Cycling stereotype

jonny_trousers

I've been noticing a new sterotype around London recently. I suspect he's existed elsewhere for a while, but he's now creeping into the urban environment:

Slim male in his 30s
A minimum of 3 days beard growth
A cycling cap worn beneath helmet at all times
Oakley jawbones - preferably white
Kit on the more expensive side - Italian or Rapha
Bike must be carbon, but can be entry level
A look of snearing contempt for any other rider who does not fit into the steretype
Not particularly fast, but always rides in a way that says, 'Yeah, I'm just on a recovery ride today.'

Anyone else spotted him around?

veronese68

Certainly not a stereotype I fit into. I'm male and not particularly fast, that's about it.

asprilla

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

I've been noticing a new sterotype around London recently. I suspect he's existed elsewhere for a while, but he's now creeping into the urban environment:

Slim male in his 30s
A minimum of 3 days beard growth
A cycling cap worn beneath helmet at all times
Oakley jawbones - preferably white
Kit on the more expensive side - Italian or Rapha
Bike must be carbon, but can be entry level
A look of snearing contempt for any other rider who does not fit into the steretype
Not particularly fast, but always rides in a way that says, 'Yeah, I'm just on a recovery ride today.'

Anyone else spotted him around?

In the mirror most mornings.

DrLex

Cycling: it's the new Golf.
Thought of a label for this tribe? Moda-cyclists?

dhope

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

I've been noticing a new sterotype around London recently. I suspect he's existed elsewhere for a while, but he's now creeping into the urban environment:

Slim male in his 30s
A minimum of 3 days beard growth
A cycling cap worn beneath helmet at all times
Oakley jawbones - preferably white
Kit on the more expensive side - Italian or Rapha
Bike must be carbon, but can be entry level
A look of snearing contempt for any other rider who does not fit into the steretype
Not particularly fast, but always rides in a way that says, 'Yeah, I'm just on a recovery ride today.'

Anyone else spotted him around?

Moving back to SE London in 6 weeks, see you on the commute.

TheEnglishman

I spotted one track standing on his fixie this morning on Waterloo Bridge/Strand traffic lights.

Ben6899

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

I've been noticing a new sterotype around London recently. I suspect he's existed elsewhere for a while, but he's now creeping into the urban environment:

Slim male in his 30s
A minimum of 3 days beard growth
A cycling cap worn beneath helmet at all times
Oakley jawbones - preferably white
Kit on the more expensive side - Italian or Rapha

Anyone else spotted him around?

That's me, that is!

clarkey cat

Jonny_Trousers wrote:
I've been noticing a new sterotype around London recently. I suspect he's existed elsewhere for a while, but he's now creeping into the urban environment:

Slim male in his 30s
A minimum of 3 days beard growth
A cycling cap worn beneath helmet at all times
Oakley jawbones - preferably white
Kit on the more expensive side - Italian or Rapha

Anyone else spotted him around?

This sounds just like to kind of people I used to see a few years ago but it was a slim male in his 20s and the kit was a bit cheaper. I wonder where they all went?

meanredspider

God - not up here: Rapha, Jawbones, cap.... PMSL

Actually, now I think about it, there's really only 3 types I see "regularly"

- Reasonably "Hardcore" cyclist - can see they take their cycling seriously and interested in performance
- Beardy (incl ladies) - probably equally serious but not interested in performance
- Nodder on MTB - only seen on sunny days (ie very rarely)

mr_ribble

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

I've been noticing a new sterotype around London recently. I suspect he's existed elsewhere for a while, but he's now creeping into the urban environment:

Slim male in his 30s
A minimum of 3 days beard growth
A cycling cap worn beneath helmet at all times
Oakley jawbones - preferably white
Kit on the more expensive side - Italian or Rapha
Bike must be carbon, but can be entry level
A look of snearing contempt for any other rider who does not fit into the steretype
Not particularly fast, but always rides in a way that says, 'Yeah, I'm just on a recovery ride today.'

Anyone else spotted him around?

Slim... oh yes Check
30s.. just turned. Check
Bit of stubble .. check.
Cycling Cap .. check.. look outside at the biblical floods
White Jawbones... check, got them free from Oakley
Kit .. italian / rapha no, but spend money for good fitting stuff seen as though I spend a lot of time in it
Carbon.. commute on carbon, race on Alu. So much stiffer than all that bendy stuff from the east
Snearing contempt.. no not really.. I was slow onc e.. everyone was when they first started, they just dont like to admit it
Not particularly fast.... Oh, I seem to fall outside this sterotype

Dont worry though, I was thinking of quitting and taking up table tennis so I wont be 'polluting' your sport for much longer.

dhope

Sneering contempt and recovery ride is bollocks, if I'm slow I'm slow.
We're just MAMILs in training.

daxplusplus

Nope not around here either .. usually* one of the following (in order of likelihood):

- somebody very slow on a MTB. More often than not wearing wellies. Maybe got their earphones in (leds to much hilarity when I sneak up on them and say hi)
- another commuter. Usually quick - you kinda have to be around here as the commute distances tend to be a bit longer than more urban areas. Unfortunately tend to be going in completely the wrong direction to me In a year of commuting only once had an opportunity to draft. Or, and I've only just realised this, in 4700 miles of commuting in the last year or so I get to draft for approx 1/2 of a bl@@dy mile.
- groups of serious roadies in all the kit (team colours etc). Hardly any kind of acknowledgement that I exist. Invariably sunny when these guys are out and about.
- long distance cyclists. They appear to be enjoying the ride but also heading off in completely the wrong direction and are sometimes even in the wrong county given their start and ultimate destinations!


