Day of the Noobs

It was great to see so many people out on bikes today - kids and Lakefront Lances on the LFT, tourists on Divvys in the Loop, etc.

I saw quite a few who seemed pretty new to cycling both on the LFT and on the streets.  Examples:

1) Middle aged man with helmet on backwards;

2) Young man unsure how to inflate presta valve tube on his bike; and

3) Teen with kickstand sticking into the rear wheel (it sounded like a coffee grinder as each of the spokes hit it in turn - I guess he thought that's how a bike should sound).

Point is, I am encouraged to see so many noobs of all ages.   Maybe some of them will stick with it, and we will have a nicer city.

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on April 20, 2014 at 2:19pm

Well, it was a beautiful day for a bike ride.  As usual the south end of the trail was so much calmer than the north end, but folks of every stripe were out and about everywhere.

Permalink Reply by David Barish on April 21, 2014 at 5:04am

It was the perfect day so I couldn't resist. I rode an Electra Amsterdam with a little plastic flower and a wicker basket on the handlebar  to breakfast. I am sure the riders we saw were smirking thinking about the dude riding the girlie step through with the flower. I might have looked the noob to them if it were not for the mirror affixed to my helmet. 

I was tempted to demonstrate how to wear a helmet to the teenager I saw riding her bike with a helmet pointing  at the sky and failing to protect her forehead. I just rode by and kept my mouth shut.

Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on April 21, 2014 at 5:51am

Another common site are under inflated tires.

Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on April 21, 2014 at 7:01am
I love it



I might have looked the noob to them if it were not for the mirror affixed to my helmet. 

Permalink Reply by Duppie on April 21, 2014 at 7:44am

I would be more concerned looking like a dork than a noob :)

David Barish said:

I might have looked the noob to them if it were not for the mirror affixed to my helmet. 

Permalink Reply by David Barish on April 21, 2014 at 8:31am

That's a given. I have been a dork since one of the offspring long, long ago said, "Daddy's going to marry his bicycle and they're gong to have little tricycles." Frankly, being a dork is a step up from being a cyclorobotic cross breeder.


Duppie said:

I would be more concerned looking like a dork than a noob :)

David Barish said:

I might have looked the noob to them if it were not for the mirror affixed to my helmet. 

Permalink Reply by David Mann on April 21, 2014 at 9:00am

I love seeing more riders on the road, but I cringe when they're wearing headphones or no helmet. Sadly there's little you can do to convince them they need a helmet and need to listen their surroundings rather than their ipods.

Permalink Reply by JMinHP on April 22, 2014 at 2:46am

Most escaping from their winter hibernation appear to still be groggy. Yesterday I had a runner and a biker, in separate incidents, make u-turns on LFT without checking for oncoming traffic.  Thankfully I had enough distance to avoid any accidents, but I'm sure it woke them up a bit.

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on April 22, 2014 at 6:21am

I saw a guy, God bless him. Riding with traffic, staying in line behind cars if there was a lack of room to pass, brand new bike, new stylish jeans, very new Chucks, a new helmet without one sticker and a clean, clean Chrome bag.

Keep rollin' dude but don't expect any respect from drivers and please don't block the bike lane. Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Simon Phearson on April 22, 2014 at 6:59am

I guess you must be the super-cool dude cruising around standing traffic, into oncoming lanes, in order to pull off a left turn against the light? By "blocking the bike lane," do you mean, "prevent me from shoaling my way into the intersection and then across the street, against the light."

You haven't described me, but given your description, you'd probably read me as a "noob" if you saw me on the street. Sorry, bro, if I don't make way for you.

Mike Zumwalt said:

I saw a guy, God bless him. Riding with traffic, staying in line behind cars if there was a lack of room to pass, brand new bike, new stylish jeans, very new Chucks, a new helmet without one sticker and a clean, clean Chrome bag.

Keep rollin' dude but don't expect any respect from drivers and please don't block the bike lane. Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on April 22, 2014 at 7:29am

http://www.zappos.com/chuck-taylor-shoes/CK_XAeICAQE.zso?t=chuck%20...

Jeff Schneider said:

What is a Chuck?  Is it something I'd want?

Mike Zumwalt said:

I saw a guy, God bless him. Riding with traffic, staying in line behind cars if there was a lack of room to pass, brand new bike, new stylish jeans, very new Chucks, a new helmet without one sticker and a clean, clean Chrome bag.

Keep rollin' dude but don't expect any respect from drivers and please don't block the bike lane. Thanks.

Permalink Reply by John Wilson 6.0 on April 22, 2014 at 9:40am

...good grief.

Mike Zumwalt said:

I saw a guy, God bless him. Riding with traffic, staying in line behind cars if there was a lack of room to pass, brand new bike, new stylish jeans, very new Chucks, a new helmet without one sticker and a clean, clean Chrome bag.

Keep rollin' dude but don't expect any respect from drivers and please don't block the bike lane. Thanks.

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