| Subject: | It's not about the bike - or is it? |
| Date: | 01/30/2005 04:54 AM |
| From: | Lynette Chiang |
|
Folks, I am doing some research for a different kind of bike article. I meet a lot of bike people in my job at Bike Friday. It seems there is a 'bike-guy' syndrome (or 'phenomenon' for those who might take exception to 'syndrome'), where from a young age (or even an old age) a man, typically, uses the bike to escape having to relate, especially to the opposite sex. This has often been written about in the realm of athletics. Perhaps it is no different, and quite a few male cyclists, the ones who have been divorced twice or have been alone for several years) or their estranged partners, tell me that this is a definite syndrome. "I did not know any better." they say. "If only I could have been different, if my father didn't do/say blah blah to me etc etc ". Any thoughts you have on this are welcome. Indicate what I can quote from you and what I cannot. And who else you think I could interview about it. Mainly, I am interested in your view. I received interesting replies from people like Phil Liggett and Maynard Hershon, so it's definitely one to ponder! Maynard of course, wrote the seminal satirical article 'The Rules' back in 1997 about how to meet women on centuries. 'Do not mention bike brand parts' etc. Wry and true. It's OK, also, if you think I am talking a load of post modernist feminist psychobabble - you can tell me so. And of course, there are women who are 'bike gals' but this syndrome it is definitely skewed towards men, particularly in the roadie sense rather than MTB. Send replies about this to lynchiang at yahoo dot com as I am sure many well balanced and happily married or partnered readers will hate to have their brake shoe discussions interrupted by talk about such angst-ridden matters ... :o) Thanks in advance. Lynette Lynette Chiang, Bike Friday World Traveler http://www.galfromdownunder.com PERU trip: http://www.bikefriday.com/bf/galfromdownunder-peru2004 THE HANDSOMEST MAN IN CUBA USA Edition http://www.galfromdownunder.com/cuba "One of the best on-the-road travel books of this generation." - Martin Stevenson, the Launceston Examiner "The only time you will put it down is when you finish it." - Australian Cyclist magazine. "I can't put the @#$% thing down" - Amazon reviews http://tinyurl.com/696bw ISBN: 0-9755816-0-0, $14.95, available from Bike Friday, 1-800-777-0258, serv-@bikefriday.com | Amazon.com |
