occasionally asked if I ride in a club.

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  • #29065
    don simon fbpe

    The answer is a resounding NO!

    I’ve had the answer clarified over the last couple of weeks.

    I caught up and rode and chatted with a couple of club riders, including a nat champ. During the conversation I was told that I should wear a helmet with anecdotes to support the argument. Assuming that I think I should have been impressed with the nat champ bit, I didn’t want to tell them who I’ve rubbed shoulders in the past with in the world of cycling, it might have got embarrassing. But equally that mindset of club rider in not one which I could be a part of.

    Today really cemented my not wishing to be a club member position, and I am aware that not all clubs are equal.

    I ride a fair bit on the local greenway, which is a shared path. On joining the path at Northgate Village, I had to wait for this sea of club riders as the barrelled down the path. Not a problem.

    I joined the path and was behind them. The first observation was that they were carrying a lot of speed for such a sized group on a heavily used (by pedestrians) part of the path. Pedestrians were forced, in a wave of bell ringing, to stop as this group charged through without losing any speed, or ceding any space on this shared path. I can see why pedestrians have it in for cyclists now, they’re genuinely scared.

    Further up, a couple of riders took a wrong turn. Remember, I was following them. Did he wait for me to pass so he could rejoin safely or cut across me? Of course he cut across me.

    A little further on I decided that I wanted to pass the group ( I had warmed up and there were fewer pedestrians and this group were going quite slowly, in spite of what I said earlier) and let out a cheery “passing on your right” ( a couple of times) and was greeted with the lady of the group telling me that I wasn’t the only one who was using the path. I was now caught up in the middle of the group as it was still barrelling down the path, a couple of the club riders decided to close pass and cut in front of me in order to gain positions, I guess this is the club equivalent of sticking you cock on the table to demonstrate manliness, or how big a wanker you are, I’m not sure.

    I was now in prime position to see and feel what it was like riding in a large group of arrogant wankers who thought that they had greater rights than other users on this shared path, and I was embarrassed. At no point was more than 2/3 of the path given up to other users, at no point did speed drop to take other users into consideration. Oncoming cyclists were shaking their heads, pedestrians were stopping and stepping off the path for their own safety.

    At Mickle Trafford I sorted myself to do a u-turn at the gate, obviously one of the group decided that he’d stop, inspect the rear wheel and ignore my request to get out of my fucking way so I could proceed. He did.

     

    At no point during this 5km of hell was there any conversation beween the club and myself, except a couple of barbed comments.

    I’m well aware that the members from another club in that part of the world, North Wirral Velo, are absolutely sound, courteous and a pleasure to meet. I have have met this particular club on many occasions and know that this is not unique to this particular outing. There are a couple of other clubs that seem to ride in this manner too, but I have never had the pleasure of riding as one of them.

    Why the fuck would I want to join a club and ride like a wanker?

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 62 total)
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  • #929763
    0
    Simon E
    don simon wrote:
    That’s really quite good, except for the inaccuracies.

    Thanks. I’ll take that as a genuine compliment.  smiley

    Though I will have to mention one thing: you must surely realise that it’s not a factually correct account of a real event. Therefore there are no inaccuracies (which makes a change).

    #929761
    0
    peakingintwomonths
    KendalRed wrote:
    peakingintwomonths wrote:
    Take the Marxist approach to clubs yes

    I presume you mean Groucho, not Karl (or Richard!). yes

    Groucho, naturally.  See previous two pages of comments for reason why.

    #929759
    0
    Rapha Nadal

    alansmurphy wrote:

    alansmurphy wrote:
    There was an old goad from a local club in The Priest House in Audlem the other weekend bemoaning the presence of women, in the presence of women. Deaf as a post, from the conversation it appears the rest of the club seem to deliberately drop him and sod off elsewhere đŸ™‚

     

     

    So BTBS is a member of a club.  Well I never.

    #929757
    0
    don simon fbpe
    Simon E wrote:
    I’m occasionally asked if I ever go for a drink in a pub.

    The answer is a resounding NO!

    I walked past a busy pub in the centre of town on Saturday night. Thought better of going inside. Then a little later on I was passing again and changed my mind. I ended up standing alongside a large group and they didn’t seem to be moving towards the bar very quickly so I moved round them then the female of the group said that I wasn’t the only one who was waiting to get served.

    I was about to do a u-turn and leave when one bloke stood up ignore my request to get out of my fucking way. I’m sure he was blocking my way deliberately.

