there is a basic level of skill and competence required, and if you feel that is exclusionary… yeah that’s the point.
I have led and organized many rides. lots of bozos show up who don’t belong there. including people who have no helmet, or are on the entire wrong kind of bike for the activity, and a million other things.
and if you politely try to correct them they never take it well. because they are arrogant and ignorant.
if you show up with the right attitude and the appropriate equipment, and you can keep up, nobody cares how old or new or expensive your bike is. if you show up with a bad attitude and inappropriate equipment… of course people don’t want to deal with that.
If theyre exclusionary from the start, how is one to know what “skills” they are lacking? Maybe stop pushing newcomers out of the sport?
As I recall I never got the chance to be rude, and my bike was just fine. If I have to ride on eggshells to ride with a group I will just ride on my own.
knowing how to brake for starters. how to keep appropriate distance, how to respond to features in the road, etc. etc.
people do not know these things. they think they know them… but they don’t and they often endanger themselves and others.
you go and learn the skills by going to beginner specific rides that are designed to introduce people to how to ride in a group and how to learn basic handling skills.
multiple times I have had to call an EMT because some bozo showed up to a ride, unprepared, and crashed, and that ruins the ride for EVERYONE. riding way above their fitness and skill level and insisting it’s not a problem until they are in an ambulance with broken bones or passing out from over exertion.
god i remember once doing a casual ride for an ice cream tour, and a woman on the ride almost passed out after going slowly up a 50ft hill… we all had to stop and i had to give her an energy gel I brought… because I knew it would happen to someone, and then the rest of the ride i had to avoid all hills because this person was totally unfit and a danger to themselves.
yeah, having to be responsible for others lack of skill and safety when they make mistakes… makes me an elitist prick.
got it. i’m sure next time you crash your car you’ll tell the barrier that preventing you from flying off the roadway into a ditch and dying… that it was elitist and shouldn’t have prevent you from doing that. because the traffic engineer who installed it is a jerk or something, and you know better.
Meh, I do 100 miles per week just on my commute and frequently clear 200 total. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble keeping up with your weekend warrior group ride in flip-flops and slacks. I’ll even pull the whole time and then walk normally on smooth surfaces afterwards.
there is a basic level of skill and competence required, and if you feel that is exclusionary… yeah that’s the point.
I have led and organized many rides. lots of bozos show up who don’t belong there. including people who have no helmet, or are on the entire wrong kind of bike for the activity, and a million other things.
and if you politely try to correct them they never take it well. because they are arrogant and ignorant.
if you show up with the right attitude and the appropriate equipment, and you can keep up, nobody cares how old or new or expensive your bike is. if you show up with a bad attitude and inappropriate equipment… of course people don’t want to deal with that.
If theyre exclusionary from the start, how is one to know what “skills” they are lacking? Maybe stop pushing newcomers out of the sport?
As I recall I never got the chance to be rude, and my bike was just fine. If I have to ride on eggshells to ride with a group I will just ride on my own.
knowing how to brake for starters. how to keep appropriate distance, how to respond to features in the road, etc. etc.
people do not know these things. they think they know them… but they don’t and they often endanger themselves and others.
you go and learn the skills by going to beginner specific rides that are designed to introduce people to how to ride in a group and how to learn basic handling skills.
multiple times I have had to call an EMT because some bozo showed up to a ride, unprepared, and crashed, and that ruins the ride for EVERYONE. riding way above their fitness and skill level and insisting it’s not a problem until they are in an ambulance with broken bones or passing out from over exertion.
god i remember once doing a casual ride for an ice cream tour, and a woman on the ride almost passed out after going slowly up a 50ft hill… we all had to stop and i had to give her an energy gel I brought… because I knew it would happen to someone, and then the rest of the ride i had to avoid all hills because this person was totally unfit and a danger to themselves.
So, I now have two multi-paragraph responses that illustrate my point. Thanks for that.
yeah, having to be responsible for others lack of skill and safety when they make mistakes… makes me an elitist prick.
got it. i’m sure next time you crash your car you’ll tell the barrier that preventing you from flying off the roadway into a ditch and dying… that it was elitist and shouldn’t have prevent you from doing that. because the traffic engineer who installed it is a jerk or something, and you know better.
Meh, I do 100 miles per week just on my commute and frequently clear 200 total. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble keeping up with your weekend warrior group ride in flip-flops and slacks. I’ll even pull the whole time and then walk normally on smooth surfaces afterwards.
you know who sucks?
people who posture and boast.
who project their insecurity onto other people, especially who ‘look different’ than them.