The Entertainment Value of Chavs.

[Arch]

Riding home, I got stuck behind a little shoal of chavs on BSOs. Three of them, there were, all over the road. They spotted me coming up behind and two of them hopped up onto the pavement while the third ambled in front of me. I think he thought he was being cool holding me up (traffic prevented me overtaking with anything like the berth I'd want to give), but I was happy to pootle and revel in the gently hypnotic pringleness of his rear wheel. And the lack of rear brakes. And the fact that his mate was riding on the small sprocket and a chainring so small it might have been a sprocket. Oh, and that one had a little rat tail of hair, unplaited.

Further up, the one in the road decided to wheelie. I'd dropped back a bit, and was glad of it when he and the bike tipped right over backwards. He stayed on his feet, just - I think I saw a clip of a motorcycle racer once, who came off and sort of hopped and jumped at high speed and nearly got back on - it reminded me of that.

When they turned up Petergate, I could have gone the other way, but decided to follow them in the hope that one of them really would fall off for my entertainment. They didn't, but wheelie boy did another wheelie, and nearly went into the back of a van. That's what comes of wheelieing with no back brake....

I got past eventually after the Minster, and had to ping my bell at a pair of pedestrians who ambled out without looking - one of them looked at me and said "Hi!" and I realised it was someone from Uni. I think she might of thought my ping was a greeting. I'm half glad I restrained my instincive "Watch where you're going!".

No point really, but sometimes it's amusing to just hang back and watch people.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Sort of to reinforce your point about hanging back, I was coming up behind two scooter/moped things, riders with the helmets half on so they could better smoke their fags, having some sort of game/debate weaving between the lanes of a dual carriageway at rush hour. I decided my best option as to get ahead and out of the way.
A little further on, having had the road to myself I checked behind as I was approaching a roundabout and saw two scooter things belly up with the former riders picking up their helmets in front of an audience of angry cars.
If I'd only waited.

 

[sunnyjim]

Riding home, I got stuck behind a little shoal of chavs on BSOs. Three of them, there were, all over the road. They spotted me coming up behind and two of them hopped up onto the pavement while the third ambled in front of me. I think he thought he was being cool holding me up (traffic prevented me overtaking with anything like the berth I'd want to give), but I was happy to pootle and revel in the gently hypnotic pringleness of his rear wheel. And the lack of rear brakes. And the fact that his mate was riding on the small sprocket and a chainring so small it might have been a sprocket. Oh, and that one had a little rat tail of hair, unplaited.

Further up, the one in the road decided to wheelie. I'd dropped back a bit, and was glad of it when he and the bike tipped right over backwards. He stayed on his feet, just - I think I saw a clip of a motorcycle racer once, who came off and sort of hopped and jumped at high speed and nearly got back on - it reminded me of that.

When they turned up Petergate, I could have gone the other way, but decided to follow them in the hope that one of them really would fall off for my entertainment. They didn't, but wheelie boy did another wheelie, and nearly went into the back of a van. That's what comes of wheelieing with no back brake....

I got past eventually after the Minster, and had to ping my bell at a pair of pedestrians who ambled out without looking - one of them looked at me and said "Hi!" and I realised it was someone from Uni. I think she might of thought my ping was a greeting. I'm half glad I restrained my instincive "Watch where you're going!".

No point really, but sometimes it's amusing to just hang back and watch people.

They're wee laddies on bikes. I was a wee laddie on a bike once*. Salt of the earth. Maybe. Given time.




* now I'm an auld bufty on a bike




'gently hypnotic pringleness of wheel' is good, 'though.

 

[potsy]

As much as I agree about chavs on bikes, I can't help admire there bike handling skills

One I saw this morning had both hands in his fleece pockets and was merrily riding down the road in a perfect straight line

 

[Dayvo]

It's a well-known fact that Danny MacAskill is a chav!


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o










or perhaps not!

 

[Arch]

As much as I agree about chavs on bikes, I can't help admire there bike handling skills

One I saw this morning had both hands in his fleece pockets and was merrily riding down the road in a perfect straight line

God yes, I'm jealous as hell!

I have to say that as I approached, I expected a lot of lip, and was on the defensive. In fact they just joked among themselves, and didn't really do me any harm, or sneer or anything. But Wheelie boy really did nearly hurt himself, and if he'd been doing it just a large vehicle went by fast, it could have been nasty.

(And I know I sound snobbish. Fact is, where I work we have a fair number of unruly kids locally who can be extremely aggravating, so I tend to assume the worst).

 

[coffeejo]

As much as I agree about chavs on bikes, I can't help admire there bike handling skills

One I saw this morning had both hands in his fleece pockets and was merrily riding down the road in a perfect straight line

Round here, the trick seems to be multitasking whilst cycling. Can of coke in one hand, chips in t'other, or texting whilst eating, etc etc. All whilst talking to their mates. Not once do they swerve, wobble or otherwise lose control. Me, I lose my balance by looking over my shoulder.

 

[ufkacbln]

God yes, I'm jealous as hell!

I have to say that as I approached, I expected a lot of lip, and was on the defensive. In fact they just joked among themselves, and didn't really do me any harm, or sneer or anything. But Wheelie boy really did nearly hurt himself, and if he'd been doing it just a large vehicle went by fast, it could have been nasty.

(And I know I sound snobbish. Fact is, where I work we have a fair number of unruly kids locally who can be extremely aggravating, so I tend to assume the worst).

You can ride a Catrike and eat a cooked
breakfast as they are so stable

But I suppose no handed on a recumbent trike is cheating

 

[Bluebell72]

As much as I agree about chavs on bikes, I can't help admire there bike handling skills

One I saw this morning had both hands in his fleece pockets and was merrily riding down the road in a perfect straight line

I saw one this afternoon, riding away from the post office depot, opening his parcel, with both hands while riding.

I'd love to ride 'non-handed' but fear a terrible leg-arm-spoke-windmill.

 

[fossyant]

As much as I agree about chavs on bikes, I can't help admire there bike handling skills

One I saw this morning had both hands in his fleece pockets and was merrily riding down the road in a perfect straight line

Git - I can't do that.

 

[fossyant]

I pass a young lass riding home from work/college on a BSO full susser most days. I feel sorry for her - must be terrible. Some right bounce coming from it, and her saddle is about 6 inches too low. Hard work.

 

[Arch]

terrible leg-arm-spoke-windmill.

 

[Hip Priest]

As much as I agree about chavs on bikes, I can't help admire there bike handling skills

One I saw this morning had both hands in his fleece pockets and was merrily riding down the road in a perfect straight line

You're not wrong. I saw a chav the other day. He was belting along at quite a speed, even though it was raining, and then just sat up, hands off the handlebars, casual as owt, but still keeping it in a straight line.


I managed to get a photo...

 

[deanE]

"I got past eventually after the Minster, and had to ping my bell at a pair of pedestrians who ambled out without looking - one of them looked at me and said "Hi!" and I realised it was someone from Uni. I think she might of thought my ping was a greeting. I'm half glad I restrained my instincive "Watch where you're going!"."

reminds me of Leslie Phillips from the Navy lark. (Days of Steam radio). When he saw a particularly attractive girl he would mutter under his breath, "Ding Ding". Try it when you are out on the road.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Round here, the trick seems to be multitasking whilst cycling. Can of coke in one hand, chips in t'other, or texting whilst eating, etc etc. All whilst talking to their mates. Not once do they swerve, wobble or otherwise lose control. Me, I lose my balance by looking over my shoulder.

Apologies everyone, but when I first skim reasd this post I read that sentence as

"Round here, the trick seems to be masturbating while cycling"

which made my mind boggle a bit.