[Closed] Proud to be a cyclist...

[i]It brings a smile to my face to feel part of all this [/i]

Why, are you on one of the teams?

nope, but I feel part of a scene that is just blossoming so beautifully (oh, and I can't spell cyclist either)

I don't find any pride in cycling

It's a fun pastime - but that's about it for me
I don't see myself as belonging to anything 'cycling' in particular

Fair enough, but I'll still get idiots trying to knock me off my bike on the ride home tonight.

Me neither uplink, but then again I've been a cyclist for a long time and I don't have a need to belong to a scene.

wot uplink sed

I'll still get idiots trying to knock me off my bike on the ride home tonight.

they're just happy to see you

It brings a smile to my face to feel part of all this

riding my bike in good company in great places makes me smile. The achievements of unknown strangers are nothing to do with me.

Im not a cyclist, football fan, Labour supporter or 'fan of'.

Sorry, I dont get the 'how can one of our own do that'. Generalisation and grouping everyone under a hobby-banner. No thanks.

Some of you lot need to lay off the caffeine. Maybe get rid of the Gaggia Classic coffee machines too - it may lengthen your lives a bit....

I agree with stilltortoise, I think it's great to see people from the UK doing well in a sport that I love.

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I don't have a need to belong to a scene.

It's not about need. I enjoy riding my bike and can remember the first day my big brother let go of me (without stabilisers) and I rode all by myself. 30 or so years later I enjoy it more than ever. The feeling that I'm part of a big scene these days is the icing on a very tasty cake

I didn't say it wasn't great and neither did anyone else, I just don't feel a welling pride in my heart because some guy who can hop around on a bike (with amazing ability) is in a tv ad. It's great but it doesn't make me proud because I ride a bike.

Do car drivers feel proud if a UK based driver wins an F1 race? I don't.

Why can't you feel pride in somebody elses achievements?!

Yes, plus smiles and tears yesterday
if you don't take pride in what you do you should maybe try other stuff aswell

like teams sports, always pretty good at them, plus football supporter and support loads of other teams when I get a chance

(sorry don't want to set off the pastime its not sport thing - its fine for other people to have different opinions)

It's really sad that some people are unable to gain enjoyment from this. I for one am with the OP 🙂

[i]if you don't take pride in what you do you should maybe try other stuff aswell[/i]

I do take pride in what I do and what I achieve on a bike.

I think people are not really reading what they perceive to be negative posts correctly. I don't think anyone is saying whats happeing isn't good and I for one am over the moon at Bradley Wiggins recent tour performance but it doesn't make me feel proud to be part of a 'movement'.

[i]Why can't you feel pride in somebody elses achievements?![/i]
Because unless you in some way helped it, what have *you* to be proud of?

DD, there does seem to be some miserable so and so's commenting here. Probably moaning when people get killed from being knocked off their bikes and the driver gets away with it, but finds it smugly clever that they aren't proud of the good stories.

Well done to all of them I say. Makes me smile indeed!!!

Thanks Goan. I'll admit I was expecting a few more "me too" type responses.

It makes me pleased too. I think it's great that Pete won, and I was grinning like a loon when I watched it. I just think some people need to a reality check as to what the word pride means 🙂

+1 - some joyless people on this thread. Not quite the same but i was dead chuffed Jessica Ennis won the IAAF heptathlon, mainly because she is from my hometown of Sheffield and i have trained at the same stadium she has. A very tenuous connection but it made me happy.

Whahey, Robdob too, and surfr. I was wondering if it was just me

robdob perhaps you should reread the original post. 'Proud to be a cyclist' isn't anywhere near the same as saying 'are you proud of what people have acheived on a bike'. I've not contributed to, for example, olympic success, so why should I have a [b]personal[/b] pride in that success? Being proud of what others have achieved isn't the same as taking a personal pride in what others have achieved.

You can be proud of where the sport is going in this country without being proud of individuals achievements you know....

Peaty, eh, isn't it? Proud to be Yorkshire, proud to 'know' what he's achieved.................maybe wouldn't know who the **** he was or what, exactly, he'd done if I wasn't a 'mountainbiker'.Shed a few tears yesterday, I don't mind saying, even if some of them were at Warner totally losing it! 🙂

Humbug to all of it. Too many people riding bikes since we got good at it at meaningless sporting events. It used to be better when all MTB races happened in a field somewhere out of the way. That way those of us riding had the woods to ourselves. Nowadays you get to the car park or trail head and there are loads of folk there enjoying themselves and not taking it at all seriously. Tut!

mtbfix I realise you're trying to be witty and ironic but what exactly is your point in relation to what anyone else has said?

I'm very happy for all those people that win things & generally do well - but I'm not proud of them or the sport they participated in

Now, I am proud of my daughter's A level results as I had a influence & a stake in them

you know, I really thought this post would be a nice catalyst for an "isn't it great to be a cyclist" thread to brighten up our Monday afternoon. Sadly I was mistaken, perhaps on more than one level 😕

GaryM, maybe you should stop being a smartarse. 😉

It IS great being a cyclist!

