The Strange World Of Cycling

[RobWard]

As a newbie to the cycling world I have noticed a strange world unfolding before me. Things I have noticed.

1, How polite and friendly other cyclist are. Everyone I pass always says Goodmorning or hi. You never get that when driving or walking the streets (im some areas)

2, Why are there so few ethnic cyclist? How come you never see a chinese cyclist out on the road? Pakistan? Asian? Africans? It seems to me that 99% of the cyclist out on our UK roads are all white? I wonder why this is?

3, Sport shops, never been in these places until recently, but as soon as I walk in, some young assistant runs over "You ok Sir? Need any help?" Well yes I do but if I have got no idea what I want, how can you help! Just let me browse please!!

4, How and why has this cycling took over my life! Lol.. I find myself watching the bike channel while browsing Amazon looking at cycling gear whilst wondering where and when my next ride will be ! I am loving my rides and wonder why I never got on the saddle sooner after a 22yr break!

5, Is it just me or do you find that when you are out and about without your bike and see other cyclist, You're looking at their bikes and weighing up the specs to see how serious they are about their ride. Before I got back on the bike every other cyclist I saw were just the same. People who could not aford a car. I know, that attitude stinks. But now I realise how ignorant I was, Which now makes me wonder if the majority of other motorist think the same when they now see me. Am I a burden on the road, am I in the way, these are the thoughts that rush through my head when I hear a car behind me waiting to get past.

But saying that. I am loving my cycling, and actually loving life a little more. Something I have not felt in a long time.

 

[Sharky]

Dont worry, the feeling doesnt last. It starts to wear off after about 50 years.

 

[S-Express]

2, Why are there so few ethnic cyclist? How come you never see a chinese cyclist out on the road? Pakistan? Asian? Africans? It seems to me that 99% of the cyclist out on our UK roads are all white? I wonder why this is?

Plenty out there, depending on the ethnic make-up of your area.

5, Is it just me or do you find that when you are out and about without your bike and see other cyclist, You're looking at their bikes and weighing up the specs to see how serious they are about their ride.

I think that's just you. A high spec bike is no indicator of how serious a 'cyclist' is.

 

[mjr]

1, How polite and friendly other cyclist are. Everyone I pass always says Goodmorning or hi. You never get that when driving or walking the streets (im some areas)

It varies - around here, most people say hello in the villages, but you get looked at funny if you say hello in the towns (and not just the busy bits like High Streets). Same whether walking or cycling.

Funniest thing is at least once, I've been driving out in the villages and waved hi to a cyclist... who waved back

2, Why are there so few ethnic cyclist?

It's complicated, as you can see from researchers' stories like https://thinkingaboutcycling.com/2012/12/10/cycling-struggles-6/ but there's a big numbers effect too: cyclists are a minority in all groups, so you're looking for a minority of a minority. Even then, non-white people are underrepresented. Depressingly little has been done to try to address this.

5, Is it just me or do you find that when you are out and about without your bike and see other cyclist, You're looking at their bikes and weighing up the specs to see how serious they are about their ride.

Not the specs, but the beauty of it. Sometimes it results in pictures in a Classic and Vintage thread.

Before I got back on the bike every other cyclist I saw were just the same. People who could not aford a car. I know, that attitude stinks. But now I realise how ignorant I was, Which now makes me wonder if the majority of other motorist think the same when they now see me. Am I a burden on the road, am I in the way, these are the thoughts that rush through my head when I hear a car behind me waiting to get past.

Probably... make sure those you know know that you cycle because it's a fun and easy way to get around (but don't become a bore) and not because you're suddenly poor. Other than that, when you hear a car behind...

 

[si_c]

I think that's just you. A high spec bike is no indicator of how serious a 'cyclist' is.

Better off looking at their calves and how well used and maintained their bike is.

 

[midlife]

Dont worry, the feeling doesnt last. It starts to wear off after about 50 years.

Or it wears off quickly and comes back after 50 years

Shaun

 

[steveindenmark]

Better off looking at their calves and how well used and maintained their bike is.

Do not under any circumstances, go looking at other mens calves. Unless you want to visit a hospital.

I ride 200km most weeks but dont have cyclist calves.

 

[Big T]

Things are changing but it's mainly young, white males who cycle - though the average age of my cycling club must be in the 40s or 50s. Seeing more and more women too, but they are still in a minority.

 

[Brandane]

1, How polite and friendly other cyclist are. Everyone I pass always says Goodmorning or hi.

Is this a reverse "kerrrrrchinggggg" for @ianrauk ?
Hang about for a few days @RobWard , we're long overdue a thread stating the opposite .

 

[RobWard]

It's complicated, as you can see from researchers' stories like https://thinkingaboutcycling.com/2012/12/10/cycling-struggles-6/ but there's a big numbers effect too: cyclists are a minority in all groups, so you're looking for a minority of a minority. Even then, non-white people are underrepresented. Depressingly little has been done to try to address this.
View attachment 147347

Thats a great article @mjr some interesting reading there. Thanks

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Plenty of cyclists from non white origin round North Manchester. The cycling demographic doesn't match the wandering round town on a Saturday afternoon demographic still, but to ghettoise cycling as quite so white is I suspect very much dependent on where you live.

 

[RobWard]

Plenty of cyclists from non white origin round North Manchester. The cycling demographic doesn't match the wandering round town on a Saturday afternoon demographic still, but to ghettoise cycling as quite so white is I suspect very much dependent on where you live.

I was not just refering to areas of the UK. How many do you see in te cycling teams? MTBs? Tour?

 

[Tin Pot]

Some would view the cycling community as an ethnic group of itself devoid of segregation by genetics or birth-culture.

 

[RobWard]

Some would view the cycling community as an ethnic group of itself devoid of segregation by genetics or birth-culture.

Man! Thats deep!

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Ah, wasn't clear. At world tour road race level it is a largely European based sport and up and coming stagiere (unpaid, expenses/winnings only) young riders making their way up the ladder have to self fund a lot so from outside of the primarily white European catchment its a lot harder to survive. The lower leagues of cycling are more global but garner even less media coverage than top level cycling does in the UK. Track cycling is a more varied melting pot but even there it is not the global mix it could be. Its fair to assume that historically impoverished African and Asian areas have priorities other than Velodromes.