It changes the whole experience of biking, said one of the guys at the shop.
He wasn't just talk about the extra stability and snow-busting power of the extra-wide tires.
Having had my bike for a week at that point, I thought I knew what he was talking about. Sort of.
Sometimes, I wish I could just have a normal ride like old days without someone commenting on my fat bike, he said ruefully.
I haven't had quite the extreme experience he refers to, but the interactions I now have around winter cycling are certainly very different than with my mountain bike.
Then, people would ignore me "in person" (that is, in my building, or when I was locking up), and swear at me from their cars.
Now, everybody has to comment. Cool tires! (Look at the width, people; I didn't just switch these out with whatever the store put on a mountain bike -- the whole frame had to be redesigned to fit these puppies.) Now that's a good bike for winter. (As though you would know because you've tried it?) Look at that bike!
But the clincher today was when a man in his car rolled down his window at a stoplight, not to swear or chastise, as was the most common reaction with my mountain bike, but to start a conversation about my fat bike.
Yes, we have truly entered a different world.
He wasn't just talk about the extra stability and snow-busting power of the extra-wide tires.
Having had my bike for a week at that point, I thought I knew what he was talking about. Sort of.
Sometimes, I wish I could just have a normal ride like old days without someone commenting on my fat bike, he said ruefully.
I haven't had quite the extreme experience he refers to, but the interactions I now have around winter cycling are certainly very different than with my mountain bike.
Then, people would ignore me "in person" (that is, in my building, or when I was locking up), and swear at me from their cars.
Now, everybody has to comment. Cool tires! (Look at the width, people; I didn't just switch these out with whatever the store put on a mountain bike -- the whole frame had to be redesigned to fit these puppies.) Now that's a good bike for winter. (As though you would know because you've tried it?) Look at that bike!
But the clincher today was when a man in his car rolled down his window at a stoplight, not to swear or chastise, as was the most common reaction with my mountain bike, but to start a conversation about my fat bike.
Yes, we have truly entered a different world.
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