Annoying Comments From Those Who Don't "Get It"

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by El Chaba

For clarification, I believe this thread is about comments that are intended as barbs or are made without any thought, i.e stupid.....not sincere questions or comments.....

exactly. I don't think anyone's trying to be self-righteous about how they're better or that people making comments or asking questions who aren't cyclists are obviously idiots. the point is sometimes people say silly things, so how do you respond? for me, I grew up skateboarding and into punk rock, so I'm used to people looking at me weird or saying thinly-veiled insults. no worries, it's my life and I'm happy with what I'm doing so I just sorta shrug and move on.

as far as fun comments from non-cyclists, I have a couple recent favorites:
- riding in January on a rare 60 degree day, a lot of bikers (the ones with the motors) were also out. at one point, I'm cruising with a massive tailwind and loving it. dude pulls up next to me on his moto and stays even with me. I look over, expecting some a-hole comment (because it has happened before) and he looks down at his speedo and says "you're going 30! nice job!" (remember the tailwind) I give a smile and thumbs up and we continue on our ways.
- I'm doing this local climb on another rare gorgeous winter day when a pickup pulls up next to me. again, I'm expecting an a-hole comment (gotta stop doing that) when the woman driving it says "do you have a death wish?" to which I reply "uh...no. why?" "because people around here drive like complete a**holes! you're crazy!" I reply with "no, they're not usually too bad. but thank you for not being one of them!" she smiles, shakes her head and drives off.

[Dead Man]

speaking of the weight thing.. I sometimes find myself in awkward situations where my fitness comes up, usually while talking to an overweight barmaid or waitress or ... well, all the women in this town are overweight.. (and most of the men are skin and bones.. but the old men are skin and bones, except for their giant pot-bellies... it's weird) anyway, I'll find myself suddenly incapable of finishing whatever sentence I'm in the middle of because I realize it's going to highlight the difference in my 145lbs race weight and her 180lbs cookie weight... and my silence just becomes even louder and more offensive than just finishing the statement would be....

bah.. really wish people would just take care of themselves.

[jruhlen1980]

I don't find the questions annoying. Sometimes I feel awkward, because no matter what distance you are riding, to a non-cyclist it often sounds like an impossible feat of endurance, and then I feel like I'm being immodest.

E.g., when I stop in a gas station in a small down for a mid-ride snack and a local asks me how far I'm riding, or asks what town I started from. An unremarkable distance, like 20-30 miles, will often get a very over-awed response. "I can't imagine riding that far!" I just never know how to answer that. So I usually try to be vague or downplay it. "Oh, I'm just out riding for a couple of hours today."

[kevinvc]

I try not to make assumptions about people's attitude or intent when having a cycling related conversation. I was way out in the boonies on a ride once with a friend and we stopped to take a breather when a guy rolls up in a big jacked up pickup truck. He got out and started chatting while closing a cattle gate. He's wearing a trucker cap, Big Dog t-shirt and generally looks like the stereotype of a television redneck.

I can tell my buddy is a little nervous as we've had some rude interactions in the area before with similar looking guys in trucks. The guy mentioned that it was such a nice day he wished he could be out riding his bike. My friend asked him what kind of motorcycle he had and the guy laughed and said "I have motocross bike, but on a day like today I'd rather be on my little bike" and pointed at my friend's bicycle. At that point the conversation switched to different routes in the area that are best for cycling and he gave us some tips on a couple of new places to check out.

It was a nice interchange and definitely not what one might have expected at the outset.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by chiasticon

- I'm doing this local climb on another rare gorgeous winter day when a pickup pulls up next to me. again, I'm expecting an a-hole comment (gotta stop doing that) when the woman driving it says "do you have a death wish?" to which I reply "uh...no. why?" "because people around here drive like complete a**holes! you're crazy!" I reply with "no, they're not usually too bad. but thank you for not being one of them!" she smiles, shakes her head and drives off.

Ah, that reminds me of two separate experiences:

#1 - Twenty-five+ years ago, living on the Brighton/Brookline border outside of Boston, January, a massive snowstorm hits...like, >3"/hour of those big fat sticky wet flakes pouring down in a torrential blizzard.

So naturally, I get out there on my mountain bike and just start cruising around the neighborhood streets in the middle of this snowstorm. Good times

...except, for whatever reason, within the first 10 minutes of my ride four separate people drove up next to me, rolled down the windows of their cars, and yelled "What are you doing?!?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!?!"


