I'm easily intimidated...

I was going to go out for a bike ride this evening. Then I got back to my dorm. The building that is connected to mine is being used as guest housing. Who are the guests at the moment? Pan-Ohio Hope Ride participants.

I decided that maybe taking the bike out right now would be a bad idea. I either look like I'm trying to impress someone, or will make an idiot of myself because I occasionally have issues with stopping. (Okay, not so much stopping, but getting started again.) Apparently, people in Spandex intimidate me. :rolleyes:

Doubtful anybody would be paying close attention to you or watch every movement of yours.

Unless you crash in front of them. :o

Go ride!

Veronica

Go out and ride

What they said! It's highly unlikely that people are paying as much attention to you as you think they are. They have their own lives to deal with.

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Originally Posted by tulip

What they said! It's highly unlikely that people are paying as much attention to you as you think they are. They have their own lives to deal with.

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That's right. It's not all about you. It's all about me. :p

Veronica

go ride, they won't even notice you unless you run into them. Dormitories are full of people who ride bikes every day... did you notice what color socks the mailman was wearing today?

Go ride, I'm not sure where in the route you were but these riders had 70+ mile days. I can vouch that their concern was food, hot showers and bed (not necessarily in order). They probably didn't notice you. If they did they thought of you as a local doing what you normally do.

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

go ride, they won't even notice you unless you run into them. Dormitories are full of people who ride bikes every day... did you notice what color socks the mailman was wearing today?

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I think mine was wearing white socks. Sometimes he wears a headset so he reminds me of the mailman in the movie Better Off Dead.:p

Oh, you are easily intimidated. I wish I could come and give you a short course in not giving a rat's ask.

I wound up going out, shortly after posting actually. I hit submit, and thought "Well, that's really a dumb reason not to go out." So I put on my spandex and left. :D I did get some "oh, you have a bike too" nods. Also a "nice jersey" comment and a brief conversation about the bike. Turns out it was an LBS employee from the shop where I got my bike who was volunteering. Apparently he has eagle eyes and noticed the sticker from the shop on my frame.
I had a nice 5-mi ride apart from an patch of badly-paved road and the bike decided she wanted to go somewhere that I wasn't expecting. :eek:

Kathi--The start point is a mile away, so we're actually the "get everyone in one place" spot for the non-local riders.

See? You had a good time anyway, and met some people too!

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

did you notice what color socks the mailman was wearing today?

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White, with his black shoes. But what I really like is the Safari hat!

Yeah, what is it with those pith helmets? Who thought that was appropriate for USPS summer uniform, Teddy Roosevelt?

Good that you went. Where I live, you'd have to set your hair on fire and play an accordion while biking to get attention. I suspect other places are the same.

I got over worrying about what people think when I learned to play racquetball on an outdoor court directly across the street from a firehouse.

Just ride yo..

I haven't a clue what socks our motorbike posties wear..I do know they wear orange vests..

Bike naked. That'll get some attention.

At least, um, that's what I've heard.

:P

Roxy - glad you got out there and rode anyway. Good for you!

Wait till you forget to unclip because a stop sign is there and a small dog is chasing you, and then you fall off your bike into the grass in a ditch and can't get up without help because you are pinned down with your bike on top of you. Meanwhile the dog wanders away confused. Then you might could look around to see if anyone was watching. That is, after you check the bike to make sure it's ok.

That's one way to stop a dog from chasing you. :rolleyes:

I found another good one the other day. I was past the "danger area" for the dog when it lit out after our group, but it was heading for some of the other riders behind me, so I hollered "Dog Left!"

And the dog left. :p

"Get a job" seems to work pretty well, too. Maybe it's just that a command to the dog tends to have some anxiety in the tone of voice?

DH says I only crash in front of other cyclists. If you are going to wipe out, it's a very helpful group. They'll pick you up, fix your bike and send you off with a "it happens to all of us!"

Glad you got in your ride:)

Like Zen says, Who cares?! If I cared, I wouldn't leave the house in spandex with a buff under my helmet, ill-matching sunglasses and a camelbak. It's all functional, even though I look like a goof!

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Originally Posted by solobiker

I think mine was wearing white socks. Sometimes he wears a headset so he reminds me of the mailman in the movie Better Off Dead.:p

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I love that movie!!! I want my two dollars!!

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Originally Posted by TrekTheKaty

DH says I only crash in front of other cyclists. If you are going to wipe out, it's a very helpful group. They'll pick you up, fix your bike and send you off with a "it happens to all of us!"

Glad you got in your ride:)

Like Zen says, Who cares?! If I cared, I wouldn't leave the house in spandex with a buff under my helmet, ill-matching sunglasses and a camelbak. It's all functional, even though I look like a goof!

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Methinks there is a large group of women and girls, non-cyclists, who do feel self-conscious to get back onto the bike again. For many of us here, we no longer care or even bothered to care in the first place.