Cycle2work has a lot to answer for

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As a lowly student I don't have a great spec'd bike and gear. It does annoy me (mostly because of jealousy, I'm man enough to admit to that) when I see people who seem to have got their C2W voucher, a shiny new bike and all the proper gear, riding like absolute nincompoops. If all they want to do is pootle along the footpath at 6 mph then perhaps I'll suggest we swap bikes and they have have my carrera with the inexplicably clicky bottom bracket. Although the one particular guy I do see on a semi-regular basis is pretty much the only person I can burn off while commuter racing so perhaps I shouldn't moan too much.

Anyway moan over and I've just got some (2nd hand) SPD-SL's so I'm off to make an ar$e of myself in the park practising.
 
Do you stop them and ask if its a c2w bike?
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
its the same in all "interests" and "pastimes"...golf, driving, chess, knitting, running, skydiving, etc

but what is worse is when one of those with all the gear and no idea...suddenly get's the idea and leaves you looking like the noob!!
 

Moodyman

Legendary Member
Too true Jon.

A Jonny says, it's the same in all past times. I live a stone's throw from a very popular park and I see many summer wannabe runners.

They drive to the park in their £100 trainers and expensive running clothes & fancy water bottle. They run about 50 metres and then run out of breath and walk the rest leisurely. It's like they've come to pose.

I have to make do with a pair of £20 Sport Direct jobbies and an old T Shirt. Just aint fair.
 
Moodyman said:
Too true Jon.

A Jonny says, it's the same in all past times. I live a stone's throw from a very popular park and I see many summer wannabe runners.

They drive to the park in their £100 trainers and expensive running clothes & fancy water bottle. They run about 50 metres and then run out of breath and walk the rest leisurely. It's like they've come to pose.

I have to make do with a pair of £20 Sport Direct jobbies and an old T Shirt. Just aint fair.

You buy what you can afford at the time.

I have had my days of cheap trainers and bikes. It all comes to those who wait. Dont spend your life being bitter.
 
C

chillyuk

Guest
Learn the art of inverse snobbery then you can pretend to use cheap kit because you choose to not because you have to.
 
If you get a decent job when you have finished your studies, you can have a nice bike and ride at the speed you wish. Meanwhile, why take the rise out of other riders? They could be in their cars, but they choose to cycle - that's surely worthy of some praise.
 

Moodyman

Legendary Member
Dont spend your life being bitter.

I'm far from bitter and can comfortably afford the £100 trainers. My point is that a lot of folk don't realise that you put the performance in and not the equipment.

My £20 trainers (with the right legs) perform a lot better than their £100 ones. I was agreeing with Jon that people turn up with swanky gear but can't perform to the standard that the gear is designed for.

As Jon says, they have these flashy bikes and ride at 6mph.

I love inverse snobbery - that's why I drive a Skoda when I'm not cycling.
 
Moodyman said:
Dont spend your life being bitter.

I'm far from bitter and can comfortably afford the £100 trainers. My point is that a lot of folk don't realise that you put the performance in and not the equipment.

My £20 trainers (with the right legs) perform a lot better than their £100 ones. I was agreeing with Jon that people turn up with swanky gear but can't perform to the standard that the gear is designed for.

As Jon says, they have these flashy bikes and ride at 6mph.

I love inverse snobbery - that's why I drive a Skoda when I'm not cycling.

Didnt realise that you had to pedal above a certain speed to own a good bike.

Of course your right about performance. But you dont have to be a 'super athlete' to justify your purchase. Infact you dont have to justify it at all.

A fat poor guy has just as much right to buy themself the top kit, as a well off superfit cyclist or runner.
 
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addictfreak said:
Do you stop them and ask if its a c2w bike?

I don't, I realise I'm making an assumption but it is an assumption based on a conversation I had with a cyclist on a train a little while ago about how he didn't feel he was doing his bike justice, which got me thinking.

xpc316e said:
If you get a decent job when you have finished your studies, you can have a nice bike and ride at the speed you wish. Meanwhile, why take the rise out of other riders? They could be in their cars, but they choose to cycle - that's surely worthy of some praise.

True, it was my choice to go back to uni when I could have stayed at work and talked my boss into setting up a C2W scheme. Like I said, I'm posting out of jealousy. It doesn't excuse it, although it does explain it. :smile:


chillyuk said:
Learn the art of inverse snobbery then you can pretend to use cheap kit because you choose to not because you have to.

I've never got the hang of this, I must try harder I suppose. :girl:
 
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nigelb said:
I collected my "cycle to work" bike today :girl:

Good for you, just make sure I don't pass you on the way to work, or I might, y'know, judge you and stuff. :smile:


addictfreak said:
Didnt realise that you had to pedal above a certain speed to own a good bike.

Of course your right about performance. But you dont have to be a 'super athlete' to justify your purchase. Infact you dont have to justify it at all.

A fat poor guy has just as much right to buy themself the top kit, as a well off superfit cyclist or runner.

As a brassic cyclist of 'increasing' fitness I suppose I am in part guilty of blaming my lack of performance (I got dropped on the IoW the other weekend) on my heavy/poor spec bike. I know it shouldn't matter but having been raised in a consumer, capitalist society it's a matter of social conditioning that I'd want newer and shinier things all the time.
 
As a brassic cyclist of 'increasing' fitness I suppose I am in part guilty of blaming my lack of performance (I got dropped on the IoW the other weekend) on my heavy/poor spec bike. I know it shouldn't matter but having been raised in a consumer, capitalist society it's a matter of social conditioning that I'd want newer and shinier things all the time.[/QUOTE]

Dont get me wrong the bike can make a hell of a difference. I have had my scott scale (carbon) for a year now, and I still find it hard to believe how fast it is (compared to my old kona).

Do I want a new bike? Hell yes:smile: everytime i look in the glossy catologs!
 

nigelb

New Member
automatic_jon said:
Good for you, just make sure I don't pass you on the way to work, or I might, y'know, judge you and stuff. :smile:

Lol, love it :-)

Have to say my bike is "comfortable", rather than built for speed.
Commuting by bike is something I do for the exercise, been stuck on an old drop handlebar racer for a few weeks, a bit too small for me, fast but just not comfortable.
(Not after a Claud Butler San Remo are you by any chance, 21" centre of crank to top of seat tube, 21" from seat tube to handlebar stem, 31" crossbar clearance approx)

Nige
 
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nigelb said:
Not after a Claud Butler San Remo are you by any chance, 21" centre of crank to top of seat tube, 21" from seat tube to handlebar stem, 31" crossbar clearance approx

A touch big for me I'm afraid.
 
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