Are Motorized Bicycles the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

AslansMonkey · Feb 23, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

My first two MB's were built when I lived in Seattle and I definately got a little of the "look down on you" frowns from the spandex crowd. This was a little disconcerting since I own a pair of spandex pants myself...there in a box somewhere I think. Those spandex pants aren't just for looks, btw, they help with circulation in the legs and a significant portion of your padding is in the crotch area of those pants because it certainly isn't on the bicycle seat. I was never trim enough for them anyway and tended to wear shorts over mine because...well let's be honest, they look silly as it is and even sillier on a chunky guy.

Now I live in a small town and get generally favorable reviews from everyone. The tourist seem to really like them and always ask where I got them from, how much they cost and the always required "I bet they do good on gas!" The local "authorities" just smile and nod or wave. I get the impression that as long as I don't cause problems with them, they'll just leave me alone.

Am I Hillbilly? Probably, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

biknut · Feb 23, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

I'm sure we'll start getting more respect when gas hits 6 or 10 dollars a gallon.

SdCruizer · Feb 23, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

my bike is just a toy
ive seem to use the bike now more for trails or off roads having fun on the cheap and few of my friends have them too

I also ride scooters too mainly as my 1st transportation, then my suv only when I have to

the bike is pretty scary even bike lanes in traffic, I feel way safer on my scooters
maybe I get a little more respect with those since they are really street legal, even my 50cc scooter I have no problems going in any traffic with that. Plus its nothing but hills here and the bike sucks on hills. Just no power.

Mr.B. · Feb 24, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

Woo, Doggie, Just call me Jed...

I guess been lucky, because most of the serious bicyclist types I’ve encountered seem to be genuinely interested in my machine...?

-Kirk

biknut · Feb 24, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

Mr.B. said:
Woo, Doggie, Just call me Jed...

I guess been lucky, because most of the serious bicyclist types I’ve encountered seem to be genuinely interested in my machine...?

-Kirk

That could be because you live in an area infested with hillbillies?

Mr.B. · Feb 24, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

biknut said:
That could be because you live in an area infested with hillbillies?

Ha,

Some would agree with that...

-Kirk

Dirt Road Cowboy · Feb 24, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

And why do the spandexers never smile?

Is it against their click rules?

Aren't they happy riding?

Did they realize that they just spent as much on their bicycle as a new car costs, and they have to do all the work to get anywhere on it?

Is it that they spent $thousands on their bike, and no one realizes it, or cares outside of their social click? (I mean, it isn't a Porsche, so the average person doesn't appreciate the 2 wheel status symbol. They wouldn't know a Trek from a Cranbrook!)

Maybe if they had a motor on it they wouldn't be able to get the smile off their faces!

cvlt1

Rocky_Motor · Feb 24, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

I don't think it's very fair to bash on the very expensive road bikes. These guys buy those bikes so that they can ride 100+ miles on an average day. They don't use these bikes to commute either. It's simply that their hobby is to ride and they find a great joy in it. Many compete too. The burning sensation, heart ripping out of your chest and gasping for breath as you pump your body's 2 pistons up 2000 feet of mountain. I know it sounds terrible but it's what some love. It's very different from what we use our bikes for.

Anyway. In my area, I've gotten all sorts of comments on it regarding at as "that's cool!" It's never been seen around here. This is primarily a college crowd so things like this are typically well recieved. So far my bike has been very reliable too, so that helps

I would say it's dependent on your area.

mapbike · Feb 25, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

Yea what he said.........!

This is funny I don't care who you are.

Dirt Road Cowboy said:
And why do the spandexers never smile?

Is it against their click rules?

Aren't they happy riding?

Did they realize that they just spent as much on their bicycle as a new car costs, and they have to do all the work to get anywhere on it?

Is it that they spent $thousands on their bike, and no one realizes it, or cares outside of their social click? (I mean, it isn't a Porsche, so the average person doesn't appreciate the 2 wheel status symbol. They wouldn't know a Trek from a Cranbrook!)

