Sadly, too true ...

[Anarchist]

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2016/apr/12/no-more-hippies-and-explorers-lament-for-the-changed-world-of-cycling

I rarely see people anymore just "out riding"

[unterhausen]

you know, the hippies are out mountain biking. When people just went out and rode, that wasn't an option. And in any event, our bike paths are covered with people just out riding on a nice day. If we had more paths, there would no doubt be more people riding.

One other thing, just because people have a nice bike and cycling specific clothes doesn't mean they are out being competitive.

There has definitely been a change in the way that bicycles and cars interact on the road. Our roads have been redesigned so that only an idiot will crash on them, so people go faster. It's a vicious cycle that makes riding a bike on the roads far less pleasant. That's why the casual cyclists are on paths or in the woods.

[josephr]

One other thing, just because people have a nice bike and cycling specific clothes doesn't mean they are out being competitive.



wasn't the first auto race when they built a second car?

I think there's a bit of internet myopia going on with this story --- we've got several bike paths around and there's generally plenty of folks on cruisers and non-enthusiast bikes around. I think more of the beginners are on trails and less on the road simply as we have more cars and traffic hazards. Even with that, they recently installed 'rent-a-bike' stations across Birmingham and, being the skeptic/naysayer, I'm actually eating my words a little bit. If you build it, they will come. :beer:

[Mzilliox]

Its because theres gadgets now. thats it. people go out and fish with gadgets, they hunt with cameras, they ride with cycle computers, we have gadgets and do-dads for everything.

I like to push myself, nature of the sport for me, and with pushing myself comes some training time. not all my rides can be "fun rides" if i want to get better, but for me this, is fun in its own way.

Today is gravel ride tuesday. ill be shredding some gravel somewhere, but also pushing myself on the climbs and road flats.

I do it with no computers or stravas or whatever, i just ride.

so yeah, we ride with gadgets now because we have them. we didn't have them before.

[redir]

Why bother exploring anything anymore? There is nothing to explore anymore. Just fire up Google Earth and Images and you get to see everything from the comfort of your own chair.

That, and hippies have been long gone for a long time now.

[merckx]

That essay suggests a good perspective. I like it.

[stephenmarklay]

I have felt the internal backlash for some time. It coaxed me into getting a cheap commuter bike. $50 cheap. I ride it with shorts, a t-shirt and some times even my Teva’s with big flat pedals.

I have been riding it for a 10 mile jaunts and even done some fun sprints between signs etc. I more recently found myself riding it longer. Now I like to do 30 mile mixed gravel rides and this Sunday I rode it 50 miles.

I may even do a century on it.

I really brought back the love a cycling for me. I love to train in the gym and out but it takes away the joy of cycling. I can mix training and pleasure with this simple bike and I love that.

[numbskull]

I do it with no computers or stravas or whatever, i just ride.


Exactly.

It is amazing how something as simple as a speedometer takes over your whole reason to ride........and how refreshing it is to junk them and just let your legs and lungs tell you how you are doing.

[Mzilliox]

Exactly.

It is amazing how something as simple as a speedometer takes over your whole reason to ride........and how refreshing it is to junk them and just let your legs and lungs tell you how you are doing.

yes, this i think would bring the "fun" back into more rides. stop watching the computer and tracking your KOM status and let your body and your route tell you whats up. If i am pushing my legs to spin as fast as they can, what does it matter what my computer is telling me? if i am gassed and can't climb the hill any faster, who cares what power im producing, its not enough to get my ass up the hill fast. if i work hard enough ill get up faster next time...

that being said, i would like to work with a computer sometimes, and I would like to know what all that crap means for me anyway, all tools to get me knowhere in particular...:hello:

[rugbysecondrow]

I have felt the internal backlash for some time. It coaxed me into getting a cheap commuter bike. $50 cheap. I ride it with shorts, a t-shirt and some times even my Teva’s with big flat pedals.



I have been riding it for a 10 mile jaunts and even done some fun sprints between signs etc. I more recently found myself riding it longer. Now I like to do 30 mile mixed gravel rides and this Sunday I rode it 50 miles.



I may even do a century on it.



I really brought back the love a cycling for me. I love to train in the gym and out but it takes away the joy of cycling. I can mix training and pleasure with this simple bike and I love that.



