Man refused Giant bike because of his weight; Vincenzo Nibali calls on pros to bin power data during races; Update on THAT cycle lane; Paris-Nice déjà vu as local authorities say final stage must be moved; A very Dutch problem + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Your thoughts on THAT terrible cycle lane
I genuinely didn’t know that was meant to be a cycle lane. https://t.co/W5KNMIWKaD
— Peter Fifield (@PeterFifield) March 10, 2021
We’ve asked Oxfordshire County Council to comment on this and we’ll likely have a full story coming later today on this cycle lane. It reminded us of this other dubious piece of infrastructure that appeared on the blog last month from Dublin…
On Facebook, Baron Bianchi commented: “According to the signs as you enter it, Oxford is a ‘cycling city’. Typical Oxford, talking the talk but as for walking the walk…” To which Pete Smyth suggested walking the cycle would be more accurate…
Chris Dale told us that “Apart from the whole thing being a nonsense of discouraging clutter, I do like the short essay ‘Cyclists please dismount at this point’.” Always nice to remember your manners I guess…
If you didn’t laugh you would cry….. Why was no one was told this was going to happen! https://t.co/cQ6XjSFr1b
— Cyclox (@cycloxoxford) March 10, 2021
Paris-Nice déjà vu
The Mayor of Nice is requesting the cancellation of Sunday’s Paris-Nice stage finish ‘as it’s currently planned’. https://t.co/QnxDxBPWrT
— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) March 11, 2021
We’ve been here before. A year ago this week a shortened Paris-Nice ended at La Colmiane before the finale in Nice as bike racing was put on hold for the next five months… The mayor of Nice has asked for Sunday’s final stage in Nice to be cancelled “as it is currently planned”. One to keep an eye on in the coming days…
As for the racing, today we’ve got a sprint on the cards in France, while over at Tirreno-Adriatico it’s a long day, backloaded with climbs including an uphill finish. Mathieu van der Poel vs Wout van Aert vs Julian Alaphilippe?
Update on THAT cycle lane
We’ve got some clarification on that cycle lane photo…It turns out that as part of the University of Oxford’s refurbishment of a library, the 60m stretch of cycleway has been suspended until December 2021. The University’s website says that cyclists will be directed to join the carriageway by additional signage and that the barriers have been built to segregate cyclists and pedestrians, who can use the temporary walkway between the orange barriers in the background of the photo.
Because the work is on a basement under the cycle lane, it has been suspended and the footpath diverted to the new line on the grass verge. We’re guessing the signs telling cyclists to join the carriageway are behind the person taking the photo, but that’s not entirely clear either. In short, the cycle lane is now a walkway and cyclists should ride on the road until the works are complete and the cycle lane will reopen.
Oxfordshire County Council has now responded to our questions over the arrangement, saying: “We are aware of the measure outlined to the county council by road.c at Parks Road and are currently looking at this situation.”
A very Dutch problem
A particularly Dutch problem to have. Photos (c) my broski. pic.twitter.com/ROsGGuYm68
— Vaccinated CyclingMikey is so happy. 🇪🇺🇳🇱🇿🇼 (@MikeyCycling) March 11, 2021
Vincenzo Nibali calls on pros to bin power data during races
Pronti per sette giorni di fuoco alla @TirrenAdriatico 🔥 Come sempre – crederci e insistere, ogni giorno 🦈
•
Ready for seven hot days at @TirrenAdriatico 👊 As always, believing & persisting, every day 🦈📸 @GettySport pic.twitter.com/JZG8Fir8t5
— Vincenzo Nibali (@vincenzonibali) March 9, 2021
Vincenzo Nibali thinks his fellow pros should ignore their bike computers during races after Mathieu van der Poel’s performance at Strade Bianche last Saturday. The four-time Grand Tour winner told Gazzetta dello Sport there’s little need to be glued to your power data during a race. “[Power meters] can be useful in training, but not in racing. The data isn’t useful unless you have a point of reference. We’re better off switching our bike computers off in races or not looking at it.”
On Van der Poel’s performance, the Shark of Messina said he was stunned just like the rest of us by the TV pictures coming through from Siena on Saturday afternoon. “It was crazy. I switched on the television for the last 60km and I saw what Mathieu did…mamma mia.”
Local authorities refusing to let Paris-Nice final stage finish on Promenade des Anglais in Nice
Paris-Nice will not end on Promenade des Anglais, regional authorities say #ParisNice2021
— Julien Prétot (@julienpretotRTR) March 11, 2021
Meetings are underway between ASO and state services to find a new finish for the final stage for Paris-Nice after Alpes-Maritimes authorities decided the race cannot finish on the Promenade des Anglais as planned. Yesterday, the Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi asked for the stage to be moved and the route to be adapted. In a statement, the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes coast said “In any case, these stages can only take place outside the confined area and behind closed doors.” Ruling out the Promenade des Anglais.
