Clubhouse Grille (*** NO LIV DISCUSSIONS ***) (*** NO POLITICS/RELIGION ***)

[scomac2002]

Out of radio silence. Sometimes (for me) the better part of valor is listening to and enjoying you gents ahead of saying anything. I'm sure all know here know and understand that one.

 

Biking is a tougher subject for me. As said, these eyes have seen 100% avoidable things.

 

I want to see folks who can't drive a car like our bud Sixty have the option to bike. I want to see folks who find some brand of physical therapy have an outlet even though in my eyes there would seem to be (what do I know) other good options. I want to see original design and intent when roads were built be kept in mind.

 

When they "re-purpose" a road for a walk-a-thin, or cross-country bike event, or a run.... that's different in my mind. The road was in effect dedicated to (re-purposed) that event for that day and it's time for the cars and trucks to find other roads, for the safety of all concerned. FINE!

 

There's a city not far from here that appointed to town counsel - a "Bike Czar". I thought that was a perfect title for it. Someone was by-God going to ram it down the throats of anyone who disagreed that this movement is here and everyone had better get used to it. They could have called the job "Bike Nazi" and it would have engendered the same effect in my mind.

 

All of this stuff to my pea brain is about common sense. Which for whatever reason isn't common. Mom and Dad taught me to not play in traffic - period - the end. But we rode bikes as kids in the street. We were careful about which streets, and when we did so. We rode on the sidewalk or even walked the bike through more dangerous areas. We didn't need a "Czar'. We just needed common sense. What a concept!

 

I suppose the only thing beyond safety and compassion for folks who actually might NEED to ride a bike out there the drives my take on this stuff is the angst I feel from things like a "Czar" jamming it down my throat... that and the really WEAK arguments that it's the motorist's fault when something happens. I've seen moms and dads out there not only endangering themselves, but their own babies are strapped to their back or pulled in some sort of little bike trailer behind.

 

Common sense.

 

Can we have a "Golf Czar" to allow us to play nine holes on the interstate? All we need to do is say, "Folks need to get used to it. We're here and we here to stay - it's the motorists fault when one of us (or the kid strapped to our back) gets killed.

 

Oh well. Smoke'm if you got'm. Ride the bike when and wherever you want. I've got about as much chance of getting it to go precisely to my liking as I do influencing the mega-industry known as rap. It is what it is. White flag waved.

 

I can tell that you haven't been to Holland. ;)

 

In the Netherlands cyclists have the primary right of way. Next comes pedestrians and lastly comes the lowly car driver. Now you must keep in mind that the Netherlands has spectacular cycling infrastructure because it is the primary means of transportation in that country -- full stop! Totally segregated lanes, their own rules of the road that are strictly followed and enforced. Purpose built bikes for transport and utility. You don't see a bunch of spandex clad middle aged men on overpriced carbon fibre racing bikes pretending to be Lance Armstrong. If you want to get around in Amsterdam, cycling is the means of choice. It's much quicker than by car!

 

What I've described is actually the model that many major North American cities are attempting to aspire to. A safe way to incorporate cycling for transportation into the greater transportation infrastructure. It works for me even though it scares the beejeezus out of others who think I'd be just as well served in a gym setting riding some stationary bike to some sort of preset routine on a video monitor. That maybe OK in the winter, but when you've got weather and the great outdoors, why coop yourself up and have to fork out a monthly fee for the privilege? What this whole argument comes down to I think is that you get a segment of the population that don't want to have to pay for something they view as a frill that they aren't going to use. With that in mind, I think that it is reasonable that cyclists be expected to contribute financially through licencing or some other means. One thing is for certain that this is a contentious issue no matter where you are as there's an expense incurred to accommodate bikes within our roadways.

[Reasonability]

Out of radio silence. Sometimes (for me) the better part of valor is listening to and enjoying you gents ahead of saying anything. I'm sure all know here know and understand that one.

 

Biking is a tougher subject for me. As said, these eyes have seen 100% avoidable things.

 

I want to see folks who can't drive a car like our bud Sixty have the option to bike. I want to see folks who find some brand of physical therapy have an outlet even though in my eyes there would seem to be (what do I know) other good options. I want to see original design and intent when roads were built be kept in mind.

 

When they "re-purpose" a road for a walk-a-thin, or cross-country bike event, or a run.... that's different in my mind. The road was in effect dedicated to (re-purposed) that event for that day and it's time for the cars and trucks to find other roads, for the safety of all concerned. FINE!

 

There's a city not far from here that appointed to town counsel - a "Bike Czar". I thought that was a perfect title for it. Someone was by-God going to ram it down the throats of anyone who disagreed that this movement is here and everyone had better get used to it. They could have called the job "Bike Nazi" and it would have engendered the same effect in my mind.

 

All of this stuff to my pea brain is about common sense. Which for whatever reason isn't common. Mom and Dad taught me to not play in traffic - period - the end. But we rode bikes as kids in the street. We were careful about which streets, and when we did so. We rode on the sidewalk or even walked the bike through more dangerous areas. We didn't need a "Czar'. We just needed common sense. What a concept!

