Growing hostility towards Mountainbikers and Cyclists
- Thread starter M-Power
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I'm knocking about the northern Peak Disctrict like that - but I seldom see people my age or younger when I'm out, it's all lycra roadies or boring folks with mid-range bike-to-work MTBs that seldom bat an eyelid to a young guy fighting along on a 20 year old Kona... I can tell the 'real' cyclists a mile off, like the one modestly dressed fella that gave me the nod out of the 20 or so I passed going the other way over the A635 last week. I just keep seeing the same bikes over and over again too, Cube this, Boardman that...
legrandefromage":27q6ty8i said:
I'm knocking about the northern Peak Disctrict like that - but I seldom see people my age or younger when I'm out, it's all lycra roadies or boring folks with mid-range bike-to-work MTBs that seldom bat an eyelid to a young guy fighting along on a 20 year old Kona... I can tell the 'real' cyclists a mile off, like the one modestly dressed fella that gave me the nod out of the 20 or so I passed going the other way over the A635 last week. I just keep seeing the same bikes over and over again too, Cube this, Boardman that...
So, guys, what are you doing about the lack of young riders out there?
I've worked with one of our local shops and the local cycling advocacy group to help kids get started in mountain biking. Started this year, after trying to find such a group for myself and my 8yo daughter, only to be figuratively stomped on the trails by the guys running what they called a youth ride. They were really training rides for late-teen racers.
So, this year I started a kids/youth/beginner's ride. Facebook makes it known in the cycling community, as does the local shop. Here's last week's attendance: 24 riders total.
Give them a group, keep'em smilin' and encourage the rank beginners. When they don't make a hill, tell'em how well they did to get as far as they did.
If WE enthusiasts don't work to popularize our sport, it's doomed to obsolescence.
J
I've worked with one of our local shops and the local cycling advocacy group to help kids get started in mountain biking. Started this year, after trying to find such a group for myself and my 8yo daughter, only to be figuratively stomped on the trails by the guys running what they called a youth ride. They were really training rides for late-teen racers.
So, this year I started a kids/youth/beginner's ride. Facebook makes it known in the cycling community, as does the local shop. Here's last week's attendance: 24 riders total.
Give them a group, keep'em smilin' and encourage the rank beginners. When they don't make a hill, tell'em how well they did to get as far as they did.
If WE enthusiasts don't work to popularize our sport, it's doomed to obsolescence.
J
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M-Power
Old School Grand Master
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Agree with GroovyB, there's been a sudden hate campaign against cyclists in the last few years, prolly brought on by a cyclist helmet cam videos. Maybe things will improve as motorists become accustomed to more riders on the roads.
Agree with Rod's sentiments. The growth in popularity can only be a good thing in the long term. Cycling has recently become a destination resort activity, an adrenaline junkie's pass time, driven by marketing and better equipment. Increasing ride restrictions will see to that. I do lament that tbh.
I do miss the care free crazy shit we got upto bitd and the rave scene
and nobody cared what you rode. Most guys with the top end bikes worked in the business and paid trade prices anyway. When the time came to sell there was no hit which was great. It was always handy to wheel your £3500 bike out to compare and contrast it with a £350-500 bike for a customer. 9/10 Mr executive would spend much more after riding your bike It amazing how many really expensive bikes get sold these days compared to the 90s, yet so few high st bike shops make any real money.
Fantastic FSX. We used to encourage the youth to join our training rides around Hampstead Heath bitd. Naturally they had cheap bikes that broke and we'd be obliged to fix it, so said youth's long face turned into a big smile again.
Agree with GroovyB, there's been a sudden hate campaign against cyclists in the last few years, prolly brought on by a cyclist helmet cam videos. Maybe things will improve as motorists become accustomed to more riders on the roads.
Agree with Rod's sentiments. The growth in popularity can only be a good thing in the long term. Cycling has recently become a destination resort activity, an adrenaline junkie's pass time, driven by marketing and better equipment. Increasing ride restrictions will see to that. I do lament that tbh.
I do miss the care free crazy shit we got upto bitd and the rave scene
and nobody cared what you rode. Most guys with the top end bikes worked in the business and paid trade prices anyway. When the time came to sell there was no hit which was great. It was always handy to wheel your £3500 bike out to compare and contrast it with a £350-500 bike for a customer. 9/10 Mr executive would spend much more after riding your bike It amazing how many really expensive bikes get sold these days compared to the 90s, yet so few high st bike shops make any real money.Fantastic FSX. We used to encourage the youth to join our training rides around Hampstead Heath bitd. Naturally they had cheap bikes that broke and we'd be obliged to fix it, so said youth's long face turned into a big smile again.