Electric vehicles are the biggest problem for promoting cycling and walking, according to Chris Boardman
.@Chris_Boardman: “We’ve saturated our streets with car use now… Electric vehicles are potentially our biggest problem because they give us a reason not to change.” pic.twitter.com/KLGC8uf00s
— Bike Is Best (@BikeIsBestHQ) March 10, 2021
Chris Boardman told the Commons Transport Select Committee that electric vehicles are potentially the “biggest problem for boosting active travel”. Boardman, who is now Greater Manchester’s walking and cycling commissioner, said the technology gives people a reason not to change their habits and that a car-led recovery from the pandemic can only be avoided if more is done to create safe space for people to travel differently.
“Electric vehicles are potentially our biggest problem, because they give us a reason to not change,” Boardman told the Select Committee. “And that means that we won’t get any more space back. It doesn’t touch our health. It doesn’t touch most of the problems. It impacts one tiny small amount of very localised pollution. We’re having to fight, as is happening in London, for every bit of space to allow people to travel differently. The bigger-picture reality is we have to. We are facing, it’s not hyperbole to say, a species-level crisis.”
Ex-footballer Geoff Thomas talks the Tour 21 Challenge 2021
Our presenter Rebecca sat down with the ex-England, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers player to talk about the challenge, which will see 25 amateur cyclists take on the full Tour de France route a week ahead of the pros.
A blood cancer survivor, Thomas and his team hope to raise over £1 million for the national charity Cure Leukaemia, and are already over halfway there with £515,000 raised at the time of writing. To find out more and donate, check out the Tour 21 website and JustGiving page.
Julian Alaphilippe wins stage two of Tirreno-Adriatico as the Holy Trinity go head to head
“The World Championship stripes are still flying high!” 🌈
Julian Alaphilippe pips some huge names to secure victory in Stage Two of #TirrenoAdriatico 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/NohpzEcegm
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) March 11, 2021
In the earlier post about Tirreno we asked if it would be Mathieu van der Poel vs Wout van Aert vs Julian Alaphilippe on today’s uphill finish?…And that’s exactly how it turned out. This predicting thing’s easy when you choose the three favourites…After Van der Poel and Van Aert got their hands in the air on Saturday at Strade Bianche and yesterday’s opening stage respectively, Julian Alaphilippe joined the party on stage two, winning the sprint after his teammate João Almeida, the last man standing from a late breakaway with Mikel Landa, Pavel Sivakov and Simon Yates, was caught in the final few hundred metres. Van der Poel finished quickly and looked the fastest coming from further back but couldn’t overhaul Alaphilippe’s advantage, taking second — Van Aert was third and keeps the leader’s jersey by four seconds.
🔱 Tirreno Adriatico @eolo_it 2021
📅 Tappa 2⃣ | Stage 2⃣
🥇 @alafpolak1 🌈🇫🇷
🥈 @mathieuvdpoel 🇳🇱
🥉 @WoutvanAert 🇧🇪#TirrenoAdriatico pic.twitter.com/Axcyflwx6c— Tirreno Adriatico (@TirrenAdriatico) March 11, 2021
Man refused Giant bike because of his weight
A man from Nova Scotia in Canada was left discouraged and crying by his experience of trying to buy a Giant bike from their Halifax branch. Sebastien Barsetti wanted to buy a bike to help him lose weight but was refused because of his weight. Barsetti weighs just over 300lbs (136kg) and the owner of the shop Barry Misener said it wouldn’t have been safe to sell the bike to someone over the maximum rider weight of the model.
Barsetti had saved for the bike for several months and was refused, even after saying he didn’t intend to use it until he was under the maximum limit. “Honestly, I spent my afternoon hiding and crying because I was really upset about it and it really affected my self-esteem,” he told Global News. “I told them my weight, my height and shortly after they told me they wouldn’t sell it to me because of my weight. Because I was a little over the max weight. I knew I was over the max weight a little bit but I wasn’t even intending on using it until I was under.”
Barsetti received a refund from Giant Group Canada and the shop’s owner has given his side of the story, saying he was only concerned about the rider’s safety and feared he could sustain life-threatening injuries by ignoring the weight limit. “I told him the maximum rider weight is 300 pounds. I said, ‘You cannot ride the bike safely,’” Misener explained. “I will not compromise anybody’s health. I just can’t do that, I can’t live with that.”
In a statement, Giant Group Canada stood by the decision, emphasising they’d rather disappoint a customer than risk their health. The brand has also written to Barsetti to offer the option of holding a bicycle ready for him once he’s under the weight limit.
