This is a repost as previously on wrong board(sorry!)
Britain swept up Olympic medals with the likes of Hoy and the rest of team GB producing an outstanding in Athens.With past masters like Chris Broadman keeping a careful eye on his young proteges in team cycling GB.Athens was a showpiece for young talent like Brad Wigginton.
With races like the Milk race scrapped Britain might appear to relegate cycling to a historic past but there is a resurgence in British cycling.
The french Tour de France will encompass a route taking in Southern England.The Sustrans network which incorporates regional cycle networks is admired worldwide.The Tour of Britain was a joy to watch.
Famous names like Dawes cycles and Brooks saddles still survive.Reynolds of England produce the worlds most expensive cycle tubing.Sturmey Archer still manufactures overseas.
So a contribution still exists to cycling.
Britian is one of the most enviromentally aware countries combining the nned to preserve with a natural affinity for one of the worlds best loved pursuits cycling.
Britain and cycling
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Pete
Re:Britain and cycling
Sorry to dampen your patriotic fervour, but "one of the most enviromentally aware countries" is not a comment I recognise about the car-obsessed, only recycle if it's thrust in our faces, energy wasting place that is the UK.
I am also not entirely convinced of the national love of cycling when the local yoof laugh at my Brompton because it has small wheels and must "therefore" be a crap bike (they'd sooner be on dreadful £100 full suspension gaspipe clunkers from Taiwan sold at toy shops and supermarkets). The Brompton really is a bike the UK can be proud of, but a lot of its citiznes don't seem to be up on the fact.
And tha "natural affinity" for cycling these days amongst the general public seems to be more a misplaced anxiousness about how dangerous they wrongly think it is. We've got a /very/ long way to go to show anything like the natural affinity of the Danes and Dutch for cycling
Hurray for the CTC trying to do something about it. It's more a comment on the size of the problem than the efforts being made as to how much still needs to be done.
Pete.
I am also not entirely convinced of the national love of cycling when the local yoof laugh at my Brompton because it has small wheels and must "therefore" be a crap bike (they'd sooner be on dreadful £100 full suspension gaspipe clunkers from Taiwan sold at toy shops and supermarkets). The Brompton really is a bike the UK can be proud of, but a lot of its citiznes don't seem to be up on the fact.
And tha "natural affinity" for cycling these days amongst the general public seems to be more a misplaced anxiousness about how dangerous they wrongly think it is. We've got a /very/ long way to go to show anything like the natural affinity of the Danes and Dutch for cycling
Hurray for the CTC trying to do something about it. It's more a comment on the size of the problem than the efforts being made as to how much still needs to be done.
Pete.
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trikster
Re:Britain and cycling
Let's no forget our paralympic cycling team and how well they did in Athens.
The coverage of the whole paralympics was absolutely digusting. They have to overcome so much more to win and should have recieve more recognition than they got.
The coverage of the whole paralympics was absolutely digusting. They have to overcome so much more to win and should have recieve more recognition than they got.
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Leeboy
Re:Britain and cycling
Let's face it guy's, most people in this country would rather get into their metal coffins and race to work or just race anywhere full stop, than take the time to cycle anywhere, they would rather sit in traffic for an hour than get thier poor little pinkies wet from a bit of good old fashioned British weather, we live in a world of greedy, fat ******** who don't give a dam about other car drivers, let alone cyclists!
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gar
Re:Britain and cycling
Yes it's interesting how the French close all the roads to ride bikes but are not much good with
the modern traffic free concept yet, whilst the Brits are unable to close roads with any success
and have vast numbers of rules as to what a cyclist may or may not do in a public place (pace Paula Radcliffe's pee).
In France a cyclist is a pedestrian unless otherwise stated. If a ccylist injures anothe rpedestrian and was going 35km at the time that is a fairly serious charge, by any account.
I mean what pedestrian in his right mind would injure another going at 2km/hr? Serious offence.
It has to be the old fishing licence differences between the UK and France that are the same difference. They had a number of revolutions where many laws were chucked out of the window never to return, albeit before the advent of the bike! The principle continues to be so.
If I had the choice with UK cycling law it would be EXACTLY the same as French law to the letter.
Then when correspondents are riding round London they would get the same extraordinary
friendly reception that I got riding the streets and pavements of Paris, or any other French city.
Cheers
Gareth Howell
the modern traffic free concept yet, whilst the Brits are unable to close roads with any success
and have vast numbers of rules as to what a cyclist may or may not do in a public place (pace Paula Radcliffe's pee).
