The real Heroes of British Cycling?

[smutchin]

Maybe he wasn't going to the club just up the road, but it certainly would have been a bit of a coincidence!

Fair enough, but the point is that you were judging him based on your superficial perception of him... How do you know he was judging you anyway? I see all kinds of different bikes when I'm on the train and I take an interest in most of them. It doesn't mean I'm looking down my nose at them, even if I'm togged up in full lycra kit and on my carbon road bike.

I know the kind of bike snobbery you're talking about and I know it exists in clubs because I've encountered it myself, but all I'm saying is don't be too quick to jump to conclusions. Not everyone who rides with a club is like that.

d.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Fair enough, but the point is that you were judging him based on your superficial perception of him... How do you know he was judging you anyway? I see all kinds of different bikes when I'm on the train and I take an interest in most of them. It doesn't mean I'm looking down my nose at them, even if I'm togged up in full lycra kit and on my carbon road bike.

I know the kind of bike snobbery you're talking about and I know it exists in clubs because I've encountered it myself, but all I'm saying is don't be too quick to jump to conclusions. Not everyone who rides with a club is like that.

d.

Fair enough, although, to be fair, it was the BSO I had with me, so if he wasn't a bit sniffy about it then I'd have been worried!

 

[dellzeqq]

It's not as simple as the OP suggests. The strength-in-depth of English competitive cycling (as opposed to cycling across the UK) is in the RTTC, the strength-in-depth of distance cycling is in Audax UK, and the strength-in-depth of leisure cycling is in the CTC. Equally one could argue that the most successful advocate of cycling over the past thirty years has been the LCC. And, then again, we could say that the architects of the biggest boom in cycling this country has seen in a century were Ken Livingstone and the Yorkshire bombers. And the biggest (and crappiest) rides are run by the BHF.

However......we live in interesting times. BC has money a-plenty and lots of ambition. It's doing a kind of campaigning-lite thing in concert with the LCC - which is very, very smart. It's getting in to leisure rides in a big, if disorganised way - one suspects that they'll start picking winners. The big Sky rides are something of a success. Whether BC will extend its interest in those racing clubs that are affiliated only time will tell - but I wouldn't bet on it. I'd have thought they'd bypass the clubs and build the sportive side of the business.

The big task facing BC is to take the membership to 100,000, and start to justify all that government cash. They may struggle, despite this year's TdF victory. At the moment the offer to potential punters looks expensive, and a bit thrown together - and the website is...unexciting and not terribly informative - and some of the stuff is just plain out-of-date. Somebody, somewhere, has to get hold of the organisation and work out what it's about and then refine the approach and the offer.

 

[lukesdad]

You not on the committee then?

I shall treat that remark with the contempt it deserves ( where are the smileys on this bleeding device )

 

[Fab Foodie]

I shall treat that remark with the contempt it deserves ( where are the smileys on this bleeding device )

Scowlies, that what we needs ....

 

[Boris Bajic]

I don't know why, but I just don't want to join my local club. I just want to go out there and cycle by myself where and when I want to go. I don't want to be stuck with a bunch of bike snobs* telling me that I should do this that and the other.

As for bike handling though, I agree, I have seen some things out there which quite frankly irritates me.

* - Actually, I came across one on the train one morning, presumably going to the club (the one in Clydebank) with his brand new white Boardman. I was out on the winter bike, and you could see him judging me for it, the twat. I decided not to mention that that was by far the worst bike I had as I didn't want to stoop to his level.

This is an understandable view, but it doesn't fit at all with the club my teenage boy recently joined. There are bikes and riders of all ages. Everyone seems friendly.

Boy has an unfashionable and unsexy bike - and everyone is just helpful and cheerful and supportive.

Of course there are the carbon missiles who've sharpened their chins for greater speed, wear smurf hats back-to-front and have almost-solid tyres that growl even on the smoothest tarmac... but even they are pleasant and helpful at events.

I imagine there are bike snobs out there, but not I think at old-fashioned, down-to-earth cycling clubs. A lot of it might be perception.

I know one or two middle-aged, Johnny-come-lately, carbo-sportive faddists, but even they are not snobby about their featherlight whizzbangs that weigh less than a mule fart. Those I've come across (and they are all men) seem fully aware that they are having a poor man's MLC and are recognised by the wider world as slightly geeky.

Often, when someone appears to be 'judging you' for your bike, I'm sure the're just noting that the chain is a little slack...

The OP was an absolute cracker. This is true of many sports, but it is something I hadn't thought of and am now rather envious that I didn't.