Hot stuff on bikes, weenies on council

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Aspen, CO Colorado
May 4, 2008

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Last week’s report on conflicts between road bikers and motorists caught the attention of several online readers of The Aspen Times.

A number of readers weighed in on the April 29 article (“Sharing the road: a vicious cycle”) with observations like this one:

I ride bikes alot and spend alot of time in the bike scene, and I would like to point out that we bikers think we are hot stuff. Especially road bikers! Move over you bike jock and realize that cars are bigger and have more power! This biker guy who flipped the finger needs to learn some respect or he is going to get killed, and he is giving the rest of us bikers a bad name.

Said another:

I’ll be called a Judas for writing this but...I’ve been riding road bikes for over 30 years and mountain for over 20. I have to agree that for reasons of stupidity, arrogance ignorance, lack of skill or a combination of all, that many road riders around here just don’t get it. It being: S-i-n-g-l-e F-i-l-e... This is particularly anoying on the Frying Pan road. If you can’t hold a line “on the paint”, stay on the bike paths; and while you’re on those, be mindful and considerate of of all the other users out there. The Rio Grande is no place to be living out your Lance Armstrong delusions. If more of us road riders were more considerate, this would not be the issue that it is. Sorry. That is the brutal truth. As the article says: Be Nice. If driving, slow down and give a rider a couple of feet. Riders: Wave in Thanks. Drivers: Wave back. (With more than one finger)

There was also this:

I grew up in woody creek and many of the bikers are such a pain in the rear its amazing that no one has been run over and killed. A bike down the middle of the lane is the norm and they look like they are going to be in the tour de france with the outfits and the expensive bikes. Too bad they are going only 5 miles an hour because they sure look good. The best are the rich ones that ride down to the tavern for lunch and have the taxi take them back to town because its too far and uphill to go back.

So many weenies
The Aspen City Council settled on a 40-ounce limit at the Aspen Brewery Co. during deliberations last week. That’s how much beer a customer can sample at the brewery’s tasting room during a visit.

Regarding the consumption cap, one reader had this to say:

how did we elect so many weenies to city council?

But, noted another reader:

Why didn’t City Council check with the National Highway dept. on this? 40 oz of beer is more than enough to be legally drunk if you get into a car after consuming this much...

Snow is overrated
Regarding the prospect of World Cup ski races in Aspen moving back to Thanksgiving weekend next winter, there was this observation:

Skiing on dirt is always exciting to watch.

No accounting for taste
Last week’s report on the construction of a vibrant-yellow building at Willits Bend, the first of what are expected to be several colorful buildings, elicited this reponse:

You must be kidding! I thought that the bright yellow was only the primer color on an old warehouse. The “architect” and owner should be ashamed of themselves. What a pathetic disgrace. Too bad we can’t legislate taste...

Missing matzah
An April 25 letter to the editor regarding the absence of matzah and other Passover foods from area grocers’ shelves continued to generate comment last week, much of it along these lines:

Are you for real? Sounds like you need to order your own food, or call the supper market ahead of time for you stuff. Don’t blame our markets for your way of life!

Another reader summed the debate up this way:

The ignorance, narrow-mindedness, and outright bigotry of many of the comments that are posted on the Times website over the past year or so never ceases to amaze me. It’s clear these people don’t even read what they're responding to—they quickly gloss over the “offending” letter, then spew out a canned spiel of invective against whom and whatever they perceive to be the slightest bit different from themselves. Ann Coulter would be so proud of you all!

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Online readers of The Aspen Times may comment on any article, anonymously if they wish, by clicking on Comments at the top of the article. Comments reprinted here appear as they were posted, without editing or correction.