tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post2227447240287728010..comments2024-03-29T04:01:31.445-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: Of Rolling and Scrolling Velouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-83677376721617927942016-09-11T11:54:35.883-04:002016-09-11T11:54:35.883-04:00No mud guard?No mud guard?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05272657018066016578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-35788857308605980002016-08-26T06:04:38.763-04:002016-08-26T06:04:38.763-04:00Funny and true. Where I currently live it would be...Funny and true. Where I currently live it would be disconcertingly rude to not say hello to a person you pass on the road. So on my last visit to Boston I would initially do the same out of habit. The bewildered, frightened looks I got in response were hilarious. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-86099990072943204342016-08-20T20:17:56.107-04:002016-08-20T20:17:56.107-04:00Exactly. After growing up in NYC and then living 1...Exactly. After growing up in NYC and then living 14 years in Taipei, I discovered that exchanging pleasantries can actually be, um, pleasant when I moved to Asheville, NC in 2001. Now I say hello to people on the sidewalk when I pass them riding my bike on the road. A pedestrian not smiling and saying hello to a fellow walker would immediately be pegged as an anti-social Yankee unless on a very busy downtown street.Jon Barnardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01546272421153261764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-33721407233493090912016-08-20T07:07:48.140-04:002016-08-20T07:07:48.140-04:00I think the inherent problem here is that in the E...I think the inherent problem here is that in the English language we use the word "cycling" to mean two completely different activities: transport and sport. There is a lot of stuff you might see in a bicycle shop that may not necessarily apply to you. Just like a velodrome racer might walk into a bike shop and gaze at a wicker basket, but it has nothing to do with the kind of cycling she does. You are not missing out! Just doing a different kind of activity. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-55183796484336974922016-08-17T07:31:05.632-04:002016-08-17T07:31:05.632-04:00Thank you. It's a Bella Ciao Neorealista.Thank you. It's a Bella Ciao Neorealista. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-55655547867173656322016-08-16T08:28:27.677-04:002016-08-16T08:28:27.677-04:00That is a beautiful beautiful bicycle! That is a beautiful beautiful bicycle! Cathnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-80804206334483751462016-08-16T08:14:58.069-04:002016-08-16T08:14:58.069-04:00Interesting. I have heard other ASC people say tha...Interesting. I have heard other ASC people say that cycling facilitates socialising precisely for that reason. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-51430928877513130412016-08-16T07:30:24.035-04:002016-08-16T07:30:24.035-04:00Haha I can so relate to the Two Pedestrians Dilemm...Haha I can so relate to the Two Pedestrians Dilemma! But I am Aspergers and these things are always a bit difficult for me. I don't know where to look when having a face to face conversation with a person either. Riding bikes side by side is an easy solution ;) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-79974960619632801802016-08-16T03:24:53.004-04:002016-08-16T03:24:53.004-04:00Anonymous, I share your frustration with slow walk...Anonymous, I share your frustration with slow walkers, I am a fast walker and it is impossible for me to dawdle along - I agree re the ability to stop immediately to look at something, I will often get off my bike when in the forest just so that I can enjoy a nature walk and be able to observe everything in closer proximity.spokeswomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05003029599627697118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-80223152837749533762016-08-15T07:46:05.195-04:002016-08-15T07:46:05.195-04:00In addition to not being able to cycle, I also can...In addition to not being able to cycle, I also can't lift heavy things... so - yes, the carrying of stuff has been interesting! Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-90335949450302619132016-08-15T07:40:36.963-04:002016-08-15T07:40:36.963-04:00Having never actually played Pokemon Go (or any ot...Having never actually played Pokemon Go (or any other phone/computer/video game), that is an interesting aspect of it!Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-75009665911275033552016-08-15T07:37:20.565-04:002016-08-15T07:37:20.565-04:00While I'm occasionally guilty of checking my e...While I'm occasionally guilty of checking my email on the bike, it is in a very specific context: on rural commutes, along a long straight section of quiet road with no intersections in sight, where I am the only vehicle as far as the eye can see. Still tsk-tsk-worthy. But I would never dream of playing with my phone while cycling in an urban environment.