I made an interesting observation about bicyclists the other day

[skygazer]

When I was a kid, every kid in the neighborhood had a bike and we went everywhere on them. We rode them to school and went to the Dairy Queen on them and to the park.

I haven't seen a kid on a bike in ages. But I see flocks of adults on bikes - when I go out to where I stable my horse, which is on a nice rural road in the hills, there are dozens of them, all dressed in bright spandex with logos all over them (do they all have sponsors or do they just come like that, I wonder) toiling away up the hills.

The kids are all home in front of the TV.

Strange old world....

[madinmaryland]

1. It was that way where I grew up, but I grew up in a small town, with

only a couple of traffic lights.

But wherever i've been since then, has been metropolitan and there is just too much traffic for kids to be riding around on bikes.

:shrug:

[skygazer]

2. There are lots of places around here that kids could ride

Quiet neighborhoods, parks, bike paths. I rarely see them. It just struck me as odd. I think it's great that so many adults are out there getting good exercise - god knows my parents and their generation would never have dreamed of getting on a bike - but it does seem strange to me how few kids I see riding them.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. There are lots of kids on bikes here.

In the summer I see lots of kids riding to the local swim clubs but never to/from school or the shopping area.
The spandex brigade seems to have two camps: serious cyclists who are in the zone, and weekend warriors who want to look cool. The latter group gets annoyed when I roar pass them in my unfashionable gear but I can't help it if my cruising speed is higher than theirs.

[Kali]

4. yep - mostly adults

either in the colorful spandex OR a guy in street clothes carrying a 12 pack of cheap beer - "Hey dood, you'll get your license back soon"

there are kids riding bikes but they all got hauled to the fenced-in "bike park" in mom's mini-van for an hour before soccer practice and after music class.

[NV Whino]

5. That isn't Spandex

It's tattoos. They come free when you buy the bike.

[Dappleganger]

6. When I was a kid...

I got on my green Schwinn Stingray just after breakfast in the summer and didn't come home until dinner. There were gangs of us, riding around and stopping to talk or play with whoever we wanted. If it was lunchtime some parent would always had us a sandwich. If parents were doing an outside chore we often helped when asked (or we had the freedom to ride out). We were typically not allowed to play inside anyone's home but had to stay out for the day in the middle of summer.

These days I have to practically bribe our kids to go out for a bike ride.

[montanto]

7. The messenger bike,

or track bike, or fixed gear bike (all the same thing) fad has really taken hold of kids around here. I see lots of high-school kids riding these things. Access to a shop where they can buy old, used parts, and build bikes is a help.
Check out www.bicyclekitchen.com.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. I see some kids on bikes but mostly two kinds of adults...

the Spanish dayworkers use them to get around and back and forth to work. They don't have or can't get drivers's licenses, or can't afford a car, so they bike and bus. The busses even have bike racks on the back.

The other kind I passionately despise and would strike with the fist of an angry god if I could get away with it. Every weekend they clog the roads with their $5,000 magnesium specialty bikes, Spandex, and day-glo helmets, riding three abreast where there are no bike lanes. Never a flag so you can see their bandy asses when you come over one of the few hills around here, and always the finger and a sneer when you narrowly avoid running them down.

The other day I was parked and patiently waiting for one of these assholes to pass so I could get out of the car and saw him point at me while warning me not to open the door. I was tempted to open it a little just to scare the fuck out of him, but I would undoubtedly be sued for all my meager worth when he flipped his bike in front of the Jeep bearing down.

[Patiod]

10. Ah, someone else who hates Elite Bikers

Arrrgghhh - I live in the North East, where the windy narrow roads are clogged with people from Plant Spandex every weekend. I just hate them. I never hate kids on bikes, but I hate spandex-clad adults on bikes.

The other group I hate, while sympathizing with them, are those who ride on the sidewalks of city streets because the car drivers won't give them any right of way, so they run over pedestrians.

[jobycom]

9. Lot of kids on bikes, but parents are more afraid to let them ride alone.

My kid is ten, and I barely let her ride around the block alone. When I was eight I was biking all around the countryside.

But there are kids on bikes all over the neighborhoods here.

[marzipanni]

11. My son is 14 and he rides all over our medium sized town

Starting when he was about 11 he could go with a friend.
He liked to have long hair, but in fourth and fifth grade was mistaken for a girl by docents on a couple of field trips.
Once two men stopped their car and asked him something when he was walking a few blocks to the library. He ignored them, crossed the street, and walked briskly the rest of the way.
Now he's tall and his hair is shorter. :)

[surrealAmerican]

12. Maybe it's just my neighborhood, but ...

... I see a lot of families out riding together. Those with younger kids have trailers or those little single-wheel tandem extensions. We do have a bike path not far from here.

[OmahaBlueDog]

13. It's partly the parents: kids could ride all over town back in the day

Now we're afraid to let them ride off of the cul-de-sac.

[MorningGlow]

14. The kids on bikes are all in my town

Dawn to dusk, the bike-riders and skate punks clog the roadways. But then again, I live in a real Mayberry throwback kind of town...

[tigereye]

15. if it makes you feel better, I do see kids on bikes around here

and in the pool, and in the park and I just signed the kiddo up for woods exploration camp and rowing camp!


my evil plan - get him away from the Ipod! :evilgrin:

[ZombieHorde]

16. I see kids on bikes everyday the weather is nice. nt