Sam Bennett wins stage five of Paris-Nice
A superb lead-out of @MichaelMorkov and a perfect sprint of @Sammmy_Be 🤩
That was the story of the #ParisNice stage 5 finale! pic.twitter.com/QalFf6etp6— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) March 11, 2021
Sam Bennett got his second win of the week at Paris-Nice in what looks likely to be the final sprint stage of the race. A dominant Deceuninck-Quick-Step leadout set the Irishman up perfectly to win ahead of Nacer Bouhanni and Pascal Ackermann. Phil Bauhaus and Giacomo Nizzolo rounded out the top five.
A strong headwind neutralised much of the action with the peloton rolling along at speeds some of our readers would have probably felt comfortable tagging along at the back. 31.8km/h was the average speed for the first hour of racing…Yesterday it was Jumbo-Visma winning at both Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Nice, today it was Quick-Step who doubled up.
Man refused bike because of his weight: road.cc reader's experiences...
Can really empathise with both the shop, and the potential rider here. I’m a tall, lanky, hefty sod, that’s broken 3 frames in almost as many years – despite clearly asking at the point of sale if it was safe for my weight.
They confirmed it would be… but still. #Snap. https://t.co/Y04IgEb4Fw pic.twitter.com/3lfmZehxR1
— TallTim (@TallestTim) March 11, 2021
It’s disappointing to see the man in the Giant story say he’s been discouraged from taking up cycling by being refused the bike he’d saved up for. We got a similar tale from one of our readers, TallTim, who gives the other angle of the story, as someone who has had frames snap after asking if they’d be safe for a larger rider.
It’s a tricky one but another reader asked if the shop could have sorted a bike for the short term that was suitable to the man’s build until he could ride the one he wanted? Also worth noting some sympathy for the bike shop too. If the man had bought the bike and it had caused a crash, they’d be held accountable. Sebastien Barsetti added the owner of Giant Halifax offered to sell him the bike if he signed a waiver but he refused, as he didn’t think it was right to need to sign it to get his bike.
The look says it all...Julian gets his revenge for Strade Bianche
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) March 11, 2021
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Horrific story, but these days it's so silly to not be wearing a helmet. As the article proves, you literally don't know what's round the corner. His injuries may have been no different of course, but why take the chance?
Agree completely. It was great to see the diversity of the people trying the path on Sunday, including many families. Now that they've realised that Racecourse Hill is actually rideable, I hope that for those people the path has become normalised. An objective of the day was also to expose locals to increased traffic on the path so that they became practiced in giving way at the 3 crossings on the descent down through Pittville. Time will tell, but driver behaviours were brilliant and hopefully there's a growing expectation that there might be a rider coming down the path :) We need some good connectivity at both ends of the path now..
Or more accurately, it's a cheap, low attack on Starmer - active travel is just catching strays.
@steve1968smith I wondered why it was so busy. Well done for organising the event. As you say, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It really lifted my spirits. It seems to me that as long as the Stewards have been trained to appreciate the dangers and give priority to cyclists there will not be a problem but the concerns were raised because, as far as I can tell, there was no requirement for Stewards in the planning application and that is my concern. I have also been impressed with the number of cyclists using the route for commuting. It could be the weather but if the pattern continues over the winter then the aims of the project will be fulfilled. I also know of a number of families with small children who are using the path to get them on their bikes which bodes well for the future. Almost every non cyclist I have talked to in the past has told me that no one will use the cycle path. I hope that they witness the nunber of users for themselves and eat humble pie.
He is just a careerist we have to remember. He doesn’t give a shite about anything other than his career (like Farage doesn’t care about anything other than making money for himself) I understand why idiots vote for Reform, (other than because they are racist); they see politicians say anything to play the crowd. The problem is Farage is the epitome of a snake oil salesman. Streeting’s Daily Mail friendly comment is just a cheap, low and insidious attack on active travel, again. Even if he doesn’t mean it to be - cycle lanes are blamed for closing the high street, causing congestion, increasing pollution, busting the NHS and now, if it wasn’t for active travel, Blighty would still have an armed force to rule the waves. Fkn pathetic
@Pub bike - well, off-road (ICE) motorbikes have been available for decades, so you're right about the proposed law being too narrow. I've seen scrotes riding them in parks and on the roads, but they're much less common than the newer e-motorbikes.
@hawkinspeter I think my point buried in there somewhere is that the law being devised is too narrowly focused around electric bikes/motorbikes and it should encompass the sale of any kind of motorbike. The wording talks about "electrically assisted" which would seem to exclude throttle controlled bikes. The bikes I saw that had no pedals - and therefore the electricity does not assist but is the sole source of propulsion - would fall outside of this legislation, so already there is a loophole. It would probably help to have some technical input to this bill by people that actually understand the differences between bicycles, e-bikes, EAPCs and motorbikes before it goes too far.
The Streeting Rule is, Cycling and Walking tomorrow and Cycling and Walking yesterday, but never Cycling and Walking today.
