I’ll start…

I like riding my commuter more than my MTB and road bike.

There… I said it!

Anyone else care to share their controversial cycling opinions?

The ‘rules’ are a load of shit.

It doesn’t matter what you ride.

It doesn’t matter what anybody else rides.

Everybody else thinks cyclists are dicks because the majority of us act like pompous entitled arseholes.

Anybody on a bike is a cyclist.

The Rapha Festive 500 is the peak of Grinchy middle aged antisocial grumpyness. Spend time with your friends and family, help your family with the prep, you miserable git.

Disc brakes on road bikes are a travesty. Road bikes should be sleek, fast and quiet, not heavy(er), draggier, uglier and squealier. If you want to slow down quicker, pull the levers harder!

As Tullio himself said ‘I make my bikes to go, not to stop!’

[/deliberately controversial]

Enduro is a boring format.

It’s like downhill, but not quite as technical, and like cross country, but with unsuitable bikes. And it’s impossible to broadcast in an interesting way.

I can state my opinion as I’ve taken part in an enduro.

There is more to life than cycling. If you miss a day/week/month/year, life goes on.

You don’t need to wave at every cyclist you see/pass.

ads678

Member

The ‘rules’ are a load of shit.

Always interesting as you can never really tell if the person calling them shit thinks they are real or a joke…..

Wear a helmet.
Use lights, even in daylight.
Hi viz pants for everyone!

Strava is for dicks

Disc brakes on road bikes are great

1 x looks ridiculous with a stupid huge cassette

Any ride that doesn’t involve a pub stop is a waste

There is more to life than cycling. If you miss a day/week/month/year, life goes on.

Hold on, easy now… there’s limits to controversy

Most “classic” rides are actually a bit dull, a few interesting bits linked by miles of boring grind.

Hi viz pants for everyone!

Why?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/COLOURED-CLASSIC-BOXERS-UNDERWEAR-12-PACK/dp/B0152HHJK4

Lycra is the right tool for the job of riding a bike. That you don’t wear it means you’re either vain or a fool or both.
I understand a dropper is a good bit of kit, but if it’s the most important component on your bike and you can barely ride without it then you have bad technique.
Climbs are much more enjoyable than descents.
Cafe stops have no place on a ride. Time is precious, if you have 3 hours for a ride then you should spend all of that 3 hours riding.
Related, if the ride is scheduled to start at 9am then that means we’re moving by 9:05 latest. If you want to faff then arrive early.
You’re bike is better than you are, yes, even you, and me. It’s almost never the bikes fault you couldn’t do something, it’s yours.

Deep breath…

Not so much an opinion, but a controversial bike…

My fatbike is a 90%+ a tarmac commuter, which sometimes like currently runs a 29er front wheel and fat rear wheel, it’s been dual speed (24/38T rings) due to a lack of rear mech cable since around July. I’ve been using the scarred Specialized road stem on it from my old Tricross Singlecross RTA almost six years ago to give me some extra steering stability at speed (and a bit more aero) for well over a year. 😮

Flat pedals work fine on road bikes. In fact opposite to above, baggies also fine.

mashr

ads678

Member

The ‘rules’ are a load of shit.

Always interesting as you can never really tell if the person calling them shit thinks they are real or a joke…..

🤔😉

People need to simmer down about e-bikes, they are a thing, they are here to stay and you just need to accept them.

It really is you not the bike. All the carbon fibre and suspension technology in the world isn’t going to help if you are fat and unfit (like me) so stop swallowing the marketing Koolaid about weight, travel, geometry, wheel size ad bloody infinitum and just ride your bike, whatever it is, more.

Or buy an e-bike

Any ride that doesn’t involve a pub stop is a waste

I knew there was a reason that despite living close we’d never met @Houns!

– “Cyclist” is a dirty word.
– Safety gear does more harm than good.
– Sausage rolls are better than cake.
– People who eat gels while riding instead of stopping for proper food should be deported, or at least put on some sort of register.
– Cycle racing is about as interesting to watch as a game of Guess Who where neither of the players have bothered to turn up.

Ha! Just thought the same when read your post, then I scrolled down. I’ll wave as you ride past the pub/cafe/ice cream van

Disc brakes on road bikes are a travesty. Road bikes should be sleek, fast and quiet, not heavy(er), draggier, uglier and squealier

Only on your road bikes >>> so many LMAO smileys it would have crashed the server <<<

Mountain bikers tend to be far older men who look hideous in Lycra.
60mm Carbon wheels on a road bike really are for summer dry windless days only.
Discs brakes on road bikes are awesome for very fast descents, carbon rim brakes not so awesome.
Maxxis Shorty sucks the life out of my trail bike. Ascending is a chore and makes me want an ebike.
A hardtail is for life, not just the winter.

Anybody that thinks there is a “right way” of enjoying yourself on a bike, is a dick

Ebikes are great.

Aero isn’t everything.

Triathlon is a legitimate branch of cycling.

29″ is just marketing BS
12 speed is just marketing BS
Ebikes are 90% marketing BS, and should be restricted to people who show an actual passion for cycling.

i always use miles for distance and speed.

i always use miles for distance and speed.

and feet for climb/descent!

i always use miles for distance and speed.

People only use KM to try and sound more impressive, it has nothing to do with preference for the metric system.

Pedals, any competent rider can happily use either clips or flats. If you struggle with either, learn to ride properly.

26in ain’t dead.

Lance Armstrong will make a Tour comeback with the blessing of USADA.

He will win and become the darling of cycling all over again.

@thepurist indeed i do 👍

Lycra is the right tool for the job of riding a bike. That you don’t wear it means you’re either vain or a fool or both.
I understand a dropper is a good bit of kit, but if it’s the most important component on your bike and you can barely ride without it then you have bad technique.
Climbs are much more enjoyable than descents.
Cafe stops have no place on a ride. Time is precious, if you have 3 hours for a ride then you should spend all of that 3 hours riding.
Related, if the ride is scheduled to start at 9am then that means we’re moving by 9:05 latest. If you want to faff then arrive early.
You’re bike is better than you are, yes, even you, and me. It’s almost never the bikes fault you couldn’t do something, it’s yours.

Sounds like someone else is a time crunched road cyclist! I genuinely can’t go out with my local club as however pleasant a group of guys, and however good the route, I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR A 1HR COFFEE STOP!

Great thread by the way, it’s like group therapy.

Mine:

1) A properly designed trail centre/bike park trail that’s appropriate to your skill level is superior to the best natural riding.

2) 26″ was in hindsight, terrible. Mainly, IMO, due to BB being above the axles (or close to it)

3) Orange full-sussers since about 2016 look lovely

4) While they may be fun, good exercise, and allowed on the same trails; e-bikes have no place in a group ride with non e-bikes.

I understand a dropper is a good bit of kit, but if it’s the most important component on your bike and you can barely ride without it then you have bad technique.

I’m going to need this one explained to me though…

The cycling media are some of the worst for promoting the “them vs us” cyclists vs driver scorn…i’m looking at you road.cc

You don’t really need 160mm travel to ride 95% of trail centres..

Enduro races should include some (or at least more) uphill, otherwise it’s just DH that you pedal to the top of.

Colour coordinated components are for blind idiots.

The Forestry Commission trail centres in Wales need to learn that descents are more fun if they’re steep not long.

Driving from Yorkshire to Bike Park Wales (or anywhere more than a couple of hours from it) when you could drive to Scottish, Lake District or Welsh mountains in the same time is a waste of your time.

Zwift activities have no place on Strava