This is where I am as well. My expensive custom bikes have been shelved in favor of a 30 year old Specialized Rock Hopper. The tires cost more than the bike. haha.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160412/b65a46bd2df87eccf5c54c64882f7906.jpg

[jtakeda]

Its because theres gadgets now. thats it. people go out and fish with gadgets, they hunt with cameras, they ride with cycle computers, we have gadgets and do-dads for everything.

I like to push myself, nature of the sport for me, and with pushing myself comes some training time. not all my rides can be "fun rides" if i want to get better, but for me this, is fun in its own way.

Today is gravel ride tuesday. ill be shredding some gravel somewhere, but also pushing myself on the climbs and road flats.

I do it with no computers or stravas or whatever, i just ride.

so yeah, we ride with gadgets now because we have them. we didn't have them before.

I couldn't have said it better.

Now we have little computer programs that send out all our "ride data" to everyone telling them how fast and how hard we rode.

Our internet age has become so obsessed with instant gratification and online flaunting that people have forgot to stop and smell the fresh air and take in the amazing sights without taking a picture to show to everyone else.

[marknreimer]

ditching the computer was huge for enabling me to just enjoy a ride as well.

I actually very often still record a ride with a GPS just because I'm curious what my annual mileage is, but it's always stashed in my bag or pocket out of sight. At first I found I was still pushing hard all the time to get the max average speed, but that went away shortly.

Once I built up a bike that made it practically impossible to go fast (riv atlantis with all sorts of heavy crap bolted to it, with real high non-aero position), I found I started riding MORE and having a lot more fun doing it. With the pressure of numbers and speed and performance off the table, cycling became a lot more fun for me.

[stephenmarklay]

This is where I am as well. My expensive custom bikes have been shelved in favor of a 30 year old Specialized Rock Hopper. The tires cost more than the bike. haha.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160412/b65a46bd2df87eccf5c54c64882f7906.jpg

Isn’t it great to just be able to ride without preparing or just going 5 miles to the store? I simply love it.

[gemship]

Why bother exploring anything anymore? There is nothing to explore anymore. Just fire up Google Earth and Images and you get to see everything from the comfort of your own chair.

That, and hippies have been long gone for a long time now.

Not sure googling images of earth is the same as actually having been there but I will agree about hippies...they are a dying breed and I never much associated them with any form of cycling.

[cderalow]

I have two bikes.

a CAAD10 I use for group rides/long charity rides.

a GT Hybrid I use for tooling around.

both are equally enjoyable.

[Dead Man]

Can't really relate to the article...

Sounds like some half-remembered feelings about how things used-to-be... which are usually collections of only the best-of memories, forgetting all the stupid stuff of the time.

It's kinda like that old music bias.. whatever it's called.. where we think old music was so much better than current music, because we listen to old albums of "best of" hits or the oldies stations (which now include 80s and 90s music), and hear all of this wonderful music... failing to realize it's only the good stuff that survived till now, and most of the music floating across the airwaves then was as junky and worthless as most of the music now.

People think too much.

Just ride your bike. Garmin/Stava or not. However you want to.

[gemship]

I have a 24 speed aluminum Raliegh road bike with eggbeaters. Anyways I work a lot, self employed digging clams and I basically drive my old GMC to the clam flats, sometimes I trailer my skiff, sometimes I drag the clams back to the truck instead. I used to ride my bicycle lots but I traded thunder thighs for a strong back but hey where I live near the water fishing or in this case shellfishing is way more lucrative than being a bicycle salesman or mechanic. I can't even make sense of running errands on a bicycle if I am driving almost right past the same places on the way home from clamming plus I really do work my tail off. So the other day I had to retrieve some permits from the warden who lives close by. So I tried walking to his house and I don't have his phone number so it was kinda a guess that he would be home and he wasn't. Well it was a nice walk that only tied up an hour of my time:butt: Then I got the bright idea to give it a second try and ride my bike over which only took like twenty minutes roundtrip;) It felt great, liberating. I road that bike with its silly sks race fenders and eggbeaters using my LLBean Maine boots on a frigid day with roads covered in ice and salt but it was fun and quick and really just felt great to not have to drive the truck but of course I had to clean the bike after:p

[gemship]

Can't really relate to the article...

