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Video: How to be a road cyclist

Brilliant mick-take by Canadian mountain bike crew

Ready to laugh at yourself this afternoon? The chaps at Canadian mountain bike site NSMB have put together this video that guides you in detail though becoming a road cyclist, or, as they put it, a ‘road biker’.

We’ve all been this newbie road cyclist, planning the next bike we’re going to get by the famous N+1 formula, then deciding we’ve got to have a winter bike so none of the shiny summer bikes we barely manage to find time to ride get dirty.

Learn to ride clipped in
Learn to ride clipped in

You’ll need to learn to fall gracefully while clipped in, and learn the difference between IPA and EPO. Not sure? Ask someone wearing a yellow Livestrong wristband, the video recommends.

Here’s the whole thing:

John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.

He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.

Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.

John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.

He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.

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25 comments

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captain_slog | 10 years ago
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They've scored a few bullseyes there. I have to admit I'm a total coffee snob, and by the end of last summer I was proud to notice that I'd managed to acquire some tan lines. But I've never fallen on a cat.

(Did you hear the cat? Miaow! I hope it was a highly trained stunt cat.)

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s_lim | 10 years ago
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Pretty much guilty of all the above, according to the wife. Apart from the beer love, can't stand the stuff.

One thing they missed; checking weather apps continuously to verify wind speed/direction. This generally is the deal-breaker for wether to ride or not on certain days

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s_lim | 10 years ago
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Pretty much guilty of all the above, according to the wife. Apart from the beer love, can't stand the stuff.

One thing they missed; checking weather apps continuously to verify wind speed/direction. This generally is the deal-breaker for wether to ride or not on certain days

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turvy | 10 years ago
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Excellent. I could even go as far as to say "Chapeau" to the film-makers!  3

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Al__S | 10 years ago
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You have to give the guy credit for being dedicated enough to shave THAT much just for a daft video!

Am I bad road cyclist? I don't like coffee at all

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bfslxo replied to Al__S | 10 years ago
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Am I bad road cyclist? I don't like coffee at all - Al_S

!! Get out - leave the room, here's your coat - sell your bikes & take up darts...  4

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movingtarget | 10 years ago
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Hmm. No comment on being dumped by your other half in this one because road cyclists are so much more loveable (and hairless) than their fat tire counterparts?  3

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Leviathan | 10 years ago
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Stop being Americans and be European (or Columbian, maybe, like coffee.)

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Flying Scot | 10 years ago
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Harsh, but fair.

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eurotrash | 10 years ago
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"I'm gonna KOM..."

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nbrus | 10 years ago
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"Own the road..."

get a car  24

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stealth | 10 years ago
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Don't know what EPO is?...
Classic.

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Dizzy | 10 years ago
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That made me chuckle  41

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Dizzy | 10 years ago
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That made me chuckle  41

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herohirst | 10 years ago
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Brilliant. "IPA / EPO" - worth watching it all just for that bit...

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Rowerowy | 10 years ago
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It is nice video, good points and funny. But IMHO the other video of this author was much better - How to be a mountain biker  1

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Mombee | 10 years ago
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Fantastic… telling the difference between IPA and EPO… revisiting all of 'The Rules'… brilliant.

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mikeprytherch | 10 years ago
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Brilliant... made my day very funny

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jarredscycling | 10 years ago
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A lot like the Mtn bike one but still just as hilarious

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BBB | 10 years ago
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Leodis | 10 years ago
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jova54 | 10 years ago
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I'm in there somewhere  4
Great video

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andycoventry | 10 years ago
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Very clever

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Roberj4 | 10 years ago
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Make sure every ride is on Strava  13 Hah Ha great video!

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badback | 10 years ago
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Well they've got that one nailed.  16

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