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Dropping down a favorite run a few weeks back, came round a corner with a back wheel lockup, surprising an elderly lady walking her dog. Preparing for the worst, I apologized profusely. Her response: "Often see you young men (I'm 38!) doing crazy things round these woods. Its so nice to see you boys outside doing something instead of playing silly games on telly!"
Restored my faith in humankind..
Recently riding through Ashridge on the Chilterns Cycle route with the Wife as we approached a pair of Women (probably between 50-70) out walking their Dogs. We slowed down and moved over to one side of the path, which is approximately 14-16 feet wide.
We got to around 60-70 feet from them and one of them turned around looking in our direction and screamed aloud "watch out Jeffrey there's a Black Maniac!". Being White, albeit of Greek descent, i was obviously concerned for all parties that there was a raging Black man on the loose in Ashridge and as such was now looking over my shoulder and starting to plan our escape from said "Black Maniac". Alas she meant me.
I can only assume wearing all Black on a Mountain Bike makes me a maniac? I now wear Green.
Was grumped at by an older women in group ramblers on a tow path for 'not using your bell'. I had but she din't turn her hearing aide up that morning.
Made a point of ringing the bell continuously as I rode back past them on the way home. I think I made my point 🙂
I have the footage but wont be uploading it for sometime. Makes for a good watch!
Come on, upload it! Class 🙂
Without fail other forum members! Most critically harsh bunch going. That or whoever I'm riding with at the time. Dog walkers, horse riders, National Trust Wardens etc. are pansies compared to MTB'ers themselves 😉
Currently having a battle of wills with the grumpy old lady who lives near my local spot. Twice she has had a rant to which I have responded with 'lovely evening' and cycled off. Almost 100% it is her who puts logs/branches across the track which have cost me one derailer. So now I always stop, and remove by throwing the logs over the nearest barbed wire fence.... been nearly a year like this....
Women* who don't know their left from their right (...when I call out "passing on your...")
*it mainly seems to be women who have this problem.
Quite enjoy the 'two ears, one mouth' retort to anyone who comes out with the old 'get a bell' comment.
I did not buy 780mm bars to make room for a bell 🙂
Verderers. Never to my face, they just use the press. Frequently.
[url= http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9607160.Cyclists_turning_New_Forest_into__adventure_playground_/ ]http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9607160.Cyclists_turning_New_Forest_into__adventure_playground_/[/url]
I have the footage but wont be uploading it for sometime. Makes for a good watch!
Go on, you MUST upload this!
40mpg, read the link, actually registered so I could post a comment on the echo;s site
Older women (50's+) do seem particularly irritable, my favourite telling off ever was when I was having a break near Old Winchester Hill, had laid my (very shiny white) bike down about fifteen foot from the nearest path and was sat next to it. Three ladies (probably early 60's) appear having just walked in from a nearby car park, they are loudly complaining about the lack of good parking, one of them wanders off the track, keeps going despite me saying 'watch out' twice and trips over the bike. She then tuts and announces 'what a bloody stupid place to leave a bicycle' before stropping off. It was all I could do not to fall about laughing.
I don't think I have had a bad word from anyone for years despite my sometimes grumpy demeanor on this forum. I slow down for walkers and horses, especially older folk and small kids, call out a warning from a good distance and smile and say 'hello' to all and sundry. Some people do act surprised as I am often plastered in mud or bloodied from thorns. So many people do have a negative view of mtbers that i give them no chance to ignore make and try to make them realize that we are normal, well mannered and not overly selfish.
Women on horses are probably least friendly followed by men walking with their wives / girlfriends. I assume the latter are embarrassed to not be as fit as us and shown up in front of wife / GF.
Groups of ramblers strung across a track and making no effort to move are the most deserving of our ire but what good will it do us if we abuse them?
