Introduction

[Sunyata]

Welcome to the group! Hope to see you at one of the happy hours soon! (Coffee clubs are too late in the day for me… :o)

[anomad]

I moved here from Nevada too. I’m still in shock almost 2 years in.

[huskerdont]

@anomad 168479 wrote:

I moved here from Nevada too. I’m still in shock almost 2 years in.

Weather? Personalities? Drivers? Do tell.

[jctonett]

@huskerdont 168513 wrote:

Weather? Personalities? Drivers? Do tell.

Well, the weather was certainly a shock for me. I think I had one pair of light tights when I moved here. Then I bought some thermal bibs to get through my first winter, when I wouldn’t ride unless it was sunny and over 35F. I didn’t ride much, obviously. I finally realized I needed more bibs and a lot of other gear… my rationalization was that you use it at least 5 months a year. After all, there’s no such thing as bad weather; only bad gear, right?

When I first started riding in Vegas, you definitely were taking your life in your hands, but in the last 10 years, it has really improved. The hills are a lot different, too. Longer, but not as steep.

[anomad]

@huskerdont 168513 wrote:

Weather? Personalities? Drivers? Do tell.

Not to hijack jctonett’s intro thread… but I lived in a rural part of Nevada (much different than Vegas) and I have lived all over the place.

My first week or two here I went to the grocery store. The woman parked next to me at the bike rack had a problem with her brakes rubbing. I got out my tools and fixed her bike. She said, “wow, you’re really friendly and helpful, you must not be from around here”. I think that sums it up pretty well.

[cvcalhoun]

@jctonett 168522 wrote:

Well, the weather was certainly a shock for me. I think I had one pair of light tights when I moved here. Then I bought some thermal bibs to get through my first winter, when I wouldn’t ride unless it was sunny and over 35F. I didn’t ride much, obviously. I finally realized I needed more bibs and a lot of other gear… my rationalization was that you use it at least 5 months a year. After all, there’s no such thing as bad weather; only bad gear, right?

I would also point out that you need warm clothes even to walk outside here in winter. And a lot of those clothes can be repurposed for bike riding. Even now, I have an electrically heated jacket that was not specifically designed for bike riding, which I wear both when biking and when outside for any other purpose in winter.

[cvcalhoun]

@jctonett 168522 wrote:

Well, the weather was certainly a shock for me. I think I had one pair of light tights when I moved here. Then I bought some thermal bibs to get through my first winter, when I wouldn’t ride unless it was sunny and over 35F. I didn’t ride much, obviously. I finally realized I needed more bibs and a lot of other gear… my rationalization was that you use it at least 5 months a year. After all, there’s no such thing as bad weather; only bad gear, right?

Well, you’re going to need gear even to go outside in DC weather. And much of that gear can be repurposed for biking, if you don’t want to spend the money for special purpose gear. For example, I have an electrically heated jacket that works for everything from biking to snowball fights.

@anomad 168529 wrote:

Not to hijack jctonett’s intro thread…

I think hijacking the threads of newbies is fine. This year, we’re making all the newbies make at least one post before they can sign up for Freezing Saddles. Having the discussion meander around after that is a good introduction for them in how this forum normally works.

[huskerdont]

@anomad 168529 wrote:

Not to hijack jctonett’s intro thread…

This one’s all on me.

[jctonett]

I don’t mind being hijacked…

I’m sometimes just happy some other riders will talk to me… to @huskerdont’s point.

[huskerdont]

@jctonett 168545 wrote:

I don’t mind being hijacked…

I’m sometimes just happy some other riders will talk to me… to @huskerdont’s point.

I used to think that was strange too–that cyclists didn’t say hi or wave to each other. Now I’m surprised when one does, like WTF are you talking to me for are you trying to start something? (I’m not rcannon, but I have aspirations.)

Sometimes certain subgroups do, such as mountain bikers. If you cross paths with a lone mountain biker in the woods on a frozen January morning and that person doesn’t return your greeting, there may be issues.

[anomad]

@jctonett 168545 wrote:

I don’t mind being hijacked…

I’m sometimes just happy some other riders will talk to me… to @huskerdont’s point.

Other riders talk to me all the time. Usually “passing” or “on your left”… But every once in a while a brave rider will say good morning or have a good ride.

[komorebi]

@huskerdont 168550 wrote:

I used to think that was strange too–that cyclists didn’t say hi or wave to each other. Now I’m surprised when one does, like WTF are you talking to me for are you trying to start something? (I’m not rcannon, but I have aspirations.)

Sometimes certain subgroups do, such as mountain bikers. If you cross paths with a lone mountain biker in the woods on a frozen January morning and that person doesn’t return your greeting, there may be issues.

I wonder how much of that is due to location-specific norms, as well. My experience on the Virginia Capital Trail is that at least half of the cyclists will say hi or wave.

[CBGanimal]

@huskerdont 168550 wrote:

I used to think that was strange too–that cyclists didn’t say hi or wave to each other. Now I’m surprised when one does, like WTF are you talking to me for are you trying to start something? (I’m not rcannon, but I have aspirations.)

Sometimes certain subgroups do, such as mountain bikers. If you cross paths with a lone mountain biker in the woods on a frozen January morning and that person doesn’t return your greeting, there may be issues.

I thought the same when I started biking….But your right I get very little back. I still smile or nod my head to everyone riding by. Especially in the winter when we are all wrapped up and you really can’t tell who’s who! So I smile and nod at everyone because I just may know them . And the ones I don’t know I don’t care what they think…

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[Oldtowner]

Welcome!

The mushroom capital of the world is where I grew up! I’ll look for you in the wild.

[jctonett]

@Oldtowner 168650 wrote:

Welcome!

The mushroom capital of the world is where I grew up! I’ll look for you in the wild.

We lived in KSPA when we were in PA… we liked the town, although it is pretty much convenient to… nothing.

Great for cycling. Five minutes out the door, and I’m on paved (sorta) low traffic roads. When I first moved there though, I used to get lost all the time… winding roads… never knew what direction I was facing.

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