Maybe if they had a motor on it they wouldn't be able to get the smile off their faces!

happycheapskate · Feb 26, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

I agree, MaBs are a perfect, economical self-transport choice, and people are poorly informed about them.

There really are some "hillbilly" contraptions though, caused by people buying the ebay china kits and throwing them on any old bike out of their backyard, and thinking it has turned into a motorcycle.

Many Americans can be persuaded to buy a $500 cell phone, a $1500 couch, a $2500 TV, and a $30,000 car, but can't spend $1000 for a bicycle.

At $500 for a bike, and a few hundred for a friction drive and decent motor, you can do very well. Many Americans are poorly informed about bicycles though, regarding both the equipment and riding.

We don't fit in their televised virtual lives, so they can't figure us out.
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-02-24/...-spokesman-gary-holmes-watching?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ (Americans watching more TV than ever)

.crt.

biknut said:
After having a MB since last September I've come to the conclusion, based on reactions from the people I've met, that we're like the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom lol.

Traditional bicycle riders think we're cheaters. Non riders think our bikes are toys. Bicycle shops think we're a threat. Tree huggers think we're polluters. The police don't know what to think.

What do I think? I think we're the most perfect form of personal transportation ever invented. We're just misunderstood.

happycheapskate · Feb 26, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

Dirt Road Cowboy, you must have encountered Road Bike Snobs. There are lots of road cyclists that are friendly and pleasant, especially middle aged folks who ride in social groups and touring events. Road racers are jocks, and like other jocks, some just don't talk to anybody who is not part of their subculture. The global warming hipsters don't like MaBs either. They make the skunk face and ignore you like you wore the wrong band t-shirt to their hole-in-the-wall bar no one is supposed to know about lol.

I have loved road cycling and racing since I was young, but it is just a fact, that bike snobs exist, and road bike snobs are the snobbiest.

Dirt Road Cowboy · Feb 26, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

happycheapskate said:
Dirt Road Cowboy, you must have encountered Road Bike Snobs. ...but it is just a fact, that bike snobs exist, and road bike snobs are the snobbiest.

We have a new subdivision full of them.

They don't ride in the bike lanes, even though the lanes are almost as wide as the car lanes, and they are also too good to follow the traffic laws. They ride side by side and take up the whole lane that they travel in, and block cars behind them.

Someday, if they do get a motorcycle, it will be a BMW R1200GS dual sport that will only go as far as the nearest Starbucks, and they and their bikes will look like a moving Touratech advertisement.

Sadly, they never seem to get the fact that no one cares, and they never really have any fun in their lives.

I can have fun in my 67 Cougar, or riding my old 78 Goldwing, or playing around with a cheap motor on an even cheaper bicycle. (All these are recycled, so hybrid owners can blow it out their exhaust!)

Life's to short to worry about impressing people that don't even matter!

brnot

happycheapskate · Feb 26, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

It's called a peloton, and it's awesome. The shoulders are usually narrow and full of debris, and not functional for a group of fast road cyclists. Roadies draft off each other and take turns "pulling" at the front, and also compete for rank on hills. I enjoy road cycling a lot in the summer and a few theme rides. They ride 2 abreast because....Why not. One cyclist in his lane is IN HIS OWN LANE, so if he want's to split it with another cyclist, that's great.

BarelyAWake said:
I live in a tiny rural community, there's not much of a bike scene of any sort. We do have the weekend warriors, decked out in sponsored spendex on their billion dollar bikes & yea, they're pretty snotty, they tend to cause a bit of resentment by ignoring the shoulder & riding two abreast, blocking traffic - they seem to think that as they've spent so much to "be in the scene" they're somehow entitled to do as they please, the laws of physics need not apply as the cars stack up behind them. They're known to make assorted hand gestures - but returning a friendly wave isn't one of them... unless you're sporting at least a few thousand in carbon fiber ofc.

