Is cycling for geeks?

il_principe
il_principe Posts: 9,155
edited February 2009 in Commuting chat
I've been struck over the last few months by the levels of geekery exhibited on this forum. Now I accept that as an internet forum, posters are bound by definition to be internet savvy, but this aside there are rather high levels of geekery being exhibited.

Consider the following:

There are Plentiful IT pro's posting on here
A Spattering of Smartphone/iPhone fanatics
A Modicum of Macolytes
Varied Video gamers
A Legion of gadget lovers
An Abundance of amateur digital photographers
Copious comic book fanboys
Umpteen Unbuntu users
Teeming Twitterers
Spotifiers early adopters

I suppose cycling does appeal to the inner geek in most of us, lots of shiny tech, upgrades, training with numbers, GPS routing etc.

What do you reckon?
«1345

Comments

  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    I reckon that to post about any specific hobby on an internet forum you've got to be a geek of some kind.

    It's not a bad thing! Embrace your inner geek!
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    Are we talking IT geeks or cycling geeks

    cause if you've talked about gear inches and frame geometry you're a cycle geek... If you've met people from the internet well... your inner geek already knows the answer
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    What a scary thought, meeting people from the Internet :D
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    itboffin wrote:
    What a scary thought, meeting people from the Internet :D

    Yeah, not something I'm ever going to do...

    oh. :oops:
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    internets good and bad side is there is tendency for like to find like, so people tend to find places with people more or less like them this place does seem to be fairly london centric with people broadly the same age.

    people tend to bunch together there is trend towards "like what you know, and know what you like.

    but yes there are some geeky people on here that know of the great Vi Emac wars or what a Fstop is etc...
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    It's always going to be Vi

    Damn
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    quite.
  • andrewjoseph
    andrewjoseph Posts: 2,165
    jashburnham wrote:
    ...
    Umpteen Unbuntu users
    ....

    I believe it's spelt 'Ubuntu'.
    :wink::wink:
    --
    Burls Ti Tourer for Tarmac, Saracen aluminium full suss for trails
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    andrewjoseph wrote:
    jashburnham wrote:
    ...
    Umpteen Unbuntu users
    ....

    I believe it's spelt 'Ubuntu'.
    :wink::wink:

    Shut it geek boy! :D
  • Beer, anyone?
    Beer, anyone? Posts: 43
    Some of the above points are admittedly lost on me, but I do have a spreadsheet with gear ratios in and spend ages of time planning and analysing rides on the laptop these days... definitely a geek.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Beer, anyone? wrote:
    Some of the above points are admittedly lost on me,

    +1 :shock: .

    All I was going to say was that I agree that Jash and CP are cycling geeks. :)
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • girv73
    girv73 Posts: 842
    Coming at this from a self-confessed IT geek angle, I recall reading a paper back when I was in university on the subject of personalities and the common traits they share. One point I remember is that those drawn to work with systems - maths, physics, computers, technology for example - often enjoy non-team based sports where individual performance is highly significant. Cycling and martial arts were both singled out as exemplars. It rung very true personally because those were the two sporting activities I was "in" to at the time. I've noticed a couple of posters on here mention martial arts as well.

    IT geekery isn't so different from other forms, I think, so perhaps we all share a similar "base" personality that makes sports such as cycling attractive. And then we end up here.
    Today is a good day to ride
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    I prefer the term enthusiast :lol::lol:

    I AM NOT A GEEK....................................................
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Oi! I'm not an IT geek!

    But I do like cycling... and martial arts.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    Beer, anyone? wrote:
    Some of the above points are admittedly lost on me, but I do have a spreadsheet with gear ratios in and spend ages of time planning and analysing rides on the laptop these days... definitely a geek.

    That's just weird :lol:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • girv73
    girv73 Posts: 842
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Oi! I'm not an IT geek!

    Never said you were :) What sort of geek are you then? What gets your geek on?
    Today is a good day to ride
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    jashburnham wrote:
    I've been struck over the last few months by the levels of geekery exhibited on this forum. Now I accept that as an internet forum, posters are bound by definition to be internet savvy, but this aside there are rather high levels of geekery being exhibited.

    Consider the following:

    There are Plentiful IT pro's posting on here
    A Spattering of Smartphone/iPhone fanatics
    A Modicum of Macolytes
    Varied Video gamers
    A Legion of gadget lovers
    An Abundance of amateur digital photographers
    Copious comic book fanboys
    Umpteen Unbuntu users
    Teeming Twitterers
    Spotifiers early adopters

    I suppose cycling does appeal to the inner geek in most of us, lots of shiny tech, upgrades, training with numbers, GPS routing etc.

    What do you reckon?
    Yes, there are a lot of blokes on the forum.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Oi! I'm not an IT geek!

    But I do like cycling... and martial arts.

    and gadgets...
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    girv73 wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Oi! I'm not an IT geek!

    Never said you were :) What sort of geek are you then? What gets your geek on?

