Down with spandex!

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ritestuf

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Ok, I haven't ranted in a while, but here goes...
I hate the color-coordinated spandex-wearing, slim-jim, Lance Armstrong wannabe, road hogging a-holes! Present company excluded of course.
I live in North San Diego and it's complete madness on weekends during the summer months. They think they own the road. Every one of them has this sense of entitlement that's over the top annoying.
Excuse me, if I sound naive, but I thought bicyclists share the same rules as motorists and that we're all supposed to share the road. Well, if so, they certainly didn't get the memo.
Try coming up on a pack of them all hogging the bike lane on Pacific Coast Hwy. If they are going 15mph and you want to do 20mph, you are SOL. Unless of course, you decide to go into the traffic lane to pass.
Now you have irate motorists laying on their horns and all ticked off at you. Guess what? They assume you are the same and hate you too! lol.
I've had my RadRover for about 3 months now and have put 400 miles on it. Of all the bicyclists I've come upon, I can count on one hand the number of positive greetings.
I'm thinking forget it. Why even try to be nice. Don't get mad. Get even. I thought about installing a gas loaded canister of pepper spray to my bike rack with a spray nozzle that I could activate with a handlebar-mounted switch.
Another idea I've tossed around is a drop-down sign from the back with a big "FU!" or "EAT MY DUST!"

OK, rant off
 
I agree with the OP. I'm going to install a remote trigger for my pistol bb gun and mount it on the back rack for when I pass the roadies. I will aim it low as I don't want to hurt anyone but I just want to hear that bb ping off their forks. Soon I will own the road, not them
 
I agree with your sentiments here as long as it is all in good fun with tongue in cheek. Along those lines, I've thought about building a rig that would lay down an oil slick after I finally got past a pack of them.

Unfortunately, at this point in time, the spandexers represent a considerably larger group with a bigger voice than us mere mortal ebikers. In reality, pi**ing them off will only encourage more anti e-bike regulations. Hopefully, over time, e-bike sales will continue to skyrocket (and the spandex crowd gets older), the pendulum will swing in our favor.
 
Please tell me the threats of assault you all are proposing is meant to be some variant of twisted forum humor.
 
I agree with some of the other comments, and assume this thread is all in good humor. That's OK, and I am sure we have all been irritated by various inconsiderate users of the multi use trails regardless of what method of trail use they are participating in. That includes, the spandex crowd as well as walkers, pet owners, and yes, even ebikers. Sadly, I am sure there are ebikers that have been inconsiderate of other trail users. That said, since we are kind of the "new kids on the block" I think we need to use an extra measure of caution in our manners. I would hate to think that some of the comments made in this thread would be quoted out of context in a road bike enthusiasts forum. We need general public support, not disdain, for our ebike enthusiasm.
 
https://www.eta.co.uk/2010/09/29/bond-bike-boasts-ejector-seat-and-flame-thrower/

NOT!
As the OP, I'm a bit surprised anyone could have taken me seriously. My attempts at humor do fall short. I crack myself up always though!
While it's true that the San Diego spandex madness is fully ingrained, I'm not annoyed enough to become a serial killer.
I mean, c'mon. If that's what I wanted, I'm pretty sure I'd be way more effective in my PU truck just driving in the bike lane everywhere I went?
But alas, this is the internet and I should know full well that if you even minutely stray from the forum "etiquette?" you're asking for it.
I apologize.
 
I'm a SoCal-er and have done some riding in north San Diego. Didnt see many bikers along the 101 thru Encinitas and Solana Beach, but a lot along Del Dios Highway. They ride in big packs of 50 year old doctors, dentists and lawyers, and they often ride two to three abreast. Isnt there a law that bikes cant ride side-by-side in the bike lane? They dont get in line for cars to pass, but instead make the cars sit behind them until the vehicles can pull into the oncoming lane to pass. So what makes you think they'd make space for you?

I don't get why these weekend warriors can leave the house feeling comfortable wearing skin tight lycra, decorated with fake endorsements. Are these the same guys in tight leather pants and unbuttoned shirts in IROC Z's? It really ruins the view of nature for me to be seeing that much of the male anatomy. Women in skin tight lululemon I can deal with. My urologist in lycra....not something I enjoy being stuck behind for 10 miles.
 
I have to say that I’m unfamiliar with this phenomenon. Here in southern Maine, roadies just don’t hog the road. Even in groups they stay to the right and don’t sit in the middle of the lane. I guess Mainers are just too polite for that.

I must also state that there aren’t enough roadies riding in groups to create much of a traffic clusterf**k here. Lots of cyclists out and about, but everyone pretty much keeps to the right. And motorists usually hang back until it’s safe to pass, at which point they pull 8 or 10 feet out into the inbound lane and accelerate an impressive 5 or 6 mph to show they mean business.

Now in New Hampshire, where we lived until five years ago, drivers were considerably more aggressive. It was considered good form to pass a roadie with 8 inches to spare. I once got driven into the bushes by a FedEx moving-van-sized truck barreling along a narrow and windy secondary road at 40 mph. There was no shoulder, and I watched the back of the 18-wheeler inexorably sidle closer to me like an ocean liner squeezing a row boat.

But spandex Tour de France wannabes forcing traffic to wait just isn’t a thing here. The big question is, why don’t drivers start honking if the riders are really being over the top a-holes?
 
I was held up for 8 minutes today due to road paving near our house. I was first in line with the car and the flagman was all apologetic. No biggie, I'm retired and had no place I had to be but I can imagine he gets sworn at all day long. How DARE anyone try and stop vehicular traffic. I hate riding the shoulder of state roads here and avoid it like the plague, too many rednecks and God only knows how many are drunk. Some guy stopped 8min. for construction is not going to want to slow down for a bicycle, at least not around here. I haven't been a victim of "rolling coal" yet though, knock on wood
 
Personally I like to wear spandex. On my recumbent trike, cargo shorts become bug scoops. Not fun stopping and digging bugs out of my shorts. Fear of a bee made wearing spandex an easy decision. Then on my regular ebikes, spandex shorts have zero friction and seat padding. Again the most logical choice. Anyone thinking that a rant about hate wouldn’t ignite more hate is living under a rock in this world today, satire or not. Tolerance has definitely left the building!
 
We must all practice not getting easily offended. I wear stretchy cycling shorts myself, and it would never occur to me to get offended by the humorous rant against spandex wearing group riders.

There seems to be something about online discourse that makes people edgy and ready to pounce.
 
Yeah but it seems all the roadies with spandex are jerks and what's with that stupid sunglass/goggle type eyewear? If they are off their bikes you can say whatever you want to offend them with no fear because they can't run in those stupid shoes to catch you... Bicyclists should wear cut off jeans for shorts, a tee shirt and a baseball cap, sneakers for shoes and not bright florescent ones then everyone would be happy
 
DDBB said:
Yeah but it seems all the roadies with spandex are jerks and what's with that stupid sunglass/goggle type eyewear? If they are off their bikes you can say whatever you want to offend them with no fear because they can't run in those stupid shoes to catch you... Bicyclists should wear cut off jeans for shorts, a tee shirt and a baseball cap, sneakers for shoes and not bright florescent ones then everyone would be happy
Click to expand...
Good call on the no helmet. Quicker turnover of old cyclists due to head injury will improve sales for Trek. LOL!!!!
 
"to your left"? or "on your left".. there is a difference. Someone might think "to your left" means they should go to their left. :) There is a reason the call "take off power" is never used in the cockpit. Just giving you a hard time :)
 
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