If you go out on an Ebike with a load of people on normal bikes and you’re not old (<50) or disabled everyone in that group thinks you’re a lazy fat ****.

Mathieu van der Poel is cheating somehow

And in extension, pro road cycling sure as hell isn’t clean. But, that’s OK from a spectators perspective, just enjoy the show.

All common sense suggests that British Cycling (and British Athletics) are due a huge doping scandal, see Richard Freeman for instance. But, it will never come out in it’s entirety as there is to much to lose for both sports. A BC scandal involving the track squad and Froome/Thomas/Wiggo would force to many questions of the IOC, of the UCI and of the sport in general. British Athletics are too closely connected to USA Track & Field and Nike for that to be allowed as well.

However, irrelevant of the above, the volume of doping in cycling is nothing compared to football.

And in extension, pro road cycling sure as hell isn’t clean. But, that’s OK from a spectators perspective, just enjoy the show.

What’s to enjoy (Amstel Gold and Namur notwithstanding)? Am bored of the standard MvdP solo CX time trial that most races end up as.

I guess this actually makes it *less* likely that he’s cheating, as he is hardly being subtle about it, Pantani’s undoing was apparently the way he took the piss up a big climb one day after being miles off the back. Not unlike Froome a year or two ago actually…

my pet hate: Surely vs Shirley

No that one is perfectly acceptable as is source and sauce.

Cycling is institutionally racist.

singlespeedstu

Subscriber

Chris Porter is pretty much spot on about bike geo and most bike manufactures know it.

Aha, here’s a controversial one. Chris Porter mostly gets things right by having lots of opinions then forgetting about all the ones that turn out to be wrong. 29 inch wheels don’t roll over stuff better than 26, 29 inch wheels stop you from braking properly. 29ers have no pump. Oh wait I want to sell a 29er bike, actually 29ers are fine! Now rides a 29er (according to the website anyway, last time i saw him he was on a 29 front/650b rear) In fact he was 26 Til I Die until he wanted to sell 650b bikes then he was 650b Til I Die till then next time he felt like changing wheels. Single crown forks suddenly became a terrible idea the day after he stopped selling them for a living.

(he still always uses Neko Mulally’s chainless race run as his evidence that clutch mechs slow you down… Neko himself says, more or less “I thought that was it, run over, so I had nothing to lose”)

A good trail centre often provides far better and easily repeatable riding than your ‘must do’ natural trail.

For example I give you Laggan Black (or even red) vs Lairig Ghru in my back yard.

It isn’t worth the long drive all the way to Torridon to ride trails in the rain. The rocks are really slippery and the stalkers shoot mountain bikers for shits & giggles.

<Cycling is institutionally racist>

Good one.

It is hella white.

Only mtb-ers of colour round my way are this Malaysian crew. Nice guys. They have sweet bikes and even sweeter cook-outs at Riker’s Car park.

PlanetX customer service is exemplary.

Your lawn doesn’t need cutting!

I think the big one to remember is that no one gives a shit about your opinion on their riding ability, the trails they ride, or the bike they own.

For example:
1. Think e bikes are for the lazy? Then don’t buy one and shut up.
2. Think long travel bikes kill the fun from trails? Then don’t ride one and shut up.
3. Think gravel bikes are amazing or a marketing scam? Then buy one/ don’t buy one and shut up.

And so on. Offering advice can be helpful, but don’t tell people what they should or shouldn’t ride/ enjoy. So many threads on here (and the internet in general) seem to descend into people shouting at others to enjoy things the same way that they do.

The tour de france would be WAY better if they were all on fully faired recumbents.

You take your dog for a walk not a ride.

Afan is actually the best Welsh trail centre

Amen to that brother. Bloody brilliant place for sure with the most natural feeling trails out there

If someone on a council estate has a nice bike it’s nicked.

Nicked off an IT manager to boot.

The tour de france would be WAY better if they were all on fully faired recumbents.

Nah. They’d move faster but drafting would be less of an issue and that’s where all the tactics come in.

You take your dog for a walk not a ride.

Can’t believe it took 11 pages for someone to bring up dogs!

I’m not that bothered by people riding with their dogs, but it does irk me to hear people saying they “want to get a trail dog”.

Not exactly sure why. Probably that dogs are for life, not just for trails.

Most cycling is purely fashion led – type of clothing, number of gears, width of tyres etc etc

650b does not bring the trails alive.

