a lot of fun doing it. And >>> despite certain preferences (some misguided, for sure), a lot of >>> racers are actually pretty passionate about cycling in general which >>> is a good thing. Whether we kike it or not, cycling is still a sport >>> and it's not just "lance wannabes" who do it - the vast majority of >>> people will never race anywhere near the elite level, let alone pro >>> level. But they do anyway because it's fun to challenge yourself and >>> participate in something. It's no different than any other physical >>> endeavor - you can take it as far as you want. >>> >>> There's a marathon in Burlington, VT this weekend - the event is about >>> as a good of an example as you can get of people of different >>> abilities challenging themselves in the same "race." 99% of the >>> people who line up know they will not win the race. 100% are there to >>> prove something to themselves without regard for winning or losing - >>> just finishing, or setting a personal record (the "PR") will be a big >>> deal. it's very similar to randonneuring. bike racing is the same. >>> it's all the same - we set goals and take steps to achieve them. >>> whatever keeps people inspired and motivated, more power to them. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/rCOqLVR-GG4J. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
