They're kids. Why would they? Lol. Were you one of the few who cared about the world around you in highschool or were you, like me, a total dipshit until your 20s
I mean, I was pretty fucking dumb but I also wasn't a selfish dick with main character syndrome who thought the entire world existed for me.
You can be a 20 somethings dumbshit and still not be a total prick in public.
I'm almost certain people thought you were a prick in public, they just didn't have a reddit thread to complain about it at the time.
We were fools in highschool, loud, obnoxious, with a lack of awareness.
Let em be.
Edit: also people who despise cyclists are going to do so no matter what. Kids being dumb ain't gonna make it worse for us who ride safe.
> Let em be.
I was doing dumb shit well into my twenties and only changed after taking some big hits and knowing people who got seriously injured. The sooner we can get kids to fully understand the consequences of doing stupid shit the better. Sure let em be but call em out for their own good.
>We were fools in highschool, loud, obnoxious, with a lack of awareness
Speak for yourself. Maybe *you* were. Many of us absolutely were not.
And yes, these kids absolutely make it less safe for many of us riding/walking/etc safe on the city streets and paths.
I'm sure you weren't, and that's good on you.
But I'm sorry it's a foreign concept to you that teenagers can be kinda annoying as fuck and kinda rebellious of authority and rules, that it's kinda a normal part of growing up.
Best people can do in this situation is to attempt to inform about their personal safety, that they are running a risk of injuring themselves and others.
Cause there's a vibe a la old man yells at loud in this post, it's a venting sesh and you got people insinuating the bikes they ride on are stolen. Weird vibe in a pro cycling community that's edging on seeking perfection from people you can't control
>But I'm sorry it's a foreign concept to you that teenagers can be kinda annoying as fuck and kinda rebellious of authority and rules, that it's kinda a normal part of growing up.
Cars being existential threats to people just existing is kinda a normal part of living in America, doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for change for the better.
>and you got people insinuating the bikes they ride on are stolen
Some of these bikes cost as much as my rent, and there are 15 and 16 year olds riding them around.
You seriously think they all bought those bikes legitimately?
Go ahead, advocate dude no one is stopping you. But you can't force people that you don't know to conform to what you want, that isn't what advocacy is.
Also Stop accusing them of being criminals dude, fuck sake. You're more a threat to solidarity and advocacy for policy reform than they are.
Annoying. However, I'd rather have 3000 hoooligans on mail order bikes than one SUV in a storefront. These aren't equivalent impacts.
We define "anti-social" behavior by the aesthetics -- loud, young, rude, no good! -- but accept that cars kill 30,000 Americans a year because money has a very soothing voice.
>We define "anti-social" behavior by the aesthetics -- loud, young, rude, no good! -- but accept that cars kill 30,000 Americans a year because money has a very soothing voice.
Is there no room for calling both out?
As long as we can differentiate an aesthetic preference against loud kids and an 50-year public health crisis. But I think in practice, the former is more likely to influence public policy.
(I'm salty today, enjoy your ride)
It's not an aesthetic preference. The issue is way more than just them being loud. I can't tell you how often I have to actively avoid being hit by these kids on the 606, often on the wrong side of the path. I've seen them hit other people, get up, and just ride away not saying a word. They give zero fucks about others on a tight, shared public trail. In what world is that an "aesthetic preference"?
Agree that running over people on the 606 is bad. But that wasn't what we were talking about. OP above's complaint is "not chill" and "it might anger drivers"
YUP. My kids are only balance bike and ring sling years old, but I tell my husband all the time: “if I catch our kids riding helmetless on Western, they’re in trouble”. Kind of sounds like a bunch of teens being teens, but on wheels. Which again, I’d rather have them on bikes than texting and acting dumb in a car.
Sure, kids running around stealing SUVs and ramming them into storefronts is certainly much worse. But there are plenty of societies around the world that don't tolerate either, and that's fine.
Everyone, including kids, should be out there on their bikes if they want to be. Critical mass is fine. It's okay if people are a little annoying and inconvenient sometimes.
But acting like a total asshole and agitating for a fight is a different thing (which is what OP described). It's shitty behavior and it's counterproductive when it comes to promoting biking culture. It should absolutely be look down upon and discouraged.
Nothing wrong with criticizing assholes. People are overly concerned with being too "paternalistic".
Got taken out by one of them on Milwaukee. Was heading home after a 50 mile ride just cruising down the bike lane like I have a thousand times, keeping an eye out for all the delivery drivers and usual shenanigans. Next thing I know one of the fixie kids swerved from across the street trying to cut through traffic into my bike lane going the wrong way. There was a car to my left and barrier to my right so I couldn't avoid him and we hit head on. Luckily my helmet took most of the impact and came up relatively unscathed. No idea how the kid got up seemingly okay since I was twice his size and he wasn't wearing a helmet. Kid could have easily died, hopefully he'll be less of a moron in the future.
I also saw them at Kinzie and Milwaukee. Extremely aggressive and taking over streets/intersections. Bunch of morons, probably making even more drivers resentful towards us cyclists.
I would prefer to see more rowdy kids on bikes. They'll get over their immature fixed gear obsession when their knees start to hurt and they are using their bikes to haul groceries. Until then, they are using the streets for something safer than every driver uses them for, so I'm glad they're having fun.
These are the assholes who create the stigma about cyclists being entitled assholes. They are a small minority but they are the ones that drivers or pedestrians will remember.
It's basically the bike equivalent of the guy in a car who uses the right turn lane to floor it and go straight to get one car ahead at a stoplight.
There's no use getting into it with them, but it would be nice if there was some way to stop them.
Except the car doing that likely will seriously injure someone. If infrastructure were better and it became a social norm to bike everywhere people would follow stricter rules. Biked the wrong way in Amsterdam the first time I visited and got yelled at immediately, did not happen again.
I mean I agree. In either case, that the infra/ culture encourage this type of behavior is more of my point. When you see other people blow a red light or bike like an asshole in the middle of the street, some others will begin to do the same. I would argue fixing the driving culture is a more significant issue when small children die every year crossing the street but both are important.
We can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can advocate for more responsible road use overall, we don't need to focus on only cars and ignore all the other stupid and dangerous shit people are doing.
Yeah, the fixie kids have been an issue for awhile, especially on the 606 in the afternoons/evenings.
One wonders where these kids are getting the very much not cheap bikes they always seem to be riding on....
And yeah, don't get me started on the dirt bike kids.
Just skated past a group of them gathered at the Damen Arts Plaza on Sunday...counted at least a half dozen $1k+ bikes in the few seconds I looked as I went by.
Why would I make this up?
Sorry I'm a bit salty about bike thieves when I've had two bikes stolen in this city. Both locked up inside of locked back yards. Where do you think all those stolen bikes go? They don't just disappear....
> I'd not imply any kid on a nice bike is a criminal.
Not what I did.
Suggesting that not all of them were purchased legally is not the same as saying "every last one of y'all stole your bikes".
If you seriously think they bought all those bikes legitimately, I've got a bridge you're gonna want to hear about.
I just think we focus on the behavior and actions in question rather than diverting the conversation towards the origins of the bikes. Speculating whether some bikes might be stolen shifts the discussion from a productive dialogue about safety and community norms to casting unwarranted suspicion on a group of children. This kind of speculation not only distracts from the real issues at hand, like ensuring all cyclists and pedestrians can share the road safely, but also demonizes young cyclists based on assumptions rather than facts.
Labeling or criminalizing a group based on the potential actions of a few leads to stigmatization and isn't constructive. The focus should remain on promoting responsible behavior and respect, regardless of the value of their bikes. It’s more beneficial for our community to address the actual conduct during these rides rather than conjecture about how participants acquired their kit.
>The focus should remain on promoting responsible behavior and respect, regardless of the value of their bikes.
Back at the top, I was derided and personally attacked for suggesting that we should promote responsible behavior and respect.
