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Please don't turn up wearing a Camelback, sit at the back for 100 miles apart from attacking like a maniac on each hill and thinking we love your awesome climbing ability....oh and if you want to know why we dropped you on the last few miles we'd be happy to explain it to you AFTER YOU'VE DONE JUST ONE SIMPLE MILE ON THE FRONT.
your club sounds ace.
here's an idea: why not tell the mtber, rather than us? it might have more impact
roadies are such charming folk
(so they keep telling me)
Go away.
BTW, Why can't they wear camelbaks?
How odd.
Wasn't he at the front, on the hills?
yeah, what's up with a Camelbak?
You better hope he doesn't turn up again, if he can hang on for 100 miles on his 1st ride he'll be kicking your butt after a few rides 🙂
what's the camelback got to do with it? yes a bottle is better on the road but using one or turning up with a flat bar road bike with flat pedals doesn't necessarily mean you aren't going to do your bit at the front.
Or to translate:
Went for a ride with a road club today, no one seemed that friendly so i just sat at the back and kept my self to my self. I don't own any roadie gear so i had my baggies and camelback on, but I was only there to ride bikes after all not on a fashion parade. Tried to offer a tow to some people on the hills but they kept overtaking me so I sat at the back for the rest of the ride.
Don't think i'll be going back.
Drafting for 100 miles is easy, he will never kick butt.
I'm sorry but you just don't wear a Camelback on a road bike, in the same way that you don't wear a peaked helmet or stop every 30 seconds to take a photo.
I'm sorry but you just don't wear a Camelback on a road bike
because you are a fashion victim 🙁
or stop every 30 seconds to take a photo
nothing to see
I know that i'd need more than two bottles over the course of 100 miles during a warm day....camelback seems a sensible choice!
what other rules do I need to bear in mund when riding my bike David? I often have fun, is that OK with you and your humourless gang?
lunge..babelfish never works that well does it
We spoke with him loads, nice and friendly at the cafe. So why oh why did he feel the need to prove something on the hills? It really pisses you off when you've done 30 odd miles on the front without a break and instead of offering to help he decides to expend all his energy attempting to show total mastery of the hills. We even spoke to him about it, calmly suggesting that it might be worth doing a turn, his response was that he couldn't go on the front as he didn't know the way, which seems odd as the rest of us listened to the guy with the GPS and went left/right/straight on when told.
wow sounds friendly!! re-affirms my non road bike/anti club feelings!! Dont really know what it is about the fashion police TBH I'll ride with any one on any bike in any kit (wouold think they were daft if they dont wear a lid but still! Their head eh!) but rodies apart fom not saying hello and neevr under any circumstances using a cycle land even when only moving at the speed of a injuryed snail in full team kit cant all be bad eh...
But then I'm sure your just having a sunday night Troll eh!?!
David, why are you selling your house? Is it not as damp and miserable as the bridge you currently have your eye on?
Oh dear, a roadie tool has come along to give them a bad name....
Can't we add this to the 'Reasons to be cheerful' thread as i am peeing myself reading this!!!
When I ride my mountain bike, I'm glad of company, but I don't rightly care what other people wear, carry or do.
are all roadie clubs like this?
Wow, now I remember why I don't do roadie stuff
Your road biking club sounds SH*T!!!!, Im glad I ride mountain bikes..
sc-xc - you have to point out holes in the road, use brakes sparingly, stop and help for punctures, carry enough food for the ride and money for the cafe. Quite simple really, not a lot to it.
LOL @ MicArms - a good, observed, balanced perspective!
Wookster - Memberwow sounds friendly!! re-affirms my non road bike/anti club feelings!! Dont really know what it is about the fashion police TBH I'll ride with any one on any bike in any kit (wouold think they were daft if they dont wear a lid but still! Their head eh!) but rodies apart fom not saying hello and neevr under any circumstances using a cycle land even when only moving at the speed of a injuryed snail in full team kit cant all be bad eh...
In English?
tbh anyone thats spent anytime with a roadie club would feel the same way .... there is absolutely no one less welcome in a roadie group than a wheelsucker .... except a wheel sucker who attacks on hills ... just makes you look like a retard !
not sure about the camelback issue ...
but the peak issue is because you will strain your neck if you spend any time one the drops !
tbh anyone thats spent anytime with a roadie club would feel the same way .... there is absolutely no one less welcome in a roadie group than a wheelsucker .... except a wheel sucker who attacks on hills ... just makes you look like a retard !
not sure about the camelback issue ...
but the peak issue is because you will strain your neck if you spend any time one the drops !
