I understand that the point of "utility" is to distinguish them from "recreational" or "racing" or whatever. I also understand the writer's interest in not wanting to complicate things with a litany of verbiage. That said, "utility" means something different to me, and fairly to most of the bike geeks I consort with. Utility bikes are work bikes, cargo bikes, bikes that are not recreational (but are still fun to ride) but rather are built to be utilitarian: bakfiets, Xtracycles, the Yuba Mundo. Those are utility bikes. I can carry a load of groceries or a case of beer on my Hillborne, but mostly it's for the pure joy of riding (being useful is part of that, for me anyway) whether I'm commuting, noodling around town, or clocking big miles and dreaming of my first brevet. All-rounder works, but something else might, too. I just think "utility" is too loaded (har, har) a term.
Really enjoyed the article, though! Shawn On May 10, 3:21 pm, Michael_S <[email protected]> wrote: > I looked all over the paper Magazine to find the article. Was this on > the web only? > > I've subsribed to Outside since it was Mariah ( dating myself here). > > I think Utility is a good description... touring, mountain and road > bike all in one! I love mine. > > ~Mike~ > > On May 10, 1:58 pm, Seth Vidal <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 2:58 PM, Kaptain Amerika > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I'm the writer... > > > > utility = useful/practical/utilitarian, as opposed to one-trick-pony > > > road and mtn bikes that I consider purely "recreational" and reliant > > > on "support." utility is the umbrella term for touring and city bikes. > > > it's not a dis; it's praise! and a useful organizing principle for the > > > reader. you'll find no carbon here. > > > Does 'All-rounder' not cover this class of bike too? > > > -sv > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > [email protected]. > > For more options, visit this group > > athttp://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group > athttp://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
