[Jason]

This looks allot like DC’s urban plan.

[Jason]

We have HOPE!

[Jason]

ELITE biker sighted this morning: ELITE jersey, second morning in a row at 5:30AM, at first I thought he was wearing NO lights, then I saw this morning, he is wearing a single red light, not blinking, stuffed INSIDE the back of his jersey. I guess this way he can hide his light from the other ELITE bikes so the ELITE bikers wont think he is less ELITE!!!

[Jason]

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET. If only it came with gears.

[Jason]

kelonwheels;28333 wrote:

so the other day i thought i’d run out at lunchtime and ride to the bank, only i didn’t want to bother changing into the full-on bike kit.

I was pretty sure i could ride in the skirt i had on, so it didn’t seem like a problem. It didn’t occur to me that i can’t get on my bike in a skirt… :d

yes we can!

[Jason]

@eminva 28323 wrote:

Jason, you are starting to sound like the rest of us here!

Anyway, the nice weather brings ample quantities of tourists, families and joggers to our trails. Expect it to be like this until serious fall weather sets in.

I’ve noticed it is not unusual for kids jogging or cycling with their parents behind them to turn their head to look back, and naturally their bodies follow, taking them right into the path of oncoming traffic. I usually give a sharp “Hello!” or “Heads Up!” just to get the kid’s attention and focus back where it belongs. I’m surprised at how few parents seem to register any reaction. You’d think the natural preservation instinct would kick in and they’d want to protect their kid from a head on collision.

Liz

yeah, I am working on exactly the right timing with the bell, the “behind you” or “heads up” depending on what kind of tourist, how far away I am, their speed, my speed, ect. Its a complex mix of social engineering, experience, and luck. In the meantime, I am hoping not to get eaten by any zombie children.

[Jason]

@GuyContinental 28319 wrote:

That rules.

I’ll remind everyone that talk like a pirate day (Sept 19) is only a few short weeks away. Every year I come thisss close to getting divorced… maybe training our toddler to stomp around and fret about his wenches and dressing the baby up like a parrot was a step too far…

No way I could get away with that. My wife wont even put up with my random Conan the Barbarian quotes said in Arnold’s voice.

[Jason]

@DismalScientist 28318 wrote:

Speaking as a parent, children are wild and unpredictable animals. They just don’t make leashes short enough. I would never take my kids on one of the busier trails when they were younger.

That said, be prepared to take evasive maneuvers anytime when around children. Pass as far away as possible and consider not calling out passes around kids.

This in no way excuses the parents in this episode. Laughing is inexcusable. The appropriate response is for the parent to tell the kid that what he did was dangerous. However, physically controlling them may not be possible.

TOTALLY! I pass SUPER wide from kids, learned that after the first month of commuting, the HARD way a few times. Was not prepared for children actually running up to me to grab me. Especially 12 year olds, shoudlnt they know better. I swear, large mammals from the suburbs will be the death of me.

[Jason]

I just posted a correction in the comment section on the WP.

[Jason]

Dear people walking on the trail near the Iwo Jima: Please keep your fat child from reaching out and trying to grab a piece of me to eat while I ride by. The four of you are not entittled to to take up the entire path AND eat me. I wish to keep all my limbs and vital stickey-out bits. Thank you.

Kidding aside, a large mammalian child did try and reach out and grab me as I rode past while his parents laughed about it. WTF? Am I ok in yelling out “control your animals” because thats what I did. I nearly went hardcore punk – mosh on them.

[Jason]

@ShawnoftheDread 28249 wrote:

Or, you could recognize that not everyone is going to agree with you and may want to express their own opinions. So instead of whining repeatedly what your thread is “supposed to be about,” you could either politely disagree or ignore said remarks.

Pot, Kettle.

[Jason]

@DaveK 28245 wrote:

I’m not picking on you personally but I hate this idea that lifting heavy will make you big. It’s just false, and it scares off women in particular because “I don’t want to look like Arnold”. Lifting heavy + eating heavy will make you big. You can’t gain size without the calories – it’s just not possible. In order to get “toned” you need to drop your body fat and build muscle. If you keep your calories in check, lifting weights will give you that look of muscle tone you’re after quicker than body weight alone. Here’s the trick – if you are lifting heavy and controlling calories, muscle tissue is denser than fat. If you add muscle and decrease fat, you will look leaner, and yes, more “toned” than decreasing fat alone.

I totally agree with you on all counts, but for me in your usage, “toned” means “lean” and that is only a good thing. I like your definition of “toned” very much: “drop bodyfat and build muscle.” One thing I suggest to people (who ask) who say “I dont want to get big like arnold” is this: Many MANY people have tried to get big like arnold, and don’t. The only people who try and get big like arnold who do, are those who take steroids AND are genetically inclined to get that big. I guess what I am saying is that fears of getting too big are just that, fears, but not ones to worry about in any real sense. I also agree that you cant gain size without the calories, in particular, you should be careful not to gain bodyweight while growing muscle. I think most “mass builder” types gain mostly bodyfat, and that is a mistake.

[Jason]

@ShawnoftheDread 28238 wrote:

That’s great, but a look at all the other threads on the site will tell you that the OP doesn’t get to dictate the direction of the post or the interjections that will occur, either snide or serious. So telling us “what this thread is for” is just crap.

My bad, the title was “Any riders/commuters lift weights regularly?” I guess I should have made it “riders who dont really want to lift weights regularly.” because what I wanted to talk about was toning. Cool.

[Jason]

@mstone 28221 wrote:

Sorry, will leave the thread immediately to make room for the bodybuilders! (Where do these stereotypes originate?)

Not trying to be dogmatic, but aren’t there are lots of threads for “I bike and bike and bike.” Trying to create a haven here for people who bike AND lift weights. The main reason to lift weights, in my opinion, is to transform your body through muscle building. Not “tone and keep what I have but lose bodyfat” or “tone while biking a whole bunch but so much that I can’t lift weights.” I like to think there is room for that kind of thing just about everywhere else.

Instead, I would like to have a thread that inspires those who bike to also build muscle so they can look and feel better. Not sure there is anything wrong with that. I think it is defeatist to say “I bike so much so I can’t lift and should therefore just have to be satisfied with how I look now, I guess I will just tone…”

[Jason]

@mstone 28190 wrote:

I refer to squats generally as “knee-killers”.

Why? If you do them properly, they are not hard on the knees at all. Proper stance, keep knee from going over toe or instep, squat nice and slowly to the correct depth for your anatomy. Bar doesnt feel right on back? Try parallel bar deadlifts (squat with bar from floor really). If your knees wont work with squats, its either because of an injury, you are not flexible enough, or you are doing them wrong.

As far as toning, no such thing. Toning is code for small muscles with reduced fat, making the muscles seem bigger. Nothing wrong with that, but its misleading to think that “toning” has anything to do with building any amount of visible muscle or with building strenght.

Also, if you think 100 miles a week = inability to build muscle, I dont believe it. It will reduce muscle building ability because biking that much will reduce overall recovery reserves. However, if you lifted once a week, with squat/deadlift, one push (bench, dips, press) one pull (row, chinup) you would see a good improvement in your muscle development. Sorry to come across as rude, this thread is about lifting for people who also bike, not for “I cant lift because I bike” excuses. I believe it is possible to do both, even if I agree that biking does inhibit some recovery if done over a certain amount. Its about priorities, and for some of us, overall health involves a great deal of muscle development along with cardio.

[Author]

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