>Well, I have to disagree. While we definitely have changed and no longer fit
>the audience that was targeted in the 70's
I never said the target audience wasn't narrower, I said you we're no
longer a member of the targeted demographic. Bicycling has never said they
were for older or experienced riders. Their claim for the last 10 years
has been they were for the beginning cyclist. This all started to standout
from Bicycle Guide and Velonews which were designed at a more experienced
market. I think it's silly to target an audience in their 20's since all
the new numbers point to the people with huge amounts of cash for "stuff"
are under-20 and over-50.
>The second point, about Lance's roots in BMX (I don't remeber this in his book
>- I thought he started in triathilon.)
His first bike was a BMX and triathalons were many years later.
>Because BMX bikes are grossly impractical for adult commuting or touring,
Who said anything about adults or commuting and touring.
>think they only have real value if their users graduate to areas of the sport
>in which they can participate for life, and I mean the average BMXer. .
>.(SNIP). . . I might feel
>differently if BMX racing were a participant sport that guys in their 40's
>would participate in on a Saturday morning as an alternative to, say golf.
Well then feel differently since the largest growing group of BMXers for the past 10 years have been Masters (35+). BMX has always modeled itself as a "family sport" if you look at the history and the ABA charter. You need to get yourself to a track and check it out. Sure if all the BMXers you see are on soda commercials and the X-Games you'd think they were all young punks. If the only road riders you saw were Tour riders your impression of road cyclists would be very similar to the way most of america sees them.
The main reason kids buy BMX bikes is that with a 20" inseam buying a road
bike becomes quite difficult and $200 can buy you a fine BMX but only a POS
road bike.
>Its not a matter of "them" against "us", but a matter of how to encourage
>"them" to grow up to join "us".
Jerry, you're just adding the fuel of the "roadies are just a bunch of snobs" fire. If you want to encourage them go to where they are. . . places like BMX tracks and mountian bike oriented shops. Offer to learn how to ride with them and show them the really shiny neat stuff. I can tell you now that kids would like the stories of the history of cycling.
When I used to teach at-risk kids Wrenching I would spend a day doing the history of cycling. Most of them really loved Major Taylor and the Coppi- Bartali rivalry and a few other good stories. I'd show them my old beat Bianchi and Olmo and tell their history and the miles of the bikes. I'd also give them each something like a shined-up Campy shiftlever key chain. None of the kids I taught were cyclists and few of them even owned bikes, but after 6 weeks in my class most of them thought cycling was cool. Sure some of them went back to gangs, drugs, and droping out, but I taught them that cycling always had a place for them because cycling has all kinds of people. If tuning them on to "classic" bikes means giving away a bunch of cool old stuff so be it. You can't reach out to people from a high horse.
Sorry about the length but young people are something I care very much about and believe whole hartedly in. enjoy, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives
Brandon and Mitzi's-- "Wurld uv Wunder"
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/
Monkeyman's on going bicycle part garage sale <<<NEW LISTINGS>>>
http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/
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