It’s a nuanced proposition, for sure. I did start the article with “There are few hills I’m truly up for dying on, but kickstands on bikes is one of them” - and no comment here has changed my mind 😎
@ hawkinspeter you are absolutely right. But of course there is little enforcement, the police don't have the resources etc etc.
56 thoughts on “Man refused Giant bike because of his weight; Vincenzo Nibali calls on pros to bin power data during races; Update on THAT cycle lane; Paris-Nice déjà vu as local authorities say final stage must be moved; A very Dutch problem + more on the live blog”
The explanation – but not
The explanation – but not justification – for that cycle lane madness is below. Basically there is a building *under it* whose waterproofing has failed. That doesnt justify the lack of a provision for an alternative as apparently the cylists are expected to use what appears to be a very busy road. Its also not clear why its ok to walk along the path but not cycle or whether that will be closed off too at some point.
Balls ups all round.
https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/science/rsl-at-vhl/rsl-refurbishment
(Apologies to the road.cc staff for probably front running their main article)
Is the library that building
Is the library that building on the right of the picture? So, the basement also goes under the road??
I believe it’s mostly under a
I believe it’s mostly under a lawn on the left if I have interpreted the article correctly. If so it runs up to the road, so presumably those nearby trees haven’t been too good for it!
I’m not too familiar with
I’m not too familiar with Oxford but I’ve been a couple of times. I believe the library in question is under the lawn to the left of the photo (barely visible in that photo but clearer from the streetview) while the buildings on the right are part of
KeebleKeble college. Google streetview here: https://goo.gl/maps/awtLSNiGkVnf37929Keble (one ‘e’) please!
Keble (one ‘e’) please!
It’s the Radcliffe Science Library which has a HUGE basement under the Natural History Museum lawn and, presumably, edging on to that path.
oliver.brennan [at] gmail.com
Is that one ‘E’ and its actually pronounced as “Smith” or some such Oxbridge nonsense…? 😉
Haha. actually two ‘e’s I
Haha. actually two ‘e’s I suppose, technically. But not three. It’s pronounced “Cholomondly”, obviousl
The mayor of Nice hasn’t
The mayor of Nice hasn’t called for the stage to be cancelled – they’ve called for the stage finale along the beachfront to be scrapped, so it can be kept open for people to take their exercise. They just want the stage shortened or re-routed to finish elsewhere.
Presumably they’ve had months
Presumably they’ve had months of notice of the location of this. It seems a bit half arsed to request a change at such late notice. What kind of clown is the mayor? Or is there a COVID spike?
From what I remember of what
From what I remember of what I read, it’s the other way around – Covid levels dropping, so they want to ease lockdown, which means more people out and about, so places needed for them to spend time safely.
Re cycle lane.
Re cycle lane.
May be they should put up a sign to motorists to treat cyclists with respect on the stretch of road they are being forced to use along side the one telling cyclists to use the road.
They could always use it as
They could always use it as an opportunity to bring in the proposal that would have made this, along with other roads around the city centre, a one-way single-lane loop for motor traffic, and given the rest of the space over to walking and cycling. Unfortunately, that was too radical for them, and they went for a much less ambitious option instead.
I used to work in a Halifax
I used to work in a Halifax branch. We didn’t provide Giant bikes either, but you could get a money box when you opened a children’s account.
That’s really rough on that
That’s really rough on that bloke trying to buy the Giant bike – just imagine spending ages saving up for a nice new bike and then leaving empty-handed – I’d be crying too.
It’d be really nice if they put together a tougher bike for him to use in the meantime and then swap to a typical model once he’s within the safety weight range and I bet it’d be great PR for them – Giant bikes built for giants or some such.
How often have you (or anyone
How often have you (or anyone) ever checked the maximum load limit on a bike frame, though?
Only wheels
Only wheels
Never – I assume the wheels
Never – I assume the wheels are going to be the weakest link and I have managed to break a fair few spokes and I’m not particularly heavy (~85kg)
I suspect that will depend on
I suspect that will depend on whether you think your weight maybe an issue or not. For average sized folk frames/forks wont be a problem,but I do know some custom wheel makers only rate upto 90-95kg rider weight to minimise on spoke counts,and that’s only average rugby player weight.
Every time – it’s the only
Every time – it’s the only reason I didn’t get an Aethian a few years back (from memory that was a 90kg limit). I had asbolutely no need for a race frame but I loved the look of it and the engineering.
Hunt specifically market wheels for heavy people – working with ex rugby players I seem to recall, so if you’re over 120kgs you can buy guaranteed wheels that are up to the task.
Prendas sell 8XL jerseys – to cater for the transition from rugby to triathlon that a lot of blokes do. OK, that’s still only a 50-inch chest because Italian sizing but it’s a big deal to be able to wear something that’s identical to someone built like Nairo Quintana.
As much as I’d like to like FLAB they’re still designing jerseys to cover fat. If I want to make a statement and wear a La Vie Claire jersey over my beer belly that’s my choice, I don’t want something dark and minimal to try and skim over the fat.
