Any Cyclists Here?

Shrimp, I've been biking for years over here in Europe and there is a very good reason for the snub. Mountain bikes are for off-road, and road bikes are for .....well the road. People who ride MB's on the road are detested by racers. They are downright dangerous. Also there is a obvious distinct advantage in climbing with a MB. The MB's usually have 3 rings and the normal road bike two, and those are geared differently.

What we see on our weekly Sunday excursions are loads of poorly dressed slobs riding MB's in packs, doing about 20 KPH slower, clogging up the safe riding lanes.When you are riding in a nice line, drafting off each other, and you have to slow down and maneuver around poorly disciplined, slow MB riders it causes some (ok a lot) of anger.

MB's aren't designed to be on a highway, just like you wouldn't take a road bike on a MB course. Is there some snobbery involved??? Some "class warfare"???? Sure that is a big part of it as well.

As far as the spandex goes, there are a few good reasons for that. Like you said, it is for the speed, wind resistance and above all, to look good. But a serious reason is to dissipate the sweat quickly, keeping the body's cooling system working at a high level. I mean when you do a 200 k ride, you don't want to be wearing jeans.

[Quote: Originally Posted by FriedShrimp]

 

mr win hows things i havent seen you around.

And their trainers forgot to tell them to work on some upper body for a change.  They are shaped like Asian women.

Which looks stellar in bright neon SPANDEX !!!!

Actually I am thinking about buying a hybrid.  No spandex please.  I'm not looking for speed or style points, just a workout.  The area i live in has some rolling hills and I want to hit em. 

Would recommend that highly, highly, highly

Aside from being able to basically walk outside and get some quick cardio 24/7, they are actually a blast to ride.  I just bee bop around town on it now. 

You get checked out by chicks as well  and when you are playing in traffic you are a few feet higher than the cars and look in on everything. 

Great way to change a workout routine.

Oh, I got a head nod from a Harley guy on a badass custom chopper yesterday.

Still not making any friends with the ten speed racing dudes though.

I'm half on the sidewalk, half on the street right now.

I used to wonder about the whole spandex thing myself.  Then I experienced the whole raw crotch problem and sore ass issue and now I wear spandex with a little padding in the ass.  It actually helps.  But I agree that all the chip sponsers and what not are ridiculous. 

My spandex is all black.  It makes me look tough.  That and the pistol I carry with me when I ride.

Yeah, I hopped on a "road" bike the other day and now understand the spandex and padding.  It's like riding on a piece of rebar.

friedshrimp