I’m constantly amazed by the amount of riding kit (worn and carried) at my local “couple of hours blast round swinley”

Since the C word I’ve been guilty of the above but then I fit Swinley into a long ride so I liked to be self sufficient without having to have unnecessary contact with others. Probably look a bit daft at Swinley with a frame bag and camalbak but I’m not doing a lap then jumping in a Transporter.

I am glad I am not a roadie.sounds like a world of pain.

It’s whatever you want it to be, really. No reason why you can’t go for a slow amble and stop for a pub lunch.

If you don’t think dropping people is inherent to road cycling then you haven’t been on a good old Yorkshire ‘reliability ride’ or ‘cafe bash’ then.

I’ve turned up and found half a pro team line up at the front, shrugged and realised my place in life. Another time I watched two blokes with the surname brownlee get shelled out of the back.

In my experience, mountain bikers are just as happy to flex their dominance, they just do it by catching up and riding behind your back wheel until you make room for a pass.

Competitions’s fun, y’know. Even if you’re losing and learning. It’s not evil. Stop being millennial about it.

I’m a naked single speed rider with a thudbuster, an empty framebag and no friends to stop and talk to.

The rest of you are bonkers.

Since the C word I’ve been guilty of the above but then I fit Swinley into a long ride so I liked to be self sufficient without having to have unnecessary contact with others. Probably look a bit daft at Swinley with a frame bag and camalbak but I’m not doing a lap then jumping in a Transporter.

Christ where are you cycling from?
I usually go along the canal from Woking then up through to Camberley side and I take my jeans and T-shirt/fleece and helmet, multitool in back pocket.

😁

Since our daughter came along I’ve been almost exclusively a roadie. It’s at least 30 minutes drive to anything remotely hardtail worthy round here, to get a decent ride in, with all the requisite mountain bike phaffage, is half a day at least. It’s so much easier just to roll the road bike out of the shed and go!

My club has a no drop policy but with an ‘unwritten rule’ that you’re on your own within 10km to go back the meeting point. It’s rarely used, I’ve towed people back home and likewise, contrary to my protestations that I’ll be fine to roll home on my own, I’ve had a wheel to stick to when hanging out my arse!

Same here with my club having a no-drop policy. On one ride I was knocked off my bike by another rider (an unfortunate accident). I was OK but a bit bruised up.We had about 10 more miles to go and 3 of the group including the one who knocked me off rode slowly back with me and generally looked after me.

If you don’t think dropping people is inherent to road cycling then you haven’t been on a good old Yorkshire ‘reliability ride’ or ‘cafe bash’ then.

Correct: I don’t live in Yorkshire.

Christ where are you cycling from?
I usually go along the canal from Woking then up through to Camberley side and I take my jeans and T-shirt/fleece and helmet, multitool in back pocket.

Reading.
I carry a tube, repair kit, cable ties, multi tool, chin link and pump in the frame bag.
Enough water for 4 hours in the camalbak and a snack. Oh and a bell for the busy byways. Not sure clothing is relevant but a pair of shorts or trousers and tee shirt or windproof.

Competitions’s fun, y’know

Not for everyone.

If you don’t think dropping people is inherent to road cycling then you haven’t been on a good old Yorkshire ‘reliability ride’ or ‘cafe bash’ then.

Nothing special about Yorkshire re Reliability Rides, they’re full on road races in every county!

Cafe bashes depend which group you go with, the top groups – no quarter offered, no prisoners taken, the lower groups – super social, chat all the way, no one gets dropped.

Weirdest one we had, on our Wednesday ride, was some middle aged chap turned up one week to join us, we rode for 4 hours round random villages and then stopped at a cafe miles from home; at which point he announced that he had to be back at his office by 2pm at the latest and what were we going to do about it? Oh yes, and he didn’t know where he was. He got pretty short shrift and never came again (thankfully). Seriously, you had to be back by 2, but didn’t ask how long the ride was, where we were going and just expected us to guide you back to your office using telepathy.

I was on the strangest “no drop” MTB ride yesterday.

Either I misunderstood “no drop” or that was the sole purpose of the ride.
Definitely not confined to road.

I usually go along the canal from Woking then up through to Camberley side and I take my jeans and T-shirt/fleece and helmet, multitool in back pocket.

So a puncture could cost you an 11 mile push?

intheborders
Free Member
I usually go along the canal from Woking then up through to Camberley side and I take my jeans and T-shirt/fleece and helmet, multitool in back pocket.

So a puncture could cost you an 11 mile push?

He puts his fleece inside the tyre to act as a get you home inner tube

Seriously, you had to be back by 2, but didn’t ask how long the ride was, where we were going and just expected us to guide you back to your office using telepathy.

Could have been worse, could have shown up and demanded that the ride be X hours long as he needed to be back. Regardless of the leader of the ride’s planned route and duration.

So a puncture could cost you an 11 mile push?

