Comments on: Don’t label me!

By: The Opoponax

The Opoponax — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:43:35 +0000

wle – heh. In a similar vein, here in Brooklyn we have what I like to call the “neighborhood hoodlum” cyclist. Teenage guy riding the k-mart mountain bike he got for his 7th birthday, friend on pegs in tow, knees perilously close to chin, baseball cap always balanced at the perfect angle. Often seen on the sidewalk. Never leaves about a 10 block radius of home base, but takes great pride in scorching you while you’re on his turf.

I love those kids.

By: ha1ku

ha1ku — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:53:05 +0000

Eh. When the folks at my office found out that I sometimes ride to work, I was suddenly a “bike commuter”. It felt weird.

I would think that if a person on a bicycle became as common-place as someone in a car, the labels would just disappear.

By: wle

wle — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:35:46 +0000

ooh

you left out ‘DUI cyclist’

riding a girl’s kid bike wrong way, seat completely down, tires half flat, sidewalk salmoning, chain smoking, tanned [or at least leathery]

native habitat: between wrong side of tracks and liquor store

wle.

By: Yokota Fritz

Yokota Fritz — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:51:06 +0000

You can just call me Cyclelicious

Here’s another cute attempt to categorize cyclists — this one all the way from Japan.

By: Lovely Bicycle!

Lovely Bicycle! — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:31:17 +0000

I am a veloprincess

By: Elisa M

Elisa M — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:03:42 +0000

Wow! this subject certainly sparks conversation. Thanks everyone for your input. I agree that cyclist is the way we all want to be labeled. I also know that as people we will continue to label each other and put ourselves and others into little (or big) boxes. I think as long as we the cyclists stick together, let them call us what they will!
heck, even saying us and them is labeling! it is everywhere…
Thanks to all the great blog posts. I guess this really is a subject near to everyone’s heart.

By: ted johnston

ted johnston — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:05:11 +0000

This subject got a lot of feedback. We were tossing this subject about recently as well. Here is a link to the post…

http://changoville.blogspot.com/2009/08/group-sub-groups-and-sub-sub.html

By: cb

cb — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:15:32 +0000

I sure understand the aversion to labels. Who likes ‘em?

I’ve been trying to view these “types” as “tribes,” and when I do that, I feel more happy about belong to a tribe in the Bicycle Nation.

I touched on it here.
http://pirateontwowheels.blogspot.com/2009/09/tribes.html

By: The Opoponax

The Opoponax — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:21:21 +0000

I’m a ‘commuter’ with a side of Cycle Chic. I want to be Chic-er than I am, though — I usually bike around in jeans and sneakers, and my bike is an old 10-speed from the 80′s. But I’m not afraid to enjoy where I’m going, take it slow, and be considerate.

By: Dottie

Dottie — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:18:53 +0000

I don’t like labels, either. We are all cyclists; we all get enjoyment out of riding bikes; we all encounter the same problems. Best to stick together, since we are still the minority.