Worth a read...

[jointhedotz]

hmmm, interesting read. i suspect it gives 'modern' cyclists less credit than they deserve though.

i ride trail centres, they're fun. i ride the moors, they're beautiful.

i use strava, i like to see where i've been. it's also nice to see improvements i can attribute to increasing fitness or skill.

modern bikes are great, really good, i have more passion for older ones though as they feel like they have more soul.

i agree that as an industry they seem to be churning out new standards every other week and treating us like a cash cow. that was always the way to an extent though. and it is driving performance.....

 

[highlandsflyer]

Re:

Titiritero, I cannot even select a section of your post to quote, it is all so relevant.

When I was a kid the bike was a gateway to freedom. It still can be, but people are weighing themselves down with all sorts of expectations.

Back in London in the 80s I used to commute through town in my shorts and T-shirt, on an old classic road bike. A nice bike, but my mate, and commuting partner, spent a huge amount on a lighter, faster uber bike. He was serious. He wore glasses, and lycra. He even ate Ready Brek an hour before to give him a glow for energy.

I could tear him a new one speed wise, even when I had been up all night smoking, drinking and f@@@ing.. ..he was a relative newbie to cycling, and it didn't help that he carried two huge locks around in his bag to protect his 'precious'.

He laughs about all that now, and we are united in our love of a pastime rather than a 'sport'. He can certainly tear me a new one now on any bike. He trained and strained, and became as uber at cycling as his bikes were.

Last visit we had, we all went out on the forest tracks and pootled around for a whole day, never breaking a sweat.

That kind of cycling is still there, but perhaps people have forgotten how to slow down and look around.

Our local trails are unknown to most, so we can spend hours without seeing anyone but forestry workers or estate workers.

I don't do trail centres, but I don't despise those that enjoy any kind of cycling.

I would also rather see uber serious roadies out there than no cyclists at all.

 

[Splatter Paint]

Re:

Yeah, I agree with the sentiment in the article too. I am now a carbon-convert roadie :facepalm:

BUT isn't it just that cycling on the road has started to enjoy the boom mountain biking had in the early 90s? Weren't we chasing every gram and innovating at every step then? Sub-150g handlebars, drilling holes in things, titanium, carbon, electric gears (Browning)? And then as we got faster and R&D budgets swelled we got disc brakes, suspension, etc. etc. Consider a Pro-Flex full susser of ~1995 with coil-over-oil shocks, carbon swinging-arm and XTR to a 1985 Saracen Conquest. ATB to super-light XC 'race' machine in a decade. An XTR groupset was over £700 in 1993, a Dura-Ace mechanical groupset is now ~£1000 which is less than the XTR one accounting for inflation.

I note the Cycle Touring Club is now 'Cycling UK' which is a sign of the times....

SP