No more hippies and explorers?

[mjr]

I thought the writer's swipe at Strava seemed particularly misplaced; I've only recently started using it, and it adds a lot of fun whilst detracting nothing. If people use it in what is for them an unhelpful way, that is not Strava's fault.

Yes, it is, partly: Strava should be stronger at removing dangerous (to participants or other users) stretches from its competitions, else it should be made jointly liable for any collisions which its competitors are involved in... but that is a discussion we've had before many times, such as https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/family-cycle-rides-v-strava-ists.190120/

In general, I don't care if you want to tell Big Spam where you are and where you've been. It's only if you start riding like a nobber to "win" on it that I'll get a bit cross.

 

[Fab Foodie]

In the late 1980s there was a big increase in the number of people cycling. Almost exclusively the newbies were riding mountain bikes, then considered new and sexy. If you went to a bike shop you would have struggled to find anything else. I remember reading an article which I think summed up the prevailing attitude at the time: There may still be a few diehard traditionalists around, shaking their fillings loose on 10-speed tourers. Probably not an exact quote, but it well illustrates how I was often made to feel. Had I written an article on the state of recreational cycling at the time I would probably have sounded very much like the guy from the Guardian.

If more people are cycling that can't be anything other than good, can it? I don't feel the issues the writer mentions; when I go out nowadays I encounter all types, and most of them nod or wave. I couldn't look much less like a pseudo racer, and if anyone thinks I'm not worthy of a wave I can smile to myself knowing that when they look at their Strava flybys, they'll find that my ride was almost certainly bigger than theirs. I thought the writer's swipe at Strava seemed particularly misplaced; I've only recently started using it, and it adds a lot of fun whilst detracting nothing. If people use it in what is for them an unhelpful way, that is not Strava's fault.

Ha! I totally recognise your first paragraph :-).
As an example, I first did L2B as a student in around 83/84 and it was mostly crusty CTC types, hardcore London commuters (Claud Butlers and green Karrimor pannier was the top kit) and matching-kitted race club boys. As you say, within a few years there was barely a road-bike in sight! The ride was swelled by a new young brigade atop chunky tired MTBs (I have a veteran of that boom in the garage). Roll the clock on, the Hybrid was the next big boom and then the Aluminium road-bike.

I understand the 'anti-strava' sentiment from a background of having one bike and doing all kinds of riding on it to many, (particularly new), cyclists for whom is 'appears' that Strava is the be-all and end-of in cycling are a bit of an alien breed! Much like MTB riders were in he late 80s ... Weirdos!
Delve below the thin veneer of the glossy mags and the marketing, you find that cycling is a broad church and in rude health and Strava is simply playing its part for those that are interested in performance or comparisons. Let's face it, it started with the cycle computer ( which many of us have long since ditched as an irrelevance) and people will probably move on from Strava. If you really want to know how fast you are, go and join the local club 10 :-)

 

[Hover Fly]

Let's face it, it started with the cycle computer

Map and piece of string, with a stopwatch clipped on the handlebars.
My father told me about a bloke on his club runs in the early '50s who at the top of the hill near Barrow, would stop and take his pulse, if it was too high or low, he would turn round and go home, he was only really interested in his 25 time.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Ha! I totally recognise your first paragraph :-).
As an example, I first did L2B as a student in around 83/84 and it was mostly crusty CTC types, hardcore London commuters (Claud Butlers and green Karrimor pannier was the top kit) and matching-kitted race club boys. As you say, within a few years there was barely a road-bike in sight! The ride was swelled by a new young brigade atop chunky tired MTBs (I have a veteran of that boom in the garage). Roll the clock on, the Hybrid was the next big boom and then the Aluminium road-bike.

I remember going into a bike shop in the late eighties for a close ratio block. When the owner asked what I wanted it for and I told him a road bike I was sneeringly told "Nobody rides them anymore".

 

[hopless500]

I use strava every time I cycle. I don't race, don't plan to and expect I never shall.

Why do you feel you have to be interested in racing, to use strava?

Same here. I use Strava - not to see how fast others are compared to me, but to log my miles and where I've been. That's it.

