Wiggins new role...

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[XAP]Bob
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Wiggins new role...

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Looking to follow Boardman?

“I think it’s inevitable, really,” Wiggins said. “As I go into retirement and go into everyday cycling I think you become more aware of all the other things that are going on, the hot topics in the news about safety issues, helmets, sharing the road, all those kind of things.


Glad that safety issues and helmets are mentioned separately, will be good to have him making sensible statements - assuming of course, that he does...

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/bike-b ... iggins-way
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Cunobelin
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by Cunobelin »

Unfortunately he is the polar opposite of Boardman when it comes to helmets, as he is an avid pro-compulsionist

August 2012

“Ultimately, if you get knocked off and you don’t have a helmet on, then you can’t argue. You can get killed if you don’t have a helmet on.


January 2013:
Olympic Gold medal winner Bradley Wiggins has called for new legislation to make it compulsory for cyclists to wear helmets, after a man died in a crash near the Olympic Park.




August 2013:

Speaking on the subject of cycle safety, the father of two said: “I think certain laws for cyclists need to be passed to protect us more than anything.

“Making helmets compulsory on the roads, making it illegal to maybe have an iPod in while you’re riding a bike, just little things like that would make a huge difference.”



May 2015

“I think cyclists have to help themselves in terms of wearing helmets and things,” he said. “I think that probably should go some way to becoming the law soon.”
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pjclinch
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by pjclinch »

He's been pictured on a Boris Bike without one recently on road.cc, so has hopefully Seen The Light...

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by [XAP]Bob »

He is retiring, and therefore not going to be under pressure from sponsors soon as well
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Zigster
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by Zigster »

I know I posted it on another sub-forum but thought it fitted here as well where more people might see it:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/s ... 02296.html

Not sure Bradley Wiggins is my idea of an ambassador for non-sport cycling.
pwa
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by pwa »

Zigster wrote:I know I posted it on another sub-forum but thought it fitted here as well where more people might see it:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/s ... 02296.html

Not sure Bradley Wiggins is my idea of an ambassador for non-sport cycling.


We all have our own opinions and hopefully we are tolerant enough to live with views we don't share. If Wiggo believes a lot of cyclists in central London cycle in a way that brings cyclists into disrepute, I share that view. I have been dismayed at a lot of the cycling I've seen in London. If he believes that excuses people driving badly around cyclists (I doubt he does) I would strongly disagree. If he believes wearing a helmet is a good idea, I agree. If he thinks compulsion would be a good idea, I don't agree. But I think he is a decent bloke and I can accept any differences I have with him.
beardy
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by beardy »

But I think he is a decent bloke and I can accept any differences I have with him.


But do you want him presented as, and listened to, as the voice of all cyclists?
pwa
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by pwa »

beardy wrote:
But I think he is a decent bloke and I can accept any differences I have with him.


But do you want him presented as, and listened to, as the voice of all cyclists?


Maybe not. Perhaps he is not sufficiently diplomatic and is too inclined to put his own personal opinion forward without listening to other cyclists.
Psamathe
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by Psamathe »

Zigster wrote:I know I posted it on another sub-forum but thought it fitted here as well where more people might see it:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/s ... 02296.html

Not sure Bradley Wiggins is my idea of an ambassador for non-sport cycling.

I think there is an important distinction between somebody (famous) pushing their own beliefs and fighting to improve things.

From what I have read, e.g. more cars RLJ than cyclists ... so why does a cyclist take a public platform to start telling cyclists how bad their cycling is (because they are RLJ'ing). I'd have thought it will achieve nothing for cyclists but will reinforce those poor drivers who think cyclists should keep out of their way and "bring danger on themselves", etc.

From what I've seen of Wiggins, I agree that I don't see him being a good "ambassador" for cycling. He could certainly do a lot to encourage more to take-up cycling, but when it comes to things like safety, regulations, etc. I think he will help those anti-cycling ('cos they get in the way of cars) more than cyclists. And, from what I've seen, he seems to want to expound opinions over those who are already cycling.

Maybe I'm being unfair, but can only form my opinions from what I've seen him do.

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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by mjr »

pwa wrote:We all have our own opinions and hopefully we are tolerant enough to live with views we don't share. If Wiggo believes a lot of cyclists in central London cycle in a way that brings cyclists into disrepute, I share that view.

I can live with Wiggo's view that "they’re not cyclists as such, they are not membership holders of British Cycling" because he's not the first British-Cycling-über-Alles compulsory-licensing fanatic I've seen, but I can also wish he'd keep his mouth shut in the press because he's bringing cycling into disrepute far more than a few people who ride in questionable ways.
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Tonyf33
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by Tonyf33 »

Quite frankly this idiot does far more harm than good, he a.sports cyclist and has no idea about commuter/utility cycling of which he is banging on about.
That he states you can only be considered to be a 'cyclist' by being a member of a club which has policies that actually restrict cycling and impose idiotic rules that have little to zero evidence of being effective in their purpose just says to me he's a pompous, out of touch know nowt
pwa
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by pwa »

Tonyf33 wrote:Quite frankly this idiot does far more harm than good, he a.sports cyclist and has no idea about commuter/utility cycling of which he is banging on about.
That he states you can only be considered to be a 'cyclist' by being a member of a club which has policies that actually restrict cycling and impose idiotic rules that have little to zero evidence of being effective in their purpose just says to me he's a pompous, out of touch know nowt


So he's not on your Christmas card list, then. :wink:
Psamathe
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by Psamathe »

Tonyf33 wrote:Quite frankly this idiot does far more harm than good, he a.sports cyclist and has no idea about commuter/utility cycling of which he is banging on about....

The trouble is that he is also a "celebrity" which means press listens and publishes. Even if he started explaining the intricacies of the LHC, that he is a celebrity is enough to give him widespread coverage. And that is why he can do so much damage to everyday cyclists (in my opinion).

Ian
Tonyf33
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Re: Wiggins new role...

Post by Tonyf33 »

pwa wrote:
Tonyf33 wrote:Quite frankly this idiot does far more harm than good, he a.sports cyclist and has no idea about commuter/utility cycling of which he is banging on about.
That he states you can only be considered to be a 'cyclist' by being a member of a club which has policies that actually restrict cycling and impose idiotic rules that have little to zero evidence of being effective in their purpose just says to me he's a pompous, out of touch know nowt


So he's not on your Christmas card list, then. :wink:

I respect his sporting achievements, aside from a couple of moments/events where it was obvious he couldn't be arris' d I'm a fan and quite like the fact he says out loud what he thinks towards the press at race day and can have a bit of banter. However when he talks utter crud which he has done on several occasions it makes my blood boil, because he is a celebrity and successful/well respected sportsman that people do sit up and take notice of as Ian mentions above.
Folk are far too easily led by 'celebs' or successful people who get national/worldwide air time, when what they are saying is total nonsense and by that makes something I actively participate in and enjoy just that little bit less enjoyable or worse be turned off completely by due to a change in law through the constant spoutings of such celwbs (and there are plenty in the British cycling scene! :x ) then damn right I'm going to be mickey'd off.
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