Cycling as conversation-starter

[lph]

I can get a bit tired of this, to be honest. Because I bike a lot and run the company winter biking challenge, people think the only thing I'm interested in and can talk about is biking. Which is fine, but only fun if the other person actually is interested, not just trying to make smalltalk.

[shootingstar]

I know what you mean lph but with some people, especially with some men who I don't know and don't care to know much more about them personally, to talk about cycling or a sport is safer.

After all I don't have children, we don't get into home renovations, we don't have pets..

And news must be neutral, not political, etc. So that leaves topics of food, restaurants, vacations, weather, what-did-you-this-weekend (which for a cyclist, they know how to answer this one...)

I'm interested in all sorts of social issues, but that's a tough one to make any small talk without being misunderstood for complex matters.

I can't imagine talking about my interest in art, unless it was someone else who had same interest.

No wonder, then how easily cycling can become the new "golf" at work in some organizations/work groups.

[marni]

I was brought up not to talk about politics, sex, religion or morality in a mixed group. This leaves the weather, the food, and what the kids are doing.hat is somewhat gone as a topic, and since I am older now, the kids are grown up as are other people's kids so that is pretty much gone as a topic as well. The foibles of people biking and the vagaries of the ride are often the only bridge I have in social situations, especially since my other interests of Navajoo weaving and hand spinning fiber into yarn for weaving and knitting are even more obscure than most topics.

marni