The Wiggins Effect...
Comments
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thegreatdivide wrote:ALaPlage wrote:Postie John wrote:
I'm already so sick and tired of the negative response, the last 3 weeks have been getting.Kerguelen wrote:<Ron Burgundy>
Well, that escalated quickly.
</Ron Burgundy>
'Oh Le Tour is so boring'
''Wiggo is $hite'
'Sky are killing the race'
or
'All these newbies will kill road cycling'
'I won't be able to afford a bike'
If we were Texan's in a compound, tomorrow is THE day.
It's the day the mother ship lands.
It's the day we head off for pastures new.
It's the day that can only be positive.
It's the day you should have been waiting for all your cycling life.
If you can't embrace a British 1-2 , dominant performance, 5 (hopefully 6) stages wins, then perhaps cycling isn't for you.
+1 it's a great time for cycling and the more the merrier say I. Loads of work colleagues showing an interest in the Tour and the forthcoming Olympic RR.
Another +1
-1 for me on the bit about not embracing British victories, it's possible to enjoy some sports without any nationalistic fervour so to say cycling might not be for me because I'm not that fussed a Brit has won is c0ck n bollox. I'm not complaining about newcomers though, it's only the mentalists who want to keep the sport exclusive.0 -
I've never understood the whole "I've seen someone do well in a sport and he's from the UK, so I will take it up" thing. I ride a bike because they've always been around and it's enjoyable, I didn't need a role model, a UK champion, or a an ITV4 cycle show to convince me.
I guess some people need a reason.0 -
I the majority of riders I saw out today (on road bikes) were wearing T-SHIRTS not proper jerseys....
IT HAS BEGUN.
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How do you know?colsoop wrote:I hope there is a postive effect with more people taking up cycling.
The more of us on the road the safer it will be.
I've never seen any stats to back that up, and I reckon it could well be the reverse because of all the nobs who will want to do it just because it's "cool".
Personally, I prefer it when it's a minority sport.0 -
All fair enough.verylonglegs wrote:-1 for me on the bit about not embracing British victories, it's possible to enjoy some sports without any nationalistic fervour so to say cycling might not be for me because I'm not that fussed a Brit has won is c0ck n bollox. I'm not complaining about newcomers though, it's only the mentalists who want to keep the sport exclusive.
I pretty much agree with you and dodgy, on a personal level.
But for people to be nudged into the direction of 'my' sport, with the possibility of a few embracing it because of GB success can't be a bad thing.
Even if the net effect is just 1 less tw@t using us a target practice, it's still worth it.0 -
Smokin Joe wrote:
How do you know?colsoop wrote:I hope there is a postive effect with more people taking up cycling.
The more of us on the road the safer it will be.
I've never seen any stats to back that up, and I reckon it could well be the reverse because of all the nobs who will want to do it just because it's "cool".
Personally, I prefer it when it's a minority sport.
Given the physical hardness of the sport, the lightweights will be exiting quickly anyway and we'll be left with good riders who just weren't exposed to cycling so much before.The British Empire never died, it just moved to the Velodrome0 -
Why all so smug about the sport? I dont care if it's kid on a trike with bells and whistles or some big guy splashing on 4k on a new carbon jobby.
None of us will win the TdF. You wouldnt expect to be laughed at learning to ski or trying to speak French.
Wonder what Wiggo, Brailsford, British Cycling, would make of this stuff.0 -
Speak for yourself, sonny.berliner wrote:Why all so smug about the sport? I dont care if it's kid on a trike with bells and whistles or some big guy splashing on 4k on a new carbon jobby.
None of us will win the TdF. You wouldnt expect to be laughed at learning to ski or trying to speak French.
Wonder what Wiggo, Brailsford, British Cycling, would make of this stuff.
I've still got all my own hair and most of my teeth, I reckon I could give it a proper go. Just haven't got round to it yet, that's all.0 -
Stanley222 wrote:ALIHISGREAT wrote:I the majority of riders I saw out today (on road bikes) were wearing T-SHIRTS not proper jerseys....
IT HAS BEGUN.
So what?
People can wear what they like - its not law to wear Lycra!
That's not what he's saying, I think you know that.0 -
dodgy wrote:Stanley222 wrote:ALIHISGREAT wrote:I the majority of riders I saw out today (on road bikes) were wearing T-SHIRTS not proper jerseys....
IT HAS BEGUN.
So what?
People can wear what they like - its not law to wear Lycra!
That's not what he's saying, I think you know that.
+ I wasn't being 100% serious.. I don't give a toss if there are a load of new riders on the road.. it will just make me feel better when i overtake them and look badass in my proper cycling gear
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I'm pleased that more people will think of taking up cycling, it can't be a bad thing for us as a whole.
There's going to be a lot of disappointed people though, when they find that it is not as easy as Wiggins and co make it look I've only been riding a relatively short time after a lapse of 35 years and I'm still bolloxed by a moderate hill.
