Did I take his comment wrong or was he a pig?

[TrekJeni]

Camped for a week just south of Bloomington Indiana. Of course had to check out the LBS's. Figured it'd be a great place since Breaking Away was filmed here. Been looking for a used road bike for the BF as he's not convinced this is his sport even though it's definitly his GF's sport. First shop was great. Gave me some 30 - 50 mile routes to ride, etc. Second shop, I asked if they did organized rides since we'd be there for the week. Hottie behind the counter says "not supported by the shop but yes with the Bloomington Bicylce Club and they even have one tonight". Jerk behind counter looks at me and says, "Yeah, but they ride really fast".

I was pissed! How fast is fast? What gives you the right to say that without asking me how fast I ride? You've never seen me ride! Argh!!! I hope you choke on that peanut butter sandwich you're making!

Hottie behind counter obviously picked up on my vibe and said "um, he means they try to kill themselves on the ride"

Was I just a hormonal B---H or what?

[bikerchick68]

Ugh... yup, he was being a jerk... I would have responded... "Oh they're fast? Good. I won't have to worry about dropping them then... " and walked out. :D

They're are snobs and "elitists" in every sport... and from what I've seen, they're ALL jerks!

[Pax]

...They're are snobs and "elitists" in every sport... and from what I've seen, they're ALL jerks!
Yup, yup, yup...try walking into the uber macho world of a motorcycle shop with a non-riding male friend who just wants to tag along while I'm buying a bike. The saleMAN will talk directly to the male friend and completely ignore me (who's been riding motorcycles for 33 years). Assumptions have cost more than one salesdude a hefty commission. :mad:

[TrekJeni]

Ugh... yup, he was being a jerk... I would have responded... "Oh they're fast? Good. I won't have to worry about dropping them then... " and walked out. :D

They're are snobs and "elitists" in every sport... and from what I've seen, they're ALL jerks!

That would have been priceless and I will remember that one if I ever need it!

[Irulan]

I didn't read it that way at all. He's just letting you know it's a group that like to hammer. He doesn't know you from anyone else. Maybe they've had recent comment about how they hammer and it's just a head's up.

[drplasma64]

wow, I'd say it totally depends on his tone. It could've been informational, and trying to be helpful (innocent but misguided, would've said it to any of the non-regulars in the LBS), or it could have been sneering macho pig addressed to a woman.

[Honeywell23]

get him girl.. I swear guys have no faith in our gender sometimes. My guy is on the local team and I am not allowed to ride with them yet till I get a good road bike because he says if I get dropped I'll probably get lost. Hello, they bike in my town.. I will always know where I am.. maybe those dorks from other towns will get lost. I think I know where I am going. And as far as speed, I could probably ride circles around some of them. I bet you could too hun. I would have reacted the same way if not worse, lol.

[MightyMitre]

I'm with Irulan on this one. Unless he said it in a sneery tone or gave you a funny look, I'd have thought he was just letting you know.

Maybe as you were not familiar with the area he thought he should mention it so you didn't potenially end up being dropped in the middle of an unfamilar area.

As secretary of our bike club we sometimes get new members ( mostly men) phoning up for details of rides, and if a group were going out on a fast ride, I'd always tell the person enquiring, just as a point of information. Regardless of how good you are, it's useful to know what the pace of the ride is going to be before you arrive so you know what to expect. Like I said, unless he was telling you in a patronizing tone I'm sure he was just giving you the details.

[KSH]

Eh... yea... he was being a jerk... but let's face it, the truth of it is that *most* of the time, guys ride faster than girls. Not always, but *most* of the time.

Honestly, I am slow... I average 16 MPH on a good day... so I don't take those comments personally... I usually reply with, "Oh, well, I am slow... what is their average speed".

Then again, I have NOTHING to brag about!

[Trek420]

Just back from walking the dog and got into it a little with a neighbor. There's this ol' guy and many of us who walk here have commented on him that he rides his bike on the sidewalk. For some elderly neighbors who walk there too it's a problem, he won't give peds the right of way.