 

I suppose the only thing beyond safety and compassion for folks who actually might NEED to ride a bike out there the drives my take on this stuff is the angst I feel from things like a "Czar" jamming it down my throat... that and the really WEAK arguments that it's the motorist's fault when something happens. I've seen moms and dads out there not only endangering themselves, but their own babies are strapped to their back or pulled in some sort of little bike trailer behind.

 

Common sense.

 

Can we have a "Golf Czar" to allow us to play nine holes on the interstate? All we need to do is say, "Folks need to get used to it. We're here and we here to stay - it's the motorists fault when one of us (or the kid strapped to our back) gets killed.

 

Oh well. Smoke'm if you got'm. Ride the bike when and wherever you want. I've got about as much chance of getting it to go precisely to my liking as I do influencing the mega-industry known as rap. It is what it is. White flag waved.

 

I can tell that you haven't been to Holland. ;)

 

In the Netherlands cyclists have the primary right of way. Next comes pedestrians and lastly comes the lowly car driver. Now you must keep in mind that the Netherlands has spectacular cycling infrastructure because it is the primary means of transportation in that country -- full stop! Totally segregated lanes, their own rules of the road that are strictly followed and enforced. Purpose built bikes for transport and utility. You don't see a bunch of spandex clad middle aged men on overpriced carbon fibre racing bikes pretending to be Lance Armstrong. If you want to get around in Amsterdam, cycling is the means of choice. It's much quicker than by car!

 

What I've described is actually the model that many major North American cities are attempting to aspire to. A safe way to incorporate cycling for transportation into the greater transportation infrastructure. It works for me even though it scares the beejeezus out of others who think I'd be just as well served in a gym setting riding some stationary bike to some sort of preset routine on a video monitor. That maybe OK in the winter, but when you've got weather and the great outdoors, why coop yourself up and have to fork out a monthly fee for the privilege? What this whole argument comes down to I think is that you get a segment of the population that don't want to have to pay for something they view as a frill that they aren't going to use. With that in mind, I think that it is reasonable that cyclists be expected to contribute financially through licencing or some other means. One thing is for certain that this is a contentious issue no matter where you are as there's an expense incurred to accommodate bikes within our roadways.

 

We agree for sure on this much...

 

Design and intent.

 

The Netherlands saw it coming right up front. Designed and built for it. We didn't (at least not around here we didn't). You can't turn this local area into the Netherlands without killing people. That's the core of what get's me bugged about it.

 

My words and thoughts on the whole subject would be moot in the Netherlands. They addressed my concerns right up front through appropriate design and intent.

 

I'm all out of bullets on this one. What I say has leaves about the same dent as pulling my hand out of a bucket of water. lol. .

[Reasonability]

Fella mentioned one a page or two ago I'll hop on....

 

Bathroom attendants.

 

VERY ambivalent and here's why.

 

The Charlotte airport bathrooms (one and all) have a guy standing there. Where exactly he comes from must be some home or society or something for folks with fairly obvious mental impairment.

 

I don't need "help" zipping or wiping or doing my business. (Might go to the wrong bathroom but I can get it done on my own once there - lol).

At the airport, there sits little disposable cups of mouthwash, a basket of mints, and little odds/ends... and a big jar next to it that says, "TIPS".

 

Enter the ambivalence. A voice on one shoulder is telling me this poor soul FINALLY has a day-to-day job and purpose. Probably for the first time, even though he leaves still smelling a massive dump and has to stand there offering up his little freebies in hopes of snagging a little coin, he's at least got SOMETHING for once in his life he can call a job.

 

Sure want to help the guy out.

 

Voice on one shoulder saying, "Really? I'm almost obligated here when all I wanted to do was get in and get out hopefully with the fly zipped up and not dragging three feet of toilet paper on my shoe."

 

On the other shoulder, "This poor soul needs a break. Get over your little need for an unassisted in/out trip and go in that wallet, thank the guy, and try peeing out a little stodgy behavior while you're at it."

 

So...when in a huge hurry to catch a plane and such... I've stood right next to the basket of mints while washing hands and ignored the guy standing there. AND... I've caught myself giving him a kindness, a tip, and helped the poor fellow out with a smile.

 

Old Reason is capable of being either guy and conflicted about it to boot. Still ambivalent about it. Not even sure if I agree it's right to prop an impaired human up to stand in bathroom stink all day for the privilege of feeling productive. Just that much alone almost makes me cringe. I know I couldn't do it but they do. Is it the right or wrong thing to even do to people? I dunno. All I know is they do it.

[Reasonability]

The Old Man and the Bike

 

There was a great old man in our town who passed away 3 weeks ago. He was 92, and the reason I bring him up is a bicycle. My dad was a really great man also, and he lived with us up until he passed away here in town in 2003 at the age of 79. He had already quit driving his truck, quit driving altogether, so I can connect with the way he felt about that quite a bit. He was still always wanting to get around, to fix something, to be as independent as possible, so he bought this Schwinn bike, the old style with no change of gears, just a bike, except it was a tricycle. That way he could ride it to Lowe’s when we were at work, or wherever he wanted to, to get stuff he needed to do ‘work’ around the house. Sometimes we would be driving by and there he would be, going the other way, right in the road, cars slowing, just to go around him. I would say later, ‘Dad, make sure you’re careful on that bike’…. Now I understand it was his way of being free. I’m just glad we didn’t make any real big deal out of it, he wasn’t on a major road, and I think he liked the challenge of getting out and playing actually. Anyway, back to the guy who just passed away. The Autumn right before my dad passed away, he finally sold that tricycle to this guy who died this May. That means he was nearly my dad’s age when he bought the bike. After dad passed away, we would see this other guy, trudging around town on this bike, maybe with library books in the back like dad would do, or a few groceries. It would almost bring tears to my eyes. Now that I can’t drive I can really understand these guys and their need to not lose their independence, their integrity.