The hardest thing I found growing up was not being able to buy the same clothes as my peer group. I absolutely dreaded shopping because you’d go somewhere, see an amazing shirt, and then find it’s not in your size. I could only make a statement with shoes, socks, ties, and hats.
Sebastian has probably encountered that and all it says is “go away fat boy, this isn’t for you”. It can be incredibly hard to fight back against fat shaming, it took me until my ’40s and the love of my partner and friends to be able to do it. I’m still big but no longer ashamed of it.
My thoughts as well. The shop
My thoughts as well. The shop owner has missed a trick on this one. To turn round and say we’ll hold your bike till you’ve shed a few pounds but in the meantime have this until then. Brilliant free advertising and spin off slogans. Cudos to Giant for offering to hold the bike for him.
What kind of bike could
What kind of bike could support 136kg ? And would you even be able to pedal it to move it ?
They didnt sell him the bike because if he bought the bike, rode it, it failed due to breaking its known max weight limit and he inevitably injured himself, who would be to blame and have to pay compensation and his medical bills?
Plus if he’s that keen on the bike, order it online for home delivery, or find a less than 136kg friend to pop in the shop to buy it for you instead.
My take on all this was that
My take on all this was that it was all very “I am a victim, someone needs to compensate me”. Crying all night because he couldn’t buy a bike even though he admits he hadn’t planned to ride it yet? Really? Big Jesse. 136kg is more than twice my weight so we are not talking about someone carrying the odd pound or two.
Bloke, just get a strong ‘beer’ bike, ride it, lose weight…hit your target weight and reward yourself with a nice bike…and use the ‘beer’ bike as a pub bike when your weight is right and weekly calories in matches calories out and life’s natural balance has been restored.
@bobbinogs while I agree with
@bobbinogs while I agree with your assessment of “I am a victim, someone needs to compensate me”, the rest of your assessment is pretty unsympathetic. You sound very much like someone who has never had weight issues and therefore has no idea how difficult losing weight is, even if you’re very overweight. Your victim-blaming (you’re fat, do something about it) is every bit as distateful as the blaming-cyclists-for-being-knocked-off-their-bikes bullshit we’re used to reading about here. The bloke might be making a fuss about it but he’s trying to get fitter and healthier and doesn’t deserve your petty prejudices!
You’ve got no idea.
You’ve got no idea.
No idea how big a step it is to change your life when you’re overweight
No idea of the guts it takes to walk into a shop and buy fitness gear
No idea of the abuse you’ll get for being too fat to ride
No idea of people thinking it funny to shout “do you need a push mate”
No idea of people calling you a fat cunt and far worse than that for wearing lycra and actually doing something to improve your health
No idea of what might have led to him getting to that weight in the first place
Fat people are continually fat shamed – retailers not stocking a full range in plus sizes, advertising never featuring a fat person unless its to encourage them to lose weight, people naturally assuming that it’s a choice and it’s your fault that you’re fat.
And we all know what a toxic relationship cycling has with weight, and not just in the female ranks.
Sebastian probably spent weeks wondering whether he should take action about his weight, many sleepless nights, clearly some sacrifices to save up. And then he gets knocked back once he’s finally got the guts to do it? That’s incredibly tough.
It’s not fat shaming at all,
It’s not fat shaming at all, the shop has a legal responsibility to ensure it sells bikes to riders within the manufacturers weight limits, else they would leave themselves open to lawsuits & legal claims.
I’d be more offended & annoyed had they actually sold him that bike,because the poor guy would then be riding a bike which could fail on him unpredictably at any moment and put him at risk of serious injury. There are plenty of moments when riding a bike where a failure of a major component like a wheel,fork,frame could be lethal.
So if hes not prepared to sign that waiver,because presumably he now understands the risk that it entails, and the shop hasnt got bikes that will support his weight, then how can they help him ?
It might be a good idea if
It might be a good idea if every time he started worrying about his weight he went for a walk. Exercise has been shown to be even better for mental health than for weight loss. It would surely help him sleep better. And who knows, it might help him drop a few kilos.
We are in the midst of a global pandemic where obesity has been shown to greatly increase one’s risk of death. Is this really the time to worry about people being “fat shamed?”
