The spirit of the rules for recreational riders

milemuncher1

Personally I don't view it as a sport, I view it as a hobby, that can be done as a sport, should you wish to. I do wonder why people who don't get paid to do this, start taking it so seriously.

milemuncher1

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

My god some people take Strava way too seriously.

It's not important. Get on a bike - any bike, and ride it. Job done.

Quite

pblakeney

burnthesheep wrote:

...
Also, for what it's worth, a sub 25 minute 10 miler sounds like a worthy next goal.

A goal, yes. Worth spending money on a aero bike, skin suits and no pleasure cycling cos you are training, and failing?

de_sisti

Milemuncher1 wrote:

Personally I don't view it as a sport, I view it as a hobby, that can be done as a sport, should you wish to. I do wonder why people who don't get paid to do this, start taking it so seriously.

Yes, I agree; and it's a cheap mode of transport.

briantrumpet

Matthewfalle wrote:

Thinking about it, golfers are a funny bunch really aren't they? Don't get me wrong, I see lots of correlations between golfers and club cyclists, but they are right funny bunch.

Golf is a load of balls.

ayjaycee

janwal wrote:

Golfers are weird,they wear really outlandish multi coloured clothes!

Maybe they ought to just wear it tighter and they wouldn't look so weird. But, hey, what do I know? I'm not old enough to play golf yet.

keith57

You play a game of golf. I don't 'play' at Cycling, I just ride my bike

fat daddy

Keith57 wrote:

You play a game of golf. I don't 'play' at Cycling, I just ride my bike

I play ..... every ride for me is playtime, whether it be a commute to work or a CX trip out in the rain to play in the mud ... its all play time

Matthewfalle

ayjaycee wrote:

janwal wrote:

Golfers are weird,they wear really outlandish multi coloured clothes!

Maybe they ought to just wear it tighter and they wouldn't look so weird. But, hey, what do I know? I'm not old enough to play golf yet.

I'll never be old enough. Or serious enough. Or dull enough......

Tashman

burnthesheep wrote:

No club. Nothing. And yes, my ride does have the label on it. It wasn't for "status" or "bling". I just considered that if I wanted to ride in some kind of timed thing someday it may be required.

I've ridden for about a year now and this topic came up. Coming from other sports to join into riding I was quite surprised that the opinion was quite the opposite. I was aware that some take offense to certain things. I didn't know if this extends to rules for someone who considers it more "sport" than "leisure".

I come from playing sports where even recreational folks don't really bend the rules.

Being new, I guess I didn't understand the difference and proceeded with what I know.

In golf you have to actively seek out equipment that doesn't conform and then there is usually some kind of sticker or advertisement saying that it doesn't. Most all equipment you can buy already does conform.

I'm incredulous at the responses above because it's just not what I'm used to. Like leaving a cave for the daylight.

If that's how it is, so be it. Something new to get used to.

Did you play the offside rule for headers and volleys as a kid?
Cycling is exercise to me, not sport. The only person I'm "competing" with is myself. If I wish to beat my previous Strava segments that is up to me. Nobody else's times are relevant

Matthewfalle

Middle management/assistant manager role in work?

keef66

Racing has rules. If you break them to gain an advantage it's cheating.
Presumably cycling clubs have rules. I'm guessing about club kit, riding safely etc (I don't actually know, never having been a member of one) and I imagine that breaking them will either p1ss people off or get you chucked out.
Strava is like the rest of the internet. It's like the Wild West. There are no rules. People go out in gale force tailwinds winds or get their mates to motor pace them. There are segments in dangerous places which encourage the gullible to ride dangerously. It shouldn't be taken too seriously.

Me, I just ride my bike.

I regularly see a chap out, I'm guessing he's training for time trials judging by the aero bars, pointy hat, pained expression, and the speed at which he goes past. He's never grinning or singing like me, and never returns my cheery Hi, and I doubt he stops to take photos or have a picnic.

But hey, whatever floats his boat. He's not hurting anyone (except himself judging by his face) and I'm sure he's well up the leader board in the local TT events and gets his pleasure that way.

Live and let live and all that.

I've tried not to mention golf so far; I have no idea why it's popped up on a cycling forum, I've never understood it's appeal, and it seems to attract more than it's fair share of knobheads.

But can somebody please translate: "I play my golf ball down and no mulligans" ?

I recognise some of the words but WTAF does it mean??