If you see an old person, whatever they are doing, wherever they are, realize they are trying still to be of some value, if to no one but themselves. They still need to know that they matter. Appreciate them for continuing to try. It will be you some day before you know it.

 

And there it is.

 

The depth of who we are is positioned amidst who we're here with.

 

None of us will remember in the days and weeks ahead in the Grille or in life what was or wasn't solved on the great "bike discussion".

 

But all of us will be just a little different person thanks to this one.

 

Atta-boy Sixty. Atta-boy.

[Conrad1953]

Watching the US Open on USOpen.com. Small amount of chatter. Very good. Watched Phil, Jordan

and Rory. Now watching the featured group of Tiger, DJ and JT. Check it out if you don't like the

normal TV coverage. 2 featured groups going on now plus holes 7,9 and 11.

[scotee]

The Old Man and the Bike

 

There was a great old man in our town who passed away 3 weeks ago. He was 92, and the reason I bring him up is a bicycle. My dad was a really great man also, and he lived with us up until he passed away here in town in 2003 at the age of 79. He had already quit driving his truck, quit driving altogether, so I can connect with the way he felt about that quite a bit. He was still always wanting to get around, to fix something, to be as independent as possible, so he bought this Schwinn bike, the old style with no change of gears, just a bike, except it was a tricycle. That way he could ride it to Lowe’s when we were at work, or wherever he wanted to, to get stuff he needed to do ‘work’ around the house. Sometimes we would be driving by and there he would be, going the other way, right in the road, cars slowing, just to go around him. I would say later, ‘Dad, make sure you’re careful on that bike’…. Now I understand it was his way of being free. I’m just glad we didn’t make any real big deal out of it, he wasn’t on a major road, and I think he liked the challenge of getting out and playing actually. Anyway, back to the guy who just passed away. The Autumn right before my dad passed away, he finally sold that tricycle to this guy who died this May. That means he was nearly my dad’s age when he bought the bike. After dad passed away, we would see this other guy, trudging around town on this bike, maybe with library books in the back like dad would do, or a few groceries. It would almost bring tears to my eyes. Now that I can’t drive I can really understand these guys and their need to not lose their independence, their integrity.

If you see an old person, whatever they are doing, wherever they are, realize they are trying still to be of some value, if to no one but themselves. They still need to know that they matter. Appreciate them for continuing to try. It will be you some day before you know it.

 

Great story Six! It was a good thing to pass that along to someone else who could enjoy it for so long. I can see how you would have those emotions seeing something being used that was part of your dad in that way, almost like a donated organ.

 

Seeing your post and that trike pic brought me back to 7th or 8th grade. My mom's great uncle had one much like that. When he died for some reason I got it. It was just weird enough to be "cool" for me to ride it around town and to the swimming pool in summer. You might have thought the other kids would make fun of my tricycle but like I said they thought it was cool. Mine had a 2 speed coaster break no hands shift and of course the basket. Mine was not passed to someone in need but to a teen age kid who rode it for kicks. I can't remember what we did with it when I got another bicycle.

[billh17]

SCo...if they ever do try to tell the 9 hole walkers they MUST rent a cart,I could see a lot of them quitting. I would have to consider

if i wanted to continue or not. I read that the practice is gaining momentum cross the country ...forcing a cart fee even if you are

walking. You can still walk,but must pay a cart fee....the one course close to here started a "12 hole" round....The reduced green fees

publicized got everyones attention....until the 12 hole thing was noticed...that marketing lasted 30 days...back to 18 lol

Have no clue how it can be improved but i am lucky. I have been more bothered by speeders than slower players. The group I play

with once a week,is usually 2 foursomes...18 takes about 3:50 to 4:15...we have been playing together since we were all youngsters in our 20's.

We all remember a round back in those days taking about....3:50 to 4:15...lol People who live in more populated areas see more crowded

courses in a month than i will see in a year. We all laugh at the guys who start whining when they are behind us on the first tee., Usually leave them a hole behind by the 5th..It will be interesting to see what solutions they come up with in the next few years.

[scotee]

Thoughts on bicycle riding:

 

We are lucky to have about 25 miles of bike/walk path here in the LC valley only about 200 yards from the house. We use it year around.

 

https://visitlcvalle...oors/bicycling/

 

 

 

 

A couple of hours North there are some world class rail to trail bike paths including the Hiawatha Trail which is 15 miles and goes through about 10 tunnels and over about 10 railroad trestles. The Taft Tunnel goes almost 2 miles through the mountain with the East portal in Montana and the West in Idaho. There is a shuttle bus that you can take to get back up the hill. The views are spectacular.

