Vermont cycling

"Hal Jordan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

My wife and I just came back from a weekend trip to central Vermont. We biked Rt 106 & 100 going
through Woodstock, Reading, Tyson, and Bridgewater, and also the roads betwen Quechee, Hartland,
and South Woodstock.

Quoted message said:

- it's probably not a good idea to take road bikes off the main routes. We found out the hard way
that most side roads are unpaved, and even if they are paved, they sometimes quickly become
unpaved. Oddly enough, most of the maps don't differentiate between paved/unpaved roads. I guess
they assume that most roads are unpaved. After spending $20 for a Delorme atlas, we found the
best map to be the free "Official Vermont Attraction" state map. It appears to include the
town-to-town paved roads, and accurately showed the unpaved roads. Wider tires with light treads
might have some of the back roads more enjoyable.

You need to get a copy of the "Vermont Life Bicycle Vermont Map and Guide",

VT., 05452. This map is available at many of the cycling shops around the state, I got mine at
Mountain Cycology in Ludlow.

The map clearly shows which of the "side" roads are unpaved and includes distances between road
intersections, making route planning a cinch.

Quoted message said:

- if you're in the area, stop into the Harpoon Brewery for some great IPA. We found out that my
wife's old-fashioned rat-trap pedals can double as bottle openers. How come that never comes up
in the

You may want to avoid cycling Rt 4 between Bridgewater Corners and West Bridgwaters (near
Killington) as 1/2 mile west of the Rt 4 / Rt 100A intersection is the Long Trail Brewery. Should
you happen to stop for a "Taste Test" you might find yourself getting lost on the way home, but
suddenly enjoying that dirt road you just hopped on to.

SB

Quoted message said:

- we had two incidents of big guys in big trucks yelling stuff at us. I commute to work, so
I'm not completely unaccustomed to getting harrassed, but it's just much more threatening
when you're on a lonely stretch of road. Sort of put a damper on the blue sky and
hills-and-dales view.

What is it with guys in pickups yelling at bicyclists for no reason? Is this a uniquely American
phenomenen? (The yelling part, not the pickup). The only time I get yelled at from a car for no
reason in Europe is to be offered encouragement (bad weather, big climb, ...).

And what do the pickup guys say? I never have been able to understand it. Are these the same people
who make announcements in train stations? Are they just practicing for their day job?

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Mon, 8 Sep 2003 20:34:23 +0200, <[email hidden]>, "trg"

Quoted message said:

Are these the same people who make announcements in train stations?

Likely just the same people who shout at their television sets.
--
zk

trg said:

What is it with guys in pickups yelling at bicyclists for no reason?

Dogs bark.

Chalo Colina

"trg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

What is it with guys in pickups yelling at bicyclists for no reason? Is this a uniquely American
phenomenen? (The yelling part, not the pickup). The only time I get yelled at from a car for no
reason in Europe is to be offered encouragement (bad weather, big climb, ...).

Interesting. In 30 years of riding I can't recall ever being yelled at by someone in a pickup truck.
Teenagers in Hondas, yes, but no pickup trucks.

The folks in rural South Georgia and North Florida where I ride usually wave, using all five
fingers, as they pass.

[censored] Durbin Tallahassee

In article said:

"trg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What is it with guys in pickups yelling at bicyclists for no reason? Is this a uniquely American
phenomenen? (The yelling part, not the pickup). The only time I get yelled at from a car for no
reason in Europe is to be offered encouragement (bad weather, big climb, ...).

Interesting. In 30 years of riding I can't recall ever being yelled at by someone in a pickup
truck. Teenagers in Hondas, yes, but no pickup trucks.

The folks in rural South Georgia and North Florida where I ride usually wave, using all five
fingers, as they pass.

[censored] Durbin Tallahassee

The only times I've been hollered at from pickups has been in towns of some size, like Denver or
Colorado Springs, where the drivers favor little copyright-violating cartoons of Calvin pissing on
the logos off other truck-makers. In the boonies of Custer County, where I lived for six years --
and where people use pickups for various necessary chores, instead of mindless cruising about with
an Olde English 40 between the knees -- I got waves from pickup pilots while cycling and offers of
assistance while fixing flats. Hell, I have four trucks myownself, and I only yell at cyclists who
won't subscribe to VeloNews or buy worthless O'Grady-label knickknacks assembled by child slaves in
China. Yes, we know who you are.

Cheers,

Adm. John Poindexter Total Velo Awareness A Division of Mad Dog Media maddogmedia.commaddogmedia.comOpen ↗

They are a unique species of animals called "red neck [censored]", their primary habit is in the
rural south, but rapidly expanding to all areas. They are only noisy when in the company of peers,
because without an audience there is no one to show off to. For the most part they are harmless as
they have very small balls when it comes to backing up their actions. Their favorite gathering
places are World Wrestling Federation events, stock car races, and bait houses. They are easy to
identify, they dress very sloppy, don't shave often or comb their hair, can't seem to figure how to
put a dirty baseball cap on their head straight. Most didn't get out of grade school because any
grade number above 5 was to much for the to comprehend, beside going to school took to much time
away from their fishing.

