What annoys you about cycling.
Discussion
Cycling - it's fantastic isn't it?
However invariably there are going to be things that wind people up so use this as an cathartic thread to air your grievances.
Here are mine;
Wheel sizes - a fairly recent division line in MTB - 262/27.5"/29". The rule seems to be 'pick a wheel size then be a complete dick about it'. Pointless as the industry will no doubt settle on 27.5 in the end.
"I'd ride that on a Hardtail". Oh do f
k off. Anytime anyone asks a question on any forum about buying a full susser there is always someone who turns up to tell them that they don't need a FS bike and that they could ride <insert trail> on a hardtail. It doesn't matter whether the trail in question is Bike Park Wales, Fort Bill or Rampage - some hero will always suggest they could slay it on their 1998 Claude Butler.
I've seen these HT riders on DH tracks. They creep down like nancies and slow everyone up. Yes you can ride it - but you ride it really, really badly and it would be so much more fun on a FS bike. I could lap Silverstone in a Reliant Robin - but it wouldn't be any fun and I'd annoy all other users of the track.
Local Bike Shops: 'Yeah we will have that done in a couple of days'. No. No you won't.
Over to you..
However invariably there are going to be things that wind people up so use this as an cathartic thread to air your grievances.
Here are mine;
Wheel sizes - a fairly recent division line in MTB - 262/27.5"/29". The rule seems to be 'pick a wheel size then be a complete dick about it'. Pointless as the industry will no doubt settle on 27.5 in the end.
"I'd ride that on a Hardtail". Oh do f
k off. Anytime anyone asks a question on any forum about buying a full susser there is always someone who turns up to tell them that they don't need a FS bike and that they could ride <insert trail> on a hardtail. It doesn't matter whether the trail in question is Bike Park Wales, Fort Bill or Rampage - some hero will always suggest they could slay it on their 1998 Claude Butler.I've seen these HT riders on DH tracks. They creep down like nancies and slow everyone up. Yes you can ride it - but you ride it really, really badly and it would be so much more fun on a FS bike. I could lap Silverstone in a Reliant Robin - but it wouldn't be any fun and I'd annoy all other users of the track.
Local Bike Shops: 'Yeah we will have that done in a couple of days'. No. No you won't.
Over to you..
Strava. I use it, find it useful and log most of my rides over 5 miles or so. It's cool to have something to 'show' for your effort and to compare progress over time. The calorie counter is great to justify more beer.
But, and I'm as guilty of this as anyone, I dislike intensely the way that it is used to competify (I made that up, I think) everyday bike riding. Especially when it's populated by us blokes who tend to become competitive over whatever hobby we hit upon - golf, cars, skiing etc. You know that feeling of one upmanship of posting up a ride longer or faster than your Strava mates, or more of them? It's a bit addictive, isn't it?
A long bike ride in the country on a warm summer day is a life affirming joy and I just wish I didn't bother with the Strava quite so often, but I know I will...
But, and I'm as guilty of this as anyone, I dislike intensely the way that it is used to competify (I made that up, I think) everyday bike riding. Especially when it's populated by us blokes who tend to become competitive over whatever hobby we hit upon - golf, cars, skiing etc. You know that feeling of one upmanship of posting up a ride longer or faster than your Strava mates, or more of them? It's a bit addictive, isn't it?
A long bike ride in the country on a warm summer day is a life affirming joy and I just wish I didn't bother with the Strava quite so often, but I know I will...
2volvos said:
Strava
I forgot about Strava.My local woods used to have some nice trails - nothing gnarly but a couple of nice little tight techy sections that were a challenge to ride cleanly.
Then the Strava mob descent and either start taking out the trail feature - or create a straight line through it so that they can improve their time.
When you start removing the challenges and therefore the fun to improve Strava times something is wrong.
GarryDK said:
Full sus bikes being used on a commute wearing full black gear no lights at night. Those who feel traffic lights dont apply to them.
