European cyclists/cycling

MonkeyMonster

So i've just returned after a weekend in Brussels and then Cologne and so very happy to see how cycling can be managed. I have one very important thing to say though and be careful that some of you sit down to carry on reading.

SCR does NOT exist in europe as far as I have seen. In total I saw 3 road bikes. 2 with *shudder* rusty chains n gears [locked up looking very sorry for themselves] and one super old school grey white peugeot I think someone on here rides fixed now. They are all on sit ups or really rather upright AND I didn't once see lycra.

But after all that - it was amazing how little locks are used. Those little rear wheel jobbies are enough - basically to stop some one (likely) accidently riding off on it.

Lovely to see. Something to look forward to!

Cafewanda

The decontamination unit is this way

---

>

jonginge

Go to the south of france. Plenty of SCR there: Silly Col Racing

rjsterry

No lycra? Where's the fun if I can't dress like some sort of deviant? I assume they don't do facemasks either :roll:

UndercoverElephant

rjsterry wrote:

No lycra? Where's the fun if I can't dress like some sort of deviant? I assume they don't do facemasks either :roll:

Ball-gags are positively encouraged, though.

Dudu

MonkeyMonster wrote:

They are all on sit ups or really rather upright AND I didn't once see lycra.

Go back on a Sunday or Monday and go out into the countryside.

You'll see people in "lycra" on road bikes trying to be Johan Museeuw on the cobbled hills.

Cycling is transport for all in Benelux on weekdays. At weekends, it's sport for the fit.

rolf_f

MonkeyMonster wrote:

But after all that - it was amazing how little locks are used. Those little rear wheel jobbies are enough - basically to stop some one (likely) accidently riding off on it

You mean those things that are impossible to remove and very difficult to force? You are still advised to use two locks of different manufacture but some of those rear wheel jobbies will only come off by hacking the frame. Bizarre that more bikes on the UK market don't have them.

As for European cycling - how much cooler is a 3 speed with rod brakes than any fixie thingy?

PS - I saw even fewer drop barred bikes in Milan and Barcelona recently than I saw in Holland. But, as already implied, the posh bikes go out at the weekend.

gtvlusso

Didn't SCR in Italy, but then again, there were not many bike commuters in Rome or MIlan....too hot for racing about.

There were a few bike commuters up for a ding done in Paris.....but the traffic was insane and I was not comfy with French driving abilities/Parisien tempers.

Libraio

rjsterry wrote:

No lycra? Where's the fun if I can't dress like some sort of deviant? I assume they don't do facemasks either :roll:

I didn't even know those things (facemasks) excisted before I joined BR, No SCR here whatsoever, only school kids and people in civies. My college asked me what I was wearing football shoes for last week...

itboffin

JonGinge wrote:

Go to the south of france. Plenty of SCR there: Silly Col Racing

Col's you say .... :roll:

Interesting I stay ....

Butterd2

I was in Oudenaarde at the weekend (between Brussels and Brugge) had a bit of SCR action up the Paterberg (new photo's in my Col collection in Sig.) Whilst I beat him to the top he then rode off proper quick and I never saw him again so fear that's 1:0 to the Belgians.

On the canals into Brugge there were more cyclists than Jamaica Rd at 8:30 in the morning but I was pottering along with wifey so not chance to SCR.

Headhuunter

MonkeyMonster wrote:

So i've just returned after a weekend in Brussels and then Cologne and so very happy to see how cycling can be managed. I have one very important thing to say though and be careful that some of you sit down to carry on reading.

SCR does NOT exist in europe as far as I have seen. In total I saw 3 road bikes. 2 with *shudder* rusty chains n gears [locked up looking very sorry for themselves] and one super old school grey white peugeot I think someone on here rides fixed now. They are all on sit ups or really rather upright AND I didn't once see lycra.

But after all that - it was amazing how little locks are used. Those little rear wheel jobbies are enough - basically to stop some one (likely) accidently riding off on it.

Lovely to see. Something to look forward to!

God I prefer bike culture in London! Out on the continent it's all about people on sh!tty sit up bikes with rusty components pedalling along at about 5mph, or some old bloke in scruffy jeans riding a battered Decathlon MTB/BSO.... I love the way cycling has become "cool" in London. I'm sure it'll start passing out of fashion soon but at the moment it's great....

secretsam

We are all Europeans

The correct term for folk across the water is "Continentals"

rick_chasey

Headhuunter wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

So i've just returned after a weekend in Brussels and then Cologne and so very happy to see how cycling can be managed. I have one very important thing to say though and be careful that some of you sit down to carry on reading.

SCR does NOT exist in europe as far as I have seen. In total I saw 3 road bikes. 2 with *shudder* rusty chains n gears [locked up looking very sorry for themselves] and one super old school grey white peugeot I think someone on here rides fixed now. They are all on sit ups or really rather upright AND I didn't once see lycra.

But after all that - it was amazing how little locks are used. Those little rear wheel jobbies are enough - basically to stop some one (likely) accidently riding off on it.

Lovely to see. Something to look forward to!

God I prefer bike culture in London! Out on the continent it's all about people on sh!tty sit up bikes with rusty components pedalling along at about 5mph, or some old bloke in scruffy jeans riding a battered Decathlon MTB/BSO.... I love the way cycling has become "cool" in London. I'm sure it'll start passing out of fashion soon but at the moment it's great....

