UPDATE 13/09/22 17:17pm: British Cycling have now removed the recommendation that no one rides their bike during the funeral from their official advic ...
By mark
Get the full story on our front page at:
);min-height:50px">
Support us from less than £0.06/day and help us keep the content flowing by becoming a full member.
3….2….1….
Could be the best day on the trails, quiet and great weather- I decree that I shall ride my trusty steed on Monday.
I assume this is stop the daily mail headlines or do think the police might arrest anyone cycling during the funeral for causing offence. I plan to up a mountain on my bike or walking. The only people that will see me will doing the same.
Beyond satire.
What have the BC press office said about telling people not to ride thier bikes?
They better not show up at 417 !
British Cycling strongly recommends that anybody out riding their bike on the day of the State Funeral does so outside of the timings of the funeral service and associated processions, which will be confirmed later this week. Once published, we will share the details of those timings on this page.
IMO BC really overstepped the mark with this. There was just no need for them to state an opinion. There will be people who have strong opinions about not getting swept up in the funeral. There will be people with significant issues with funerals triggering personal memories. There will be people who live alone who just don't want to be morbid alone watching tv. Being out on their bike might well be the best place for them.
My Remembrance Sunday tradition is a contemplative ride - I see no reason why this would not be appropriate on Monday for those that wished to.
BC seems to have been frantically trying to backpedal on that bit of advice and it no longer appears on its main page. The damage appears to have been done, though 🙂
Acutally BC, you know what: get stuffed! Even as a bit of proud Monarchist this is b011ocks. Prescriptive stuff like the really boils my wee.
I'd been pondering whether to join BC or CUK lately, this has helped that decision.
I'm now rather pleased to be out of the country this week. It's gone insane!
BC seems to have been frantically trying to backpedal on that bit of advice and it no longer appears on its main page. The damage appears to have been done, though 🙂
I'm not so sure now - if you keep refreshing the page the heavy handed 'advice' comes and goes. So it must be on one server and not on a 2nd.
I’d been pondering whether to join BC or CUK lately, this has helped that decision.
CUK, patron HM the Queen, also emailed to tell me how sad they all are.
They can go fhook themselves with an orb and sceptre.
What British Cycling should be doing is tackling head on the fundemetal reasons why we have such utterly shiiite access to go ride bikes in the countryside - that being exactly because of the monarchistic system in Britian that stole land from the masses, displaced tens of thousands (not giving a toss whether they subsequently stsrved to death) and divvied it up amongst royalist cronies.
CUK, patron HM the Queen, also emailed to tell me how sad they all are.
Saying they are sad is fine (although I expect Private Eye would be able to fill an entire issue with whatever they call the marketing whilst pretending to be sad section) but telling people not to ride is somewhat different.
And imagine any other organisation where the head personally bank rolls an accused paedophile to an estimated £12 million to help ensure they never have to face a fair and proper trial. THAT'S the British monarchy that the sycophants around the country are fawning over.
It makes me sick.
Rank incompetence. Even the official advice is that there is no need to cancel sporting events. They have managed to piss everyone off royalist or republican with this one
Left BC this year, no regrets….
People dying is sad, I get it, but the level of virtue signalling on display over the last few days is astounding. See you on the trails Monday.
What worries me is some people who represent cycling can come up with this rubbish. Makes you wonder if they are fit for purpose.
This makes no sense. Anyone who might bothered will be inside watching TV.
Utterly ridiculous. There's also an amateur football club in Sheffield that is likely to be disciplined for arranging a friendly match on the day if the funeral.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/football-club-finds-way-around-24984629
The free nation stricken by Stockholm syndrome. The free nation where defenders of free speech are outraged by folk protesting. People proclaiming pride in the country which has possibly perpetrated more crimes against humanity than most others.
I was trying to clear the last jump on Heart of Darkness when it was announced she'd died, I feel it's what she would've wanted. I'll probs be riding on Monday.
Surely there has to be an end to this sycophantic grovelling somewhere?
Riding bikes is disrespectful, playing football is disrespectful, but informing people they may lose their jobs isn't...
Meanwhile BC‘s embarrassment has reached the national media:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/sep/13/worthy-of-the-stasi-british-cycling-in-queens-funeral-u-turn-after-ridicule
Really it’s a bit of a storm in a tea cup - a stupid decision at BC and the chance for a justified rant before ignoring it. The people I feel sorry for is everyone staying at Centre Parcs, who were told they had to leave for the whole of the Monday.
