Grad Student Mountain Bike Rant

im so glad im not in high school anymore! here i come ucfv

i think she picked her graduate paper topic out of a hat at the beginning of the semester.

She sounds like she's fat, ugly, and shunned by society. Yay for cranky heffers.

not really, but I'm sure she could be a cunt.

not really, but I'm sure she could be a cunt.

in that case she isn't getting any… get someone up there to 'help' her out ;)

I'll pass, patchouli makes my eyes itch.

I'll pass, patchouli makes my eyes itch.

So does the smell of bong water.

While I certainly agree with her final point in regards to staying on trail, much of her piece is ill warranted and stereotypes all riders into one group.

I agree. Yet, reading the posts that followed in this thread, I wonder what sort of things might lead people to stereotype riders into one group or make the kinds of statements that she does? I sure hope no one stereotypes me into the group below. I wonder why mountain bikers struggle to get taken seriously? What could it be?….

These are disgraceful and disgusting remarks.

She sounds like she's fat, ugly, and shunned by society. Yay for cranky heffers.

not really, but I'm sure she could be a cunt.

in that case she isn't getting any… get someone up there to 'help' her out ;)

I'll pass, patchouli makes my eyes itch.

lol, she doesn't use bombastic language. thats just a standard article written properly.

however, she does need a reality check. does she really value the lives of an extremely insignificant number of plants over thousands of humans?

lol, she doesn't use bombastic language. thats just a standard article written properly.

however, she does need a reality check. does she really value the lives of an extremely insignificant number of plants over thousands of humans?

She's not proposing that they kill all of the mountain bikers…

in that case she isn't getting any… get someone up there to 'help' her out ;)

To those that I criticized: Thank you for your comments and your negative rep points (I went hard into the red there for a few minutes).

Let's just assume that Kristyn comes and reads these posts (she probably already has). How do you think that makes her feel? Did you think about that? What if you discovered one day that a whole bunch of strangers were writing messages in forums about views you expressed in the course of your job. Only they weren't debating you on substance, but instead posted a photo of you and the slung personal and offensive insults at you, speculated on your sexual orientation, and suggested that the someone needed to get to you to 'help' you. Put yourself in her shoes. What if Kristyn was your sister? Or your wife? Or your mom? (some of you might be young enough)

Think about it:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/29/AR2007042901555.html?hpid=topnews

I'm sure some will think that I'm too sensitive for reacting to these posts in this way, but in my opinion they are offensive and I hate to think that people outside the mountain biking world would form an impression of mountain bikers based on comments like the posts in this thread (and the Pinkbike thread is far worse).

Am I the only one here who thinks this way?

To those that I criticized: Thank you for your comments and your negative rep points.

Let's just assume that Kristyn comes and reads these posts (she probably already has). How do you think that makes her feel? Did you think about that? What if you discovered one day that a whole bunch of strangers were writing messages in forums about views you expressed in the course of your job. Only they weren't debating you on substance, but instead posted a photo of you and the slung personal and offensive insults at you, speculated on your sexual orientation, and suggested that the someone needed to get to you to 'help' you. Put yourself in her shoes. What if Kristyn was your sister? Or your wife? Or your mom? (some of you might be young enough)

Think about it:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/29/AR2007042901555.html?hpid=topnews

I'm sure some will think that I'm too sensitive for reacting to these posts in this way, but in my opinion they are offensive and I hate to think that people outside the mountain biking world would form an impression of mountain bikers based on comments like the posts in this thread (and the Pinkbike thread is far worse).

Am I the only one here who thinks this way?

I agree Axl. Mudslinging and low grade comments don't get us anywhere. This woman cares passionately about the environment. I happen to believe she's wrong in thinking we are the enemy but at the same time she is entitled to her opinion. Many of the comments in this thread would lead people to believe that she is right about us as well.

Environmentalists are not the enemy. With dialogue it's usually possible to see that we have a vested interest in preserving natural areas for future generations. Are riders occasionally destructive and do we sometimes behave badly? Of course we do. Like any segment of society we aren't perfect. Can we do better? Of course we can but it takes a realization by the community that caring for the places where we ride is vital. If we want to be able to speak productively with land owners we need to smarten up and respond maturely to this sort of perspective. Otherwise we're likely to be locked out of meaningful discussions.

Many hard working and farsighted individuals have worked hard to forge positive relationships with the people who control our fate. Several of the comments above could undo all of their hard work. Not a brush we all want to be tarred with.

Axl,

You neg rep'ed me for my "disgusting" comment. My response to you (in my eyes) was very reasonable. Read it again, I believe that she deserves such comments for not being objective. If she is a scientist who really cares about the environment then her focus should be on everything that affects it and start with the biggest offenders first. Getting mountain bikers to look like "destroyers of the green life" won't accomplish a thing. Your neg rep was your way to say that you disagree with my statement, and that is just fine… I disagree with yours. Where we really start to differ is in how much respect we are willing to give to this grad student and her article. I am willing to give her ZERO, just because I sincerely believe that the impact of mountain biking on the environment fades in comparison with other acts that happen every day. Just because she can write a few fancy words and make them sound "poetic" doesn't mean she is right. If her motivation is to save the forests then why not include hikers? Developers? Drivers? Traffic jams? Electricity usage? Waste dumps? Non recyclable plastics? God… I could go on forever … But no, her choice is to go for something that is "controversial", maybe that'll get her an A?
My response still stands, the woman needs to get a life and at least start focusing on real problems (mountain bikers aren't ;) ).

I'm sure some will think that I'm too sensitive for reacting to these posts in this way,

:cry:

Did you negrep the bongwater comment too? Someone's grandmother might see that and cry…

Oh and one more thing, about "how does that make her feel" comment. Let's look at me… In the last 4-5 years I have been commuting to work (on and off) by bike, I fell in love with riding a bike and this year picked up mountain biking to be in the nature, to enjoy new challenges. The number of km that I rode on my bikes to and from work are the same number that I did NOT drive. Now that I started MTB and fell a few times as a new guy… how does it make me feel when someone like this "scientist" comes along and starts preaching about my "impact" on the environment?

Lumping us all into earth destroying devils is just about as reasonable as my assumption that she needs to get laid ;).