- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Tubeless valves
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
forum
Unfriendly And Littering Sportive Riders?
Here's a thing. I have increasingly noticed when out riding how ignorant the majority of sportive riders seem to be. Before anyone attacks me, this is my opinion, based on my experience.
I've been a cyclist since 1982, when I left school. I've cycled hundreds of thousands of miles, commuting, racing, touring, and for pleasure. I ride between 150-200 miles a week, both commuting and Sunday ride too. I am old school. I always say hello to any cyclist, horse rider, pedestrian when I'm out.
But I have noticed a trend. For example, last weekend I did a 60 mile loop through the Trough of Bowland. Once I got to Dunsop Bridge, lots of small groups of cyclists passed me riding in the opposite direction, lots of solo riders too, all with their number tie wrapped to their bars. I would say that approximately 85-90% completely ignored me when I called out a greeting. Not a wave, grunt, nothing. Not even eye contact. I have also noticed another sinister trend which goes hand in hand with sportive routes. Littering the lane were lots of discarded energy gel wrappers. Are they aware that there's nobody following them to pick up their crap?
So why be so miserable and rude? And why be a litter lout? Is it a growing trend? Or is this the sort of people who are attracted to sportive rides?
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
Latest Forum Topics
Latest Comments
- Smoggysteve 6 min 17 sec ago
In the era of 3D printing, does any really buy these overpriced mounts? I can find countless websites making 3D printed Garmin (or other brand...
- David9694 19 min 17 sec ago
Car ploughs into Stoke-on-Trent house as firefighters cut driver free...
- Rendel Harris 26 min 35 sec ago
Anyone remember the last new cycle crossing built over the Thames in London, me neither because they've never built one. We were told we couldn't...
- CyclingGardener 27 min 59 sec ago
It looks from Google maps as if a new housing development is in the offing. Maybe part of a sec 106 deal?
- Rendel Harris 53 min 40 sec ago
I wonder how pleased they were with the company's decision to stop paying the "real living wage" in April last year? Being a real ale man myself I...
- Spangly Shiny 57 min 19 sec ago
How about a new wardrobe of slightly looser garments. There are already some excellent alternatives to lycra jerseys from the likes of Torm, so how...
- LeadenSkies 1 hour 16 min ago
Certainly one of the pictures in the article is not contemporaneous to the accident- captioned "The fire hydrant pictured on the right side of this...
- Bigtwin 5 hours 46 min ago
That'll be good - there are plenty that are over that now.
- chrisonabike 8 hours 4 min ago
I mean - if you let their tyres down that's compromising their safety - attempted murder....
Add new comment
44 comments
Bingo!
I've also been perplexed at finding e.g. inner tubes dumped places. Much more often than I'd expect. Really, people? Presumably they were already carrying a spare so it's not like the weight would have increased if they'd taken the old one home. Or just to the nearest bin.
Audax is still a thing, honestly. And it's still the best way to share time with like minded people
Looks like it could possibly be the tour of lancs you encountered. Maybe the glum faces were those 2/3rds of the way into the 160km route, contemplating whether their winter training had been enough to see them through to the finish.
No excuse for the litter though.
Yes that was it. No excuse for ignorance though. It seems to be a trend with what I call new cyclists, the ones which took it up after the 2012 Olympics. Typically have a matt black carbon bike, matt black wheels and wear black clothing, or Rapha.
The littering really gets me angry. There is no need at all, if you can carry a gel or bar in your pocket, you can carry an empty wrpper folded up.
Coming from mountain biking, which is generally a very friendly and collaborative scene, I noticed some road cyclists could be quite frosty, serious and extremely competitive! I think they are still the minority, but I suspect now greater in number, more likely to be drawn to sportives and more focused on doing a good time than having a good time.
Great phrase, pinching to puff out at the young 'uns as they whistle past!
Re. the littering - this might just be a function of numbers. Unfortunately there's a significant minority of thoughtless people in all walks. That significant minority of riders on a sportive may be enough to 'lay a trail' of litter in its wake, whereas the litter from the minority of solo / small group riders is more dispersed and less obvious - it doesn't necssarily mean that the sportive riders as a whole are any worse.
I've not noticed the litter thing, but I don't really do sportifs.
However, waving/greetings. Some days it does seem as there are more 'ignorant sods' on bikes than others... other riders lack of communication won't stop me from waving though. Got to keep on passing the love to our fellow brothers and sisters of the saddle.
The greeting. Most people on Sportives might be new to cycling or would be a record distance for them, so they might just be concentrating on riding safely, hence the non-greeting / acknowledgement you are there.
The littering; there is no real excuse. Ocaisionally an accidental dropped item might happen (full gel falling when reaching for one) but if they have managed to get one out and consume it on the move, reaching to put the empty wrapper in the pocket is the easiest manouvre. I have full wrappers in one pocket and leave one for "empties".
I've done a few sportives and as a mostly solo rider, there are aspects I enjoy and also dislike.
For the most part it's a great day out with people who enjoy riding bikes but I can't stand the chain gangs that treat it like a race and shout at people to get out of their way. This seems to be more of the case on closed road events from my experience. I can understand if you are in a triathlon for example, and letting a slower rider know you are about to pass, but I've seen some very aggressive shouts as a group of people race past like they are in a TTT.
Another thing are people you aren't riding with who get right up on your wheel, don't let you know they are there and they criticise you if you dare to brake.
Can't say I've seen too much littering, but it's so frustrating when there is no need for it. I manage to put old wrappers in my jersey pockets with no problem so it cant be that hard.
The relative rarity of meeting fellow cyclists powers the friendly greeting - if I find myself meeting a sportive it does wear a bit thin, I have to admit. .
But to you, it is alot of people you are responding to, to them it a new cyclist who is soon past.
Yes, I'm the surly, unfriendly local, I guess. I also permit myself the occasional "buy that bike from a shop, did you?" under my breath.
One also has to be especially wary of drivers who are going the same way as the sportive riders.
I enjoyed the couple of local sportives I've done, but not enough to become a regular.
I mainly do closed road ones. Yes they cost alot but plenty of room to avoid bad cyclists and no real need to stop- start or have to worry about 1 tonne killing machines coming up behind. Downside is normally the cycle back to the base of operations as I have to remember normal road rules are back.
Pages