Mark Beaumont, who earlier this year set a new world record for the quickest journey by bicycle from Cairo to Cape Town, says that middle-aged men in Lycra ‘are a turn-off for new cyclists’. The adventurer argues that those who take cycling too seriously and think that it is all about competition can be intimidating for newcomers.
Speaking to the London Evening Standard regarding his involvement with Ride Social, a British Cycling initative to get more people on bikes, Beaumont said:
“Cycling clubs have their place. If you want to be a pro cyclist and be spotted then that’s great. But people who are new to cycling tend to think the sport is all about competition and wearing Lycra and taking it all very seriously.
“People, and I think especially women, are intimidated by these Lycra-clad weekend warriors. I know I was and I came to cycling through a different route. I want to help people realise it’s not just about that — that cycling can be just a bit of fun and can be part of your lifestyle.”
The aim of Ride Social is to form groups of similar-ability cyclists for fun rides. Cyclists can visit the website and create a profile that allows them to join and create bike rides in their local area.
Beaumont, former holder of the Guinness World Record for the quickest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle, smashed the record for riding the length of Africa from Cairo to Cape Town by 17 days earlier this year, completing the 6,750-mile journey in 42 days.
Since then, he has ridden Scotland’s North Coast 500 route, a 500-mile trip through the Scottish Highlands that he completed in under 38 hours. The ride was the longest he has ever spent in the saddle without a break.
71 thoughts on “MAMILs deter would-be cyclists says adventurer Mark Beaumont”
“People, and I think
“People, and I think especially women, are intimidated by these Lycra-clad weekend warriors. I know I was and I came to cycling through a different route. I want to help people realise it’s not just about that — that cycling can be just a bit of fun and can be part of your lifestyle.”
Oh, the irony – of someone who seems to be cycling just to beat records.
SHITE! He has spent too long
SHITE! He has spent too long alone. Just back from a ‘club’ spin with 145 people in 6 ability groups. ALL happy. Lots of ‘weekend’ warriors as most have jobs ‘mid’ week
He has half a point. But so
He has half a point. But so called ‘Mamils’ are just folk taking a sport seriously. We’re a friendly bunch.
It’s no different to any other sport. Like walking into a Boxing Club or joining a Football club.
New comers just need to get stuck in!
Yes, anyone over 30 should be
Yes, anyone over 30 should be required to wear a potato sack when cycling so as to not intimidate anyone who may be considering taking up the sport. Above all, they should not be allowed to take the sport seriously!
What a load of shite! If
What a load of shite! If that is all it takes to put you off doing something, there’s something wrong with you.
I yield to no one in my
I yield to no one in my admiration for Mark Beaumont but he must have had the hunger knock when he made those comments. There’s been an explosion in cycling participation the last 5 years at all levels. The facts just don’t back up his argument.
Perhaps the journalists have
Perhaps the journalists have had a bit to do with this. It maybe he was talking generally and this was just part of the conversation, this thought has sometimes passed with me, but I have then quickly disregarded it and agreed with the commenters here. so the journos have jumped on these comments and published them just to cause a bit of a stir I reckon. All people who start to take their sport seriously (as amatuers) tend to try and emulate the professionals – look at all the people who wear football and rugby tops, surfers who wear surf clothing, skatebaorders and BMXers wear their stuff, etc, etc. I am not aware of the standard of journalism of the London Evening Standard, but I am willing to bet that they did not probe at all and saw he had said something that they could use against him………..
“Would you jog to work in
“Would you jog to work in your suit?” That generally does the trick when people ask me why I commute in lycra.
So I’m 58 and been cycling on
So I’m 58 and been cycling on and off (more on than off) for 42 years….I don’t get out every weekend but when I do I want to be comfy and feel good…that’s why I buy nice kit!…surely it can also have an encouraging effect rather than a detrimental one???…stop talk rubish Mr Beaumont! 🙂
I can think of many more
I can think of many more valid reasons putting people off taking up cycling than mamils. Maybe he should use his profile to concentrate on those.
