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If it has a soundtrack, it ain’t a sport

Editor:
Regarding “Dancing with the Explainer”: With all due respect to the athletic prowess of dancers I’ve yet to see them dance for five to seven hours a day through the Alps or the Rocky Mountains for five or six days straight.

Fred Astaire aside, has anybody seen a dance competition in the rain where one misstep can drop them down a 400-foot cliff? Do dancers get judged on who finished in the least time or “artistic expression?” The rationalization that because it requires athletic ability brings us Olympic sports that fall outside of speed, strength, endurance, accuracy, and other quantifiable results. It leads to competition based on sex appeal rather than speedy wheels. Floor dance and synchronized swimming as Olympic events seem to cheapen all athletics.

One has to laugh when the subject of introducing bowling to the Olympics makes figure skaters aghast, but we all know that a bowler can’t influence the pins with how colorful the ball is or how she put up her hair. A bowler doesn’t have a judge taking away or giving pins because of how they approach the release point.

It might be athletically demanding, but in my mind, if it requires music it’s hard to justify it as a sport.

David Amyx
South Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Forget the brakes: What about registration?

Editor:
The problem isn’t about brakes, it’s about incompetent and reckless cyclists. Sure, riding without brakes will increase your likelihood of an accident, but there are and have been plenty of cyclists getting into accidents and causing chaos with brakes since the dawn of the bicycle.

Besides, I think the bigger issue for Philly right now is bike registration. This affects all cyclists and has more cons than pros (in my opinion). You’d think this would rile up more response than hipsters on brakeless fixed gears.

Bob Vu
Orange County, California

Standing up for brakeless fixies

Editor:
I find it hard to believe that no one is standing up for fixed gears without brakes. I ride one (mostly to commute) and very rarely feel the real need for a hand brake. If you have a reasonable level of reaction, cornering skill and anticipation, it really is not hard to ride without a brake.

Granted I live in a city with super wide streets, very few hills, and lots of bike lanes and paths. Still, if you know where you are riding, you will know when to slow down.

Hand brakes do not stop accidents! They may allow you to have some near misses, but many times if the accident is going to occur, it will, regardless of whether you have brakes (let’s talk about braking in wet conditions).

Dave Messenheimer
Fort Collins, Colorado