Kuroshin: Okay, nope, you're an idiot. I'm done with you. Go and troll no more.

Oh, gee you were serious?

Holy crap, I mean it was just the hoping that someone gets run the fark over for daring to be out on a bike that kind of threw me.

I should have realized that you are totes serial, and not at all a complete farking sociopath.

Sorry killer.

Kuroshin: Actually, now that I went to ignore that dolt, it's obviously a troll alt. I has a sad to have tried reasoning with it.

don't fret.... just HONK!!

and if nothing else, it was a public service announcement for everyone.

Kuroshin: Actually, now that I went to ignore that dolt, it's obviously a troll alt. I has a sad to have tried reasoning with it.

REASONING:

"So after you get plowed by some road-raging motorist for being the douche you are, you should hope that the guy delivering the vent needed to keep you breathing doesn't get stuck behind one of your contemporaries."

Hard to argue with that, farking Socrates level logic there, Speedy.

If I had an alt why would I use this one?

I live in the middle of nowhere. There's barley a drivable road let alone sidewalks here.

That's what you get for living 30 minutes of the nearest "town" and 3 hours from the nearest city.

moike: That coward David Lopan: So, you're spending your time chasing around fat derby girls who are there to meet other girls? Whatever floats your boat, man.

Well, that shows what you know about modern flat-track derby. I assumed the same stereotypes when I started over three years ago... And much to my surprise I found modern flat-track derby skaters to be as a majority straight, very athletic, and serious about the sport. Nobody trains five days a week two to three hours a session on skates and stays fat long. After three months of training even a C-team skater is cut from wood.

That coward David Lopan: But if you'd ever step foot in a real gym, you'd know that the girls are in the kickboxing class, and you hold gym events to get a chance to talk to them or (if you compete) invite them to your fights. New crop of girls every fall (school starts) and January (new year's resolutions). You choose.

Based on my empirical sampling set of four days a week at 24hr Fitness for two hours a session the last 10 weeks straight... I have a great deal more fun chasing the derby girls a couple nights a week rather than some soccer mom who just wants to work out and be left alone.

You stick to grappling with oily men, and I'll keep chasing derby girls.

Well, in AZ, they're still fat. That's all I can attest to. And I'm sure any current competitior would love to stack up the notches on their belt to yours. But not me, I'm married.

And 24hr fitness sucks.

SkyLlama: I live in the middle of nowhere. There's barley a drivable road let alone sidewalks here.

That's what you get for living 30 minutes of the nearest "town" and 3 hours from the nearest city.

I've been there. Time was, you could ride your bike on the road at 3pm and not see a soul driving around. These days everyone's driving so fast that they'll hit you and think you were a squirrel.

halfof33:
"So after you get plowed by some road-raging motorist for being the douche you are, you should hope that the guy delivering the vent needed to keep you breathing doesn't get stuck behind one of your contemporaries."

Hard to argue with that, farking Socrates level logic there, Speedy.

Graveyards are full of people who insisted they had the right of way, yet lacked the inertia or mass to back that up.

When I'm on the motorcycle I don't argue with anything larger than I am.

Kuroshin: inner ted: what is this...????.... a reasonable thought on fark?? i'm sure that there was some overwhelming, yet ironic reason that person had to "take the lane" and not share the road, but you... you "cager" wouldn't understand.

/also... these folks aren't exactly known for all their "responsibility taking", so no, i don't think they'd feel bad.


I actually cringe every time I see or hear that word. I'm a biker myself. However, I also drive my little roadster when I can, and my work requires driving delivery vehicles. Being in-between worlds makes me very irritated with the asshattery on both sides.

word to your mom.

i commuted for 5 years in this town - before it was ironically cool to do so - year round. i never ever once had need to ride on a major road that didn't have a bike lane & there are miles and miles more bike lanes nowadays. there is just ZERO reason to be riding on most of the roads that these attention whores choose to ride, other than to be on parade and cause problems.

and scream "cager" which is just the funniest god dam thing ever ever.

also: if anyone is good with the photoshop, i would give you an internet gold star for shopping a douche on a fixie pulling a semi trailer. maybe caption it with 'bikes can save the world' or something.