It gives the rest of us a bad rep.
commuting on full suspension bikes. I see so many people bobbing up and down wasting energy, struggling with heavy bikes and high tyre friction. They must however gain some fantastic fitness if they push themselves. I almost feel lazy in comparison as I bomb past.It gives the rest of us a bad rep.
^^^
I don't get people who buy those horrendous 'full suspension' bikes from ASDA or wherever the hell they get them.
They weigh about 50lbs yet people use them as commuter/ride to the shops bikes for some unknown reason.
If you took them to a trail there would be a massive and catastrophic failure of the frame/fork/stem/bars as soon as you showed it anything remotely difficult.
Awful, horrible, stty things..
I don't get people who buy those horrendous 'full suspension' bikes from ASDA or wherever the hell they get them.
They weigh about 50lbs yet people use them as commuter/ride to the shops bikes for some unknown reason.
If you took them to a trail there would be a massive and catastrophic failure of the frame/fork/stem/bars as soon as you showed it anything remotely difficult.
Awful, horrible, s
tty things..I've mentioned them before, but I REALLY dislike other cyclists who, once you pass them think its OK to sit 10mm from your rear wheel with out letting you know they are there. Firstly, it's rude not to say hi and secondly if I haven't worked out they are there and I decide to , slow down, stop, change direction, avoid a pot hole , they have no idea what I'm going to do and they crash into the back of me!
People who repeatedly filter to the front of a queue of traffic then push to the front of the ASL only to then set off really slowly diagonally to the kerb to hold up the cyclists or even cars who have been demonstrably quicker than them at every preceding set of lights. Is a high speed undertake permitted in these situations?
I used to get wound up by wobbly abortive trackstands but now I find them amusing.
My bikes being noisy. Never has so much fretting been caused by ticking or grunching,
“I’ve gone FULL CARBON!” Great stuff, nothing wrong with carbon bikes but in a lot of cases; what’s heavier; a pound of carbon or a pound of aluminium?
Pink gillets, You say “Because Geeroh”. I say it makes it easier to spot someone who’s about to do a point 1.
Inappropriate use of high power lights – Chinese Cree’s on max + strobe mounted on the helmet with one of those meltdown rears in a lit urban 15mph average speed environment is just a caucs trick.
I used to get wound up by wobbly abortive trackstands but now I find them amusing.
My bikes being noisy. Never has so much fretting been caused by ticking or grunching,
“I’ve gone FULL CARBON!” Great stuff, nothing wrong with carbon bikes but in a lot of cases; what’s heavier; a pound of carbon or a pound of aluminium?
Pink gillets, You say “Because Geeroh”. I say it makes it easier to spot someone who’s about to do a point 1.
Inappropriate use of high power lights – Chinese Cree’s on max + strobe mounted on the helmet with one of those meltdown rears in a lit urban 15mph average speed environment is just a caucs trick.
The British weather.
My job (taking me away from valuable cycling time).
Not having a city like Copenhagen or Amsterdam in the UK where I could move to and semi-retire my car. (Maybe I should just move there).
My age. Specifically, those 20 years I did nothing but surfed the sofa, frittering away the health and fitness I had as a youth. I'll never get that back.
My obsession for n+1.
My job (taking me away from valuable cycling time).
Not having a city like Copenhagen or Amsterdam in the UK where I could move to and semi-retire my car. (Maybe I should just move there).
My age. Specifically, those 20 years I did nothing but surfed the sofa, frittering away the health and fitness I had as a youth. I'll never get that back.
My obsession for n+1.
Watchman said:
Not having a city like Copenhagen or Amsterdam in the UK where I could move to and semi-retire my car. (Maybe I should just move there).
This is what cycling looks like in Denmark.
Generally people use bikes as alternative transport and so you do not normally see sports bikes, or MTBs. Cyclists travel in relaxed platoons rather than race each other. I think there is much greater respect from both sides of road users. Here both parties seem to want to declare war on the other party.
Fundamentally, I think this is the reason why UK roads will never resemble roads in The Netherlands and Denmark, and why the DfT will always miss its targets for cycling. But it is a huge shame.
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