 

[raleighnut]

In the late 1980s there was a big increase in the number of people cycling. Almost exclusively the newbies were riding mountain bikes, then considered new and sexy. If you went to a bike shop you would have struggled to find anything else. I remember reading an article which I think summed up the prevailing attitude at the time: There may still be a few diehard traditionalists around, shaking their fillings loose on 10-speed tourers. Probably not an exact quote, but it well illustrates how I was often made to feel. Had I written an article on the state of recreational cycling at the time I would probably have sounded very much like the guy from the Guardian.

If more people are cycling that can't be anything other than good, can it? I don't feel the issues the writer mentions; when I go out nowadays I encounter all types, and most of them nod or wave. I couldn't look much less like a pseudo racer, and if anyone thinks I'm not worthy of a wave I can smile to myself knowing that when they look at their Strava flybys, they'll find that my ride was almost certainly bigger than theirs. I thought the writer's swipe at Strava seemed particularly misplaced; I've only recently started using it, and it adds a lot of fun whilst detracting nothing. If people use it in what is for them an unhelpful way, that is not Strava's fault.

I remember when MTBs came out, I used to pass this guy most mornings on one with his legs spinning like billy-o at about 5mph as I cruised past on the Carlton at about 25.

 

[jonny jeez]

http://www.theguardian.com/environm...orers-lament-for-the-changed-world-of-cycling

Somebody should point him over here, perhaps he'd realise these "lost" tribes are still very much alive and pedalling.

The writer is suffering a mid life crisis and is confusing two (or more) aspects of cycling.

People who sometimes treat cycling as sport, will of course be interested I performance and good for them. Those interested in other competative sports, perhaps nett ball or hockey surely don't play against one another without an interest in winning or showing gains. Does the writer deplore his local squash league?

However, leisure cycling exists and is in full bloom, the writer has simply missed the boat whilst blaming adulthood and family ties.

The writer just needs to literally get out more.

 

[Gravity Aided]

That's rather prevalent. It appears most of the popular media has a rather skewed view of cycling. This is probably due to the fact that lycra skinsuits attract more attention than rather more conventional clothing. The newest, flashiest bicycles also tend to attract more attention, perhaps, as well

 

[mjr]

Same here. I use Strava - not to see how fast others are compared to me, but to log my miles and where I've been. That's it.

I don't really understand that - why not use a logging app less focused on fakey-racey cycling and distance yourself from the nobbers?

 

[Dogtrousers]

I don't really understand that - why not use a logging app less focused on fakey-racey cycling and distance yourself from the nobbers?

Strava's a perfectly decent tool for tracking your rides, from what I've seen of it. I happen to use RideWithGPS for that purpose. I've long since forgotten why I chose it over Strava, but "distancing myself from nobbers" was definitely not one of the criteria.

 

[jonny jeez]

I don't really understand that - why not use a logging app less focused on fakey-racey cycling and distance yourself from the nobbers?

Because strava is the only site with the required privacy settings for ne. Ride with gps doesn't hack it I'm afraid...or rather didn't when I made my choice. I am now invested in strava and am happy with that.

 

[mjr]

Because strava is the only site with the required privacy settings for ne.

There is no long-term privacy. Don't upload things you want to keep private.

 

[Jimidh]

I don't really understand that - why not use a logging app less focused on fakey-racey cycling and distance yourself from the nobbers?

Strava has its place in cycling. I'm a half decent road club rider and use it to track my performance both across the whole ride but as a rider who likes a good climb I find it great to chase my times on Hilly sectors.

Lots of different types of cyclists out there ( I road ride, MTB , CX and tootle around with the family) and just because some chose to ride differently from you doesn't make them nobbers.

 

[mjr]

Lots of different types of cyclists out there ( I road ride, MTB , CX and tootle around with the family) and just because some chose to ride differently from you doesn't make them nobbers.

Indeed. It's racing along crowded restricted-visibility tracks that makes some nobbers.

 

[Blue Hills]

This is true also. Filling space. Expect to see more of it after the Daily Mail buys Yahoo.

Confused. I thought your comment above was in general agreement with the writer.
I thought it a pretty good article - the bits on the glories of getting lost and the change in many bike shops struck a chord/made me smile. Usually these days i wander into london bike shops to feel chilled about all the stuff i don't need - like urban lights that will laser a hole in steel as long as i don't stray too far from a computer to plug them into.