Bike tribes

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I have a gravel bike, two road bikes, an mtb and a hybrid bike. I could probably get by with the gravel bike but I quite enjoy having different styles of bike for different types of riding, and also tinkering about with a number of bikes. I might keep an eye out for a used Brompton for no other reason than I'd like one.

I could get by with one pair of shoes for just about every type of walking or running activity but I like having walking boots, trainers, sandals, flip-flops, Doc Martens, Timberland boots, wellingtons and cycling shoes.

To each his/her own. No reasons needed.
 
Sailing ?
Certainly similar in the amount of stuff that you need to have to do it properly - and the amount you can spend
and also a sport that I probably like more than cycling :eek: - well it involves water - I have nearly tried cycling on water while cycling on a tow path but I managed to fall the other way.
Otehr than that I tend to tend towards anything that floats

but back to the topic
I have 2 ebikes - mine is a normal hybrid type that seems just fine on roads and tracks up to and including rough stony (slowly) and tow paths if not tooooo muddy - plus short gravel paths up to the point where the road type tyres loose grip

and a folding ebike that is my wife's - and is very handy for lobbing in the car when we go to Cornwall on holiday

I get nervous when I leave either in teh town centre - butI lock them up properly and presume the insurance does the rest
not convinced that a rubbish looking bike would be less likely to get stolen around here so getting one is probably not worth it


so I'll just stick to a basic hybrid ebike
 
Maybe yes...but I feel like it's prohibitively expensive and harder to get into, dependent on where you live etc? (I may well be wrong, just my perception).
Depends - some clubs are amazingly snobby and exclusive
a lot are very friendly and inclusive
depends on where and what type of boat you want to sail
second hand dinghies and a club that mostly sails them can be cheap and friendly

sailing a modern racing yacht from the Royal Yacht Squadron can be a tad pricey

when I sailed regularly someone who sailed a yacht, commented that it is difficult to feel superior to someone when you are both covered in grease , diesel, mud and seaweed and have spent the afternoon helping each other man handle a rusty trailer loaded with a few tons of boat out of the mud
and when I say mud - I mean shell fish poo

so if you want to try sailing look around and find a club that looks frinedly

and has a bar
 

hatler

Guru
Maybe yes...but I feel like it's prohibitively expensive and harder to get into, dependent on where you live etc? (I may well be wrong, just my perception).
You don't need to own a boat to go sailing. There are boat owners up and down the country desperate for crew. If you start in a small boat you learn how to sail instinctively, and that skill never leaves you (just like riding a bike), and is very transferrable to something ten times the length (start in a Mirror dinghy and you'll know what's going on on a 100 footer).

And boats, like bikes, come in a variety of shapes and are optimised to fulfil countless different functions.
 

RichardB

Slightly retro
Location
West Wales
Kemosavvy! ( Did I spell that right, don't know ,don't care!)

I believe it was written Kemo Sabe. The old joke had the Lone Ranger standing over the body of Tonto, blowing the smoke off the end of his gun and saying "So, that's what Kemo Sabe meant!"

Incidentally, Tonto was played by the wonderfully-named Jay Silverheels in the TV series. That won me a pub quiz once.

(Edit: just looked it up. It was originally from the Ojibwe language, 'giimoozaabi', and meant 'he who looks out in secret', possibly either a scout or a masked man. Yeah, it's late.)
 
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Alex321

Veteran
Location
South Wales
I actually think cycling's incredible range of activities makes it unique amongst sports. I can't think of another sport that allows you to do everything from pro racing to track to road to MTB downhill to cyclocross to gravel/non-downhill XC to commute to leisure to families to adaptive to touring to family transport. And I love how broad the range of 'cyclists' is.

What other sport is so versatile?
Not quite, but skiing isn't far off.
 

PaulSB

Legendary Member
For me it comes down to the riding one does. My Cervelo wouldn't cope with any of the activities the OP lists. It's built for comfort, speed and response all of which it does brilliantly.

My Kinesis is a great winter/gravel/touring bike and I chose the frame specifically for this reason. Yes, it would ride perfectly well in the summer but wouldn't allow me to climb as I try to or keep up with my buddies. It would cope with everything the OP lists but some of it isn't on my cycling agenda.

While I agree there is marketing hype I'm absolutely sure different bikes are more suited to a particular purpose than others.

Changing tyres I agree with the OP and strikes me as pointless. My Cervelo is equipped with fast GP5000s unsuitable for off road of any sort. The Kinesis with Schwalbe G-One All-round which are great for winter/gravel/touring.

Apart from changing to suitable tyres for snow or ice, I don't ride in those conditions, I feel having to change tyres or wheels means the wrong tyre choice was made in the first place.
 
Location
Kent Coast
Until recently, I had 2 bikes:
A mountain bike and a road going ebike.
I have now sold the mountain bike, so it's all tarmac (and maybe the odd easy bridleway) for me now.

This categorising, and sub-categorising of bikes does my head in. I can see that it is important for competition cyclists to have the most purpose built, ultra fit for purpose machines. But for the fat geezers wearing lycra when they really, really shouldnt, it just looks like a triumph of marketing BS over common sense......
 

Sniper68

It'll be Reyt.
Location
Sheffield
3 year olds? Good grief
Lad across the road rides Moto-X and he's 4.His dad races and got him on a Moto-x as soon as he could!
I started on motorbikes when I was 6 or 7:okay:
I used to have 2 MTBs,a HT and a FS plus a road bike.I now have 2 road bikes.One's Ti and the others Allu.The Allu ,when finished,will be used on and off road.
Gravel bikes are just a Marketing angle on CX bikes:rolleyes:
 
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