* I say usually, I can go a few hundred miles and not see another cyclist .. I see more mice, foxes and birds of prey than other cyclists.

whitebait01

Slim male in his 30s - Sort of slim, not quite 30 yet.
A minimum of 3 days beard growth - Yep, more like 3 weeks worth.
A cycling cap worn beneath helmet at all times - Nope, would get me too sweaty.
Oakley jawbones - preferably white - Choakleys, black.
Kit on the more expensive side - Italian or Rapha - Ebay bargains, sometimes Italian, no rapha yet.
Bike must be carbon, but can be entry level - Nope, alu. People don't tend to make carbon bikes in my size...
A look of snearing contempt for any other rider who does not fit into the steretype - Nope, contempt reserved for those who push to the front of ASLs after I've overtaken 'em or RLJ.
Not particularly fast, but always rides in a way that says, 'Yeah, I'm just on a recovery ride today.' - I ride as fast as I possibly (safely) can, pretty much all the time. Fast to some, slow to some.

Twostage

meanredspider wrote:

God - not up here: Rapha, Jawbones, cap.... PMSL

Actually, now I think about it, there's really only 3 types I see "regularly"

- Reasonably "Hardcore" cyclist - can see they take their cycling seriously and interested in performance
- Beardy (incl ladies) - probably equally serious but not interested in performance
- Nodder on MTB - only seen on sunny days (ie very rarely)

Nothing to do with the thread but you're a lot further north than me and I've had a red alert from 'aurora watch' so there is a high possibility of northern lights tonight and unusually it's clear skies. Worth a look later if you're interested.

Headhuunter

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

I've been noticing a new sterotype around London recently. I suspect he's existed elsewhere for a while, but he's now creeping into the urban environment:

Slim male in his 30s
A minimum of 3 days beard growth
A cycling cap worn beneath helmet at all times
Oakley jawbones - preferably white
Kit on the more expensive side - Italian or Rapha
Bike must be carbon, but can be entry level
A look of snearing contempt for any other rider who does not fit into the steretype
Not particularly fast, but always rides in a way that says, 'Yeah, I'm just on a recovery ride today.'

Anyone else spotted him around?

Slim, male in 30s... check, check, ahem, just about...
Beard - check
Cap - sometimes - keeps the rain of me specs
Jawbones - nope
Expensive kit - nope
Bike - commuter is alu
I never sneer at people, I love everyone else on a bike...

gtvlusso

I think that this is a London centric thing;

But for Brizzle there are some very slight amendments;

Slim male in his 30s - or 40's.

A minimum of 3 days beard growth - or a full on beard

A cycling cap worn beneath helmet at all times - No cycling helmet just a cap or a sun visor...

Oakley jawbones - preferably white - Pfft, not frickin' likely! Flouro, cheapo sunnies bought from the market.

Kit on the more expensive side - Italian or Rapha - Rovers shirt in north Bristol or a City shirt in south Bristol.

Bike must be carbon, but can be entry level - Bike usually rusty, with a pannier rack

A look of snearing contempt for any other rider who does not fit into the steretype - RLJ's at every opportunity, pavements are for wheelies...

Not particularly fast, but always rides in a way that says, 'Yeah, I'm just on a recovery ride today.' - Usually carrying can of 'Thatchers Gold'.

rick_chasey

Certainly not what you get in Cambridge.

gabriel959

Rick Chasey wrote:

Certainly not what you get in Cambridge.

ahem...

jonny_trousers

There were several of them doing circuits of Regent's Park on Saturday only the bikes were far from entry level.

Beyond the sneering contempt (which of course does not apply to all of them), I'm not complaining. It's a good look, and let's be honest, it's not easy looking cool as a roadie.

clarkey cat

it's not easy looking cool as a roadie.

speak for yourself

jonny_trousers

clarkey cat wrote:

it's not easy looking cool as a roadie.

speak for yourself

Pics or it didn't happen.

Jay dubbleU

For Swindon there are also some very slight amendments;

Porky male in his 30s - or 40's.

A minimum of 3 days beard growth

Woolly hat or baseball cap

Oakley jawbones - preferably white - usually nicked

Kit on the more expensive side - Swindon shirt or FCUK hoodie

Bike must be carbon, but can be entry level - Bike rusty, squeaky and bouncy

A look of sneering contempt for any one - Pavements are for riding

Not particularly fast, but always rides in a way that says, 'I couldn't give a f***.' - usually on the way to meet his dealer'.[/quote]

sfichele

Is this a typical commuter?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3nMnr8ZirI&feature=plcp

jonny_trousers

sfichele wrote:

Is this a typical commuter?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3nMnr8ZirI&feature=plcp

Ha! Typical of a certain type of commuter, definitely.