Public misunderstanding of Cycling

markhewitt1978

Sciencemike wrote:

Jonny doesn't seem to understand the enormous difference between club cyclist and Tour cyclis

I think a lot of keen club cyclists don't realise just how big the difference is either!

milemuncher1

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Sciencemike wrote:

Jonny doesn't seem to understand the enormous difference between club cyclist and Tour cyclis

I think a lot of keen club cyclists don't realise just how big the difference is either!

haydenm

I've never been asked if I've ridden the tour but I've certainly had some pretty dramatic reactions when they ask how far you've ridden today and you say anything from 40km to 120km or so. Most people don't realise that that sort of distance is in the reach of most people, I never said I did it fast! It's probably the reason you get the 'my mate is definitely way better than you as he is a superhuman cyclist' guys sometimes

ForumNewbie

HaydenM wrote:

I've never been asked if I've ridden the tour but I've certainly had some pretty dramatic reactions when they ask how far you've ridden today and you say anything from 40km to 120km or so. Most people don't realise that that sort of distance is in the reach of most people

I agree that is the usual reaction I get. People that don't cycle are really surprised that you have cycled these sort of distances.

Even when I was a teenager in the 70s and wasn't into cycling, I had heard of the Tour de France and Eddy Merckx, so I am surprised that people nowadays - when cycling here in the UK is more popular - would think anyone they meet that cycles may have ridden in the Tour de France.

Garry H

homers double wrote:

Brilliant

thebikeboy16

Did they mean as a spectator?

peat

I gave a friend and his wife some sh1t for dressing up in Barbour jackets and wellies for their annual trip to the local country Fayre.

The wife fired back "Well, you dress up like your going off to the Olympics every time you go on a bike ride...."

I was pretty stumped.
Too much time had passed before I thought about telling them about all the comfort/performance benefits of wearing the right kit, so I left it.

kingstonian

HaydenM wrote:

I've never been asked if I've ridden the tour but I've certainly had some pretty dramatic reactions when they ask how far you've ridden today and you say anything from 40km to 120km or so. Most people don't realise that that sort of distance is in the reach of most people, I never said I did it fast! It's probably the reason you get the 'my mate is definitely way better than you as he is a superhuman cyclist' guys sometimes

We had a couple of builders doing work on our house a couple of weeks ago. I went out on a ride and came back almost 3 hrs later. They thought I was winding them up when I said I'd done 85km, ended up showing them the ride on Strava because they genuinely didn't realise the distances you can travel.

chris_bass

Kingstonian wrote:

HaydenM wrote:

I've never been asked if I've ridden the tour but I've certainly had some pretty dramatic reactions when they ask how far you've ridden today and you say anything from 40km to 120km or so. Most people don't realise that that sort of distance is in the reach of most people, I never said I did it fast! It's probably the reason you get the 'my mate is definitely way better than you as he is a superhuman cyclist' guys sometimes

We had a couple of builders doing work on our house a couple of weeks ago. I went out on a ride and came back almost 3 hrs later. They thought I was winding them up when I said I'd done 85km, ended up showing them the ride on Strava because they genuinely didn't realise the distances you can travel.

My Girlfriend is the other way round now, due to knowing how far I cycle she was speaking to someone where she works who was saying he had just started cycling to work, it is a 12 mile each way journey and she said "oh, is that all?"

Alex99

Chris Bass wrote:

Kingstonian wrote:

HaydenM wrote:

I've never been asked if I've ridden the tour but I've certainly had some pretty dramatic reactions when they ask how far you've ridden today and you say anything from 40km to 120km or so. Most people don't realise that that sort of distance is in the reach of most people, I never said I did it fast! It's probably the reason you get the 'my mate is definitely way better than you as he is a superhuman cyclist' guys sometimes

We had a couple of builders doing work on our house a couple of weeks ago. I went out on a ride and came back almost 3 hrs later. They thought I was winding them up when I said I'd done 85km, ended up showing them the ride on Strava because they genuinely didn't realise the distances you can travel.

My Girlfriend is the other way round now, due to knowing how far I cycle she was speaking to someone where she works who was saying he had just started cycling to work, it is a 12 mile each way journey and she said "oh, is that all?"

I've had a bit of that too. A female colleague was married to an old school time triallist (one of the first to crack 19 minutes with no aero bars etc...). Very unimpressed by my exploits.

supermurph09

Peat wrote:

I gave a friend and his wife some sh1t for dressing up in Barbour jackets and wellies for their annual trip to the local country Fayre.

The wife fired back "Well, you dress up like your going off to the Olympics every time you go on a bike ride...."

I was pretty stumped.
Too much time had passed before I thought about telling them about all the comfort/performance benefits of wearing the right kit, so I left it.

ForumNewbie

Kingstonian wrote:

HaydenM wrote:

I've never been asked if I've ridden the tour but I've certainly had some pretty dramatic reactions when they ask how far you've ridden today and you say anything from 40km to 120km or so. Most people don't realise that that sort of distance is in the reach of most people, I never said I did it fast! It's probably the reason you get the 'my mate is definitely way better than you as he is a superhuman cyclist' guys sometimes

We had a couple of builders doing work on our house a couple of weeks ago. I went out on a ride and came back almost 3 hrs later. They thought I was winding them up when I said I'd done 85km, ended up showing them the ride on Strava because they genuinely didn't realise the distances you can travel.

Wondering what the builders thought of Strava. I always feel that non-cyclists think we are sad logging all our rides to see our stats and little maps showing the route we have cycled.

xixang

Back in the mid 90's I won a yellow jersey in a channel 4 comp. a guy I worked with asked where I'd got it so i proudly stated I'd won it (not a lie). He was massively impressed until I clarified how

Alex99

xixang wrote:

Back in the mid 90's I won a yellow jersey in a channel 4 comp. a guy I worked with asked where I'd got it so i proudly stated I'd won it (not a lie). He was massively impressed until I clarified how

Nice 8) Wonder what the rule is on this one... can you wear a yellow yersey that has been won in competition? Does it have to be cycling competition? Think you can get away with it because it's funny.