Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on May 8, 2010 at 3:58pm

This made me laugh. As did all the comments. Folks getting quite bent out of shape.
I have owned mountain bikes, I have owned road bikes, I have owned "sensible" bikes.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on May 8, 2010 at 4:05pm

I'm not sure if the guy is trying to be funny or not. If he wants to ride a boat anchor, fine by me. I have my tank, which I'm fine with, and I know people with heavier bikes. If he seriously has a problem with how other people spend their money, he can take a long walk off a short pier that juts out into the Atlantic.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on May 8, 2010 at 4:31pm

Oh, surely he must be trying to be funny. I cannot possibly believe he isn't tongue in cheek. But yeah, let people ride what they want to ride...

Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:

I'm not sure if the guy is trying to be funny or not. If he wants to ride a boat anchor, fine by me. I have my tank, which I'm fine with, and I know people with heavier bikes. If he seriously has a problem with how other people spend their money, he can take a long walk off a short pier that juts out into the Atlantic.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Michael A on May 8, 2010 at 4:36pm

I own all kinds of bikes for different purposes, different types of track bikes,different types of road bikes, a cyclocross bike and even a mtb bike, they each are good for their purpose, let people enjoy the ride........ besides, the author is british, no one takes them seriously anyway

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by T.C. O'Rourke on May 9, 2010 at 7:54am

The main point of this piece is that the vast majority of bikes for sale in England (?) (& U.S.) are not very utilitarian. This is correct, although the options have increased twenty-fold in the last 5-10 years. Call the author behind the times.

I worked as a lackey in a bike shop for a year. A few years later, I dusted off my mountain bike and was appalled at the horrible weight-forward positioning. I had tremendous guilt over the many people to whom I sold mountain bikes as "good city bikes".

To those who came back complaining of wrist pain, I sold gloves.

Proper upright, fender-ed, chain guarded, cargo-able bikes are a necessity for the environmental movement.

• ▶ Reply