I love to walk, and as a New Yorker do plenty of it every day. However, the desk I've been sitting at these past 7 years still manages to catch up with the body. Sitting has got to be as bad for you as walking is good.

-Living in the country was great for me, because even though I did own and drive a car I hiked and swam a lot. Waking up at 6 and going for a 2 hour hike before work gives you a great outlook on the day (from what I remember)

That coward David Lopan: Well, in AZ, they're still fat. That's all I can attest to. And I'm sure any current competitior would love to stack up the notches on their belt to yours. But not me, I'm married.

But... the notches on my belt are women.

That coward David Lopan: And 24hr fitness sucks.

Yep, it does... But the one a couple miles from where I live is cheap, nearly empty most the time, and has all the equipment I need for the training program I am on. So, works for me.

moike: That coward David Lopan: So, you're spending your time chasing around fat derby girls who are there to meet other girls? Whatever floats your boat, man.

Well, that shows what you know about modern flat-track derby. I assumed the same stereotypes when I started over three years ago... And much to my surprise I found modern flat-track derby skaters to be as a majority straight, very athletic, and serious about the sport. Nobody trains five days a week two to three hours a session on skates and stays fat long. After three months of training even a C-team skater is cut from wood.

That coward David Lopan: But if you'd ever step foot in a real gym, you'd know that the girls are in the kickboxing class, and you hold gym events to get a chance to talk to them or (if you compete) invite them to your fights. New crop of girls every fall (school starts) and January (new year's resolutions). You choose.

Based on my empirical sampling set of four days a week at 24hr Fitness for two hours a session the last 10 weeks straight... I have a great deal more fun chasing the derby girls a couple nights a week rather than some soccer mom who just wants to work out and be left alone.

You stick to grappling with oily men, and I'll keep chasing derby girls.

Moike, just wanted to let you know you're my newest favorite. I hope to get on the men's team soon. I figure it will really help me hit my goal...and I just freakin' love skating.

robertus: asciibaron: fireclown: I'm sure someone has done some work comparing walking rates in more walking friendly cities to places like Rockville.


try walking around Columbia, Maryland. you will be arrested.

I work in downtown Columbia and often walk a few miles at lunch. It's not exactly a scenic or friendly walk, but it gets the jorb done. Plus, I'm getting good at dodging mall traffic.

/Agree that the neighborhoods villages are terrible for walking.

I work In Hanover right now I dont think they ever heard of a sidewalk here. Funny thing is when I walk from building to building they act like I just ran a marathon.

It is sad that kids literally get driven to school 6 blocks.

But that being said, America has been setup since at least the late 40's, early 1950's to be a vehicle transportation society. Highways, suburbs, etc.

You can still live in most major cities and bike, walk or take public transportation, but for families it's not as easy or convenient than getting in a car and driving to where you need to go.

I'm all over the place, but my point is that the roads and suburbs have been this way since the 60s or 70s (or 80s and 90s when I grew up) and most of the kids were healthy in my school and age group. It's not just that cars are a necessity in the suburbs, the issue just boils down to people being lazy farkers and passing that trait on to their spawn.

MoronLessOff: Moike, just wanted to let you know you're my newest favorite. I hope to get on the men's team soon. I figure it will really help me hit my goal...and I just freakin' love skating.

Well, talk to me before you sink a bunch of cash on gear/skates. There is a lot of real garbage out there right now calling itself 'derby ready' that will break to bits after a few hard scrimmages. I can at least get you pointed in the right direction for good information and good custom skate builders who won't hose you.

Scarlioni: Alot of the problem with walking in America is it is simply unsafe.

