Autistic Quotient

[Mick F]

I've been wondering about all this and thinking about cyclists.

"Normal" people may ride a bike for transport or an outing with the kids.
"Cyclists" do this too, but also ride their bike for the sheer pleasure of it and enjoy the riding to the exclusion of all else.
"Normal" people think "cyclists" are a little odd.

Therefore, are keen compulsive cyclists slightly autistic?

[Bonefishblues]

I've been wondering about all this and thinking about cyclists.

"Normal" people may ride a bike for transport or an outing with the kids.
"Cyclists" do this too, but also ride their bike for the sheer pleasure of it and enjoy the riding to the exclusion of all else.
"Normal" people think "cyclists" are a little odd.

Therefore, are keen compulsive cyclists slightly autistic?

Not sure, but interestingly of the several Forums I frequent, this does have a particular character and for want of a better term, intensity.

[Geoff.D]

I've been wondering about all this and thinking about cyclists.

"Normal" people may ride a bike for transport or an outing with the kids.
"Cyclists" do this too, but also ride their bike for the sheer pleasure of it and enjoy the riding to the exclusion of all else.
"Normal" people think "cyclists" are a little odd.

Therefore, are keen compulsive cyclists slightly autistic?

There's a bit of a tautology in the way you've phrased this, Mick. By defining "cyclists" as those who ride a bike " ...enjoy the riding to the exclusion of all else" and also going on to introduce the word "compulsive", you go a long way to concluding that cyclists are odd (whether that "oddness" is autism or not) simply by definition. I don't believe that cyclists are necessarily compulsive nor necessarily enjoy the riding to the exclusion of all else.

There's a second bit of tautology. By stating that normal people think cyclists are a little odd, you're suggesting that the mainstream view is that cyclists are odd. I'm not sure this is true. Mainstream seems to accept that cycling is a valid, socially acceptable activity in the appropriate context. Evidence of this could be the increasing sales; increasing inclusion in town planning agendas; the turn out in Yorkshire for the TdF; etc.

Your question remains quite valid though (Are keen, compulsive cyclists slightly autistic?) but isn't proved by the argument above. The answer lies in mapping the "compulsion" to the wide and searching range of indicators of autism, as others have mentioned earlier. It's such a complex disability, long unrecognised and misunderstood. As you have said, it depends where the individual lies along the spectrum. I would suggest that the answer (to your question) is "possibly, but not necessarily"

However, whilst writing this I've become aware of an irony. I may be revealing myself as obsessive about logic and rhetoric. Am I autistic, or just pedantic, or even smug, or simply a well balanced contributor to the thread? ............................. I daren't answer.

[al_yrpal]

I believe that some people who go absolutely everywhere on a bike are a bit odd, but, its their choice and I respect that. A lot of people I meet seem to think that way too. But, cycling is becoming more mainstream, there is money in it, and that, and things like Bradley and Le Tour are egging things along. We have one autistic guy who cycles with a local group, he is a real pain and I avoid him.

Al

[Mick F]

We have one autistic guy who cycles with a local group, he is a real pain and I avoid him.

Great!
He probably wants to avoid you.

[rfryer]

'I find it easy to work out what someone is thinking or feeling just by looking at their face'.

The question isn't asking if you are able to mind read.

It's asking if you can tell if someone is angry. Or happy. Or confused. Or Sad. Most people know these things instinctively, just by looking at someone, they don't need the person to tell them. Autistic people are less able to tell, to varying degrees.

The question is asking if you are able to mind read. It's possible that whoever posed the question had a different question in mind, but they failed to express it.

[Spinners]

24 - slightly above average.

[blackbike]

It's asking if you can tell if someone is angry. Or happy. Or confused. Or Sad.

The phrasing of the statement is poor as the 'thinking' bit is redundant.

It says 'I find it easy to work out what someone is thinking OR feeling just by looking at their face'.

