No more hippies and explorers?

[Dec66]

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.

 

[Smokin Joe]

No a bad article in the Guardian today. Though spent most of my life as a performance obsessed roadie I always enjoyed the other aspects of cycling too, as did most of my peers. I'll agree with the writer here that much of that has been lost -

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

 

[Dec66]

I posted that, too, below... I can kind of see what he means but I think he's wrong. The nobber count may have gone up but there's still plenty of people doing precisely the things he says are going, and an awful lot of those people post their adventures here.

 

[Crackle]

I recognise some of the things he says but I don't identify with his version of the past or the present. Strikes me he's one of those 'things aren't like they were' types who I have little time for. I'd say there's even more diversity around cycling now than there was.

 

[glenn forger]

It's inventing journalism by manufacturing divisions mixed with a sprinkling of "I was doing x before it was cool".

 

[glenn forger]

"Is cycling the new golf?"

Your face my arse.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I think the cycling culture has changed, as has most of the culture, into a hurrry-up-and- get your-leisure-done-because-we-need-you-back-at-the-office sort of construct, also fueled by competitiveness and materialism. This, in turn, is fed by the "consumer economy", which may turn out to be a hoax, in the end. No, I don't need a $1,000.00 bicycle, because someone will be discarding his after a bad showing in a triathlon for a couple hundred. Blame the motor, not the bike.

 

[Gravity Aided]

It's inventing journalism by manufacturing divisions mixed with a sprinkling of "I was doing x before it was cool".

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

 

[Milkfloat]

I agree with you lot more than him. Yes 'roadies' are more prevalent than they have been for a long time, yes there is a lot of Rapha and carbon on display and yes strava has introduced a different angle to the competitiveness of old, but...... in my opinion there is no real decrease in the numbers of other cyclists out there, it is just they are swamped by these new increasing numbers, the majority I think are good for cycling as a whole.

I count myself as a bit odd, I commute, mini-tour, utility and fast ride as well as the odd bit of MTB when I get the time and inclination. They all have their attraction and purpose, but I don't like to see them pigeonholed. I see myself as someone who frequently rides a bike.

 

[Markymark]

I ate pizza before it was cool.

Burnt my tongue.

 

[steveindenmark]

I have touring cyclists coming by my house all summer. I jump out and grab them and they have coffee and cake on my terrace. They talk about the kit, the journey, the bikes. But they dont talk about Strava.

Ive never looked at Strava. If I had to think about racing I would get rid of my bikes. There are still a lot of us who dont mind wearing t shirts and shorts when riding a bike. But if people want to race, thats fine by me. Ive never been looked down by racing cyclists because I dont have the right gear or a helmet. At the top of Sa Collabra, in Majorca, with my Koga World Traveller and 4 panniers, I was a local hero/nutter for 5 minutes. The racing guys couldnt believe I had made it to the top.

I dont care what you ride as long as you ride and dont ask me to race you.

Mind you, I do have a full Carbon, Di2, Ultegra road bike in the loft. It has never been out on the road. It will look great with panniers on it

 

[Dogtrousers]

"I don't like being looked down on". No one's looking down on you, mate. No one's even looking at you.

 

[biking_fox]

"I don't like being looked down on". No one's looking down on you, mate. No one's even looking at you.

- that's what he thinks is the problem. He wants the attention of being looked at.

First, I don’t like being looked down on

That's his problem right there. Firstly he's concerned with what other people think of him. Just get on the bike and ride it however you like.

 

[Hacienda71]

The diversity of cyclists on this forum shows he is talking bollox.

 

[rugby bloke]

Top marks for ranting, not sure how much substance there is. Seems to have had his nose put out by the fact that more people are cycling so he can no longer seeing himself as being alternative, edgy, whatever.