Just an experiment to see if this flies. Everywhere I look, people are yelling at each other on the internet. Need a place to share my feelings without being told I’ve got it good or my actions are wrong. Maybe others need a place like this too.

I felt really flat today, no surprise really. Went out for a ride in the afternoon and the bridleways were rammed with walkers, kids and dogs, and I don’t trust Sunday afternoon drivers not to be drunk so try to avoid the roads.
I was hating it, felt like telling everyone to get off my trails and leave me alone, then the next minute I felt like weeping. Everyone was scowling. It’s a really tough time whatever your circumstances.

I quit trying to ride and headed back for home and passed a rider in an outlandish outfit of multi coloured top and bright yellow short shorts. “Strong look” I commented and we grinned at each other.
Somehow saved my day.

What did I just read

The non attacking, non judgemental thread.

I was hating it, felt like telling everyone to get off my trails and leave me alone

I quit trying to ride and headed back for home and passed a rider in an outlandish outfit of multi coloured top and bright yellow short shorts. “Strong look” I commented

So flirting basically?

Maybe just a thread where people can talk about their day without being yelled at. Everyone has such different priorities and concerns. All I see is people arguing.

A noble aspiration, and I get where you are coming from. It’s all a bit shit at the moment. Not Armageddon end of the world shit, but relentless, grind you down, drip, drip, bad news shit.

I think your experiment is doomed to failure though because people are sarcastic, unempathetic, know it all, piss taking arses. As evidenced above
Sadly.

Thanks bud. Your comment is like the bloke in the yellow shorts. A brief smile in amongst the scowls.😊

Chapeau. A bit more understanding in the world would most definitely not go amiss. Just imagine for a moment what we could achieve as the human race if we just pulled together.

Plenty of non judgemental threads on here, long as you avoid politics, religion and driving 😊

avoid politics, religion and driving

opps all three

I had one of those “ooh, that path looks fun, I wonder where that goes?” moments today and headed along a completely unofficial, not on any maps path. In due course, it spat me out onto what was quite obviously a narrow, overgrown footpath rather than the bridleway I was hoping it would intersect. Group of walkers came towards me and I pulled over into the side to make space, cringing inwardly.

“You better watch out” says a burly gentleman walker.
“Oh yeah?” says I, expecting to be bollocked for riding on a footpath.
“Yeah, it gets horribly muddy and off-camber along that way. Best line’s to get up high on the left, but it’s rooty as well. If you make it along to the bridleway without a dab you’ve done well” he says, grinning.

I laughed, made it about 50 yards then fell off into a bush.

I laughed, made it about 50 yards then fell off into a bush.

Sounds like my morning’s mis-navigation too 😂

Plenty of non judgemental threads on here, long as you avoid politics, religion and driving 😊

What tyre??? 🤣 🤣 🤣

I think your experiment is doomed to failure though because people are sarcastic, unempathetic, know it all, piss taking arses. As evidenced above
Sadly.

Stop judging 😉

Great aspiration – saw a very sensible post of yours on one of the Covid threads earlier today, obviously it stood out amongst the nonsense the rest of us were posting!

Been a bit flat for a few days – MrsMC is away looking after her dad in a complicated in and out of hospital, preparing to get him ready for a move to sheltered accommodation while her mum is in respite. She’s been away 10 days and for the first time in a long time I’ve really missed her – normally our solo trips away are a chance for both of us to enjoy some time doing our own thing, but I’ve been working through half term so not been able to take the kids out and do much for them, all the time with another lockdown looming.

Anyway, I nipped out for an hour on the road bike at lunchtime, got a couple of wind assisted PBs, disn’t get any close passes and got a friendly toot of the horn and shouted thanks from a couple of drivers after I stopped and pulled a bit of fallen tree off the road.

That’s my mindless waffle for the day…

Pyro. Moments like that make my day. Basically most people are alright, it’s just we tend to be more vocal when were feeling out of sorts.
I’ve been listening to the New York Times podcast ‘The Daily’ for about a year now. They are firmly Democrat despite claiming to be middle ground (I think, just how it appears to me). Recently they did a couple of pieces where they represented Republican and Democrat viewpoints on the election. Finally I got a realistic impression of the fears and desires of people that I’ve ridiculed. It’s made me want to improve the world in a tiny way by asking people to talk to each other, be kind, be understanding and actually listen. It suddenly seems so important to me.

I had one of those “ooh, that path looks fun, I wonder where that goes?” moments today and headed along a completely unofficial, not on any maps path. In due course, it spat me out onto what was quite obviously a narrow, overgrown footpath rather than the bridleway I was hoping it would intersect. Group of walkers came towards me and I pulled over into the side to make space, cringing inwardly.

“You better watch out” says a burly gentleman walker.
“Oh yeah?” says I, expecting to be bollocked for riding on a footpath.
“Yeah, it gets horribly muddy and off-camber along that way. Best line’s to get up high on the left, but it’s rooty as well. If you make it along to the bridleway without a dab you’ve done well” he says, grinning.

I laughed, made it about 50 yards then fell off into a bush.

That genuinely made me smile, which I needed! Thanks 👍. A bit more in the spirit of the OP.

Chapeau. A bit more understanding in the world would most definitely not go amiss. Just imagine for a moment what we could achieve as the human race if we just pulled together.

+1

I can’t even trust myself to do this hence I locked myself in the mancave and TT’d on the turbo for an hour earlier as punishment for my earlier involvement.   I shall be spending the rest of the year looking after my family and ignoring other people/social media.

I will be remembering Tuesdays forest trail walk with my daughter where we had loads of fun climbing trees and saying hello to a lot of other smiling happy people.  I sincerely hope everyone here stays safe and manages the next few months in the best of health.

