A observational theory

On the few occassions I sell my soul and visit a trail centre I have decided that the more the bike costs and the more expensive the vehicle it comes out of is in direct proportion to the amount of time the bike isn’t actually ridden! 😀

Are you having ago at me there?

I’ve observed that the more inverted snobbery people display, the more likely they are to be unpleasant people to spend time with.

oh 😀

😉

AN!

the more expensive the vehicle it comes out of is in direct proportion to the amount of time the bike isn’t actually ridden

You must have hung around the car park a long time to come up with that theory, you should have counted the tax discs whilst you were there.

People spending money on things they want shocka.

You had to sell your soul? Normally only costs me a bit of diesel and a pasty from the garage.

Tsk, trail centres, eh?

You must have hing around the car park a long time to come up with that theory.

Maybe he was counting tax discs.

Badly expressed and I disapprove of your bitterness, but it does seem logical, Jim. People who work hard have more money to spend on shiny things and less time to spend with the shiny things. People who live out of their 1985 Nissan probably have more time to ride their bike.

jam bo – Member
You had to sell your soul? Normally only costs me a bit of diesel and a pasty from the garage.
POSTED 7 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Parking charges these days innit!

Good point. £4.50 for a double espresso last time I ventured to Haldon.

Damn … my obsession with tax discs is out in the open!

Inverted snobbery indeed?! …. but Jambo, a pasty? … the food police are onto you!!

racist

Badly expressed and I disapprove of your bitterness, but it does seem logical, Jim. People who work hard have more money to spend on shiny things and less time to spend with the shiny things. People who live out of their 1985 Nissan probably have more time to ride their bike.

that’s patent twaddle of almost the same pomposity and ignorance as the OP isn’t it?

Its not just trail centres sit in the Woodbine Cafe in Hope for any length of time and you will see the same.
(Sadly during the course of my studies I too have transformed myself into a lardy ***. The moral is don’t think about things too much)

Duh yunki.

Inverted snobbery indeed?! …. but Jambo, a pasty? … the food police are onto you!!
POSTED 2 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Welcome to Devon…

Richie B … thanks for your support!

Ignorant and pompous … moi? Nah …. go read “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”

Maybe there’s also an element to stages of life people are at? I am in my late 30’s have a young family and a good job which I work hard at. Thus I have a nice car, a relatively expensive bike but limited ‘me’ time due to the aforementioned family and job.

The lack of time makes a local trail centre ideal as its an efficient way to get a ride in outside of family and work time.

Not everyone can bugger off into the wilds for the whole weekend even if they wanted to.

Jam bo … don’t pasties come from Cornawll

…. lights blue touch paper and stands back!!

What about people with cheap cars and expensive bikes, where do they fit into the OP’s stereotype hierarchy.

I’d like to know how I’m perceived 🙂

My take on it is.

The amount of time you spend caring about what other people are riding = how much your are jealous.

What about people with cheap cars and expensive bikes, where do they fit into the OP’s stereotype hierarchy.

I’d like to know how I’m perceived

I think i fall into that one with a Mk1 Ford Focus and a SC Nomad.

centralscrutinizer – Member
What about people with cheap cars and expensive bikes, where do they fit into the OP’s stereotype hierarchy.
I’d like to know how I’m perceived

As a thief.

HTH

Ignorant and pompous … moi? Nah …. go read “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”

Do I really have to..? Again..? I didn’t enjoy it a great deal 25 years ago, I suppose I might now 😕

Cubist … I totally get you. At least you ride!! It’s the guys who bugger about the whole day pimping their bike in the car park that started my theory off.

Don’t get me wrong, I drive a nice car (won’t disclose for fear of abuse and ridicule :-)), but the other day I was down at Swinley, parked next to a guy fettling a very, very expensive bike. Went off for a ride around both the blue and red routes and came back to him still tinkering and posing around the car park on a spotlessly clean bike (so he obviously hadn’t been anywhere. Went for a cup of tea to return to see said bike been loaded back into car!!