#2 - last year I was riding alone up a gradual climb through a semi-rural area where the locals have been known to have a less-than-charitible attitude towards cyclists. As I'm climbing I hear a vehicle approach from behind, and then pull up on my left, and proceed to drive along slowly next to me up the road. Figuring I'm about to encounter some anti-cycling nastiness, I'm surreptitiously looking around calculating an escape route without trying to appear uptight when suddenly the driver says

"Hey, is that a Richard Sachs? Beautiful bike!"

He told me he owned one from the late 1970s. He drove a mile-and-a-half next to me at 6mph talking about how much he loved Richie's handiwork.

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

"Hey, is that a Richard Sachs? Beautiful bike!"

He told me he owned one from the late 1970s. He drove a mile-and-a-half next to me at 6mph talking about how much he loved Richie's handiwork.

that's just incredible. love it!

ever had anyone randomly ask you how much your bike costs? I've had that at red lights a few times. once I lied substantially, because judging from the look of them, and the fact that the bike was worth more than their car (and it was actually a pretty cheap bike), I was worried they'd follow me and mug me for it.

[El Chaba]

Years ago I was finishing a ride and going through town on a summer evening. Our team that year had neon yellow jerseys....A jeep pulls alongside with two guys and two girls in it all in their early 20's....One of the guys asks, "Hey, do you glow in the dark?"....I answered, "I don't know....Ask your girlfriend..." He was mad, but the guy driving and the girls laughed and started razzing him as we moved along. For quite a while after that I would see that jeep-sometimes occupied by all the same people-and we always waved....

[shovelhd]

1. I was heading home on my evening commute, approaching a one-lane underpass. No traffic coming the other way, but I hear a car behind me in the distance. I take the lane, then move over to the right. The car pulls up next to me, rolls down the passenger side window, and asks me what kind of taillight I have, because he saw me at least a half mile away.

2. A pack of crotch rockets pull up next to me at a stop light. A guy takes a look at my bike and asks "Is that Di2?"

[David Tollefson]

Originally Posted by chiasticon

ever had anyone randomly ask you how much your bike costs?

This is usually at some social get-together (not a group of cyclists or triathletes), but I sometimes get asked how much my bike costs. I tell them... "I'd never spend that much on a bike!"

My answer is usually along the lines of "it's my bass boat." At that point I get knowing nods, mostly from wives of fishermen.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Ti Designs

I can be selling a helmet to an old lady, and she'll say "I'm not racing". What do you say to that?

Well obviously you tell her that someone as young looking and fit as her might want to try racing down the road and not only would she have the right helmet for it but these Lightweight wheels over here are just the thing she needs to drop her husband.

[benb]

Originally Posted by Ti Designs

I work in a bike shop, there's one line I get all the time which just goes to show how little actual thought goes into forming the words that come out of people's mouths. "I'm not racing". I can be selling a helmet to an old lady, and she'll say "I'm not racing". What do you say to that?

I actually think these people usually don't mean entering an actual race (if they even know those exist). She means she's not going fast. She thinks everyone going fast is racing. The Dumb thing about the "I'm not racing, why would I need a helmet?" thing is so many of those "non cyclists" who think we are insane and dangerous seem to have a really hard time keeping the rubber side down. They often seem to be on the comfort style bikes that have really sketchy handling due to no weight on the front wheel and they're really off balance. But I'm sure you know all that.

[merlinmurph]

Originally Posted by Elefantino

When LeMond was named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 1989, a columnist for the SF Chronicle, Lowell Cohn, wrote: "Anyone can ride a bike. But can they hit a home run like Jose Canseco? Can they throw a touchdown pass like Joe Montana?"

I wavered on whether or not to confront him the next time I saw him in the press box, but decided against it. He was one of those who would never understand, and I was fine with that.

Sounds like Ron Borges, an ex-Boson Globe sports writer

[El Chaba]

I always find it awkward when people ask how much things cost...especially cycling gear. It's incredibly boorish unless the conversation is between fellow cyclists with one of them perhaps interested in acquiring said piece of equipment. Even then it should be phrased sensitively.

[MattTuck]

Originally Posted by chiasticon

ever had anyone randomly ask you how much your bike costs?

Respond with, "replacement value or market value?"

[Dead Man]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

Respond with, "replacement value or market value?"

Word.. there's a big difference for me, never ever buying new. I'll answer the question for close friends and some family, but as a rule I try to never talk about money. Like pretty much at all, with anyone. Not how much I have, not how much I make, not how much I spend. Just tickles my personal variety of insecurities too much.

Instead, I'll usually try to redirect to something more relevant, like "how much are you looking to spend?" if I can get away with it, or if there's no way to spin it, I might even just say I don't want to say. With a big smile.