Absolutely of course bikes have feelings!! Just like our pets, or girlfriends, or spouses, bikes can feel love and they can also feel neglect. That’s why anyone who owns several bikes knows better than to favor one bike over the others — or else the rest of the bikes get together and foment mutiny.
Those flats where you just couldn’t find the hole to patch it? That odd creaking noise for which you could never find the source? The tight chain link, or the sticky derailleur cable, or that water bottle that mysteriously went dry when you least expected it? Now you know the reasons! You weren’t spreading the love amongst all the members of your harem!!
Of course bicycles have feelings. I even talk to mine sometimes! I had to tell my Raleigh Royal that it wasn’t her fault that I put an old freewheel one her whose bearings exploded because of grit off the road surface. I felt quite bad because I left her as a pile of parts from the trip home for some months before I rebuilt her, gave her a new freewheel and took her for a ride again.
I talk to mine, too. I apologize to mine if I hit a pothole or big bump by accident, or if I neglect to lube the chain as needed. Sometimes on weekends, if the weather is nice and I can’t go out for a fun ride (which is pretty often – 95% of my miles are my 15 miles/day commuting), I apologize to my bike and tell her to look forward to Monday morning. I’m also generous with praise and thanks. She likes that.
Ah yes, Critical Mass. How to take a wonderful idea and use it do deliberate antagonize others. And then stupidly wonder why the non-riders aren’t supporting your efforts. The joys of being in one’s twenties, idealistic, and incredibly stupid.
We have a last friday of the month Community Ride (instead of a critical mass) where we ride all thought downtown (stopping mid way for beverages) and end at a local establishment for more beverages/dinner/movie screaning/bands/dance offs/etc. It’s lots of fun, and we usually have around 100 people (a lot for our city). It’s a great way to build the bicycle community without the anarchy of a critical mass! We’ll hold some lights, but usually try and obey most of the traffic signs/signals. People (and the cops) seem really cool with the rides, and are pretty supportive. Once we added the mid-way beverage stop, and made it really community oriented, our numbers doubled! Not all critical mass events are idealistic, young-uns.
This sounds more like Critical Manners. I’m a big fan of riding in small groups and obeying the laws. It’s a great way to show the community that we aren’t all anarchists.
I have helped stop traffic for cycling events, didn’t know it was called a “corker.” Off topic a little, but I rode with my wife this weekened. Do you have sunscreen? Yes. An extra wool hat I can use? Yes. Any extra wool gloves in your bag? Yes. I was tossing her a granola bar at the next stop and rummaging for another water bottle when I realized — I have a Yehuda bag! Now where did I leave the cat and the kitchen sink?
My bikes live in my bedroom. If I keep them in the basement, parts disappear. Found this out with the old Magna my apartmen’t sprevious resident left behind. Seatpost? Gone.
As for CM; antagonizing people rarely makes them listen to you. What if cars decided to drive in our bike-only lanes? (For Minneapolis residents, imagine cars taking shortcuts to Uptown by going down our Greenway!)
Stop putting the darn bike lane in the parking lane, the excess-ice-and-snow lane. Give us a wider bike lane, steel our hearts to the sounds of busses whooshing by. Maybe some of the fringers in the cycling community will stop running lights. We can be friends, right?
Cars already park and drive in the bike-only lanes. They stop in them, use them as extra parking spaces, too. Critical Mass is a once a month thing, car drivers can get over it.
Our bikes have feelings?
Of course!
Absolutely of course bikes have feelings!! Just like our pets, or girlfriends, or spouses, bikes can feel love and they can also feel neglect. That’s why anyone who owns several bikes knows better than to favor one bike over the others — or else the rest of the bikes get together and foment mutiny.
Those flats where you just couldn’t find the hole to patch it? That odd creaking noise for which you could never find the source? The tight chain link, or the sticky derailleur cable, or that water bottle that mysteriously went dry when you least expected it? Now you know the reasons! You weren’t spreading the love amongst all the members of your harem!!
