Stop typing “bike” as “b*ke,” it’s stupid. It never was funny or cute. You’d all be pissed as hell if a bike forum talked about unicycles the way some of you talk about bikes.
Likewise, it’s NOT funny when you see a bike while unicycling to say “HEY, HE’S GOT A TRAINING WHEEL,” or something like that. I saw an older, respectable member of these forums say that to a mountain biker this year at Moab, and the biker’s face went from smiling to pissed off. A justifiable reaction, I think.
If a biker said something mean to one of us on the trails no doubt there’d be a 5 page pissed off thread about it here within minutes - but we all act like it’s OK to rip on bikers - especially when we’re in the rare majority. I saw it all over Moab this year, and I keep seeing it on these forums. It’s finally pissed me off enough to say something.
Even if you are being facetious when saying it on the trails, remember - poking innocent fun at people as they ride past you is not a good idea if you don’t know them - they usually don’t know you are kidding, and you KNOW it would piss you off if they did it to you.
If you know the guy, poke fun back and forth all you want. I’m talking about when speaking to strangers who you only see for a few seconds. It gives us a bad rep and it’s hypocritical.
Im not exactly a biker, but I like to ride my bike. I cant wait till I have saved up enough to purchase a nice cyclocross bike cause ill be out there all the time speeding along.
I can agree with that, seems a bit stupid to treat bike as some kind of profanity.
Shame all the bikers don’t feel that way about us, anytime I’m out I get comments from bikers (the usual) and it does get old very quickly, yet if we perhaps pass comment on them (in a joking way like most comments directed at us are) then why should they get that angry and annoyed. Most bikers are usually ok though and even if they do make the usual circus, lost your wheel comment, you can actually throw a retort back their way without insult, and sometimes a bit of playful banter.
I was a biker both internal combustion powered and leg powered before I started riding a uni but I would still use b*ke in this forum.
I think it’s simply a gentle prod back at some of the taunts abuse and piss taking that occurs when I am out on one of my unis.
Don’t use it if you don’t want to, just take a deep breath if you see it really isn’t that important.
I don’t think it causes any offense (nor is intended to), but I tend not to use b*ke. I’m definitely a bicyclist who learnt to ride a unicycle. I like unicycles, especially off road - in fact I haven’t even got a mountain bike anymore - but I’d never give up my road bikes.
There’s always light-hearted rivalry between similar but slightly different interests. It’s the same between Triumph and MG car enthusiasts - we take the micky but really we all get on fine. Or even the PC/Mac or Windows/Linux camps.
Stop taking things so seriously; “bke" is clearly just a light-hearted bit of fun. Recently I’ve ridden my bikes much more than my unicycles but I still write "bke” on here; it’s more a harmless forum in-joke than anything else.
1) I don’t why people take it so seriously. 2) Me 2. But i still ride my unicycle whenever i can. I just hate those people who think that because i’m riding my MTB. That i’ve stopped riding a unicycle altogether. 3) Exactly, i couldn’t have it said better myself.
Wow, you sure are the expert on what is or isn’t funny!
See, the difference between a unicyclist taunting a bicyclist, and a bicyclist taunting a unicyclist is that in general, unicyclists are in the minority. People riding on two wheels don’t have to hear “he’s got a training wheel” every day, where as unicyclist mostly put up with “where’s your other wheel” on a daily basis.
So basicly, what I’m saying is that comments dirrected at unicyclists are old, played out, and not funny. Comments dirrected at bicyclists are new, somewhat original, and funny.
Also, I don’t use the “b*ke” thing, but as someone who’s been here longer than you, I can say that when it first started happening, it was funny. Stop taking yourself so seriously.
I agree, "bke" is just light-hearted fun. I don’t really ever use it, but honestly, I can’t possibly imaging how it’s offensive. It’s clearly a very mild joke. Seriously guys, chill out. It’s you that’s getting offended, not the bkers(<—hehehe). I think I might start using it now, just because of this thread.
I don’t randomly yell “HAHA YOU HAVE A TRAINING WHEEL” at bikers as we cross paths, but if they make some sort of joke about unicycling, I usually throw back something like “Nah, that was just a training wheel!,” or some such similar retort. Only dish out what you can take :o .
Remember guys, its YOU who controls if you’re annoyed or pissed off, not us. You can CHOOSE to have a positive reaction, even to the most negative of comments. I know that’s what I do!
If my fading geezer memory serves me, I think the original use of “b*ke” was in the context of:
“They called my Unicycle a B*ke!”
From there it took off. I agree that in general, “bike” should be used. It’s only a dirty word when they refer to your one wheeler as a two wheeler. Next time a bicyclist calls your uni a one-wheeled bike just say:
“If I’m riding a bike, then you’re riding a tricycle.”
Are you kidding me… you are angry over this? What the B*ke?
There is something special about being able to make a joke to a complete stranger and have both them and you smiling. If you cant do that correctly, it is your social skills that are out of wack, not the fact you thought a bike joke would be funny.
Its the elitist two wheel attitude that I find scummy. When I can walk into a bike shop and get taken seriously or even a little pretend respect I will give it straight back. Or else I will try to break the judgmental tension with stupid jokes. If the biker cant take it… whoopty freakin do. Does that make me a bad unicyclist, or a bad person, hardly.
I am not a disrespectful person. I am used to both giving and getting respect. So I cant understand how this issue could really rub you so wrong.
Argh - in response to everyone telling me to “calm down,” - the only reason I said anything is because I personally saw the comments at moab piss several bikers off. It’s one thing if you are throwing jokes back and forth, but another thing entirely when you just yell at them as they ride by. It’s hypocritical, and writing bike as b*ke perpetuates that.
Personally, it doesn’t offend me to see b*ke. What bugs me is people’s lack of perspective outside of their own heads. People here as SOOO over sensitive about anti-unicycle comments, but then they throw out anti-everything else comments like they’re nothing. It doesn’t matter who’s in the majority or minority.
I think you are generalizing. Yes there are quite a few people here that take the over used unicycle comments poorly and let them upset or frustrate them… Just because there are those in this group, does not mean there are others who still laugh at the same joke they have heard 5,000 times.
In a group with many different people there are gonna be many different takes on life. Some make jokes at bikers, some get upset when bikers make jokes at them… You can’t say because there are those who get upset others should not poke fun. Riding a bike is choice, if a biker cant handle a little bad humor here and there they would not be wearing spandex.
I certainly am generalizing, and I’m sure there are people who give it who can also take it. I’m aiming my comments at those who can’t.
I don’t care when people make fun of me while unicycling, but many people on these forums do, and many of them are the same ones making fun of bikers. I’m only trying to stop the hypocrisy and make people aware of the consequences of their actions.
In retrospect, I should have continued to hold my tongue. Many of you are making great arguments that I agree with, but they all miss the point I was trying to make.