I know, I've grown up with them, some are my relatives.

"trg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

- we had two incidents of big guys in big trucks yelling stuff at us. I commute to work, so I'm
not completely unaccustomed to getting harrassed, but it's just much more threatening when
you're on a lonely stretch of road. Sort of put a damper on the blue sky and hills-and-dales
view.

What is it with guys in pickups yelling at bicyclists for no reason? Is

this

Quoted message said:

a uniquely American phenomenen? (The yelling part, not the pickup). The

only

Quoted message said:

time I get yelled at from a car for no reason in Europe is to be offered encouragement (bad
weather, big climb, ...).

And what do the pickup guys say? I never have been able to understand it. Are these the same
people who make announcements in train stations? Are

they

Quoted message said:

just practicing for their day job?

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You're fortunate. During yesterday's Watermelon Century Ride that ran from Baldwin, FL (near
Jacksonville) to Folkston, GA and back, we had more than a couple of trucks come by with guys
yelling and waving one finger. To be fair, some folks did honk, wave and smile. Then again, we rode
by a group of guys on their front porch shooting their guns at something. Luckily, it wasn't us.

Art

[email hidden] ([censored] Durbin) wrote in message

Quoted message said:

The folks in rural South Georgia and North Florida where I ride usually wave, using all five
fingers, as they pass.

[censored] Durbin Tallahassee

trg said:

And what do the pickup guys say? I never have been able to understand it.

Personally, while driving my pickup, I'd probably say "This hill is tough, want a ride?"
--
Rick Onanian

I grew up in South east Wisconsin, and I remember pick-up truck yellers and beer bottle throwers
quite vividly. Maybe it was the rural area, maybe all the cow maure went to their head I dont know
which. But it was common, to be biking down a rural country road when out of no where would come a
ratty pick-up truck...horn blaring, kids screaming, fingers flairng, just all to see what response
they would get. One time I responded back(immature, and not smart), deicded to show them a bird of
my own. Well that didnt go over well. It went from horn blaring, kids screaming, fingers flairng to
brakes screaching, me panicking, then me racing off the road though the woods, with yahoos chasing
me. To say the least that was the first and last time I ever flipped anyone the bird. Ended up
changing my route after that. I can laugh about it today for that was over 15 yrs ago, but yes some
people get on a ego trip with their quote big vehicles and need to harrass anyone that is quote
smaller than them.

[email hidden] ([censored] Durbin) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"trg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

What is it with guys in pickups yelling at bicyclists for no reason? Is this a uniquely American
phenomenen? (The yelling part, not the pickup). The only time I get yelled at from a car for no
reason in Europe is to be offered encouragement (bad weather, big climb, ...).

Interesting. In 30 years of riding I can't recall ever being yelled at by someone in a pickup
truck. Teenagers in Hondas, yes, but no pickup trucks.

The folks in rural South Georgia and North Florida where I ride usually wave, using all five
fingers, as they pass.

[censored] Durbin Tallahassee

"[censored] Durbin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"trg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What is it with guys in pickups yelling at bicyclists for no reason? Is

this

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a uniquely American phenomenen? (The yelling part, not the pickup). The

only

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

time I get yelled at from a car for no reason in Europe is to be offered encouragement (bad
weather, big climb, ...).

Interesting. In 30 years of riding I can't recall ever being yelled at by someone in a pickup
truck. Teenagers in Hondas, yes, but no pickup trucks.

The folks in rural South Georgia and North Florida where I ride usually wave, using all five
fingers, as they pass.

[censored] Durbin Tallahassee

Me too. I'm amazed at the percentage of people that smile and wave as they pass. I think they are
just impressed that an old dude is out getting in some exercise. I find nothing but friendliness
from people when I'm on my bike - well, people, perhaps - that pack of dogs on Riley Road isn't
very friendly.

Fred

Most of the shouts coming at me from motor vehicles are unintelligible. They revert to our
pre-verbal forms of communication dating back a few hundred thousand years. It's often the
passengers who make these noises. You have to be able to read road signs to get a driver's license,
but the ability to speak in any modern language is not required. No offense intended to people who
are mute, but are otherwise functional and considerate of others on the roads.

Steve McDonald

A close cousin of the pickup yellers are the "Rev-em Up Rangers". This subclass of morons used to be
solely populated by owners of Detroit Muscle Cars, but is now branching out into the aftermarket
bedecked Oriental Rice Rockets. Almost on a daily basis one of these pathetic creatures will pull up
along side, rev their engine once or twice, and then speed off down the road. Theses guys are not a
hazard per se, but more of a humorous annoyance -- sort of like a mime in a clown car.

I really don't know what they are trying to prove ...

