demoralization

we live in a culture where we are free to find and explore our own interest, and by doing this we are put into a sort of sub-culture. let's call these first order sub-culture or fosc for short. well these fosc are all acceptable in our culture. whatever it may be. be it music, video games, board games, comics, cycling, etc. well as you get into these fosc you may find yourself getting deeper into them. you may even start specializing in a certain area. this may then be called a second order sub-culture or sosc. so now that you are into this sosc, you find certain things and maybe even people of similar interest, and this is all acceptable.

you may even find a magazine that holds your interest. now why do you pick up this magazine? not only because it deals with your sosc, but because you like to keep up with your interest, to know what's going on, and maybe even to be inspired or uplifted. this is the reason i read the magazines i do. to be inspired while i'm not riding; to get me inspired to ride next. to start thinking about the next ride. where will i go? what bike am i in the "mood" for?

cycling is a beautiful sport. it holds many sosc for many different people. well the last issue of a certain magazine i get did not inspire, it demoralized me for a moment. this bothers me because these editors have some sort of duty to inspire us.

i open up this magazine; which will remain nameless, and i see an article about riding single speed. right away i begin to read about how this woman got into riding a single speed because she wanted to be "punk" with her boyfriend and his friends. as the article progresses her relationship ends, and she gives up the single speed. she then decides that it "is better to have the ability to shift, both on a bike and in a relationship..."
i turn the page to then notice an article about a group of riders that ride only on rigid forks. "great, this one ought to be better than the last one," i thought. well it wasn't. the gist of the article was that it's too hard to ride a rigid fork, and that riding a suspension is much better.

sure a single speed is not for everyone, and we all get older to where we need the extra gush. that's why i recently picked up my first full suspension mtn bike (hey, i'm an old man). but why do i have to read about how these sosc are not productive or fun. not that these "articles" made me give up my single speed, but what about someone who reads this and says "what a bunch of nuts." is that what we are looking for? to create more space and alienation between our sosc? or is this what the "powers that be" are doing to us, and we are accepting it? i often read on how cross country riding is dead, and free riding is the way to go. well i find that crap too. if free riding is dead, then stop making the bikes.

so get out there and revel in your sosc. and if anyone tells you that its uncool, tell them that their uncool for thinking that. this is why we do our sosc, to have fun, to enjoy ourselves. get out there and inspire. i know i'll be.