Five years ago I was diagnosed with Diabetes. The Doc made it very clear that along with changes to diet I needed to start excersizing. No problem... I'll start walking around the neighborhood,

I started by walking after work, 1800 in a residential neighborhood. In the past five years I've had some of the scariest moments oof my life. It's not even the people hurling trash and insults at you that are the worst though. It's the idiots who deliberately swerve their cars to hit you. Thankfully most swerve away without ever coming close to hitting you... but you've already lept out of the way because of the people who dont swerve away.

In America it's considered a gag by some people to try and murder pedestrians with cars.

I've adapted. I get up early (0300-0400) and go walking when the streets are deserted, wearing dark clothing so motorists wont notice me as much. I've still had a couple of instances of trouble from motorists The latest was about two months ago.

A pickup driver saw me from two blocks away, stopped and turned off his headlights. I stopped walking because it's a strange thing for a motorist to do at 0430 on a foggy morning. He then came at me full speed, up on the sidewalk. I had to run into someone's car port and get behind their vehicle for safety. The moroist then got back out into the street, turned his headlights on and sped off.

The elderly couple into whose carport I had retreated called the police. I gave the officer a picture of the front end of the truck that attacked me. As far as I know nothing has come of it.

Where do you live?

fireclown: I was lucky enough to spend a day in Cambridge UK a few weeks ago. The English are as angry and pissed off as Americans, but Cambridge is HILARIOUSLY bike friendly. Old folks on bikes, cargo bikes, kids on bikes, students on bikes.

Cambridge lives up to the stereotypes. I saw tweedy professors riding primly upright on their ancient bicycles with little baskets, gently dinging their bells at pedestrians.

ginandbacon: This picture is so sad:

[www.slate.com image 568x377]
"Carlin Robinson, 12, walks from her grandmother's car to the school bus in Manchester, Ky. Her house can be seen in the background."

Ah, but that house is 150,000 square feet and is four miles away. It just looks close because it is so unusually large.

moike: MoronLessOff: Moike, just wanted to let you know you're my newest favorite. I hope to get on the men's team soon. I figure it will really help me hit my goal...and I just freakin' love skating.

Well, talk to me before you sink a bunch of cash on gear/skates. There is a lot of real garbage out there right now calling itself 'derby ready' that will break to bits after a few hard scrimmages. I can at least get you pointed in the right direction for good information and good custom skate builders who won't hose you.

One of the founders of the women's team here opened a shop and has beginner packages.
Pads (new window)
Skates (new window)

From what I figure, when I'm ready I'll go talk to her and get as much info as I can. If I get into it and last longer than the gear, then I won't mind dropping the cash on better pads.

Scarlioni: In America it's considered a gag by some people to try and murder pedestrians with cars.

New Orleans, huh? I would've guessed Texas. I read about a guy who started carrying a sidearm on his bicycle because rednecks in pickup trucks kept trying to run him off the road for the lulz.

Uchiha_Cycliste: Andromeda: I lived in northern CA for a summer (in Silicon Valley) and you're right, if you didn't have a car in that area you're pretty much screwed.

I do Redwood city to Santa Clara everyday and back. Via Alameda to Foothill or Alma to Central. It's actually not that bad. Also, Nor Cal has one of the bike-friendliest areas I've ever been in. I think you are being too harsh.

\now So Cal SUCKS for cyclists.

So Cal isn't so bad. I commute 20 mi. round trip 5 days a week in San Diego, and the only accidents I've ever had were my own damn fault. I lived in the O.C. for a year, and yes, cycling there is bad but not impossible. I have a friend in L.A. who is a member of the bike coalition, and his group claims that they are making real progress towards making L.A. safer for cyclists. We'll see if they are right when I ride from downtown to San Bernardino this weekend.

What helps cycling down here is that the weather is usually awesome year round. I'm sure way more than half of the people down here could commute to work if they tried.

Ambitwistor: Cambridge lives up to the stereotypes. I saw tweedy professors riding primly upright on their ancient bicycles with little baskets, gently dinging their bells at pedestrians.

