The amount of time you spend caring about what other people are riding = how much your are jealous

nah …. you’ve got it all wrong.Don’t do jealousy

What about people with cheap cars and expensive bikes, where do they fit into the OP’s stereotype hierarchy

You’re a rider … with right priorities

Cubist … I totally get you. At least you ride!! It’s the guys who bugger about the whole day pimping their bike in the car park that started my theory off.

Don’t get me wrong, I drive a nice car (won’t disclose for fear of abuse and ridicule :-)), but the other day I was down at Swinley, parked next to a guy fettling a very, very expensive bike. Went off for a ride around both the blue and red routes and came back to him still tinkering and posing around the car park on a spotlessly clean bike (so he obviously hadn’t been anywhere. Went for a cup of tea to return to see said bike been loaded back into car!!

I’ve seen similar. Llandegla being one of the best places to observe such behaviour. Mind you any centre with a large infra-structure is good, but go somewhere like Penmachno and it’s a different story … just honest riders as there’s no audience there!!!

Jam bo … don’t pasties come from Cornawll

…. lights blue touch paper and stands back!!

Richie B … thanks for your support!

Ignorant and pompous … moi? Nah …. go read “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”

Damn … my obsession with tax discs is out in the open!

Inverted snobbery indeed?! …. but Jambo, a pasty? … the food police are onto you!!

@Ecky-Thump — a man after my own heart!

Excellent to hear so many folks choosing to ride from home, although I do occasionally amuse myself people watching in trail centre car parks.
I have a theory: the more the bike costs and the more expensive the vehicle it comes out of is in direct proportion to the amount of time the bike isn’t actually ridden! :-)

Just think, if you all spent as much time and effort actually riding as you do pontificating on here how much better a rider you might be! ?
It’s as much about the rider as it is the bike … now log off and go for a ride!!!

LOL …. whoever said “In short, hardtails are shite.

#science ” obviously can’t ride for toffee

Full sus riders who eschew hard tails are shite riders coz they don’t have the proper riding skills to get the max out of the bike

We know who they are. Typically male, carrying a few too many pounds, more money than sense thinking that buying the most expensive kit makes them a better rider and they spend more time pimping their bikes in the car park than riding on the trails

…..recognise yourself?

I’m a qualified Police driver and agree with everything said so far regarding you riding correctly and the driver being in the wrong. Unfortunately it’s an all too common tale of lack of knowledge/correct observation on the part of motorists but that doesn’t help you when confronted with a tonne of steel!

I have a very similar issue in that I don’t cycle on cycle paths shared with pedestrians which are separate from the main road that cross a lot of side streets as traffic turning into them is nearly always oblivious to you crossing. Rule 170 of the Highway Code states “watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority, so give way”

My interpretation of that is that on a cycle path shared with pedestrians, unless there are give way lines on the cycle path as it crosses a side street, then cyclists are afforded the same priority as a pedestrian.

But in reality, that isn’t going to help you when you’re average motorist nonchalantly steers across your path.

Best advice is always ride defensively and be alert to potentially danger points. The scary thought is, as I think someone has already said, imagine the consequences of that driver’s action if it wasn’t a cyclist who was quick enough to react, but children walking on the pavement.

Best solution by far is some form of braclet — RoadID, Onelife etc. As a member of a Mountain Rescue Team I know it’s easier to identify these types of items as we, paramedics, first responders etc will look for medi-alert type stuff when assessing a casualty after the big sick stuff has been done. Forget the phone and electronic devices — experience tells me that when the s**t hits the fan they will be broken, with a flat battery or it’s so cold and pigging wet your little pinkies will refuse to work!!!

+1 for the Osprey Escapist. Agree with Highlandman that it’s a great guide bag. The Talon is a great sac too, but is more walking/climbing orientated and my helmet catches on the top of the sac.

I know that there’s a lot of great bikepacking gear out there, but a rucsac is often the simplier, more convenient choice unless you’ve got loads of (too much) kit to carry

It’s a personal choice, but after 30 odd years of knocking around in outdoor pursuits, I’ve found Osprey sacks pretty hard to beat. I’m using a Osprey Escapist 25 for commuting. Fits the bill and also gets plenty of abiuse at the weekend

For me the key is to keep on doing it until you habituate to it. To change anything we need to break a cycle of habits. These can be both good and bad. We habituate to bad habits too and sometimes it’s easier not to do something than it is (eg, not riding to work) and that becomes a bad habit.

All the stuff about organisation is so true. I do the same as cookeaa but take home dirty shirts and underwear during the week so that Friday’s bag isn’t too heavy and spoils the ride.

Top tip from me if you have mega early starts is to make sure you’re going to bed early too

“Your arse may think its going to die after doing the first couple of sections”

Really??? …. just goes to show most guys at trail centres are over-biked and using a full susser to cover up a lack of skill.

Get your arse of the saddle and everything at CyB is rideable on a hard tail, and depending on your fitness level, faster and more fun!