😯 oh my god I agree with SFB..........
The Camelback thing was the joke/irony/fail bit of the post...but ..it's STW isn't it
trail_rat, my peak put me in hospital, fell off and jammed front wheel.
Road bike riders are to be regarded with the utmost contempt. They are without exception boring, miserable, unskilled and missing the point. Forum users are instructed to shield their eyes from road riders by using the five large flaps of skin hanging from their waist. Forum users with lightweight Ti-hardtails are instructed to use their fifth chin if the waist section cannot be reached.
extract from davidB website.... mtb forum guidelines ...how ironic
What does my house have to do with this?
DavidB, I really liked your piece titled 'MTB Forum Guidelines'. Made me smile.
Anyhow, attacking the hills etc, meh! don't worry about it. Although it is a bit rude not to take a spell at the front.
his response was that he couldn't go on the front as he didn't know the way, which seems odd as the rest of us listened to the guy with the GPS and went left/right/straight on when told.
did he mean that or did he mean he didn't know all the subtle hand gestures that confused the hell out of me on the first few group road rides I did?
Going on the front and neglecting to warn people of a ruddy great pot hole is worse than just sitting at the back - though maybe he shoud have been honest about it!
Maybe he didn't think he was very good on the climbs - lots of magazines and websites suggest going off the front at the start of climbs if you're not a good climber.
Try and get over the camelback. If he'd turned up without enough drink and had blown up he'd have been a tit. If he'd turned up equipped for a 3 week tour of the arctic he'd have been a bit of a tit. The fact that he decided to carry his drink on his back isn't really any of your business
EDIT: aah, you were joking. sorry.
Oh the irony mookiebaylock!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
sounds like a mtber turned up, dropped you all on the hills and you don't want him back as you can't face the challenge to me
Sorry druidh in brain dump mode (three week old son!)
I just ride my bike for a laugh, ride with some more able serious guys and some less serious! This just seems really Cliquey and closed door to me new chap you always cut them some slack first time out eh!?!
But the whole road thing seems so uptight and anal. I just cant see the fun really,
I live in a village one road in and out, it does however have a cycle lane which every one bar full team kit wearing rodies seem to be able to use and it does my nutt when I am going to work or home! when the cycle lane is ther to be used by bikes goes the same way as the road therfore has no disadvantage bar admitting that you cant maintain 30 mph up hill...
oh my god I agree with SFB...
don't worry, I'll soon post something you can disagree with and normality will be restored :o)
my peak put me in hospital, fell off and jammed front wheel
if I didn't do all the things that caused me injury I'd have to stay at home, possibly in bed...
Wookster - MemberSorry druidh in brain dump mode (three week old son!)
LOL - and you're awake enough to post here??
FWIW - I thought Davids OP was quite funny (as is his MTB Forum Guidelines). But then I do both road and off-road cycling, so what would I know.
haha, this thread is full of crap!
hmm, being a full time Road rider I'd tend to agree that constant wheel-suckers are a pain, especially when combined with showy hill attacks. Remember though that this may have been his first run out with the club, he hasn't picked up on pack riding etiquette (hand signals, turns at the front). What he wears doesn't matter, your legs and lungs should do all of the talking!
Ok, I'll try and explain it a bit more rationally and see if you get it then.
On a long road ride the group tries to cover distance well by taking it in turns on the front. The front is where you push hardest against the air and wind. Therefore the riders on the front do more work than the rest. The general idea is that if you all take turns to do a bit, you spread the effort and the group moves faster as a whole. This works to a lesser extent on the hills but keeping the group together as much as possible helps.
Some riders are not as strong as others and consequently can't do as long on the front. Being a nice bunch, we kind of accept this and the stronger riders will spend longer on the front to compensate.
So, it's a bit galling when you have one person who is happy to not help AT ALL but clearly has the energy to sprint up hills. We could chase him down but we don't 'cos we know we need to conserve effort to help everyone home. It's worse when you try to have a civil word and they ignore you. So then you get desperate and rant over the internet at his brethren .. always a mistake. In my mind, he reminded me of how I feel at MTB events when I hear "elite rider coming through".
Don't think we're that miserable at all tbh in the club. Road cycling at speed (20mph+) does need some discipline and proper behaviour. Think of a bunch on the road as a huge communist collective all working to a common goal, apart from the single fascist who has infiltrated 🙂
And you'd be Stalin, DavidB....although to be honest you sound a bit like Smee/Glupton.
I can sort of understand your arguement but I think you're getting a bit wound up if it was just a club sunday ride.
