Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Positive thread alert, +1

Time to think about a tandem with junior in front?
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Tangled Metal
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by Tangled Metal »

Last year I attached him to my bike with a followme-tandem at times. I'm not ashamed to say that when I slacked off I felt him pedalling from behind. He once pedalled for both of us and for a 4 year old he seemed to put power down. If we get that tandem he won't be a passenger that's for sure.

He was racing an older kid round a bmx track (running not cycling both of them) and he always got to the front and stayed there, that was this weekend. It took some effort but he did it 10 times before they packed it in. Last year he tried to race a kid twice his age and who was riding a bike with 24" wheels compared to his 16" wheels. Gave it a good go but obviously got beaten. I really don't know where he got his competitive tendencies from. I'm not competitive (although some people claim I am but I won that argument).

As far as speed goes, I've got none. I'm not a racing type. I reckon he'll be faster than me before leaving primary school if he gets into it. I'm a slightly older parent too so that's not going to help. I think I need to start using the turbo trainer this winter. Try to put off the day he's faster than me!
100%JR
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by 100%JR »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Positive thread alert, +1

Time to think about a tandem with junior in front?

That might be a good idea!
I stopped to take a photo of him on a well known local climb in the Peak District(Mam Nick) and just could not catch him up :roll: He got to the summit about 200m in front of me and when I caught up with him he wasn't even out of breath....me on the other hand :lol:
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by Cyril Haearn »

He is obviously the next GT or GS (Granville Sydney) :wink:
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bovlomov
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by bovlomov »

Cyril Haearn wrote:He is obviously the next GT or GS (Granville Sydney) :wink:

Strange that you mention GT on a thread discussing unwelcome advice about other people's choice of clothing.
eileithyia
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by eileithyia »

ibbo68, that's a lovely little bike. TM my son's progression was; trailer, tandem, 24" Raleigh, 650cc Decathlon, then Ribble 'Winter Training' before getting a full carbon Ribble Racing Sportive.

Shame your lad cannot join a club yet, our local GoRide takes from 6 with an adult but have we have had younger turn up as long as they can cope.
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ianrobo
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by ianrobo »

I am sure many of you have seen what the Jones's have done (Family by cycle) and enjoyed every minute of their journey fro LE to JOG

What right does anyone say what those kids should wear or not, or the son in this story that is quite offensive and I would have told them where to go.
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meic
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by meic »

What right does anyone say what those kids should wear or not

In the real world the only time that kids are told what to wear is when schools, parents, Scouts, BC and others demand that they wear helmets.
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by Cyril Haearn »

meic wrote:
What right does anyone say what those kids should wear or not

In the real world the only time that kids are told what to wear is when schools, parents, Scouts, BC and others demand that they wear helmets.

Schools tell them to wear uniform too*, the attraction of scouting might include wearing uniform I think
* no school uniforms in Germany :wink:
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Tangled Metal
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by Tangled Metal »

eileithyia wrote:ibbo68, that's a lovely little bike. TM my son's progression was; trailer, tandem, 24" Raleigh, 650cc Decathlon, then Ribble 'Winter Training' before getting a full carbon Ribble Racing Sportive.

Shame your lad cannot join a club yet, our local GoRide takes from 6 with an adult but have we have had younger turn up as long as they can cope.

Just found out it takes from 6 years. He's 6 in December which means the next season starts from March so he'll be there for sure.

I think I read that you're based in the northwest. Not Lancaster area with the salt Ayre cogset cycling club by any chance? That's our local youth cycling club if it is. I'll contact them sooner if it is.
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horizon
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by horizon »

thirdcrank wrote: A lot of things are going on here,



Well, let's say two at least:

1. Approaching a youngster who is with a parent with views that might run counter to those of his parent.
2. Opinions about clothing and helmets where they concern that child.

I think the OP needs to sort this through. He has my sympathy (personally I think the criticising adults were in the wrong, depite the fact that I agree with their sentiments) but it got his goat and I'm not sure this thread can help him much.

It may be that the OP knows the adults scored a point (by going straight to his child) but it's one of those deal-with-it-in-the-moment or get-over-it issues. It happens to all of us. I just don't think it has much to do with the clothing/helmets thing - it could have been anything.
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100%JR
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by 100%JR »

This thread has actually helped quite a lot!Whilst I don't agree with every comment or post it has confirmed my thoughts that the bloke was out of order.My son hasn't brought it up since(but I have spoken to him about it)and I doubt what was said will make him change his mind.He's happily been out twice since and worn his usual kit.I think it probably annoyed me more than it did him hence this thread but as I said a couple of pages ago we've put it down to this individual having nothing better to do.
I think my son will remember meeting the Brownlee brothers at the cycle circuit that bears their name a couple of weeks earlier rather than a grumpy old bloke at a cafe in Wales 8)
Marcus Aurelius
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by Marcus Aurelius »

I get ‘advice’ from ‘experts’ a lot. I either pretend to be foreign, and not understand, or just nod until they get bored and go away. I do things the way I do them, because experience has made it so, I wear what I wear, because experience has shown me what works. If someone asks my opinion on something I’ll share my experience with them. What I won’t do, is dare to presume, and start pontificating.
gbnz
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by gbnz »

meic wrote:
What right does anyone say what those kids should wear or not

In the real world the only time that kids are told what to wear is when schools, parents, Scouts, BC and others demand that they wear helmets.


Well, I'm someones kid :wink: And it's only this year that I was told to wear a helmet when cycling to work by the $^^*())&^%$.

Strangely enough, the same (*&^%"£ also told me on a semi formal basis that I shouldn't wear striped socks to work, or loosen my shoe laces, or have my coffee cup on the left hand side of the desk, because it was "inappropriate behaviour :roll:". Given it was a fixed term, lowest grade post I've worked in for 18 yr's, I decided to spend the summer cycling, swimming, running and hiking instead :wink:
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Paulatic
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Re: Interfering stranger lecturing my son about bike clothing

Post by Paulatic »

ibbo68 wrote:.
I think my son will remember meeting the Brownlee brothers at the cycle circuit that bears their name a couple of weeks earlier rather than a grumpy old bloke at a cafe in Wales 8)


I'd missed that fact in the OP.
That’s part and parcel of a holiday in N Wales. :D My OH can confirm I’ve never once been to N Wales without coming away being upset by one of the natives. It’s never happened in SW just the North.
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