He's super slow, no helmet (no brain no pain) huge headphones over both already deaf ears and I dunno where you guys live but here in CA bikes are traffic. We have a bike lane and that's where he should be.

I feel sorry for the guy. What will I do when I can't ride with the flow/speed of traffic? Ride inside? in a park? take up knitting I guess.

There is a park nearby and he could ride there. So we had this awkward impasse where I took Mae (dog) to the side to wait for him to pass but he won't go because he's afraid of the dog and...he won't give peds the right of way.

So I explain that my dog is used to bikes, I ride and I need him to proceed because Mae is trained to deffer to people and that people get the right of way so he needs to go first.

Again he still won't move, finally he goes.

As he passes me I say "you know it's illegal for you to ride on the sidewalk and it's safer there" pointing at the bike lane. He points at the cars, traffic, says he can't. I quote him the California vehicle code "Bikes, cars, same rights rules responsiblities: I can't drive my car on the sidewalk, right?"

He says "I know the law, lady" mutters something I don't want to hear and rides off.

[MightyMitre]

I still don't see what the problem is here. The guy said they ride fast, so if I'd been in that situation I'd have said, 'Ok - so how fast is that then?'

If he'd gone on to say 'Too fast for you' then there'd be every right to be mad, but from what JeniRoosen that's not what he said.

Don't quite understand the reaction from everyone.

OR... maybe things are different where you guys are. As women riders, do you generally get a lot of grief from male cyclists? Over here cyclists are far and few between and 98% of the time ( at least in my experience) men greet female cyclists with joy, as men or women, we're just delighted to meet someone who shares our sport. If you girls have to deal with a less supportive environment then yes - I can see how the LBS guys comment might cause offense.

[RoadRaven]

I'm kinda with those saying... how was it said? what was the tone of voice?

Depending on that I would ask how fast is fast?

Or wish I had bikerchick's presence of mind to say "good, I won't have to worry about dropping them then"

The body language and tone would let us know more...

[Adventure Girl]

Jerk behind counter looks at me and says, "Yeah, but they ride really fast".From the way JeniRoosen describes the incident, I'm assuming that it was said in a snotty way. That's so unnecessary! But what was said and how it was said are both important. He could have said it nicely to inform her what she would be in for if she joined them. But he SHOULD have said, "They average around "X" miles per hour". The term "really fast" means different things to all of us.

[Pax]

From the way JeniRoosen describes the incident, I'm assuming that it was said in a snotty way. That's so unnecessary! But what was said and how it was said are both important. He could have said it nicely to inform her what she would be in for if she joined them. But he SHOULD have said, "They average around "X" miles per hour". The term "really fast" means different things to all of us.
Well said! "Really fast" to me is anything over 15mph so I'd get dropped in a heartbeat. :rolleyes:

[jobob]

Honestly, I am slow... I average 16 MPH on a good day... LOL, hon, if you consider that slow, then you can call me "glacial" :D

[Irulan]

Just back from walking the dog and got into it a little with a neighbor. There's this ol' guy and many of us who walk here have commented on him that he rides his bike on the sidewalk. For some elderly neighbors who walk there too it's a problem, he won't give peds the right of way.

He's super slow, no helmet (no brain no pain) huge headphones over both already deaf ears and I dunno where you guys live but here in CA bikes are traffic. We have a bike lane and that's where he should be.

I feel sorry for the guy. What will I do when I can't ride with the flow/speed of traffic? Ride inside? in a park? take up knitting I guess.

There is a park nearby and he could ride there. So we had this awkward impasse where I took Mae (dog) to the side to wait for him to pass but he won't go because he's afraid of the dog and...he won't give peds the right of way.

So I explain that my dog is used to bikes, I ride and I need him to proceed because Mae is trained to deffer to people and that people get the right of way so he needs to go first.

Again he still won't move, finally he goes.