Sounds like some half-remembered feelings about how things used-to-be... which are usually collections of only the best-of memories, forgetting all the stupid stuff of the time.

It's kinda like that old music bias.. whatever it's called.. where we think old music was so much better than current music, because we listen to old albums of "best of" hits or the oldies stations (which now include 80s and 90s music), and hear all of this wonderful music... failing to realize it's only the good stuff that survived till now, and most of the music floating across the airwaves then was as junky and worthless as most of the music now.

People think too much.

Just ride your bike. Garmin/Stava or not. However you want to.

+1 also I think the author was having a slight reality check regarding the priority of parenthood. Real hard to just go on epic adventures when you have to work to feed,cloth and shelter kids.

[cinema]

Looks like there are a few people out there who still haven't read prollys blog

[rzthomas]

There's plenty of exploring on bikes out there -- if you don't see it, you're not looking hard enough. #outsideisfree

[Dead Man]

There's plenty of exploring on bikes out there -- if you don't see it, you're not looking hard enough. #outsideisfree

If you don't see it, guess you're not exploring

[ripvanrando]

yesterday's ride was just a 3 hour stroll mostly taking lefts and rights on roads that I had never ridden on before.

today's ride was a very easy 4 hour ride for a latte and an awesome grass fed burger on brioche.

my only goal on both rides was fun and recovery, so, some of us just ride sometimes for fun. If it isn't fun, why ride?

My experience just does not align with the author's assertion that riders are more competitive. Not too many Master's racers care about the podium and with respect to Randonneuring that I like, riders used to try to do a good time but not anymore as randonneuring is mostly glorified touring nowadays and maybe for the better. Youth sports are the worst. Everyone gets a trophy and some towns don't even keep score in Little League baseball. The Author's reference to golf is ridiculous because golf is almost never played mano a mano not only because of huge differences in ability but mostly because golf is a gentleman's game or at worst a good walk spoiled. Very, very few golfers play tournament golf (no handicaps)....I did. The best golfers are usually humble and nice and NEVER try to beat you. It is all about playing your game and wishing your fellow competitor the best luck at playing his best.

[Black Dog]

As long as folks are truly having fun. I only find it sad when there is just one aspect of riding that a person enjoys. There are so many extrinsic and intrinsic joys that riding provides and it seems like such a loss to only obsess with one at the expense of all the others. Like eating your favourite food everyday. But, every sport and activity has it philosopher's zombies.

[sitzmark]

Fun is absolutely NOT riding like someone else tells you have to ride to have fun.

[Black Dog]

Fun is absolutely NOT riding like someone else tells you have to ride to have fun.

True, and even worse when they expect you to take riding so seriously (i.e. only do it a certain way) so as to not have fun, because that is what the cool kids do.

[Dead Man]

Unless not having any fun IS your fun.

Suffah.....

[onekgguy]

I still enjoy my road bike and pushing it for all I'm worth on those days when my knees will let me but where I'm probably experiencing my most fun on a bike is on my fatty. It's a whole different style of riding.

I had never been on a mountain bike trail until a little over 4 years ago and when I ventured into the woods that first time to see what it was all about I was in awe. I was in awe at the trail system that had been thoughtfully built and in awe of the skill of the other riders at negotiating the obstacles along the trail. Like I said, it's a whole different style of riding.

I was going to get out on my road bike tomorrow and head into a south wind but Murphy Hanrehan MTB park just opened tonight after the spring thaw and that's where I'll be found instead.

Kevin g

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1511/26126604710_90bb64a131_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/FNHFkU)
by Kevin Gilmore (https://www.flickr.com/photos/onekgguy/), on Flickr

[BobbyJones]

To each their own, but I see where the guy is coming from.

It some how reminds me of a lot of the triathletes I know:

They hate swim practice...
They can't stand being on the bike...
They dread running...

...but they really like talking about gear and races!

Go figure.

[Kirk Pacenti]

This is where I am as well. My expensive custom bikes have been shelved in favor of a 30 year old Specialized Rock Hopper. The tires cost more than the bike. haha.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160412/b65a46bd2df87eccf5c54c64882f7906.jpg

That was my first MTB iirc, a 1986 Rockhopper, purchased when I was 15yo. I put some 20,000 miles on that thing "just out riding".

