Anyone else experience what this guys did?
Calvin Tucker
Dunwich Dynamo
Dear Dulwich Paragons
I am a club rider who has ridden in a wide variety of events, including sportives, licenced races and Grand Fondos, e.g. the Etape. I also commute in London traffic, and I mountain bike. So what I have to say to you is based on experience and understanding of club etiquette and safe riding, and not based on ignorance or prejudice.
The dictionary defines 'paragon' as "a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence: a paragon of virtue. Synonyms: ideal, standard, epitome, quintessence; example, exemplar, paradigm."
I don't feel you lived up to these standards on Saturday night.
First of all, you need to appreciate that the the Dun Run is not a race and that the event includes riders of varying levels of skill and experience, many of whom have no experience of night-riding on country roads. The problem is not that you were "cycling fast" (I'm not slow myself), but that you were cycling without much thought or regard for the safety and enjoyment of other cyclists.
I was personally cut up twice by a group of Paragons. On one ocassion I was almost pushed me into the hedge on the right hand side of the road by Paragons who were trying to overtake some 'recreational cyclists', only to run out of puff on the climb and block my path. It was pretty shocking behaviour from a club, and if they had pulled that stunt on me during an actual race, my response would have been to elbow or headbutt them off the tarmac.
A former work colleague I happened to bump into also told me that Paragons were "buzzing" inexperienced riders. And there have been numerous similar complaints posted here.
You may well feel confident enough in your bike handling skills to pass riders that close and at speed, although I have to say I was not impressed by the standard of riding I witnessed from your club. The point is that close passes can cause less experienced riders to panic and potentially crash, and the risks increase exponentially as the night wears on and riders become fatigued and lose focus. It's not a nice way to ride, and it reflects badly on your club.
Another issue, I think, was that the large number of riders in the Paragon bunch meant that they dominated the road space, often to the exclusion of other riders. The differentials in speed between different riders meant that a bunch as large as yours was basically forcing its way through gaps and intimidating other riders. This is obviously dangerous, and it comes across as arrogant and disrespectful.
Please have a think about how, as a club, you interact with other riders in a safe and mutually respectful manner. Thank you.
