The Big Idea

Comments

• "no cyclo"

  Only in American English have we invented the word "Cyclist" as the noun form of someone riding a bicycle. Everywhere else it's not marked behavior, it just happens. You're a person. I try to frame this conversation 'people first'. As in "people on bikes", not 'cyclists'.
  Inevitably whatever conversation you're trying to have (about people) is framed about technology (bicycles) first, instead of people first.

  Posted by Joe April 25, 2012 19:55:34

• Great insight

  Thanks for the insight, Mia! As a sometimes snobby bike commuter I admittedly get annoyed by neophytes on the bike path such as the "fashion" cyclists (you know, those adorable, young Zooey Deschanel lookalikes with skirts, suede boots, and the retro 60's bikes with wicker baskets), as well as those old folks who look like they just dusted off the Schwinn and are taking their first wobbly ride in 40 years. I have to remind myself that the uptick in bicyclists is a great thing for us all, and there is strength (and safety) in numbers!

  Posted by Gennine April 24, 2012 20:44:52

• How to Keep It Real

  Of course we are all real cyclists. When I see other cyclists, no matter their attire or ability, I try to look them in the eye and smile. Or I give the head nod, or the handlebar hand wave. I think that staying connected to others on a personal level will keep us connected in the bigger social sense. Crazy idea, maybe useless, but certainly won't hurt for trying.

  Posted by Susan Swope April 24, 2012 20:41:00

• a-men sister!

  Wow! This is so timely!!! As I "casually" ride my circa-1970 dutch bike to work EVERY DAY in my skirt...I am passed by cycler's...I smile and say "morning!"..."good afternoon!"...I would dare say...they NEVER say hello...so...today I got very cranky about it...what are they...better than me? BUT...you know what? Your story helped to center me...I ride for my reasons: 1.) I'd rather get my "exercise" by riding to work rather than exercising at the gym. 2.) I live in the "slow lane"...slow food...slow commute...it's me. 3.) I like to be green. 4.) It makes me FEEL good!. I don't need justification from someone in lycra saying hello...they have their reasons...I have mine and it's ALL GOOD! Thank YOU!

  Posted by marcia schrotenboer April 24, 2012 18:05:54

• cyclist

  well technically yes we are all cyclist, it is a difference, just as is diferent a driver frm say, NASCAR, formula one, to a soccer mom driving to drop tue kids at the game.

  Posted by Eddie April 24, 2012 17:48:22

• Let's all agree to agree.

  Nicely expressed, Mia. Really.

  Posted by Sam Joslin April 24, 2012 14:41:08

• I Ride campaign

  Nice article, Mia. I work at the Community Cycling Center (a nonprofit in Portland, OR, for those readers who are not familiar with us) and we developed an "I ride" campaign that celebrates the many reasons why people ride their bikes. You can check out our I ride photos on the campaign web page: http://www.communitycyclingcenter.org/index.php/community/i-ride/
  
  Mia is right - we're all cyclists, no matter our reason for riding a bike.

  Posted by Melinda Musser April 24, 2012 11:30:59

• Mia Birk's Big Idea

  Amen!

  Posted by John E Gilliland April 24, 2012 10:33:29

• Cyclist

  I live on an Island. My kids and I are car free. I have a Santana Triplet, a Burley Rock & Roll Tandem, a Litespeed Mountain Bike and a Velomobile that has three wheels.
  
  All of the above are human powered vehicles. All of the above vehicles when I travel to the mainland via the ferry, travel on a $4.00 Bicycle Ticket. Not a triplet ticket, tandem ticket, mountain bike ticket, road bike ticket or velomobile ticket. A Bicycle Ticket.
  
  The triplet is 10.5' long. The velomobile is 9.5' long.
  
  Regardless of what you ride, if you are pedaling it to make it go, then you are a cyclist.
  
  No one group whether they be called roadie, recreational, utilitarian, tandemist, recumbent or velonaut is more entitled to be called "Cyclist" than any other. We are all out there together and we should show the utmost respect to one another.
  
  We are all doing our part in the best way that we can,
  
  Such petty snobbery that divides us is an absurd waste of time and energy.

  Posted by David April 24, 2012 09:55:17

• Real Cyclist

  I had a speed demon scold me for stopping on the bike path while I was determining the detour route I would have to take because of construction on the bike path ahead. A few minutes later he passed me again after obviously running into the detour that he missed because he was too busy being worried about how other people were impeding his progress. His elitist attitude only made him waste his energy and made him look foolish!

