This is for the uninitiated in the world of cycling.

Non-cyclists may be curious about a lot of things in the pedal-pushing world. Or, possibly, shocked.

Before I got into cycling shorts, I saw someone riding past who was wearing white cycling shorts. The fabric looked very thin, almost see-through. I was quite horrified.

Do non-cyclists think we get bored riding for several hours? It can be  tedious when I\’ve got a headwind all the way home, but it\’s a lot more boring to just sit at home.

Why ride up steep hill? We love our bragging rights!!

Why on earth would we ride in cold, wind, rain, etc.? If you\’re interested in randonneuring, you must learn to ride in all sorts of conditions. \”That cruel clock is always ticking\”; and you don\’t want to miss the cut-off time because you can\’t ride in the rain, now do you?

Strava? I\’m the wrong person to ask about that. Constantly \”competing\” would wear me down, and take the fun out of riding.

Why do we wear lycra? It does take getting used to; but once you\’ve adjusted, you won\’t want regular shorts for riding again. Lycra doesn\’t stop at cycling shorts. There are also leg warmers, etc.

What\’s that about special cycling socks? Cycling-specific socks do seem a tad more comfortable. I could use some thermal socks for cold-weather riding, that\’s for sure.

Other Stuff

I don\’t have a cycling cap. I use a helmet with a visor. Supposedly using a visor makes you look like a newbie; but I! Don\’t! Care! My sunglasses don\’t provide adequate protection from overhead sunlight; and why buy a cap when my helmet came with that visor?

For the uninitiated, I would say that a helmet is very much necessary. I read of a cyclist who was just standing over his bicycle, waiting for a red light to change. He fell over, and suffered a fatal injury when his unprotected head hit the curb.

Yes, it can get uncomfortable \”down under\”, especially when you have a bit of susceptibility for jock itch. Even if you don\’t, long rides on a hot day can make you long for a stop to change into fresh shorts. Chamois Butt\’r helps with that.

My ride to work, luckily, is less than three miles, and I try to ride it easily. By the time I ride to work, I\’ve usually put in an hour or so of riding, anyway.

Le Tour? I like to look at the online pics. I don\’t have a TV, and of course I can\’t watch it on my computer at work; so I don\’t really \”follow\” it. And now female riders are being given a share in TdF!

Do I go by miles, or kilometers? Miles for me. I use them all the time. In the USA, we still go by miles, inches, and so on.

As for having hollow legs, I should be so lucky.

I hope my bicycles never wind up in a storage shed for years on end; and when you don\’t have to pay for the upkeep of a car, a bicycle is very much affordable!