DaveP wrote:The quality of an activity doesn't seem to be as important as it's ability to yield numbers, which can then be tabulated and talked about ad nauseam. Produce some sort of score and you've been doing significant and manly stuff. OTH no score - you've been playing. Frittering your time away. Unreasonable to expect proper adults to take an interest.
Personally I have no objection whatever to cyclists in training taking a detailed interest in their own performance or discussing it with like minded souls. Strava seems to be ideal for the purpose. I just think it's sad that so many seem unable to see any other form of satisfaction to be had from their wheels - "Go for a ride and Not try for a personal best - You kidding me?"
I think that's right in part for some people,I'd suggest it's a carry over from the work ethic/results that could be at the heart of it.
I used the term "manly" on purpose. I suspect that women may well have different views. I would be more than happy to read them...
Going off the increasing number of fit(in the athletic sense)women I see riding quality sportive type bikes at respectable rates,and the same goes when I'm riding the trails on quality MTB bikes(damn them all coz they're faster than me!),I'd say you're off target with that remark.
These,mostly young,though not exclusively,women appear to be upwardly mobile go getters,so to speak,and personally I find it heartening to see more people riding,especially women,which it must also be for women who've ridden for decades through the male dominated era that cycling was and to a lesser extent it is these days.
IMO the older generation,and I count myself in that sector,have to accept and embrace the changes cycling has seen and will continue to see,yes there'll be Stravaites,no mudguards,number oriented riders,along with the grizzled old pharts,those queer folks who ride those lying down bikes,and those riding bikes with one or more too many wheels,and those with more than one person on board(pedalling or not
),or heaven forbid recumbent tricycle tandems,but unfortunately it's all cycling
.
Seriously though what causes me dismay in regard to certain sectors of the cycling public by other sectors is such terms as, "Ah,but they're not proper cyclists"
.Or as I read in the last issue of the Rough Stuff Fellowship,usually an all embracing club if ever there was one,was an article pointing a gnarly old finger at the 'MAMIL' with disdain,going in great detail of how it had all become how much their bike's worth and what labels were displayed
Whether in jest or not,and I'm still not sure which,it does cycling no good but proves,to me at least,why cycle campaigning as a whole is so in effective at bringing change for the better on
our roads,as we(cyclists) cant even decide what 'proper' cycling is!
Cycling's in danger of becoming(if it's not already) like religious denominations(within any given religion),claiming to be the only true way,due to whatever set of rules and rites set out in it's particular cannon.
Cannons,if not treated with respect,can do a lot of damage to the people firing them if not loaded right with the resultant explosion leave the target unharmed.
My 2d's worth FWIW