Cycling in Waterloo Region

[Markster]

Anyone going to the October Bike Show in Toronto?

https://www.bicycleshowtoronto.com/

My wife and I are starting to think about upgrading to quality commuter bikes. Though the slideshow on that site makes me think that this is not the event for us.

[chutten]

Anyone going to the October Bike Show in Toronto?

https://www.bicycleshowtoronto.com/

My wife and I are starting to think about upgrading to quality commuter bikes.  Though the slideshow on that site makes me think that this is not the event for us.

Do let us know your thought process. I too looked at the carousel there and said "Oh, a cyclist show" and closed the tab. I'm more of a "person on a bike" than a "cyclist," so I'd love to know what goes into selecting a good commuter.

[Canard]

I'd love to know what the difference is between a "person on a bike" and a "cyclist" is. I consider myself both!

[Markster]

I'd love to know what the difference is between a "person on a bike" and a "cyclist" is. I consider myself both!

Here's a fun thing you can do that basically give you a quick idea of what society considers to be the difference.  Just google it.  
It sounds like a "lmgtfy.com" joke, but it's actually a fascinating look into the cultural zeitgeist as distilled through google.

Google Image Search for "cyclist"
   

Google Image Search for "person on a bike"
   

A "cyclist" is seen as a lycra clad person cycling for sport.
A "person on a bike" is someone cycling to go somewhere.  To get something done.  In regular clothes.  

It's not to say that you can't be either/both, at one time or another. But there's certainly a cultural notion that "cyclists" are the platonic ideal of bike riding.

[danbrotherston]

I'd love to know what the difference is between a "person on a bike" and a "cyclist" is. I consider myself both!

Here's a fun thing you can do that basically give you a quick idea of what society considers to be the difference.  Just google it.  

Google Image Search for "cyclist"


Google Image Search for "person on a bike"


A "cyclist" is seen as a lycra clad person cycling for sport.
A "person on a bike" is someone cycling to go somewhere.  To get something done.  In regular clothes.  

It's not to say that you can't be either/both, at one time or another. But there's certainly a cultural notion that "cyclists" are the platonic ideal of bike riding.

A person on a bike is a temporary state of a person using a mode of transportation, while a cyclist is a personal identity that is assumed to exist indefinitely.  Consider the images invoked with the word "driver" as opposed to "person driving a car", and in fact, a google image search reveals a very similar disparity between the two search terms.

I exaggerate of course, but terminology does matter.

[panamaniac]

Indeed, there is a difference in my mind. Cyclists go about looking like they are competing in the Tour de France, whereas I, as a person on a bike, would be in jeans and a t-shirt, perched comfortably upright on my wide, soft bicycle seat. Cyclists also know more about their bike than the brand name, whereas a person on a bicycle's knowledge of the machine stops not far from there.

Also, only a subset of the "cyclist" rides their bike in the snow. No real "person on a bike" would ever consider doing that!

[Canard]

Weird - I fit somewhere in between! I love everything technical about my bike, ride a couple of thousand km a year, but I ride about 15-20 km/h, follow all the rules of the road, and don't always "gear up". I'd never touch a road bike and sit about as upright as you can imagine, but I also discovered the joy of riding my bike last winter. So strange that we can be so closed minded!

[MidTowner]

Indeed, there is a difference in my mind.  Cyclists go about looking like they are competing in the Tour de France, whereas I, as a person on a bike, would be in jeans and a t-shirt, perched comfortably upright on my wide, soft bicycle seat.  Cyclists also know more about their bike than the brand name, whereas a person on a bicycle's knowledge of the machine stops not far from there.  

Also, only a subset of the "cyclist" rides their bike in the snow.  No real "person on a bike" would ever consider doing that!  

I'm a person who is sometimes on a bike, and I can't remember what brand name of bike mine is...

I'm also occasionally a person on a bike in the snow.