As he passes me I say "you know it's illegal for you to ride on the sidewalk and it's safer there" pointing at the bike lane. He points at the cars, traffic, says he can't. I quote him the California vehicle code "Bikes, cars, same rights rules responsiblities: I can't drive my car on the sidewalk, right?"

He says "I know the law, lady" mutters something I don't want to hear and rides off.


the way you describe him, perhaps he's mentally disabled? ( is that this year's correct term?) We have a guy around here who rides an adult trike on the sidewalk. This particular sidewalk is next to a bike lane on a major arterial. I think it's great he's out riding his bike on the same one mile stretch of sidewalk.

~Irulan

[pkq]

I've heard "but they are fast" often but it's really meant as informational not a slam. Over the years, I've not ridden with that many women but many of the ones that rode with the guys, hammered. Hammering women isn't the norm but is becoming more so, thank God. Even fewer of the hammering women can really keep up with the fastest men. Even in my best years (have they really passed?), I couldn't and I wasn't a slouch on the bike.

I recently went to WV for a job interview. I hooked up with a local rider through the LBS to: 1. ride, 2. get information about the area, and 3. check out the local riding scene. The bike shop guy put me with an older gentleman because he was slower. No problem, I'm just another female rider to the LBS guy. Plus, you can't size someone up over the phone. A 17 - 19 mph pace was fine for my goals. The fella' I rode with told me I could easily keep up with the fast ride and should have ridden with them. But I wouldn't have achieved goal #2 and would have missed a great ride with the 60 yo gentleman. It was nice to talk about the history of the area without coughing up a lung.

Just have to go with the ebb and flow of life.

[Trek420]

Irulan "the way you describe him, perhaps he's mentally disabled? ( is that this year's correct term?)"

no helmet, big headphones if not already he's a fall off the bike away from it.

"We have a guy around here who rides an adult trike on the sidewalk. This particular sidewalk is next to a bike lane on a major arterial. I think it's great he's out riding his bike on the same one mile stretch of sidewalk."

I agree, I think it's great he's out riding. Just a half block away is a park where he'd be safer, less hassle to peds and plenty of room for the short rides he does.

I've educated pedestrians who've complained to me about him that yes, bikes should be in the bike lane. But he's slow, poor reaction time.

I'd be happy if he'd grant the right of way to peds but I think cognitive impaired is the term we are using these days. My aim is that he be safer and local peds don't get angry at him then take it out on me when I ride ;-)

Have to watch it because I don't know how he'll take the tips.

and as for the main subject here wouldn't it have been best if the LBS said something like "what type of riding do you do? are you looking for a fast pace, paceline riding, hills, medium pace? what? I'll point you to a local a club ride for you."

That way nothing's assumed.

Just like they should ask you what type of riding you do before pointing you away from the pink Orbea ;-)

I don't follow astrology but someone told me Mercury is retrograde or something like that and that all comunication gets all katywhompus and I'm just going to shut up till the planets align again :cool:

[Geonz]

I suspect you took his comments wrong.

Think, for a moment, about his position. HOw many people does he talk to each day? How many of them ride fast? Oh, of course, he should be sensitive to every person's ego and never assume anything... but frankly, I can't do that 24/7 either. Far more people have to worry about being dropped - and too many of them get dropped and get discouraged and don't go back to cycling - than have to worry about people assuming they can't keep up. (And it's a lot more fun for those folks when they get to prove 'em wrong.)


If he doesn't have any right to -- possibly, not even definitely-- assume you're slow, then you shouldn't have the right to assume he's being a jerk.

And, why is it being a "jerk" to assume you're slow? Is there something wrong with being slow? <extending the "sensitivity :rolleyes: " thing to it's illogical extreme ...>

[Dianyla]

Um, is it just me, or are there two totally unrelated conversations happening in this thread? :confused:

[Trek420]

Dianyla "Um, is it just me, or are there two totally unrelated conversations happening in this thread? :confused:"

no, it's not you....they are thinly related to the common theme of people taking things wrong. Sorry for any confusion I once again have caused.
:cool: :o :confused: :confused: :confused: