[LordOpie]

RANT: Minuteman Trail: People Who Suck

Reply to: anon-70245362@craigslist.org
Date: Tue Apr 26 05:26:05 2005


I know this is a rant but whatever, I put it in the rant section also. Every once in a while I take an easy ride on the Minuteman bike path. By the time I am done I swear never again. A month later I don’t want to go to the fells and repeat the same mistake again. I know the bike path is for everyone but HOLY **** there are some really annoying people on it.

1) Two-A-Breasters: There is a reason the bike path has a yellow line. You ass wipes ride (or walk) side by side and hog the whole thing. Get with the program! The only good thing about you are your screams of fright as I blow by you without warning.

2) Queer-Eye-For-The-Biker-Guy: I realize that it is possible to buy an entire suit made from Spandex. It is also possible to beat off with a cheese grater, that doesn’t necessarily make it a good idea. If you were you going fast enough to make wind resistance an issue I might be more understanding but you are usually granny-gearing it as you swerve around trying to adjust your $200 sunglasses. Spend less time buying expensive crap and more time riding.

3) Slow-And-Lowers: Do you know that you can adjust your bike seat so that you don’t look like a bear riding a mini-bike at the circus? Take the 30 goddamn seconds to raise the freakin’ seat. Your back will thank you and you’ll be able to break 12 miles per hour with out blowing out a knee cap.

4) Sky-Bar-Enders: Bar ends ARE NOT for getting your hand six inches above the handle bars. They should not be pointing straight up in the goddamn air! If you don’t know exactly why you would want bar ends then YOU DON’T NEED THEM. They are not a convenient resting place for your chubby hands. They are for getting your weight forward during a STEEP TECHNICAL CLIMB. I hope impale yourself on them after you hit a tree because you couldn’t reach the brake lever in time.

5) Richie-Dick: Yah you, the guy with the $3000 full suspension big hit bike poking along the bike trail. The biggest hit you have ever taken was when you got butt raped by the guy who sold you that bike. YOU SUCK! You are the same dumbass who buys a Hummer so you can gun it when you roll over some construction on Mass Ave. You buy a sweet bike and then ride it on freakin’ pavement. I know you have never hit the trail cause’ there is NO DIRT on the thing. Not a spek. Plus you look like a pussy. Either take it off pavement or give it to someone who will.

6) On-Your-Late: Ok there is absolutely nothing wrong with a well timed “On your left” but here is the thing. The whole point of saying it is to warn the rider in front of you that you will soon pass them. Not that you are already next to them on their left side! If your bike is next to mine, IT’S TOO FREAKIN LATE. If we were going to collide we would have. You screaming “On your left” in my ear at that point will only increase the chances of me making an error and crashing into you. Just pass you re-tred.

7) The HFS (Huge ****ing Stroller): HOLY ****! Are you running a cloning lab? If your stroller needs a brake it’s too damn big. Take your kids to the playground and play some tag or something. Jesus, there are bikes flying by at 30 miles per hour. If one hits you your kid will ****ing die. I know you think the world will stop for you and your precious little angels but get a clue. Three words “Severe Head Trauma”.

8) Woof-Woof-Splat: Keep your dog on a leash you ass. First of all it’s the ****ING LAW. Second of all your dog is dumb. So dumb in fact, that it will run in front of my bike to eat some piece of **** left by another jackass dog walker. I WILL hit your dog. I will not get killed or hurt somebody else trying to swerve around Fido. I almost died last year trying to avoid an unleashed dog and will not repeat the mistake. I love dogs but I like my unbroken bones better. Take responsibility for your pet.

9) Roller Bladers: You all suck ass, flailing your arms wildly as you coast along on you roller skates. YES they are roller skates and thus, quite lame. I don’t care if the wheels are “inline”. You jackasses suck so hard I have to break you down into sub-categories of suck.

9.A) Newbi-Tard: You people are ridiculous. You are all decked out in helmets and pads. You mostly look terrified as your (usually fat) ass careens down the very slight grade of the trail. Here is a hint. If you don’t know how to STOP then it probably isn’t safe for you or anyone else for you to be on the path. I swear one of you is gonna fall in front of me and get an imprint of my front sprocket on your fat thighs.

9.B) Pack Of Newbi-Tards: See above but clustered together, literally hanging onto each other for protection. You are worse than the individuals. You take up the WHOLE TRAIL so nobody can pass. Heed the dirty looks you get and go find a freaking parking lot. I hope to kick one of you as I ride by and watch as you all fall over in a flabby whimpering heap.

9.C) Hot Chicks With Skimpy Outfits: The only reason you suck is because you are fully clothed and make me slow down to check you out. Other than that you rock.

9.D) Super Sweet Doooods: You guys are sooo ****ing gay it’s not even funny. You think you are awesome as you take up the whole trail gliding back and forth in super sweet slow motion. I dream of you flying off the trail and getting wrapped around a tree.

People Of Mention:
Having been on the path more than a few times I have come to recognize a select few people who require special attention.

The kid who shot me with a plastic BB gun: I saw you hiding behind the bush well before you shot me. You were lucky I was going fast when the yellow BB hit my chest and thus had to slow down a little before leaping off my bike and chasing you as far as your back yard. You were scared ****less which is good because you could kill someone doing that ****. If I ever see you again you won’t be so lucky.

The 35 people who rode by me pretending I didn’t exist as I asked for a spare tube or a patch kit after blowing both of my spare tubes: You all suck ass. A very nice lady eventually stopped and gave me a patch. I know I was covered in mud but come on people. I always stop and ask people if they need help, common freaking courtesy.