I’ve seen similar. Llandegla being one of the best places to observe such behaviour. Mind you any centre with a large infra-structure is good, but go somewhere like Penmachno and it’s a different story … just honest riders as there’s no audience there!!!

How are you assessing from seeing people’s bikes and their cars how much they get ridden?

Are you correlating cleanliness/condition with use? Whenever I see a battered bike I don’t think “wow, that person rides a lot”, I think “wow, that person shouldn’t have nice things”.

hairylegs – Member
Don’t get me wrong, I drive a nice car (won’t disclose for fear of abuse and ridicule :-)), but the other day I was down at Swinley, parked next to a guy fettling a very, very expensive bike. Went off for a ride around both the blue and red routes and came back to him still tinkering and posing around the car park on a spotlessly clean bike (so he obviously hadn’t been anywhere. Went for a cup of tea to return to see said bike been loaded back into car!!

I call bull shit! Or his bike was broke.

If people want to buy nice bikes and not ride them, what’s wrong with that? They’re putting money into our sport and helping to keep trail centres going without causing any wear and tear.

Sounds like we should be thanking them.

I call bull shit! Or his bike was broke.

+1, either way not sure why it’s your job to critique OP? Jealousy I assume.

Trail centre bingo is where it’s really at.

Usual bingo card consists of a Yeti, Ibis Mojo, Orange 5, and the riders in fluoro pyjamas/potty helmets, etc.

It’s all a bit of fun, at least everyone is out riding, and bike shops stock a plentiful supply of things to tempt the pennies out of our wallets.

but the other day I was down at Swinley, parked next to a guy fettling a very, very expensive bike. Went off for a ride around both the blue and red routes and came back to him still tinkering and posing around the car park on a spotlessly clean bike (so he obviously hadn’t been anywhere. Went for a cup of tea to return to see said bike been loaded back into car!!

Sure he wasn’t fettling it before loading it into his car after having been for a ride and cleaned it?

Or any number of other reasons he could have had to leave that you don’t know about.

Anecdotal anecdote is anecdotal.

Yeah OP, you’re a liar and a jealous.

I was out for a ride with a group of mostly unknowns and one of them stopped at every the top of every climb to adjust the air pressure in his shock. He also adjusted the pressure at the bottom of each descent. He complained a lot and blamed his suspension for his poor riding. I didn’t notice how clean his bike was. Am i jealous, lying, both or neither?

He probably set off after you did, rode the red, then the blue and was cleaned up and ready to go home before you were even finished

The amount of time you spend caring about what other people are riding = how much your are jealous

nah …. you’ve got it all wrong.Don’t do jealousy

What about people with cheap cars and expensive bikes, where do they fit into the OP’s stereotype hierarchy

You’re a rider … with right priorities

I have decided

why? To make yourself feel better presumably.

nah …. you’ve got it all wrong.Don’t do jealousy

And yet here is this thread…

njee20 – Member
How are you assessing from seeing people’s bikes and their cars how much they get ridden?

Are you correlating cleanliness/condition with use? Whenever I see a battered bike I don’t think “wow, that person rides a lot”, I think “wow, that person shouldn’t have nice things”.

+1 – how do you know from your car park observations how often a bike gets ridden?

And how do you know how much it costs?
How would you be able to tell that my £3k carbon FSR started out life as an alloy FSR that I paid substantially less than RRP for, that subsequently got warrantied for the carbon version…..have had quite a few snide comments (probably from people like yourself) while riding about the cost of my bike.

And how would you know that my mate’s £3k carbon Haibike was bought direct from Raleigh (he works for them) and so he paid a fraction of the RRP?

Here’s another theory for you (also made up of course):-

Regardless of what bike they are riding or what car they turn up in, most riders are actually pretty shit – but have a good time

“Yeah OP, you’re a liar and a jealous.
“
ouch … some people are just no fun. Looks like I’ve touched a few nerves here!!

Looks like I’ve touched a few nerves here!!

No, I think you’ve just made yourself look like a jealous **** – even though you insist you aren’t