Potentially worst case scenario…
if it doesn’t seal
and no-one has a pump
and if my phone wasn’t working
and the hub was closed
and about 10 bike shops on the way home or close to it were closed
and noone I know locally was in…

So a puncture could cost you an 11 mile push?

I’d just ride the 11 miles on a flat tyre and fix it when I got back, I’ve done this on road bikes and both the tyre and inner tube have survived.

and no-one has a pump
and if my phone wasn’t working
and the hub was closed
and about 10 bike shops on the way home or close to it were closed
and noone I know locally was in…

See my comment on wanting to be self sufficient without unnecessary contact with others. If I’m honest that’s normal for me pre Covid19.

It doesn’t really matter, I don’t actually care what other people carry or don’t carry, what bikes they ride or what clothes they wear.

Potentially worst case scenario…
if it doesn’t seal
and no-one has a pump
and if my phone wasn’t working
and the hub was closed
and about 10 bike shops on the way home or close to it were closed
and noone I know locally was in…

And you’re content to be so dependent on others?

If you don’t think dropping people is inherent to road cycling then you haven’t been on a good old Yorkshire ‘reliability ride’

Realibility rides are just early season races on open roads!! Last one I did even the shorter version I did split apart.

I always ride with a pack. It has all essential tools (which I lend out far more than use for myself) and it has a back protector, and a place to stow my sweaty crap when I get to the pub!

And you’re content to be so dependent on others?

My thought entirely.

In our group we don’t mind mechanicals etc BUT when its the same person who always gets them and/or the person who gets them doesn’t learn (and carry what they need) they quickly get ‘dropped’.

No one likes a Freeloader.

the person who gets them doesn’t learn (and carry what they need)

You’ve met Mrs Kilo? Years of riding
on and off road, racing with occasional podiums; wouldn’t trust her to fix a puncture, it would probably end in flames.

And you’re content to be so dependent on others?

Asking for help isn’t a character flaw.

Asking for help isn’t a character flaw.

This is STW, everything is a character flaw……..

But setting out knowing that you are relying on someone else to have the stuff you can’t be bothered to bring maybe is.

Realibility rides
no quarter offered, no prisoners taken,
“no drop” MTB ride

… and that’s why I’m riding on my own or just with one/two mates of similar fitness and mindset.

Life is too short to waste time for cycling willie-wagging and colossal cabbage-heads on wheels…

Cheers!
I.

… and that’s why I’m riding on my own or just with one/two mates of similar fitness and mindset.

Life is too short to waste time for cycling willie-wagging and colossal cabbage-heads on wheels…

Horses for courses, but I love getting a good kicking on a road bike, as much as I love giving one out. The whole competetive thing makes it really fun, one minute you’re setting the pace making the others suffer, the next you’re hanging on for dear life going where did that come from? Pushes me harder than I’d ever achieve on my own.

Dropping people definitely is not and never has been a part of roadie culture, not sure why people would think that.

Horses for courses, but I love getting a good kicking on a road bike, as much as I love giving one out. The whole competetive thing makes it really fun, one minute you’re setting the pace making the others suffer, the next you’re hanging on for dear life going where did that come from? Pushes me harder than I’d ever achieve on my own

Definitely. Trying hard is what makes road cycling interesting for me. After being the one of the fastest in my riding group on an mtb, joining my first road club ride was an eye opener to how fit/fast someone could be. Its taken two years of hard grafting to become comfortable in the ‘fast’ group.

The interest in MTB has definitely waned for me since half my old riding group is now on ebikes.

The whole competitive thing makes it really fun,

…for some, I guess, but definitely not for me.

Cheers!
I.

Asking for help isn’t a character flaw.

No.

But inflicting an unnecessary ‘burden’ on others that could otherwise be avoided is both selfish and childish, not to mention lacking certainty that you will actual get a solution to the problem.

Forgot to add I also carry hand sanitizer and a mask incase I do have to interact with people. Although if they need a tube they can walk to a shop, as I explained to a group who couldn’t be arsed to carry one that I might need my tube and I’m 20 miles from home.

Last road ride I did with a club they had 3 groups – the top group definitely would drop you, the other two wouldn’t.

Last road ride I did with a club they had 3 groups – the top group definitely would drop you, the other two wouldn’t.

Pretty normal, the top group is self selecting fast boys, you can join if you can keep up….

Life is too short to waste time for cycling willie-wagging and colossal cabbage-heads on wheels…

So people who enjoy different things to you are cabbage heads? What does that even mean and why do you come across so butt hurt?

Some people like racing, some don’t.

Some people thinks racing in any shape and form sucks, some people can’t see point in riding for the sake of riding.

Matter of opinion, that I believe is free to express.

My back side is absolutely fine, but thanks for your concern.

Cheers!
I.

Matter of opinion, that I believe is free to express.

But doing it in a way which makes you seem really insecure / childish / bitter (delete as applicable)?

Sorry what does cabbageheads mean?