Ethnicity and the Cycling

itboffin

passout wrote:

Lions chase fast moving prey and perhaps people look less like people on bikes (same with Sharks & sufers?). Anyway, I can kind of see the lion thing. Nobody in Kenya could explain the elephants though. Who knows? Lets face it nobody is ever going to do research on it. The African elephant is a very dangerous animal anyway, but the mammal that kills most people in Africa (2nd to man) is the Hippo. Top tip - don't get in the way of a Hippo as it comes to and from the watering hole in the dark/ in the twilight....you are likely to die. No cycling link with the Hippo though. Anyway...diversity in biking....(sorry).

You need to get out more, have you considered taking up a hobby? say cycling :P

passout

Hobbies (i.e.cycling) are for my freetime, Bike Radar is for 'work'...it's been a slow day.

de_sisti

Hi DDD,

I have the same background as you (out of M/cr) but down south now. Still in that
honeymoon period with cycling. Look out for me on audaxes, Dragon Ride, Etape
Caledonia, and the Marmotte this year.

DonDaddyD

maander wrote:

Hi DDD,

I have the same background as you (out of M/cr) but down south now. Still in that
honeymoon period with cycling. Look out for me on audaxes, Dragon Ride, Etape
Caledonia, and the Marmotte this year.

Are you serious that you'll be doing those rides this year? What bike? How long have you been cycling?

When you say 'South' where abouts?

roger_merriman

DonDaddyD wrote:

maander wrote:

Hi DDD,

I have the same background as you (out of M/cr) but down south now. Still in that
honeymoon period with cycling. Look out for me on audaxes, Dragon Ride, Etape
Caledonia, and the Marmotte this year.

Are you serious that you'll be doing those rides this year? What bike? How long have you been cycling?

When you say 'South' where abouts?

Cheltenham i'd hasard as guess! ;-)

de_sisti

DonDaddyD wrote:

maander wrote:

Hi DDD,

I have the same background as you (out of M/cr) but down south now. Still in that
honeymoon period with cycling. Look out for me on audaxes, Dragon Ride, Etape
Caledonia, and the Marmotte this year.

Are you serious that you'll be doing those rides this year? What bike? How long have you been cycling?

When you say 'South' where abouts?

I've been in Cheltenham for about 9 years now. I'm a member of the local Club
and the CTC. I've had an interest in cycling since I was at primary school. There were
2 bike shops (from memory) in Moss Side, and I can always remember my eldest brother
and his friends trying to scrounge spare parts from them to build up their own bikes.
I got my first bike when I was about 17, and my first brand new bike about 3 years later.

Yes, I will be doing all of those rides and have been slowly getting the miles in. I've done
six 200km audax rides since November. My next one is this coming Saturday, The
Wiltshire White Horses. I normally ride between 5,000 - 6,000 miles per year.

I've got 3 bikes. A Custom built George Longstaff Audax (40th Birthday present to myself).
A Paul Hewitt tourer, very nimble and very comfortable. And for those days when it's hot and
I'm feeling fit, I use my xacd.com titanium, kitted out with Campag Chorus.

BigJimmyB

Born in Wales.

Great G'Father was Scottish on Dad's side
Grandfather on Mum's side was Romany

There's also (apparently) black (origin unknown), Italian, Irish and loads of others in there....

Conclusion re:ethnicity = Mongrel!

DDD (original poster) - I think black and asian peeps are a definite minority amongst cyclists (and probably many other sports/pusuits, at least in the UK - swimming/rock climbing/motorsport). How many indian/pakistani footballers are there in the football league? 1 or maybe 2 I think, right down to Lge 1.

With regard to cycling, I couldn't tell you why, except perhaps that it may be considered the lowest form of wheeled transport in their countries of origin, and as immigrant populations may have sought to come here and live better lives, they may see riding bikes as a 'lack of progress' (for want of better words).

White Line

Both sides of my family stem from Ireland, but moved to Scotland many years ago. Then my parents moved to Germany (RAF), and now back to Scotland a couple of years after I was born.