There you are, I said it. 😀

Bikes are great!

robdob, well said that man.

GaryM, I was just moaning about all you newbies coming into the sport cluttering up the place and winning competitions thereby making my sport more popular leading to loads of newbies cluttering up the place and winning competitions thereby making......

I think it's great that Pete won,

GaryM, maybe you should stop being a smartarse

I wondered how long it would take for the name calling to start. What many people on this forum fail to realise is that it's okay to have different opinions to other people.

Just because I don't feel pride to be part of a movement it doesn't make me miserable/grumpy/joyless/a smartarse.

My opinion isn't right just as someone else's isn't wrong, however at least I can express my opinion without resorting to playground name calling. Play nice kids.

So I don't feel a certain smugness for being part of a 'movemnet'. You may not like, you may not agree with it, but it is [b]my opinion[/b]

There really are so many of you on this thread failing to grasp the concept of 'pride'.

aracer oh the irony.

just think of it this way, every time you go a little quicker it has a trickle effect on the guys at the top (it forces your mate a bit faster, who's mate goes a bit faster, who races at the NPS, which pushes the average speed up, which pushes Peaty, Gee, etc etc).

Ohh and if you cant get some pride from a national team doing well in the world championships in a sport you love, then there is something sadly wrong with you. Are you so PC you don't want to be seen to be british?

Aaaaaahhhhh. Now we get the "my opinion is just as valid" argument.

Yawn.

Out of interest thisisnotaspoon, how would you define what 'pride' means?

Shame that this thread has degenerated somewhat. 🙁

Depends on your point of view. Amazing though it may seem, some people have no clue about racing, Olympic success, the different niches of cycling (never mind the sub niches within MTBing), they simply ride a bike to work. Other people spend their time avidly watching every road race on the TV and know all the teams and results.
There's no right and wrong approach.

Having said that though, cycling in general in this country is on a huge success story that wouldn't even have been dreamed of 10 years ago. From World Champion DH to Bradley Wiggins and Emma Pooley winning the National TT Champs last weekend. From the huge increase in commuter cyclists (particularly in London) to domination of the Olympics on the track.

It's all bikes and bikes are good. 🙂

What's your point robdob? Clearly I've offended you in some way. If you have a valid argument against my opinion, which you have failed to grasp, then I'd love to hear it.

Maybe I have a different view point because I actually ride bikes a lot rather than sit at home dreaming/typing/talking about it.

I think that I agree with GaryM more than I thought I did.

Bikes are still ace.

I've been riding MTBs seriously for 22 years and bikes in general since I was 3. I've never been more proud to be a cyclist. I've seen enough depressing news about cycling to last me a lifetime so this sort of news really makes me happy. It is beyond me why some people are arguing it's wrong to be proud.

Mind you, I'm not a miserable old whinger. Maybe that explains it.

I like cycling, but it is still a minority activity/sport here. One consequence is that us cyclists can be viewed as weirdos. British success in cycle sports getting media coverage can change public attitudes for the better.

As for Peat: I imagine anyone who, like me, has enjoyed vaguely following the world cup downhill on freecaster can't help but be delighted that he is finally world champ.

Ian Munro
Because unless you in some way helped it, what have *you* to be proud of?[i]

In the same way that if your mother or father, by some chance, won a major sporting event. They started training for this etc before you were even born, thus you had "nothing" to do with it. IF they then won Gold/world championship/whatever, you wouldn't feel proud?!

cycling in general in this country is on a huge success story

James I think you should declare a professional interest given that your new job is promoting cycling 🙂

Pete who?

You've never heard of Pete Steav?

I'm not offended, just saddened. 🙁

[waves Union Flag vigourously too]

Tee-Hee!

[i]It is beyond me why some people are arguing it's wrong to be proud[/i]

Who said it was wrong to be proud?

I think some of you need to reread the op which asked do you feel proud to be part of cycling’s success story. I'm proud of what I do; I'm proud and happy for others achievements but I'm not part of the ‘success story’.

Well if I'd had no influence over my parents life, then no I certainly wouldn't feel pride. In fact if I'd had no influence on their lives, they'd be pretty shity parents.
Bikes are great BTW 🙂

Buzz, that's exactly why we SHOULD be proud! Well said.

I thought this thread might be good fun but as usual the STW psuedo-intellectuals like to butt in to bring it down. I don't have the language or argumentative skills to reply. And if I did I wouldn't bother anyway.

Happiness is still legal you know!!

[starts reciting Churchill speech, 'cos it makes me happy and will probably annoy the detractors, lol]

I'm proud to be human (with numerous misgivings). Those aliens are standoffish knob jockeys...

robdob - I think you've just killed it by calling them what most of them are - pseudo-intellectuals... Busted.

Ah so thats why you stoop to petty name calling then robdob.