The Decked Out Intense Midget Woman: OK you are not actually a midget but you do look very small. Or perhaps you look small in comparison to the mounds of crap attached to your mountain bike which is too big for you and I am sure has never left the pavement. Not only do you fall into categories 2, 4, 5 and 6. You were also one of the 35 jerks who didn’t help me. In fact you looked me in the eye and didn’t even slow down. I KNOW you have every sort of tool and tube imaginable packed away in your various slings and packs yet you rode by as if I were invisible. You look like a goddamn scuba diver with your neoprene outfit and mirrors sticking off of every available part of your bike. I see you on Mass Ave. from time to time in the morning on my way to work. You look retarded. And why do you hang a huge plastic bag from your bar ends?!?!?! It looks like your gear makes you waterproof to the depth of at least 15 meters. What are the bags doing? Worst of all YOU ARE SLOW!!!!! God you are slow. Jettison some of your useless **** and maybe I won’t blow by you 4 times in one ride.

Tubby Guy On The Tiny Road Bike: I’ve only seen you a few times. Once I passed you through an intersection not knowing that this would enrage you so much that you would be forced to almost hit me as you sprinted past me sneering. I must say I was impressed, you hauled ass dude. I’m guessing you didn’t keep it up very long tho. If I hadn’t been on the tail end of a five hour ride I would have raced.

Gay Guys On The Tandem Bike: I am assuming that you are gay simply because I don’t know any straight guys who would go in 50/50 on a bright yellow tandem Cannondale and then ride it regularly in spandex forgive me if I am wrong. I haven’t seen you guys in a year or so. You were my arch rivals. Holy crap you were fast. One time I kept up with you (on the downhill) for a few minutes and almost died. I swear you would slow down until I got close and then take off again. I salute you, you bright yellow bastards. Oh and good call making the one eyed guy ride in back.

People Who Rock: Yes there are some people who rock! I’m not a total asshole.

Hard core road bikers: Holy crap you guys (and gals) are fast as hell, keep it up.
Mountain Unicyclers: I’ve seen you in the fells and there is only one word for you BADASS!!!!!!!!
Messengers/Anyone on a fixed gear with no brakes: You know it but I’ll say it anyway. Elite.
Trials Riders: I wish I had skills like that.
Little Kids with Big Helmets: You rock, two thumbs up!

See you on the Minuteman!!!!

link

Some of this is hella funny.

Some is just stupid, like "Hard core road bikers: Holy crap you guys (and gals) are fast as hell, keep it up." That's just fookin' dumb! DUMB! If you're riding that fast on a MUP, then you're obviously a coward... get your butt out in traffic you wuss!

 

[luken8r]

for those not in the know
the MM bike trail goes from Cambridge, through Arlington and Lexington to Bedford in Mass. paved two lane trail going behind houses and the like. my buddy lives right by it and we run it once in a while, 15mi round trip.
this dude is dead on, its cool when you ride in the morn when there arent too many people out, but when it gets crowded, there are all of these jerkoffs taking up the whole trail and generally being a-holes.

 

[narlus]

hehehe...i havent' been on the minuteman bikepath in a long time.

 

[N8 v2.0]

I blame Kerry.

 

[narlus]

I blame Kerry.

is there a bike path in crawford? or is it for "Pioneers" only?

 

[jacksonpt]

We have a trail like that. Not as long, but same ideal.

For the most part it was pretty funny. Number 7 (the baby stroller one) is wrong though. Perhaps I'm biased because I have 2 young children, but as a biker, it's up to you to be the responsible party in this case... slow down, take it wide, whatever. THEY are the vulnerable ones. Deal with it - YOU don't own the path either.

 

[Mackie]

Some of this is hella funny.

Some is just stupid, like "Hard core road bikers: Holy crap you guys (and gals) are fast as hell, keep it up." That's just fookin' dumb! DUMB! If you're riding that fast on a MUP, then you're obviously a coward... get your butt out in traffic you wuss!

Someone needs a WTFU smack, and it's not anyone described in the article, it's the author. It's not the Minutman BUP, it's the MUP, as in MULTIPLE use.
That means that the faster users defer to the slower users. Period.

I'm sorry, but if you want to go that fast, go ride on a trail or in the street.

Besides, many of us ride to relieve stress, this dude sounds like riding is stressing him out. Perhaps he should take up lawn darts instaed.

 

[mack]

There is a trail like that in Sun Valley Idaho. The bigest nuisance are the trailers, some of them are really wide and they are always rentals, so the moron pedaling has no idea what he is doing.

Roller Skaters in spandex are also annoying...

However the funniest part was the midget lady. There are a TON of women in Sun Valley who have 3k dollar xc bikes and decked out in gear and only ride them on the bike path, it is quite ammusing. We sell most of them (blurs or julias)

 

[Broken_Spoke]

Besides, many of us ride to relieve stress, this dude sounds like riding is stressing him out. Perhaps he should take up lawn darts instaed.

Lawn dart to the head maybe but you have to admit some of the article had to make you laugh

 

[Barbaton]

HAHA, that's so the minuteman. Those of you who haven't ridden it shouldn't knock the dude until you have on a Saturday afternoon. He's pretty spot on with a lot of those characters.

My favorite was when I was in college and I was booking it out the path to get ice cream in Carlisle and I passed a Minute Man on rollerblades. Musket, 3 point hat, and everything. As I thought "what the hell" I came on a Red Coat in a similar getup, only red, on a bike.

I finally figured out what the deal was when I got to Lexington. Apparently it was Patriot's Day (some goofy local holiday I never seem to get off work) and they were doing a re-enactment on the Common in Lex. I guess these guys were just commuting...

EDIT: I did notice that he left out Reflector Guy (i'd say 50 or so including vest, helmet, baskets covered, etc), though it's been a while since I've done it and maybe he's not there anymore.