Given Mark’s continuing
Given Mark’s continuing support for Pedal on Parliament and the Road Share campaign, I would say that he is ” use his profile to concentrate on” dealing with the more serious things that are putting people off cycling.
He has done a lot to help support Pedal on Parliament, including leading out the first ride. With the Road Share campaign, he is not just a “celebratory” endorsement, but an active member of the steering group (when he is not off somewhere riding as fast as he can wearing Lycra).
For what it is worth he is actually a genuine and really down to earth guy.
And here was me thinking that
And here was me thinking that people were intimidated by truck whizzing past them.
No, he does have a point.
No, he does have a point.
In a curious coincidence of timing I was just talking this morning to the woman across the road about an event she entered where she was definitely disconcerted by the lycra warriors in evidence at the start. After giving a disconcertingly accurate description of what I look like of a Sunday morning she then related how she spent the first half of her day being passed at speed before meeting up with another ride which had more ‘normal’ people on it. She was much happier hanging out with that bunch.
So, anecdotally at least he is entirely correct. He doesn’t however say it’s anyone’s fault. But rather than defend your dress sense (and I speak as a paid up member of the Castelli classes) a little empathy for those with a different point of view would’t go amiss.
Surely a MAMIL is only
Surely a MAMIL is only exactly what the acronym says it is, not some competition-obsessed bore.
If other people think I “take cycling too seriously” and because of that also think that I “think that it is all about competition” just because I wear lycra, then that is, ipso facto, not my bloody problem.
This is from exactly the same script as that “collective responsibility” crap that gets wheeled out with depressing inevitablity every time some nutjob runs a cyclist off the road.
(Soon to be) middle-aged man
(Soon to be) middle-aged man in lycra says that middle-aged men in lycra deter would-be cyclists. That is unless road.cc have misinterpreted that bastion of quality journalism, the London Evening Standard.
The guy has lost his
The guy has lost his sense-of-perspective.
However demoralising it is to see the lycra-clad ones going up hills faster than I go down them, its more the fear of violent death from motorised vehicles driven [edit -mostly] by non-lcyra-clad people that puts me off.
What about OAPILs (old age
What about OAPILs (old age pensioners in lycra)? Where Beaumont is concerned, is that the ultimate deterrent?
I thought it was the speeding nut-job drivers passing too close and crappy, pot-holed roads we have to contend with that is the biggest deterrent.
When will Mark Beaumont consider himself to be middle-aged? At what age will he stop wearing lycra?
What a load of old cobblers
What a load of old cobblers
I’ve met the guy twice,
I’ve met the guy twice, didn’t really like him.
Didn’t really know why. Until now.
The only people MAMILS put off are would be MAMILS, not commuters or leisure riders.
Keep riding on your own in the middle of nowhere MB, you will never be Hoy, R Millar or Obree.
MAMIL’s are not the problem,
MAMIL’s are not the problem, “Cyclists” are!
Let me explain. I get really upset when someone describes me as a cyclist and a certain friend used to try and wind me up over this until…
He tweeked his back at work one week and so rather than ride his road bike he decided to join me on his hybrid. He knew I wouldn’t object unlike his other riding friends.
As he lives on the north side of the Thames he would meet me at the Southern end of the Woolwich Foot Tunnel.
As he entered the North Stairwell he saw a fellow cyclist and said “Good Morning” and was surprised to get no response. He looked away and out of the corner of his eye he saw the cyclist shake his head with a look of disdain.
It took over two hours of cycling before I got out of him what was bothering him.
He now says he is not a cyclist but is, like me, just someone who likes to ride a bike. He seems much happier.
The problem is that in the
The problem is that in the UK, cycling seems to be only a sport – whereas in the rest of Europe, it’s a means of transportation, used by adults and children as a normal part of their daily routine. Yes, you see people in Spain and Italy and Germany wearing Lycra – mostly older retired men out for a Saturday ride with the boys. But they are at best 10% of the cyclists you see in a day.
