Forget those child trailers, forget the tandem, forget dragging your kid behind your bike. You may feel good. You say to yourself, "hey I am saving the planet, I am a green parent teaching my kid how to be green, I feel great and really cool as I bike to my errands dragging little Johnny behind me in his trailer " or whatever gadget you have hooked up.
Today I had posted a ride to my bike club. Imagine my surprise when a dad showed up with his 11 yo son who was on a road bike and with clip pedals, helment and club jersery (man size small and still too big). At first I was annoyed to see the dad and his son. Dad said son has been on club rides before. OK I say. Come along. I am thinking, we will lose this pair within the first 5 miles.
Well this little kid not only stayed in front, he smoked the ride and left his dad eating his wake. We did 32 miles at a good pace, not race pace but decent enough for most of us who are 55+ adults. When we got back, only person still fresh as a daisy was the kid. His dad looked terrible, we lost a guy on the ride as well.
So for all you dummies out there dragging your kids in strollers, trailers, back packs or whatever. Put them down on the ground, get them walking and using their tricycles.
If you kid is past age 2, you do not NEED a stroller. Get the kiddo walking. Once my kids were past 18 months, we never put them in strollers, We went to Disney World with a 6 yo and a 3 yo and we had NO stroller. We walked and we walked. No child was carried.
The dad of the little guy above said when he picked up the children's bikes in Walmart he was shocked at how heavy they were. Instead he went straight to a large chain bike store and bought a decent road bike for his son. Kid was not big, rather small for an 11 yo but he could bike and never tired. I credit this dad for getting his kid into exercise in a fun way.
Hats off to this dad, keeping his son active in a fun way. No health club camps for this kid, just real actitivity.
4 comments:
Instead of welcoming two new riders, you assumed they could not keep up. How does it feel to look like a fool by an 11 year old.
It seems that even if they ride road bikes and wear spandex, your idealized view of what a cyclist should be. Its still not good enough for you. Its a wonder that you can even recruit new female cyclists for your rides. Given your disdain towards hybrids and anything other than spandex. Coupled with your unwillingness to teach new riders to be better cyclists.
The level of disdain in this post and in others for cyclists that do not conform to your vision of what a cyclist should be is incredible. If there is one thing I have learned over the years is, its not what you ride, but rather how well you ride that makes the difference.
no one looked like a fool, we were all thrilled at his level of skill, you sound like one angry dude, come to one of my rides someday, you might learn something
The negative messages that you put out there for all to see - whether intentional or not - adversely affect all cyclists. The ignorance and arrogance with which you pass judgement on your peers are nothing short of appalling.
Perhaps you could learn something from this father and his son -- perhaps you will think of this situation before you hastily pass judgment on others in the future.
you two need to get lives, this is a blog for Pete's sake, we all post like this, come biking with me someday, i see BSHow lives in WC
got a club ride up this Sat, come bike with folks who ride level C, come see what the hybrid vs road bikes are like in real life and the problems involved
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