[fuzzalow]

I agree with the sentiments expressed in this article. I don't necessarily see the competitive aspects of what cycling has become as neither good or detrimental but more as an inevitable outcome in shaping attitude as an outgrowth of the marketing and commercialization of the sport. Anybody that came into the sport during the Armstrong-era is open to the shaping, and I would say the corruption, in the perception and attitude of cycling to fall into line with the imagery of the sport as it was advantageous to market it with the Armstrong-esque pall that tainted everything about the sport during that era.

This is what happens when the ethos of competition is manipulated to create the cheap thrill in hyping the sport to an unceasing melodrama of confrontation. Selling Trek-Nike-Oakley into this perversion of cycling as a super-sport was to establish that caricature of the sport of cycling as the predominant attitude and view of a narrowed view of what all of cycling would become. Hype the excitement so that more consumer goods could be sold. Much of the rest of cycling, even bicycling, would be lost in being subsumed by the Big Machine in taking all the oxygen out of cycling's perception to be anything other than as racing culture.

There's no better way to hype and sell product than fantasy. Most people never recognize the trade-off, they just buy into the want.

[etu]

Can't really relate to the article...

Sounds like some half-remembered feelings about how things used-to-be... which are usually collections of only the best-of memories, forgetting all the stupid stuff of the time.

It's kinda like that old music bias.. whatever it's called.. where we think old music was so much better than current music, because we listen to old albums of "best of" hits or the oldies stations (which now include 80s and 90s music), and hear all of this wonderful music... failing to realize it's only the good stuff that survived till now, and most of the music floating across the airwaves then was as junky and worthless as most of the music now.

People think too much.

Just ride your bike. Garmin/Stava or not. However you want to.

1+
Riding is fun whether you go hard or easy. No need to overthink it. Enjoy riding with the rando crowd as much as my wannabe "racer" friends. Great camaraderie, friendly competition, joy of outdoors, etc. Don't quite see the pointt. Another hackneyed rant about the good old days. I like to think BIG TENT with lots room for all types.

[estilley]

Can't really relate to the article...

Sounds like some half-remembered feelings about how things used-to-be... which are usually collections of only the best-of memories, forgetting all the stupid stuff of the time.

People think too much.

Just ride your bike. Garmin/Stava or not. However you want to.

Agreed.

If it gets more people on bikes, I really don't care what is "happening to the sport." If any of those new cyclists end up commuting some days it's a win in my book.

I find it selfish when people say "Oh I used to do that back when no one else did." The reason more people are doing it is because they found out it's fun.

Just the other day I rode out to Pier Park for the first time in a while and ripped dirt loops on the roadie. I had a good time.

Fun exists, go find it.

[rugbysecondrow]

That was my first MTB iirc, a 1986 Rockhopper, purchased when I was 15yo. I put some 20,000 miles on that thing "just out riding".

Me too, 1989-1990. It was the first bike I bought with my own money, I think I was in the 9th grade. I delivered lots of newspapers on that bike, rode it to many a girlfriends house, rode it all through college and even into adulthood. I sold it in 2007 because I had grown since I was 14 and it just didn't fit that well anymore.

This is a larger size and I love having one again.

[AllanVarcoe]

Fun exists, go find it.

Thats the key here!

[bloody sunday]

article made me mad - it touched a nerve with most people too if you look in the comments section.

here's a great response to the article:

https://comeseetheduck.com/2016/04/12/things-i-hate-cycling-snobs/

I’ve always liked cycling. You know, before it was cool. Not like these Jonny-come-latelys, helping to raise the profile of cycling, bringing about a nationwide increase in the number of bicycle facilities, and encouraging new generations of kids to get on a bike an emulate their Olympic heroes. This shift in culture has completely ruined cycling!

[ptourkin]

article made me mad - it touched a nerve with most people too if you look in the comments section.

here's a great response to the article:

https://comeseetheduck.com/2016/04/12/things-i-hate-cycling-snobs/

Great response. I agree. Nobody is stopping you from riding without a Garmin and doing what you want.