Now, if you find it easy to work out what emotion someone is feeling just by looking at their face you can answer 'Strongly agree' because of the OR. Your totally normal inability to work out what someone is thinking just by looking at their face is irrelevant.

You have satisfied one of the conditions needed for a 'Strongly agree' answer.

Nobody can satisfy the other condition because nobody can work out what someone is thinking just by looking at their face. Are they thinking about what to have for dinner, whether their library book is overdue or when to mow the lawn? We can't tell.

So that condition can be removed from the statement without altering any answers.

[Audax67]

28. Last time around (2013) I scored 27.

[blackbike]

I've been wondering about all this and thinking about cyclists.

"Normal" people may ride a bike for transport or an outing with the kids.
"Cyclists" do this too, but also ride their bike for the sheer pleasure of it and enjoy the riding to the exclusion of all else.
"Normal" people think "cyclists" are a little odd.

Therefore, are keen compulsive cyclists slightly autistic?

What about compulsive mobile phone users or compulsive TV watchers?

The average Brit watches 4 hours of TV per day. I don't cycle for 4 hours a day. Are TV watchers slightly autistic? Last year I cycled 23 miles per day, or about 90 mins per day. I reckon many people these days spend more time staring at the little screens of their mobile phones. Are they all slightly autistic?

[Mick F]

No.
It was me thinking about cycling and cycle-enthusiasts.

You have to be single minded and intense to want to ride and ride and ride and ride for miles and miles and miles and miles just for the sheer pleasure of it.

[Geoff.D]

No.
It was me thinking about cycling and cycle-enthusiasts.

You have to be single minded and intense to want to ride and ride and ride and ride for miles and miles and miles and miles just for the sheer pleasure of it.

I know what you're saying, Mick, but I don't agree with the implication.
I count myself a "cycle enthusiast". I've just got in from a short spin of about 20 miles. Out to a neighbouring town. Shop for tonight's dinner supplies. Go into my favourite cafe. Coffee and tiffen. Read the paper for an hour. Back home through the lanes in the sunshine. Wonderful. Sheer pleasure. BUT.........neither single minded, nor intense. Just relaxation and pleasure.
It's possible that someone has to be single minded and intense to "ride and ride and ride and ride for miles and miles and miles and miles" because this (in the way it's stated) implies a repetitive, onerous activity which requires those qualities to overcome. But that's not the only type of cycle enthusiast.

[Mick F]

I count myself a "cycle enthusiast". I've just got in from a short spin of about 20 miles. Out to a neighbouring town. Shop for tonight's dinner supplies. Go into my favourite cafe. Coffee and tiffen. Read the paper for an hour. Back home through the lanes in the sunshine. Wonderful. Sheer pleasure. BUT.........neither single minded, nor intense. Just relaxation and pleasure.

You see, I'm not like that. You like to go out and socialise on your bike and use it for transport to get your shopping, coffee and tiffen.

It's possible that someone has to be single minded and intense to "ride and ride and ride and ride for miles and miles and miles and miles" because this (in the way it's stated) implies a repetitive, onerous activity which requires those qualities to overcome.

This is me, and I'm not alone in this I'm sure.

I tend to go out on my bike for the sheep pleasure of riding it. Nothing else, just riding it.

[Geoff.D]

This is me, and I'm not alone in this I'm sure.

I tend to go out on my bike for the sheep pleasure of riding it. Nothing else, just riding it.

I appreciate that, Mick, which is why I started my posting with "I know what you mean...". I'm sure you're not alone in how you ride and what you get out of it. I'm equally sure I'm not alone, even though I only cycle alone. I was just concerned about the possible implication that to be a cycle enthusiast you had to ".....ride and ride and ride and.....". I meant no disrespect.

PS When you out for the "sheep pleasure"......what do the sheep think of it?

[al_yrpal]

Did the test again, 18 first time 17 a few weeks later, boreingly normal. I do tend to have crazes though where I focus on one favoured activity for weeks or months at a time - wonder what condition that is ? The Mrs says its butterfly mind

Al