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I treat Strava simply as a way of recording what I've done and how fast I've done a segment, comparing myself to others is nothing like a priority.

homers_double

If I could be bothered I'd write a long post but as I can't, +1 to what he /\ said.

fat daddy

why does everyone feel it so important to tell everyone else how non competitive they are on Strava .. there should be some kind of league that you can compare yourselves to each other to find out just how non competitive you are.

there is no shame in trying to move up the leaderboard .. infact I would go so far as to say, trying to beat those around you and not throwing a strop if you are not the fastest is a rather healthy attitude. and something I am trying to teach my 5y/o ... she is having a hard time with it though and will either refuse compete in a game if she cant guarantee a win and justifies it by saying it doesn't matter and she doesn't want to play OR competes and then has a melt down if she doesn't win ... quite often blaming the winner of cheating

benjamess

fat daddy wrote:

there should be some kind of league that you can compare yourselves to each other to find out just how non competitive you are.

Matthewfalle

keef66 wrote:

But can somebody please translate: "I play my golf ball down and no mulligans" ?

I recognise some of the words but WTAF does it mean??

This.

Individually I understand what the words mean (well, except Mulligan. Is that a real word?)

But collectively? It just doesn't make sense. At all.

Anyone?

Alex99

fat daddy wrote:

why does everyone feel it so important to tell everyone else how non competitive they are on Strava .. there should be some kind of league that you can compare yourselves to each other to find out just how non competitive you are.

there is no shame in trying to move up the leaderboard .. infact I would go so far as to say, trying to beat those around you and not throwing a strop if you are not the fastest is a rather healthy attitude. and something I am trying to teach my 5y/o ... she is having a hard time with it though and will either refuse compete in a game if she cant guarantee a win and justifies it by saying it doesn't matter and she doesn't want to play OR competes and then has a melt down if she doesn't win ... quite often blaming the winner of cheating

It must be clear that some people are competing for Strava segments. I feel like there is a bit of snobbery going on.

I've got some enjoyment from targeting a few segments, at times using local advantage to go out on a day with a bit of tail wind. That said, if I get a KoM, I also know doesn't mean that I'm the fastest guy around. Exactly the same applies if I win a British Cycling affiliated race. The field might be of a generally higher standard, but I'm still not the fastest guy around, unless it's the worlds.

It's not regulated, but it doesn't have to be to have rules. Rules can be official or can be unofficially arrived at (for example the rules of driving on the road have some differences to what you'll find in the highway code). To have a go at answering the OPs question, I suggest that motors are cheating, but having a good bike, a tail wind or a riding buddy is not.

ayjaycee

Matthewfalle wrote:

keef66 wrote:

But can somebody please translate: "I play my golf ball down and no mulligans" ?

I recognise some of the words but WTAF does it mean??

This.

Individually I understand what the words mean (well, except Mulligan. Is that a real word?)

But collectively? It just doesn't make sense. At all.

Anyone?

Sorry, I cant translate either as I no speakka da golfish.

burnthesheep

Matthewfalle wrote:

keef66 wrote:

But can somebody please translate: "I play my golf ball down and no mulligans" ?

I recognise some of the words but WTAF does it mean??

This.

Individually I understand what the words mean (well, except Mulligan. Is that a real word?)

But collectively? It just doesn't make sense. At all.

Anyone?

Mulligan: You hit a bad shot and drop another ball down and try again without it counting on your score. Cycling equivalent is people that turn the GPS off for the slow parts to make their average speed look better.

Playing it down: After you hit the ball off the tee box, you don't move it or touch it except to hit the ball. A few people will play with the ball and move it from a "less desirable" place on the ground to one which is much easier to hit from. It's the equivalent of cutting corners on a cycling or running course to shave seconds.

Otherwise, point taken. Enough talking, more riding.

For what it's worth, it wasn't so much about trying to make others conform to what I wish they would when riding. It was my fear of showing up to a group and doing something that would offend people.

Matthewfalle

burnthesheep wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

keef66 wrote:

But can somebody please translate: "I play my golf ball down and no mulligans" ?

I recognise some of the words but WTAF does it mean??

This.

Individually I understand what the words mean (well, except Mulligan. Is that a real word?)

But collectively? It just doesn't make sense. At all.

Anyone?

Mulligan: You hit a bad shot and drop another ball down and try again without it counting on your score. Cycling equivalent is people that turn the GPS off for the slow parts to make their average speed look better.

Playing it down: After you hit the ball off the tee box, you don't move it or touch it except to hit the ball. A few people will play with the ball and move it from a "less desirable" place on the ground to one which is much easier to hit from. It's the equivalent of cutting corners on a cycling or running course to shave seconds.

Otherwise, point taken. Enough talking, more riding.

For what it's worth, it wasn't so much about trying to make others conform to what I wish they would when riding. It was my fear of showing up to a group and doing something that would offend people.