Sooooooo, no cycling to work for me on Monday? Does BC advocate driving my car to work to be more respectful instead?
This is bonkers advice from BC and too right they've rowed rack but the Centre Parcs one is on a completely different planet of lunacy. W t actual f?
I'm sure the Daily Mail types would have been delighted to be held up on their journey to watch the funeral by a bunch of those cyclists who don't pay road tax or gave number plates.
As a Brit living in Germany, no cycling for me on Monday too?
Left BC this year, no regrets….
☝️
It sums up BC to me. Incompetence and living in an echo chamber of thier own making.
It sums up BC to me. Incompetence and living in an echo chamber of their own making.
Generally this, but on this occasion I'm willing to hope it was a high profile body of an often maligned minority pastime trying to be seen to do the right thing, and badly misjudging part of the original message.
I'm with Cycling UK
Bikes
Are
Not
nessecarily
Toys.
Have the DVLA or Highways england issued any advice as to whether people should refrain from driving around?
Perhaps Clarks and Schu could band together and release some advise about walking about too.
BC doing their best UCi impression?
Ha, and that's my BC membership renewal e-mail just arrived. I'd always been with the CTC/CUK for the 3rd party liability but swapped to family membership with BC as the kids (apparently) needed it for entering some local bike races. Hoping there's no need to continue that as BC really don't inspire the slightest bit of confidence with judgements like this.
I will be riding mine. I may even wool.
I'm mainly gutted that Alton towers is shut I thought it would be an excellent use of my enforced day off.
I’m sure the Daily Mail types would have been delighted to be held up on their journey to watch the funeral by a bunch of those cyclists who don’t pay road tax or gave number plates.
Yeah... I'm going to give BC a wee bit of leeway here, maybe they were just thinking of potential negative press if e.g. there were large, visible groups of cyclists out on the roads on the Monday, would be an easy win for the tabloids.
Sad state of affairs but you could almost argue that BC are right to think about 'reputation management' of the sport...
I’m mainly gutted that Alton towers is shut I thought it would be an excellent use of my enforced day off.
We were in the middle of our 5-hr mile drive to Alton Towers on Thursday evening last week. Thankfully they didn't close on the days that followed! P.S. it was bloody awesome, first time back for me in 20+ years.
I will most certainly be out riding on Monday. I will undoubtedly give thought to the reason for why and reflect on that as my observance of the day and in respect to The Queen.
Might just be as there won't be any police or ambulances available as they'll all be busy dealing with the mourning gammons who are very "tired" after toasting the queen and your new kings health...
Much the same as advice not to do stupid MTBing things during lockdown, as the hospitals were quite busy.
I’m sure the Daily Mail types would have been delighted to be held up on their journey to watch the funeral by a bunch of those cyclists who don’t pay road tax or gave number plates.
Perhaps BC should have considered the optics of huge groups now going out deliberately in protest.
Yeah… I’m going to give BC a wee bit of leeway here, maybe they were just thinking of potential negative press if e.g. there were large, visible groups of cyclists out on the roads on the Monday, would be an easy win for the tabloids.
Sad state of affairs but you could almost argue that BC are right to think about ‘reputation management’ of the sport…
I'm pretty sure you are right that this indeed was their intention too. However I'm not going to give them any leeway as I fundamentally don't think it's their place to attempt to tell its taboo to swing your leg over your bike atall during the funeral. Indeed it could have/will backfire more now as there will be some biking authority advice to have been ignored for the tabloids to wrap their story around.
Think this is very much a rule 1 situation - if you are going to go biking (or out on your sup, or sitting around in the pub as a group) it's probably not the moment to be ott shouty/noisy and generally looking carefree. In the way that when I find myself somewhere where there is a prayer being 'performed' I don't bow my head and pretend to be all godly, but I don't have a noisy chat to the person next to me either. I just quietly have my own thoughts and do my own thing and wait for them all to stop. They could have tried to hang some words around that....