Yes, absolutely. Because
Yes, absolutely. Because being fat is not only a greater risk to your life because of COVID it also reinforces public perceptions of (a) the drain of fat people on society and the (b) narrative of “oh well, he was fat, that’s why he died of COVID, it’s his fault”
The pandemic has polarised opinion in all sorts of ways over this. The acceptance of care home deaths. The acceptance of the fact that it’s OK for people with mental health issues or learning difficulties die of this disease proportionally more than others in their cohort. And then there’s the mental health impact on people with a range of conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety, and so on. Sadly fear and uncertainty about the future has made many people care far less about others and be more entrenched in their views on all sorts of stuff.
cmedred wrote:
The problem with fat-shaming people is that it’s hurting their self-esteem and will likely make them want to hide away and probably continue comfort-eating. What we should be doing is seeing the person behind the body-shape and respecting their bravery for wanting to improve their health by taking up cycling – fat-shaming is not going to achieve anything positive at all. Cycling may be more suitable than walking/jogging for weight loss as it’s low impact (swimming is also a good choice, but that’s not so easy for someone that’s sensitive about their body).
cmedred wrote:
We’re always in the middle of something – war, recession, pandemic, environmental crisis, poverty.
I don’t think that gives us a licence to forget how we treat each other. Afterall a large amount of the issues we face would be significantly eased if we paid more attention to how we behave towards each other.
Awavey wrote:
A good touring bike is likely to be rated at least that high. The first thing that sprung to mind was something like the Surly Long Haul Trucker and that claims to be fine for a total weight of 150kg (https://surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker)
That said, if the specific bike he was after isn’t rated for his weight, then I agree the shop shouldn’t sell it to him. But there could have been a more delicate handling of the matter.
Its rough, but at the same
Its rough, but at the same time. 300lb is no average weight, even if youre just a regular overweight joe.
Giant could have built him a special one off bike but at the same time it would have probably cost him more than the bike he was originally looking to purchase and with 300lb. youre probably better off looking at more of a recumbant to help spread the weight a bit more evenly.
Giant could have, but why should they?
I think the manager made a good call and it wasnt as if it came from bad place. Though, offering him a big discount on the day he finally comes in and make his purchase after shedding some weight would have probably been a very good gesture and also serves as movtivation for him as well as good PR for Giant.
If he wanted it that bad, the only way i would have accepted his money is if i had a legal contract drawn up saying that he has been warned multiple times about his weight and Giant will not be held responsible for any injuries caused as result of hm riding the bike and it breaks while he was out riding it — But then again this would sound like Giant are fat shaming and discriminating against him.
If I was Barsetti and i was refused. I would be sad and i would be angry too but at the same time it would light a fire in my heart and motivate me to work harder at weight loss.
according to the update they
according to the update they offered to let him sign a waiver but he refused
RobD wrote:
Then the whole thing is a non issue then. Manager didnt want to sell the bike unless a waiver was signed, customer didnt want to sign waiver — end of story.
This is quickly turning around to looking like he just wanted a ‘get-rich-quick‘ scheme. He wanted to buy a bike that would break so he could sue Giant for big money. The manager didnt take the bait so he’s gone to social media and the news tabloids to cry about it and give Giant negative PR when really all Giant cared about was their customers health & wellbeing.
The manager cared about him enough not to take his money.
RoubaixCube wrote:
Or perhaps he wanted a bike, and was refused, and felt hurt.
In which case why did he not
In which case why did he not just sign the waiver? He could have had his bike if he did but he didnt.
If i walk into a store to buy a toaster and the store says refuses the sale unless i sign a waiver that states I accept all damages and responsbilities if my house burns down because of it. It wouldnt be the retailer that refused me the sale. Its that i didnt agree to their T&Cs for the sale to take place.
Being refused a sale and leaving empty handed because you refused to sign a peice of paper are two different things.
The trouble with the waiver
The trouble with the waiver is what happens if the bike had a fault that caused an accident which had nothing to do with his weight? Look at the new Aeroad for example with the wearing of the seat posts / frame and now the potential snapping of the handlebars. Both could have been confused with weight issues if happened on his bike but because he had signed a waiver, he would have no recourse legally unless proven to be design / manufacturing faults.
Being refused a sale is exactly what happened. Requiring a piece of paper to be signed just for one person to take it out the store when no others need one is not a reason to say it is anything else.
That depends on the waiver
That depends on the waiver itself.
Maybe Giant would still warranty the frame but wont be held responsible for his injuries or medical costs should something happen.
If theyve presented him a contract of sale/agreement and he refused to accept then Giant really shouldnt be hung/demonised for it. Are businesses not allowed to protect themselves from potential or future litigation?
RoubaixCube wrote:
I get why he wouldn’t want to sign away his rights under warranty.
The situation was a very tricky one for both Sebastian and the store owner, without searching for malice aforethought by either party
but he waives his rights to a
but he waives his rights to a warranty the moment he uses the bike outside of the manufacturers published limits, as lots of people find after theyve connected their bikes upto turbos, the guarantee voids on what they define is improper or excess use.
and Giant are one of the manufacturers who explicitly say you must deal with the retailer you bought the bike from on all warranty claims, hence another reason why the shop in this case is more alert to the problems of simply selling a bike not fit for purpose would cause them.
I really feel for him and
I really feel for him and hope that somewhere in the fine city of Halifax there’s an LBS who can meet his needs. Thankful to my LBS not trying to fat-shame me over my purchase when I was his size. I get the safety aspect but I’m genuinely surprised that they’re not engineered for North American-sized bodies.
As a fat bloke (now much less so because cycling) I’ve often wondered where this 120kg limit comes from. I’m guessing insurance, because it turns up all over the place – track days, extreme sports, theme parks, and so on. Sometimes in the UK you also see it set at 16 or 18st.
Either way, if you read this Sebastian, don’t let it stop you. Cycling has changed my life from one of barely being able to walk up stairs without getting out of breath to regularly completing 60-milers, and doing ten mile commutes every day.
The government have just
The government have just released another 150,000 “fix your bike” vouchers https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fix-your-bike-voucher-scheme-apply-for-a-voucher?fbclid=IwAR10TUBCU0BgXY–rXJZ_kK1BMr8mf388HuPgud5cZeSzy-W8yWfPRisrcc
I see what’s happened here:
I see what’s happened here: the university have agreed with the council to redirect the footpath onto the grass and cyclists onto the road while work is being carried out.
They’ve accidentally misworded the diversion sign so that it says “Cyclists please dismount at this point”. This is a common problem, you often see signs at roadworks saying “motorists please push your vehicles beyond this point” when they meant to say, “Road closed, follow diversion”.
Happens all the time.
Wow…some pretty unkind
Wow…some pretty unkind comments here for Sebastien. Come on road.cc commenters, you’re better than that.
I’d be more concerned about the wheels than the frame – most off the shelf bikes come with pretty cheap, bendy wheels, so if you’re reading this Seb then you’ll need to get some 36 spoke wheels made up – but with those and a decent frame you’ll be good to go. Perhaps you should look more at touring bikes than out-and-out road bikes: or a steel gravel bike. I’m sure you could have a lot of fun on the back roads around Halifax on that!
Best of luck. Welcome to cycling.
re giant bike. I don’t know
re giant bike. I don’t know about Canada but if it was in the UK I’d advise getting an old steel framed bike in reasonable nick with 36 spoke wheels and 5 to 18 gears. Get the bike shop to check it over and it’ll last as long as you want it too. If you get the bug then you’ll have a much better idea about the sort of bike you need and you can keep the old one as a “pub bike”. Same advice as I’d give to any one starting cycling.
Re the guy who wanted the
Re the guy who wanted the Giant bike. The shop manager did the right thing. Who says he would have lost weight afterwards? He might have even put weight on and then tried to ride it. Seems like a non-story at the least and a “look at me but don’t look at me” attention story at the worst
I think the shop has missed an opportunity here. Instead of saying no to that one bike they could have given him options of others that would have suited him but maybe they did? Very rarely do we get the full story of both sides once the “shaming and blaming” starts.
I don’t understand the
I don’t understand the refusal to sell the bike to the dude thing.
Bloke walks into a shop and wants to buy a bike.
Bike shop sells bike.
The end.
OK, slightly more complicated but I sell stuff where there is a legal obligation to specify equipment correctly. Incorrect installation is an offence in law and not just a moral or warranty question. I am fortunate in that I have people further down the line to ensure the equipment is fit for purpose, but that’s no guarantee.
The bike is covered in warning stickers about weight limits and the customer says it’s for his 65kg son.
If the shop has a more suitable bike, show the dude and tell him why it’s more suitable.
How is the shop liable?
Just give the dude the bike he wants.
The comments around Sebastian
The comments around Sebastian and his bike have been really interesting. Particularly as they seem to be polarised into either:
It is possible that both are genuine in their sentiments, but the situation resulted in a clash that left both feeling hurt.
Surely the way we feel about our bikes, we can imagine how excited Sebastian was at getting a new machine, especially considering the time he waited and saved, and its intended use to help him open a new chapter in his life
The shop owner is conscientious, understands the product, even bits that most people don’t even imagine exist such as weight limits. He has a genuine desire to ensure that he gives sound guidance on a matter he is knowledgeable and passionate about, but also has a duty of care for the health and well being of his customers.
The point of contention is a weight limit – the bikes are rated, presumably for good reason.
How does the owner communicate this to Sebastian, in a way that is empathetic and kind. It’s not trivial – the message is “you are too heavy for this bike”. It not only has to be delivered well, it has to be taken well. Kil0ran has communicated below very articulately and succinctly some of the messages are given covertly and overtly to bigger people pretty much all the time by society.
We don’t know exactly what was said. Either or both may have been having a bad day. Can we be sure that the message was thoughtfully conveyed? Can we really blame Sebastian for finding it hard to distinguish a straight message from yet more fattist bullying?
I hope that Sebastian isn’t put off, and gets a bike that he will love. I also hope the LBS doesn’t suffer from serious fallout over a difficult situation
Crying because you couldn’t
Crying because you couldn’t buy a bike. Time for new age of stoicism.