 

http://www.ridethehi...a.com/the-trail

 

 

 

I confess to Spandex when riding. Only because I have some bike shorts with the pads to save my ischial tuberosities (butt bones) I do however cover them up with cargo shorts so I don't look like "that guy" :)

 

Happy bike riding

[Reasonability]

Thoughts on bicycle riding:

 

We are lucky to have about 25 miles of bike/walk path here in the LC valley only about 200 yards from the house. We use it year around.

 

https://visitlcvalle...oors/bicycling/

 

 

A couple of hours North there are some world class rail to trail bike paths including the Hiawatha Trail which is 15 miles and goes through about 10 tunnels and over about 10 railroad trestles. The Taft Tunnel goes almost 2 miles through the mountain with the East portal in Montana and the West in Idaho. There is a shuttle bus that you can take to get back up the hill. The views are spectacular.

 

http://www.ridethehi...a.com/the-trail

 

 

I confess to Spandex when riding. Only because I have some bike shorts with the pads to save my ischial tuberosities (butt bones) I do however cover them up with cargo shorts so I don't look like "that guy" :)

 

Happy bike riding

 

C'mon man. Somewhere along the way you've taken a bad picture. You're human. You've GOT to have that one or two where you're finger is hanging in the frame and the colors are all blurred. Please tell us you've got it in you to snap off that occasional grainy shot of big foot or something! :wave:

[scomac2002]

Bicycles. Boooooooooo.

 

Let me explain. As a youngster I went everywhere on my bike, heavy traffic no problems as you took care, obeyed the road rules and had no major accidents and very few minor ones.

 

No Idea what America is like but in Australian cyclists want the whole road system to revolve around them, many of them are good, do the right thing, but so many do not care about anyone else. A recent road rule, if you pass a clylist you have to be 1meter away from him, on very narrow roads this is almost impossible, they ride two, three, and sometimes four abreast on main roads and you still have to give the outside rider 1meter clearance. The other side of this, if a cyclist overtakes a car they do not need to be 1meter away, so if an accident happens which is quite often as they run into car doors being opened, the car driver is then at fault for not being carefully opening his door. They want a cycle path along every road, special consideration but quite often refuse to use them when they are there, but are unwilling to contribute towards the cost which for what they want would cost billions of dollars, at the same time road rules do not apply to them, it’s regular to see them go over a pedestrian crossing that is in use, run red lights, the wrong way down one way streets.

 

I have no problem with cyclists if they obey the rules of the road, act in a considerate way, and contribute towards the financial burden there demands cause, unfortunately, this does not happen in Australia.

it is heading down the same path here in rural southern Ohio..dont know about the bigger cities,but in the country,the residents are

constantly in danger of the city people bringing their bikes to the country and riding like you described on country roads.. I have came to

the top of a hill...doing the speed limit(55),and found a bunch of cyclists ...stopped in the middle of the lane...talking.....They were from the

city...because NO country man/woman would wear spandex riding outfits !

That's funny, spandex... that's one thing I can still do even with my light AFO braces for the foot drop is ride bikes with my wife, but the spandex, no way. Frankly, what do they do if they are like 20 miles from home and get diarrhea? They may never know till they get home and by then it's already come out somewhere down by their little lime colored shoes (I just think practically that's all) We just have normal 10 speed bikes from planet earth. I'll wear regular khaki shorts or maybe if I get bold, les shorts du Radro, (with the golf design in mind), but not the cutesie biking outfit...

 

Allow me to come back to this for a moment. I actually saw a poor guy with the runs during the Tour de France a few years back. It was bloody obvious too as the poor buggar had white kit on...or at least it started out white... Apparently it happens more often than we realize, it just doesn't make its way onto TV all that often... :rolleyes:

 

FWIW, I own some of that cutesie kit in spandex. The skin tight stuff isn't particularly flattering if you're like the typical middle aged male. Fortunately, you don't have to buy that stuff especially if you're not trying to pretend that you're someone you aren't! That said, a good pair of cycling shorts are worth their weight in gold if you value the sensations in your nether region. The reason these things work so well is two fold: No seams where you are sitting on the saddle and a chamois to prevent chafing. It can be a big deal if you ride a lot and go for long distances no matter how good your saddle is. There's a lot of tender stuff down there that can get rubbed raw pretty quick if you're hot, sweating and shifting about endlessly which is a pretty good description of riding a bike once you get beyond about 45 minutes. Dri Fit or similar is a necessity. What you wear on top is up to you, but i favour bold colours so that you stick out a bit to on-coming and following drivers.

 

Personally I wear a pair of cycling shorts that look similar to board shorts with a separate liner that has the chamois, no underwear. On top I might wear a brightly coloured polo that's moisture wicking in either red or yellow for visibility. I also carry a very light cycling jacket that is wind proof and shower resistant in high visibility yellow -- think Nike's Volt colour. Add on a helmet and a pair of proper shoes for the job and you're all ready to go on your adventure be it 25 miles or 250!