    Geek of all trades, master of none. I can talk a good geek on various subjects, but quickly get out of my depth...

    I think if anything I'm actually a language geek.

    And yes, I do like gadgets.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    girv73 wrote:
    Coming at this from a self-confessed IT geek angle, I recall reading a paper back when I was in university on the subject of personalities and the common traits they share. One point I remember is that those drawn to work with systems - maths, physics, computers, technology for example - often enjoy non-team based sports where individual performance is highly significant. Cycling and martial arts were both singled out as exemplars. It rung very true personally because those were the two sporting activities I was "in" to at the time. I've noticed a couple of posters on here mention martial arts as well.

    IT geekery isn't so different from other forms, I think, so perhaps we all share a similar "base" personality that makes sports such as cycling attractive. And then we end up here.

    I'm drawn to tech and gadgets, and can always work anything electronic without a manual, but the sciences have always been my weakest area. I don't "get" numbers - I reckon I have Dyscalculia to be honest, and I really struggle with physics etc. Mind you I would disagree with your assertion that cycling is not a team sport. Pro cycling is very much a team sport.
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    girv73 wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Oi! I'm not an IT geek!

    Never said you were :) What sort of geek are you then? What gets your geek on?

    Geek of all trades, master of none. I can talk a good geek on various subjects, but quickly get out of my depth...

    I think if anything I'm actually a language geek.

    And yes, I do like gadgets.

    if it walks like and duck and quacks like a duck....
  • girv73
    girv73 Posts: 842
    jashburnham wrote:
    Mind you I would disagree with your assertion that cycling is not a team sport. Pro cycling is very much a team sport.

    Not mine, it was the paper's, and I didn't fully agree with it either. The memory is a bit hazy but I think they weren't saying cycling isn't a team sport as such, but rather contrasting it with the likes of football, where you could have an individual player not giving 100% but not really holding the team back much. I don't think the same could be said for a pro cycle team.
    Today is a good day to ride
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    jashburnham wrote:
    Mind you I would disagree with your assertion that cycling is not a team sport. Pro cycling is very much a team sport.

    I agree with that! I've been watching ot for the first time seriously this year and although I love cycling I have no desire at all to be a pro cyclist. I don't like team sports don't know why, I've been in loads of bands it's not like I'm a loner :shock:
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    roger merriman wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    girv73 wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Oi! I'm not an IT geek!

    Never said you were :) What sort of geek are you then? What gets your geek on?

    Geek of all trades, master of none. I can talk a good geek on various subjects, but quickly get out of my depth...

    I think if anything I'm actually a language geek.

    And yes, I do like gadgets.

    if it walks like and duck and quacks like a duck....
    ... it could be an animatronic duck that runs software with intelligent algorithms, so it can learn to be more "duck like" the more you run it, and is equipped with a motion sensor to detect other ducks.
  • girv73
    girv73 Posts: 842
    Always Tyred wrote:
    ... it could be an animatronic duck that runs software with intelligent algorithms, so it can learn to be more "duck like" the more you run it, and is equipped with a motion sensor to detect other ducks.

    Ooo ... I want one of those ... no, I want to build one of those ... and then make it fight another one ... that I've also built ... and styled like a Trek TOS monster ... and video it for YouTube ... then make a website for it.

    Geek :roll:
    Today is a good day to ride
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Always Tyred wrote:
    roger merriman wrote:
    if it walks like and duck and quacks like a duck....
    ... it could be an animatronic duck that runs software with intelligent algorithms, so it can learn to be more "duck like" the more you run it, and is equipped with a motion sensor to detect other ducks.

    :lol::lol:
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • Littigator
    Littigator Posts: 1,262
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    girv73 wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Oi! I'm not an IT geek!

    Never said you were :) What sort of geek are you then? What gets your geek on?

    Geek of all trades, master of none. I can talk a good geek on various subjects, but quickly get out of my depth...

    I think if anything I'm actually a language geek.

    And yes, I do like gadgets.

    oooh ohhhhh that's me that is. I can talk all kinds of crap about loadsa stuff so long as I'm not pinned down on anything tooooo technical.

    In other news...I am most certainly not a geek, but Yes I had to agree you all are. Now my internet friends when are we having beers next?

    Ahhh....busted[/code]
    Roadie FCN: 3

    Fixed FCN: 6
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    In answer to the threads question, Cycling is not for geeks it's for everyone

    being a geek is just delving into the depths of knowledge and all manner of elitism etc etc
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • Sewinman
    Sewinman Posts: 2,131
    I am 100% not a geek...really not interested in how stuff 'works'. I like cycling for the same reason that I like fly fishing and wine and other activities...it makes my mind go blank and gives me a nice buzz and then i sleep well.

    I have no idea what you lot are talking about most of the time.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Littigator wrote:
    Now my internet friends when are we having beers next?

    Ahhh....busted[/code]

    This Friday @ Morpeth?

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