And if it's any consolation, there is a car wash that I pass most days that employs a vast number of migrant workers from Pakistan and Poland, etc. They all ride bikes by the way. That wasn't just a random fact. So, I guess they're all bike commuters.

Spokejunkie

I am ethnic have two bikes and ride both of them every week. There was another subject on here asking if ethnics rode bikes which for the most part was rather amusing and some posts even suggesting there was scientific evidence ( there always is eh) about why ehtnics might not ride due to physical make up etc however has anyone carried out a study to see why some folk seem to be obsessed with why ethnics do that and don't do this but non ethnics want to get that all important tan and then come and see us to compare the skin shade. ie " I'm nearly as dark as you" . This has always amused me

Wallace1492

Proud Scot here, but background is 3/4 tattie muncher (Irish)

I find it quite fascinating how certain ethnicities dominate certain sports.
For example, sprinting is now very much Afro Caribean, but in the late 70's early 80's was a fair amount of white - including out own Allan Wells. Longer distance running is very much African now, a fair change from the days of Coe, Cram, Ovett.
Cycling and Swimming however have always been white dominated, with very few other ethnicities represented. I do not know why, maybe its just cultural, in which case it will no doubt change in the next 20 years.

BentMikey

There is no such thing as a non-ethnic person. We are all ethnic, just from different cultures.

redddraggon

BentMikey wrote:

There is no such thing as a non-ethnic person. We are all ethnic, just from different cultures.

I'm part of an ethnic minority in Manchester.

Wallace1492

BentMikey wrote:

There is no such thing as a non-ethnic person. We are all ethnic, just from different cultures.

Who said there was a non-ethnic person? I am ethnic, you are ethnic, everyone is.

MonkeyMonster

Mother's Northern Irish, Dad's from St Albans and I was born in Edinburgh...

So a bit of a mix - I'd say I'm british but others say I'm scottish.

Re: swimming, when chatting with an afro caribean friend about it - he knew very very few swimmers (he himself couldn't swim at all) from his ethnic group citing shoulders get too big basically and get in the way plus body fat/density means they sink quicker and its harder to get a good swim in.

Professional power to weight ratio for cycling leans towards an almost marathon style upper half with humongous thighs. Again not something that suits that ethnic group. Short distance sprints I'd reckon they'd be good at - velodromes and the like.

roger_merriman

reasons why people don't do activies is social and norms.

has zip to do with race. people are tall/short/thin/fat/ has nothing about race more about your family.

the human body is can change quite radicly my best mate when he was late teens was around the 17 stone mark, very low fat, he's now under 13 and while still solidly built is running etc.

sicknote

I am like you DDD
Black British with a Jamaican back group.

I have seen few ethnic minority's cycling around here but most its just to get from A to B.

Some of my friends think I am nuts too but a few did London to Cambridge last year but not this year and only a few ride for transport.

Spokejunkie

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Mother's Northern Irish, Dad's from St Albans and I was born in Edinburgh...

So a bit of a mix - I'd say I'm british but others say I'm scottish.

Re: swimming, when chatting with an afro caribean friend about it - he knew very very few swimmers (he himself couldn't swim at all) from his ethnic group citing shoulders get too big basically and get in the way plus body fat/density means they sink quicker and its harder to get a good swim in.

Professional power to weight ratio for cycling leans towards an almost marathon style upper half with humongous thighs. Again not something that suits that ethnic group. Short distance sprints I'd reckon they'd be good at - velodromes and the like.

Well got the broad shoulders and swim a mile at least twice a week so a good swim as far as I'm concerned , yes I'm from an ethnic group. Will have to ask Lewis Hamilton and Tiger Woods what they did to over come this . Enimem did rather well but then he was produced by Dr Dre !!!

highwaymunky

A Yorkshire man first & for most then White, British

artaxerxes

I was wondering over the lack of Asian cyclists, but last weekend I was driving through Kingsbury NW London which has a big Anglo-Indian community. Lo and behold I saw a lycra clad Asian roadie.

Cafewanda

Stewie Griffin wrote:

Half English and half Irish Honky. I dont commute by bike* though so I probably dont count .

