Daft and selfish too?
Blocking the cafe bike rack by locking your bikes like this to it 🤷♂️
Belonged to two old boys sat inside the cafe, when I asked why they hadn't used the rack properly so others can use it they came up with "it's how we always do it"
That's ok then! 😀🤦
I would rather lock the bike to the fence than use one of those one wheel racks
Lock your bike to theirs. Then enjoy a nice long relaxing cake & coffee break. It’s how you always do it, right? Therefore ok
+1
And yes, those racks are awful...
I honestly think they've done you a favour by preventing you from locking your bike into a wheel-bender rack.
Aye,old folk,what are they like.
😆 🤣 😂
I would have had my money on a newly retired couple,that have just decided to take up cycling again.
You can't use a wheel bender rack sensibly - they're bad for your wheels, unstable, and you can't lock the bikes securely. So I have some sympathy, but 'it's how we always do it' is a crap answer.
Another one here thinking they've done you a favour. They put those in at work years ago, pretty much everyone who used them ended up with wheel or tyre damage.
Better than just locking up your front wheel in those awful racks, to find a thief has a “magic” bolt-thru undoing technology tool and has taken away the rest of your bike. 😉
I've always just thread the lock through the frame aswell.....
What I can’t work out is if you don’t want to use the rack as intended (understandably imo) why would you place your bike there rather than against the fence?
however branding roadies daft and selfish because of the actions of 2 old clowns? Really?
They're generally a miserable bunch until you see them at a cyclocross race where they almost crack a smile. Must be something in the mud......
Gardening but is still valid for all dirty endeavors (😜).
What’s a bike lock? Haven’t used one in years.
TBF, I can put a front wheel in easily and my cable lock is long enough to reach through the frame not just the wheel.
But usually at a cafe, why bother locking if you are sat looking at them? (Maybe just a rural thing that).
As a lockup - they are useless, as an efficient way to park up a group of bikes while you sit and have your cake within spitting distance, they are good... or some of them are.
Others are just too small for a modern mtb tyre and the racks fill the entire suitable parking area, resulting in you having to park your bike awkwardly in the way of everyone else. Looking at these bikes' rear mudhuards, they may have a similar issue.
However the response “it’s how we always do it” marks them as knobs regardless of the circumstances.
Roadies are the reason everyone hates cyclists. Never go full roadie
Neither bike looks very 'roadie' to me, a tourer and a gravel bike?
Anyway.. it's very much a roadie habit to go to a cafe on a ride
; )
Strictly speaking this is how "proper Roadies" do it:
The seat dangling bars at Velolife are quick and efficient and would be quite prone to theft if it wasn't in a sleepy village and those with the poshest bikes sit right next to the racks watching everyone like hawks...
There's a few other pubs and cafes in the area that have popped in similar bars to attract us MAMILS in, and it does work...
It is not there fault, they are just a product of a culture war laden and divisive society they have been raised within.
There is a bit more of an 'Anti-Roadie' "they're all miserable" vibe on STW lately. Not sure if it's the change of season or just tubby, Middle-aged IT managers clinging onto the idea that MTBs and MTBing makes you Rad and more awesome than the adjacent set of tubby, Middle-aged IT managers who've adopted a slightly different cycling Niche with curly bars.
Tribalism always works out well for everyone of course...
No self respecting roadie would have a stem set up like on those bikes, I’m calling imposter.
Put the bike in front wheel first, thief walks off with the expensive 4/5ths of your bike.
Put the bike in rear first, your mudguard gets knackered, and your wheel gets knackered if anyone knocks it.
Lock you bike sideways to them as your the only 2 cyclists in the cafe, and some local busybody complains.
On closer inspection, they're both ebikes aren't they? Definitely not 'roadies' then.
I don't buy into this miserable roadie thing either. A bit more focussed a bit more often, sure. No more miserable than 'MTBers are anti-social' or 'aggro' - the distribution of idiocy seems pretty even throughout all walks of life.
I don’t think I’d have been as miserable to ask, plenty of more secure fence to go at there without upsetting “the old boys”.