90% of the cyclists you see are just normal people – workers, students, shoppers – out on their bike to get from Point A to Point B. Outside London in the UK, you’re lucky to see 10% of people on cycles dressed normally – they all seem to be dressed for the TdeF regardless of what they are doing.
And this will be a huge problem in the UK if we fail to develop the infrastructure (and culture) for “normal” bike riding. Soon, the fad for “sporty” bike riding will fade and many bike shops – whose entire business model is built on selling people the latest and greatest new bike and ridiculously expensive cycle-specific clothing – will be bust.
I was in a big German bike shop a while ago – all they sell is bicycles – store as big as an entire Halfords (but all bikes). Their stock was 70% city bikes (mudguards, dynamo lights, reflectors, hub gearing – great practical bikes for everyday use). Then about 20% mountain bikes – big names with MTB-specific clothing and accessories.
And finally – 10% road bikes and related. Why? Because only about 10% of normal German cyclists care about “racing”. They would feel foolish dressing up like a TdeF racer to ride to school or uni or work.
And that’s the future here – except I fear we may only have less than the 10% – we don’t do “normal” very well.
A lot of sense in this
A lot of sense in this lengthy post and I think it probably approaches what Mark Beaumont was attempting to get at – albeit amazingly clumsily… We do not do “normal” very well.
People commuting shouldn’t have to dress up as “lycra Warriors” to commute to work but many feel they have to. They should be able to cruise along with or without a helmet and enjoy the fresh air and the exercise. But many feel they can’t do that because quite rightly they know they are not safe on many roads, many car drivers seem to want to scare the living daylights out of them, so they think – and are probably right – that the fastest and most determined attitude is required to get to work in one piece. Its madness and simply means the cyclists are as stressed out as the drivers and train passengers when they arrive at work..
As for MAMILS, well I am one, and I despair at many I encounter. You have to understand we are now crystal clear about our own mortality, we are realising that we’ve blown most of the chances we ever had to win the lottery, get the girl, make SVP at the bank etc. etc. and we know now that we’ll never be able to retire as the kids will want the proceeds from the house or they’ll never be able own a house of their own.
So all in all we’re a frustrated and rather angry bunch even on a sunny day. The problem comes when some of us don’t realise we are in this debilitating condition and have to behave as idiots and angry ingrates to everybody around us. These are the ones that when put into a club’s team colours think that they’re back in the game and its a case of do or die for the gang. All of a sudden they think they are the big gang in the playground, have a licence to ride as they choose and everybody beware. These are the ones that swarm cars, up both sides of the traffic confounding any driver’s attempts to give more room to passing cyclists as they can’t move in any direction. These are the guys that were always picked last in the playground and now have great kit just like the pros and you better not step near that zebra crossing when the peloton is coming through! And as for girlies, they don’t ride with them, they need to get their own team…
And so it goes, of course, not all the time, but I can understand how some may feel that the behaviour of certain not so welcoming enthusiasts makes it seem less appealing as the recreational activity most of us want to enjoy. Personally I’d quite like to join a club but many in London have waiting lists and the way I’ve seen some other clubs ride make me relieved I’m not wearing their kit..
I’m not sure what the answer is but maybe its the more self aware MAMILs – the ones that probably are self medicating appropriately – that need to take the nut jobs aside and remind them its simply meant to be fun, that the roads have cars, buses, horses and Range Rovers with all round blind spots so you can’t go racing even if you all have the same shirts and the days of my gang is tougher than your gang are long gone…
Ramble over….
CanAmSteve wrote:The problem
I only see people wearing lycra when they’re doing some training or fast commuting. Also, it’s the comfiest/best performing type of clothing for cycling that’s why it’s so universally used. Maybe the the other nations are too concerned with what other people might think, a bit uptight…..I’m looking at you Germany.
The Man has a point, albeit a
The Man has a point, albeit a poorly made one. Let’s Address MAMIL.
Middle Aged – Age does matter, especially when getting kids interested in a sport. No teenager joining any club whose members are your friends dads.