Even a motorbike chassis would have a hard time with 300lbs. Dude needs to do some serious walking. It’s funny actually, I go on a mainly American forum and their idea of overweight is somewhat skewed. You’ll get people who are 5’10 and 210lb and they don’t think they fat.
The problem is that – rightly
The problem is that – rightly or wrongly – many see obesity as a lifestyle choice for the feeble-minded. The NHS itself says “Obesity does not happen overnight. It develops gradually over time, as a result of poor diet and lifestyle choices“. More rarely, obesity is as a result of medical or genetic factors, but in the main it’s due to diet and lack of exercise.
Because of this it’s considered fair game for people who wouldn’t discriminate against immutable characterists such as race or gender.
You then have the added problem of a grown man crying because he couldn’t ride what – for many – is a child’s toy. Result: derision.
People react differently to rejection. For some, being told they were too fat for the bike would act as a catalyst for self-improvement (think Jose Mourinho’s conduct and the way his staff react). For others, it has the opposite effect. So there’s no easy solution, without taking the time to understand an individual’s motivation.
Nigel Garrage wrote:
I’m absolutely shocked the NHS couches obesity in such terms – and I’m not denying that they do, the quote is Googlable.
Obesity has so many factors, pinning it down to “lifestyle choices” is incredibly lazy and reductive, and to see it written in NHS material is deeply shocking and disturbing. It seems the epitomy of victim-blaming from our supposedly scientific NHS (an institution I value)
Obesity is often a symptom of other issues in peoples lives, and has a strong correlation to environmental influencessuch as socio-economic background and current circumstance. Other correlations maybe mental or physical illness, childhood trauma, and a myriad of other factors.
You are objectively correct that people are derided as such, however, let us not forget it is the deriders who are doing that, not the victim. We all have a genuine choice in how we treat others. Personally I take no pleasure from deriding people who are in a position i would not want to be in myself, and I cannot comprehend why others do.
The guy has displayed an open emotional reaction to a situation he found distressing. Whereas it may not have been my reaction, his upset is in no way detrimental to me, so it is not something that I’m going to try to humiliate him for.
Regarding the refusal to sell
Regarding the refusal to sell the bike. The shopkeeper advised the buyer they were over the safe limit based purely on their weight. There was no intimation they were too fat. Muscle weighs much more than fat, the buyer could have been a body builder. Lou Ferigno weighs more than 300lb, as do many serious body builders. Whilst the bike would very likely support that weight without issue, what if the rider was going downhill and the brakes failed? In Canada it might be that the rider would sue the seller for providing equipment not fit for purpose. It’s not fattist, obesist or anything else ‘ist’ to ensure that you sell equipment fit for purpose. You therefore have to establish that purpose as best you can.
Muddy Ford wrote:
Ah, but green paint is very heavy!
I’ve been in a similar
I’ve been in a similar situation to the bike shop owner and it’s pretty unpleasant, especially when you end up getting threatened and abused for simply doing your job.
I don’t think we should ridicule people for being overweight but we must not make the mistake of normalising obesity.
It is the greatest health challenge our society faces.
I didn’t pick up on this shop
I didn’t pick up on this shop owner getting threatened and/or abused – that is indeed unacceptable. I just think they missed a good PR trick.
As well as not normalising obesity, I think there should be more efforts made to encourage obese people to make lifestyle changes without putting them up for ridicule. It’s a shame that the bike shop didn’t have anything more suitable in stock and I can understand that there’s going to be a small market for beefed up frames and wheels, so it would’ve been nice if they could have phoned round their contacts to see if there was some bike builder that could help.
If the Canadians are anywhere
If the Canadians are anywhere near as litigous as their neighbours south of the border then I can understand why the shop owner wanted some irrefutable evidence that he had warned the customer that the bicycle was not suitable for his use due to a manufacturer quoted maximum rider weight limit. This is not fat shaming, it is protecting yourself from a potentially costly nuisance lawsuit. Though this might backfire as I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a claim for hurt feelings making its way to a settlement of some kind.
Re: the fat bloke and Giant
Re: the fat bloke and Giant bike.
I was there, in the same position, but not quite at his weight. My LBS twice replaced broken spokes in the rear wheel, but I eventually paid them to rebuild it with stainless spokes and a better rim, and never had any further trouble. It was (and is) a steel-framed Claud Butler MTB, so I never had any doubts that the frame and other parts were up to the job.
History repeated itself years later, when I’d got fat and lazy, through “bad lifestyle and dietary choices” and I’d went mega-sized, right up to the bracket the purchaser was in. I was fairly sure the bike, hardy though it is, wouldn’t have stood up too long to the assault of 300lbs of lard, so lost a bit before using the machine. I was around 17 or 18 stones when I re-started using the bike, and had no trouble from it. It’s been fine and stood up to a lot of use, but I’m not confident an alloy frame would have been as forgiving.