[clasher]

Anyone going to the October Bike Show in Toronto?

https://www.bicycleshowtoronto.com/

My wife and I are starting to think about upgrading to quality commuter bikes.  Though the slideshow on that site makes me think that this is not the event for us.

I'd just head on down to Black Arrow Cycles, it's definitely the most commuter-oriented shop in the city and most of their stock seems geared toward commuting and "people on bikes" rather than sport-cycling.

Personally I go both ways, I ride around town and do most of my errands on an upright commuter with a huge basket on the front and also go out for long road rides, and everything in between.

[robdrimmie]

I'd love to know what goes into selecting a good commuter.

The Sweet Home has several great articles on cycling gear. Whether or not you take their recommendations, I really appreciate the way they explain the different factors involved in their recommendations. Just reading them will give you lots to think about. Their "best commuter bike" article is at http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-hyb...muter-bike.

[Canard]

Priority Bicycles

In particular, the belt drive concept and Nuvinci CVT are the key selling points to me.

[chutten]

For what it's worth, I always assumed there to be a spectrum between (and extending past) "person on bike" and "cyclist" and that no one fits in any one place on it. For me it's a shorthand for communication.

For others? Well, I'm still trying to stop calling collisions "accidents." Words are hard.

I'd love to know what goes into selecting a good commuter.

The Sweet Home has several great articles on cycling gear. Whether or not you take their recommendations, I really appreciate the way they explain the different factors involved in their recommendations. Just reading them will give you lots to think about. Their "best commuter bike" article is at http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-hyb...muter-bike.

Thanks! I've run across their reviews when looking at pedelecs (more expensive than I'd like at the moment) and really dig their diligence.

Priority bicycles

Someone at work described shifting at a standstill and I am enamoured with the idea. The more machinery hidden from my pant cuffs, the better.

[Canard]

I've test ridden countless bikes. Internally geared hubs are beautifully crafted pieces of engineering, hiding their complexity in a simple cylinder with the ability to shift at standstill. But, their big downside is you cannot shift under load. Trying to shift while pedalling with a medium effort (or greater) just leaves them stalled in the gear you're currently in. You have to ease off a little, and then they snap into place.

I've searched high and low for a seller that has any bike fitted with a Nuvinci hub, and have come up short. I'm desperate to test drive one. I want to buy one and retrofit it onto my Trek Lift+ (pedelec). The Nuvinci is apparently very content to shift under any load, at any speed - and to an any ratio you like on an infinite spectrum.

[danbrotherston]

For what it's worth, I always assumed there to be a spectrum between (and extending past) "person on bike" and "cyclist" and that no one fits in any one place on it. For me it's a shorthand for communication.

For others? Well, I'm still trying to stop calling collisions "accidents." Words are hard.

...

Priority bicycles

Someone at work described shifting at a standstill and I am enamoured with the idea. The more machinery hidden from my pant cuffs, the better.

Words are hard, but they're also meaningful, which is why we apparently still have fights for them.

FWIW, I try not to bother defining myself as either, my statement was more in how the words we use define others.  Certainly there is a spectrum but I try very hard to use "people on bikes" and I fully admit it is because I am pushing a narrative, so...even lycra folks (and frankly, in the summer, I'm one of them) I refer to as "people on bikes".

Internal hubs:  Yes, fantastic, they're the best commuter options for sure.  When combined with a belt drive or a shaft drive, even better.  Being able to shift at frequent stops is fantastic, being unable to shift under load, not as big a deal in traffic anyway.  Pretty much all "Dutch" bikes have them if they have any gears.  (Where "Dutch" means Dutch style, not bikes in the Netherlands, because of course, there are plenty of road bikes in the Netherlands as well).

[jamincan]

FWIW, it's pretty easy to shift a normal derailleur when stopped if you have clipless pedals. Simply engage the front brake and push your handlebars forward to raise the rear tire off the ground, then shift to your hearts content while driving the chain with the foot that is still clipped in.