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Australian pub accused of being ‘anti-lycra’ after turning away group of cyclists

Riders in Perth told there was a "strict policy of no lycra" ...

The West Australian reports that a group of four cyclists was turned away from Perth pub, The Raffles Hotel, by a waiter who told them there was a "strict policy of no lycra". While Raffles management have since claimed that the incident was a misunderstanding, one of the cyclists describes this as ‘nonsense’.

Ross Powell, who owns Canning Bridge Cycles, said: "I was absolutely shocked. There was no miscommunication: the guy came out and he said, 'Sorry, we can't serve you, we have a strict policy of no lycra'. It was very, very straightforward."

However, Colonial Leisure Group State operations manger, Vern Fogarty, said that the issue was not the lycra, but bikes being left against walls or close to paths. He claimed they were a safety risk and that nearby residents had complained. "It is not our dress standard. We've served cyclists in lycra in the past and we're happy to serve cyclists in lycra in the future."

Management have since said that their policy only applies to ‘large groups of cyclists’ without specifying how many that means.

Local cycling groups feel the pub has missed an opportunity and say that the incident is symptomatic of an ‘us and them’ attitude towards cyclists.

Peter Bartlett, from the Bicycle Transport Alliance, said: "It's not an us or them, it's an issue of goodwill. I wouldn't say that cyclists are fault-free but I'm sure with a bit of consideration the issue could have been addressed."

Bicycling Western Australia chief executive, Jeremey Murray, says that the pub could capitalise on the huge number of cyclists passing through by investing a few hundred dollars in bike racks.

For their part, Raffles management have suggested the local council should provide this. City of Melville chief executive, Shayne Silcox, said the city had identified a need for bike facilities and planned to install racks close to the Raffles and the Canning Highway bicycle path.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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30 comments

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andyp | 9 years ago
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'no football tops...on adults not currently playing a game' should be standard across the world.

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surly_by_name | 9 years ago
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I think anyone who turns up to a PUB in their kit should be ridiculed for crimes against fashion. Or, put another way, I'm with Velominatus Brett (see "The Spandex Ballet", 29 October 2014). Baggies and a mountain bike/fat bike, OK. Road bike and racing kit, no.

Australia has never really done hooligans, not like England did/does.

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don simon fbpe | 9 years ago
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I didn't think that the hardcore hooligans wore football colours.

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farrell | 9 years ago
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You know there are some places that ban certain labels, Liverpool is pretty keen on no Lacoste or Hugo Boss, even no polo shirts at all for some places.

Christ, I dread to think how many pairs of socks I ruined over the years by getting knocked back from clubs and bars for wearing trainers, only to go back a few minutes later with my socks over my trainers to blag my way in.

Yep, this actually worked, every time.

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Al__S | 9 years ago
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There's been hardly any Old Firm matches for several years though- only possible if they meet in a Cup tie. That's rather helped keep things peaceful!

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OldRidgeback | 9 years ago
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The continuing ban on footie fans being served in pubs in Scotland is curious, seeing how football violence in Scotland is now at an all-time low. Even the Old Firm games aren't what they used to be in the bad old days.

Some supporters have a particularly bad reputation and having seen how the Millwall fans behave for instance, I can see why pubs would not want to allow them in the door.

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fenix | 9 years ago
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Wetherspoons has a ban on footy colours - but the place in Glasgow was awash with cyclists for the CG Road Race.
OK granted not much lycra on such a wet day but...

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Awavey | 9 years ago
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Im not necessarily up with the licensing laws in Australia, but in the UK, pubs have a common law right to refuse to serve you, as long as they keep within things like the equalities act so dont discriminate on gender,race,disability etc etc lines, but theres no automatic right to be served in a pub.

the public house means its public bit is a popular wikipedia type grown myth, its still a private premises that youve entered under the invitation of the licensee, who can withdraw that invitation at their discretion, and through things like pubwatch schemes actually extend that refusal across other pubs if they so wish

so a pub could chose not to serve people wearing certain clothing (plenty of pubs in london put up signs about no builders boots or that tops must be worn in summer) or because theyd left bikes causing an obstruction.

in practice landlords dont do that kind of thing because they need to earn money by selling drinks to as many customers as they can. so it is unusual for them to refuse, but it doesnt mean they dont have that power.

as for the no football tops thing,thats a hangover from previous decades that Ive not encountered that frequently anymore, you tend to see pubs encouraged to split either serve home or away fans not both. But again an extension of refusing to serve you based on what you are wearing.