Was basically told "all teenagers are like that, oh well, quit whining".
Nevermind that I've personally had two bikes stolen in this city, so yeah, the issue of bike theft *does* matter to me. Bike theft pushes people away from bikes and into cars.
>It’s more beneficial for our community to address the actual conduct during these rides rather than conjecture about how participants acquired their kit.
Except this community doesn't want to do either apparently.
Bike theft matters to all of us. The first week I bought my house my garage door was smashed in and $4,000 worth of bikes went goodbye overnight. I've not owned a bike as nice since. I feel the frustration deeply.
Shift gears from speculation to action. How do we promote better cycling etiquette and security in a way that lands with everyone? I don't have answers here, but I'm pretty sure the local cycling advocacy groups here would have some ideas.
These "wild fixie kids" are probably the future bike lane commuters, and eventually some may be the actual decision-makers on our future bike lane infrastructure. Demonizing them here is probably self-defeating. Teenagers can tend to act wild and seek attention. This isn't anything new. Tt doesn't necessarily make them bike thieves. We should think about how we can engage young cyclists positively, ensuring they grow into responsible members of the cycling community.
I have an inkling that these kids aren't exactly out there advocating for safe cycling infrastructure like most of us on this sub 😅
They’re just fighting fire with fire lol
They're kids. Why would they? Lol. Were you one of the few who cared about the world around you in highschool or were you, like me, a total dipshit until your 20s
I mean, I was pretty fucking dumb but I also wasn't a selfish dick with main character syndrome who thought the entire world existed for me. You can be a 20 somethings dumbshit and still not be a total prick in public.
I'm almost certain people thought you were a prick in public, they just didn't have a reddit thread to complain about it at the time. We were fools in highschool, loud, obnoxious, with a lack of awareness. Let em be. Edit: also people who despise cyclists are going to do so no matter what. Kids being dumb ain't gonna make it worse for us who ride safe.
> Let em be. I was doing dumb shit well into my twenties and only changed after taking some big hits and knowing people who got seriously injured. The sooner we can get kids to fully understand the consequences of doing stupid shit the better. Sure let em be but call em out for their own good.
>We were fools in highschool, loud, obnoxious, with a lack of awareness Speak for yourself. Maybe *you* were. Many of us absolutely were not. And yes, these kids absolutely make it less safe for many of us riding/walking/etc safe on the city streets and paths.
I definitely was. I'm glad you were a perfect example tho. Good job.
Never said I was perfect; but I was not loud and obnoxious in public areas. Not as a teenager. Not ever. Not sure why that's a foreign concept to you.
I'm sure you weren't, and that's good on you. But I'm sorry it's a foreign concept to you that teenagers can be kinda annoying as fuck and kinda rebellious of authority and rules, that it's kinda a normal part of growing up. Best people can do in this situation is to attempt to inform about their personal safety, that they are running a risk of injuring themselves and others. Cause there's a vibe a la old man yells at loud in this post, it's a venting sesh and you got people insinuating the bikes they ride on are stolen. Weird vibe in a pro cycling community that's edging on seeking perfection from people you can't control
>But I'm sorry it's a foreign concept to you that teenagers can be kinda annoying as fuck and kinda rebellious of authority and rules, that it's kinda a normal part of growing up. Cars being existential threats to people just existing is kinda a normal part of living in America, doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for change for the better. >and you got people insinuating the bikes they ride on are stolen Some of these bikes cost as much as my rent, and there are 15 and 16 year olds riding them around. You seriously think they all bought those bikes legitimately?
Go ahead, advocate dude no one is stopping you. But you can't force people that you don't know to conform to what you want, that isn't what advocacy is. Also Stop accusing them of being criminals dude, fuck sake. You're more a threat to solidarity and advocacy for policy reform than they are.
These are kids riding fixed gear bikes. They are rich kids, they aren’t kids from the hood stealing bikes or buying them with drug money.