Whatever, to each their own - it just annoys me mostly because their aggressive indifference makes all bicyclists look bad, folks will never even notice the passive pedaler cruising along happily, the one who though not required by law - moves over as much as they can to let folks pass, be it out of courtesy, a simple sense of self preservation - or both... heck, even I was beginning to associate shrink wrap shorts with simply stunning stupidity.

(abbreviated quote)

happycheapskate · Feb 26, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

Do the bike lanes actually go anywhere, and in the direction they are going, or are they like jogging paths, not really doing anything but nice to use?

If you pull up right behind a cyclist in your car, you are doing nothing but slowing them down with the monstrous drag of your car, and you won't be able to pass them as easily either, because you can't accelerate at all till you are out from behind them.

Most of the road groups here stick well to a lane and travel predictably, but some people don't.

happycheapskate · Feb 26, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

Of course they "ride side by side and take up the whole lane", because it's their lane, where they are in it! Drive right, and pull over to the other lane entirely, and pass sensibly. Cyclists (You should know!) don't have a duty to split lanes with a vehicle that can't fit 2 to a lane! And if you've ever hit a big crack in the road or some other crap in the road, on a 2 wheeler, you'd know why they don't hug the curb and worry about your hamburger getting cold.

re: Life's to short to worry about impressing people that don't even matter!

Maybe that is their mantra as they enjoy their weekly ride away from the daily grind.

happycheapskate · Feb 26, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

When did Tyler get bike lanes? I haven't been there in a few years, but I don't remember any there (surely you don't mean sidewalks!).

Dirt Road Cowboy · Feb 26, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

happycheapskate said:
When did Tyler get bike lanes? I haven't been there in a few years, but I don't remember any there (surely you don't mean sidewalks!).

We do actually have some bike lanes here now. In the new subdivisions, where many of them live, the bike lanes are over 6 foot wide, with new pavement. (I saw a car broke down in one once, and it fit with room to spare.)
They will still ignore the lanes and ride in the road. There are some places where the bike lanes are only around 4 feet wide, but those aren't where these guys usually ride.
They also like to ride in the left lane even if they aren't going to turn left.

It's a deliberate thing with them.

happycheapskate · Feb 26, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

What's on their jerseys? Do they have a team name (not just teams that they like, so they wear the same jerseys from mail-order)? I will look them up to see if they have some kind of beef with the city over the bike lanes or something. Surely they have some reason, even if it doesn't make sense.

Sounds pretty weird. I ride in the road but if there is a functional bike lane going the same way, I'll take it. Here (north east tx) there are a lot of nice "bike lanes" that don't really go anywhere, more like park paths. A lot of Multi Paths here have concreted pipes in them to keep cars out.

Dirt Road Cowboy · Feb 26, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

happycheapskate said:
Of course they "ride side by side and take up the whole lane", because it's their lane, where they are in it! Drive right, and pull over to the other lane entirely, and pass sensibly. Cyclists (You should know!) don't have a duty to split lanes with a vehicle that can't fit 2 to a lane! And if you've ever hit a big crack in the road or some other crap in the road, on a 2 wheeler, you'd know why they don't hug the curb and worry about your hamburger getting cold.

The lane I'm referring to is next to their huge bike lane! The only way to pass them on some of the roads would be to drive in the bike lane!

happycheapskate said:
re: Life's to short to worry about impressing people that don't even matter!

Maybe that is their mantra as they enjoy their weekly ride away from the daily grind.

If they're enjoying it, then why don't they smile? LOL

happycheapskate · Feb 26, 2012

Re: Are MBs the Beverly Hillbillies of bicycledom?

Like I said, roadies are jocks of a sort, sometimes they are doing training stuff and establishing pecking order for later.
I wonder if they have been threatened with tickets for riding or racing in the bike lane in a group, by NIMBY joggers or people playing with kids on the paths.

Do the paths re-connect smoothly to the roads? I'll have to look this up, fascinating. What road(s) are you talking about?

re: If they're enjoying it, then why don't they smile? LOL

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