Is Cycling Abnormal?
Is Cycling Abnormal?
There was a closed road bike event in Glasgow city centre at the weekend. I didn't attend. The local evening newspaper, the Evening Times, reported that "the roads were closed off to normal traffic." Does this make cycling abnormal?
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Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
According to a local (who runs) cycling isn't normal - so YES it is abnormal
Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
Shoogle wrote:There was a closed road bike event in Glasgow city centre at the weekend. I didn't attend. The local evening newspaper, the Evening Times, reported that "the roads were closed off to normal traffic." Does this make cycling abnormal?
Normal - all traffic that uses the route may do so
Closed to normal traffic means that a subset of that group is allowed and the rest excluded.
London Marathon is an example, residents only, an incident where only emergency vehicles are allowed, and a thousand other situations, not abnormal at all
Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
Ha ha ....
The norm nowadays is still to have cars on the roads...
The norm nowadays is still to have cars on the roads...
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Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
According to the organisers, bicycles don't count as traffic at all - normal or otherwise:
https://www.letsride.co.uk/events/glasgow?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=letsride2019&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn8mJtPDt4wIVQbDtCh3VRwpREAAYASABEgKu5vD_BwE
https://www.letsride.co.uk/events/glasgow?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=letsride2019&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn8mJtPDt4wIVQbDtCh3VRwpREAAYASABEgKu5vD_BwE
Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
fastpedaller wrote:According to a local (who runs) cycling isn't normal - so YES it is abnormal
Does he have a car?
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
Pete Owens wrote:According to the organisers, bicycles don't count as traffic at all - normal or otherwise:
https://www.letsride.co.uk/events/glasgow?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=letsride2019&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn8mJtPDt4wIVQbDtCh3VRwpREAAYASABEgKu5vD_BwE
How do you figure that one out?
It's was a closed road festival of cycling event much like a carnival,you have the choice to attend or not.
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
The word 'normal' is one of those pathetic excuse words that Rees-Mogg might object to, and quite right too. It is used by people who are too lazy, or stupid to write a sentence that explains accurately what they mean to convey. Other examples are:
Very (Rees-Mogg hates that one)
Average
Somewhat
Sorry
Dunno
Yeah
Hey
Right
Very (Rees-Mogg hates that one)
Average
Somewhat
Sorry
Dunno
Yeah
Hey
Right
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Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
reohn2 wrote:fastpedaller wrote:According to a local (who runs) cycling isn't normal - so YES it is abnormal
Does he have a car?
He has a hybrid car - It was interesting to see what was under the bonnet!
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Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
As the Bonzo Dog sang,
Or Love
We are normal and we want our freedom
Or Love
We are all normal when we want our freedom.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
I'm inclined to ponder the more general question: "are people who cycle abnormal?" - or more specifically, "are people who cycle perceived as 'abnormal'?" (presumably by those who don't cycle).
Once a week I do a 10-mile-each-way trip to play bridge. I must confess that, along with the shopping and other occasional short journeys, this is as much cycling as I do nowadays . But every time I arrive at bridge, I can guarantee that at least one other player is going to ask me "how was the cycling today Peter?" or "do you find the traffic scary Peter?" or "how long does it take you Peter?" etc. etc.
Of course I know they mean well, so I answer politely (usually). I feel rather inclined to retort "how was the driving today?" or "did you have trouble parking?" or some-such. But I try not to ask 'loaded' questions! Anyway, not all my fellow-players drive to the venue. I have great admiration for one of my regular partners, a guy well into his 80s, who walks right across from the other side of town (and Lewes is very hilly!). Perhaps if he lived a little further off he might even think of taking up cycling - or E-biking or triking - and join the 'abnormal' set!
Did I say "usually"? We all have our weaknesses at times. A couple of weeks ago, when you will remember the temperature was high in the 30s, I didn't cycle, nor did I risk the train: I drove. On that occasion, when about the sixth person asked me "did you cycle today Peter?" - I snapped. I'm only human!
Of course I haven't really answered the question, "is cycling abnormal?". Just anecdotal stuff...
Once a week I do a 10-mile-each-way trip to play bridge. I must confess that, along with the shopping and other occasional short journeys, this is as much cycling as I do nowadays . But every time I arrive at bridge, I can guarantee that at least one other player is going to ask me "how was the cycling today Peter?" or "do you find the traffic scary Peter?" or "how long does it take you Peter?" etc. etc.
Of course I know they mean well, so I answer politely (usually). I feel rather inclined to retort "how was the driving today?" or "did you have trouble parking?" or some-such. But I try not to ask 'loaded' questions! Anyway, not all my fellow-players drive to the venue. I have great admiration for one of my regular partners, a guy well into his 80s, who walks right across from the other side of town (and Lewes is very hilly!). Perhaps if he lived a little further off he might even think of taking up cycling - or E-biking or triking - and join the 'abnormal' set!
Did I say "usually"? We all have our weaknesses at times. A couple of weeks ago, when you will remember the temperature was high in the 30s, I didn't cycle, nor did I risk the train: I drove. On that occasion, when about the sixth person asked me "did you cycle today Peter?" - I snapped. I'm only human!
Of course I haven't really answered the question, "is cycling abnormal?". Just anecdotal stuff...
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
Shoogle wrote:. The local evening newspaper, the Evening Times, reported that "the roads were closed off to normal traffic." Does this make cycling abnormal?
Not at all.
It means the roads were closed to people who might normally pass that way en route to home or work, to leisure facilities or shops. regardless of mode of travel. Buses, trams, horse and carriage, scooters, cars, lorries even pedestrians and cyclists not entered for the event would be barred.
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Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
reohn2 wrote:Pete Owens wrote:According to the organisers, bicycles don't count as traffic at all - normal or otherwise:
https://www.letsride.co.uk/events/glasgow?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=letsride2019&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn8mJtPDt4wIVQbDtCh3VRwpREAAYASABEgKu5vD_BwE
How do you figure that one out?
simple
organisers wrote:On Sunday 4 August, we closed the roads of Glasgow to traffic
IF the organisers thought that bicycles counted as traffic - normal or otherwise - then
organisers wrote: and hosted a free cycling festival.
would not be possible.
Now I realise this may seem like nit picking, but use of language is important in framing how we view the world. In the same way that crashes should not be referred to as "accidents" (because it tends to imply unavoidable blame free incidents) we need to avoid any references to "traffic" when what is really meant is "motor vehicles". Traffic is important (certainly to those tasked with managing the infrastructure to accommodate it). When the word "traffic" is used casually to refer to motor vehicles then cyclists and pedestrians logically cease to be considered as traffic at all, but rather as obstructions to the flow of traffic which need to be managed out of the way.
Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
Pete Owens
You're right it's picking,I'll leave it at that.
You're right it's picking,I'll leave it at that.
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
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Re: Is Cycling Abnormal?
reohn2 wrote:Pete Owens
You're right it's picking,I'll leave it at that.
I said "may seem like nit picking". Perhaps I should have been clearer by explicitly continuing "to those who see cyclists as second class citizens".
Last edited by Pete Owens on 6 Aug 2019, 4:10pm, edited 3 times in total.