Oh yeah. You can smell the tweed all the way in Boxworth. And don't forget the punts in the list 'o cambridge stereotypes.

inner ted: Kuroshin: inner ted: what is this...????.... a reasonable thought on fark?? i'm sure that there was some overwhelming, yet ironic reason that person had to "take the lane" and not share the road, but you... you "cager" wouldn't understand.

/also... these folks aren't exactly known for all their "responsibility taking", so no, i don't think they'd feel bad.


I actually cringe every time I see or hear that word. I'm a biker myself. However, I also drive my little roadster when I can, and my work requires driving delivery vehicles. Being in-between worlds makes me very irritated with the asshattery on both sides.

word to your mom.

i commuted for 5 years in this town - before it was ironically cool to do so - year round. i never ever once had need to ride on a major road that didn't have a bike lane & there are miles and miles more bike lanes nowadays. there is just ZERO reason to be riding on most of the roads that these attention whores choose to ride, other than to be on parade and cause problems.

and scream "cager" which is just the funniest god dam thing ever ever.

also: if anyone is good with the photoshop, i would give you an internet gold star for shopping a douche on a fixie pulling a semi trailer. maybe caption it with 'bikes can save the world' or something.

Well, I don't know the bike-lanes you're talking about, but here in Germany they are either designed by complete morons or with the intent to kill, humiliate, slow down and make cycling unconfortable. The lanes are mostly paved, so that you're shaking your ass at 25kmH while sweating as much as you would at 35 on the road.
They sometimes run straight through bus stops -where the people are waiting.
On intersections, right turning car will overrun you. Also, green is only half as long for you as for cars. I even found a light that never went green!
Oh yeah, and since i don't use the bike-path anymore, I haven't had any flat tire in a year. Before it was about 2 per month, because bike path get very rarely cleaned.

FAT PEOPLE ARE DISGUSTING

MoronLessOff:
One of the founders of the women's team here opened a shop and has beginner packages.
Pads (new window)
Skates (new window)

From what I figure, when I'm ready I'll go talk to her and get as much info as I can. If I get into it and last longer than the gear, then I won't mind dropping the cash on better pads.

The Triple 8 pads/wrist guards/lid are all fine. I love my triple eight lid. Fits better than the Bell and Hammer I used to have, and the liner really wicks away the sweat. I prefer the Smith Scab kneepads... They have a bit more bulk, but if you take a hard knee fall you'll feel the difference.

The R3's are crap. It's a plastic powerdyne thrust plate. It's going to flex and feel like mush, not to mention the stock bushings are like granite and allow no truck action. I had the same plate on my entry-level Riedell Phantoms. Flat Out's are cheap wheels, most likely in an 88a durometer, which unless you're skating on super-slick concrete will feel like you're skating on mush. Being in the 200 pound range I'm not a fan of nylon hub wheels as they tend to flex when you push them hard.

Honestly, I'd spend a bit more money and get a skate that comes decently equipped out of the gate. Sure Grip Rebel Avenger (new window) At least there you're going to get a real CNC aluminum DA-45 action plate, some decent Fugitive wheels with good Qube bearings. And the Avenger plate actually has a hex-bolt pinch for the toestop as opposed to a jam nut like the powerdyne thrust has. You can never get your toe stops to stay put using a jam nut, especially with toe guards.

And if your friend mentions the Powerdyne Revenge... Run (new window).

rocketpants: FAT PEOPLE ARE DISGUSTING

[i281.photobucket.com image 400x601]

He shouldn't have eaten the Tree of Life root.

/seriously, it looks like he's already forming a hardened lip-beak.

moike: Fireproof:
Believe it. They have signs like this on Main Street in my hometown.



But the fatbody mobility scooters are legally allowed to zip up and down the sidewalk, right?

(sigh)

I get up off the couch and get on these at least three days a week for a couple hours...