Yep, you're probably right so I've got the rigid singlespeed out for a quick spin to chill out.
davidb, i ride with a road club
they take great pleasure in leaving me on every climb, they NEVER help with punctures, non of them have ANY sense of direction, they do not have ANY road sense........
i usually get to the cafe before them, oh and i am going riding in the pyrenees with them in 2 weeks.
i WILL be wearing a peaked helmet and possibly a small camelback.
i like roadies, they remind me how nice, friendly, hospitable and helpfull mtbrs are.
TON.....(closet roadie)............... 8)
TON.....(closet roadie)
he's too modest, he's actually a whole [b]wardrobe [/b]:o)
barnes, HOW much fun did we have today??????
how was your walk up helvelynn 😉
Well that's not so good ton. My lot will even fix my punctures, the knack is to fumble about long enough and one of the old boys will step in and take over. Our lot know every road within a 40 mile radius and most rides are planned on a GPS and they are all good riders. I joined them as a MTBer and did exactly what matey boy did on my first hill. They had a word and now I spend time on the front and give it some on hills as well, you get some grudging respect for that.
Wow, I have been slowly getting into road riding with my daily commute and have been thinking about doing a bit more. Not sure I want to now after reading this!!
Seems very regimented all this club riding.
Serious question - does his behaviour slow you all down? If not then how is it any different to if he hadn't turned up at all? Why do you even care?
Obviously it's going to take someone new to road riding a while to get used to the strange rules of the darkside,just like the roadie who you take out on a proper bike ride and insists on standing up on the pedals at every small incline and brings his fluids in a little plastic bottle that falls out of its stupid little cage thing every time you go over a bump!Yes you could get narked at him or you could give him some advice and after a few rides with you it will have sunk in and everyone will be happy just riding bikes :-).
sounds intriuging road club rides, think i may just stick to road rides solo, i can do all the work on the front, climb as hard or easy as i like, avoid all the potholes myself and not worry about upsetting eveyone else. And i assume if i do all the hard work at the front i won't need to ride for as long on the road as if i was in a group leaving more time to mtb
At the risk of getting lynched i know exactly where the OP is coming from. There was a guy out on our Thursday night run last week, he didn't do a single turn on the front but thought he was God's gift winning the two town-sign sprints. More amusing than annoying in this case, but it was only a 30-mile ride.
how was your walk up helvelynn
it just wasn't my day 🙁
Enjoying a road ride myself (avec baggies, hairy legs, Camelbak, fully finger gloves, peaked helmet and muddy spuds) i've read a number of roadie magazines and fora that give advice for newbies apprehensive about going out on a club ride. Without fail, the advice is that you won't be expected to take a turn on the front if it is your first time because it can be daunting, and it is not the easiest thing to do: there is the route to consider, one has to be able to maintain the correct pace save you go too fast or slow for the rest of the group, and there are all the little hand signals to remember that often take a while to not only learn, but to be able to do when setting a fast pace. Personally i think that is reasonable.
Now, the this newbie was asked if they'd consider taking a turn on the front, [i]"We even spoke to him about it, calmly suggesting that it might be worth doing a turn"[/i]. As we know the newbie didn't feel confident enough with the route to do this. That is fair enough in my mind. Imagine the hullaballoo if they'd got the group lost (they'd be a whole lot of team knickers in a twist then!), not something you'd want when out with a group of people you don't know.
As it turns out then, even though someone in the group had asked the new rider to take a turn on the front and he didn't, so the group upped the pace in the last few miles to drop him anyway.
Sounds like a) there was a bit of a communication problem, b) the group are a bunch of asses for deciding to drop him (tantamount to bullying i'd say), c) DavidB should drop the patronising tone, we're mountain bikers, not idiot and understand basic aerodynamics!
what are all those hand signals anyway......
I'm sure they all make a lot of sense and are very useful, but I think I need to get a set of instructions somewhere....
-)
CaptJon - thanks ..made I laugh
CaptJon - thanks ..made I laugh
*imagines maniacal supervillian laugh*
I try to explain the difference between roadying and mtbing [url= http://www.phased.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=15 ]here[/url] if you can be arsed.
ianc - I think the hand signal on this thread is a closed fist waved up and down in a rhythmic manner and directed at me
Oh God, a blog. I tell you Dave me old mucker, i'll imagine all the differences between mountain bikers and road bike riders and assume you described them in the most witty of ways. That way it will save me reading about how you like to ride both on and off road, and how - and i'm guessing here - one helps enjoy the other.
blog - how dare you - it's a showcase for my published work.