Men – There are team sports like football, there are individual sports like running, there are sporty social clubs like hiking. Cycling and it’s clubs try to include all 3 plus a small bit of pedestrian road safety campaigning on the side. If a local mens sunday league team also had a small section that went on hikes I doubt it would get many women.
The fact that there are plenty of safe places to run to hardly any to cycle explains why you get so many mums meeting up to run but hardly any cycling.
In Lycra – Any sport that requires a lot of investment to take part in will find it harder to get new people in. Especially if that equipment involves embarrassing clothing. Will a teenage boy go on bike ride with friends and have a bit of a race? Yes. Is He going to enter a race where everybody has a road bike a wears lycra? No, It’s too big a jump.
A Idea is to make it easier to race a bike, why not close a town square for a day and have under 14 baggy clothes only bike races where you have to sell your bike for £200 if offered. You could convince quite a few teenagers to give that a go.
Proud to be a MAMIL, it isn’t
Proud to be a MAMIL, it isn’t an insult and we shouldn’t allow it to become one.
Guess what, some blokes are competive and like to push themselves. It’s perfectly normal bloke behaviour.
I think he’s made the point
I think he’s made the point badly or the newspaper has made it look so. There’s a whole article that could be written about this but CanAmSteve has made the point pretty well above. If we want cycling to become more than just a sport in the UK, there needs to be a culture change and racing kits and racing bikes won’t achieve it.
We are so up our own arses in this country we simply won’t look to the continent and accept so many countries have got this right and are making it better while we move ever backwards.
I’ve just got back from Italy and in Florence and Milan there were thousands of people pottering about perfectly happily on crappy shopping bikes on good infrastructure in normal clothes. I didn’t see one single person on a racing bike, wearing hi viz or a helmet. And these aren’t cities renowned for leading the way in this area but they were a hundred times better than our most advanced city.
Quote:If we want cycling to
This is just ridiculous. If you think about it logically, why should sports cyclists have any effect on whether other people decide to cycle to the shops or to work? They don’t have any effect.
I’ve spent a good deal of time in Utrecht, a very cycle friendly city, and you get all sorts of cyclists, including people on road bikes out for a leisure/sport ride. What’s the problem? Why are some people so desperate to criticise others, and stop them having fun?
There is no reason whatsoever why one person can’t ride for different reasons at different times in different clothes and perhaps on different bikes. Stop judging people for their bikes and their clothes, and making daft claims that they somehow prevent other people riding bikes. They do not.
What the f**k is wrong with
What the f**k is wrong with those of us cycling to get fit & lose weight wearing clothes specifically designed for doing so?
90% of ‘weekend warriors’
90% of ‘weekend warriors’ have probably completed their saturday/sunday morning ride in the countryside before the average would be ‘person on a bike’ has ventured out.
POINT 1: THEY WOULDN’T EVER SEE THESE ‘MAMILS’
The fact that 99% of would be ‘person on a bike’ type people are city dwellers anyway means even if they were up, they wouldn’t see the mamils anyway (even the city clubs venture outside the city)
POINT 2: SEE POINT 1.
This fella is talking utter rubbish…though of course the evening standard is responsible for putting this (probably small) part of the interview as the headline and making a big fuss of it.
That ES article is a massive
That ES article is a massive load of retarded bollocks. End of.
Surely better too be a MAMIL
Surely better too be a MAMIL than someone who wears their favourite football kit and does nothing more than watch sports on TV.
Any label that applies to being activity can only be a good one.
Before my recent accident I
Before my recent accident I (fast) commuted to work 10 miles each way on a cross-bike and never felt the need to wear lycra or any other tight-fitting clothing or indeed anything cycling-specific other than MTB shoes (no cleats) and a helmet. For me, general purpose outdoor wear made from technical fabrics to wick away sweat etc makes more sense – I found cycle shorts to be lacking in deep pockets and totally unsuited for my purpose and instead invested in far superior Craghopper shorts made for hiking.
So.. a middle aged guy
So.. a middle aged guy wearing lycra is telling me that I (a middle aged guy wearing lycra) is putting people off cycling??
Really?