  Posted by BikeMinneapolis April 24, 2012 09:48:58

• Real cyclists

  We're real and proud! Nice post. www.puremountains.com

  Posted by Pure Mountains April 24, 2012 09:30:04

• unity

  I think we categorize people due to what they ride and make crappy assumptions, leading to bad attitudes against others. I see that attitude when riding around and a roadie gets annoyed when I am going too slow and I hear a disgruntled "On yer left!!!!". There are attitudes and also entitlement issues with people as well.
  
  Here's the trouble with uniting as one "entity". We won't be. Uniting as a "cyclist" or "real cyclist" you're always not that of a motor vehicle and vice versa.
  
  I guess my point is, we're all human, and we need to kind of band together as humans first before we do anything else. Since that in itself is a study in Sociology that I don't have the answers to, I digress.
  
  Rubber side down,
  Teddy

  Posted by teddy April 24, 2012 09:20:48

• Real cyclists

  They say the greatest invention was the Wheel! Well
  I say it was the second one ;)
  
  I am a cyclist and I ride awesome bicycles;)

  Posted by David Furmage September 22, 2011 13:31:40

• @John

  If I ride a bike, I am a bicyclist. Period. There is no argument to be had here. What that person in the RV did made them a prick, a danger, a rude person, etc. It did not mean they are not a "real" cyclist. Just a really douchey cyclist.

  Posted by J September 20, 2011 12:57:41

• I disagree

  Some cyclists are definitely not real cyclists. If you roll down the window of your beracked car and yell at people on bikes to get the hell out of your way, you're not a real cyclist and you should go take up golf and ride the bus. I had someone who had been riding for 20+ years buzz me with her RV - while she was driving it in support of an MS 150 ride - because she was of the opinion that I was riding too far out in the road. Could easily have killed me. Not a real cyclist. Turn in your bike AND your car keys.

  Posted by John September 20, 2011 11:49:18

• I disagree

  You're a cicylist because you ride a bicycle.
  Your a unicyclist because you ride a unicycle.
  You're a tricyclist if you ride a tricycle.
  ...
  Arguing anything else to me is just continuing with the bad behaviour.

  Posted by Craig September 20, 2011 11:33:16

• Don't judge

  I'm guessing the tattooed and bearded fellow was calling you out for judging MMR as a "drunken bike parade" without having gone to one. But I agree with the larger point, same as the bikesnob --- just ride your bike.

  Posted by Ben September 20, 2011 09:46:11

• On the Limit

  I am an unreal cyclist

  Posted by Vorsprung September 20, 2011 08:05:01

• Quite Agree

  I agree with much of whats said here. I've been commuting by bike for ten years (I do a 20 mile round trip) because I do it in all weathers, and its quite a long ride, I do it in lycra (black - no multi colour rubbish thank you) on a drop handle bar cyclocross bike (to deal with the pot holes) whilst lugging a pannier. I am a real cyclist - but I've had various people tell me I'm not because a) I don't ride purely for leisure (read break neck pace in lycra) I ride to get to places and the opposite b) I don't commute properly because I don't do it in my work clothes - I AM A REAL CYCLIST BECAUSE I DO WHAT WOKRS FOR ME - which means lycra for getting to work, a trailer for popping to the supermarket and riding a drop handle racing bike with my skirt tucked in my knickers when I need to get to the pub quickly!!

  Posted by Jody September 20, 2011 07:40:13

• reprint?

  Opened my Momentum this month and was disappointed to see this blog post Mia Birk put up almost a year ago reprinted in the magazine http://www.miabirk.com/blog/?p=290 I read it quite a while back - c'mon, Momentum. Let's generate some content.

  Posted by Drew September 20, 2011 03:32:32

• Don't worry, ride happy.

  Honestly, don't give this another thought. I say G'day to ALL types... including joggers. If you ride (anything) you are a legend in my book! Hope to see you out there one day! :)

  Posted by Hardo September 20, 2011 02:07:07

• 'Cyclist' = irrelevant, useless term

  Meh. The weirdy-beardy and the passive-aggressive road warrior woman are irrelevant hangovers from cycling's past. The future is the European way, where you are no more a 'cyclist' than you are a 'shoe-wearer' or a toaster-owner'. The term 'cyclist' has had its day, let's accept that, expunge it from the lexicon, make a conscious effort not to use it. So often it is used to obscure and divide the transport debate and more importantly, funding. As if I, Cyclist is less deserving of funds than I, Motorist. How about Govt recognisin gthe needs of I, Commuter/Parent/Citizen, and funding sustainable, livable transport modes accordingly?

