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Cyclists - y so serious?

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Mondeo Man
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PostPosted: 11:55 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Cyclists - y so serious? Reply with quote

Cyclists - y so serious?


When I was a youngster, people had bikes. They got on the bikes and rode them. Often these bikes had passed through the generations, many chains, and many tyres. That was that. Everyone understood a cycle was basically a useful children's toy. If the wheel was buckled, you often carried on regardless, becuase, well, why care?, it's a pushbike...and the wheels still turn.

Nowadays, every other cyclist thinks he's Chris Boardman. The skinny tyres, the full lycra. These are the equivalent of BMW tourers ridden a few miles down a carriageway. I cycle to work - on a mountain bike which is too small for me(!) - in a old sweaty t-shirt, and any old pair of shorts, and often leave these lycra lads for deads.

Nowadays, no one can spend less than £500 on a push bike - some spend £2000+ - on what is, basically, a useful children's toy. There is no need to spend more than £100 on a pushbike. If you're ctually competiting, different story. But for gettig to work, or recreation on a Sunday, more than £100 is showboating (the further you get away from £100, the more your head is up your arse).

People actually pay to have a pushbike "serviced". What are these monkeys playing at? Unless, you're female, there is no excuse for paying someone to service a pushbike. It is more of a mechanical challenge to wind down a window on a car than it is to service a pushbike.

I have had my humble Raleign Mustang for about 7 years, have covered several thousands of miles, paid around £108 for it, and have spent maybe £15 on keeping it going. I wager I can get where I am going much faster and with fewer problems than any regular cyclist riding any bike. (5 miles in little over 12 minutes is my average. Have yet to have a puncture)

I think pushbikes, like anything else, have became a bit of a consumer con. Much like people pay over the odds for Rebox when QD's 4.99 trainers actually satisfies their needs,people are paying for the name. I see at work bikes worth ten times mine - I should say priced at ten times mine, not worth - and I think, why, what's the point? Cycling is about saving money surely, not wasting it. If you want to waste money, there are better options to do so than on over sized toys.
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KDub
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PostPosted: 12:10 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could say pretty much the same thing about most hobbies.

Why buy a £14k+ superbike when a £500 GN125 will get you from a to b? Why spend £3k on a camera when a £10 disposable will take pictures?

It's your money at the end of the day, nobody else cares how you spend it.
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The Shaggy D.A.
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PostPosted: 12:19 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I was looking for a new bike, I just wanted something I could slide my fat arse over, have a rack on the back, and just use. I wasn't after millions of miles a day, nor was I going to try to keep up with traffic on the A45.

As I looked at the 40 speed, full suspension behemoths, I asked where the town bikes with Sturmey Archer 3 speed gears were, and was told "no-one wants them anymore".

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J4mes
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PostPosted: 12:41 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, but what a load of bollocks.

My Trek bike was by no means expensive at £300, but do you know why I bought a £300 bike? Because the £89 apollo bike I had from halfords before it was shit.

The front sproket wore to the point the chain skipped over it, the chrome began to rust after 6 months in the garage, it was heavy, the ferules broke off the brake cables on the front, the gearshift was inaccurate and clunky, the handle bar grips were hard and uncomfortable, the seat was rock solid, the wheels began to rust and the rear one buckled after dropping down a curb. The crank bearings went in under a year.

I ride my current bike in all weathers on all surfaces and I haven't had any issues with it, and I've owned it for 3 years. I haven't even taken it for a service yet Laughing


As Kdub said, it's a bit like saying "anyone who buys any motorcycle other than a chinese YBR replica is a head up their arse flash bastard show off"

No, it's just some people prefer to buy quality that performs and lasts.


Last edited by J4mes on 12:56 - 12 Aug 2012; edited 1 time in total
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Benno
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PostPosted: 12:53 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whoa, hold up - people pay people to "service" pushbikes?

I could come up with some small print and a fee. Small print that basically doesn't guarantee that the problem will be fixed and a fee that gets me a steak dinner or three. Give us yer bike guv, I'll polish that chain and make it a bit more sparkly before giving you your bike back, write a few fake reviews on the internet about myself, and hey presto, an income!

But I do agree with the OP. I've had my trust mountainbike for nigh on 8 years. Though it only really has one or two functioning gears left, I've found that I can get around with only the one gear. Perfect for university. I laugh when I see people with expensive road bikes and "gear".
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Last edited by Benno on 12:54 - 12 Aug 2012; edited 1 time in total
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Ayrton
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PostPosted: 12:54 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

You get what you pay for. You cant expect some cheap £90 halfords bike to the as good as something worth £300.
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Nai
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PostPosted: 13:09 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

You know what Mondeo, your right! Theres no pint having fast push-bikes, or spending money on nice gear when your not some uber pro cyclist right?

Perhaps in that case we should point out that all the motorcyclists on BCF should ditch their sports bikes and everyone should immediately buy a 125 YBR/CG as thats basic and gets people everywhere.