Haha...I scrolled past that picture and did a double take ("Sidi...rollerskates?!"). Those are awesome.

moike: MoronLessOff:
One of the founders of the women's team here opened a shop and has beginner packages.
Pads (new window)
Skates (new window)

From what I figure, when I'm ready I'll go talk to her and get as much info as I can. If I get into it and last longer than the gear, then I won't mind dropping the cash on better pads.

The Triple 8 pads/wrist guards/lid are all fine. I love my triple eight lid. Fits better than the Bell and Hammer I used to have, and the liner really wicks away the sweat. I prefer the Smith Scab kneepads... They have a bit more bulk, but if you take a hard knee fall you'll feel the difference.

The R3's are crap. It's a plastic powerdyne thrust plate. It's going to flex and feel like mush, not to mention the stock bushings are like granite and allow no truck action. I had the same plate on my entry-level Riedell Phantoms. Flat Out's are cheap wheels, most likely in an 88a durometer, which unless you're skating on super-slick concrete will feel like you're skating on mush. Being in the 200 pound range I'm not a fan of nylon hub wheels as they tend to flex when you push them hard.

Honestly, I'd spend a bit more money and get a skate that comes decently equipped out of the gate. Sure Grip Rebel Avenger (new window) At least there you're going to get a real CNC aluminum DA-45 action plate, some decent Fugitive wheels with good Qube bearings. And the Avenger plate actually has a hex-bolt pinch for the toestop as opposed to a jam nut like the powerdyne thrust has. You can never get your toe stops to stay put using a jam nut, especially with toe guards.

And if your friend mentions the Powerdyne Revenge... Run (new window).

I thought about spending a little more for the knee pads. Thanks for the tip on the skates though. Your link is a little out of my price range. What do you think about the Sure Grip Rebel (new window) or Rebel Fugitive (new window)? Those are more affordable entry levels listed on her site.

Isildur: He shouldn't have eaten the Tree of Life root.

/seriously, it looks like he's already forming a hardened lip-beak.

I wonder who he is going to Protect? After all those 'roids, it is doubtful he has any offspring of his own.

MoronLessOff:
I thought about spending a little more for the knee pads. Thanks for the tip on the skates though. Your link is a little out of my price range. What do you think about the Sure Grip Rebel (new window) or Rebel Fugitive (new window)? Those are more affordable entry levels listed on her site.

Problem with the regular Rebel is it's a probe 10 degree action nylon plate. So you're right back with powerdyne reactor levels of plate performance. It sounds stupid, but having a strong plate that won't flex and bend as you're trying to skate makes things so much easier.

That's retail list price on Sure Grip's website for the Rebel Avenger. If you poke around enough you can find it reduced and the option to customize it right out the gate. Leadjammer Skates has it for about 230 with your choice of color, wheels, bearings, and bushings.

If you poke around you might be able to find a SG Rebel Invader DA-45 at 200 or less. The Invader DA-45 plate is the predecessor to the Avenger, but still a very good plate.

I'd say save up a bit longer and buy good entry level skates even if it means kicking in another c-note. The last thing you want to be doing while trying to remember the 80+ page WFTDA officiating rulebook is thinking about your skating. Good equipment will allow you to do that.

TwowheelinTim: Uchiha_Cycliste: TwowheelinTim: Uchiha_Cycliste:

\Ride a motherfarking bike.

I do, but I'm slowly learning not to be an arrogant, self-righteous ass about it.

Try it, you might like it.

Motorists will appreciate it too.

When I ride, I obey all laws and keep myself safe. It's how I've ridden at least a 100K miles in traffic and never been hit. On my off time, I help EVERYONE I know (and some I don't) to wrench, build bikes, give them bikes, teach them to ride and how to commute safely. You are barking up the wrong tree here.

Funny thing though, I've been hit three times in the last ten years. Twice from behind while stopping at stop signs, and once from behind while stopped at a traffic signal. I have a mirror on my commuter now.

Sounds like you and I would get along great.

/volunteer instructor for bicycle maintenance at HSU
//helped two broken down cyclists on the road just last week.