If you rode with me and my mates (we vary from average fitness to world tri and elite road race but all ride together, cry with laughter most of the time and never leave anyone behind) the only thing you could do to offend us is to either fail to buy your round of ale and pork scratchings at the end of the ride or be horrible to a passer by. Or not be nice to people riding horses.

If you offend a group (most probably a bunch of clubbier) I'd suggest that they aren't really worth riding with anyway......

fudgey

I got a whole bunch of PR's today on my lunchtime ride. Must have been the tailwind, or that i have dusted off the fast bike this week.

Oh and a mulligan is a shite haircut from the early 90's.

Garry H

Fudgey wrote:

I got a whole bunch of PR's today on my lunchtime ride. Must have been the tailwind, or that i have dusted off the fast bike this week.

Oh and a mulligan is a shite haircut from the early 90's.

No, no the Mulligan is a soup, with a spicy kick to it.

pblakeney

I thought the mist rolled in from the sea to it.

roger_merriman

Strava and such aren't a level playing fields, traffic/weather/etc will have quite huge effects at times.

Going for a spin on the CX on some parts I'll be at a disadvantage and others a advantage. Vs equal riders on road/MTB on different parts of the route. But strava will ignore that and just rank us by times. Most know this.

milemuncher1

Tashman wrote:

Cycling is exercise to me, not sport. The only person I'm "competing" with is myself. If I wish to beat my previous Strava segments that is up to me. Nobody else's times are relevant

It's the same for me, it still never ceases to amaze me, how many people seem to automatically assume I know what my 'FTP' is, and so on and so forth. The first time someone asked me, I actually had to Google it.

turbotommy

Matthewfalle wrote:

burnthesheep wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

keef66 wrote:

But can somebody please translate: "I play my golf ball down and no mulligans" ?

I recognise some of the words but WTAF does it mean??

This.

Individually I understand what the words mean (well, except Mulligan. Is that a real word?)

But collectively? It just doesn't make sense. At all.

Anyone?

Mulligan: You hit a bad shot and drop another ball down and try again without it counting on your score. Cycling equivalent is people that turn the GPS off for the slow parts to make their average speed look better.

Playing it down: After you hit the ball off the tee box, you don't move it or touch it except to hit the ball. A few people will play with the ball and move it from a "less desirable" place on the ground to one which is much easier to hit from. It's the equivalent of cutting corners on a cycling or running course to shave seconds.

Otherwise, point taken. Enough talking, more riding.

For what it's worth, it wasn't so much about trying to make others conform to what I wish they would when riding. It was my fear of showing up to a group and doing something that would offend people.

If you rode with me and my mates (we vary from average fitness to world tri and elite road race but all ride together, cry with laughter most of the time and never leave anyone behind) the only thing you could do to offend us is to either fail to buy your round of ale and pork scratchings at the end of the ride or be horrible to a passer by. Or not be nice to people riding horses.

If you offend a group (most probably a bunch of clubbier) I'd suggest that they aren't really worth riding with anyway......

You cycle with a group of elite athletes and at the end of each ride you all head to the pub for several rounds?

Maybe it's time to assess my fitness regime...

The Rookie

I use Strava for fun, if I get a KOM I have a laugh about it, if I don't, so what....I use Strava to track my riding and to see how I'm doing against myself.

On road I don't have a road bike which is an ideal excuse as to why I have very few KOM's as a disc braked Hybrid is rarely the best tool for the job.

That said I was very happy to get a fourth place overall on a fast but winding (some braking but not much or hard) decent where road bikes should be much faster, and of course if it wasn't for that car holding me up through one corner and half a straight.......

I also have a KOM on a 1.1mile 7% cat4 climb on a 12.5Kg rental bike which is madness!

diy

I used to find it funny on endurance rides when people would sneak off before the first official start time. Off-road, its very tempting as those away in the first wave of a popular event will have an advantage riding on a fresh trail, that hasn't been churned up by 200 riders. Personally I count my garmin data as my total time, not the arbitrary clock at the finish.

The most glaringly obvious cheat is people who ride a shorter course. For example there may be a 100 and a 60 route where people book the 100 and ride the 60, knowing the timing chip only tracks the start finish. This is harder on A to B rides, but they are a logistical pain.

Often easy to spot on off-road events. Those doing the 100 will be a muddy green colour, while those doing the short course will look fresh and clean (and tubby usually )

keef66

diy wrote:

The most glaringly obvious cheat is people who ride a shorter course. For example there may be a 100 and a 60 route where people book the 100 and ride the 60, knowing the timing chip only tracks the start finish.

Then there's me, who registered for and only ever intended to ride the 60 mile course, but missed a left turn sign and actually cycled 86 miles in the end. But the results suggested I rode 60 miles very slowly