[Reasonability]

Watching the US Open on USOpen.com. Small amount of chatter. Very good. Watched Phil, Jordan

and Rory. Now watching the featured group of Tiger, DJ and JT. Check it out if you don't like the

normal TV coverage. 2 featured groups going on now plus holes 7,9 and 11.

 

Bendy in the windy.

 

Dustin is a freak of nature isn't he?!? Aliens have taken over this guy.

[scotee]

Thoughts on bicycle riding:

 

We are lucky to have about 25 miles of bike/walk path here in the LC valley only about 200 yards from the house. We use it year around.

 

https://visitlcvalle...oors/bicycling/

 

 

A couple of hours North there are some world class rail to trail bike paths including the Hiawatha Trail which is 15 miles and goes through about 10 tunnels and over about 10 railroad trestles. The Taft Tunnel goes almost 2 miles through the mountain with the East portal in Montana and the West in Idaho. There is a shuttle bus that you can take to get back up the hill. The views are spectacular.

 

http://www.ridethehi...a.com/the-trail

 

 

I confess to Spandex when riding. Only because I have some bike shorts with the pads to save my ischial tuberosities (butt bones) I do however cover them up with cargo shorts so I don't look like "that guy" :)

 

Happy bike riding

 

C'mon man. Somewhere along the way you've taken a bad picture. You're human. You've GOT to have that one or two where you're finger is hanging in the frame and the colors are all blurred. Please tell us you've got it in you to snap off that occasional grainy shot of big foot or something! :wave:

 

Isn't digital great?! You can snap away and delete all the bad ones and only save the best. I remember back in the day not so long ago when I would wait in eager anticipation as the roll of film was being processed. Nearly every time I was so disappointed when I opened the package. In my mind I had taken masterpieces and ended up with duds.

 

I enjoy seeing the posted pics on here. I would love to be able to see the great places where you all live and play. Until then the pics will have to do. Sometimes I get carried away but I do like to share.

[Reasonability]

Thoughts on bicycle riding:

 

We are lucky to have about 25 miles of bike/walk path here in the LC valley only about 200 yards from the house. We use it year around.

 

https://visitlcvalle...oors/bicycling/

 

 

A couple of hours North there are some world class rail to trail bike paths including the Hiawatha Trail which is 15 miles and goes through about 10 tunnels and over about 10 railroad trestles. The Taft Tunnel goes almost 2 miles through the mountain with the East portal in Montana and the West in Idaho. There is a shuttle bus that you can take to get back up the hill. The views are spectacular.

 

http://www.ridethehi...a.com/the-trail

 

 

I confess to Spandex when riding. Only because I have some bike shorts with the pads to save my ischial tuberosities (butt bones) I do however cover them up with cargo shorts so I don't look like "that guy" :)

 

Happy bike riding

 

C'mon man. Somewhere along the way you've taken a bad picture. You're human. You've GOT to have that one or two where you're finger is hanging in the frame and the colors are all blurred. Please tell us you've got it in you to snap off that occasional grainy shot of big foot or something! :wave:

 

Isn't digital great?! You can snap away and delete all the bad ones and only save the best. I remember back in the day not so long ago when I would wait in eager anticipation as the roll of film was being processed. Nearly every time I was so disappointed when I opened the package. In my mind I had taken masterpieces and ended up with duds.

 

I enjoy seeing the posted pics on here. I would love to be able to see the great places where you all live and play. Until then the pics will have to do. Sometimes I get carried away but I do like to share.

 

Well here's a peek at what we see.

 

As the tourist ad says, "Let go and unwind on Myrtle Beach time". (disclaimer: NOT Stu's theme song - lol).

 

[Spooky67]

My thoughts on cycling on open roads. Be careful, and think about your route. I live south of Atlanta and down here there are lots of roads that are lightly traveled. There are also LOTS of cyclists that ride alone, or in groups- small to large. I do not cycle so I have no dog in the fight. We have had several deaths over the last few years and many more severe injuries. They are usually related to the a driver being distracted and not seeing the cyclist or group of cyclists. I think roadways that are less traveled can be more dangerous than heavily traveled ones...IMO it's easier for a driver to lose focus on a winding back country road than on a busy city street. Be careful driving or/and riding.

[SixtySomePing]

Bicycles. Boooooooooo.

 

Let me explain. As a youngster I went everywhere on my bike, heavy traffic no problems as you took care, obeyed the road rules and had no major accidents and very few minor ones.

 

No Idea what America is like but in Australian cyclists want the whole road system to revolve around them, many of them are good, do the right thing, but so many do not care about anyone else. A recent road rule, if you pass a clylist you have to be 1meter away from him, on very narrow roads this is almost impossible, they ride two, three, and sometimes four abreast on main roads and you still have to give the outside rider 1meter clearance. The other side of this, if a cyclist overtakes a car they do not need to be 1meter away, so if an accident happens which is quite often as they run into car doors being opened, the car driver is then at fault for not being carefully opening his door. They want a cycle path along every road, special consideration but quite often refuse to use them when they are there, but are unwilling to contribute towards the cost which for what they want would cost billions of dollars, at the same time road rules do not apply to them, it’s regular to see them go over a pedestrian crossing that is in use, run red lights, the wrong way down one way streets.

