Getting harassed while training!

WileE1 said:

I started riding 3 months ago. I race vet motocross and wanted to get into better shape.
Anyway, I got heckled for the first time last thursday about noon. Two passengers in a pickup called me a [censored], as they were driving by? WTF? Was it the tight shorts? 😄
I mostly ride counrty roads, and seem to get challenged quite a bit for space. Seems like every other car that go by is either going 80mph or want to see just how close they can get without killing me.

Cycling is an easy target. You would not get called that on a 450 kicking roost!

I know this is an ancient thread(2007) but I searched for the topic I wanted to talk about and this hit the spot.

I am in my second year of biking. I live in an area where there are (i.e. I am NOT trying to stereotype...I am just telling it as I see it) NASCAR fans driving trucks, people who live in trailers and have missing front teeth and spend a portion of each day at Wal-Mart.

So here I come with shaved legs, short tights(I am short so I wear shorter tights etc...cause my legs are short).....and these hooters just cannot resist. I get whistled at, mocked, yelled at, and yes ...on guy in an old beat-up truck told me to "get on the sidewalk!!"....

I live "in town" and its about 5-6 miles to get out to the country where its beautiful and filled with dairy farms, horse farms, railroad, and NO CARS AND PEOPLE.

So I have had enough.........guess its time to drive through town with my bike and start in the country........

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by breadbasket1
I know this is an ancient thread(2007) but I searched for the topic I wanted to talk about and this hit the spot.

I am in my second year of biking. I live in an area where there are (i.e. I am NOT trying to stereotype...I am just telling it as I see it) NASCAR fans driving trucks, people who live in trailers and have missing front teeth and spend a portion of each day at Wal-Mart.

So here I come with shaved legs, short tights(I am short so I wear shorter tights etc...cause my legs are short).....and these hooters just cannot resist. I get whistled at, mocked, yelled at, and yes ...on guy in an old beat-up truck told me to "get on the sidewalk!!"....

I live "in town" and its about 5-6 miles to get out to the country where its beautiful and filled with dairy farms, horse farms, railroad, and NO CARS AND PEOPLE.

So I have had enough.........guess its time to drive through town with my bike and start in the country........

That doesn't sound like much fun, is there a local club or group in your area?

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by steve

That doesn't sound like much fun, is there a local club or group in your area?

Yes. But when I emailed the leader of the club I got a REALLY cold email back that totally made me NOT want to join the group.

I know email is not as good as talking to a real person but this guy came off as not wanting to bother with me and not wanting me to join the group.....OR he was just having a bad day and didn't want to deal with me.

A LOT of bike club memberships are filled with [censored] and [censored]. If you can, find out when their monthly meeting schedule is and drop by, in person, to see them in action and meet a few club members.

There are a couple of local clubs that just astound me with their level of unwelcoming cliquish/clannish behavior, elitism (despite being slow old retired farts), hostility towards youth cycling and generally boorish intellect...this coming from an avowed NASCAR fan (today's topic: Did Jimmy Johnson single handedly kill NASCAR attendance?). Avoid this type of club at all costs.

There are also a few area clubs that are comprised of mainly friendly sorts.

It may take years to find a good mix to fit into. It may never be, in some areas of the country. And even if you do score your way into a great club, not every ride is going to be a club ride or in the company of other members. You'll still be doing at least 'some' solo work on the local roads.

Cyclists, for all their proclamations of 'inclusiveness' can be some of the most exclusive personality types on the planet IMO.

Reading that you're only in your second year of cycling, but have already discovered where peace and quiet can be found, give it some time. Do get the rack mounted on your car and get away from the NASTYCAR fans (they're probably Junior fans, to boot! I keed! I keed!). Ignore the comments about your legs and if you are a shaved racer sort you might want to get that USAC/USCF license and start training with the fast set. Local teams, race team training and racing, itself, generally mean more seat time in your car. Not always, but usually in my experience.

Oh...and if you are from the American South...get your Concealed Carry Permit and be prepared to pull it. With a Rebel Yell, of course.

Thanks bro

I live in the Northeast, Southern Tier of New York State.........i.e. lots of hills, valleys, and not a lot of flat rides......

And TODAY my friendly area gave me 25 mile an hour winds ON THE WAY BACK from my 30 mile ride........it was BRUTAL......I almost got knocked on my ass.......and yes, when I came back in town......sure enough a purple pick up truck full of hooters has to scream and yell at me!