See, I know you guys say that you're great, but the only people who ride that I know and hate on about it are the ones who self identify as, "cyclists," and make sure you know about it. Say by giving themselves cutesy internet profile names alluding to the fact that they ride bikes. If you commute on a bike, good on you. If biking is part of your identity most humans have no use for you, because your identity is boring.

Uchiha_Cycliste: Super_pope: TwowheelinTim: Uchiha_Cycliste: TwowheelinTim: Uchiha_Cycliste:

\Ride a motherfarking bike.

I do, but I'm slowly learning not to be an arrogant, self-righteous ass about it.

Try it, you might like it.

Motorists will appreciate it too.

When I ride, I obey all laws and keep myself safe. It's how I've ridden at least a 100K miles in traffic and never been hit. On my off time, I help EVERYONE I know (and some I don't) to wrench, build bikes, give them bikes, teach them to ride and how to commute safely. You are barking up the wrong tree here.

Funny thing though, I've been hit three times in the last ten years. Twice from behind while stopping at stop signs, and once from behind while stopped at a traffic signal. I have a mirror on my commuter now.

Sounds like you and I would get along great.

/volunteer instructor for bicycle maintenance at HSU
//helped two broken down cyclists on the road just last week.

See, I know you guys say that you're great, but the only people who ride that I know and hate on about it are the ones who self identify as, "cyclists," and make sure you know about it. Say by giving themselves cutesy internet profile names alluding to the fact that they ride bikes. If you commute on a bike, good on you. If biking is part of your identity most humans have no use for you, because your identity is boring.

I suppose we can make similar assumptions about you and should favorite you as 'Captain kiddy rape. '

Do the Catholics still have militant orders? That would actually be kind of cool if they did...

Rather telling that I left room for people who are NORMAL about their bike riding rather than treating it as a virtue and cornerstone of their character and you immediately got angry.

fireclown: And don't forget the punts in the list 'o cambridge stereotypes.

The stereotype was a bit jarred by the Ben & Jerry's punt ...

Santa's Knee: born_yesterday: OK, just so I know I'm not just having a nightmare:

We live in a country where people eat themselves out of the ability to walk.

Seriously, we live in a country where people eat until they lose the ability to move on their own without the assistance of a machine.

Just checking.

This is also the same country that put Sarah Palin on the ticket.

This is also the same country that put Joe Biden on the ticket. And Barack Obama.

Uchiha_Cycliste: This text is now purple: Uchiha_Cycliste: When I ride, I obey all laws and keep myself safe. It's how I've ridden at least a 100K miles in traffic and never been hit. On my off time, I help EVERYONE I know (and some I don't) to wrench, build bikes, give them bikes, teach them to ride and how to commute safely. You are barking up the wrong tree here.

I wish you luck. As a pedestrian, I've been nearly taken out by more bicyclists than motorists, despite the vastly superior number of motorists. Urban cyclists are the worst combination of entitlement and incompetence.

I've found the worst are college students, but they usually mature a little bit once they leave the protective bubble of a campus and it's surrounding town. What you also need to remember is that for every asshat you see flaunting the law-breaking riding style there were 10 other cyclists you didn't see because they play the game properly. It's truly a situation where the 10% give the other 90% a bad name.

That's nice and all, but I have a problem at 1000x the frequency of encounter than I do with cars.

So even considering the 90% rule, bicyclists are about 100 times worse. Even that rate rises dramatically if I include bicyclists in spandex. Let's just say I've never seen automobiles blatantly disregard red lights and stop signs like I regularly see bicyclists doing -- to flat out echelons riding through groups of pedestrians crossing at a crosswalk.

As someone who walks for groceries in LA (the Valley no less!) I'm getting a kick.

The sidewalks in the Valley are always embarrassingly empty. The other nice thing about walking in LA is that if you're going somewhere busy you can always park 2 blocks away and just walk instead of circling.

Seriously parking in LA is the easiest thing in the world if you ignore the LA Times opinion page.