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Meet mountain bike guru Gary Fisher
Meet the man behind the bike!
Gary Fisher, who is considered one of the inventors of the modern bike, is coming to Austin.
He’ll be at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, 400 Nueces St., for team presentations, a bike talk and question and answer session, food and music from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26. At 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, he’ll lead a 35-40 mile rolling bike ride departing from the bike shop.
Fisher’s known for wearing some pretty rad clothes at times. I wonder what he’ll be wearing?
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By Mike Vandeman
February 23, 2010 11:04 AM | Link to this
Gary Fisher is no hero. Mountain Biking is a major destroyer of wildlife habitat!
Bicycles should not be allowed in any natural area. They are inanimate objects and have no rights. There is also no right to mountain bike. That was settled in federal court in 1994: home.pacbell.net/mjvande/mtb10 . It’s dishonest of mountain bikers to say that they don’t have access to trails closed to bikes. They have EXACTLY the same access as everyone else — ON FOOT! Why isn’t that good enough for mountain bikers? They are all capable of walking….
A favorite myth of mountain bikers is that mountain biking is no more harmful to wildlife, people, and the environment than hiking, and that science supports that view. Of course, it’s not true. To settle the matter once and for all, I read all of the research they cited, and wrote a review of the research on mountain biking impacts (see home.pacbell.net/mjvande/scb7 ). I found that of the seven studies they cited, (1) all were written by mountain bikers, and (2) in every case, the authors misinterpreted their own data, in order to come to the conclusion that they favored. They also studiously avoided mentioning another scientific study (Wisdom et al) which did not favor mountain biking, and came to the opposite conclusions.
Those were all experimental studies. Two other studies (by White et al and by Jeff Marion) used a survey design, which is inherently incapable of answering that question (comparing hiking with mountain biking). I only mention them because mountain bikers often cite them, but scientifically, they are worthless.
Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and other trail users out of the area, and (worst of all) teaches kids that the rough treatment of nature is okay (it’s NOT!). What’s good about THAT?
For more information: home.pacbell.net/mjvande/mtbfaq .
By t.k. o'brian
February 26, 2010 9:13 AM | Link to this
Hey Jerk…Gary Fisher’s here to promote a ROAD cycling team, and lead a ROAD ride. He was in fact a ROAD racer. Get a clue before going of on an ignorant tirade. Is your manifesto written from equally narrowly contrued misinterpretation of the facts in front of your face?
Oh gee…another view that only YOU know what’s right for the environment and everyone else’s opinion is wrong. We never get that around here. :/