Blood-boiling article in the Grauniad

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swansonj

Guru
http://www.theguardian.com/environm...s-it-ok-to-get-off-your-bike-and-walk-up-hill

It's not the discussion about whether it's OK to get off and walk that makes my blood boil (though both the quotes, while ostensibly asserting that walking is not a failure, betray a mindset where it clearly is, which is a shame). It's the attitudes that emerge in the course of the discussion. For example, that triple chain rings and 34 teeth sprockets are "performance enhancing technical trickery". And the idea (apparently endorsed by Chris Boardman) that low gears are a recent innovation that we owe a debt of gratitude to the sportif craze for.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
I mountain biked for 24 years and often got off and walked; should I be seeking counselling?
 

Shut Up Legs

Down Under Member
http://www.theguardian.com/environm...s-it-ok-to-get-off-your-bike-and-walk-up-hill

It's not the discussion about whether it's OK to get off and walk that makes my blood boil (though both the quotes, while ostensibly asserting that walking is not a failure, betray a mindset where it clearly is, which is a shame). It's the attitudes that emerge in the course of the discussion. For example, that triple chain rings and 34 teeth sprockets are "performance enhancing technical trickery". And the idea (apparently endorsed by Chris Boardman) that low gears are a recent innovation that we owe a debt of gratitude to the sportif craze for.
That article is just clickbait for cyclists.
 

Venod

Eh up
Location
Yorkshire
Nothing wrong with walking nothing wrong with CB's comment either, granted low gears have always being an option but not with an eleven speed cassette, hence the comment " a big technology improvement"
 

Joshua Plumtree

Approaching perfection from a distance.
Didn't I hear on the radio that 20 mins a day of brisk walking is all that's required to keep you fit and healthy? :rolleyes:
 

Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
Only if it's an American radio. Over here, we seem to think any exercise is a feat. I remember seeing an article from when my gym opened 50 years ago, informing people that there was a restaurant between the swimming pool and ice rink, so that you could come out and watch others exercise, apparently. I remember asking someone about the thirty minute rule, and he said
" Well, that means thirty minutes at a brisk pace, enough to break a sweat. "
Mentioning that this was being taken as just 30 minutes exercise at all, he said
"Well, anything that gets them out of the house is better than nothing".
My Dad always claimed an hour of brisk walking was the bare minimum.
 

Dan B

Disengaged member
With single-sided pedals I like to avoid getting off and walking just because clipping in on an uphill is awkward and takes more practice than I have given it. Also, cleat wear.

In SPDs, who cares?

Can't see anything in there about boiling blood, though. Is that something to do with EPO?
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
TBH I'm more bugged by the smug tone of articles like that, not to mention the gentle bending of the truth: the cyclist who felt humiliated at having to walk on his first club ride probably didn't go again because he realised he couldn't hack the pace, not because he felt himiliated at having to walk.
 

Hip Priest

Veteran
I had to walk or stop on a number of hills when I was not as fit. One local >20% hill had me walking several times, but I kept going back and going back until I eventually conquered it. Now I can do it no problem. I guess that's what Boardman was on about.
 

adscrim

Veteran
Location
Perth
With single-sided pedals I like to avoid getting off and walking just because clipping in on an uphill is awkward and takes more practice than I have given it. Also, cleat wear.

In SPDs, who cares?

Can't see anything in there about boiling blood, though. Is that something to do with EPO?

Yes, but if you're wearing SPDs on a road bike then you're not a proper cyclist anyway. Right? :whistle:
 
If you're on an unfamiliar route, and you come across an incline that you're not geared for, then fine. Better to walk it than injure yourself. However, the article seems to be about the 'new breed' of FPKW / ATGNI knobbers, that are clogging up some of the hitherto devoid of such muppets routes I like riding.
 
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