When is a cyclist not a true cyclist?

[totallyfixed]

Think I sussed this one out when I was sitting in the car being taken to a bike shop to fix my bike on Saturday so I could ride the bike again on Sunday...

My husband summed up my thoughts exactly - how come if feels like it takes much longer to drive there than cycle there? the reality is that it takes 45 mins to drive to where we were going (only place with the part) whereas cycling it would have taken around twice that time by a more direct route, yet it felt like driving it took much longer than cycling it would have done!

Now I know I'm a true cyclist at heart! I can justify hours on a bike and claim it is quicker than the car when in reality it is not!

Precisely, well put. We have this conversation in the car regularly and it always seems further when driving which just goes to show how much more enjoyable cycling is than driving. We often come up to Holmes Chapel to the outlaws [which I think is not far from you?] and nearly always bring the bikes up with us to justify the drive. Nothing worse than being in a car and seeing others on bikes.
It just occurred to me that the other thing that makes you a true cyclist is when you see another bike but don't notice who is riding it but rather what make the bike is, are they clipped in, what are they wearing. From a non cyclist point of view we must appear to be sad geeky anoraks. I promise to be more tolerant of others obsessions hobbies in the future.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I'm not a true cyclist. On a nice day I'll sit at the wheel on the way to various towns and cities 15-25 miles from home, thinking how I'd prefer to be riding.

When I'm riding those roads on a nice day, I'm jolly glad I'm not driving.

In London, I find riding preferable in almost any weather.

But... When it's bone-achingly cold or skiddy-skiddy-muddy (farm gates) or pouring with the wrong sort of rain, I'd always rather be in the car.

In really poor weather I'd like to be telling a chauffeur where to take me, but I forgot to win the Lottery - which I don't do anyway.

I am not a true cyclist.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Precisely, well put. We have this conversation in the car regularly and it always seems further when driving which just goes to show how much more enjoyable cycling is than driving. We often come up to Holmes Chapel to the outlaws [which I think is not far from you?] and nearly always bring the bikes up with us to justify the drive. Nothing worse than being in a car and seeing others on bikes.
It just occurred to me that the other thing that makes you a true cyclist is when you see another bike but don't notice who is riding it but rather what make the bike is, are they clipped in, what are they wearing. From a non cyclist point of view we must appear to be sad geeky anoraks. I promise to be more tolerant of others obsessions hobbies in the future.

yep - it's not far from here, my parents or where I went to school (for some of my time anyhow). Only thing for me, is that I can't go clipped in - I have to wear boots with special orthopaedics which have been made to fit them, and I cycle in them as well, so from that aspect I don't qualify as a "true cyclist", but I can't get my head around how I can even try to justify claiming 3hrs cycling is quicker than 90mins in the car!