I'm fascinated by all the people who have a broad and reflexive hatred of sport cyclists—as if they aren't the same people they see driving or walking or working. The only real variables are that these cyclists are "other" and that many people don't have insight into what it's like to ride. - ThreadSky

pflax1.bsky.social • 7 days ago

I'm fascinated by all the people who have a broad and reflexive hatred of sport cyclists—as if they aren't the same people they see driving or walking or working. The only real variables are that these cyclists are "other" and that many people don't have insight into what it's like to ride.

Comments

winkybiker.bsky.social•7 days ago

My question is always whether these people (those who resent "sports cyclists") see driving to the gym, or tennis courts, golf course, or even just to watch sports is a legitimate use of the roads. Also, do those people resent people wearing sport-appropriate clothing, or is it just cyclists?

kare635.bsky.social•7 days ago

I don't think anyone should be hated for how they bike, but I think it is fair to critique riders who actively advocate against policies and infrastructure that make cycling more accessible. There's (what feels like) a huge culture of this in socal.

rosiemund.bsky.social•7 days ago

I agree but I also feel like that attitude gets unfairly ascribed to anyone who rides a drop bar bike or wears lycra, regardless of their actual views on or advocacy for cycle infrastructure.

kare635.bsky.social•7 days ago

100%. I ride ebikes so I totally understand; we can't let the actions of a few irresponsible/rude/etc riders justify turning against each other in a way that removes support for cycling as a whole.

pflax1.bsky.social•7 days ago

Agree. There are of course differences but there also is tons of common ground between people who ride in different ways and leaning into that common ground gives us all way more power to make things better.

pflax1.bsky.social•7 days ago

100%. There is a small but vocal subset of roadies who imagine themselves as the top of the bike pyramid and use their privilege to advocate against things that would benefit other riders, but they don't reflect most cyclists. In the last decade or so, more roadies do a lot of transit riding, too.

profcarpenter.bsky.social•7 days ago

The car culture in America has gotten out of control. Just look at the unsustainable size, weight, and waste of the average American car. And American trucks have become dangerous to anyone but the person driving them, and so many people buy them without a good reason to.

averypickford.bsky.social•7 days ago

Similarly fascinating to me is when these people extend this disdain of sports cyclists to my middle-aged-dad-bod self hauling my two kids to school on the back of a cargo e-bike. 🤷‍♂️

averypickford.bsky.social•7 days ago

And cyclists aren't immune to this othering. I found it slightly annoying that an old colleague cyclist felt the need to share with me every instance of someone on an e-bike not behaving well, or his annoyance with being passed by someone on an e-bike. Like, we're on the same team here my friend.

averypickford.bsky.social•7 days ago

And to be clear, I was much less annoyed with this old colleague's gripes than I was/am with drivers who try to kill me.

pflax1.bsky.social•7 days ago

I hear you. It's not good to other different kinds of riders. It's also not good IMO to put weight on anecdotes to further this supposed beef between sport and transit riders when in fact it's often the same people or people who are allies.

heathermmmmmm.bsky.social•7 days ago

Personally, as someone who regularly bikes for transport, I definitely put sport cyclists in a separate category, but because their intent is for recreation/exercise/stats, and seem to generally see protected infrastructure as an impediment. It’s different, and not for transportation, that’s all.

pflax1.bsky.social•7 days ago

There is a lot of history to that point of view and still a vocal subset of sport riders who advocate against infrastructure but IMO it's just a loud minority. And unfortunately that loud minority makes it hard for other people to shift their perspectives.

pflax1.bsky.social•7 days ago

You know what I mean? If you drive a fair amount, you know many drivers are selfish and aggressive and distracted and dangerous. But chances are you can overlook this negligence because you know what it's like to be late or annoyed at traffic or bored enough to play with your phone as you drive.

pflax1.bsky.social•7 days ago

I often see pedestrians saying out loud that they are more fearful of bike riders than motorists, which is some mind-bending and counterfactual fiction.

winkybiker.bsky.social•7 days ago

Observing the number of pedestrians who choose to walk in dedicated bike lanes, I simply call bullshit on any assertion that someone fears cyclists more than they do drivers.

pflax1.bsky.social•7 days ago

In some cities, the reason that people walk in bike lanes is the same reason that some riders wind up on the sidewalk—there isn't enough space, or even a safe space, somewhere else.

winkybiker.bsky.social•7 days ago

Yes, exactly. It's a thing of convenience. But few people choose to walk on a freeway because the surface streets are less direct. The reality is that if you venture on foot into a busy roadway, a driver will use their vehicle to kill you. People can walk in bike lanes without the same consequence.

pflax1.bsky.social•7 days ago

The idea that sport riders are "selfish" or "entitled" is almost comical when you think about the honest reality of how our car-centric culture actually operates.

barryjt.bsky.social•6 days ago

I just don't want to get killed. I guess that makes me entitled.

I try not to impede other road users, give way to pedestrians, and not do blatantly illegal things when there are motorists around. I'm sure I'm not perfect. 1/

barryjt.bsky.social•6 days ago

But every day I see drivers put others at risk, either through common little law breaking to "holy mother of God what are you doing!" stuff. Today, I encountered a BMW driving the Santa River Trail.

But it's always the guy on the bike who gets called out.

pflax1.bsky.social•6 days ago

yup

commonninja.bsky.social•7 days ago

People conflate a lot of things when it comes to cycling, or at least their hatred of cycling.

They hate roadies because they associate road cycling with the sport and they believe sport or recreational cycling is less important than their drive out into the countryside to walk their dog a mile.

commonninja.bsky.social•7 days ago

And some roadies only experience of cycling is for recreation. They drive to events with the bike loaded onto or into a car. They don't cycle for transport. So can be motonormative. And they get othered by cyclists who do cycle for transport. They often exibit elitist attitudes too.

commonninja.bsky.social•7 days ago

But there are many roadies, I believe, who just love cycling and will cycle for transport too.

As a cyclist with a feet firmly in both camps, I hate the othering when it comes from other cyclists.

commonninja.bsky.social•7 days ago

Aa for those motorists that hate roadies, they should think about how those road cyclists are out doing something which keeps them from becoming a burden on society through early onset of chronic illness caused by inactivity.

nestwr.com•7 days ago

People will project anything they want onto a roadie to justify their hate - opposite political opinions, perceived self-righteousness, different economic class

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply