[Closed] anyone else fed up with explaining cycling to novices?

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Had to explain the different aspects of the TdF, guess i'll be asked question Monday at work. Don't mind as it makes a big change from football or GP which I don't really have any interest in.

can you explain it to me 'cos i have no idea... today they were mostly following some old man on a scooter, what's that all about??! then after a while of that, they have a little race. baffling!

I'd like to know what the difference is between audax and tri. 😛

Full-contact keirin is much more exciting, although not when the fastest rider is from your country and gets taken out by a no-hoper so I'm glad they've wussed it down a bit 😉

No, i'm glad they're paying attention and asking, rather than ignoring it and going back to the cricket/football/golf/cricket dullness.

"how come Cav didn't win the TdF even though he won 3 stages including the last one" all this cycling success is making life hell

I just tell my workmates that I'm a mountain biker and know jack shit about road cycling....which is mostly true.

That said my work mates tend to ask me more technical cycling questions such as "what gear should i use to ride up a hill" and "why did me and 2 of my mates fall off my bike riding back from the pub"

I like it. People seem genuinely fascinated by the tactics of road racing when you talk them through it.
Watching the three girls break away in the road race and work together had some mates who had no previous interest utterly gripped.
It's a great sport and it's fun when people discover the nuances, tactics and protocol for the first time.

To me it's more fun than explaining the off side rule!

Nope, it's ace! Normally I just sort of glaze over when people start talking about sports but now [i]I'm[/i] the boring one banging on about shit nobody else understands! Ha ha! 😀

I love it, especially when people "get" why Wiggins won the tour and Froome supported him, why Cav won in Copenhagen but not on The Mall. And really the more popular cycling is, the better*

*as long as our shower room at work expands to cope as it's bit like tag team greco roman wrestling at the moment.

Me - loving it! Something Brits are good at. Actually that's the most common question - why are Britain so good?

That's not a bad question to be asked surely (btw - I'm not British).

Fed up with it?

Some people REALLY are grumpy for no reason!

I'm ecstatic that people who normally think I'm a bit odd cos I'm into cycling, are all suddenly turning around, paying attention to it, asking me questions and being genuinely interested in it!

And when they [i]get[/i] the difference between why Cav is good at what he is good at, but can't win the TdF overall, whereas Wiggins isn't as quick but he did win the TdF, it makes me feel warm inside! 😀

The question I get asked most is: I want to buy an mtb?
Me: how much have you got to spend?
Newbie: £200.00
Me: Mmm ( strokes chin) and then tells them to sit down.
Newbie: OMG! What, I need another £50 😉

I don't really get why it's so hard to understand why Cav didn't win the tour. The concept of cumulative time over 3 weeks surely isn't that hard to grasp?

And when they get the difference between why Cav is good at what he is good at, but can't win the TdF overall, whereas Wiggins isn't as quick but he did win the TdF, it makes me feel warm inside!

http://www.tena.co.uk/

I don't really get why it's so hard to understand why Cav didn't win the tour. The concept of cumulative time over 3 weeks surely isn't that hard to grasp?

i must just work with the hard of learning i guess

Yep ! I'll just go back to explaining then 'offside' rule to to Mrs L !

It's all good. It's in the same bucket as the rather superior 'I've seen loads of MAMILS' thread - its all about people getting interested and excited about cycling. Don't fret it - it's good.

TBH I just end up sinking into football comparisons. tournaments, goals, strikers, defenders etc.

Then again I work in Liverpool 🙄

I just dole out a quick one of these to help them focus..

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My boss asked if spending £13 to replace a broken chain from halfords of his 8 'speed' mountain bike this morning

He never speaks to me normally by I managed to inform him that having super powerful legs is not good for chains and to invest in a chain tool. 😐

Not sure why this is a problem OP?
It means cycling is likely to become more popular, which surely is a good thing?

Although a guy at work today got really confused by me talking about mountain biking. He thought it meant riding a road bike up a steep hill, he didn't understand the concept of off-road riding. tbh I think he was a bit embarrassed by his lack of understanding...

Tell em jack-shizzle!

No, I think it's great. A football person at work spends about 10 mins a day asking me to explain what happened the previous day.

He can't believe that Wiggins won the Tour, rode the team and won the TT in two weeks.

I have to explain it's not football

I enjoyed explaining why Bradley neutralised the chase when the carpet tack incident happened 😀

[i]Well, its like this, imagine in a football match, someone gets sent off, so you said, right, we'll send someone off as well so its all fair, because its not enough to just win, you've got to win 'right'[/i]

The look of realisation and respect, as they 'got' it was wonderful 😆

This week, I've mostly been explaining Keirin and the role of the Derny - by this afternoon we had the whole office stopped and watching the heats, trying to call the winner before the Derny left the track - fortunately I picked 2 of the heat winners right 8)

I dont mind at all.

When people ask questions they are interested and want to learn more. So why not help them?

A bloke that I work with has totally 'got' road racing. It's funny cos he's shit at his job and is the absolute last person you'd expect to grasp the politics and gamesmanship of the peleton.

Tell you what op, I was proud, not exasperated to inform and help him get it.

I love it. During the tour I acquired instant status at work when I was one of the few people who understood what was going on and had gone to see it in person. My presence in front of the tv in reception during the time trial was permitted because I could explain it to the other skivers. And people no longer think I'm quite so mad for spending chunks of money on bikes.

I'm glad I don't need to explain the Madison though...

I am with mboy on this, chatting about the team GB cycling team has been amazing at work, all the petrol heads that moan and take the juice, seem to be very quite in our office at the moment for some reason 😉 lets hope it lasts...

"Why are these people asking me about something I am interested in. It's like they're trying to provoke me into talking about bikes".
Ffs get over yourself and try and give a little back. Salad Nichewhore.

Just as long as they don't ask Hora, I can't see it being a drama.

🙂

****.

Well, its like this, imagine in a football match, someone gets sent off, so you said, right, we'll send someone off as well so its all fair, because its not enough to just win, you've got to win 'right'

And that is what I love about road racing. Even if they dope, they don't take unfair advantages. Odd concept but in a way it makes sense to me.

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I was told Coppi is passing Bartarli water here because he wanted to beat him while both were riding at their best, not due to dehydration. May be wrong but it's a great story.

Explaining cycling to people's fine, I'm amazed so many are interested. It won't last for most but it's all good.

anorak
Fiat Campagnolo
/anorak

At least it shows more people are interested