I went for a jog
.
.
.
.
No judging, remember !

I think your experiment is doomed to failure though because people are sarcastic, unempathetic, know it all, piss taking arses. As evidenced above
Sadly.

It seems I am being proved wrong. Cynicism gently dulled by decent STWers. How very dare you! 😄

I was out yesterday on my cross bike in the Pentlands. Wild, wet and windy day. However on the route I had encounters with:-

An oncoming horse rider. We did that daft thing of both moving to avoid the other and ending up facing each other. And having a laugh about it.

Two girls dressed hopelessly inappropriately for the conditions who asked for directions and just laughed when told they still had about 10 miles to go.

A car driver who sat patiently behind us till it was 100% totally safe to pass when in fact could have passed fairly safely at any time.

Walkers who held the gate open to let us through.

Hill runners who we shared a “What on earth are we doing out in this sort of weather” laugh with.

A mad daft bouncy puppy that I ended up having to stop for but who was so cute there was no way you could be angry with. And an owner who was very apologetic.

Yes there are some tossers out there but I’d say the vast majority of folk are great.

There’s an awful lot of fair and decent people on here, and a few of us with enough empathy and self awareness to know when we’ve been dumb. The others – in a non attacking and non judgemental manner – are still on that journey 🙂

I went to London’s South Bank last Friday to see a one person play about being a homosexual asylum seeker in the Midlands. (Bridge theatre, it was very good). Walking back to the station I saw groups of people enjoying each others company. Back in my home town I walked into the local kebab shop for couple of Shish kebabs (I’m married, not a piggy). It was only as I sat there waiting that I realised I was supposed to wait outside. ‘Oh God! Sorry! I exclaimed. “It’s no problem, they said, “Sit. Be happy”.
Stuff like this is so important to me. I know some might consider my actions irresponsible but I didn’t and I enjoyed sharing time with my fellow humans.

This is a great thread, thanks OP. I find it very easy to get rattled these days by things that shouldn’t bother me, incl online stuff about rides, Strava stuff, people making their own choices really. So a good think point, thank you.

A propos of nothing, one of the highlights of my weekend was riding early evening yesterday, after dark, along a familiar section of track that is normally relatively mundane. But this time I was accompanied by the silhouette of the trees in front of me, with a very reddish looking moon above them low in the sky and mars standing out really clearly next to it. Really quite serene – just one of those quite personal moments that reminds me why I like this hobby. When I got home I was plastered head to toe in mud, but didn’t really care…

Plenty of non judgemental threads on here, long as you avoid politics, religion and driving

And e-bikes. Don’t forgot e-bikes.

And Rats.

Thank you for sharing. Genuinely.

Man I was the worst about ebikes. Then I spent an hour in Friston forest with a guy who’d suffered a knee problem. He showed me a bunch of awesome trails and encouraged me to try beat him up the climbs. Felt my prejudice dissolve in the face of actual human contact.

Went for a potter in the hills on Friday, most unlike us – fantastic, just fanTAStic to be outdoors, and lovely to have other potterers say hello.

Suffered horrendously on my run this morning, but my mates waited patiently for me on every climb and descent, and didn’t make fun of me. So full marks to them for not being either judgemental or attacking me 🙂

And it was a lovely day too, sunny, warm(ish), and no wind. Fantastic.

I always make an effort with people I see out when on the trails. A cheery wave and a hello or comment about the mud (lots of it here in the Blackdown Hills) and 99% of the time I get the same back. During these times that little bit of social interaction and a smile could make a difference to someone who is low. It also makes a difference to me, I feel much happier after a ride and a few hellos.
But we all have a right to feel low and grumpy at some point. So non judgy OP.
We were meant to have our first few days away since February this week… But hey ho.

Great idea and I’m astounded 32 posts in pretty much everyone has stuck to it. Double turbo this weekend with the naff weather, would of hardtailed if I’d had one built up and ready to ride but no way I’m going on the winter roadie in that wind! Saturdays zwift ride was race no2. for the academy and the first time in a long time when I was seriously ready to quit when faced with the 7 mile mostly 10% gradient hill. Still I managed to cling on to 2/20 in the B category. Completely wiped me out for the day. Ordered some decals for my new to me forks for aforementioned hardtail build.

Man I was the worst about ebikes.

I think they’re a brilliant idea, have a few friends with heart problems and they can basically ride as their younger selves with friends rather than being excluded from (fast) group rides due to being unable to keep up.

We’ve been living in a world of significantly heightened stress since the start of March – I’d be surprised if there is anyone that hasn’t at some point felt like they could weep. I know I have.

Agree about trying to be cheery and smiley whenever out and about. I feel like I’ve had a great weekend because I’ve bumped into 4 people I know when out for walks and had brief socially distant chats. When you think in a normal weekend you would have probably had that interaction on the way into a pub on Friday night, it makes you realise the effect lack of socialising has… and I’m very happy being a loner day to day

What did I just read

Someone venting, basically. And someone else clearly not reading and parsing what was written. Happens all too often, sadly…

ignoring other people/social media

is a good start I think.

Thanks Pyro, good one.

Glad you head that positive moment to brighten a rough sounding day. I’ve been really lucky throughout this craziness, in that my day-to-day hasn’t really changed that much.

Hope you have many more good encounters coming your way.

I too was feeling a bit flat today for obvious reasons, so I went for a ride. A few weeks ago I lost a bottle on a steep descent and today as I went down the descent I spotted it in a tree around head height, where some kind soul had placed it. Cheered me right up.

@rollindoughnut
Great opening post mate, I genuinely get where you are coming from.

Keep the faith.