But I console myself with the thought that unlike 6 months ago, I no longer have to stop at the tops to get my breath back, :roll: and it is getting easier albeit slowly. I hope these newbies get that far. I had the company and encouragement of my fit 21 yr old son. If you see someone struggling in the next few weeks, it might be nice to drop your pace for a few moments and give em a break.
The older I get, the better I was.0 -
halfmanhalfsnookermachine wrote:Forget cheap bikes, I fear an outbreak of sideburns!
I had them in the early 70's 8)0 -
I feel that it is my duty to show newbies just how fast it is possible to go once you've stuck at it for a while. :twisted:None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.0
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dodgy wrote:I've never understood the whole "I've seen someone do well in a sport and he's from the UK, so I will take it up" thing. I ride a bike because they've always been around and it's enjoyable, I didn't need a role model, a UK champion, or a an ITV4 cycle show to convince me.
I guess some people need a reason.
There doesn't need to be that much logic in it. I got into cycling because I became aware of the cycle scheme running at work - so one year I decided that if it ran, I would get a bike. It did, so I did - and that set me off to renovate my old Dawes and eventually buy two carbon bikes and an old Raleigh Record Ace. But it was only really that vague awareness of the scheme combined with a collegue going on about their long commutes by bike (which seemed hopelessly improbably long at the time) which made me do it.
Lots of noise in the newspapers about WIggins and Cav just means lots of people are going to be made to think more about whether cycling might improve their lives in one way or another. It's just like having someone whisper 'bikes are good' in your ear continuously - a lot of people are going to fall for it! And it's great. The more the merrier. We all had to start somewhere so no complaints about nodders please! 8)Faster than a tent.......0 -
I hope the real legacy will be that cycling will begin to have more appeal to the wider general public, both young and old (especaially the young); and that ultimately this will be a seed change in the way cycling/cyclists are viewed by fellow road users.
I was asked why has it taken so long for a Brit to win the TdF and my answer was (only my opinion) to me the main reason is. The British have a totally different attitude towards cycling than those on the continent, we are not a cycling friendly nation. Hopefully the events of the last 24hours will go a little way to changing that.Tail end Charlie
The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.0 -
Rolf F wrote:dodgy wrote:I've never understood the whole "I've seen someone do well in a sport and he's from the UK, so I will take it up" thing. I ride a bike because they've always been around and it's enjoyable, I didn't need a role model, a UK champion, or a an ITV4 cycle show to convince me.
I guess some people need a reason.
There doesn't need to be that much logic in it. I got into cycling because I became aware of the cycle scheme running at work - so one year I decided that if it ran, I would get a bike. It did, so I did - and that set me off to renovate my old Dawes and eventually buy two carbon bikes and an old Raleigh Record Ace. But it was only really that vague awareness of the scheme combined with a collegue going on about their long commutes by bike (which seemed hopelessly improbably long at the time) which made me do it.
Lots of noise in the newspapers about WIggins and Cav just means lots of people are going to be made to think more about whether cycling might improve their lives in one way or another. It's just like having someone whisper 'bikes are good' in your ear continuously - a lot of people are going to fall for it! And it's great. The more the merrier. We all had to start somewhere so no complaints about nodders please! 8)
I think you make a very fair point.
By the way, I didn't mention 'nodders', thoughI might be amused by them but they're still welcome. The more the better!0 -
Nodders?
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=nodder
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nodders
:?:
The older I get, the better I was.0 -
Last night, after watching the end of the race and cheering for Mark Cavendish, my 9 year old son actually asked me to get his bike out of the shed and wanted to go for a ride with me, instead of being dragged, complaining, away from the Wii / PC / DSi which is what usually happens. We've watched the highlights program on ITV4 together each night, and now he is deciding if he wants to be like "Mark, Brad or Chris" and considering if he will be as good as Tejay and win the white jersey.
This is a good thing, for lots of reasons - he has been caught up in the cycling buzz, and I will do as much as I can to keep that going, for his own fitness and also so we can go for rides together. Which leads me to the next great reason - as a relative newbie (after 20 or so years off a bike, I started commuting 12 months ago and now want to spend more and more time cycling) I have been heavily underbiked for some time - so instead of N+1, I am actually in the position of needing N+3 bikes. As my son now wants a road bike for Christmas, I can justify getting one for myself so we can cycle together!
So it's no bad thing, this Wiggins effect!
(I still think I am too portly to carry off a team sky jersey, but then I see lardbuckets wearing football shirts with no shame so perhaps I would be allowed?)0 -
Capt Slog wrote:
In cycling terms - someone who is in such bad shape/on such a bad bike/in such a wrong gear that their head nods in time with the effort of every pedal stroke.