Steve McDonald said:

Most of the shouts coming at me from motor vehicles are unintelligible.

I was yelled at yesterday afternoon. Some guy in a maroon Buick said something I didn't understand
as he passed by. It occurred to me that he may have been saying something like "Looking good!" This
was at the top of a hill I just hammered up. I've yelled similar words of encouragement to cyclists
on mountain roads -- I wonder how many of them think I was shouting insults.

The only time the yeller was in a pickup was on a Farm-to-Market road somewhere north of Forth
Worth, Texas. I was cluelessly pedaling along as a funeral procession drove by (yeah, a little
thoughtless of
me) when an old guy in a pickup I was passing on the side of the road clucked and said "Don't you
have any respect for the dead?"

RFM

Pick up yellers? Nah, I married two of 'em...

Bill "rimshot" S.

(Art) said:

You're fortunate. During yesterday's Watermelon Century Ride that ran from Baldwin, FL (near
Jacksonville) to Folkston, GA and back, we had more than a couple of trucks come by with guys
yelling and waving one finger. To be fair, some folks did honk, wave and smile. Then again, we
rode by a group of guys on their front porch shooting their guns at something. Luckily, it
wasn't us.

Are you sure? Maybe they were just bad shots. If they were like most drivers, they would have
assumed that you were only going 5 mph, so they would have been shooting behind you.

--
Ray Heindl (remove the X to reply)

trg said:

And what do the pickup guys say? I never have been able to understand it. Are these the same people
who make announcements in train stations? Are they just practicing for their day job?

They all want to do TV commercials for Oxi-Clean and The Dent Doctor.

"di" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

They are a unique species of animals called "red neck [censored]", their primary habit is in the
rural south, but rapidly expanding to all areas.

I believe the word you are looking for is habitat.

Quoted message said:

They are only noisy when in the company of peers, because without an audience there is no one to
show off to.

Sounds a bit like the urban types with the trunk of their Japanese sedan full of bass speakers.

Quoted message said:

For the most part they are harmless as they have very small balls when it comes to backing up
their actions. Their favorite gathering places are World Wrestling Federation events, stock car
races, and bait houses. They are easy to identify, they dress very sloppy, don't shave often or
comb their hair, can't seem to figure how to put a dirty baseball cap on their head straight.

"Sloppy" is an adjective. I believe you meant "sloppily". Actually, rednecks wear their caps
straight, with the bill tighly curled. The guys who don't know how to put them on straight are the
urban types.

Quoted message said:

Most didn't get out of grade school because any grade number above 5 was to much for the to
comprehend, beside going to school took to much time away from their fishing.

Given your errors, I don't think you want to cast aspersions on anyone else's lack of education. I
grew up , and still live, among the folks you insult. They are the kind of people who, when I slid
off into a muddy ditch a few weeks ago, stopped and pulled me out with their 4X4 pickup trucks.

By the way, what do you have against fishing? Ever read Hemingway?

It's appears you got the message without problems as you were able to pick each word apart, wish I
had that much time.

To answer your concerns, I do have a very good education, and have lived around and with my
description of "rednecks" all my life (60+ years of it). Also I have fished all my life, but there
is a wide range of fishermen, The Hemingway you are referring to was a sportsman, the group I was
describing are on the opposite end of the scale. When they pulled you out of the mud with their 4
wheel drive, they weren't doing you a favor, it just made their day. They finally had an opportunity
to use their $30,000 machine, which along with their bass boat, probably cost more than their house.
So they don't wear their dirty baseball caps wrong, I guess it's their heads that are on backwards.

"[censored] Durbin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"di" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

They are a unique species of animals called "red neck [censored]", their primary habit is in the
rural south, but rapidly expanding to all areas.

I believe the word you are looking for is habitat.

Quoted message said:

They are only noisy when in the company of peers, because without an audience there is no one to
show off to.

Sounds a bit like the urban types with the trunk of their Japanese sedan full of bass speakers.

Quoted message said:

For the most part they are harmless as they have very small balls when it comes to backing up
their actions. Their favorite gathering places are World Wrestling

Federation

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

events, stock car races, and bait houses. They are easy to identify,

they

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

dress very sloppy, don't shave often or comb their hair, can't seem to figure how to put a dirty
baseball cap on their head straight.

"Sloppy" is an adjective. I believe you meant "sloppily". Actually, rednecks wear their caps
straight, with the bill tighly curled. The guys who don't know how to put them on straight are the
urban types.

Quoted message said:

Most didn't get out of grade school because any grade number above 5 was to much for

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to comprehend, beside going to school took to much time away from their fishing.

Given your errors, I don't think you want to cast aspersions on anyone else's lack of education. I
grew up , and still live, among the folks you insult. They are the kind of people who, when I slid
off into a muddy ditch a few weeks ago, stopped and pulled me out with their 4X4 pickup trucks.

By the way, what do you have against fishing? Ever read Hemingway?