Sunday, September 30, 2007

Livestrong!!

I've been riding my bike pretty hard for a about three months now to loose some wieght. It's easier on the kness but not so much on the posterior. One of the things that I've noticed in my rides on our local "rails to trails" path is the superiority complex of other riders. I call them "Livestrong's" instead of "Armstrong's", in deferance to Lance who I have a great deal of respect for. Here is the typical "Livestrong": 1) very expensive bike, preferably something Lance rode, sometimes Italian, but always top of the line. 2) some colorful jersey, bib, or riding shirt with the appropriate recognizable name (US Postal, Discovery Channel, Joe's Subs, or again anything French or Italian). 3) Complete disregard for any other rider not meeting the imprortant factors described in 1 and 2 above.
I generally try to make eye contact with other riders, acknowledge their presence, or otherwise exchange in polite human behavior. I guess the Livestrongs are too busy "training." They are hustling along on our 13 mile out and back trail, which I think for most serious riders is the distance at which they decide whether they are going for 50 or 75 miles that day. But, man are they serious. Gear all shiny, clip in shoes appropriately matched to either bike or riding suit, just in case they run into a wayward "Tour de Northwest Ohio" that just happens to be on our bikepath.
Look, I don't have a problem with people riding for fitness, pleasure, or just generally getting out in the fresh air. But give me a break Livestrong!! I see you already!! I like your bike, you gear is better than mine, you look better and are in better shape, but do you have to be so snotty? Say hello to somebody, embrace the rest of us in your personal peleton. Your'e not that great or you would be in Europe where they actually care. Especially you thirty plus guys like me, who are you kidding? Do I wish that I had the cash to get the $1300 cyclo-cross bike at my local shop, of course. But can't I wear underarmor shirts and running shoes with no wind channeling, air cooled, shaved leg, padded bike shorts with ballistic impact resistant uv-blocking sunglasses and still be a rider? Do you even remember the fun of riding? I really wanted to send this in to Bicycling magazine but as this post would I'm sure, piss off all thier advertisers who make thier profits off the "Livestrong's" and rely on thier having all the "best" gear for thier 100 mile a month training schedule.
So if I see you I'm going to keep trying to say hello, but most likely I'm just going to greet you with a falsely enthusiastic: LIVESTRONG!!

2 comments:

Hani said...

Mark, they are probably just sexually-frustrated middle-aged men who seek order in their lives.

Seriously though, these were my same thoughts when I went diving last year on a boat where there were a few guys diving with rebreathers (advanced devices that enable you to stay longer underwater)and every other bell and whistle you could think of related to scuba. The expressions on their faces just said "Look at all the mortal weaklings diving on air!"..and they would ridicule people who asked about their equipment, etc.

Unknown said...

I guess then I should get rid of my Gary Fisher bike, my twin US Divers aluminum tanks and my matching Livestrong yellow socks.

You'll NEVER get the socks!!!