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-54389241227933952962016-08-15T07:30:04.029-04:002016-08-15T07:30:04.029-04:00Having lived, and cycled in, quite a few cities, I...Having lived, and cycled in, quite a few cities, I have to say Belfast has one of the best networks of traffic-free cycling/walking paths I have even seen. It is very easy to get around the city, not only in the centre but also in some of the more obscure/peripheral parts. Not sure when all of this happened, as some of the paths look fairly new. But this class of infrastructure deserves some sort of award, or at least acknowledgement, and I am quite surprised that all I see are complaints. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-77980312998584522102016-08-15T07:24:11.846-04:002016-08-15T07:24:11.846-04:00I am on week 2 of walking now, 4-5 miles a day acc...I am on week 2 of walking now, 4-5 miles a day according to my phone. The experience is definitely improving over time. It's good to know that I can survive without the bike without going insane. And yes, those little muscles! Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-25450265060104377602016-08-12T14:29:59.008-04:002016-08-12T14:29:59.008-04:00Interesting post. I'm also off the bike curren...Interesting post. I'm also off the bike currently, following an injury a couple of weeks ago. I'm missing cycling tremendously in many ways; as a physical activity, as a social activity and in practical terms as transport. Walking can be frustrating not only because it takes longer and limits the amount you can carry (eg shopping) but also, for me, because other people walk so slowly. That sounds rather impatient of me but the interesting thing is I only really feel frustrated this way when walking; when riding or even in the past when I used to drive, being held up by slower people was not annoying, it was just a change of pace, sometimes even an interesting test of tactics to overtake. The gratifying thing about walking though is you can instantly stop to look at something that catches your eye (in my case this might be literally to smell the roses, or other plant) or change direction on a whim. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-83908922484297683522016-08-11T17:21:03.640-04:002016-08-11T17:21:03.640-04:00The Two Lone Pedestrian Dilemma is mostly cultural...The Two Lone Pedestrian Dilemma is mostly cultural. Speaking to, or even acknowledging, a stranger here in Chicago would be considered tantamount to assault. At best the first to speak would be seen as mentally ill. Ride a hundred miles north to rural Wisconsin and exchanging pleasantries is simply required. Any who were not forthcoming in such a situation would be seen as anti-social autistic weirdos from Chicago.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-39628958939442205622016-08-11T14:54:36.227-04:002016-08-11T14:54:36.227-04:00I was in my LBS only today waiting to collect my b...I was in my LBS only today waiting to collect my bike which had gone in for a general service. As I waited by the till for my gas pipe constructed, design pretty much unchanged since the 1920s steel machine, I was staring at a display of bike computers by the till. I have no idea what I would use one for. Most seemed to indicate I could download my ride data to somewhere. When did all this happen and how did I miss out on all of this. I muse on stuff like that, not bothered that I don't have all these things, that I'm not engaged in a world I don't understand, but slightly bothered that I should be interested, I should be participating, as I ride along on my bike almost everyone I passes is staring at a handheld device. WHERE IS EVERYBODY?! I'm all alone in a world that's leaving me behind. Left me behind! I got left behind and it does ... bother me ... :(Pootling Alonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11978136825776780496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-83746836826630919622016-08-11T11:30:35.027-04:002016-08-11T11:30:35.027-04:00" On the bike, should I find my visual surrou..." On the bike, should I find my visual surroundings monotonous, or disliked the area I am in, I can simply speed up - "scrolling past" the bit I don't like, as it were."<br /><br />Do you have some sort of electronic assist? The thing I like about biking, or walking for that matter, is that I'm always there. A stretch of unpleasant road is just that and I can always switch my attention but am never able to just speed up….My body only has so much energy for any given ride. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-41511326144181254082016-08-11T03:52:21.975-04:002016-08-11T03:52:21.975-04:00I have experienced a certain 'strangeness'...I have experienced a certain 'strangeness' when walking after a period when I was almost exclusively riding my bike. Now I do both - I've always enjoyed walking and it is included in my daily activities, I may ride to one of our lakes, then walk around the perimeter, when I head out on the trails I will find a nice long stretch and walk. I always have my bike with me, bikes are great companions for this, they roll along companionably beside you and never intrude on your thoughts. Riding/walking has many advantages, I can ride past areas I don't wish to walk in and quickly arrive at areas where walking is more relaxing, should I decide I have walked enough, I can then get on my bike, or if I decide to go for a very long walk I can then ride home. I hope that you are soon able to return to cycling and in the meantime enjoy your walks.spokeswomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05003029599627697118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-11035667461439495632016-08-11T03:37:28.682-04:002016-08-11T03:37:28.682-04:00I agree re the aspect of Pokemon Go which has enco...I agree re the aspect of Pokemon Go which has encouraged people to venture outdoors - I have never seen so many young people in the natural environment and maybe after this game has passed its use by date, these people may decide to continue outdoor activities.spokeswomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05003029599627697118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-16825472117964716372016-08-11T00:48:20.260-04:002016-08-11T00:48:20.260-04:00Hope you're not kept off the bike for too long...Hope you're not kept off the bike for too long.<br /><br />Been off since April myself (broken collarbone that hasn't knitted) and it's messing with my head space.geoff_tewierikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02941705608805116300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-2010217145537510162016-08-11T00:22:30.074-04:002016-08-11T00:22:30.074-04:00Great observations! The special thing about humans...Great observations! The special thing about humans is that we are never really 'in' this world. Our contact with 'reality' is already very small in the first place. 'Driving a bicycle' or 'playing pokemon' – it seems more different than it actually is. After all 'traffic' is also a heavily augmented reality. And stop lights are escapism, because they make you escape the reality of a possible accident. We humans build stuff to shield ourselves against a world we are at odds with. It's what we do. It's what makes us special. Arne Raddatzhttps://twitter.com/ArneRaddatznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-33895478520420610532016-08-10T18:31:05.122-04:002016-08-10T18:31:05.122-04:00I'm going to agree with you with regard to the...I'm going to agree with you with regard to the dynamics of this Pokemon thing, though I don't understand the game and my kids decided to avoid it completely. It's noticeable how many more people are out on the streets and in the shops and talking and sharing. Not sure it's wonderful, not sure if they'd ever come back or decide to expand their outdoor experience without the prompts, but it is different. Everyday I cycle to a park to draw and paint landscapes and now I find myself drawing people!! Life's not so bad. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-52102702920870255362016-08-10T15:57:06.705-04:002016-08-10T15:57:06.705-04:00Yes, it's much better on a bike; the Pokestops...Yes, it's much better on a bike; the Pokestops are spaced far enough apart so that a bike is just about ideal. Though the game makers implemented a speed limit yesterday (which is pretty easy to exceed, even on a bicycle); you have to confirm that you're a passenger. Hmm, well.Jon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02944939117507730995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-24811753957839020062016-08-10T15:53:48.033-04:002016-08-10T15:53:48.033-04:00One thing about Pokemon Go, here in Pittsburgh, at...One thing about Pokemon Go, here in Pittsburgh, at least, is that it has vastly increased outdoor physical activity. I see people walking (and riding bikes) much more than I did a few weeks ago, before the app launched. I think this is great -- people are out of doors, noticing things (historical markers, gardens, churches) that they've been passing by. They get to know their neighborhoods better than they used to, venture into other areas to collect Pokemon they can't locally, and meet other "trainers" -- otherwise, strangers -- they never talk to. I think this is wonderful. Suppose you had a magic wand that would get young people exercising out of doors, getting to know their neighborhoods, and meeting others. Wouldn't you wave it?<br />As to bikelessness, for any reason, it is incredibly disrupting, and I feel your pain. I've been without a bike on occasion, as I wait for a part (I don't have a stable of bikes ready to go like you) and it disrupts everything. I can feel myself growing fatter by the minute. Hope you get better and are back on a bike soon.Jon Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02944939117507730995noreply@blogger.com