Comments on: The Bike Racing Community and Advocacy http://www.interbiketimes.com/2008/06/30/the-bike-racing-community-and-advocacy/ The Official Blog Of Interbike Sat, 15 May 2010 01:30:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Chip Smith http://www.interbiketimes.com/2008/06/30/the-bike-racing-community-and-advocacy/comment-page-1/#comment-26727 Chip Smith Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:12:14 +0000 http://www.interbiketimes.com/?p=297#comment-26727 It's Chip again. In the last paragraph I left out a word out. To clarify, "I think its possible to get younger riders interested in cycling ADVOCACY..." I left out the word advocacy. It’s Chip again. In the last paragraph I left out a word out. To clarify, “I think its possible to get younger riders interested in cycling ADVOCACY…” I left out the word advocacy.

]]> By: Chip Smith http://www.interbiketimes.com/2008/06/30/the-bike-racing-community-and-advocacy/comment-page-1/#comment-26726 Chip Smith Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:02:21 +0000 http://www.interbiketimes.com/?p=297#comment-26726 Hi Rich, I had this same discussion this morning during a breakfast meeting with Jonathan Morrison of the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective. We both are starting to use our bikes more for transportation, as well as sport, and we are seeing a lot more other similar riders on the roads here in SLC (i.e. in various types of riding kits, casual and race, with backpacks on various types of bikes road, mountain, hybrid, etc.). We also talked about the disconnect between cycling as sport vs. mode of transportation. When I got into riding I too thought the League of American Bicyclist was for Third Eye mirror wearing middle-agers and above. Now that I'm one of those middle agers, sans a Third Eye, I think I understand the difference between the sport rider and the transportation rider and their interest in advocacy. It's age. Younger riders tend to look for the excitement of pushing themselves, riding fast, and testing their bike handling skills. I still want to do that as well, but at a slightly slower pace and without killing myself or being killed by a motorist. When I was younger and first into cycling, I thought I owned the road. Now that I'm a little older, and maybe wiser, I still think I own the road - a little - but I realize I need to share it with others. I think it's possible to get younger riders interested in cycling and some of the discussion you had with your post titled, “Is More Bike Culture the Answer?” has to do with that mindset change. As always, your posts are fun to read and they make me think. Hi Rich, I had this same discussion this morning during a breakfast meeting with Jonathan Morrison of the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective. We both are starting to use our bikes more for transportation, as well as sport, and we are seeing a lot more other similar riders on the roads here in SLC (i.e. in various types of riding kits, casual and race, with backpacks on various types of bikes road, mountain, hybrid, etc.). We also talked about the disconnect between cycling as sport vs. mode of transportation.

When I got into riding I too thought the League of American Bicyclist was for Third Eye mirror wearing middle-agers and above. Now that I’m one of those middle agers, sans a Third Eye, I think I understand the difference between the sport rider and the transportation rider and their interest in advocacy. It’s age.

Younger riders tend to look for the excitement of pushing themselves, riding fast, and testing their bike handling skills. I still want to do that as well, but at a slightly slower pace and without killing myself or being killed by a motorist.

When I was younger and first into cycling, I thought I owned the road. Now that I’m a little older, and maybe wiser, I still think I own the road – a little – but I realize I need to share it with others. I think it’s possible to get younger riders interested in cycling and some of the discussion you had with your post titled, “Is More Bike Culture the Answer?” has to do with that mindset change.

As always, your posts are fun to read and they make me think.

]]> By: Peter http://www.interbiketimes.com/2008/06/30/the-bike-racing-community-and-advocacy/comment-page-1/#comment-26721 Peter Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:51:44 +0000 http://www.interbiketimes.com/?p=297#comment-26721 Yes. :-) Yes.

:-)

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