Quick edit
*I will be soon though :P

I think Stewie's response should be discounted on the grounds that he is not a commuter

Cafewanda

British of Jamaican descent. Only brother 2 cycles but now lives in JA where it's suicide to cycle outside of organised tour group or a cycling club :shock: One male friend born with wheels instead of legs, but will never join the lycra brigade :roll:

All my girlfriends (varying shades and colours) think I'm nuts to cycle, much less commute to work by bike although the son of my best friend now commutes by bike. Have tried to persuade them to give it a go but had no luck

Have seen a few black women cyclists, or did during the summer. Seem to have disappeared now and, apart from DDD, still hoping to see fit black male cyclists

de_sisti

Cafewanda wrote:

still hoping to see fit black male cyclists

Come to Cheltenham and I'll show round some of our rides around here. Well, not now, as
I'm recouperating from recent knee surgery. Iots of climbing if you're interested in that sort
of thing. Why not ride the "Cotswold Corker" Audax ride in February. :shock: You'll know your
fitness levels after that ride.

cjw

After watching that rather good series with Dr. Alice Roberts... I beleive I am from part of a small tribe who left Africa quite a few thousand years ago.

mousetoo

Did I sit next to youy in the cafe in Richmond Park 2 months or so ago DDD - I was a black guy cycling with a white mate (me - Focus Cayo, him, Colnago)?

de_sisti

You'd be surprised how many (white) Europeans think that if you're black, you must be
African, or at least born in Africa (edit: Or at a push, American). Try telling them that you
were born in Britain, well, you may as well be talking "Martian" to them. :roll:

Stuey01

maander wrote:

You'd be surprised how many (white) Europeans think that if you're black, you must be
African, or at least born in Africa. Try telling them that you were born in Britain, well, you
may as well be talking "Martian" to them. :roll:

I am genuinely shocked by this.

de_sisti

Stuey01 wrote:

maander wrote:

You'd be surprised how many (white) Europeans think that if you're black, you must be
African, or at least born in Africa. Try telling them that you were born in Britain, well, you
may as well be talking "Martian" to them. :roll:

I am genuinely shocked by this.

The most recent occassion were in France, climbing Alpe D'Huez on the Marmotte. A very
nice middle aged lady said in a nice voice, in English by the way:
"Are you tired?
Me: yes
Her: Are you from Africa?
Me: No, I'm English
Her: Were you born in Africa?
Me: No
Her: You're very brown
Me: Yes. Lots of people like to be like that.

In here defence, she was just being friendly.

Second occassion whilst in hospital recopeationg from my kee op. There was a nice old
lady working there who told me she was from the former Yougoslavia and that she
keeps in touch with what's going on in Croatia via satellite tv. She told me of a programme
she saw about a young man from an African country who is in a relationship with a woman
over there. She said to me:
"Its's unusual to see someone from your country in Africa in Croatia".

Again, in her defence, I don't think she meant any harm.

deptfordmarmoset

Spokejunkie wrote:

I am ethnic have two bikes and ride both of them every week. There was another subject on here asking if ethnics rode bikes which for the most part was rather amusing and some posts even suggesting there was scientific evidence ( there always is eh) about why ehtnics might not ride due to physical make up etc however has anyone carried out a study to see why some folk seem to be obsessed with why ethnics do that and don't do this but non ethnics want to get that all important tan and then come and see us to compare the skin shade. ie " I'm nearly as dark as you" . This has always amused me

A bit OT but...

I'm white but my daughter's mixed-race. When I've been out in the sun a lot - cycling these days, cricket in the past - I tan pretty quickly. Daughter marmoset will then compare our skin tones, exclaim ''D-a-d, you're darker than me!'' as though it were something deeply unnatural, and book a trip to Antigua to put the world back as it should be. And that's game over for me

vinylmonkey

British Asian here, family from Sri Lanka but I was born in London. True to say on my journeys that I very rarely see another Asian cyclist, not sure why though..... Or now that i think about it people from South East Asia!

Stuey01

I'm white British. Mostly English, but with a Welsh Grandmother.