They don't get it

[Trekhawk]

I just find it funny when someone asks how much my bike costs, and the response that I get usually is, "oh my god! you could buy a small car for that!" Yes, yes I could... But I already have a car.

LOL - that is so true. People dont blink an eye if you buy something with a motor that cost a fortune but if its a bicycle they think your insane.

[mimitabby]

LOL - that is so true. People dont blink an eye if you buy something with a motor that cost a fortune but if its a bicycle they think your insane.

Yes, like my friends with the $30,000 motorcycles. A beast which you sit upon for hours and get no exercise at all!

[Python]

I think that as fossil fuel becomes scarcer and more expensive, people will be forced to contemplate alternative forms of tranport like bicycles and even back to horse and cart.

One thing I've noticed when I'm out cycling, especially on the cycle paths, people speak to me even if it's just "hello". That doesn't happen when you're in a car.

[Thistle]

Yes, like my friends with the $30,000 motorcycles. A beast which you sit upon for hours and get no exercise at all!

That's so true. The weekend before last, DH and i went out to watch the 24 hr mountain bike challenge here - had 3000 riders - totally awesome. When i got into work Mon, one person asked me what i did on the weekend. I told them, and said how great it was, how everyone had a great time, no one was drunk, there was no littering, everyone was friendly... told them it was totally awesome

Whoa, silly me. Got back this barrage about how stupid people are who put all that energy into a 24hr race and how they could be doing something "useful" with their lives like building schools for aborigines! (dont get me wrong, i do think that building schools for children is useful, but there are a lot of people out there who could be doing that instead of say drinking themselves stupid in pubs!)

Then went on to say "it's no different to bathurst" (a 1000km V8 car race held here every year). Had been pretty tolerant to that point, but couldnt resist saying "yeah, but these guys use their bodies as fuel instead of polluting the environment"

I was totally amazed that someone could find a 24hr bike race offensive????? It was held in the bush, and she didnt even know it was on.

So i just live and learn.... not to share exciting weekend bike stories with that person again

And try to remember, when someone's reaction is way out of proportion, it's gunna be about something else!

[latelatebloomer]

I waited ALL DAY at work for the one other athlete (yeah, look at what I call myself these days ) to come on shift so I could share that last night in spin class, my heart rate was dropping 60 points during the 3 minute recovery periods. I haven't used a HR monitor all road season and the improvement was thrilling me. The really sad part: I work at a health care facility!

Re: the golf cart case, maybe the mom has MS or something? But yes, I am amazed at the people I know who make envious comments about my body change and accomplishments but won't get their own bodies moving even in a small way.

[Python]

It's funny how peoples' attitudes change over the years. My late mother was a very keen cyclist in her young day (during the 1930's and 40's). She belonged to a cycling club. I asked her what type of bike she had. She said she had a racer. I asked her if it was a ladies' racer to which she laughed and said they didn't make ladies' racers then so she had a mans' racer. If I remember correctly she said it was a Sun. She said she loved cycling and they thought nothing of going over 50 miles from Aberdeen to Ballater or Braemar (I come originally from Bonnie Scotland), take a picnic with them then cycle the 50+ miles back on a Sunday. The Scottish scenery is stunning by the way Very few people had cars back then, and even when I was a girl most people had bikes, not cars. If you had a car back in the late 1950's early 1960's, you were usually fairly affluent.

Apart from the obvious health benefits of cycling, there is so much traffic around that sometimes it is much faster to cycle. I timed myself going up to our local ASDA-Walmart supermarket, both by car and by bike. By the time we start up the car, turn it round, adhere to a 20mph speed limit in our housing estate, go an extra mile (it's 3.7 miles by car), find a parking space it takes 8 minutes minimum or anything up to 15 minutes depending on traffic - sometimes even 20 minutes. Same on the return journey. By bike over the cycle paths it is 2.06 miles so by car the journey is 7.4 miles, by bike 5.02 miles (if I've done my sums right - not my strong point). The bike costs nothing to run except leg power where the car costs a lot to keep on the road. I went to ASDA yesterday and really just meandered up, taking my time. It only took me 30 minutes there and back (not counting the time I actually did my shopping). I was able to carry quite a bit in my backpack. ASDA has undercover facilities to chain your bike to - which is right next to the entrance so even if it rains, your bike is nice and dry.

For a few items it really isn't worth taking the car and unless the weather is really horrible (or we're going the weekly shop) I just go by bike now.