You and bill maher would get along
True
Annoying. However, I'd rather have 3000 hoooligans on mail order bikes than one SUV in a storefront. These aren't equivalent impacts. We define "anti-social" behavior by the aesthetics -- loud, young, rude, no good! -- but accept that cars kill 30,000 Americans a year because money has a very soothing voice.
>We define "anti-social" behavior by the aesthetics -- loud, young, rude, no good! -- but accept that cars kill 30,000 Americans a year because money has a very soothing voice. Is there no room for calling both out?
As long as we can differentiate an aesthetic preference against loud kids and an 50-year public health crisis. But I think in practice, the former is more likely to influence public policy. (I'm salty today, enjoy your ride)
It's not an aesthetic preference. The issue is way more than just them being loud. I can't tell you how often I have to actively avoid being hit by these kids on the 606, often on the wrong side of the path. I've seen them hit other people, get up, and just ride away not saying a word. They give zero fucks about others on a tight, shared public trail. In what world is that an "aesthetic preference"?
If they're on a bike they're good, even if they're fucking over other cyclists and pedestrians. There's no room for nuance.
Agree that running over people on the 606 is bad. But that wasn't what we were talking about. OP above's complaint is "not chill" and "it might anger drivers"
This is needlessly semantic dude
YUP. My kids are only balance bike and ring sling years old, but I tell my husband all the time: “if I catch our kids riding helmetless on Western, they’re in trouble”. Kind of sounds like a bunch of teens being teens, but on wheels. Which again, I’d rather have them on bikes than texting and acting dumb in a car.
Yea, but also this is garbage behavior
Sure, kids running around stealing SUVs and ramming them into storefronts is certainly much worse. But there are plenty of societies around the world that don't tolerate either, and that's fine. Everyone, including kids, should be out there on their bikes if they want to be. Critical mass is fine. It's okay if people are a little annoying and inconvenient sometimes. But acting like a total asshole and agitating for a fight is a different thing (which is what OP described). It's shitty behavior and it's counterproductive when it comes to promoting biking culture. It should absolutely be look down upon and discouraged. Nothing wrong with criticizing assholes. People are overly concerned with being too "paternalistic".
Got taken out by one of them on Milwaukee. Was heading home after a 50 mile ride just cruising down the bike lane like I have a thousand times, keeping an eye out for all the delivery drivers and usual shenanigans. Next thing I know one of the fixie kids swerved from across the street trying to cut through traffic into my bike lane going the wrong way. There was a car to my left and barrier to my right so I couldn't avoid him and we hit head on. Luckily my helmet took most of the impact and came up relatively unscathed. No idea how the kid got up seemingly okay since I was twice his size and he wasn't wearing a helmet. Kid could have easily died, hopefully he'll be less of a moron in the future.
Looks like it’s going to be a long crazy summer now that bicycle culture of all types takes to the streets en masse with all these fair weather riders
I also saw them at Kinzie and Milwaukee. Extremely aggressive and taking over streets/intersections. Bunch of morons, probably making even more drivers resentful towards us cyclists.
Sadly
old man yells at cloud.
Young boy throws snowball at train
Or if they do show up at a monthly ride, hopefully that can be used as a teachable moment about safety
I would prefer to see more rowdy kids on bikes. They'll get over their immature fixed gear obsession when their knees start to hurt and they are using their bikes to haul groceries. Until then, they are using the streets for something safer than every driver uses them for, so I'm glad they're having fun.
Just hoping that they stay away from being raging cagers
OP, chill out.
Truly
These are the assholes who create the stigma about cyclists being entitled assholes. They are a small minority but they are the ones that drivers or pedestrians will remember. It's basically the bike equivalent of the guy in a car who uses the right turn lane to floor it and go straight to get one car ahead at a stoplight. There's no use getting into it with them, but it would be nice if there was some way to stop them.
Except the car doing that likely will seriously injure someone. If infrastructure were better and it became a social norm to bike everywhere people would follow stricter rules. Biked the wrong way in Amsterdam the first time I visited and got yelled at immediately, did not happen again.