 

I have no problem with cyclists if they obey the rules of the road, act in a considerate way, and contribute towards the financial burden there demands cause, unfortunately, this does not happen in Australia.

it is heading down the same path here in rural southern Ohio..dont know about the bigger cities,but in the country,the residents are

constantly in danger of the city people bringing their bikes to the country and riding like you described on country roads.. I have came to

the top of a hill...doing the speed limit(55),and found a bunch of cyclists ...stopped in the middle of the lane...talking.....They were from the

city...because NO country man/woman would wear spandex riding outfits !

That's funny, spandex... that's one thing I can still do even with my light AFO braces for the foot drop is ride bikes with my wife, but the spandex, no way. Frankly, what do they do if they are like 20 miles from home and get diarrhea? They may never know till they get home and by then it's already come out somewhere down by their little lime colored shoes (I just think practically that's all) We just have normal 10 speed bikes from planet earth. I'll wear regular khaki shorts or maybe if I get bold, les shorts du Radro, (with the golf design in mind), but not the cutesie biking outfit...

 

Allow me to come back to this for a moment. I actually saw a poor guy with the runs during the Tour de France a few years back. It was bloody obvious too as the poor buggar had white kit on...or at least it started out white... Apparently it happens more often than we realize, it just doesn't make its way onto TV all that often... :rolleyes:

 

FWIW, I own some of that cutesie kit in spandex. The skin tight stuff isn't particularly flattering if you're like the typical middle aged male. Fortunately, you don't have to buy that stuff especially if you're not trying to pretend that you're someone you aren't! That said, a good pair of cycling shorts are worth their weight in gold if you value the sensations in your nether region. The reason these things work so well is two fold: No seams where you are sitting on the saddle and a chamois to prevent chafing. It can be a big deal if you ride a lot and go for long distances no matter how good your saddle is. There's a lot of tender stuff down there that can get rubbed raw pretty quick if you're hot, sweating and shifting about endlessly which is a pretty good description of riding a bike once you get beyond about 45 minutes. Dri Fit or similar is a necessity. What you wear on top is up to you, but i favour bold colours so that you stick out a bit to on-coming and following drivers.

 

Personally I wear a pair of cycling shorts that look similar to board shorts with a separate liner that has the chamois, no underwear. On top I might wear a brightly coloured polo that's moisture wicking in either red or yellow for visibility. I also carry a very light cycling jacket that is wind proof and shower resistant in high visibility yellow -- think Nike's Volt colour. Add on a helmet and a pair of proper shoes for the job and you're all ready to go on your adventure be it 25 miles or 250!

My DW wears them all the time too, and I'm not really making fun of them, If I could ride a bike as fast as she can run, then maybe I would wear some too :) I think she likes to wave at me in pics like this cause she knows I can't keep up with her, ha

[tolmij]

More on cycling and spandex later.

 

Thought I would post this first. This big boy was watching our dogs this morning 7.30 am. The picture does not show its true size as I am taking it from a lower part of the yard, but this fella is six foot tall and built like a wrestler. The attitude is don’t stuff with me and they mean it, they will attack if you go close. This one is a regular visitor and as you can see not deterred by me or the dogs.

 

 

[scotee]

More on cycling and spandex later.

 

Thought I would post this first. This big boy was watching our dogs this morning 7.30 am. The picture does not show its true size as I am taking it from a lower part of the yard, but this fella is six foot tall and built like a wrestler. The attitude is don't stuff with me and they mean it, they will attack if you go close. This one is a regular visitor and as you can see not deterred by me or the dogs.

 

 

 

That's a lot of muscle! Anybody eat those things?

[billh17]

Thoughts on bicycle riding:

 

We are lucky to have about 25 miles of bike/walk path here in the LC valley only about 200 yards from the house. We use it year around.

 

https://visitlcvalle...oors/bicycling/

 

 

 

 

A couple of hours North there are some world class rail to trail bike paths including the Hiawatha Trail which is 15 miles and goes through about 10 tunnels and over about 10 railroad trestles. The Taft Tunnel goes almost 2 miles through the mountain with the East portal in Montana and the West in Idaho. There is a shuttle bus that you can take to get back up the hill. The views are spectacular.

 

http://www.ridethehi...a.com/the-trail

 

 

 

I confess to Spandex when riding. Only because I have some bike shorts with the pads to save my ischial tuberosities (butt bones) I do however cover them up with cargo shorts so I don't look like "that guy" :)

 

Happy bike riding

 

That looks fantastic ! If I had views like that ,i'd wear anything required to be able to see it ! Even Spandex.....under cargo shorts too !

[tolmij]

The spandex set.

 

30 something males in skin tight spandex ride round early morning in fairly large groups. Recently they have started to visit cafes that are used by the morning breakfast and coffee set resulting in the coffee set abandoning their morning breakfast because if the very loud very sweaty spandex set.

 

Coffee shop owners were not very happy as they sat there for ages talking spandex riding so now they are banned, any spandex wearing cyclist is not welcome and are asked to move on resulting in the coffee set returning.

 

Everyone happy except the spandex set who have discussed legal action for discrimination. For my mind the male spandex set should be swept up and tipped down a very deep shaft. As for spandex ladies, that’s a completely different story, they are very welcome.

