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2013-10-07 3:53 PM

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Master
2264
20001001002525
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Subject: Who rides bikes where you live?
The thread I started on a potential tri bike purchase got me thinking about something I've been meaning to post on.

Just a curiosity on my part. I live in a place where there are very few recreational cyclists out on the road. But there are bicycles. Not nearly as many as most every other region I visit, but there are some. I would bet our profile is very different from other places.

here's my unscientific breakdown of who rides bikes here:

1% triathletes on TT bikes

5% recreational cyclists on roadies

10% older people on mountain bikes, hybrids, casually enjoying the scenery

10% guys who lost their license by DUI and are on a kids huffy

73% Amish and old order Mennonites who use bicycles are primary transportation

1% the one Amish guy I see on a TT bike who warrants his own category

Kids don't ride the roads I am on, just around driveways and neighborhood blocks where they exist.

So what does your community breakdown look like?



2013-10-07 4:11 PM
in reply to: TheClaaaw

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Supersonicus Idioticus
2439
200010010010010025
Thunder Bay, ON
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
25% college students who don't have money for a car,
10% Serious cyclists (TT or road bike)
15% People commuting to work,
40% Recreational trail riders - I live by a gravel trail near the bush.
Does this add up to 100?

I would say we have a higher proportion of TT / road bikes than most cities, which is funny because all the highway roads are dangerous.

2013-10-07 4:16 PM
in reply to: TheClaaaw

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Alpharetta, Georgia
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?

35% "homeless"
35% "casual/family"
15% "cyclists"
10% "hipsters"
5% "commuters"
 

2013-10-07 4:17 PM
in reply to: So Fresh So Clean

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over a barrier
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
50% Hipsters & Messengers & Commuters
15% DIVVY riders
25% road/CX teams
10% Tri bikes - most head to the burbs to ride
2013-10-07 4:29 PM
in reply to: TheClaaaw

Expert
821
500100100100
Golden, CO
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?

Hmm..probably 50% Roadies (Probably 50/50 between serious teams and guys like me) 25% mountain bikers and 25% causal riders (mom and dad with the kids or cruisers)

On a summer weekend in my town I will see literally hundreds of bike, four or five large groups, and almost everyone riding for fitness.  Of course evening you see the cruisers and on the bike paths you see the families.

 

2013-10-07 4:30 PM
in reply to: running2far

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Extreme Veteran
1648
100050010025
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
5% pros
35% triathlete/ bike racers with full spandex
15% random people enjoying exercise
25% mountain/cycle cross riders
15% primary transportation
5% people with some form of bike trailer.


2013-10-07 5:44 PM
in reply to: TheClaaaw

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Expert
3145
2000100010025
Scottsdale, AZ
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?

50% bar drunks on cruisers (I may or may not be included)

25% roadies

20% TTs

5% all others

2013-10-07 6:45 PM
in reply to: thebigb

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Champion
14571
50005000200020005002525
the alamo city, Texas
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
Originally posted by thebigb

50% bar drunks on cruisers (I may or may not be included)

25% roadies

20% TTs

5% all others

you can get DUI on a bicycle here!  the drunks walk their bikes home.

2013-10-07 6:58 PM
in reply to: mehaner

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Seattle
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?

I definitely have seen a hipster or two riding one of these:

2013-10-07 7:23 PM
in reply to: mehaner

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Expert
3145
2000100010025
Scottsdale, AZ
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
Originally posted by mehaner
Originally posted by thebigb

50% bar drunks on cruisers (I may or may not be included)

25% roadies

20% TTs

5% all others

you can get DUI on a bicycle here!  the drunks walk their bikes home.

Oh you can here too but miraculously and thankfully they seem to leave the cruiser groups alone so long as they aren't acting like complete idiots in the middle of the street.  

2013-10-07 7:24 PM
in reply to: Asalzwed

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Master
2380
2000100100100252525
Beijing
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?

Pretty much everybody, although the number is getting fewer and fewer as more people can afford cars

And next week,  THESE GUYS!  

 

 

Stage 5 goes right past my office!  I'm going to get the kids from school early so we can watch them go by!