Can you imagine the furore if The Ramblers Ass had made such a statement? It’s utter tosh & should be thrown in the bin & forgotten about only to be bought out as an example of exactly WTF not to do.
seems ol' Johnny was right "They made you a moron" (@ bc not anyone on here god forbid 😉 )
I suggest stop getting your Lycra in a twist it'll restrict bloodflow even more😉
convert
Think this is very much a rule 1 situation – if you are going to go biking (or out on your sup, or sitting around in the pub as a group) it’s probably not the moment to be ott shouty/noisy and generally looking carefree.
As far as I'm concerned Rule #1 for funerals is in sight or hearing of the cortege/cemetery.
This is in part the whole issue with monarchies... I'm meant to "show my respect" for someone for whom I would through accident of birth be some sub-human with less right to enjoy my life than one of her dogs. In this case their funeral "fun exclusion" is somehow national ... and me not wearing my Sex Pistols T-shirt riding should be more than enough... meanwhile the masses are meant to the their forelock and be grateful that she's given them the day off?
if you're deciding what to do based on possible tabloid reactions, you've already lost. Do BC actually have any relevance re. non-competitive cycling, anyway?if e.g. there were large, visible groups of cyclists out on the roads on the Monday, would be an easy win for the tabloids.
I was going to take my daughter on a bike ride to the park, is this allowed? or do we have to stay at home mourning? 🙂
Well I don't know how you expect your daughter to grow up as a well-rounded upstanding member of society unless she fully embraces the mawkish national obsession with the monarchy and doffs her cap and tugs her forelock accordingly
In fact I'm phoning social services
or do we have to stay at home mourning? 🙂
just go in the afternoon..
gammons
Not wanting to derail the thread, but I don’t think using a racist, sexist, ageist slur is OK.
Snowflake.
When Di's funeral was on I took the wife's V8 TVR for a bit of a trundle. Roads were lovely and quiet...
I remember I got a load of tiling done in the kitchen. And it was quick and easy to nip to the local B+Q for some additional grout as the roads were quiet and the isles free of wailing sheeple.
Following on from the BC U-turn, Center Parc's have now reversed their original statement about closing their venues completely on Monday and the ever reliable Poke has collated the best responses.
Center Parcs are now staying you can stay, but can’t leave your lodge, quite aside of the legal implications of forcing people to stay inside, not sure how they are going to enforce that if nones working?
she fully embraces the mawkish national obsession with the monarchy and doffs her cap and tugs her forelock accordingly
It is possible to be interested in an event that hasn't happened in 70 years and not go full "cap doffing, forelock tugging" Daily Mail reader in the process.
Edit- I hope!
Centre Parcs are still making a PR (and customer care) Pigs Ear of it.
Apparently: „Guests already on holiday will now be able to stay, but people due to arrive on Monday will not be able to start their holidays until the following day.“
So if you’ve committed to travel arrangements you’ll have to find a hotel for Monday - or bring a tent.
Hopefully the roads will be nice and quiet for my drive up to the hills on Monday. Then my cycle into the foot of them. I was always( with the exception of her bailing sweaty Andy out) fairly unbothered by the royals. Weird how much of a republican you can become in a week.
Recently I received an e mail from British Cycling to say my membership is due to be renewed, I will not now renew my membership. Incidentally I was marshaling for the TLI championship at the weekend
I think this whole episode just shows that British Cycling are largely only concerned with road racing as it is clear there is absolutely no thought given to all those who will have to cycle to work on Monday or will simply be using their bikes for transportation.
yep a pretty stupid thing to do by BC
I keep meaning to downgrade my sub as I don't race any more, but they auto renew, another bug bear of mine. May actually just phone up and cancel now
and I was at centre parcs during the beast from the east. roads were shut there was deep snow everywhere. I had 2 children under 4 and 2 grandparents over 70 and centre parcs were insisting everyone needed to leave when they were due to, and that you would have to drag your cases through the snow to the car park as their roads weren't usable. no thought about their guests and the impact of turfing people out during a massive freezing snowstorm with no actual way to get home because the roads were shut. caused a night of serious stress for us and other guests I might imagine. in the morning they reversed the decision and let guests stay. you couldn't actually leave anyway.... I won't use them again either. they absolutely do not put customer first.
I’m sure the Daily Mail types would have been delighted to be held up on their journey to watch the funeral by a bunch of those cyclists who don’t pay road tax or gave number plates.
People driving cars on the day of the queens funeral, that is so disrespectful.