It’s Just Embarrassing.

Start as you mean to go on. Rant all you like Mark it’s your blog.

So for the last few years cycling has been in the forefront of many a middle class guys or girls’ mind. Like a herd of lemmings running towards a cliff edge, discarding their golf clubs into the bunker and ploughing their hard earned cash into a bike…. then another…. then another.

Lighter, more expensive, electric gears, extra large jockey wheels, ceramic bearings. The list of upgrades goes on. But a great source of loved one’s presents adding to the novelty socks, cuff links, ties, budgie smugglers in the never to be used bottom drawer. What more do you want with a F’ing bike on it. The whole clique is epitomised by the Rapha brand, beautifully made, expensive, high profile, in just over 12 years they have conquered the cycling community, I know it’s a Marmite brand. I bought my first Rapha cap and Classic Jersey from Condor Cycles in London 10ish years ago. Personally I’m a big fan.

As with many things in my life, I complain vehemently about something, but very seldom extract myself from the guilt myself. (Another perfect example is: I hate whistling, usually done by men over the age of 40 who think they can hold a note but just sounds like crap, grrrr I am getting angry thinking about it now. But sometimes I find myself whistling, I do slap myself.) I know I am that middle class twat on a bike.

Now unfortunately things are getting worse in our (well my) world . These road cycling aficionado were happy to stick to their road bikes, riding the roads in 2 X 2s formations, executing their stupid hand signals, shouting ‘Hole/clear/stopping’ for all the world to hear. I came from much more of a touring background, now a few years ago the tourist was a shunned person, beardy, weird bike, fat tyres for comfort, a sort of slow dawdling rider.
Suddenly the roadie sector has decided that just riding on the road is boring (Like I have been saying that for many years), they decide that fat tyres are softer and better, (Like I have been saying that for many years), that wider handle bars for comfort and control on rough tracks are better (Like I have been saying that for many years.) You get the picture. My little niche is now inundated by roadies, with their expensive gravel bikes, their Apidura bikepacking luggage, fancy pants made for purpose Rapha gear (bananas in pockets in the legs of bib shorts – stick a caramel energy bar in there and that’s a Banoffee pie waiting to happen) and now riding off into the big unknown yonder.

Get back to the road, get back to your skinny tires, leave me alone in the wilderness.