2013-10-07 9:07 PM
in reply to: moondawg14

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Champion
7821
50002000500100100100
Brooklyn, NY
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
18% Delivery guys
10% Bike messengers
10% bike share riders
20% commuters
15% roadies
5% triathletes
5% kids
7% recreational riders
10% hipsters on fixies
2013-10-07 10:09 PM
in reply to: #4872566

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Extreme Veteran
646
50010025
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
20% hipsters
30% hippies
15% hipster-hippie hybrids
25% mountain bikers
10% roadies
3% triathletes
2% beer pedal tour
2013-10-07 10:18 PM
in reply to: Shop Cat

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Pro
15655
5000500050005001002525
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?

50% people who have crashed

50% people who will crash

2013-10-08 5:58 AM
in reply to: Left Brain

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Master
8250
5000200010001001002525
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
100% people who have been crashed into by motorbikes....

More seriously, probably

50% kids (mostly high school and college age) on cheap one-speeds, often 2-4 per bike
30% older people with crap jobs who can't afford a motorbike (maids, nannies, construction, etc.). They like to ride "Vietnamese aero" (sitting on the padded back seat things, slumped over the handlebars)
15% older people who slowly pedal low-end MTB's around residential neighborhoods for "exercise" between 5 and 6 AM
4% Local bike clubs (all male) that end at a café where everyone drinks coffee and smokes like chimneys. Occasionally they have tried to draft me on a road ride, which shows that they are 1. pretty short 2. pretty slow 3.really desperate for pace booty
1% cyclists and a few triathletes (mostly expat, a few local, all but a few male) who train on road bikes.

Someone rode a tri bike here, once. Literally once. He crashed (bumped by a motorbike), and once he was able to ride again, he bought a road bike. I know because I saw his tri bike for sale at the LBS. Someone bought it, so the saga may be continuing. I think I saw someone riding a tri bike (same one?) last year. I've never seen him again. I hope he is still with us.
2013-10-08 6:43 AM
in reply to: lisac957

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Master
6834
5000100050010010010025
Englewood, Florida
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
Originally posted by lisac957

35% "homeless"
35% "casual/family"
15% "cyclists"
10% "hipsters"
5% "commuters"
 

I think this is probably pretty close, except take out hipsters and replace it with retirees. The number of homeless on bikes is increasing.



2013-10-08 7:19 AM
in reply to: cdban66

Master
1946
100050010010010010025
Memphis, TN
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
50% elitist road bike types (like me j/k not really but seriously)
10% triathletes
10% kids
10% leisure adult riding
15% hobo types against traffic
1% commuters
1% hipsters (I live in the suburbs to hipsters are a rare sight here)

2013-10-08 9:22 AM
in reply to: Jtiger

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Pro
9391
500020002000100100100252525
Omaha, NE
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?

It's hard for me to put percentages on it, but I do look out my window at one of the bike trails in town so I get to watch people all day.  

My guess

50% mountain bikes out for a leisure stroll on the trail
20% Tri bikes (lot of Triathletes around here)
20% road bikes kitted out
9% kids (see more skate boards and razors than bikes)
<1% Communter bikes (I'm trying to think if I've ever seen anybody commute on a bike around here)

2013-10-08 10:50 AM
in reply to: 0

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Pro
5755
50005001001002525
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?

I thought this was a great question and forwarded it to the mailing list for Bike Club of Philadelphia. Will be interesting to see what kind of response there is. Here's my guess. Being a city I'd say it varies widely depending on time of day and day of the week. On the weekend the river drives are closed (Saturday there is a time trial) and it's 100% roadies, triathletes, and recreational riders.

5% Delivery guys
10% Bike messengers
50% commuters
10% roadies
5% triathletes
5% recreational riders
15% hipsters on fixies

 



Edited by BrianRunsPhilly 2013-10-08 10:50 AM
2013-10-08 10:56 AM
in reply to: TheClaaaw

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Extreme Veteran
542
50025
Pauls Valley, OK
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
20ish cyclists
3 triathletes
2 "commuters"

I live in rural Oklahoma. So you only ride a bike if you wear lycra, can't afford a car, or are too young to drive.
2013-10-08 12:56 PM
in reply to: ray6foot7

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Veteran
2842
200050010010010025
Austin, Texas
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?