I think it may be people in cars who may be putting of cycling more than my age or dress sense!
Mark, unless you were
Mark, unless you were misquoted, this is a load of rubbish. If you really do think this way then I can imagine your thoughts about us PILOCs then (Pensioners In Lycra On Cycles).
I can see where he’s coming
I can see where he’s coming from. looking from outside the dominant image of cycling must be of grimacing blokes on expensive bikes because that is what I see on my rides and that is what is on the cover of Cycling Weekly every week. There’s nothing wrong with being that if that’s what you are but collectively it doesn’t present an inviting face to the potential new cyclist. You only need to read the comments on this website under for example a kit review article or anything which even tangentially touches on helmets to see how judgemental a lot of cyclists are about each other and clubs often exist for a fairly narrow demographic. I don’t feel particularly part of the ‘in crowd’ myself so can well understand how newcomers might be put off. If someone is trying to show there are many other ways to enjoy cycling then that must be a good thing.
Northernbike wrote:I can see
I can too and I agree with you. Some people on here seem to be oversensitive and/or overreacting.
It’s Mamils that get the press coverage and competitive cycling is what we see on TV. I can fully understand why people might think that cycling involved lycra, helmets, carbon road bikes (and gurning).
But I think Mark is wrong in one respect – social cycling can be part of the club scene. Our club now has a Sunday social ride that’s suitable for inexperienced riders and kids and it’s proving to be very popular… though that might be because the ride invariably finishes with a coffee & cake stop. 😀
To slightly misquote Sir
To slightly misquote Sir Chris of Boardman, MAMILS are not even in top 10 of things that keep people from cycling [probably].
Perhaps Mr B would be better advised to pontificate on that, if indeed he was pontificating.
If he’s not been misquoted
If he’s not been misquoted then he’s way off the mark here. Wearing lycra is not an entry to a race, it’s being comfortable. Being in a club is not wanting to be a pro-racer, it’s sharing a passion for cycling and safety in numbers. Being in a club (and wearing lycra) is also about racing, but if my club is typical I’d say around 1/4 – 1/3 of members actually race regularly? The rest want to keep fit, get better at cycling and spend huge amounts on carbon fibre!
If people are intimidated then that’s just another reason to stay in bed on Sunday morning. Being a MAMIL, or whatever the younger version is, is one of the best things happening in the UK right now. This revolution is soooo positive! No need to preach to the converted readers here, but I would hope someone in his position would be pushing for the positive aspects of cycling, MAMILs and cycling clubs?
jimbo2112 wrote:If he’s not
Like.
While amused by the photo of
While amused by the photo of Mark in his Lycra talking about not wearing Lycra, i think he has a point that those involved sometimes fail to realise.
I commute to work, mountain bike and road ride and I wear Lycra a lot of the time.
When you are interested in an activity, you look at those you see carrying out the activity as a signpost. In the UK many of these people who cycle wear cycle gear, ride flashy bikes and go very quickly. Therefore it can be intimidating to those who want to give it a go. And yes, maybe it shouldn’t be enough to put people off but sometimes it.
I spent two weeks cycling in Holland this year. The approach to cycling is so different there. There are people in Lycra but only those who are doing it for sport. Most people wear normal clothes. Bike shops are not full racks of jerseys and bib shorts. They have useful things like baskets, pumps, kickstands and bells. If you want specialist bike clothing, you go to specialist shop. This means people believe you can cycle in normal clothes, which of course they can.
I also think there is a lot of snobbery in cycling in the UK that puts some off. On my commute, I say hello to those I meet. The majority of these people are other commuters and say hi back. At the weekend though, many other roadies ignore greetings, particularly if I am not on my road bike. Even if I am, I am often ignored. Is it because I am on the wrong bike or wearing the wrong kit?
The solution? Get to the point where cycling is so normal, everyone does it irrespective of body shape, bike or clothing. How to get there? Ask Holland.
thehairs1970 wrote:
I spent
I’ve cycled in Holland 2 years running and the main difference is the infrastructure. The number of excellent bike tracks (perfectly good quality for road race bikes) mean that people of all ages use cycling as a viable means of transport. This in turn means that they are much more relaxed about it and don’t feel the need to don lycra every time they cock their leg over the saddle just as I do not put on a race helmet when I drive to the supermarket.