Ahhh, this is great. A thread that reaffirms my opinion that roadies are humorless, ignorant, road hogging poseurs who are bitter and jealous of people who ride proper bikes on challenging terrain and who posses actual bike skills. 😀
So, you're either a freelaner or a wannabe writer? If the former you probably enjoy being bent over and royally, well, you know. If the latter, you'd better lube up boi, those publishing houses - unless you're very lucky and/or are willing to sell your soul - are gonna make you feel like the lad you dropped today. Only after the publisher dropped you miles from home, you got gangbanged by Billy Bob the badger and his pony mates.
You must admit though that mtb-ers on road club riders aren't as bad as triathletes.
We used to know one that couldn't unclip and would run off onto the verge and fall over every time the group stopped, admittedly they couldn't go round corners either.
ARGGG HE SAID TRIATHLETES
Roadies aren't perfect,
I was working Saturday-I cycle and i'm a courier in a van!
A mixed group of about 12 were cycling towards Loggerheads in Shropshire. They were 3 deep across the road and the "lady" at the back held tight onto the centre line, making it really difficult for me to get passed.
I gave them plenty of room, but i wanted to more than 10mph! Didn't gesticulate or vent until i pulled along side. Then it was a friendly, pull in a bit love.
Got my goat......B*******s
😈
http://www.phased.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9&Itemid=13
seriously, wtf.
😉
hahaha!!
No, honestly, on a complete change of thought, that was really quite amusing, it made me laugh anyway!
This thread has reminded me how much I love riding on my own.
Road riding etiquette is there for a reason, I agree with most of what the OP has said. Life is simpler and more pleasant for all concerned if a few basic rules are followed when riding in a group, anyone turning up and breaking those rules is usually given fairly short thrift. It's not rudeness, it's partly down to the fact that, to an experienced roadie, the etiquette is second nature and you'd only break it intentionally (ie if you were trying to split the pack or drop someone or wind another rider up). People are more than willing to explain and demonstrate group riding etiquette to newcomers but if they're not going to listen or if they think they know best the usual answer is just to drop them.
It works in a similar way in MTBing too. Imagine a newbie turns up to your regular riding group and insists on pushing to the front on every descent in spite of the fact that they're the slowest. Imagine how annoyed you be if everytime you got to a ripping descent, they pushed in front and minced down it holding the entire group up. Same sort of thing...
Imagine how annoyed you be if everytime you got to a ripping descent, they pushed in front and minced down it holding the entire group up.
has this [b]ever [/b]happened ?
Failing to help pull everyone else along hardly seems to be the same
Nice trolling Dave 6/10 but seriously moaning about MTB'rs on a road ride on an MTB forum? Did you expect ANY sympathy??? I suggest you get out for another lap of fun on yr road bike or better still get out on yer SS MTB - sounds like you enjoy it more than yr road bike.. 😉
Dave I think the natural progression for your sporting/social life is a good private golf club.
Quite an entertaining thread you've kicked off all the same.
Weren't they taking a turn at the front on the climbs? Roadies are weird (I have a road bike btw and ride it most days).
Dave, you are wasting your time; the hairy knuckle draggers are like Americans, in that 'not doing irony' kind of way.......
I'd rather have a shit in the woods and fall backwards than go on a road ride. You could add nettles into the equation over my desire to go on a club ride.
Imagine how annoyed you be if everytime you got to a ripping descent, they pushed in front and minced down it holding the entire group up.
i wouldn't be annoyed, i'd pass them....
Crazy legs, the scenario you describe does happen, no reason to get annoyed about it, just stop and give them a bit of time or overtake if you can. I'd never drop someone from a ride, that's just rude.
Question for you, how do all these roadies get "the knowledge"? Does it come in a book? Surely at some point everyone is a newbie and needs to be educated, not dropped. Personally, I've never ridden in a group before on the road and would definitely not be confident at the front. I do have bottles though. I am assuming that some roadie clubs are less interested in this stuff?
DavidB - name your club. Highly unlikely it's one of the three I'm thinking of joining but if it is, I'd like to know.
A real shame the op didn't present his point better in the first instance, but I expect the usual anti-roadie prejudices would have come out.
I'm not new to road riding but new to riding in a group. If/when I turn up for my first club ride I will avoid time at the front, not because I'm a free-loader but because I don't know the rules. As and when I pick up the rules, I'll do my turn.
Except DavidB would have burnt me at the stake in the meantime.
And I go up hills at my own pace. I get in a rythmn and I go. Most of the time this is slower than the people I ride with. But if it's faster, it's because that's the pace the suits me, it's not me showing off.
And I'll carry my water how I like, thank you.