How can you ride it like that?

[KneesUp]

My judge-y pants are on.

I was walking to the shop this morning (milk) and was passed by a cyclist, and found myself being annoyed at the stake of their bike.

It was a new-ish bike - a year or two old at most. Nicely clean. A road bike, not super expensive, probably a £750 bike. But, you know, that's not an inconsiderable amount of money. Anyway, the first thing I noticed was that there was was too little air in the front tyre - it was bulging so much it seemed only to have enough air to make it not look flat when no-one was on the bike, it was basically flat at the bottom (all my punctures only affect the bottom of the tyre, as it happens) Then I noticed the rear was the same. Then I noticed that the rider had the saddle far, far too low, so their knee was never anywhere near straight. And then I heard the tick-ticking of a chain that was on the big ring at the front and the big ring at the back.

So I got all judge-y - is it just me or do others want to be able to just say look, give me 10 minutes and I'll transform your cycling experience? Obviously I'll never say anything, and they just pedaled off, wrecking their knees, the chain, the cassette, the chain rings and the tyres, but sometimes I want to. Is it just me?

 

[ianrauk]

To some, bikes have no value or meaning, they are just transport. They need not clean or look after it. Once ridden into the ground they will get another and do the same.

 

[Globalti]

Yes, you frequent bike forums and take an interest in efficient cycling whereas others don't care a hoot. The worst possibility is that the rider had just "acquired" the bike very cheap and was only using it for trips to the pub or the shops.

GtiJunior bought a college bike for £15, the poor thing was in a woeful state of neglect.

 

[Katherine]

I always think people who ride with their knees sticking out and sometimes their feet too, look so funny. Then I feel bad because there might be a good reason why.
Once I saw the opposite when someone overtook me who was having to move his hips up and down as he pedalled, although he was sat down on the saddle.

 

[beepbeep]

some people are the ''use it and when it gets dirty / needs repairing - just throw it away and get another ''

More money than sense.

 

[Milkfloat]

I guy at work buys a new bike every 2 years, in the intervening time there is zero maintenance. He just rides it until it falls to pieces, walks to work for a few weeks and then turns up on a new one. I have been known to put a bit of air in his tyres and a bit of oil on his chain when he is not looking. We have worked together for over 20 years and I have tried a couple of times to suggest a few things, but he honestly does not care. Then again I could not give a crap about Japanese manga and some of the stuff he is into.

 

[Sharky]

Brings my OCD on as well, when I see saddles lower than handlebars, rusty chains, handlebars/saddles not level, lights hidden by panniers, riders wearing shorts in December, not enough seat post showing (frame too big).

But riders with knees sticking out - knew/know a rider who you could recognise from a mile away because of his sticking out knees, but he was an extremely gusty rider, riding TT's and massed starts and was a very good club rider.

 

[raleighnut]

It's dry squealing chains that 'get' me.

 

[snorri]

I don't necessarily blame the owners for the poor state of their bikes, they are victims of marketing in this country which tells us our bikes should be sporty and lightweight rather than sturdy, long lasting and maintenance free.
The general public see these flashy racing bikes on tv, but not the team required to keep the bikes functional on the road for the relatively short duration of the race event.
On this forum we have frequent threads debating which chain lube gives best protection to a chain in winter, but the best chain protection comes with a fully enclosed chain guard, a system that was dumped 50 years ago, presumably after pressure from the suppliers of chain oil.
Why should anyone who buys a bike which could be a relatively simple mechanism be required to gain the skills to maintain it with such regularity? My bike requires more time spent to keep it serviceable than the total time spent on my washing machine, car and lawn mower combined.

PS I think the bike mentioned in the OP had just been pinched that day and the new owner was taking it home to tune it up ready to re-sell.

 

[Globalti]

What people are describing is a sense that by neglecting a piece of machinery you are doing a dishonour to it, its designer and builder and wasting good money. Read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for more on that.

 

[Cycleops]

It's dry squealing chains that 'get' me.

Mostly rusted down here.

 

[recumbentpanda]

I once saw a small detached house in rural Japan entirely surrounded by a forest of discarded bicycles. I wondered if there was a bicicular Snow White sleeping within, waiting for her bike mechanic Prince to fight his way in and deliver an enlightening kiss. Looking at the pile, I decided not to be that guy . . .

 

[KneesUp]

I don't necessarily blame the owners for the poor state of their bikes, they are victims of marketing in this country which tells us our bikes should be sporty and lightweight rather than sturdy, long lasting and maintenance free.
The general public see these flashy racing bikes on tv, but not the team required to keep the bikes functional on the road for the relatively short duration of the race event.

It was definitely a 'race inspired' bike, and it did occur to me that 25mm tyres aren't ideal for the commute here in Sheffield. (I would imagine that the road maintenance department of the council here would describe the surface of the moon as 'adequately dressed') I thought perhaps that was the reason they were so deflated - to give a modicum of comfort, although they were so flat they must have gone beyond that. When I was on my way to work later I was behind a cyclist on a similar bike, and he was clearly having to pick a line, and I could still hear his bike rattling over stuff. I just ploughed on (26" wheels, 42mm tyres) with no more than the odd bit off mudguard clatter. The rider I saw with the flat tyres was clearly commuting and had not just stolen it (they were dressed in cycling 'garb' and didn't look equipped to break locks) and you're right - a 'race ispired' bike is not the right sort of bike for badly made roads, traffic and all weather.

 

[screenman]

I blame us cyclists for not passing the messages on.

 

[Markymark]

I get that he was riding all wrong. Maybe he doesn’t care. Maybe it wasn’t his bike. Maybe he hasn’t been shown the ‘correct’ way. Maybe he bought it 2nd habd

But why the assumption from many here that he will just throw it away after 2years when it gets dirty or needs a minor repair? That’s an illogical assumption.