Silvergoat
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Have to say it's a genuine delight to see this group photo from FSXStumpy – it's one of real joy and inclusiveness. This is how things could be in the UK, without the tribalism or snobbery or macho Strava competitiveness – cycling as a natural part of life and way of life. Fun! An activity and transportation open to all. Not something that's considered as abnormal and viewed with suspicion and resentment.
The Netherlands always provides us with a good positive template. Something that came out of the 'Provo's' in the mid-sixties with their White Bicycle Plan and then a little later into the 70's, the "Stop de Kindermoord" movement ("Stop the Child Murder") campaigned to reclaim streets from motorised traffic as community spaces safe for children to play in (post-war, The Netherlands was actually embracing the car increasingly, like in Britain). This movement, along with possibly the mid-seventies oil crisis, eventually helped change government policy, with the bike being seen as a key part in transport and in making urban spaces people-friendly, safer and liveable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o Somehow, I doubt this will happen in the UK.
Have to say it's a genuine delight to see this group photo from FSXStumpy – it's one of real joy and inclusiveness. This is how things could be in the UK, without the tribalism or snobbery or macho Strava competitiveness – cycling as a natural part of life and way of life. Fun! An activity and transportation open to all. Not something that's considered as abnormal and viewed with suspicion and resentment.
The Netherlands always provides us with a good positive template. Something that came out of the 'Provo's' in the mid-sixties with their White Bicycle Plan and then a little later into the 70's, the "Stop de Kindermoord" movement ("Stop the Child Murder") campaigned to reclaim streets from motorised traffic as community spaces safe for children to play in (post-war, The Netherlands was actually embracing the car increasingly, like in Britain). This movement, along with possibly the mid-seventies oil crisis, eventually helped change government policy, with the bike being seen as a key part in transport and in making urban spaces people-friendly, safer and liveable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o Somehow, I doubt this will happen in the UK.
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Silvergoat
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This is one of those phantom thoughts of scary 'what if' scenarios that occasionally flit and lurk around the dark recesses of the mind. Although it's awful, can we be sure on the veracity of the story?
This is one of those phantom thoughts of scary 'what if' scenarios that occasionally flit and lurk around the dark recesses of the mind. Although it's awful, can we be sure on the veracity of the story?
Silvergoat
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That's fair enough then and genuinely good luck to her – I can fully appreciate from my own experiences how hard it can be to get back on the bike after a bad accident and injury and ride through traffic again. I could imagine that being deliberately been pushed off the bike as you're riding along could be enough to put one off for life. The downside of social media is that the negative bile and hateful actions circulated on it can give some people ideas and make some think that it's OK to behave like that in life.
M-Power":u3yobpza said:
That's fair enough then and genuinely good luck to her – I can fully appreciate from my own experiences how hard it can be to get back on the bike after a bad accident and injury and ride through traffic again. I could imagine that being deliberately been pushed off the bike as you're riding along could be enough to put one off for life. The downside of social media is that the negative bile and hateful actions circulated on it can give some people ideas and make some think that it's OK to behave like that in life.
Boron
Old School Hero
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I haven't read the whole thread but just wanted to say I have noticed increasing hostility in London.
Some of this is (sad to say) warranted – some clueless riders for sure, also seeing people riding no hands with headphones on busy London streets surely doesn't help the public image. It's hard to pinpoint the exact cause, but I feel the old maxim 'familiarity breeds contempt' does apply. There's just too damn many of us now compared to 10 or 15 years ago. I blame Dave Brailsford.
I got a ticket on the Heath last year. I wasn't in the woods, just pootling along at 2mph on a wide track with no one around. The Heath Police pull up behind in a van, take my details and say next time it's a £200 fine. I get the distinct feeling that the police have orders from above to come down harder on cyclists these days. It's about the only time I've ever had any issue in 30+ years of biking.
Ah for the old days with a scrambler on Sandy Heath without fear of punishment...
I haven't read the whole thread but just wanted to say I have noticed increasing hostility in London.
Some of this is (sad to say) warranted – some clueless riders for sure, also seeing people riding no hands with headphones on busy London streets surely doesn't help the public image. It's hard to pinpoint the exact cause, but I feel the old maxim 'familiarity breeds contempt' does apply. There's just too damn many of us now compared to 10 or 15 years ago. I blame Dave Brailsford.
M-Power":3p2o26mn said:
I got a ticket on the Heath last year. I wasn't in the woods, just pootling along at 2mph on a wide track with no one around. The Heath Police pull up behind in a van, take my details and say next time it's a £200 fine. I get the distinct feeling that the police have orders from above to come down harder on cyclists these days. It's about the only time I've ever had any issue in 30+ years of biking.
Ah for the old days with a scrambler on Sandy Heath without fear of punishment...
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