Of course bicycles have feelings. I even talk to mine sometimes! I had to tell my Raleigh Royal that it wasn’t her fault that I put an old freewheel one her whose bearings exploded because of grit off the road surface. I felt quite bad because I left her as a pile of parts from the trip home for some months before I rebuilt her, gave her a new freewheel and took her for a ride again.
I talk to mine, too. I apologize to mine if I hit a pothole or big bump by accident, or if I neglect to lube the chain as needed. Sometimes on weekends, if the weather is nice and I can’t go out for a fun ride (which is pretty often – 95% of my miles are my 15 miles/day commuting), I apologize to my bike and tell her to look forward to Monday morning. I’m also generous with praise and thanks. She likes that.
Don’t Anthropomorphize Bicycles, They Hate That!
damn my former comment just seemed so lame beyond bikingbills i had to delete it
Dang. Beat me to it, Tencon.
Sorry Dreenol, wasn’t trying – just had to login before starting my game of CoH today!
btw: That was a well structured post of yours …
Ah yes, Critical Mass. How to take a wonderful idea and use it do deliberate antagonize others. And then stupidly wonder why the non-riders aren’t supporting your efforts. The joys of being in one’s twenties, idealistic, and incredibly stupid.
You can be in your 70′s and still ride in the Critical Mass.
You can still be in THE 70′s and still ride critical mass
We have a last friday of the month Community Ride (instead of a critical mass) where we ride all thought downtown (stopping mid way for beverages) and end at a local establishment for more beverages/dinner/movie screaning/bands/dance offs/etc. It’s lots of fun, and we usually have around 100 people (a lot for our city). It’s a great way to build the bicycle community without the anarchy of a critical mass! We’ll hold some lights, but usually try and obey most of the traffic signs/signals. People (and the cops) seem really cool with the rides, and are pretty supportive. Once we added the mid-way beverage stop, and made it really community oriented, our numbers doubled! Not all critical mass events are idealistic, young-uns.
This sounds more like Critical Manners. I’m a big fan of riding in small groups and obeying the laws. It’s a great way to show the community that we aren’t all anarchists.
I hate it when the critics come to Mass
Love it!
Love it! I ride my trainer when I can’t ride outside. That keeps up the energy.
Yehuda forgot (or didn’t get a chance) to mention weight gain…
I have helped stop traffic for cycling events, didn’t know it was called a “corker.” Off topic a little, but I rode with my wife this weekened. Do you have sunscreen? Yes. An extra wool hat I can use? Yes. Any extra wool gloves in your bag? Yes. I was tossing her a granola bar at the next stop and rummaging for another water bottle when I realized — I have a Yehuda bag! Now where did I leave the cat and the kitchen sink?
A Yehuda bag – Rick should coyright the term before somebody like Carradice does!
Sadly, my poor bike has to live outside.
It must hate life!
Are there no other options?
Hey Rick, just checking in to let you know I received Volume 1, “Life on a Bicycle” and a patch! That was an unexpected surprise, thanks!
Great one, i laughed, almost even rolled on the floor in the process!
My bikes live in my bedroom. If I keep them in the basement, parts disappear. Found this out with the old Magna my apartmen’t sprevious resident left behind. Seatpost? Gone.
As for CM; antagonizing people rarely makes them listen to you. What if cars decided to drive in our bike-only lanes? (For Minneapolis residents, imagine cars taking shortcuts to Uptown by going down our Greenway!)
Stop putting the darn bike lane in the parking lane, the excess-ice-and-snow lane. Give us a wider bike lane, steel our hearts to the sounds of busses whooshing by. Maybe some of the fringers in the cycling community will stop running lights. We can be friends, right?
Cars already park and drive in the bike-only lanes. They stop in them, use them as extra parking spaces, too. Critical Mass is a once a month thing, car drivers can get over it.
Will sister sprocket appear for V-day?
as if she loved anyone other than her badass self