If I commuted to work by bike everyday on a flat trail along with a few thousand others, I’d probably not wear lycra either. Cycling in the UK on the weekend in the as I do is more of an occasion and I think we celebrate this by dressing the part.
thehairs1970 wrote:[…]
I
I commute to work wearing lycra and riding an expensive bike. I’m also a middle-aged man. I look totally awesome – why wouldn’t eveyone want to be like me? I could shuffle to work instead, in my carpet slippers, dressed in beige if everyone prefers.
On my commute I see a mix of people, but probably fewer than half of them are mamils in Lycra. There’s a fair mix of young people, men as well as women, though predominantly men. Most of them are slower than me, and I’m 58 and not exactly fast. They wear all sorts of clothing made of all sorts of material, depending on the season. They mostly ride cheap mass-produced bikes, ranging from mountain bikes to hybrids to road bikes. They’re not a representative cross-section of the public – they’re probably too young and male to be that – but they’re not by any means the picture presented in this article.
Some of them even look like Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, though never at the same time, which leads me to suspect that London’s Leading cyclists are in fact avatars of the same mystical being.
Today was a bit of an exception to my description, in that London was full of young men in lycra cycling very, very fast indeed. I found it most off-putting.
Just to put aside the lycra
Just to put aside the lycra discussion.
The other aspect noted is that of competition – one of the things which has surprised me over the last year (when I have taken up competitive cycling) is that most people don’t take part in competition – I’m a member of a club and go on club rides etc. but of the people who go on them, hardly any of them actually compete – most of those that do compete ride time trials, and a tiny fraction of them road race – less than 20 out of a fairly large club (200+ members I think) – so if it’s the competitive ones putting people off, then they are doing so from their tiny numbers of people.
If you take out the bit about
If you take out the bit about Lycra-clad weekend warriors then what he is saying is more acceptable, though not necessarily correct.
I find it hard to believe that anyone in a major city who sees hundreds of people commuting to work each day would leap to the conclusion that cycling was all about competition.
It’s also in line with the initiative he was promoting which seems like a good idea – connecting people and groups in specific locations for social rides.
But the bit about the lycra was unfortunate to say the least, and sadly helps to reinforce the marginalisation and victimisation of cyclists promoted by many newspapers, and the Daily Mail.
Alas, there isn’t the money
Alas, there isn’t the money or the will to build any sensible infrastructure in this country.
vonhelmet wrote:Alas, there
With due respect, I think it’s not that simple. We are land poor in comparison to Holland and the cost and complexity of adding cycle routes is considerable. Much cheaper than new roads, but they need to be justified against return on investment. Existing sentiment on something so crucial as transport is a big ship to turn around, but, it’s happening. The sheer numbers of new cyclists in the UK is changing opinions and very slowly educating drivers. The Super Highway going through London on the Embankment is well under way and is indicative of how powerful this change is.
Next I’d like to see legislation to guarantee cycle routes created alongside all new A-roads and major road renovations.
The changes only come from the constant pressure from cycling groups, so we should all be a little bit proud of what’s been achieved so far.
jimbo2112 wrote:vonhelmet
Up here in Mark’s homeland there is apparently the money (£3 billion at least) and the land to dual the A9, but not apparently enough of either to build a cyclepath alongside. Instead we piss money away on pointless rubbish such as the almost unrideable path between Aviemore and Kincraig. Jolly fine for horsists, maybe ok for a Sunday afternoon potter, but completely useless for transport.
jimbo2112 wrote:vonhelmet
Up here in Mark’s homeland there is apparently the money (£3 billion at least) and the land to dual the A9, but not apparently enough of either to build a cyclepath alongside. Instead we piss money away on pointless rubbish such as the almost unrideable path between Aviemore and Kincraig. Jolly fine for horsists, maybe ok for a Sunday afternoon potter, but completely useless for transport.
jimbo2112 wrote:vonhelmet
Your Geography is terrible. The Netherlands is much smaller than the UK and has a 60% higher density population.