    At no point during this 10 minutes of hell was there any conversation beween the others drinkers and myself, except a couple of barbed comments. (I’m damned good at barbed comments)

    I am aware of another pub in that part of town where the regulars are a pleasure to meet. I have been past this particular pub on many occasions and know that this is not unique to this particular evening. There are a couple of other pubs that are like this too, but I have never had the pleasure of socialising in them.

    Why the fuck would I want to go into a pub again for a drink and stand around behaving like a wanker?

     

    đŸ˜‰

    That’s really quite good, except for the inaccuracies. Your negative bias is incredible, get over it, I’d say you were xenophobic, but you’ve already said you’re not so you could clear the way for xenophobic comments without comeback.

    Some of my friends are foreign too…

    #929755
    0
    hawkinspeter
    brooksby wrote:
    hawkinspeter wrote:
    alansmurphy wrote:
    BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
    Helmet wearers take more risk, this is a fact that we know,

    I don’t.

    Oh great! I thought this thread was calming down a bit and I thought I’d throw in a drunken squirrel to defuse things, but now you’re just stirring it up again!

    So was that a picture of That Very Squirrel (feeling a bit tired and emotional, I guess…)?

    I doubt it – the squirrel was caught and thrown out of the window, so it probably didn’t stop for any glamour shots.

    However, I’ve found this image which seems very authentic:

     

    #929753
    0
    brooksby
    hawkinspeter wrote:
    alansmurphy wrote:
    BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
    Helmet wearers take more risk, this is a fact that we know,

    I don’t.

    Oh great! I thought this thread was calming down a bit and I thought I’d throw in a drunken squirrel to defuse things, but now you’re just stirring it up again!

    So was that a picture of That Very Squirrel (feeling a bit tired and emotional, I guess…)?

    #929751
    0
    Simon E

    A Parody wrote:

    I’m occasionally asked if I ever go for a drink in a pub.

    The answer is a resounding NO!

    I walked past a busy pub in the centre of town on Saturday night. Thought better of going inside. Then a little later on I was passing again and changed my mind. I ended up standing alongside a large group and they didn’t seem to be moving towards the bar very quickly so I moved round them then the female of the group said that I wasn’t the only one who was waiting to get served.

    I was about to do a u-turn and leave when one bloke stood up ignore my request to get out of my fucking way. I’m sure he was blocking my way deliberately.

    At no point during this 10 minutes of hell was there any conversation beween the others drinkers and myself, except a couple of barbed comments. (I’m damned good at barbed comments)

    I am aware of another pub in that part of town where the regulars are a pleasure to meet. I have been past this particular pub on many occasions and know that this is not unique to this particular evening. There are a couple of other pubs that are like this too, but I have never had the pleasure of socialising in them.

    Why the fuck would I want to go into a pub again for a drink and stand around behaving like a wanker?

     

    đŸ˜‰

    #929749
    0
    hawkinspeter
    alansmurphy wrote:
    Peole confusing their opinion with facts again, I sometimes wonder if they’ve suffered a head injury đŸ˜‰

    …but how could you prevent that from happening?

    #929747
    0
    alansmurphy

    Peole confusing their opinion

    Peole confusing their opinion with facts again, I sometimes wonder if they’ve suffered a head injury đŸ˜‰

    #929745
    0
    hawkinspeter
    alansmurphy wrote:
    BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
     

    Helmet wearers take more risk, this is a fact that we know,
     

     

    I don’t.

    Oh great! I thought this thread was calming down a bit and I thought I’d throw in a drunken squirrel to defuse things, but now you’re just stirring it up again!

    #929743
    0
    alansmurphy
    BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
     

    Helmet wearers take more risk, this is a fact that we know,
     

     

    I don’t.

     

     

    #929741
    0
    hawkinspeter
    StoopidUserName wrote:
    So are clubs good or bad?

    Probably depends on the club.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-33541502

    A “drunk” squirrel has caused hundreds of pounds of damage at a private members’ club.

    The secretary of Honeybourne Railway Club said he originally thought someone had broken into the premises, near Evesham in Worcestershire.

    The floor was covered in beer and glasses and bottles smashed, Sam Boulter said.

    Mr Boulter, 62, said he then saw a squirrel “staggering around” after coming out from behind a box of crisps.