Hint - It is usually a mtb.None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.0 -
having to fend off questions from wife and kids, typically, 'if cav's so good, why didn't he win ?'
i'm going to quiz them on Keeping Up With The Kardashians
or maybe not0 -
I'm a 3rd Cat roadie, CX racer and MTB racer. In terms of cycling ability I am further away from Bradley than I am from a 60 year old 18 stone fatster who has only just started riding.
As far as the cycling pecking order goes, most of us on here are just minnows, and some minnows seem to like complaining that the pond is filling up with tadpoles.0 -
I think it's great the coverage the sport is getting. My only slight concern based on what I have seen already with the MAMIL explosion of the last few years is that there are people going out riding in groups without having any basic bunch riding skills. This leads to riders all other the road in a disorganised mass rather than a disciplined 2 by 2 shoulder to shoulder group and subsequent frustrated motorists who then take it out on all cyclists. It would be nice if people would take the time to learn group riding techniques first but I guess that there's not really anywhere outside a club structure where adults learn these things and so many people seem reluctant to join a club.0
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Pross wrote:This leads to riders all other the road in a disorganised mass rather than a disciplined 2 by 2 shoulder to shoulder group......and so many people seem reluctant to join a club.
But that's such a narrow definition of road cycling. Personally I applaud Fat Jeff buying a bike and wheezing up a hill. Fat Jeff is also a driver and a pedestrian and will give other cyclist more consideration when driving and cycling. If he keeps it up he'll become less-Fat Jeff and may choose to join a club and ride in a regimented fashion after that. However, Fat Jeff has every right to weave and wheeze his way along the road, somewhere between the pub and the Champs Elysee.0 -
Sorry to p1ss on the ch1ps but I'm genuinely not expecting much tbh. Cricket did nt explode after the Ashes, nor did Rugby after the 2003 RWC. In fact what I'm really expecting is that even if Wiggo and Cav win the Olympic races, by the end of the games, cycling will have been forgotten again.
Personally, I don't care cos I'm a cycling fan, but it's a slight shame it could nt have happend in a non-olympic year so it could have properly focussed on!We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
GiantMike wrote:Pross wrote:This leads to riders all other the road in a disorganised mass rather than a disciplined 2 by 2 shoulder to shoulder group......and so many people seem reluctant to join a club.
But that's such a narrow definition of road cycling....
Of course, but that's the bit that worries me. I'm all for as many people as possible getting on their bikes but it is the ones who have seen a bit of bunch racing and try to emulate it without any group riding skills that can have a negative impact. I have seen the same group out twice now whilst driving along a busy rural A road near me and have been worried for their safety.0 -
ddraver wrote:Sorry to p1ss on the ch1ps but I'm genuinely not expecting much tbh. Cricket did nt explode after the Ashes, nor did Rugby after the 2003 RWC. In fact what I'm really expecting is that even if Wiggo and Cav win the Olympic races, by the end of the games, cycling will have been forgotten again.
Personally, I don't care cos I'm a cycling fan, but it's a slight shame it could nt have happend in a non-olympic year so it could have properly focussed on!
That is because to effectively join in with those sports, you have to have a number of like minded individuals who will come and join you on the spur of the moment, and organise a suitable venue.
Tennis is a little easier, it just needs one person willing to keep picking up the ball when they've missed it on their side.
Cycling however, just requires you and a bike. It's the 'anytime' nature of it that is likely to appeal
The older I get, the better I was.0 -
true - but on th other hand a rugby ball is a fiver, a mickey mouse cricket set is 20 and both can be played on the beach. A decent road bike is a minimum of a few hundred squids and involves riding near crazy drivers who are trying to kill you etc etc.
I hope I'm wrong but....We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
ddraver wrote:true - but on th other hand a rugby ball is a fiver, a mickey mouse cricket set is 20 and both can be played on the beach. A decent road bike is a minimum of a few hundred squids and involves riding near crazy drivers who are trying to kill you etc etc.
I hope I'm wrong but....
Think you'll find they'll be a lot of bikes being brought out garages and sheds that haven't seen the light of day for a fair while.
I remember a report saying that the UK has massive bicycle ownership but very small participation.0 -
Gazzaputt wrote:ddraver wrote:true - but on th other hand a rugby ball is a fiver, a mickey mouse cricket set is 20 and both can be played on the beach. A decent road bike is a minimum of a few hundred squids and involves riding near crazy drivers who are trying to kill you etc etc.
I hope I'm wrong but....
Think you'll find they'll be a lot of bikes being brought out garages and sheds that haven't seen the light of day for a fair while.
I remember a report saying that the UK has massive bicycle ownership but very small participation.
we're probably talking about BSOs bought for kiddies birthdays that don't get used.
I doubt there are many half decent bikes laying dormant.. they all end up on ebay.. just search "boardman road only 60 miles1!11!1!!!" and they will all come up.0 -
Great, loads of newbies who can ride up hills twice as fast as this old codger....0