This is a good read, from one of my favourite blogs: http://girodilento.com/a-family-holiday-in-the-netherlands-observations-from-a-uk-cycling-advocate/
I think that the guy touches
I think that the guy touches some nerve here…
He doesn’t criticise anyone, just states the obvious fact that the image of overweight middle aged guys dressing unnecesarily in overly tight clothes doesn’t make a good advert for cycling in general.
BBB wrote:I think that the
Fine, we all agree that ‘your Dad in lycra’ is not a great look, but both anecdotal experience and common sense suggest it comes some way behind aggressive, frequently incompetent drivers; poor road surfaces; appallingly awful cycle paths; Scottish summers weather; Daily Mail style hatred of cyclists and hyping of the dangers involved as reasons to avoid cycling.
It is great that there are
It is great that there are middle aged men out there keeping fit, reducing the burden on the NHS and being a more productive person at home and at work. It’s great that they encourage their families to cycle. I am put off playing golf by all the middle aged men in funny jumpers with paunches waddling around the countryside but it wouldn’t stop me playing if I wanted to.
I have attended a talk by Mark. I don’t dislike the man, he is doing what he wants to do. He did train with BC before his Africa jaunt so it is a little disingenuous of him to say that competitive cyclists put people off. I do feel he does like looking in the mirror though. Each to their own.
I spent some time cycling
I spent some time cycling around London and chatting with him today. He’s very down to earth, and I feel that the Journo involved has spun what he actually said, to create a reaction. He is very plain speaking, calls a spade a spade, but I don’t believe he’d intentionally insult anyone.
Surprised by the negative
Surprised by the negative reaction in most of the comments here, I think a lot of people are missing his point by a wide margin. He’s pretty clearly saying pretty much the same as CanAmSteve, isnt he? And I think that makes a lot of sense. He’s not slagging MAMILs off as far as I can see.
And whether or not Beaumont competes or wears lycra is entirely beside the point. I wear lycra and like to put in a bit of effort when I ride. I also think the perception that that’s what cycling is all about is not helpful in terms of getting people out using bikes as transport in regular clothes. It’s not complicated.
And whether or not there are bigger factors in why people don’t cycle much doesn’t mean that this isn’t one too. It’s part of the bigger picture.
Chuck wrote:Surprised by the
I agree entirely that getting people using bikes as transport is the point – whether they do so in work clothes, lycra or bollock naked is irrelevant. My point was simply that there’s a long list of reasons why, for example, many of my colleagues don’t cycle as transport, and the fact that I would look shit in lycra ain’t one of them.
The main factors involved in
The main factors involved in encouraging people to cycle more are infrastructure and driver attitude.
Anyone who thinks that what other people wear to go cycling is a significant factor in putting off new cyclists has failed to think logically.
and don’t forget Miss
and don’t forget Miss Sturgeon’s latest announcement to waste a few more millions on another referendum. Imagine the infrastructure we could have in Scotland if we didn’t just keep frittering cash away on pointless political aims.
I think my Lycra covered ass
I think my Lycra covered ass is really quite intimidating. Just sayin’.
darrylxxx wrote:I think my
Your donkey rides too? Impressive mammal.
😀
“those who take cycling too
“those who take cycling too seriously and think that it is all about competition”
… from the guy who competes by riding around the world faster than other people.
He has a point but it’s the
He has a point but it’s the golfers on bikes as opposed to reaching a certain age and wearing lycra.
The ones that look at other bikes with disdain, think they are better than you abd are generally a bunch of wankers!
Did the Manchester 100 yesterday and there was a sizeable loo queue at one stop. 3 blokes in front talking utter bollocks about equipment and Strava all wearing a ‘club’ top. A 4th rider in the same disgusting purple atire decided to ignore myself and 2 or 3 behind and q jump.