Am'i'right?
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Nai
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PostPosted: 13:31 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

On quality bikes. Mine usually cost about £500'ish. Currents are a Langster and Tricross. Both get me 40 miles a day across London through London with ease. I have used 'old nags' to do the journey, and compared to a £500 bike, the difference is astounding.

On cycle shirts and shorts, I never saw the point until I started wearing them. Not having clothes flap about does make the journey easier, and certainly when it rains, your clothes don't get heavy of thump against your legs likes jeans do. A £6 pair of cycle shorts with a good padding in the arse makes the world of difference to a long ride.

Annnnd on trainers... I have tried a few £4.99 pairs of trainers, all have been shit, and left me with blisters after a 5 mile run. £30 can get an entry level pair of running shoes that you can do a 10 mile run with with no rubbing. For £25, seriously, that doesn't even compare to the cost of push bikes.
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Bendy
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PostPosted: 13:31 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its like motorbikes. Buy what you like, but don't bother with all the performance justification cos everyone knows its bullshit. You bought it cos you liked it or cos you wanted to impress your mates, not cos you were being hideously held back by only having 76 gears and suspension that isn't quite optimised for negotiating that kerb outside the pub.
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Mondeo Man
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PostPosted: 13:41 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nai wrote:
You know what Mondeo, your right! Theres no pint having fast push-bikes, or spending money on nice gear when your not some uber pro cyclist right?

Perhaps in that case we should point out that all the motorcyclists on BCF should ditch their sports bikes and everyone should immediately buy a 125 YBR/CG as thats basic and gets people everywhere.

Am'i'right?


Not a great argument against me, because I have said before that a 50cc moped is all that is needed for 99% of journeys bikers actually do.

Anything above that is money spent on want, not on need.

Same with pushbikes. All these people above saying their Halfrauds generic bike fell apart. Chances are, it wasn't the bike, it was the lack of care taken with the bike (because it was bought and treated as though dispensable).

I ride my £100 Argos bike all weathers (including ice and snow) - no issue that I haven't easily fixed in seven+ years of use. There is nothing that will kill the bike off accept for my boredom with it. Bikes can last a lifetime.

I'm not saying people shouldn't waste money on pushbikes, I'm saying, stop bullshitting yourself and bullshitting others that you need to do so. For a regular person, a £500 bike isn't meaningful more useful than a £100 nameless shitter. Stop pretending that your 2 mile ride to work needs tour de france levels of preparation and equipment.
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Mondeo Man
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PostPosted: 13:46 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Re: Cyclists - y so serious? Reply with quote

Drew wrote:
Mondeo Man wrote:


People actually pay to have a pushbike "serviced". What are these monkeys playing at? Unless, you're female, there is no excuse for paying someone to service a pushbike. It is more of a mechanical challenge to wind down a window on a car than it is to service a pushbike.


https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=3170714&highlight=#3170714

Whistle Whistle


Eh? What does this prove? The bike had a problem and I fixed it for less the price than the Boardman wannabe spends on his "special aerodynamic cycling glasses". Now it rides like new.

You can't just unroot something related to a topic and hope it somehow undermines the argument made. It doesn't.
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Nai
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PostPosted: 14:22 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mondeo Man wrote:

I'm not saying people shouldn't waste money on pushbikes, I'm saying, stop bullshitting yourself and bullshitting others that you need to do so. For a regular person, a £500 bike isn't meaningful more useful than a £100 nameless shitter. Stop pretending that your 2 mile ride to work needs tour de france levels of preparation and equipment.


20 mile.... Its 20 mile per direction... Thats 40 mile a day.... Tour de France bikes are thousands of pounds. Mine are about £500. Your nameless shitter may be fine for a 2 mile journey to work, but I would rather not cycle my dick off on some clapped out shitty Halfords bike, when it can be done much easier and more comfortably on a £500 bike.
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Quirky
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PostPosted: 14:29 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Re: Cyclists - y so serious? Reply with quote

Mondeo Man wrote:




I have had my humble Raleign Mustang for about 7 years, have covered several thousands of miles, paid around £108 for it, and have spent maybe £15 on keeping it going.


What are your brake pads made of?
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Nai
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PostPosted: 14:33 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Re: Cyclists - y so serious? Reply with quote

Quirky wrote:

What are your brake pads made of?


Considering his speed I doubt he has any Neutral

Quote:
(5 miles in little over 12 minutes is my average. Have yet to have a puncture)
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Quirky
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PostPosted: 14:40 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm just thinking, if he has covered several thousands of miles, then surely he would have spent more than £15 on brake pads over 7 years?

I would say once you get to a certain price point then any extra spent will not see very noticeable improvements for your average rider, however, that price point is definitely higher than £100!
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JonB
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PostPosted: 14:41 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Re: Cyclists - y so serious? Reply with quote

Mondeo Man wrote:
I wager I can get where I am going much faster and with fewer problems than any regular cyclist riding any bike. (5 miles in little over 12 minutes is my average. Have yet to have a puncture)

Genuinely. If you were ever inclined to take cycling seriously, go and have a go at your local cycle clubs 10 mile Time Trial. They are usually once a week and a 22 minute 10 mile will have you in the top 25. If you are doing that on an old shitter, you will be able to afford more than a mondeo after Rio 2016. You don't need membership as they usually have open entries. I must say I am pretty impressed as my fastest 10 mile time trial is only around the 25 minute mark.