Or not infact actually got refused entry to a pub near a football ground once because I wasnt going to a football game, you had to show a match ticket to show you werent an away fan to get in, and as I had no ticket at all, they wouldnt let me in  7

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Al__S replied to Awavey | 9 years ago
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Awavey wrote:

as for the no football tops thing,thats a hangover from previous decades that Ive not encountered that frequently anymore, you tend to see pubs encouraged to split either serve home or away fans not both. But again an extension of refusing to serve you based on what you are wearing.

"No football tops" is normal in Glasgow, where it is encouraged by the police.

the "only serving away fans" thing is increasingly common, it will be done again with police agreement and is part of crowd control.

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mike_ibcyclist | 9 years ago
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Pubs in Australia are under pressure because of the shift to small bar-type establishments and new licensing laws. I'm not sure of the scene in Perth, but if the problem is the stacked bikes surely a better solution would be to provide organised racks. If I was at group HQ I'd have the pub manager on the phone asking for a full analysis of what this costs.

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don simon fbpe | 9 years ago
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I've got a not giving my money to dickheads policy, I bet they're not bothered about it either.

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Kadinkski | 9 years ago
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Personally I like pubs that ban football colours and especially ones that don't allow children. That's where I choose to spend my money.

I'm sure there are people that like football and have kids that spend their money somewhere else.

I don't get why this establishment would ban lycra as such, but over christmas I was in a cafe in Austria and a group of French cyclists came in and sat at the next table and they absolutely stunk of BO. I mean they were rancid. I saw another patron complaining to the staff, and a table close to them got up and moved...we were so grossed out that we left before seeing what happened (we'd finished our strudel anyway).

Maybe this place had a similar incident. I don't get what the big deal is. Let them run their business how they see fit in order to create the best environment for their target customers.

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Joeinpoole replied to Kadinkski | 9 years ago
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Kadinkski wrote:

Personally I like pubs that ban football colours and especially ones that don't allow children. That's where I choose to spend my money.

I'm sure there are people that like football and have kids that spend their money somewhere else.

I don't get why this establishment would ban lycra as such, but over christmas I was in a cafe in Austria and a group of French cyclists came in and sat at the next table and they absolutely stunk of BO. I mean they were rancid. I saw another patron complaining to the staff, and a table close to them got up and moved...we were so grossed out that we left before seeing what happened (we'd finished our strudel anyway).

Maybe this place had a similar incident. I don't get what the big deal is. Let them run their business how they see fit in order to create the best environment for their target customers.

I agree. I think it's disgusting when folk come into a pub or cafe in sports kit, still sweaty and dirty from their endeavours. Go shower and change first. It might just about be acceptable if they stayed outside in a suitable area away from other customers.

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tbelcher72 | 9 years ago
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Raffles is not that good anyway, there are much better places to go for a coffee in Perth that actively welcome cyclists.

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oozaveared | 9 years ago
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Just publicise it. Let them have whatever policy on Lycra or jeans or whatever they want. Cyclist don't only ride bikes and wear Lycra and we don't only go to pubs and restaurants when we're wearing lycra. We have famillies and friends and we know other cyclists. Just put the word around and keep putting it around that these places don't like cyclists or their families or their mates.

Years ago when my kids were young we were hassled in a restaurant and made to feel very unwelcome. We just mentioned it to friends and people my wife met at the school gate etc. All local people with children. About a year later I was asked by the Parish Magazine to contribute something. I work in publishing (I am not a journalist though) but most people think publishing is writing. So I did a restaurant review of the best places around to eat out take the kids. Kid friendly guide. I put the place that was snooty with the kids at the bottom and slated it.

It wasn't more than a few days later that the owner of this place called me up and demanded to know who had been served so badly and why his eaterie was given such a poor review. I told him it was me and my kids that were the source of that info and that I stood by it.

You see we're sometimes not just badly served parents with kids in tow that you can be snooty with either. Businesses exist on their reputation and the cyclists around Perth need to make the reputation of this place very well known. Doesn't like sports people, sports wear, more active outdoors types, large groups or parties is a good start. All justified and fair comment on this place.

It's not four cyclist they dissed but all of us and our families and our mates. That's a lot of potential customers. Use Trip advisor and things like that as well and yes local newspapers are always short of a story.

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trekker12 | 9 years ago
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Claiming a bike leant against a wall is a safety risk is as ridiculous as the 'no lycra' policy in the first place

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glynr36 replied to trekker12 | 9 years ago
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trekker12 wrote:

Claiming a bike leant against a wall is a safety risk is as ridiculous as the 'no lycra' policy in the first place

No lycra policy would only be the same as the no football shirts policy a lot of places in the UK have, or even no hats/trainers as well.