[tolmij]

More on cycling and spandex later.

 

Thought I would post this first. This big boy was watching our dogs this morning 7.30 am. The picture does not show its true size as I am taking it from a lower part of the yard, but this fella is six foot tall and built like a wrestler. The attitude is don't stuff with me and they mean it, they will attack if you go close. This one is a regular visitor and as you can see not deterred by me or the dogs.

 

 

 

That's a lot of muscle! Anybody eat those things?

 

Some do eat them but it is a very dry meat as they have no fat. Should not be killed though as they are our cultural icon.

[Spooky67]

More on cycling and spandex later.

 

Thought I would post this first. This big boy was watching our dogs this morning 7.30 am. The picture does not show its true size as I am taking it from a lower part of the yard, but this fella is six foot tall and built like a wrestler. The attitude is don't stuff with me and they mean it, they will attack if you go close. This one is a regular visitor and as you can see not deterred by me or the dogs.

 

 

 

Yikes! Thats a BEAST for sure.

[scomac2002]

The spandex set.

 

30 something males in skin tight spandex ride round early morning in fairly large groups. Recently they have started to visit cafes that are used by the morning breakfast and coffee set resulting in the coffee set abandoning their morning breakfast because if the very loud very sweaty spandex set.

 

Coffee shop owners were not very happy as they sat there for ages talking spandex riding so now they are banned, any spandex wearing cyclist is not welcome and are asked to move on resulting in the coffee set returning.

 

Everyone happy except the spandex set who have discussed legal action for discrimination. For my mind the male spandex set should be swept up and tipped down a very deep shaft. As for spandex ladies, that’s a completely different story, they are very welcome.

 

I know exactly what you speak of. There's a cyclo-cafe in a town not far from me. DW and I went in there one day and that crowd made us feel like foreigners. My wife looked at me and said: I'm not welcome in here! So we walked out. I've never been back. The spandex crowd can be immensely pretentious. That's why even though I will embrace the use of the stuff I try my best not to look like one of them and don't ride one of those sorts of bikes. I can pass them on the road and 50% of them won't even acknowledge my existence. I always wave no matter what.

 

Last summer when we were visiting my son in the Okanagan in BC there were a couple of women staying in the Air B'n'B next door. They had very expensive carbon bikes. My new DiL said that there was a big triathalon on that weekend and I figured that those two had competed. I attempted to strike up a conversation with one of them and she had zero social skills! Either that or she couldn't be bothered wasting her valuable training time on an old fart like me. Whatever. Live in your little bubble sweetie... :rolleyes:

[tolmij]

Bicycles. Boooooooooo.

 

Let me explain. As a youngster I went everywhere on my bike, heavy traffic no problems as you took care, obeyed the road rules and had no major accidents and very few minor ones.

 

No Idea what America is like but in Australian cyclists want the whole road system to revolve around them, many of them are good, do the right thing, but so many do not care about anyone else. A recent road rule, if you pass a clylist you have to be 1meter away from him, on very narrow roads this is almost impossible, they ride two, three, and sometimes four abreast on main roads and you still have to give the outside rider 1meter clearance. The other side of this, if a cyclist overtakes a car they do not need to be 1meter away, so if an accident happens which is quite often as they run into car doors being opened, the car driver is then at fault for not being carefully opening his door. They want a cycle path along every road, special consideration but quite often refuse to use them when they are there, but are unwilling to contribute towards the cost which for what they want would cost billions of dollars, at the same time road rules do not apply to them, it’s regular to see them go over a pedestrian crossing that is in use, run red lights, the wrong way down one way streets.

 

I have no problem with cyclists if they obey the rules of the road, act in a considerate way, and contribute towards the financial burden there demands cause, unfortunately, this does not happen in Australia.

it is heading down the same path here in rural southern Ohio..dont know about the bigger cities,but in the country,the residents are

constantly in danger of the city people bringing their bikes to the country and riding like you described on country roads.. I have came to

the top of a hill...doing the speed limit(55),and found a bunch of cyclists ...stopped in the middle of the lane...talking.....They were from the

city...because NO country man/woman would wear spandex riding outfits !

That's funny, spandex... that's one thing I can still do even with my light AFO braces for the foot drop is ride bikes with my wife, but the spandex, no way. Frankly, what do they do if they are like 20 miles from home and get diarrhea? They may never know till they get home and by then it's already come out somewhere down by their little lime colored shoes (I just think practically that's all) We just have normal 10 speed bikes from planet earth. I'll wear regular khaki shorts or maybe if I get bold, les shorts du Radro, (with the golf design in mind), but not the cutesie biking outfit...

 

Allow me to come back to this for a moment. I actually saw a poor guy with the runs during the Tour de France a few years back. It was bloody obvious too as the poor buggar had white kit on...or at least it started out white... Apparently it happens more often than we realize, it just doesn't make its way onto TV all that often... :rolleyes:

 

FWIW, I own some of that cutesie kit in spandex. The skin tight stuff isn't particularly flattering if you're like the typical middle aged male. Fortunately, you don't have to buy that stuff especially if you're not trying to pretend that you're someone you aren't! That said, a good pair of cycling shorts are worth their weight in gold if you value the sensations in your nether region. The reason these things work so well is two fold: No seams where you are sitting on the saddle and a chamois to prevent chafing. It can be a big deal if you ride a lot and go for long distances no matter how good your saddle is. There's a lot of tender stuff down there that can get rubbed raw pretty quick if you're hot, sweating and shifting about endlessly which is a pretty good description of riding a bike once you get beyond about 45 minutes. Dri Fit or similar is a necessity. What you wear on top is up to you, but i favour bold colours so that you stick out a bit to on-coming and following drivers.