That'll be why cycling will ultimately always be unpopular in the UK...

pianoleo

Headhuunter wrote:

God I prefer bike culture in London! Out on the continent it's all about people on sh!tty sit up bikes with rusty components pedalling along at about 5mph, or some old bloke in scruffy jeans riding a battered Decathlon MTB/BSO.... I love the way cycling has become "cool" in London. I'm sure it'll start passing out of fashion soon but at the moment it's great....

Oi! I ride a grubby Decathlon hybrid and if i'm only cycling from Crystal Palace to Greenwich (my most frequent commute) I'll do it in scruffy jeans! Longer distances in proper gear, obviously

ndru

God I prefer bike culture in London! Out on the continent it's all about people on sh!tty sit up bikes with rusty components pedalling along at about 5mph, or some old bloke in scruffy jeans riding a battered Decathlon MTB/BSO.... I love the way cycling has become "cool" in London. I'm sure it'll start passing out of fashion soon but at the moment it's great....

Yes because sweaty guys in hi-viz, lycra and shaved legs on a carbon bike are soooo bike culture. Bicycle culture happens when bicycles are not a fashion accessory and a fetish but a mode of transport.

asprilla

ndru wrote:

Yes because sweaty guys in hi-viz, lycra and shaved legs on a carbon bike are soooo bike culture. Bicycle culture happens when bicycles are not a fashion accessory and a fetish but a mode of transport.

I wasn't aware that there was an official definition.

Headhuunter

Certainly in some cities in Europe, like Amsterdam, bikes are part of the culture but IME in most cities there's a minority of people riding uninspiring bikes very slowly. Don't get me wrong, people on bikes rather than in cars is good but I prefer the "culture" we have here in the UK. Sorry but I like the lycra, the road bikes, the "fixies" etc but I have nothing against someone who wants to ride a banged up Decathlon hybrid in a pair of jeans and jacket....

rick_chasey

Headhuunter wrote:

Certainly in some cities in Europe, like Amsterdam, bikes are part of the culture but IME in most cities there's a minority of people riding uninspiring bikes very slowly. Don't get me wrong, people on bikes rather than in cars is good but I prefer the "culture" we have here in the UK. Sorry but I like the lycra, the road bikes, the "fixies" etc but I have nothing against someone who wants to ride a banged up Decathlon hybrid in a pair of jeans and jacket....

You're not sorry.

Headhuunter

Rick Chasey wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Certainly in some cities in Europe, like Amsterdam, bikes are part of the culture but IME in most cities there's a minority of people riding uninspiring bikes very slowly. Don't get me wrong, people on bikes rather than in cars is good but I prefer the "culture" we have here in the UK. Sorry but I like the lycra, the road bikes, the "fixies" etc but I have nothing against someone who wants to ride a banged up Decathlon hybrid in a pair of jeans and jacket....

You're not sorry.

OK, I'm not

rick_chasey

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Certainly in some cities in Europe, like Amsterdam, bikes are part of the culture but IME in most cities there's a minority of people riding uninspiring bikes very slowly. Don't get me wrong, people on bikes rather than in cars is good but I prefer the "culture" we have here in the UK. Sorry but I like the lycra, the road bikes, the "fixies" etc but I have nothing against someone who wants to ride a banged up Decathlon hybrid in a pair of jeans and jacket....

You're not sorry.

OK, I'm not

I don't think they're particularly mutually exclusive.

Headhuunter

Rick Chasey wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Certainly in some cities in Europe, like Amsterdam, bikes are part of the culture but IME in most cities there's a minority of people riding uninspiring bikes very slowly. Don't get me wrong, people on bikes rather than in cars is good but I prefer the "culture" we have here in the UK. Sorry but I like the lycra, the road bikes, the "fixies" etc but I have nothing against someone who wants to ride a banged up Decathlon hybrid in a pair of jeans and jacket....

You're not sorry.

OK, I'm not

I don't think they're particularly mutually exclusive.

That's what I was trying to say!

rick_chasey

You give the impression that it's either segregated chilled cycling for the purpose of travel, OR hardcore sweaty man in neon cycling.

Headhuunter

Rick Chasey wrote:

You give the impression that it's either segregated chilled cycling for the purpose of travel, OR hardcore sweaty man in neon cycling.

Well I think there are separate camps but the 2 do converge and as long as people are on bikes and not in cars, I don't care. I like the diversity of "cycling culture" in the UK (perhaps only London?) as opposed to that of other European cities...

pianoleo

The point I was trying to make is that the two camps most definitely DO converge. London's the biggest city in Europe bar Moscow, so sometimes we cover sufficient miles to warrant specialist clothing. I don't get sweaty enough on my 5 mile commute to bother changing in and out of lycra, but once a week I'm just north of High Barnet and another day I'm west of Fulham. I'd be an idiot to do 10 or 20 miles each way from Crystal Palace in jeans - neither my jeans nor my behind could take it!

Headhuunter

pianoleo wrote:

The point I was trying to make is that the two camps most definitely DO converge. London's the biggest city in Europe bar Moscow, so sometimes we cover sufficient miles to warrant specialist clothing. I don't get sweaty enough on my 5 mile commute to bother changing in and out of lycra, but once a week I'm just north of High Barnet and another day I'm west of Fulham. I'd be an idiot to do 10 or 20 miles each way from Crystal Palace in jeans - neither my jeans nor my behind could take it!

That's what I was saying on another thread a while back, someone was saying how lovely it would be if we all tottered around on sit up bikes in normal clothes as they do in Amsterdam but as you point out, most people's commutes in London are at least 5 or 6 miles and often in rain, snow and other adverse weather conditions so it's certainly worth getting a decent road bike and proper bike clothing....