    ‘Turned on the taps’

    He added: “There were bottles scattered around, money scattered around and he had obviously run across the bar’s pumps and managed to turn on the Caffrey’s tap.

    “He must have flung himself on the handle and drank some as he was staggering around all over the place and moving a bit slowly.

    “I’ve never seen a drunk squirrel before. He was sozzled and looked a bit worse for wear, shall we say.”

    Mr Boulter, who estimated he lost about £300 in the incident, eventually caught the squirrel in a waste paper bin and released it out of the window.

     

    #929739
    0
    EddyBerckx

    So are clubs good or bad?

    So are clubs good or bad?

    #929737
    0
    alansmurphy

    When is a club a club?

    When is a club a club?

     

    We are a bunch of middle aged wannabes, a couple of female members, a couple of children of older members, a couple of strava warriors and mountain goats. We arrange routes, go on an xmas piss up, a few sportives etc.

     

    But I get where you’re coming from – around that way you have a Knutsford based club whom i don’t think let you in unless you’re on a Dogma and Seamans who are rather aptly named!

     

    There was an old goad from a local club in The Priest House in Audlem the other weekend bemoaning the presence of women, in the presence of women. Deaf as a post, from the conversation it appears the rest of the club seem to deliberately drop him and sod off elsewhere đŸ™‚

     

    #929735
    0
    madcarew
    don simon wrote:
    madcarew wrote:
    don simon wrote:
    madcarew wrote:
    Don Simon says “play the ball, not the man”. Laugh of the day laugh

    Madcarew, I challenge you to find one instance where I have robustly responded to another member when they have not deserved it, i.e. set the level by getting personal first. It’s quite funny how people are, they can dish it out, but shrivel like a cold penis when it comes back at them. I bet you can’t see it in yourself either.

    And, of course, thank you for your valuable contribution to the thread.

    The key, Don, is in “when they have not deserved it”. You frequently call people wankers (as above) and fuck-knuckles, ass-hats or whatever your epithet of the day is. It’s in your estimation they deserve it, as , probably the poster thought you did when they ‘played the man’. My amusement came from you complaining about it as, when in combination with BTBS you are probably the worst on this forum for ad hominem attacks (cue your shrivelled penis line).

    As for valuable contributions, others are doing a fine job in pulling apart your argument on the basis of its bigotry, pejorative and fallacies that my own meagre efforts would be rather second rate, so I contributed where I might create some extra value. You’re welcome đŸ™‚

    As I’ve said before, I generally quite like your contributions as I think they’re often fairly firmly tongue in cheek and playing to the crowd. Just cause I’m not with you don’t mean I’m against you.

    Where’s the ad hom? I fear that you have decided that using colourful language is a personal attack, describing a situation is not the same as attacking the person. But if the hat fits and nerves are hit. What am I to do? It’s probably good that people take a second to reflect, but that doesn’t happen, does it?

    What argument?  And what is being picked apart? Too many people, much like yourself, seem to treat this place as a place to win and lose arguments, apparenlty when there is no argument to be had except to have a pop at the person. Some of the abuse diected at people during so called debates can be embarrassing. And as previously mentioned these people don’t like it when it comes back at them

     

    Using your example, I’m pretty sure that a person who challenges a post with incorrect facts may, by some, be considered a wanker. Some might say that carrying a grudge about a post (on tourism I think it was) is a bit wankish and then coming out with the old “if you don’t like it here/ your country is so much better, go home!”, well, we all know my view here. Say that you disagree, and move on, but don’t follow someone around fabricating a load of bollocks to try and discredit them. There’s too many people who are happy to jump on the bandwagon without reading or understanding why.

    So there you go. if you don’t want it back, don’t dish it out, and play nicely. Or if you do, grow a pair.

    As for being a bigot, then yes I am intolerant of racists, wanton idiots and bullies, the language used will be pejorative towards these, as for fallacies you’ll have to explain that. All of which can be replaced with positive vocabulary depending on the effect you wish to convey.

    End.

    First note of internet discussions: Writing “End” does not give you the last word.

    Calling someone a wanker in the course of a discussion or argument is, by definition, an ad hominem pursuit

    Argument: One side of a discussion, but you’re smart enough to know that already.

    I have no idea what your reference to a quote about tourism is; you’re drivelling Buddy. You might want someone to wipe that up for you

    Your bigotry is self evident in the material and language of your post.

    Really Don, your arguments are normally funnier or better than this. Step it up, son.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 62 total)
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