Pedal Power - The Unstoppable Growth of Cycling

[Drago]

Unfortunately there are too many of the type who walk up a hill pushing their bike so they can roll down the other side shouting 'weeee'. People who 'enjoy the simple pleasures of riding a bike'. I always thought that mentality was for 7 year olds.

Cycling is a sport. You should do it to the best of your ability and aim to make constsnt improvement. I can't understand how so many 'cyclists' have no interest in times, power, speed etc. It's like going to the gym and lifting the same weight every time, never adding more.

And to think we're quick to moan about car drivers who aspire to drive in F1...

If you want to chase a stopwatch then great, all power to you. However, it's disingenuous of you not to accept that other cyclists simply do it for the craic.

 

[Smokin Joe]

The more the merrier as far as I'm concerned - no matter if you are pootling along for pleasure, trying to break your strava PR or whizzing down the hill on a MTB the more people we have cycling the less issues we will have with drivers.

I have my doubts about that. I didn't notice any more aggression when we were a minority geek sport.

 

[Cush]

@blazed


I'm sorry about the gratuitous use of smilies......but I love walking up steep hills and going weeeeeee down the other side. Mind you 28 years ago I did an ironman in 12 hrs....no walking then not in the swim, cycle or run

Yep and I have done LEJOG and most of the C2Cs as well as a circular from Haltwhistle via Lands End and Dover.

 

[MontyVeda]

Unfortunately there are too many of the type who walk up a hill pushing their bike so they can roll down the other side shouting 'weeee'. People who 'enjoy the simple pleasures of riding a bike'. I always thought that mentality was for 7 year olds.

Cycling is a sport. You should do it to the best of your ability and aim to make constsnt improvement. I can't understand how so many 'cyclists' have no interest in times, power, speed etc. It's like going to the gym and lifting the same weight every time, never adding more.

Yeah but... the more of us who don't give two sh!ts about times, speed, power... the better chance you have of continuing to be the bestest 14stone climber on Strava, then you'll continue to get 50K+ kudos after every ride.... have you managed to shift any weight yet, fatty?

 

[Wolf616]

Personally I shout 'weeee.... cough, gasp, cough... weeee' as I cycle up the hill

 

[Pikey]

It isn't a sport to me I couldn't give a flying whatsit what my times, power and speed are, I ride purely for pleasure, if that makes me have the mentality of a seven year old then so be it.

^ This x100. Took a while to get to that point of view though.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Cycling for me is freedom of movement, I don't have a car, don't like driving one bit.
Don't like sports much either
It's great noticing more and more utilitarian cycling in my area.
Wonder how much cake is offset by my yearly 3,500+ miles?

 

[ColinJ]

I don't buy the local paper very often these days but I bought a copy yesterday for its coverage of the Boxing Day floods.

I spotted this headline in the paper: "Pensioners pedal power raises thousands" and decided to read the report. Often, these reports talk about the "amazing effort" required to cycle the equivalent of to the shops and back, so I wasn't expecting much but was impressed to find that the 2 elderly women had actually ridden a LEJOG to raise money for Cancer Research. More than that - they had decided that the standard 874 mile route was a bit too easy and had done an extended 1,200 mile version instead, riding 55-65 miles every day ...

Everybody is at it! (Well, there are still a few people who have not yet seen the light, but I live in hope ... )

 

[MontyVeda]

I don't buy the local paper very often these days but I bought a copy yesterday for its coverage of the Boxing Day floods.

...

How did you fare in the end Colin? Got a few mates in Todd but not heard owt from 'em.

 

[Markymark]

@blazed


I'm sorry about the gratuitous use of smilies......but I love walking up steep hills and going weeeeeee down the other side. Mind you 28 years ago I did an ironman in 12 hrs....no walking then not even in the swim.

28 years ago, 12 hours is not bad for a 70 year old.

 

[ColinJ]

How did you fare in the end Colin? Got a few mates in Todd but not heard owt from 'em.

Thanks for asking! The nearest flood damage I could find when I got home was about 100 yards away, 3 or 4 feet below the level of my new home. The other worry was whether my cellar would have flooded from ground water. I got about an inch of water in there a couple of months ago, but it wasn't even that bad this time. Many people were not so lucky though and I feel very sorry for them. Hebden Bridge seemed to be much worse. I've heard that some business owners who could not afford flood insurance will probably now close up for good.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

No it's not. Only bullfighting, mountaineering and motor racing are sports. The rest are merely games.

With the odd pastime thrown in?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Your attributions went wonky. It was El Grumpo from da Sham that said that. Anyhoo,

Gregers Grumpysen of the Svedish Resistance* these days, complete with silly Nordic beard.

*There wasn't much but for Fans sake don't mention the war.

 

[Tim Hall]

Gregers Grumpysen of the Svedish Resistance* these days, complete with silly Nordic beard.

*There wasn't much but for Fans sake don't mention the war.

Ooh. I was in Norway once, deep in the bowels of Phillips Petroleum, when something bad happened. My Norwegian contact said a word very like that, laden with venom. I didn't need to google translate it.

 

[Rafferty]

You only gotta worry when pastel shade Pringle becomes cycling clobber of choice.

Unfortunately, Rapha already have that market covered, which is why I would never buy their kit.