Roadies and Knobbies...

[Vibrato]

NOVEL ALERT! Nobody got a gun to your head, you don't like, don't read it.

Man, Roadies and Knobbies. We have so much in common and yet there are a few areas where we make each other uncomfortable. Some roadies don't feel welcome in knobbie circles, some knobbies don't feel welcome in roadie circles. We gotta recognize our scenes are a little different so we don't take offense unnecessarily. Here's 2 examples where we differ- picture this...

Roadie comes to a MTB race, theres a section of single track 3 miles long where passing is done by permission or it gets aggressive. Back in the middle of the pack, an mtb'er has finally caught back up with a roadie cause the roadie smoked him in the last open area.

It's tight, no one is racing for a podium spot but we all like to do our best so the mtber in back says "Hey man, can I get around you?" Now, you have to understand that in road racing, this just doesn't happen because they don't have single track, so pulling up next to someone is how you issue the challenge. So the roadie is maybe thinking, -this guy is asking to go around? What the hell? No, if you have to ask, you aren't deserving... so he says- nothin, not realizing that by not answering he has issued the challenge. The MTber is now thinking, I asked to go around, this dood is challenging me when we aren't anywhere near racing for a win, what the hell? So the challenge is on with both riders think the other is a being a dink, so it might get more aggressive than it should for this situation.

In truth, neither is a dink, it's just that both riders are behaving according to their own racing scene! Another example- on a road ride, us mtbers talk non-stop and wave hi to everyone and the roadies are kinda laughin to themselves and having fun and thinking -are you ever going to shut up and ride? The rest of the group is quiet and nobody waves back and so the mtber is thinking, these doods are a little stuck up, did I do somethign to piss them off? What the hell?

Roadies have a tendency to get into a little deeper mind zone so they can unplug and focus on cadence and speed, they're not being stuck up, but an mtber might not recognize that. Mtbers are prone to unexpected outbusts of extacy when riding, and roadies kind of laugh at this. Again everyone acting according to what they are used to as being acceptable in their own groups.

There is no reason for this difference in riding ettiquette to stand between us anymore! UNITE I say! Two wheels, 4 brew pubs and one biking community!!

Ok, a little over the top, the point is- How about us FORCers do our part try to make this a year where we make a organized effort to reach out to roadies. I know the 2 groups have reached out to each other before in small ways, but we're still leary of each other so it hasn't been enough. Bex has proposed a mass get together that sounds like a buh-last. Summers just around the corner so we could just have a ton of us show up for one of their rides, meetings, functions and invite them to all of ours not just here, but on their forums too.

I will still poke fun of mtbers by calling them roadies on occasion, but a roadie making fun of a dood who banzaied a corner by calling him a knobbie is fine with me, too. Roadie and Knobbie are terms of endearment, spoken among friends to celebrate the great 2 wheeled cammeraderie we share while still respecting the things make us different, and these terms should be used as often as possible smiles all around.

My road bike hasn't been ridden in years...

[mcwrath]

gee Ray...at the rate your backpedaling...you look like a roadie!

Oh, and uh, look what I just picked up:

[dru_b]

i too shall try and make this...

[mcwrath]

So we can't bag on roadies or knobbies, but how about hipsters??

Check out my hipster trap!

[Home Grown Turtle]

HA! Don't consider myself a hipster, but I would risk my arm for that PBR and pink shades!! mmmmmmm beer

Check out my hipster trap!
[/QUOTE]

[Russhole]

make this a year where we make a organized effort to reach out to roadies.

Maybe QCBC folks would like to come to MWMTBFest.

[Gunchie]

The more I ride, the more I realize I'm not a mountain biker, I'm not a roadie, I'm a cyclist. Sure, the majority of the time I spend on the mountain bike, but I still enjoy a good road ride as well. I even rode fixie for awhile (no skinny jeans though... that would just scare people). I wouldn't talk too much smack about the hipsters either... ten to one they are the ones fixing your bike at the bike shop. So, no matter what you ride, if it has a wheel and pedals (can't forget our unicycle friends) your cool in my book. Isn't that right Roadie Ray!

[dru_b]

The more I ride, the more I realize I'm not a mountain biker, I'm not a roadie, I'm a cyclist.

this is where im tending to put myself these days. i just love to be out riding a bicycle...

[Vibrato]

If the trails are wet this weekend, and if I get the road nbike tuned up, anybody know where would I find a posting of local road rides?

[QCBKR]

I have to agree! I love to ride dirt when it's dry and road when it's not. There is a ride schedule on the QCBC website www.qcbc.org. We welcome all cyclist. Here is a ride we could join.
Mar 20 Sunday Morning Combined ride, riders will determine the distance and pace, usually includes breakfast stop Determined by riders 9:00 AM Hardee's, 425 55th St. Moline.
Bex idea of a mass buh-last get together sounds like a good idea. QCBC club picinic is May 1st. at Illiniwek. What better place to have a get together. I'm taking both bikes.
QCBC club ride in a.m. a quick lunch then hit them new trails. Anyone interested?

[Vibrato]

HELL YES! I'd like to encourage all you knobbies to join me and poof for the roadie hook up on Sunday!!

I can't for the life of me think why we've waited so long.

[QCBKR]

QCBC Sunday ride is as follows:
Mar 20 Sunday Morning Combined ride, riders will determine the distance and pace, usually includes breakfast stop Determined by riders 9:00 AM Hardee's, 425 55th St. Moline
So please dust of your bikes and join in on the fun as I do when I ride with the FORC'ers. I'd like to add that many QCBC'ers will be joining in the fun times and cold beers at the MWMTBFest.
Cause honestly who wouldn't want to!