Most cycling is purely fashion led – type of clothing, number of gears, width of tyres etc etc

Hmm, type of clothes is maybe fashion, number of gears possibly more marketing, width of tyre is just good sense though! If there was one recent innovation I’m really keen on it’s wide, light tyres for road bikes and gravel bikes.

People of average proportions do not need large sized bikes.

Droppers will not change your life. (feel free to substitute any other component, standard or geometry specifications as you see fit).

Hmm, type of clothes is maybe fashion, number of gears possibly more marketing

What’s the difference between fashion and marketing?

Every single problem with a fork can be traced back to a speck of grease in the transfer port.

Anyone who refers to anything as marketing bullshit understands neither marketing nor bikes.

Putting your name on your frame means you are delusional and very selfish in bed.

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>It’s not that these people are being selfish in bed, it is just that they have very small willies.</span>

This is easily disproved, but perhaps not on this forum 😉

email in profile.

Here I go:
Atherton Bikes is going to fail

An year passed since the big “next big thing” announcement and nothing happened.

Either:
– they announced the bikes way too early into development
– they faced unexpected issues
– the Bikepark thing was much more work than anticipated
– turns out there’s not much interest in the product

They keep saying “we are still fine tuning the geometry or kinematics or whatever”, but often when you fine tune a product too much you end up tuning it specifically for yourself. It’s not rocket science (unless they are into problems).

Maybe Gee’s sub standard season (for what he’s capable) also didn’t help. On WC footage I recal him on a seemingly quite nervous and unstable bike, compared to both the competition and what I remember from his Trek

I’ve only watched it on YouTube, but ‘enduro’seems to exist only in its own bubble…miles from anywhere and few spectators.

If I was in charge, I’d try to incorporate some trails closer to the populated areas and insert untimed, languidly-pedalling-take -a-gander-at-the-local-landmarks ,bits in between the timed parts.

Ps– happy riding for 2020!

By the end of the next decade you’ll have given up riding on the road due to the constant fear of being robustly rammed from behind by a silent electrical vehicle with self-driving functions whose algorithms and systems may or may not recognise you or value your dispensable road meat silhouette over protecting its occupants. So gravel it is then.

If I was in charge, I’d try to incorporate some trails closer to the populated areas and insert untimed, languidly-pedalling-take -a-gander-at-the-local-landmarks ,bits in between the timed parts.

You mean like they do in Dunoon?

And in the true **** you style my life exists in…

People of average proportions do not need large sized bikes.

…it turns out Genesis would disagree with me.

^^^^
Good point, re:Dunoon.

Though I still think that the ‘scene’ could do with more public participation.

It should be possible to combine e-bike demo days with proper racing.

We’ve got loads of historic/ cultural capital in the U.K. That deserve more exposure.

So take a town like Whitby, and for one day close the streets to vehicles. The hardcore racers and the rookies on their e-bikes rub shoulders on the un-timed sections before heading into the timed beginner/ intermediate/ expert runs of their choosing.

The best place to shave your legs is in the bath so when the bath drains afterwards you can see the fruits of your labours.

squirrelking

Member

People of average proportions do not need large sized bikes.

I think what you mean is, many “large sized” bikes are really mislabelled mediums.

I think he needs to explain what he means as it’s a bit cryptic to me.

I’m referring to the amount of folk on here that seem to think they know better than the manufacturers and buy a large sized bike despite being average height and at the medium point on the recommendation scale.

Of course no sooner did I say that than I started looking at Longitudes which I should supposedly be a large on. Looking at the measurements I can only assume I’m supposed to ride it like a 10 year old on their dads field gate BSO.

I think what you mean is, many “large sized” bikes are really mislabelled mediums.

I wouldn’t say so, no. Admittedly I’m comparing to a hybrid but 60mm top tube difference is nuts and that’s just the medium, if I went for large that’s 90mm extra.

OK gotcha now, you’re wrong though – as were the bike designers.

😉

Roadies have the right to block the road & stop people getting where they’re going on time. Well , they think they do 🤣.

It is possible to allow for roadies slowing you down by setting off a few minutes early.

OK, some more controversial opinions…

1. There’s probably a correlation between spending loads of money on coloured Hope bits and voting for Brexit.

2. People who make a big deal about how they prefer “natural trails” to trail centres are insecure bell ends.

3. Strava has made MTBing better.

People who claim to not include their cycle commutes in their yearly stats are obviously lying.

There’s probably a correlation between spending loads of money on coloured Hope bits and voting for Brexit.

Although coloured bits are often discounted, which adds to the noise in that correlation (from personal experience – voted remain but will always buy coloured components if they’re cheaper as function is more important).