Utter tossers the lot of em!
Why mention the mamils, the
Why mention the mamils, the ‘weekend warriors’, the perception of men competing at all? This is not what put people off cycling to work, or leisure cycling at the weekend. It *might* put some people off joining a club, but he’s not advocating cycling clubs here, is he?!
The phrase MAMIL is a light hearted term to describe the rise in popularity of road cycling – and a good thing it is too.
Having achieved all he has, he’s exactly the type of person these ‘mamils’ look up to. I wonder if there is some kind of weird snobbery behind these comments? That these people, despite all their gear and enthusiasm, are not as good as he is? HE didn’t need a club to get into the sport, HE didn’t become a ‘weekend warrior’, HE ‘s a proper endurance cyclist breaking world records…
Well said Mr Beaumont.
The
Well said Mr Beaumont.
The image created by cycle sport and club cycling is the heavy cross that those promoting cycling for transport in the UK have to bear.
Sandy14 wrote:Well said Mr
The boom in commuting by bike suggests that they’re bearing that cross rather well.
Besides, what’s your solution? Stopping club cycling and cycle sport? Insisting on tweed plus fours in place of lycra shorts?
Only in this country could such a dullard opinion like yours be countenanced.
Back to the petrolhead forums, pal.
HalfWheeler wrote:
The boom
What boom? I see no boom. Maybe if you look outside London and few other places you will see that cycling is a leisure pursuit and that there is no boom in utility cycling.
mrmo wrote:HalfWheeler
What boom? I see no boom. Maybe if you look outside London and few other places you will see that cycling is a leisure pursuit and that there is no boom in utility cycling.— HalfWheeler
Starting from a low base, admittedly, but the amount of commuters you see on Glasgow roads has grown exponentially in the last 3 years.
BTW, the OP’s point, I take it you agree with him?
HalfWheeler wrote:mrmo
What boom? I see no boom. Maybe if you look outside London and few other places you will see that cycling is a leisure pursuit and that there is no boom in utility cycling.— mrmo
Starting from a low base, admittedly, but the amount of commuters you see on Glasgow roads has grown exponentially in the last 3 years.
BTW, the OP’s point, I take it you agree with him?— HalfWheeler
As far as commuting, significant increases in central London and Glasgow but static or reductions elsewhere (links are fiddly to post on this ‘ere tablet..). And a roughly linear increase in Glasgow from 2009 -2013, bigger change in 2014. Hardly what one would call exponential without 2015/16 figures.
Here in N Surrey the weekend/Sunday morning Lycra bunch are noticeable by their increasing numbers. But commuters ? – little difference from what I can see – very few of the 30-odd club I’m a member of commute by bike (as statistically insignificant as that may be..)
http://thebikeshow.net/the-go
http://thebikeshow.net/the-gospel-according-to-st-grant/
Worth a listen.
I think people who may have even the slightest urge to start cycling are probably intelligent enough to realise that there’s a lot more to cycling than roadies on expensive racing bikes. Many will remember what they did on their bikes as children and have no trouble finding a bike that’s suitable for a bit of general riding in comfort. With some luck they’ll even find that you can ride for a few hours (or a few days) without needing padded lycra shorts.
Also look at the current resurgence of touring and ‘adventure’ bikes for evidence that cycling just isn’t all about racing.
Best not to get upset about
Best not to get upset about anything written in the media. Misquotes and spin abounds.
You know what really puts
You know what really puts people off cycling?
This massive pile of geekery from the frustrated engineer spods;
http://road.cc/content/feature/164006-how-clean-and-lube-your-bikes-chain
I commuted for years on a
I commuted for years on a touring bike but was put off lycra, road cycling and clubs because of the bunch that passes through my town on a Saturday or the cyclists who sit in the local cafes on a Sunday talking too loud.
Then I discovered I could commute faster on a road bike and that there were plenty of others who do this and ride for pleasure without doing any of the above.
With a wide range of clothing and styles of bike, as far as I am concerned, the only reason stopping people cycling is their own will power.
And a final point…. I wear merino.