Do you get annoyed...

[Arch]

...with people cooing about how far you ride?

I mean, it's nice at first, when people are impressed, but after a while, I just think, oh, for god's sake, 10 miles isn't far, you could easily do that if you tried....

I was in a cafe in Market Weighton on Friday, and the lad serving asked where I was going. When I said Beverley (about 10-12 miles away), he was astonished, even more so when I said I'd come from York (about 35 miles). He was 18, and probably perfectly fit, but reckoned he'd never done more than 6 miles on his bike. My downstairs neighbour is the same - my age, and seems healthy enough, but treats my rides as if I've just crossed a continent. I shoudn't complain, and like I say, it's nice to feel you've impressed someone, and ok, not everyone wants to ride 50 miles, but it gets to a point when I just get overwhelmed by the simpering....

 

[Blue]

Is that post just a boast about the fact that you are doing regular 50 mile rides?

 

[ComedyPilot]

A scalp I stopped to talk to at some lights on the Hull Road in York asked if I had far to go, I told him I'd just done 45 with about another 40 to go.

He said sheepishly he had to do about a mile and a half.

At least he was out there riding, unlike the fat gelatinous (sp?) cow in a car that pulled up and (through belched fag smoke) leaned out of the passenger window and told me and the scalp (very rudely) to get on the footpath.

I threw a few words back at her including in no particular order, Marshmallow woman, blancmange, jelly thighs, bingo wings, heart attack, burger queen, as well as some choice swear words.

Yes, there was a 'cycle/ped' path, but it was busy with mums/prams/kids/old ladies, and I don't think me riding around 20mph on it would be a good idea.

 

[fossyant]

Erm, a little, but I love rubbing it in how quickly that mileage can be done.......

 

[PaulB]

There's others who can't differentiate between doing one mile or doing a hundred. If you're trying to raise money for charity for instance, you may as well do a pub crawl as do a LeJog as most people won't be able to relate to the cycling but could to a pub crawl. (If all the pubs on your crawl haven;t closed, obviously!)

 

[purplepolly]

but reckoned he'd never done more than 6 miles on his bike. .

Most people at work think 6 miles is a long way to cycle and often assume that I haven't got a car if I cycle that far.

 

[tdr1nka]

* I'm repeating Purplepolly's sentiments*
I feel sorry for those that don't know how easy it can be to cycle just 5 miles.
In general, most 'non-cyclists' can only equate distance in miles travelled by car.

I love it when folk marvel at my doing any distance over ten miles, especially when I point out that with some practice just about anyone can do this, and greater distances, if they simply apply themselves.

 

[fossyant]

when I point out that with some practice just about anyone can do this, and greater distances, if they simply apply themselves.

Don't tell them that....sheesh !!!

 

[marinyork]

Most people at work think 6 miles is a long way to cycle and often assume that I haven't got a car if I cycle that far.

Most people round here think that 1/4 to 1/2 mile to the three sets of local shops is a very long way to walk. It all scales. I expect that some people could be easily convinced that neither is the case, but they are creatures of habit.

I don't get annoyed in the cooing of itself Arch. The greater societal issues of why people could not occasionally walk/cycle/bus/tram/train annoys a great deal though. As bits of Sheffield is fairly hilly the impressed looks get swapped around for dramatically reduced distances of 3-4 miles. It's like when I went to see Harry Potter and arrived half an hour before those that tramed or drove , despite setting off later.

 

[andrew-the-tortoise]

I get it all the time at work from non cyclists [for my 23 mile round commute], its not an athletic feat - just part of the working day.

If asthmatic Andrew can do it - so could many others.

 

[purplepolly]

If asthmatic Andrew can do it - so could many others.

Do you notice any benefits from cycliing? It must be increasing your lung capacity.

 

[PaulB]

Talking about getting annoyed at this sort of thing, did anyone hear the Jeremy Vine show today on Radio 2? One of the topics was to the effect that exercise is not only a waste of time but actually harmful. They had Tony Blackburn on as the non-exercise "expert". Expert! Blert more like. They only had callers or read out e-mails from those who agreed with the non-exercise angle as well. It was laughable.

 

[purplepolly]

One of the topics was to the effect that exercise is not only a waste of time but actually harmful.

words fail me

 

[Aperitif]

No arch.
Usually we only get complaints from the participants...

 

[Chuffy]

Yup, it irritates me too. Especially when you know that the person expressing awe at your athletic prowess is going to drive a couple of miles to a gym.