  Posted by Mike Stead September 20, 2011 00:44:26

• Riding a Brompton... am I a real cyclist??

  Actually, you should see the looks of those guys with mountain and road bikes. They look at my small wheels and snear at me. I cycle about an hour a day for pleasure and exercise and would cycle more if I had the time to. I think I AM a real cyclist. Them, weariing funny coloured shits and lycras doesn't make them more cyclists than I am. Keep on pedalling, with a smile :-)

  Posted by Hani Latif Zaloum September 19, 2011 23:27:06

• the Pedal need no Medal

  I am really a Real Cyclist. I hate head winds and thats about it.
  Perhaps if snowboarding were possible on flat land, to and from work in Melbourne, then maybe I'd change.
  In a few years when I hit my forties(Mia), I'll still be giving the nod to every cyclist on the way.

  Posted by Stew September 19, 2011 22:46:32

• Spellcheck!

  Real cyclists will be pedaling around, not peddling, unless they are selling their bicycles.

  Posted by Jimmy September 19, 2011 21:08:00

• We Share One Joy

  Rather than spend our time judging whether the people peddling past us are "real cyclists" or wanna-bes, beginners or pros, letʻs stop wasting time condemning each other and recognize that we all share the same joy while on our bikes. Letʻs better invest our time, energy, and brain-power towards promoting safety, responsibility, and bicycling communities!

  Posted by Stacey Jones September 19, 2011 19:42:19

• Unlike the Bobke, I'd ride with you any day Mia

  Very well put Mia, it's not until we can get beyond the labels that we'll have the true pedal revelation. I had the chance to ride with a wonderful group of disabled (hate that word) people during a fun community bike race we put on in Colorado Springs this past weekend and you know, I don't know if I've ever enjoyed riding a bike as much as a few of the folks that were pedaling around the circuit did...and they showed it. Viva le real cyclist!
  
  Pedal On ~ Allen

  Posted by Allen Beauchamp September 19, 2011 19:39:24

• We all ride

  Agreed! And well said. The most important thing is that we're all RIDING OUR BIKES.

  Posted by P. Kirby September 19, 2011 17:14:52

• REAL CYCLIST!

  GOOD post! I, too, am a (LATE 40-ish) woman whose been riding my bike, in whatever I happen to be wearing, & yes, skirts & heels, too, for about 4 yrs. now. My husband & I got rid of our car while still living in Philly, didn't need it, but a yr ago, moved to LA & were DETERMINED to prove that we DID NOT HAVE TO OWN A CAR HERE. WE still DON'T. He takes the Metro for part of his commute to work, rides 4 more miles to Burbank. I've ridden on SUNSET, HOLLYWOOD & SANTA MONICA BLVDS., & I ride IN THE RIGHT LANE, WITH traffic. I've done it alone or with my husband, NOT with a crowd of people who block traffic, etc., feeling safety in numbers..or is it simply "power?" I don't agree with their tactics, but I don't see many of them out there ALONE, riding just to get from A to B. Who's the REAL cyclist? WE know.

  Posted by BeBe Blazfemi September 19, 2011 17:04:07

• Real or not

  Synthetic fibres are not bio-degradeble and the styrofoam from which helmets are made of, kills birds and fish who mistake the pieces for food. These material have their origins in oil refineries and chemical plants. It has nothing to do with real cycling, but it does have a serious environmental impact . Please dress responsibly.

  Posted by ch1 September 07, 2011 15:51:48

• Real Cyclists?

  You know you are a real cyclist when the question becomes completely irrelevant. It says more about the person asking the question than about the person being labelled. Cyclists know themselves whether or not the person they are talking to fits their description of a cyclist in relation to themselves. It's different for each cyclist, depending on that cyclist's own experience. For example, I've been riding seriously for 40 yrs, racing for about 36 of them, commuting by bike for all 40, I build my own wheels & just completed my first PBP. To me, the question of real cyclist is totally irrelevant, and I don't have to comment on anyone else because I'm not worried about it and because I can tell at a glance if a person can ride well, which is more important than being a real cyclist. I find that only beginners are concerned with being a real cyclist. So if anyone questions whether or not you are a real cyclist, that person is likely to be an insecure beginner.

  Posted by Luis Bernhardt September 07, 2011 14:52:22