Where Do We Stand?

[2door]

My niece gave me a book for Christmas, 'The Noblest Invention'. It's by the editors of 'Bicycling Magazine'. I would highly suggest that if you're a reader that you search out a copy and read it. After you're done, and if you're like me, you'll ask yourself, "where do we stand?"
The book is a beautiful and eloquent examination of the bicycle and what it means to those fortunate enough to have owned and ridden them.
After reading it and seeing the simalarities of emotions and opinions that a bike produces I found myself wondering just where we, as motorized bicyclist stand as far as the bike is concerned.
This is my challenge to you: Read this book then come back here and tell me where you believe we are in the world of bicycling. I personally saw many parallels between the pedal bike and our powered versions of the same vehicle. I won't elaborate here because I'd like to see what others read and feel.
Again, the title is, 'The Noblest Invention' copyright 2003 by Rodale Inc.
Oh, and forego the boring foreword by Lance Armstrong...more a glorified autobiography about him, than bikes.
Tom

 

[scotto-]

I can tell you without reading it where "we" stand as a whole.......we are low on the totem pole as they take away from the wonderful bicycling expirience that is too be had without the noisy engines. We are not the purist elites, we are the outcast radicals of the two-wheeled phenom. That's not really my opinion, but more of how I see it from many other perspectives.

 

[2door]

Maybe I should clarify...Where do YOU see us as opposed to the spandexers and hard core pedal aficionados?
Make your opinion your own and not what those others might feel about us.
Tom

 

[scotto-]

Maybe I should clarify...Where do YOU see us as opposed to the spandexers and hard core pedal aficionados?
Make your opinion your own and not what those others might feel about us.
Tom

Sorry....I will do that, just after I read the book, as you have suggested.

As I see it now, we are not to stand, but take the backseat to the bicycle society that we will soon rule. That's how I see it......we can pedal, but we don't have to....you gotta love that!

 

[zean]

What is the present status of the motorized bicycle in the world of bicycling? As a gasoline-powered bicyclist: I have a position of humbleness, I'm grateful to have the same legal right to share the bike lanes as a pedal bicycle. To improve the status of motorized bicycles I try to appeal to: the young bicyclists because they are the future of the world of bicycling, and the 40's and older adults who hardly ride, if at all, because they're the ones the making the laws. The parallels: the fresh air, the feeling of freedom hitting the open road, the technical information and the tight tolerances in the builds can be applied to both and sharing that same piece of earth they call the bike lane or the shoulder of the road. Thankyou.

 

[bairdco]

i've read similar books about the history of bicycling, and it is pretty amazing how the "people's nag" came about, and the freedom it provided, and the uses it was put to.

i feel that we, as motorbicyclists, are not the scourge of the streets that a small minority of bicyclists think we are (and it really is a small minority. the only group with a dislike for us are the roadies, and not all of them hate us, either. every other faction of bikers, from the bmx'er to the weekend beach cruiser seems to like us.)

in many ways, we're bringing back innovation, invention, experimentation, and good old fashion know-how by building and maintaining our bikes. i don't know of any other group of cyclists that constantly work at upgrading, building, and testing different products. most bikers can just buy a product off the shelf, unlike many of us, who need to invent a solution to a problem that never before existed.

i've had bikes my whole life, and have always been interested in them, maintained them, and enjoyed riding them, but (besides a few years of BMX racing) to me, they were just another form of transportation. i've had classic vintage cruisers, but the major upkeep was just cleaning the chrome or greasing the bearings, and i liked having the coolest bikes at the beach.

but now with my motorbikes, i'm hesitant to call it an obsession, but building the best bikes i can is almost all i think about. and when it all comes together, and i can ride it down the street, it's the greatest feeling i've had in a long time. and getting praises on them from my peers is an awesome feeling (thanks guys!)

i think that's about it.