That of course is if you aren't: -
A) Bullshitting
B) Cycling downhill with a tailwind.

As for punctures, that is all down to luck. If you are riding an Argos £100 superbike then you are probably riding on MTB knobblies which are less susceptible to punctures. I've had 2 this year on my 23mm road tyres, but to be fair they only take 10 minutes to sort out on the roadside.

------

I don't really want to take the bait with this thread as it's obvious Mondeo Man, is either a troll or a monumental dullard with boring preconceptions about life and why people have desires to own anything more than a Ford Mundaneo.

If people were at all interested. Cycling is about marginal gains. A £1000 road bike is going to have a much bigger advantage over a £100 bicycle in theory than a £5000 bike will have over a £1000 bike. Although at the end of the day if the person riding it is not putting in training and is only a doing a 2 mile commute to work there is not much point spending that sort of money on a bike.

Cycling is all about marketing, for some reason the early 90's made MTB's really massive. Despite the fact that 90% of purchases are not needed. See that £75 full suspension bike in Tesco. Why would you ever want that? It offers nothing to someone wanting a bike to potter about to work on. The suspension will weigh a ton and will slow you down.

For people who view cycling as more as a mode of transportation; as a hobby say. Like Motorcycling for example, there are advantages to be had. Miniscule, but they are there.

I have probably spent in the ball park of £1000+ in the last 12 months on cycle related clothing alone. I have a £125 Gore jacket that is excellent, the sleeves are zippable, but mostly it is water resistant, keeps me warm, but is also breathable when it is warm. I have a £10 waterproof jacket and a £85 one. When I wear my £10 one I am wetter than without it as they are like boil in a bag suits.

Carbon Fibre frames. They are only marginally lighter than Aluminium frames, but we don't buy them for weight purposes, they offer cushioning on the UK raod surface as they absorb vibration through the material and are not so jarring. They also don't rust at all.

Lycra. Excellent wicking properties and also they have padding in the shorts. Although a lot of newbies aren't told that you shouldn't wear underwear with them as they have bio-pads which make them more comfortable.

I agree on the maintenence front. I have a haynes manual which has every operation I would ever need to do in it. I've done 4,500 miles on my best bike and have done all maintanence myself, including bottom brackets, cassettes, chains etc etc. But to be fair I bet there is a lot I could do on a car in theory, but it is much easier to bang it into a garage and get it done quicker.

At the end of the day, people enjoy cycling. They like to spend money on things they enjoy. Whether they need it or not. Cycling has become the middle-aged man's Golf. It is all about one-upmanship in some cases. But people who do actually take it seriously; like myself find that you can make gains just by buying over-priced gear. What is so wrong with that?
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Im-a-Ridah
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PostPosted: 14:51 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's more sense in buying a road bike for the road than a mountain bike for the road... much less effort to ride for a start!
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Ayrton
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PostPosted: 14:59 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="Mondeo Man"
a 50cc moped is all that is needed for 99% of journeys bikers actually do.
[/quote]

Laughing I cant quite tell if your being a troll or are just a blatent idiot.
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Raffles
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PostPosted: 15:08 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ayrton wrote:
Laughing I cant quite tell if your being a troll or are just a blatent idiot.

Laughing
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janner_10
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PostPosted: 15:34 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ayrton wrote:
[quote="Mondeo Man"
a 50cc moped is all that is needed for 99% of journeys bikers actually do.


Laughing I cant quite tell if your being a troll or are just a blatent idiot.[/quote]

Safe bet is the latter I reckon.
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carlosthejack...
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PostPosted: 16:01 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Re: Cyclists - y so serious? Reply with quote

JonB wrote:

I don't really want to take the bait with this thread as it's obvious Mondeo Man, is either a troll or a monumental dullard with boring preconceptions about life and why people have desires to own anything more than a Ford Mundaneo.


https://4.bp.blogspot.com/__1PlVidl1i4/Sr3PUfYXSpI/AAAAAAAAGZ8/AYOVdWfPUY8/s1600/av_ot.jpg

But I'd go with dullard too. Although I love my Mondeo, but I am considering changing it so I'm no longer associated in any way with the OP. Sad
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Im-a-Ridah
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PostPosted: 16:17 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

The OP probably just isn't sure of the actual distance he is covering. If he is just using road signs and guess work rather than measuring it on Google Maps or the like, then he could just innocently be "miles" out.
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Al
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PostPosted: 16:42 - 12 Aug 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote

He could have bought himself a cycle computer for a tenner. It might seem like a waste of money but if he is going to claim average speeds it will stop him looking silly.

I enjoy cycling, it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. Going out straight away and spending a fortune on a bike is stupid as are the kind of people that need to have the best of everything, cars, motorbikes, TV's, phones, computers, cameras ect.

But if its a genuine interest and not just a passing fad I don't see the problem in spending a bit of money on your hobby whatever it is.
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