In France a cyclist is a pedestrian unless otherwise stated. If a ccylist injures anothe rpedestrian and was going 35km at the time that is a fairly serious charge, by any account.
I mean what pedestrian in his right mind would injure another going at 2km/hr? Serious offence.
It has to be the old fishing licence differences between the UK and France that are the same difference. They had a number of revolutions where many laws were chucked out of the window never to return, albeit before the advent of the bike! The principle continues to be so.
If I had the choice with UK cycling law it would be EXACTLY the same as French law to the letter.
Then when correspondents are riding round London they would get the same extraordinary
friendly reception that I got riding the streets and pavements of Paris, or any other French city.
Cheers
Gareth Howell
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Hoopdriver
Re:Britain and cycling
Britain and cycling HA! Imagine the scene: we're on £500,000 in "Who wants to be a millionaire" and Chris Tarrant puts the final question:
Which of the following British athletes won three medals at the Athens Olympics?
A: Matthew Pinsent C: Pippa Funnell
B: Bradley Wiggins D: Kelly Holmes
Unless the contestant or his "Ask a friend" happens to be a cyclist I think Chris's money is safe!
Which of the following British athletes won three medals at the Athens Olympics?
A: Matthew Pinsent C: Pippa Funnell
B: Bradley Wiggins D: Kelly Holmes
Unless the contestant or his "Ask a friend" happens to be a cyclist I think Chris's money is safe!
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gar
Re:Britain and cycling
But I wouldn't either Hoopie.
I am not interested in procession racing
Nor groups on the road, nor even
mountin bike orienteering. (not bad the latter)
But I am interested in long distance endurance
with an 80lb pack of gear, like so many other CTc touring cyclists, and a jolly good vacation as well, at low cost, if ur careful
There is so much variety in the sport; something for everybody
Gar
I am not interested in procession racing
Nor groups on the road, nor even
mountin bike orienteering. (not bad the latter)
But I am interested in long distance endurance
with an 80lb pack of gear, like so many other CTc touring cyclists, and a jolly good vacation as well, at low cost, if ur careful
There is so much variety in the sport; something for everybody
Gar
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Hoopdriver
Re:Britain and cycling
Actually Gar, I'm not that interested in cycle racing either. Just making a point about how Britain ignores cyclists even when they give the country something to be proud of.
Kelly two-medals Holmes has honours heaped upon her and is paid thousands for chucking bottles at ships. Bradley three-medals Wiggins - who he?
Kelly two-medals Holmes has honours heaped upon her and is paid thousands for chucking bottles at ships. Bradley three-medals Wiggins - who he?
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gar
Re:Britain and cycling
Hm Yes but I'm not Bradley's agent am I?!
She worked on her public personality
very carefully.
Not easy to win by slowing the field down, at least not in running events.
Interesting comparisons!
Regards, Gar
She worked on her public personality
very carefully.
Not easy to win by slowing the field down, at least not in running events.
Interesting comparisons!
Regards, Gar
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Pinky
Re:Britain and cycling
On 21 May I set off to Strasbourg by Euro Bike express to spend 7 weeks cycling down the Danube to the Black Sea if I can.
It will be an immense pleasure to return to Europe where I can cycle, relaxed, with pleasure, as opposed to the huge hassle I have every day on my local runs from both motorists and pedestrians alike.
It is quite amazing, that in my ultra reflective cycling gear, that I appear to be invisible in UK.
If I was a horse I might be seen!
It will be an immense pleasure to return to Europe where I can cycle, relaxed, with pleasure, as opposed to the huge hassle I have every day on my local runs from both motorists and pedestrians alike.
It is quite amazing, that in my ultra reflective cycling gear, that I appear to be invisible in UK.
If I was a horse I might be seen!
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gar
Re:Britain and cycling
Perhaps you don't look for the cunning
shortcuts so much at home Pinky.
What I say, is if you are going touring
and there are mountains about,
find a river and start at the top,
so you won't go too far wrong I guess.
Why make it difficult?
I still haven't done cross Spain starting at the top in both directions (Douro and Ebro sources within a few miles of each other)
G
shortcuts so much at home Pinky.
What I say, is if you are going touring
and there are mountains about,
find a river and start at the top,
so you won't go too far wrong I guess.
Why make it difficult?
I still haven't done cross Spain starting at the top in both directions (Douro and Ebro sources within a few miles of each other)
G