"No fair." In so many ways!

So, today, I was biking in Seattle on a route popular with the spandex crowd. I was zipping up a hill, and at the top there was a bit of a crowd doing hill recovery rehydration. As I went by, a guy said, "Cheater!" Thanks to all of you here, I said, "Yep, I'm cheating my bad knees!"
 
PowerMe said:
In fact, I'm convinced ebikers would be best served with Tshirts that have specific messages about why they ride an ebike.
Click to expand...

A bit wordy, but I like this one:

Cars run on money and make you fat -- bikes run on fat and save you money.
 
In another variety of "not fair" come-uppance... I felt a strong wave of schadenfreude the other day...

Part of my evening commute home involves a loop around DC's Hanes Point. A one-way, 2 lane, very level roadway forming a roughly 3 mile loop--and very, very lightly travelled by cars; with a 25MPH limit.. a great, pretty ride... Needless to say it is very popular with the racing/training full-tuck set, continually zipping around the full loop, generally in my experience, always oblivious to the 3 official Stop signs along the route. One of them is at a 3-way intersection, and even has a prominent white sign just below the Stop sign, saying "Bicyclists Must Stop".

As I turned onto the straightaway which ends at that particular 3-way Stop, I merged into a group of 10 racer/trainers (who had not bothered to stop at the prior Stop sign where I first encountered the pack.) I ended up in the front quarter of their pack and I slowed as usual, as we approached the Stop (with "Bicyclists Must Stop".) I came to a stop as they all in unison zipped passed me into the usual right turn that would take us all towards the long loop...

Three car lengths into the right turn was a DC cop who'd been watching, waiting, and pulled the whole group over... as I pedaled past them, not stopped by the cop.

Is it terribly wrong that I couldn't stop a wry smile from crossing my face?
 
christob said:
...Three car lengths into the right turn was a DC cop who'd been watching, waiting, and pulled the whole group over... as I pedaled past them, not stopped by the cop.

Is it terribly wrong that I couldn't stop a wry smile from crossing my face?
Click to expand...


Great story. I've recently been contemplating how different the riding ethic and style is from the bike commuter or transportation oriented cyclist versus the road cyclist.
 
ebikemom said:
So, today, I was biking in Seattle on a route popular with the spandex crowd. I was zipping up a hill, and at the top there was a bit of a crowd doing hill recovery rehydration. As I went by, a guy said, "Cheater!" Thanks to all of you here, I said, "Yep, I'm cheating my bad knees!"
Click to expand...
That ignorant comment was thrown at cyclists for use of derailier and gear cassettes 50 years ago. I have no use for nosey, buzzkill, judgemental people from any walk of life. Keep riding and be justifyingly proud of doing so.
 
My "No Fair" moment happened last month while riding a very steep uphill portion of the Great Allegheny Passage. I was doing around 15 mph and pedaling moderately using the maximum pedal assist level. I passed a young 20 something man all decked out in a spandex outfit, riding a Trek Madone conventional road bike which cost 3 times as much as my Pedego. He was standing on the pedals and sweating profusely to maintain his uphill speed. The look on his face in my rear view mirror was priceless as this 70 ish overweight guy riding a girls (step through) bike, complete with saddlebags, breezed by him!

I stopped at the top of the grade for a sip of water and he caught up with me. His mouth was still open and before he could speak, I said "it's electric". That obviously made him feel much better and he smiled broadly when he realized I wasn't a threat to his manhood. I should add that with saddlebags to cover the battery rack and without close inspection, there is no way to tell the Pedego is an electric bike.

My T-shirt would read" I'm Not 20 Anymore. Get Over it!
 
There is a great little bike cafe here in town, Cafe Velo, that serves great espresso, a nice lunch and local micro brews and ciders. It also has a bike repair shop inside the cafe with bike races on the TV. Every Thursday the local bike club assembles at Cafe Velo for a group ride of 25-35 miles starting at 10:30 and ending with lunch at the cafe. Given the timing most of the riders are retirees. All of them are dedicated long-time road bike riders complete with colorful spandex, drop handlebars, etc.

I happened to stop in there one Thursday when they were assembling and was subjected to several joshing "cheater" comments which I took with a shrug and then pointed out their gears with derailleurs, commenting that they would have drawn the same kind of comments from single speed bike riders in times past.

At the beginning of July I decided to see if I could join in and perhaps make a few new friends. I rode my bike in eco mode for the entire ride which kept me easily riding with the "fast" group. I have striven to learn how to be a good draft horse and frequently take the lead with the faster riders, giving them a faster draft than they are accustomed to. They love it. The conversations over lunch after the ride frequently revert to gear talk with many now taking an active interest in ebike tech. I look forward to the Thursday ride each week now.

Although my R&M Homage, with its more upright ride position and electric assist does not fit in with the rest of the bikes, they have warmly welcomed me to their fold, recognizing me as a fellow dedicated bike rider. There are good people everywhere. It's good not to be too thin skinned.
 
Any comments I have heard so far have been a good natured tease, and nothing snarky. Many roadies that I talked to are very inquisitive about my bike and are complimentary on the quality of the bike.
I’m happy they still have their health to ride fast on a nice road bike.
 
Less than 2 minutes into my first ebike ride last week, a guy coming the other way blurts out "That's cheating!".
I laughed. When I got home I realized that he must also think:

1) Motorized exercise equipment is cheating
2) Boats with motors instead of oars is cheating
3) Cars are cheating
4) Regular bicycles are cheating... after all, you could walk or run!
5) Anything other than a charcoal pit is cheating in cooking
6) Electric fans is cheating

Lol! Welcome to planet earth, where technology improves things!
 
I've never been called out for riding an ebike, but I am still searching for the friendly thing to say as I roll past pedal-power-only cyclists. Just trying to keep the two-wheeled tribe together, nothing snarky. Any suggestions?
 
The response to "no fair" has to be snarky because they're not going to let you off that easy:

"Life is not fair, get used to it!"
 
jazz said:
The response to "no fair" has to be snarky because they're not going to let you off that easy:

"Life is not fair, get used to it!"
Click to expand...
I'm taking a different tack here. I'm assuming I'm not being called out and just want to offer a friendly greeting. E-bikes are still a new thing and I know that blowing past a hard working pedal power cyclist can create waves. I'd like to take the lead and offer a friendly comment.
 
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