I'm so sick of hearing "but a car hitting someone does more damage" I don't care. There's zero excuse for a car OR bike to hit a pedestrian. Period.
I mean I agree. In either case, that the infra/ culture encourage this type of behavior is more of my point. When you see other people blow a red light or bike like an asshole in the middle of the street, some others will begin to do the same. I would argue fixing the driving culture is a more significant issue when small children die every year crossing the street but both are important.
We can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can advocate for more responsible road use overall, we don't need to focus on only cars and ignore all the other stupid and dangerous shit people are doing.
Worrying about the "bad behavior" of fixie kids is completely disproportional to the harm they actually do. It's moral panic shit.
Yeah, the fixie kids have been an issue for awhile, especially on the 606 in the afternoons/evenings. One wonders where these kids are getting the very much not cheap bikes they always seem to be riding on.... And yeah, don't get me started on the dirt bike kids.
>One wonders where these kids are getting the very much not cheap bikes they always seem to be riding on.... Say what you mean dude. C'mon.
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So glad you could be civil about this. Where are they getting bikes that cost as much as many folks' rents at 15 years old?
I'm on the 606 almost every day and those "fixie" kids don't have expensive bikes...
Just skated past a group of them gathered at the Damen Arts Plaza on Sunday...counted at least a half dozen $1k+ bikes in the few seconds I looked as I went by. Why would I make this up? Sorry I'm a bit salty about bike thieves when I've had two bikes stolen in this city. Both locked up inside of locked back yards. Where do you think all those stolen bikes go? They don't just disappear....
My 12 year old son has a fairly expensive bike. We ride a lot, he earned it. I'd not imply any kid on a nice bike is a criminal.
> I'd not imply any kid on a nice bike is a criminal. Not what I did. Suggesting that not all of them were purchased legally is not the same as saying "every last one of y'all stole your bikes". If you seriously think they bought all those bikes legitimately, I've got a bridge you're gonna want to hear about.
I just think we focus on the behavior and actions in question rather than diverting the conversation towards the origins of the bikes. Speculating whether some bikes might be stolen shifts the discussion from a productive dialogue about safety and community norms to casting unwarranted suspicion on a group of children. This kind of speculation not only distracts from the real issues at hand, like ensuring all cyclists and pedestrians can share the road safely, but also demonizes young cyclists based on assumptions rather than facts. Labeling or criminalizing a group based on the potential actions of a few leads to stigmatization and isn't constructive. The focus should remain on promoting responsible behavior and respect, regardless of the value of their bikes. It’s more beneficial for our community to address the actual conduct during these rides rather than conjecture about how participants acquired their kit.
>The focus should remain on promoting responsible behavior and respect, regardless of the value of their bikes. Back at the top, I was derided and personally attacked for suggesting that we should promote responsible behavior and respect. Was basically told "all teenagers are like that, oh well, quit whining". Nevermind that I've personally had two bikes stolen in this city, so yeah, the issue of bike theft *does* matter to me. Bike theft pushes people away from bikes and into cars. >It’s more beneficial for our community to address the actual conduct during these rides rather than conjecture about how participants acquired their kit. Except this community doesn't want to do either apparently.
Bike theft matters to all of us. The first week I bought my house my garage door was smashed in and $4,000 worth of bikes went goodbye overnight. I've not owned a bike as nice since. I feel the frustration deeply. Shift gears from speculation to action. How do we promote better cycling etiquette and security in a way that lands with everyone? I don't have answers here, but I'm pretty sure the local cycling advocacy groups here would have some ideas. These "wild fixie kids" are probably the future bike lane commuters, and eventually some may be the actual decision-makers on our future bike lane infrastructure. Demonizing them here is probably self-defeating. Teenagers can tend to act wild and seek attention. This isn't anything new. Tt doesn't necessarily make them bike thieves. We should think about how we can engage young cyclists positively, ensuring they grow into responsible members of the cycling community.
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