Busy roads with roa...
 

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[Closed] Busy roads with road bikes - tour de france fever?

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Did a 2.5hr road ride around the Gower yesterday morning, was home by 10.30am but in the space of that time I must have seen about 40 other roadies.

That is a lot more than usual! Must be the tour de france effect. Were all these guys busy playing tennis 2 weeks ago?


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:01 am
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I went out for 4 hours yesterday afternoon and only saw 4 x other road riders. There were plenty of people driving like dickheads though, perhaps they were all inspired by the Formula 1 so they decided to keep the road bikes in the shed for the day and go out in their cars.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:04 am
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Happens every year. It's a good thing IMO - many/most will stop as the good weather fades but a few will get the bug and stick with it.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:05 am
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Don't forget that most will have picked up CTW scheme bikes and this is possibly the first time they have been let out on them..

Not a bad thing of course..


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:09 am
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In 40 miles yesterday I saw 3 other people on bikes!!!

The fact that it was raining might have caused this?


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:10 am
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I got the train yesterday and it was busy as!


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:11 am
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i wore my yellow (gore) jersey to commute this morning, TdF fever!


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:14 am
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Indeed a good thing to see more people out on bikes, but it could also contribute to the influx of ignorant roadie threads from all the roadie haters on this forum.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:16 am
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out for 3 hours on saturday, saw ZERO other riders


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:21 am
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lots of people about in team sky kit. you don't see them in the winter though as most cyclists who are not the fair weather kind are members of clubs so wear club kit and wouldn't be seen dead in 'team' kit.

it's people on bikes so all good.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:24 am
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Did 100 miles yesterday (fixed btw 😉 - and probably only saw another 6 road riders. Plenty of c**ts in their cars and motorbikes who can't work out a safe passing distance from a cyclist.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:26 am
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Did 4 1/2 hours (Road, cyclepath, canal) yesterday and saw at least 50 roadriders and twenty or so MTB'rs.

Saw plenty of others in cars with bikes on roof...but they were possibly heading home from STW weekender


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:45 am
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It think its brilliant. Gave most of them a cheery wave. The local bikes shops will be loving it too I imagine.

lol, at davytailforth


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:57 am
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Loads of roadies out round the lanes of Cheshire yesterday. I think there was at least one organised event on so that will have had a big effect.

Why is it that pretty much every other car around those parts is a bloody great Range Rover? Footballers and their wives?


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 9:58 am
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it's people on bikes so all good.

does that include fixie riders?


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 10:01 am
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crazy-legs - Member
out round the lanes of Cheshire yesterday, pretty much every other car around these parts is a bloody great Range Rover, Footballers and their wives.

Changed it a bit but that was also my ride, apart from the size the wing mirrors are also at head height, which can make you flinch a bit!

I'm considering moving to Drac's neck of the woods, was on holiday up there at the beginning of June & hardly saw a car an hour on the lanes 🙂


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 10:27 am
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does that include fixie riders?

well one of the group i was riding with was on fixed (74gi) and did a few laps of the park to bump the mileage up to 100 so yes that does include "fixie riders"


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 10:32 am
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I saw about 10 roadies yesterday.
I overtook 3 of them.
I was gaining the other 7 until I turned off the road up a bridleway.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 10:34 am
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well done you.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 10:39 am
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I saw about 10 roadies yesterday.
I overtook 3 of them.
I was gaining the other 7 until I turned off the road up a bridleway.

Hero.
How can I get to be as awesome as you?


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 10:40 am
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Well i rode yesterday and saw hundreds of roadies out ... There was a good few hundred stood in front of me before i actually started my ride.
Plenty in 'team kit' riding in the rain also ....is that another STW myth buster?

Or maybe Abergavenny is full of hardcore roadies??


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 10:40 am
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well one of the group i was riding with was on fixed (74gi) and did a few laps of the park to bump the mileage up to 100 so yes that does include "fixie riders"

Bloody right! Well said. Some of us ride fixed for strength training - and it's hard work busting out 100 miles in one gear.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 10:42 am
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I saw about 3000 other riders. But then I was doing the Manchester to Blackpool ride.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 10:58 am
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wonny j - Member
Did a 2.5hr road ride around the Gower yesterday morning, was home by 10.30am but in the space of that time I must have seen about 40 other roadies.

That is a lot more than usual! Must be the tour de france effect. Were all these guys busy playing tennis 2 weeks ago?

Did you have a sandwich break in the middle? Zig and zag a lot? Stop to admire the views? Several times?

2.5 hours on a road bike = approx 40+ miles, depending on fitness.

There are only two main roads on Gower, and they are only about 12 miles long, from the edge of Swansea. A normal loop of Gower from where I live (east side of Swansea) takes about 90 minutes.

Therefore, I accuse you, wonny j of being one of the numpty summer cyclists that clog up MY local roads and disappear at the first sign of rain. One of the very people who you are accusing of being TdF wannabes. Get back to your tennis club........ 😉

(There may be some factual errors in the above comments! Btw, you are right - loads of 'people with bikes' around in the last few weeks. Not necessarily cyclists, just bike owners.)


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 1:34 pm
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Didn't see any others riders on my commute this morning. Hope to see some tonight so I can hunt them down then post on here about it tomorrow.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 1:45 pm
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[i]"How can I get to be as awesome as you?"[/i]

Frankly, I don't think you've got the potential.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 1:54 pm
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Gary_M - Member
Didn't see any others riders on my commute this morning. Hope to see some tonight so I can hunt them down then post on here about it tomorrow.

I don't think the OP was necessarily complaining.

Gower is a well known beauty spot, but you can ride there all winter and not see another cyclist. Or at least not see another rider who you don't know.

Suddenly, the sun comes out, holiday cottages and caravans fill up, and there are people around every corner.

Give it a few weeks and we'll have the place to ourselves again!

Anyway, wonny j have you sent a letter to the council? http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/calling-swanseasoth-wales-bikers-help-with-trail-objectors


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 1:56 pm
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combination of TDF and nice weather i think. Few of my non biking friends seem to have bought fancy road bikes. Can only be a good thing IMO! Hope they stick with it.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 1:59 pm
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[i]I saw about 3000 other riders. But then I was doing the Manchester to Blackpool ride[/i]

started at the back and overtook the lot of them in an MTG stylee?


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 2:00 pm
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TDF definitely lowers the calibre of road riders on my commute:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/newbie-roadies-please-respect-your-elders


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 2:01 pm
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IdleJon it wasn't a dig at the op ;). It is great though, wish I saw a lot more riders on my commute.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 2:10 pm
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but you cant beat getting to the top of a hill and giving it the contador fingerbang

the school kids cheer and the ladies swoon.

would putting vaseline all over my legs give the same aero effect as shaving, but without shaving?


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 2:11 pm
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Lots of riders going past my house when I was indoors doing DIY. But then, there's always lots of road riding where I live.

I refuse to wear Sky kit because (1) it's a bit naff if you don't ride for them and (2) the real deal (Bradley Wiggins) lives in the next village (and they're hardly going to mistake us...). I do wear old trade jerseys (Flandria and Joker), or most commonly my club kit.

All people on bikes, whether fair weather wannabes or hardcore winter audaxers = brilliant.


 
Posted : 11/07/2011 2:20 pm

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