Is it a brave new world?

You sound like an incredibly
You sound like an incredibly angry cyclist.

1) Although it can be inadvisable, there are no laws regarding the use of earphones while you’re cycling. If you’re overtaking someone, do it with caution. What if the guy actually was deaf? Would you have roared past him shouting expletives at him? Have some common courtesy.

2) I’ve got to admit that these annoy me too. Not what they’re wearing, of course, because mentioning that only makes you come across like an elitist. Maybe next time, instead of speeding up, slow down and explain what was wrong with them doing that. That way, maybe next time they’ll be more courteous because someone was kind enough to point out the error of their ways.

3) Heaven forbid someone not acknowledge your presence. You’re not the bloody queen, so don’t act like it. So he didn’t wave back, what’s the problem. The most I’d do is think “that was a little rude” and then get back to cycling. There’s not a chance on this Earth that I’d then turn around and be so confrontational because the guy didn’t wave! More often than not, I don’t wave at people but just smile and/or say good morning/afternoon. If someone didn’t see/hear me and came to have a go at me, I’d just laugh in their face.

Although two of the three things you mentioned can be annoying, your attitude towards them and your subsequent actions made you come across as a dick and that’s the lasting image that those people will have of you. Calm down.

I’m never embarrased about
I’m never embarrased about getting beaten by a girl. There are plenty of them out there faster than me and unless you are an elite rider it would be daft to think otherwise.

Leeroy_Silk

Leeroy_Silk wrote:

OldRidgeBack and Matt Eaton. We should start a thread to see how many BMXers there are who also ride road. Be interesting to see if riding road helps with BMX racing.
I race masters have qualified for the Brits so should be there in a couple weeks time.

I’ll keep an eye out for you then. I’m racing cruiser and it’s my wife’s birthday on the 24th so I’ll only be there on the 23rd but we can maybe meet up in the morning of the 23rd. I’ll be doing a training session there next week to re-familiarise myself with the track. The high start hill and challenging first jump are tricky and I’ve seen several riders better than me crash out there.

I’m riding for the South Region. What about you?

Leeroy_Silk

Leeroy_Silk wrote:

OldRidgeBack and Matt Eaton. We should start a thread to see how many BMXers there are who also ride road. Be interesting to see if riding road helps with BMX racing.
I race masters have qualified for the Brits so should be there in a couple weeks time.

I don’t think that there are a huge number of us, but there’s definately a cross-over. I know a couple of younger BMXers (freestyle not race) who enjoy a bit of road action too.

As to whether or not riding road helps with BMX – definately. I see some guys who look like they are about to expire after crossing the finish line in BMX races but I rarely feel this way (CX races are a different story). Folks in the BMX scene have even commented on my stamina on race day (nutrition has a part to play too and riding road teaches us about this). Riding road can increase speed and power, especially if you like to attack climbs. My roadie is fixed gear which I think also helps with leg speed (from spinning like mad on descents) and power for gate starts (riding up hills in a gear that’s ‘too high’). BMX is probably more closely alligned to track (velodrome) riding but any on-bike time helps.

It goes the other way too, the bike control learnt from BMX makes you generally more confident on the road and for CX is about the only thing I’ve got going for me. It feels good when you can keep up with the race leaders through a technical section and feel like they’re holding you up, even if they have just lapped you and promptly drop you when it opens up again.

Good luck at the Brits to both of you.

Matt eaton wrote:Cheers, baby

Matt eaton wrote:

Cheers, baby no.2.

I only started racing BMX last year aged 29 (not a good age to start as the 17-29 experts are very fast and competitive so I did the season as a novice) so I haven’t raced at anything other than regional and club races. I’ve riden double-bike this year to try to get some more race experience and hopefully will be racing a lot more next year and would like to be a bit more organised about practicing/riding the track the day/week before the race. I find turning up at a track that you’ve never seen and trying to get your head around it in practice very hard.

You’re right about the cars kicking up the track surface but at most of the open-access tracks around here (certainly my local play track) there’s a lot of use by kids on bikes of all sorts who enjoy nothing more than skidding all over the place and wrecking the surface. I don’t blame them as they don’t know any better but any damage from the few RC cars we might see pales into insignificance. If there were a lot of them I can imagine it being a bit of a problem.

Yep, 17-29 is fast and furious. It’s competitive with us old boys in 45+ as well tho. I have a 20″ but only race on cruiser. I did think about entering for 20″ veterans at the Brits but the guys in that class are younger, faster and more skilled than me so there’s little point really.

If me and my son get down to the SW for a race I’ll send you a message.

Matt eaton wrote:I can’t ride

Matt eaton wrote:

I can’t ride the Brits as I haven’t done enough regionals this year due to family priorities (baby due anytime now). I’m hoping to make it to the South West champs, depending when the baby actually arrives.

I do actually have a little sympathy for the RC car folks. Where we are there are no specific facilities for modelists at all and I’ve got no objection to them using the tracks at times when there is nobody riding on them, as long as they leave promptly as soon as anyone arrives on a bike.

Good luck when the baby comes, no1?

Did you ride at the Brits in 2013 or 2013? Me and my son did those too. One lad I know here in London is going to Uni in Cornwall so he can be near all those great South West tracks. I did like the Cheddar track – pity it’s gone now.

We’ve radio controlled car tracks at Crystal Palace plus there’s a cinder base football pitch near our club track that’s little used by footballers and where the modelists can go. The cars do kick up the surface of the track, particularly the more powerful glow plug engine ones and there is a sign by the track saying it’s for BMX bikes only.

You’re no relation of Michelle Eaton who rides cruiser are you?

I can’t ride the Brits as I
I can’t ride the Brits as I haven’t done enough regionals this year due to family priorities (baby due anytime now). I’m hoping to make it to the South West champs, depending when the baby actually arrives.

I do actually have a little sympathy for the RC car folks. Where we are there are no specific facilities for modelists at all and I’ve got no objection to them using the tracks at times when there is nobody riding on them, as long as they leave promptly as soon as anyone arrives on a bike.

freespirit1 wrote:Finally

freespirit1 wrote:

Finally found this little gem also from the OP

Cyclist wrote:

I ride down the canal towpaths regularly, I shout from at least 100m then 50 etc on your left or right, if they make no attempt to move or move across into my line I don’t move or slow down, if they do then I will always slow and say thanks. I don’t blame kids under 10ish or dogs. A couple of summers ago I shouted at the top of my voice to a fisherman who had one of this great white fishing poles across the path I was well over 100m away he looked straight at me and carried on doing his thing, so I ran straight over his pole, lovely crack. I consider myself to be considerate to others in every way, however one chance is all you get as that is all I will get from a lorry.. However ref the headphones and walking, let’s talk about idiotic cyclists who wear them..idiots, far more so than walkers on a canal towpath.

Wow… That certainly is a gem. He’s as bad as the roadraging pricks in London*.

* Most drivers here are lovely, the bad ones just seem to be special.