 

Personally I wear a pair of cycling shorts that look similar to board shorts with a separate liner that has the chamois, no underwear. On top I might wear a brightly coloured polo that's moisture wicking in either red or yellow for visibility. I also carry a very light cycling jacket that is wind proof and shower resistant in high visibility yellow -- think Nike's Volt colour. Add on a helmet and a pair of proper shoes for the job and you're all ready to go on your adventure be it 25 miles or 250!

My DW wears them all the time too, and I'm not really making fun of them, If I could ride a bike as fast as she can run, then maybe I would wear some too :) I think she likes to wave at me in pics like this cause she knows I can't keep up with her, ha

 

Bet she looks better in them than you :)

[tolmij]

The spandex set.

 

30 something males in skin tight spandex ride round early morning in fairly large groups. Recently they have started to visit cafes that are used by the morning breakfast and coffee set resulting in the coffee set abandoning their morning breakfast because if the very loud very sweaty spandex set.

 

Coffee shop owners were not very happy as they sat there for ages talking spandex riding so now they are banned, any spandex wearing cyclist is not welcome and are asked to move on resulting in the coffee set returning.

 

Everyone happy except the spandex set who have discussed legal action for discrimination. For my mind the male spandex set should be swept up and tipped down a very deep shaft. As for spandex ladies, that’s a completely different story, they are very welcome.

 

I know exactly what you speak of. There's a cyclo-cafe in a town not far from me. DW and I went in there one day and that crowd made us feel like foreigners. My wife looked at me and said: I'm not welcome in here! So we walked out. I've never been back. The spandex crowd can be immensely pretentious. That's why even though I will embrace the use of the stuff I try my best not to look like one of them and don't ride one of those sorts of bikes. I can pass them on the road and 50% of them won't even acknowledge my existence. I always wave no matter what.

 

Last summer when we were visiting my son in the Okanagan in BC there were a couple of women staying in the Air B'n'B next door. They had very expensive carbon bikes. My new DiL said that there was a big triathalon on that weekend and I figured that those two had competed. I attempted to strike up a conversation with one of them and she had zero social skills! Either that or she couldn't be bothered wasting her valuable training time on an old fart like me. Whatever. Live in your little bubble sweetie... :rolleyes:

 

That is the problem their condescending attitude, as if their spandex makes them better.

[Reasonability]

Can't wear spandex.

 

* Causes flashbacks to that time I accepted a dare from an air brush tote'n body artist.

 

* When I sit on leather I glide straight to the floor. (Just ask the body artist.)

 

* When I hide my axe folks think I'm really happy to see them.

 

Nope - can't go there.

[Reasonability]

Is it considered bad form to

 

* Ask a golfer who collapsed on the green to move two balls to the right?

* Swim out to the club you threw in the lake? Even if it's a playing partner's club?

* Rummage through a tip jar to find a good ball marker?

* Suggest on the 1st Tee you're working through anger management issues and hope no one takes it personally?

* Whip out your lucky carrot and rub it under each arm before putting?

 

Conflicted.

[jbhawx]

Pop quiz.

 

How do you pronounce Mizuno?

 

In Japan I learned how it is supposed to be pronounced, and I'm pretty sure we all say it wrong.

[tolmij]

Interesting fact about kangaroos.

 

In Australia we have dams, a dam is called a pond in other places but they can be small, large, shallow or deep. Many rural properties have dams, our next door neighbour has one and that is why the kangaroo visits it’s his supply of water. Many rural properties also have dogs and resident kangaroos. Sometimes a dog will chase a kangaroo, the kangaroo will take to the dam to escape, if the dog follows they will attack and hold the dog under water untill it expires, this is a fairly common event.

 

Another interesting fact about the stupidity of local committees. A swimming pool in a residential property has to have a certified childproof fence that cost squillions, they are inspected every year for a large inspection fee and large fines are imposed for non compliance. On the same property the owner can have a dam, equaly as dangerous and as deep, this does not require a fence, more children drown in dams than swimming pools. Go figure.

[scomac2002]

Can't wear spandex.

 

* Causes flashbacks to that time I accepted a dare from an air brush tote'n body artist.

 

* When I sit on leather I glide straight to the floor. (Just ask the body artist.)

 

* When I hide my axe folks think I'm really happy to see them.

 

Nope - can't go there.

 

:rofl:

 

Ya see; even when we disagree on something you end up making me laugh! Hence the reason for wearing shorts over shorts...

 

:rofl:

[scomac2002]

Pop quiz.

 

How do you pronounce Mizuno?

 

In Japan I learned how it is supposed to be pronounced, and I'm pretty sure we all say it wrong.

 

So how are we supposed to say it?