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No, not me. This is Spock, a bicycling friend.
He kept his good figure and good looks.
We go back to 7th Grade.
We all pretty much grew up with bicycles. So most of us can ride a bicycle. However, just because a person is riding a bicycle does not make them a bicyclist.
These guys are riding bicycles. They are NOT bicyclists.
Compare to the bicylists and their equipment on the rest of this page.
Oh, and Spock above.
A bicyclist is a person to whom the bicycle is a proper vehicle to accomplish a specific mission. Anybody can hop on a bike and go, however, a bicyclist has a completely different mind set, goal and equipment set from "just a rider".
Unknown tractor-trailer @ HHH Dirk Baltar @ HHH Dougenstein @ HHH
To a bicyclist, the bicycle is a vehicle with a mission profile just the same as a car. The 911RSR, Camaro, Lincoln Continental, Jeep and F150 are all different vehicles with their specific mission profiles. In this manner, real bicycles are vehicles with specific mission profiles.
I quit keeping a log in December 1990. The last time that I estimated my mileage was about 2000. I had about 52,000 miles in the saddle. I don't know the mileage of my bikes currently. I average about 2,000 miles per bike, per year.
These are my bicycles that I have (had) as an adult bicyclist:
The 920 "Sport 10" is the sport bike in the back.
The Takara 490 Challenge is in the foreground.
My "Camaro" is dead. 1983 Takara model "Sport 10". Short wheelbase. 10 gears. 48-52 against a 36-13. It was intended to cruise fairly quickly, up and down rolling hills with a 20 pound load. It was a cheap starter bike that would be about $600 today. With 12,000 miles on it, it was just worn out and I gave it away one day.
1990 Schwinn Sierra Comp
I will take the picture that I want, soon.
My "Jeep" equivalent is a 1990 model Schwinn Sierra Comp outfitted for commuting. This is my primary commuter. I take it into the dirt now and then, though. It started as a nasty "Biopace" 28-46-48 equivalent that thankfully wore out last year.
I had it rebuilt in 2011 with a 22-38-44 front end. The back end is still the original 30-13. I added grip extensions and a shock seat post. I want to get a 36-15 or something similar for the rear end.
I don't normally put more than 60 pounds on it even though the tires should be able to handle more. The brakes are the limiting factor.
1984 Takara 490 Challenge Grand Touring bicycle
My flagship is my 1984 Takara model 490 Challenge. In that year's catalog, it was their second most expensive Grand Touring rig. Adjusting for inflation, I put about $2000+ into this bike in 1984. Think Cadillac/Continental. Long range, comfortable, heavy cargo. Looong wheelbase. This is a very long bike. I installed Scott-Peterson Power Brakes in 1985. In 1987 it got a hard point draw bar for full trailers. In 1990, it had 18000 miles when I quit keeping logs. In 1995, it got a hard point for a semibike which has since been removed as the kids are old enough to drive.
I have put 85 pounds on this bike and have towed a 100 pound semitrailer at the same time.
This is a beautiful bike of a class that is very rare. It was made extinct for decades by the mountain bike. Surly and a few other companies make Grand Touring rigs now. Very rare. Very expensive.
Hard point for a full trailer
2010 Surly "Big Dummy" longtail
My "pickup truck" is a current year model of the Surly Big Dummy. It still has the original price tag on the body, $2500. This is a beast of a longtail bicycle. And to think that I called the Challenge long...
It is designed to carry cargo. It is rated for 400 pounds gross. So, with my fat ass I can carry 250 pounds of cargo. With its disk brakes, it can stop that load, too.
These are vehicles. They are used for daily errands, camping, and going out of town. These are working bicycles.
Camping
semi-trailer and semi-bike for kids
Squeeze heading out for a 235 mile "walkabout".
coated with ice
HHH launch Dougenstein at the HHH finish line