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by breadbasket1
and yes, when I came back in town......sure enough a purple pick up truck full of hooters has to scream and yell at me!

Try to look exhausted and filthy... [IMG]files.cyclingforums.combig smile.pngOpen ↗[/IMG] Something like this: It might work... [IMG]files.cyclingforums.combig smile.pngOpen ↗[/IMG]

[IMG]cyclingforums.com1000Open ↗[/IMG]

It's probably this sight that makes them excited: [IMG]files.cyclingforums.combig smile.pngOpen ↗[/IMG]

[IMG]cyclingforums.com1000Open ↗[/IMG]

[IMG]cyclingforums.com1000Open ↗[/IMG]

Fuuuuuck! Rednecks in N.Y. Who knew?

Ohio has actually become a slightly more mellow place to train over the years. This is my 43rd road season and I can remember the hippie 1970's and the weirded out 1980's (A buddy was riding in front of me when a car full of moron kids bounced an empty Pepto-Bismol bottle off his knee cap!).

The cat calls and curses...I just ignore them. In my youth...and before every swinging [censored] had a pistol stuffed under the seat...roadside confrontations sometimes did occur. But, I'm pretty sure the statute of limitations has long expired for charges to be brought...

Nowadays, use the cell phone for the road ragers. In N.Y. pistol permits are blocked by the libtard commies in power in Albanygrad. Keep the country Sheriffs' numbers on speed dial for the area your ride in (and the county dog wardens, too!).

And yeah, the winds over the weekend and yesterday were insane! The steering input required to stay on the road Sunday negated much riding on the tops of the bars.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by breadbasket1
Thanks bro

I live in the Northeast, Southern Tier of New York State.........i.e. lots of hills, valleys, and not a lot of flat rides......

And TODAY my friendly area gave me 25 mile an hour winds ON THE WAY BACK from my 30 mile ride........it was BRUTAL......I almost got knocked on my ass.......and yes, when I came back in town......sure enough a purple pick up truck full of hooters has to scream and yell at me!

That sucks dude. I lived upstate for a year in high school in a tiny town called Tivoli in the Rhinebeck/Redhook area about 100mi out of NYC. Nothing but horse farms and rednecks for miles around (ironically and as we had a few horses stabled on our property and I did a bunch of the upkeep actually had a red neck myself).

As a 10th grader my experience with the locals was that I was already in the 99th percentile of education. I got into a fight on the 2nd day on the school bus because on the first day I accidentally sat in this other kids seat (happily we ended up becoming good friends later that year). On my way to a Halloween party dressed up as Kane from the TV show Kung Fu I had to fend of the townie kids who were more interested in egging the "nerds" who apparently was anybody that had a full mouth of teeth. Those same kids called me and my friends "square pegs" in the hall at school, from another 80's TV show.

I also had the pleasure of being a bike racer in the 80's and the locals did not know what to make of this crazy little kid who rode his bike everywhere in tight black pants. It was the heyday of upstate bike racing, they hadn't figured out how much fun they could have had harassing us and at that point it was mostly just WTF dumbfounded looks.

With our laws about the only thing you got is the Sheriff speed dial option and a helmet mounted vid cam. It's a sad fact that I'd probably feel safer negotiating the streets of Manhattan surrounded by crazy cabbies than I would back in Tivoli. Good luck.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by danfoz

That sucks dude. I lived upstate for a year in high school in a tiny town called Tivoli in the Rhinebeck/Redhook area about 100mi out of NYC. Nothing but horse farms and rednecks for miles around (ironically and as we had a few horses stabled on our property and I did a bunch of the upkeep actually had a red neck myself).

As a 10th grader my experience with the locals was that I was already in the 99th percentile of education. I got into a fight on the 2nd day on the school bus because on the first day I accidentally sat in this other kids seat (happily we ended up becoming good friends later that year). On my way to a Halloween party dressed up as Kane from the TV show Kung Fu I had to fend of the townie kids who were more interested in egging the "nerds" who apparently was anybody that had a full mouth of teeth. Those same kids called me and my friends "square pegs" in the hall at school, from another 80's TV show.

I also had the pleasure of being a bike racer in the 80's and the locals did not know what to make of this crazy little kid who rode his bike everywhere in tight black pants. It was the heyday of upstate bike racing, they hadn't figured out how much fun they could have had harassing us and at that point it was mostly just WTF dumbfounded looks.

