Shows you how much attention I pay to the media, since it already took place over 2019. Fair play to Jeff with his photo.
Nice to be in the vanguard of things I suppose, but quite unreasonably I feel a slight twinge of "oh, that's our little secret corner found out then" . Being on the rebellious fringe, I think this photo might not be the type they're expecting or hoping for so I might send it in
Last edited by RIP on Sat Feb 01, 2020 11:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP
The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....
Bitter/sweet at the moment this morning. WRT massively "sweet" obviously. But this issue of CyclingUK magazine is really winding me up and I'm only 3 pages in.
"BaM Look-alike" - well, can't really moan about that I suppose, as above.
But same page we have a mini-interview with Chris Heaton-Harris MP, "Minister For Cycling". He cycles "for leisure" - well that's really going to help solve the country's transport mess; he rides "probably on average once a fortnight"!!!!!!!; Pitsford Cycles mends his punctures; "What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists?" - answer: "dedicated infrastructure". Quite dispiriting I'm afraid.
Same page: "Bike hacks: "Winter Ride Savers" - Caught in the rain and cold without the right kit? Plastic bags to the rescue! To keep your feet warmer, step each foot into a plastic bag before putting the shoe on. A plastic bag up your jersey keeps the cold off your chest. No rain jacket? A black bin bag with holes torn in for your head and arms beats a soaking. If your hands are cold, get a few pairs of free plastic gloves from a petrol station forecourt". Plastic bags????? If ever there was a recommendation out of tune with the zeitgeist this has got to be about the best. Alternative suggestion: check the forecast and go out properly prepared.
The whole mag is beginning to reek of soundbites from hack journalists - like one of those supermarket "newspapers" full of ads for their own products in the guise of "ideas". In fact, hacks by hacks in this case.
Reg 'Now rather depressed cynic (again)" Perrin.
Last edited by RIP on Sat Feb 01, 2020 5:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP
The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....
"What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists?" - answer: "dedicated infrastructure". Quite dispiriting I'm afraid
Most cyclits dontdo what we doand the greatest deterent to cycling ,for those hwo dont or do infrequently, is the cars on the roads
if we had cycling infrastructure like holland there would be a lot more cyclists
I think its more shocking he does not fix his own punctures- its hardly diificult and probably only using a pump is a more basic, and essential, maintenanc skill.
Ex-LBS employee here. Spent many an hour fixing punctures, usually on the very shitiest bikes, manky and the rear wheel smothered in dark, gunky "lube".
"cycling infrastructure like Holland... lot more cyclists". That helps of course, but the two points are not necessarily directly related. They have the 'advantages' of a clean slate after WW2 and few 'matured' Victorian towns like ours - almost impossible to shoe-horn retrospective bike tracks. Better/cheaper to make existing roads more bike-friendly, in our older towns at least. Newer towns - Milton Keynes has its redways of course. I don't like the way often-token bike 'infrastructure' can marginalise cycling. The only 'dedicated' infrastructure that would work for me (and has been proven to work) is 'shared space', but by definition that isn't 'dedicated' . I would also argue that the Dutch people's attitudes to each other on roads is better than ours (still frequently self-entitled Mr(s) Toad I'm afraid) and separate infrastructure does nowt to improve that. We've enjoyed these discussions on Here before of course .
Actually this was the least shocking part anyway - his apparent leisure-only interest is not good enough for a cycling minister. And twice a month? He's 'avin a larf.
Last edited by RIP on Sat Feb 01, 2020 12:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP
The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....
Cycling UK? They can roll up the magazine and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.
I was CTC member for many years, although often viewed as a collection of bearded oddballs the CTC was much like Bearbones but for onroad stuff.
The hostile takeover and ‘rebranding’ to cyclingUK was opposed by the majority of real members for their own ends, quite why I separate campaign organisation couldn’t have been setup I don’t know. I suspect the existing membership secured funding and paid for some large salaries for a lucky few.
RIP wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2020 10:23 am
Nice to be in the vanguard of things I suppose, but quite unreasonably I feel a slight twinge of "oh, that's our little secret corner found out then" .
glass half full = lots of barely used kit on e-bay later this year :)
RIP wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2020 10:23 am
Nice to be in the vanguard of things I suppose, but quite unreasonably I feel a slight twinge of "oh, that's our little secret corner found out then" .
glass half full = lots of barely used kit on e-bay later this year :)
Good point! Get a grip Reg.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP
The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....
. Reminded me of the Undertones "Male Model" for some inexplicable reason.....