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Edgeley replied to glynr36 | 9 years ago
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The (silly) no football shirt policy is try to prevent fighting. Have you seen many cyclists fighting?

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828321 replied to Edgeley | 9 years ago
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Only on the roads with drivers.

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dafyddp replied to Edgeley | 9 years ago
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yup! possibly the girliest scrap on video, ever...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwKaeWkYbqk

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glynr36 replied to Edgeley | 9 years ago
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Edgeley wrote:

The (silly) no football shirt policy is try to prevent fighting. Have you seen many cyclists fighting?

So you're saying by default anyone in a football shirt is there to cause violence?

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jollygoodvelo replied to glynr36 | 9 years ago
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glynr36 wrote:
Edgeley wrote:

The (silly) no football shirt policy is try to prevent fighting. Have you seen many cyclists fighting?

So you're saying by default anyone in a football shirt is there to cause violence?

Would you two like to, er, discuss this outdoors?

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KirinChris replied to glynr36 | 9 years ago
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glynr36 wrote:
Edgeley wrote:

The (silly) no football shirt policy is try to prevent fighting. Have you seen many cyclists fighting?

So you're saying by default anyone in a football shirt is there to cause violence?

He's not saying that at all. The ban on wearing football shirts may be saying that - you'd have to ask the publican.

Violence aside, which is less of an issue these days, pubs that ban it are trying to avoid large groups of (largely) men who are likely to make a lot of noise and put off other customers.

But again that's hardly going to apply to a group of cyclists is it?

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KirinChris replied to glynr36 | 9 years ago
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glynr36 wrote:
trekker12 wrote:

Claiming a bike leant against a wall is a safety risk is as ridiculous as the 'no lycra' policy in the first place

No lycra policy would only be the same as the no football shirts policy a lot of places in the UK have, or even no hats/trainers as well.

It would be if it wasn't totally different, given the history of football violence in the UK. Maybe Perth has an ultra-velo scene, but I doubt it.

I could see the analogy to no caps/trainers if you enforce it as a standard policy, but unless they are going around checking the textile labels of everyone's clothes then it's just arbitrary discrimination. I'm sure they don't stop women wearing lycra tops or leggings from entering.

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glynr36 replied to KirinChris | 9 years ago
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abudhabiChris wrote:
glynr36 wrote:
trekker12 wrote:

Claiming a bike leant against a wall is a safety risk is as ridiculous as the 'no lycra' policy in the first place

No lycra policy would only be the same as the no football shirts policy a lot of places in the UK have, or even no hats/trainers as well.

It would be if it wasn't totally different, given the history of football violence in the UK. Maybe Perth has an ultra-velo scene, but I doubt it.

I could see the analogy to no caps/trainers if you enforce it as a standard policy, but unless they are going around checking the textile labels of everyone's clothes then it's just arbitrary discrimination. I'm sure they don't stop women wearing lycra tops or leggings from entering.

You know full well I meant lycra meaning cycling kit (as does the article) rather than the material used.

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KirinChris replied to glynr36 | 9 years ago
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glynr36 wrote:

You know full well I meant lycra meaning cycling kit (as does the article) rather than the material used.

I wasn't suggesting otherwise. My point was about how the pub would enforce a ban.

If they ban 'lycra' then someone is going to come along and say "Well, she's wearing lycra".
If they ban sports clothing then they would have to ban all sports clothing which rules out anyone wearing say an Aussie rules top coming in to watch a match.
If they ban tight-fitting clothing then they can't just apply it to cyclists and not to women in leggings, or men in skinny jeans.

Simple fact is that as a public bar (and that's where the 'pub' bit comes from) you pretty much have to serve whoever comes in unless you can come up with some exclusion clause that applies across the board and is not illegal.

But your comparison to football colours is still ridiculous.

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Daveyraveygravey replied to trekker12 | 9 years ago
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trekker12 wrote:

Claiming a bike leant against a wall is a safety risk is as ridiculous as the 'no lycra' policy in the first place

Too right! Fuck 'em, take your custom and your money elsewhere...

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Daveyraveygravey replied to trekker12 | 9 years ago
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trekker12 wrote:

Claiming a bike leant against a wall is a safety risk is as ridiculous as the 'no lycra' policy in the first place

Too right! Fuck 'em, take your custom and your money elsewhere...

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Must be Mad | 9 years ago
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bovered.
Just take your custom elsewhere... somewhere where it is appreciated.

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dodgy | 9 years ago
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Another negative Australian cycling story. There does seem to be a lot of them. I understand their roads are being seeded with tacks and caltrops in some areas, too, nothing done about it apparently as it's even more accepted in Australia to dislike cyclists than it is in the UK!

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