Thing is, the cafe is very popular with cyclists and at peak times in the small garden you can have loads of bikes leant on fences, hedges, blocking doors etc. (yep, 95% road bikes) the cafe owner has many times put a polite request for sensible parking but it's largely ignored to the point where bikes were going to be banned from the garden altogether. So using the fence and ignoring the old boys would be detrimental for everyone
...at Velolife …
There’s a few other pubs and cafes in the area that have popped in similar bars to attract us MAMILS in, and it does work…
That's good to know. Velolife got some stick from a nimby a while back didn't they, good to see it's going their way. I hadn't heard of them until all that fuss on planning permission - rode out there a few times after that, not that often as it's a fair way from where I lived then. I don't bother with cafe stops normally but it seemed like a good thing to do.
That’s good to know. Velolife got some stick from a nimby a while back didn’t they
Technically it was a NIMFY (Not In My Front Yard).
yep, 95% road bikes
That's because cafes are a roadie thing more than the behaviour being a roadie thing, right?
the cafe owner has many times put a polite request for sensible parking but it’s largely ignored to the point where bikes were going to be banned from the garden altogether.
Up the the owner isn't it - if I were them I'd want to adapt to the customer needs better rather than dismiss the business. Maybe suggest a chip-in pot from riders to help fund some better bike racking, wherever they install it?
sounds to me the café is very popular and they need to invest in better bike lockup/storage facilities for their paying customers
I think they'd have to buy the house next door but yea, that would be ideal
I don’t buy into this miserable roadie thing either.
Me neither.
The MTBers around here seem to be the most miserable ******* I've ever encountered. The walkers, runners and horse riders are more pleasant.
If roadies had trail centre carparks to meet up and admire each other's bikes then they'd not need cafes.
I’ve got a road bike, a mountain bike, a bike for shopping, tow paths, pootling and, a folding electric bike for taking my grandson on. I’m now confused about which cycling “box” I fit in. Perhaps a Venn diagram would help as I’m not sure if I qualify for “old” status too?
The Daily Mail would pay handsomely for this story.
I’ve got a road bike, a mountain bike, a bike for shopping, tow paths, pootling and, a folding electric bike for taking my grandson on. I’m now confused about which cycling “box” I fit in. Perhaps a Venn diagram would help as I’m not sure if I qualify for “old” status too?
Where do you lock your bike at cafes?
I’ve got a road bike, a mountain bike, a bike for shopping, tow paths, pootling and, a folding electric bike for taking my grandson on. I’m now confused about which cycling “box” I fit in. Perhaps a Venn diagram would help as I’m not sure if I qualify for “old” status too?
Are you more miserable when on the road bike?
I’ve got a cheery disposition (usually) whatever I’m riding, and I very rarely stop at cafes!
I’ve got a cheery disposition (usually) whatever I’m riding, and I very rarely stop at cafes!
Same here. Maybe it's all that cafe parking stress that makes riders get grumpy : )
I don't know if the previous veloLife issues are fully resolved or not, but I seem to be in there periodically with my road riding mates who like it, the bike storage all seems to work adequately they're doing quite well I think.
One thing I will concede is that the bunch of us that go for social weekend road rides (not really a club, just a rolling collection of stereotypes) had formed the bad habit of making excessively long Cafe stops. However on the last ride we collectively agreed that reducing the time wasted in cafes was needed. The stops weren't removed but they were capped at just 10 minutes to prevent anyone getting too cold.
My experience with MTBers has typically been that they stop more far more often for Chats, Jelly babies and to let the stragglers catch up (at the top and bottom of most hills), but don't generally make the mistake of stopping for an hour to sip flat-whites and gobble cake while getting much too cold, credit where it's due...
Isn't part of the point of the cafe to warm up? An hour scoffing cake sounds a great plan, just pick a cafe with functional heating.
The bike parking pic from the OP reminds me of the bike pile on the train. Just throw yours on top and then whoever is getting off next can shuffle the pile round 3 prams.
...but what about gravel riders?
Some of those flared bars are too wide - take up too much space?