0.003% kids out having fun (sadly)

0.0001%  adults out having fun (might be high, actually)

0.0001% triathletes riding hard but having fun  (guess who!)

0.0001% roadies having fun  (ditts, yo)

1% triathletes with scowls training to qualify for something or beat their friends  (Ahem... OK, there might be some overlap with the above twoWink

~97% uptight roadies on WICKED expensive bikes who regret not having been pro's in their 20's.  Or 30's.  Or 40's...  You get the idea.

1% serious cyclist of all types with great attitudes.

Laughing

There are a crazy number of riders around here, but most are roadies and most don't **look** like they're having any fun (but I know they are - all part of the experience).  Some segments within a mile or two of my house have been riding by thousands of people.  It does make a Strava KOM a bit more satisfying (to the extent Strava bling satisfies...  Undecided)

Even with the sourpusses, though, I have to say it's great to see so many people being active.  THOUSANDS of cyclists in town on any given nice weekend day.

Matt

 



2013-10-08 1:03 PM
in reply to: mcmanusclan5

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Pro
9391
500020002000100100100252525
Omaha, NE
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
Originally posted by mcmanusclan5

0.003% kids out having fun (sadly)

0.0001%  adults out having fun (might be high, actually)

0.0001% triathletes riding hard but having fun  (guess who!)

0.0001% roadies having fun  (ditts, yo)

1% triathletes with scowls training to qualify for something or beat their friends  (Ahem... OK, there might be some overlap with the above twoWink

~97% uptight roadies on WICKED expensive bikes who regret not having been pro's in their 20's.  Or 30's.  Or 40's...  You get the idea.

1% serious cyclist of all types with great attitudes.

Laughing

There are a crazy number of riders around here, but most are roadies and most don't **look** like they're having any fun (but I know they are - all part of the experience).  Some segments within a mile or two of my house have been riding by thousands of people.  It does make a Strava KOM a bit more satisfying (to the extent Strava bling satisfies...  Undecided)

Even with the sourpusses, though, I have to say it's great to see so many people being active.  THOUSANDS of cyclists in town on any given nice weekend day.

Matt

 

lol, I was at one of our local bike shops last summer and everyone was oogling around a $16k road bike that was custom ordered in.  I asked the guy behind the counter:  "Let me guess, the buyer weighs 200 lbs."  He laughed at me and said:"oh no, he's a lot heavier than that".

2013-10-08 1:49 PM
in reply to: TheClaaaw

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Champion
11989
500050001000500100100100100252525
Philly 'burbs
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?
Gypsies, tramps, and thieves.
2013-10-08 3:04 PM
in reply to: mrbbrad

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358
1001001002525
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?

10% Kids running around the subdivision

20% leisure riders - older couples on upright cruisers or cheapie mountain bikes cruising along at 7 MPH

15% Vehicularly challenged relying on a bicycle to get to Point B

15% Tri-Dorks out on their $3500 Tri-bikes in full Tri-Gear riding in aero between the stop signs a quarter mile apart on the MUP and sounding like the guy from the "Sh*t Triathletes Say" video

40% Freds getting in their 25-40 mile Sunday morning rides provided it's not to hot/cold/windy/rainy

 

Depending on the day, I fit in to one of three of these categories.  But if I'm running, they're all listed above.

2013-10-08 3:20 PM
in reply to: RussTKD

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Sensei
Sin City
Subject: RE: Who rides bikes where you live?

In Vegas you get the few neighborhood kids.  The even fewer Sunday morning take the hybrid/beach cruiser bike out.  The Vegas strip bike cops and parking garage security.  The occasional triathlete and the occasional "I don't have a car/license" commuter.  But MOST are typical recreational/club riders with full kits and average to good bikes.

I may be because it's typically too hot to comfortably ride in Vegas, so unless you HAVE to (for work or lack of other transportation) the people that ride are serious enough about it to want to do it even if it's 100+ degrees.

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