I'm no pseudo-intellectual, I just know my own mind and I'm not afraid to state my opinion and stick to it. I like the way you've joined in there Goan must be nice to feel part of the gang for a change.

You're just pissed that he's called a lot of you for what you are.

Gary_M - I've never known you to put forward your opinion on anything. I have seen you try and pick holes in plenty of others opinions though, not very successfully either. I have also known you to have a dig at a rider in a sportive who started fast to get up and over a hill and out of the wind too - I'm the man remember...

Yep keep it going Goan, I'm sure if you stick around it'll turn on you eventually.

if you can only have pride in your own achievements then you can never be proud of your nationality or race or sexuality - didn't choose those did you.

Hmm. there seems to be lots of people who are proud of those things....

I am pleased to see cycling getting more coverage, from Chris Hoy on the brand flakes box to the fakenger bikes which pop up on telly all the time now, as props. cycling seems to becoming accepted and normal.

GBR doing well in cyclesport as well can only help this - imo.

I give in.

+1 for thomthumb - go GB!

If my sons grow up with biking in the news (for good reasons rather than RLJ / cycling nazis etc) then they'll be better off than I was.

late edit: success to the positive posse 😀

My bike goes boing.

Eh?

See there's no point arguing about this, 'cos I clearly have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not as clever as you, obviously (and I genuinely mean that, I'm quite a simple guy).

Positivity prevails.....

Bikes are rad to the power of sick. Apart from grumpy tw4ts on SS, they are just grumpy tw4ts.

robdob can I explain where I'm coming from here. The op basically said 'are you proud to be part of the cycling success story'. Well I'm not part of the cycling success story so I don't agree with his statement. I'm proud of what they have achieved, I'm proud of my own cycling achievments but I'm not proud to be part of a 'movement' I have nothing to do with.

Of course as usual on here people fail to read the question and fly off the handle, group mentallity means those that can't think for themselves jump on the bandwagon and it rolls on.

I really don't think there is any need to get nasty.

Tee Hee!

Happiness wins!

I'm so chuffed that Cycling GB is going so well. I know so many more people who can relate to cycling now, and so many more actual cyclists. I'd much rather go on a 1mile ride with a overweight teenager who got on a bike 'cos he wanted to be like Chris Hoy than 20 miles at the best trail centre.

I want to be able to cycle to work WITH other cyclists who have seen GB success and have found how great bikes really are.

I can talk about cycling at work now without feeling like a freak. That's fantastic.

Tom and ACJim - thanks!

[i]I'm so chuffed that Cycling GB is going so well[/i]

And of course you feel a personal pride because you're part of it, right?

Well I applaud you for being so smart to be able to pick apart the language of the OP and argue against it, rather than understand the point of it all. Clearly your English skills are more advanced than mine (they probably are).

Hope you can be "proud" of that! 😉

Oh for ****s sake stop it, I wasn't 'picking apart', I answered the question that was asked. Maybe you saw a point that wasn't even there in the first place.

Oh and btw the 'tee hee' thing makes you sound like the village idiot, I'd drop it.

I think you'll find that if you look at the sport/passtime/activiy/hobby/whatever then the competitive side of it all is the bit that is doing least well. Cycling in the UK is on the crest of a wave right now, and it is a great time to be a cyclist in the UK.

There are different types of pride and feeling good about the part you may have played in a competition success is only one of them.

We are part if the success. If you buy something from a bike shop you put money into the shop. The shop can sponsor more people, who can then train more and be successful. This could come from the manufacturers as well. More success equals more funding. Maybe they go onto win a medal or a TDF stage or the Hour Record. Maybe it's not as simple as that but there's still a connection. You are part of it anyway.

So you can be proud of it, even by your logic.

[i]You are part of it anyway.[/i]

In that case anyone who bought a lottery ticket can also consider themselves part of that success.

Have you been drinking?

Everyone that buys a lottery ticket is part of the lottery's success. Of course they are, without people buying the tickets nobody would win, no "good causes" would get money and the lottery would fail.

Goan what are you talking about. British cycling has lottery funding, yes? So anyone who buys a lottery ticket has contributed to the success of the British cycling team, so can be proud to be part of it.

Going by the majority on here.

Temper temper!!

I don't care if I sound like the village idiot (who's name calling now???). They always seem so happy on TV. Wouldn't like the teeth they seem to have though.....

have to agree with gary_m, I am proud of my success when i race, but i aint proud of anyone else....

I figured I'd play you at your own game and look for a crap and completely irrelevant interpretation of your post...

It was advice rather than name calling. If someone said to you 'you look stupid in that hat', it's not the same as 'you're stupid', is it?

I bought a Spanish lottery ticket earlier this - but I don't think it counts as a:) I was pissed & b:) I didn't check if it won 😀

Lottery ticket buyers CAN be proud of the success. Good on 'em I say. It all helps.

Goan, LOL!

oh dear, I'm off. I've got a 20 mile ride home I can be proud of soon.

I'll leave robdob and smee to their love in, they seem a good match.