Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please
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HillRPete
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by HillRPete on Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:49 pm
lippythelion wrote:What will they do? Chase the naughty interlopers down on their Raleigh Choppers and slap them across the face with their canvas flip-flops?
Things like bailing next to or in front of them, so they get hit by their board or ride over it and fall themselves. There are many ways to be an asshole, both in the water and on the road.
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Permon
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xnavalav8r
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by xnavalav8r on Mon Dec 29, 2014 5:03 pm
During the world championships we politely asked if we could join a team during one of their tempo rides. They said no, they didn't want to risk anyone being injured by mixing amateurs into their training group. They were very polite about it and offered to autographs and photos. Totally made sense to me. Imagine some contender having to drop out of worlds the day before because some "fred" half-wheeled him/her...
I suspect it's the same with these pro training camps.
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KWalker
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by KWalker on Mon Dec 29, 2014 5:56 pm
mattr wrote:KWalker wrote:since someone commented that they would somehow band together and prevent you from riding with or near them on the same roads.
"somehow"
Actually, it's very easy to get someone out of a bunch. And if you'd read what i posted you'd know why it's done.
But there are many who won't take a hint.
Ryder isn't going to pull over and tell someone to *f##k* off and then gang up on them. Its also easy to call the cops and probably bust a non-permitted event trying to enforce riding patterns on a public road without jurisdiction. Ryder and the group lose in the end. I'm not saying I'd take it that far myself, but the concept of them actually having the upper hand is b/s considering where and how they are conducting these camps. If they were feeding the riders and the Fred was stealing food, then they have a case.
And Ted, this isn't a pro camp, its Ryder charging people to ride with him in a group. He is deliberately taking on the risk. Otherwise I agree with your point even as a normal non-pro its really annoying when people you don't know do this, but other than being a butthole your only option is to drop them or completely stop. I tried the stopping method a few weeks ago and the idiot crashed into me, so that's not always the best option.
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wingguy
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by wingguy on Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:41 pm
KWalker wrote:My point is that if you decided to intermingle with them they can't do anything to kick you out of the ride since its on public property since someone commented that they would somehow band together and prevent you from riding with or near them on the same roads.
OK, whatever. All I'll say is that I'm never going to have a problem with whatever they want to do because I'm not the kind of dick that would try and join in a group ride with people that don't want me there just to prove a point.
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HammerTime2
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by HammerTime2 on Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:50 pm
KWalker wrote:I tried the stopping method a few weeks ago and the idiot crashed into me, so that's not always the best option.
Who was the real idiot here? Serious question.
By the way, was he riding a Guru?
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maquisard
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by maquisard on Mon Dec 29, 2014 7:40 pm
Very true, if you suddenly stop when someone is riding behind you what do you expect to happen?!
I'm sure you taught the guy not to ride near idiots in the future!
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Antoine
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by Antoine on Mon Dec 29, 2014 9:19 pm
Paris-Nice usually starts not far from where I live so I had the opportunity (by chance) to ride with the pros the day prior and they didn't seem to bother.
Last year with Movistar , very friendly (except J.Gadret) , greeting every cyclist.
Some years before with Radioshack and Quickstep riding together, not as friendly but it was quite cold.
They were not very careful (not slowing down while riding through small towns with right priority, riding above speed limit while descending).
Their bikes and clothes are amazingly clean and shiny.
Not too fast on flat roads (35-40 km/h with tail wind) but they don't mind going uphill at 30 kms/h (short hill 500m at 5-6 %)
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stella-azzurra
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by stella-azzurra on Mon Dec 29, 2014 11:26 pm
And in other breaking news, my mule Jake was grazing in the pasture the other day when out of nowhere my neighbors mare came to the fence (You know that barbed wire stuff that keeps the animules in for you city folk) and started giving him the "look". It was kind of odd because Jake is an old mule with one glass eye and a missing ear and but I guess the neighbor's mare can see past that as Jake does have a pretty good personality. Next thing I know Jake is busting through the fence after the mare (Betsy is her name I think) and they disappear into some thicket. My neighbor comes running out hollering and chasing after them and the next thing I know my dog Fido chases after my neighbor. SO I have my mule Jake chasing the Betsy, my neighbor chasing both and my dog Fido in hot pursuit. Next thing I know they come running out the thicket and Betsy is chasing Jake who is chasing the neighbor who is chasing Fido. To this day I don't know what happened in that thicket, but Jake has a constant sheet eating grin, Betsy seems to be putting on a little weight, Fido won't look me square in the eye and my neighbor won't talk to me. Odd day.......
brwolf 3
I never took drugs to improve my performance at any time. I will be willing to stick my finger into a polygraph test if anyone with big media pull wants to take issue. If you buy a signed poster now it will not be tarnished later. --Graeme Obree
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KWalker
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by KWalker on Tue Dec 30, 2014 12:29 am
HammerTime2 wrote:KWalker wrote:I tried the stopping method a few weeks ago and the idiot crashed into me, so that's not always the best option.