[QCBKR]

Riding with the Roadies Wed April 13. Meet at the East end of Ben Butterworth Parkway at 4:30. Ride at 5. This will be a 13-18 mph ride with a no-drop 25-30 mile distance.
This will be a path and quiet country road ride.

[Russhole]

I'm interested in this ride. Can you be a little more specific on the meeting place?

[QCBKR]

It typically meet at the very east parking lot near the old IH plant. I'm not sure with the high water that they have been riding from there. I'll do some checking to see if the starting location has changed.
However, there is a ride Tuesday at 5:30 from Happy Joes in Eldridge, Ia. A Thursday evening ride at 5:30 from the Rapid City, Ill boat ramp.

[Bexter]

So cool! Wish I could join you but I've got a class Sunday morning. :(

[Chief Illiniwek]

Which way is the ride headed North, South, East, or West? Want to ride along but if your headed north on the bike path, figure I'd just hook up with you here in Hampton say around 9:15-9:30.

JB

[QCBKR]

Looking like any type of riding is going to be washed out for Sunday, but this Roadies and Knobbies thread has me excited! This is why I joined FORC. As a QCBC board member, one of my goals is to get more people doing different types of riding. I see this as a perfect opportunity to unite our cycling community. What I can do is add a Roadies and Knobbies ride to the QCBC ride schedule. If interested, I have a few questions? Iowa or Ill starting location? Bike path, road, or combination? Milage pace and distance? Week day or weekend? And the most important being, what kind of beer to have on hand at the end of the ride? I, too, of course with permission from both clubs would like to add some of the FORC events to the QCBC ride schedule. Trying to get some others out to the dirt. This may be hard for you to hear, but many people do not know you exist. Until last summer I was one of them. I had no idea there were any trail systems let alone 4 to ride. I’m glad someone introduced us. Now it’s a hard flip of the coin to determine what to ride when it’s dry. Heads dirt tails road. I must have had a two headed coin last week.

[Byke Dood]

QCBKR for me Iowa or IL. 20-70 miles , weekends are best and the bike path seems to be smoother or country roads with less traffic.

[Vibrato]

Iowa or Illinois starts are both good. Starting at a brew pub gives us good beer to drink after!

Personally I prefer bike path rides- I know we have every right to use the roads, too, but vehicles are bigger and tougher than I am. Frankly- they scare me.

I think there's a group of roadies that ride out of Bents on Wednesdays. Don't know if it's a "club" or anything, but they're a pretty fun group of roadies, maybe we could hook up with them. (Last wednesday we were yelling greetings in the bar- we'd yell ROADIES! and they'd yell KNOBBIES! Pretty fun time!)

[Russhole]

I think it would be good to mx it up. For me, if I can ride dirt, there is no road. When the trails are wet, I like to ride the Hennepin canal.

Last year I rode with a buddy from E. Mo. to "It's on the River" and back a few times. That's a good after work ride.

I would consider doing a day trip on road as long as the roads are safe.

[SweetSVT99]

Looking like any type of riding is going to be washed out for Sunday, but this Roadies and Knobbies thread has me excited! This is why I joined FORC. As a QCBC board member, one of my goals is to get more people doing different types of riding. I see this as a perfect opportunity to unite our cycling community. What I can do is add a Roadies and Knobbies ride to the QCBC ride schedule. If interested, I have a few questions? Iowa or Ill starting location? Bike path, road, or combination? Milage pace and distance? Week day or weekend? And the most important being, what kind of beer to have on hand at the end of the ride? I, too, of course with permission from both clubs would like to add some of the FORC events to the QCBC ride schedule. Trying to get some others out to the dirt. This may be hard for you to hear, but many people do not know you exist. Until last summer I was one of them. I had no idea there were any trail systems let alone 4 to ride. I’m glad someone introduced us. Now it’s a hard flip of the coin to determine what to ride when it’s dry. Heads dirt tails road. I must have had a two headed coin last week.

I typically ride the bike path, cars scare me. My typical pace is 18-20mph for 20-40 miles. Speaking of that, I'm getting ready to jump on my road bike and ride out to Port Byron.

Absolutely you can post FORC happenings on the QCBC site, that would be awesome!

[Bexter]

Talk about a dream come true! I just love to ride my bike! My preference is to ride off-road but there are plenty of occasions to hit the road when the trails are too wet to ride. I road ride every Tuesday night at 5:30 with a women's group (we alternate our starting location each week between Illinois and Iowa) the rides are listed on the QCBC calendar) and I try to ride one other time a week on my road bike. Likewise, I'm not so keen on cars and often ride the bike path and country roads. Let's coordinate and bridge the groups! I feel a cookout coming on!

[DMikeT]

sounds to me that a beer potluck wouldn't be out of place at that cookout!!

[QCBKR]

Lots of good ideas! In the next couple of weeks I'll get out and map a couple of routes and starting locations. Then I'll get the rides posted on QCBC ride schedule and the FORC forum.
Hennepin Canal? Sounds interesting, but where is it and what kind of path? Does anyone have any plans on riding this in the near future? If so, I'd be up for riding it.
Oh yeah, QCBC has started a new page "Rides/Tours" if you know or want to have a ride added let me know. Or visit www.qcbc.org. I have already added SIS and will soon be adding NCLB and MWMTBF.
He said beer potluck, Now that is always a good idea!