With our laws about the only thing you got is the Sheriff speed dial option and a helmet mounted vid cam. It's a sad fact that I'd probably feel safer negotiating the streets of Manhattan surrounded by crazy cabbies than I would back in Tivoli. Good luck.

Thanks. Its not that bad....I am just highlighting things and I DO think that riding to the bike drop off parking area will help a ton.
I just am angry that I cannot start at my house, go through town, and come back without issues.....
I can also just ignore them. There are TONS of runners in spandex in town(we have a marathon every year)...so the only thing that's "weird" is my shaved legs I guess.

Driving to the ride sounds like a good option. And unfortunate that a few hicks can tarnish an otherwise tranquil environment. The reality is that there are lots of nice folks up there who could care less about cyclists and are just getting on with their lives.

Hooting and hollerin is far from the worst that someone could do to harass, I suppose after a while it could wear on you.

I have received a lot less negative attention from drivers since a mounted a highly visible video camera to the top of my helmet. Most of it from teenagers with noting better to do and a few bad eggs. Originally I intended to make a compilation harassment, but got very little after the camera.

Maybe that would work for you - if not at least you have some interesting video to share.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by maydog
Hooting and hollerin is far from the worst that someone could do to harass, I suppose after a while it could wear on you.

I have received a lot less negative attention from drivers since a mounted a highly visible video camera to the top of my helmet. Most of it from teenagers with noting better to do and a few bad eggs. Originally I intended to make a compilation harassment, but got very little after the camera.

Maybe that would work for you - if not at least you have some interesting video to share.

[IMG]files.cyclingforums.comcool.pngOpen ↗[/IMG] The idiots I'm talking about wouldn't know what a helmet mounted camera looked like...so it wouldn't phase them. They would think its just more gay equipment adding to my overall "gayness". I'm not gay....(not that there is anything wrong with that).

But these people equate shaved legs with being gay. Only thing is the gay guys I know all have hairy legs!

I have two rides in the county, one is 30+ miles and the other is 26 miles....if I just do those I barely see any people/cars at all.

If I connect those two routes they end up being more like 60 miles......all country if I park my car in the right place.

Its just from my house, downtown, past the grocery, over the walking bridge, through the main road which connects the town to the highway......that is FULL of hooters and camouflaged wearing ,truck driving walmart groupies. (nothing wrong with hooters, or camo, or walmart or trucks but the combo is brutal

Some runners and most tri guys shave. Power lifters and body builders shave.

Hmmmmm?

I like hooters. (the bar and the wimmenz anatomy)
I hunt in camo.
I hit Walmart up for ammunition.
I watched the last half of the Darlington NASCAR race last Saturday.
I own FOUR trucks!!!!

And I shave!

[censored]! I'm...so...conflicted! I feel like harrassing myself!

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by CAMPYBOB
Some runners and most tri guys shave. Power lifters and body builders shave.

Hmmmmm?

I like hooters. (the bar and the wimmenz anatomy)
I hunt in camo.
I hit Walmart up for ammunition.
I watched the last half of the Darlington NASCAR race last Saturday.
I own FOUR trucks!!!!

And I shave!

[censored]! I'm...so...conflicted! I feel like harrassing myself!

[IMG]cyclingforums.com700Open ↗[/IMG]

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by CAMPYBOB
Some runners and most tri guys shave. Power lifters and body builders shave.

Hmmmmm?

I like hooters. (the bar and the wimmenz anatomy)
I hunt in camo.
I hit Walmart up for ammunition.
I watched the last half of the Darlington NASCAR race last Saturday.
I own FOUR trucks!!!!

And I shave!

[censored]! I'm...so...conflicted! I feel like harrassing myself!

Scum bags are just freakin idiots, i'm sure a lot of them have mashed slop in their heads instead of functioning brains.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by baker3

Scum bags are just freakin idiots, i'm sure a lot of them have mashed slop in their heads instead of functioning brains.

true that!

People are weird. Probably just the area. Low mentality peeps. You are an elitist perhaps. Your energy is high. Another topic in the forum was talking about making fun of serious bikers who wear the proper gear. It said they were arrogant and elitists. Lol, it's just funny people come up with all kinds of things. They don't get it.

you've got to pound their asses......hard! make them wish they'd never opened their pie holes by filling them up with your manhood.

I think I have learned how not to draw attention when I ride my bike. I had some friends who are complaining about their bad experiences and how horrible the encounters could get. I guess I was too afraid that this might happen to me that is why I do anything I can to stay away from trouble.