Who was the real idiot here? Serious question.
By the way, was he riding a Guru?
Let me clarify that I actually couldn't hear that he was behind me, right on my wheel. I knew that he was trying to catch up to me and then repeatedly popping himself and falling back so my assumption was that he was long gone and it would be OK to coast around a turn for 2-3 seconds. We were on a busy, well trafficked climb with cars passing us and I went to freewheel around a turn and he took out my rear wheel because the dipshit had launched a max effort "attack" to catch me as he informed me after like it was funny. The guy was actually on a Guru with deep dish Enve wheels and headphones in (in the rain might I add). Afterwards, without even apologizing, he asked me to pace him for his intervals. Mad at the world is an understatement about how I felt at the time.
Likewise on a team ride prior to this, another guy decided to follow us on a descent unannounced and almost t boned 3 of us when we made a left turn on another road because he decided to try to pass on the left as we turned. No idea where he came from, but I've known a lot of people that have encountered these types of Freds and not been aware that they were that close behind.
A lot of people do this on busy roads around here and it can be ultra dangerous. This is far different from seeing Ryder and friends, snapping a picture, and then riding on the same road since there aren't that many in Maui and no one should have to change their plans to account for Ryder charging people to use public roads. He could easily get an event permit and a follow car and be exclusive. My only argument is that in the current camp configuration he has he has no legal right to enforce anything and the people he dupes into paying for rides with him are probably too rich to care anyways.
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HillRPete
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by HillRPete on Tue Dec 30, 2014 1:38 pm
Antoine wrote:Paris-Nice usually starts not far from where I live so I had the opportunity (by chance) to ride with the pros the day prior and they didn't seem to bother.
Last year with Movistar , very friendly (except J.Gadret) , greeting every cyclist.
Some years before with Radioshack and Quickstep riding together, not as friendly but it was quite cold.
Great that they are so open, but honestly I understand when not everyone would be so happy about it. To make up an example, if there was some client or similar at my office (with a right to be there, obviously) I still wouldn't be happy if they unreasonably interfered with me trying to get work done.
In any case, one can always have a quick chat and check it's ok, and if it isn't, let them go about their business.
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nathanong87
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by nathanong87 on Tue Dec 30, 2014 4:02 pm
i mean if it was me, id just pull up next to the side and rip some ill instagram selfies for a hot second and bugger off. lets be real. Who has that kind of time to latch onto a group , not know the route or total time or plan of efforts, just for the sake of it. Slike homies be wandering around the roads looking for pro teams to stalk then hop on their ride.
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KWalker
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by KWalker on Tue Dec 30, 2014 5:14 pm
To answer your question it seems that many MAMILs basically ride around solo until they can latch onto a rider or group that has no interest with riding with them. They will often triumphantly pass you at a random, dangerous point in the road to prove that they are hella faster than the racer guy and thus relevant on some level. Around here these types are usually on Parlees, Gurus, or bespoke steel frames and some sort of deep carbon tubular wheels. Sort of like a lot of posters on this forum.
The one time I saw Boonen out on the road I was a bit awe struck, but had no intention of trying to tag along. Kinda creepy to just take a camera phone photo from a distance without permission. I don't see what the big deal is unless you can actually chat with the person, but even then these guys put their pants on 1 leg at a time like the rest of us so unless its a really cool experience to have an interesting non-bike conversation with the rider its just taking a picture of a dude on a bike.
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xnavalav8r
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by xnavalav8r on Tue Dec 30, 2014 5:26 pm
KWalker wrote:To answer your question it seems that many MAMILs basically ride around solo until they can latch onto a rider or group that has no interest with riding with them. They will often triumphantly pass you at a random, dangerous point in the road to prove that they are hella faster than the racer guy and thus relevant on some level. Around here these types are usually on Parlees, Gurus, or bespoke steel frames and some sort of deep carbon tubular wheels. Sort of like a lot of posters on this forum.
The one time I saw Boonen out on the road I was a bit awe struck, but had no intention of trying to tag along. Kinda creepy to just take a camera phone photo from a distance without permission. I don't see what the big deal is unless you can actually chat with the person, but even then these guys put their pants on 1 leg at a time like the rest of us so unless its a really cool experience to have an interesting non-bike conversation with the rider its just taking a picture of a dude on a bike.
I would be offended by this generalization, but it's far too accurate to dispute. I'm a middle-aged guy myself (apparently) and I constantly deal with random strays sucking my wheel and then sprinting past me for the next mile marker without even uttering a "hello." I'm all for strangers joining up on a ride, but at least be courteous about it.