Yesterday for the first time in ages i did a 40 mile ride up the grand union from watford to aylesbury and back & allthough it was quite busy in places Berko , Tring, No reall issue .. until im on the very quiet aylesbury link .. going all of 5 miles per hour after hopping back on after a break these two "middle Age hikers" just walk straight towards us like we were not there and force us onto the side of the path,Cue a screach of your going to fast !! what are you serious .. I actualy stopped and told her to get a life ! .. Weekend ramblers get on my tits ..
Never had anyone actually verbally complain to me about anything but some of the old ramblers do occasionally look at me like they straight-up hate me. Usually the male ones it must be said.
Been several times when I've given a cheery hello and just got a stony, hateful stare back while a downtrodden, embarrassed wife looks at the floor. I can't imagine what it must be like to be so miserable, especially when they are doing something you presume is out of choice because they enjoy it. It must be so draining.
I find it strange that they are almost always the same kind of people who if I see them back in Manchester whilst I'm walking back from the shops in the evening they cross the street to avoid me (no reason to, I should add).
The horse riders are all sound where I ride, never had any problems with them at all.
Wasn't on the bike, but had an altercation with an eejit dog walker when out for a walk with family yesterday - after dog ran right up to my 3 year old and put it's face right up to her's and the guy walking it just stood there and did nothing, I told him he should control his dog, and he retorted that I should control my children. To be fair,my daughter had been standing there minding her own business, so I can see that she is a real menace.
Quite impressed I managed to keep my language clean.
Get on quite well with pretty much all other trail users, but i did embarrass myself quite badly one time with three lady horse riders...
One autumn day several yrs back i decided on a quick friday afternoon spin out, and dug out a pair of old lycra shorts. "Hmm" thought i, "Little hole in the front but it's only tiny, they'll do" and set off.
Got to the climb out of Bottomley on the Pennine Bridleway, the flagged packhorse trail bit on the far side of the canal for them that know it.
Anyway, about halfway up i notice three horses coming down single file, it's pretty narrow so i climbed up onto a stone wall and pulled the bike up after me. First rider came past and i bid her a cheery "hello" but got only a vicious glare in return..
2nd rider was greeted similarly and i couldn't understand why she looked disgusted with me.
I said "Good Afternoon" to the 3rd rider and she looked like she was about to use her riding crop on me!
Puzzled, i let them go past then went to get down off the wall, whereupon i realised that the teeny-tiny little hole in my lycra had evolved into a huge gaping hole across the front of my shorts..
Yes, i'd been stood there cheerily chatting away with my meat and two veg hanging out in plain view of the three ladies in question! 😳
Fortunately i had a long sleeved top on so i tied it around my waist like an apron and scuttled home 🙁
That made me laugh muddydwarf, v amusing
I was cringing even typing that! 😳
I did 2 munros on the bike (well, the bike was on me mostly) over the couse of the weekend and got nowt but positive comments. Everyone was really friendly / interested / impressed when I was ready for a few disaproving comments.
Now isn't that nice?
Muddydwarf,
The same happened to me but fortunately the other side. I fell into a beck about 12 feet deep with the bike on top of me and probably lucky not to have killed myself. When I got home and told my wife, all she did was laugh at me. 😕 I cycled the last 12 miles with my ar5e out and never new!
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Cycling great! 😉
😆
Haven't had too many complaints, though I did get the 'why don't you use your bell?' comment from a very cross woman near Burley. I simply replied with a hearty 'good morning to you too!' (as I don't have a bell..)
I've found that the recent upgrade to Hope Hoops usually alerts folks to my presence. Most equestrian types 'round our way seem pretty decent.
I get annoyed by dog walkers whose idea of having their dog 'on a lead' implies having it attached by 30 feet of near invisible nylon cord. Those darned things should be banned IMHO. On a lead should mean the dog's in close control, not able to run over & knock toddlers off their feet.
Got told off last week for washing the bike with a bucket & spounge during a hosepipe ban by the owner of the b&b I'm staying in.(the same lady who has 7 bathrooms in the B&b!)
