So why are we such pariahs ?

MTBers that is .The rides we have done this weekend have got me puzzled .From farmers afraid we are going to stray off the bridlepath (see CGs thread yesterday )to the landlord at the pub today who if looks could kill etc etc to the ignorant woman walking down Ladys Edge who forced us all to stop while CLIMBING !!! .Can all these people have really had that bad experience ?As for the landlord good job business is so good he can afford to actively discourage more customers .

I never really knew the scale of our plight! Perhaps a charity record to benefit us may help 🙄

nude calander

the landlord made it clear we wernt welcome but the waitress at the hotel …..well thats another story.

Dont let the feckers get you down

we are the hooded youth of the outdoor activity world

Mr K so you enjoyed the baps then 😀

Can all these people have really had that bad experience
Probably 🙂
Despite what we'd like to think, there's an awful lot of **** on bikes out there.

Oldfart – maybe it's just a matter of perception 🙂

All I've been doing tonight is checking out quite a large number of different ride photos/ holidays and race reports and seems loads of STWorlders this weekend have had some great times all over the UK, top to bottom. Or maybe it's just me never really having had any of these experiences?

Ian, I've met hundreds of people biking, only one or two with questionable attitudes. I think SimonRalli has it, the negative episodes appear to stick in the memory, simply because they're unusual.

Simon Ralli don't get me wrong.Had a brilliant weekend as i hope knottie's pics show .Just like Rich said negative's seem to stick in your mind.

wasnt the miserable old **** at the plough in holford was it?

Yep – panic not – seen those pics too – looked great. Lived a couple of years in Wiltshire and have a fondness for the countryside there – from childhood.

I wasn't taking your thread too seriously, assuming you wern't. Some people ay? I just try as much as possible not to judge as these things are often their stuff and sometimes you don't know where they are coming from.

I just seem quite lucky maybe in most often than not meeting top people everywhere I go.

jambo spot on !!!
simon glad you liked the pics.no not too serious some people precisely.

i think he is pro-hunt and anti everything else….

a pro hunt you say ?

I had some old crusty farming type shouting at me in Edale a while back, completely unprovoked. He seemed to think mountain bikers were causing problems by riding through puddles on trails, and this made them deeper. We should apparently ride AROUND the puddles to stop erosion, you see.

So I sneaked back and released some hungry rabbits on his land.

Everyone has different experiences in life and subsequently some people are actually not happy.

We're in a recession, there's more negativity around, long term the future is not looking good.

I've had more than my fair share of "life's worst experiences" this last 18 months but, you know what, I have my health and can ride my bike. I can temporarily forget all the c**p, enjoy the countryside and the company of friends on group rides.

Stay positive and upbeat 😀

Last few times I've spoken to walkers I've been offered tea on a hillside while sheltering from the rain, told to "give it rice" down a hillside and had an old dear shout "go on son" at me while holding a gate open (bitch, I was looking forward to a breather !)

I thought the landlord at the plough had a change of heart cos he realised the business he was missing ??

Why are we such paraiahs?

Bicycles are seen as poor peoples transport so we are second class citizens
Some mountainbikers act like utter cocks out there
Some folk hate to see folk having fun
some folk are miserable gits
Some folk blame mountainbikers for erosion ( and sometimes they are right)

The plough? Is that the one in the quantocks where a bunch of us would have bought lunch if we were welcome – but we wern't so we didn't. £50 he didn't get.

TJ +1.

I'd add in that mountain biking has become one of the most middle class activities available, and as such has led to the kind of conflicts between Mr. 'I drive an Audi and I have a perfect right to be on this bridleway don't you know' and the rest of the people in the country.

God him in The Plough. I had a civil chat with him once but it's clear he's not that keen on us.

I miss wonderful Stella [sobs].

He's a surly shite in the Plough, hypocritical enough to take our cash though. He won't be getting any more of it after I experienced his rancid version of "hospitality" that one time though.

"I'd add in that mountain biking has become one of the most middle class activities available"

I always wonder when people make these comments how they actually know – have you done a survey or something?

It's an educated guess, based on the price of bikes, the cars one sees in trail centre carparks, the cost of bike maintenance, the number of bike trips abroad, the appearance of biking in the Independent, the Guardian, the Telegraph, and so on.

Plus, I've been doing it for 20 odd years and the class of the people involved in has changed as far as I can tell.

If you can prove or suggest otherwise, go on…..

well if it,s become one of the most middle class activities avalable it,s going down the tubes then.or is it just a case of fur coat no nickers(middle class wanabes).proberbly just pen pushers anyway.

Isn't this just spurious victimhood thinking ? I'm not convinced I should care about the opinions of people who know nothing of me or my sport. 99% of the time we go about our riding without interference, and whatever those opinions may be has scant real life effect…

Simon, I think we should care about others opinions because we are grown ups and that's what grown up people do; all that 'I don't care' stuff is like teenage rebellion, not really that important.

if there is a charridie record can I sing Bono's part

, I think we should care about others opinions because we are grown ups and that's what grown up people do;

I completely disagree if those opinions are:
a) irrelevent
b) founded on ignorance

well I have been riding for 20 years but have only been to a trail centre 3 times, the groups I ride with tend to be a cross section of society.

Perhaps it is the people who ride trail centres who are the middle class people riding the expensive bikes?

Relevance is a two edged sword; if our actions affect others then I would argue that they are relevant both to us and to them.

Ignorance is a temporary state, and we can change that ignorance, because no man is an island.

Relevance is a two edged sword; if our actions affect others then I would argue that they are relevant both to us and to them.

I find this hard to quantify – it may be zero effect

Ignorance is a temporary state, and we can change that ignorance, because no man is an island.

hmmm, more of a task than I care to take on – we're heavily outnumbered and I see no motivation

I'd like people to think that mountain bikers are good people, because I'm one.

I just wrote a load of stuff about why cycling is ridiculed in this country. I then re-read it and realised it could be summised a lot easier.

'British people are, on the whole, a complete bunch of bell ends'

There you go, that's the reason.

I'd like people to think that mountain bikers are good people, because I'm one.

it's as well to have more realistic expectations…

Plus, I've been doing it for 20 odd years and the class of the people involved in has changed as far as I can tell.

Or maybe you and the age group you ride with have grown up, got more responsible jobs etc, or just become more aware of the class system? The people I know well and ride with locally are a mix. No toffs tho 😉 Not got much of an idea of the class of people I meet at STW rides, not interested in that stuff, all lovely folk mind.

The lease is up for sale at the afore mentioned Quantocks pub, the landlord is off to another pub at the south end of the hills, so once a new person is running it, it has a chance to be my new mid ride home..untill such time we'll have to just put up with eating the many wild fruits (not to be mistaken for the owner of SSC).

Today i choose to give the place a chance as he has put on the plough inn website that mountainbikers are welcome…….despite being offered a roast dinner or baguettes it was his generally attitude that forced us to the hotel, where knottie was treated to wonderful scenery and creamed his scones just after.

My banana, brie and bacon sarnie was wonderful so glad we went.

I'm a bad tempered, moody, moaner when i'm anywhere but riding the bike, perhaps i'm just as much to blame only in a different environment.

And tomorrow i'll be an exceptional grumpy sod 🙂

Sharki poor old Knottie it's unfair to get him so excited at his age . 😆