Cycling myths or common-knowledge you'd like to see dispelled

[a.twiddler]

Indeed, and here's a great photo essay of some of those early pioneers:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/13/break-the-cycle-britains-oldest-off-road-club

Although I was never in the RSF, those pictures struck a chord. Certainly when I was leading groups on YHA weekends in the early '80s we seemed to travel our fair share of unmade roads, towpaths and tracks in torrential rain, snow and blistering heat (not all on the same weekend)! We used generic 10 speed "racing" bikes with never a straight bar or knobbly tyre to be seen, and if something broke we always managed to fix it even if just as a get-you-home measure. I don't think anyone thought of ourselves as anything unusual, it was just what we did. Maybe that's why I still gravitate towards cyclable bridleways or trails nowadays even on supposedly less-suitable bikes. If it gets too boggy you can still ultimately carry it or push!
Maybe a bit OT but I thought I'd share it.

 

[Moon bunny]

The very best way to ride a bike around a scenic area is to go as fast as you possibly can and avoid, at all costs, seeing anything of the views, all that matters is the time you take and the speed you reach.

 

[palinurus]

Wasn't there the story of this happening on an early Tour-de-France and the cyclist mended his own bike at a local blacksmith's.
He was disqualified, despite re-welding / forging himself as then required by the rules, but the blacksmith had worked the bellows for him

Christophe was given a small time penalty rather than a DQ (insignificant compared to the time lost due to the fork failure- something like two hours walking to the blacksmiths and three hours to fix the fork under the instruction of the blacksmith).

That was in 1913. Further fork-related incidents* will occur in the 1919 and 1922 tours.

*In 1919 he was leading on the penultimate stage and broke his fork- having to fix it again- finishing 2hrs 29 mins behind the stage winner (and third overall the following day)
In 1922 another fork failure had Christophe finishing the stage on a bicycle borrowed from a priest.

 

[matticus]

Here is the hideous statue at the foot of the Tourmalet (descending eastbound). I have a pic of my own, but it was pissing down, so you'll prefer this one:

 

[Cymro74]

Cyclists must give way to cars because they don't pay road tax

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Cars don’t pay road tax

 

[pjd57]

Cyclists don't have insurance.....

 

[classic33]

Cars don’t pay road tax

Nor do their owners/drivers.

 

[classic33]

You can't do that* on a bike.

*It could be distance, or simply the shopping.

 

[Cymro74]

I have had the road tax thing shouted at me a couple of times, once as justification for running me off the road. It clearly bugs some people but I find it an odd justification for dangerous driving.

 

[classic33]

I have had the road tax thing shouted at me a couple of times, once as justification for running me off the road. It clearly bugs some people but I find it an odd justification for dangerous driving.

I have simply pointed out, that just like them, I have paid the appropriate rate as laid out for my class of vehicle.

 

[Cycleops]

You absolutely positively gotta have a carbon bike.

 

[MrGrumpy]

You positively must have a gravel bike

 

[Deleted member 1258]

The very best way to ride a bike around a scenic area is to go as fast as you possibly can and avoid, at all costs, seeing anything of the views, all that matters is the time you take and the speed you reach.

One of the reasons I stopped club riding, I was spending my Sunday mornings travelling at flat chat conentrating on holding a wheel and not seeing much of the area I was traveling through.

 

[TempleDancer]

One of the reasons I stopped club riding, I was spending my Sunday mornings travelling at flat chat conentrating on holding a wheel and not seeing much of the area i was traveling through.

I also have this vice (though I don’t club ride). So much of my time is spend head down, riding as hard as I can to keep the Strava gods placated. I’m not even that fast.
I have been making a point to stop and take photos of things I see whilst out, this is breaking up my pace a bit as I have to vary my speed and look around if I want to see anything.