Whenever the next baggies versus Lycra debate kicks off I'll be sure to link to Muddydwarf and tk46hal's tales and photos...
teasel,
I was gutted, it cost me £40 for a new pair of bibbs and I needed a new top 😥
😆 muddydwarf haha
lol at tk46hal and muddydwarf.
I have a similar one, and it's one of the reasons I never just wear lycra shorts. I was out on a road ride, it was getting a bit wet and I had specialised tyres on. You can probably see where this is going.
I entered a roundabout and as soon as I started turning the bike let go and I was sliding along with cars beeping their horns at me for slowing them down and denting the front of their cars.
I eventually stopped moving and while everyone got really angry because I'd added 5 seconds to their incredibly important journey to the fast food restaurant, I dragged my bike to the side of the roundabout. I felt really cold and it immediately because obvious that I was missing some clothes. You see, while lycra might feel great and be nice and comfy, it's tarmac protection abilities are precisely, zero. My shorts had in fact, disintegrated and everything was hanging out. I quickly took my jacket off and used it to cover myself up. A quick peek revealed that my shorts were no more.
I still had to get home and after a bit of thought I realised I onkly had one option. I pulled my arms out of my jersey and slid it down over my arse and thighs. I was now like a normal local lass in a skirt with no knickers. Put my jacket back on and I was ready for the ride home. Sorted.
Some travellers sit about on the West Loch Lomond Cycle Path in deck chairs then complain when you try and get past them. One woman said to me 'I think someone needs a bell'. I was tempted to say 'I think someone needs a house you fat b**ch' Other than that everyone's great.
Samuri!
Very funny, but not at the time though! 😉
Horse riders round here are generally fine, had issues in Surrey with them though especially the pair who told me I had "killed their friend". Apparently another cyclist had scared someone's horse a few weeks previously and it threw him off killing him (according to them) so clearly I was the same as I had a bike.
Most of the time people are perfectly fine, only get one comment a week these days which considering the number of people I must ride pass is a very small proportion.
Citroen Xsara driving, Dog owning, 40 year old, Fathers of 2+ Children are the worst of all - FACT!
Citroen C5 driving, Dog owning, 45 year old, Fathers of 2+ Children
Cheers cookeaa
Horse riders. Until I remind them that the footpath they like up the side of my house is on my land, and if they continue to behave in an irresponsible manner I'll put a style / unhorsefiendly gate across it. That would mean hey have to go another 1/4 of a mile or so round to get to their stinking stables.
Puzzled, i let them go past then went to get down off the wall, whereupon i realised that the teeny-tiny little hole in my lycra had evolved into a huge gaping hole across the front of my shorts..Yes, i'd been stood there cheerily chatting away with my meat and two veg hanging out in plain view of the three ladies in question!
I was riding around Follow the Dog at Cannock Chase when I happened upon a big Bike Radar forum ride. I knew one chap and chatted to him, and followed them around for the rest of the ride.
Visited my mother afterwards, and as I was raiding her kitchen cupboard she said, “You do know that you have a huge hole in the back of your shorts?”
Sure enough, my baggies had a massive tear forming an X, which flapped open to reveal my lady flesh. It was weird – it wasn’t along the seams of the shorts or anything. I think it’s because they were just casual baggies rather than cycling specific, and the fabric had just worn thin in the arse area. To make matters worse, I normally wear cycling shorts underneath, but because it was time of the month it was grey pants time... 😳
On the plus side, I’m very slow, so was at the back of the pack! 😆
Since when does 35 years old count as middle-aged???
It must be the weather but everyone was super-friendly today, sharing smiles with old biddies, ramblers, even horsers and farmers.
If my crank hadn't fallen off 10 miles from home it would have been pretty much perfect.
Citroen Xsara driving, Dog owning, 40 year old, Fathers of 2+ Children are the worst of all - FACT!
🙂
Nearly fortynothing, Citroen Picasso driving, cat owning stepfather of two here...