Novice ordeal, Name and shame the club!!

[bruce]

Oh' date=' okay,...... I see where you are coming from. However, you misinterpreted my post, re-reading it maybe that could have been an inevitability and perhaps I should have made it more clear.

 

My Referance to SC was not referancing the club or Cyclelab at all - the referance SC was to the TV show Supercycling. Actually I did say "she may have "watched" SC - "watched", been the operative word.

 

My intention was to say "she watched the show, heard that joining a club was a good idea, actually recommended, and did so, not realising all clubs are suitable for beginners." Which she found out later to her detriment.

 

Thats all, there was no malice to the Supercycling club or Cyclab intended although I can understand how you interpreted it now, that was not the intention with which I wrote it. 

 

[/quote']

 

Man enough to throw the stone, but not man enough to apologise for hitting the wrong person!

 

You specifically said "watched SC and thought *they* would look after her".  Then further you say "that most of the cyclists in *that* club are elitist tossers with ah ego problem".

 

So, if you aren't referring to Cyclelab SuperCycling, who are you referring to?  Some other club that is directly associated with SuperCycling, and in fact carries the name SuperCycling?

 

You make a direct insinuation, now pretend that it's been misinterpreted!

[porky]

Oh' date=' okay,...... I see where you are coming from. However, you misinterpreted my post, re-reading it maybe that could have been an inevitability and perhaps I should have made it more clear.

 

My Referance to SC was not referancing the club or Cyclelab at all - the referance SC was to the TV show Supercycling. Actually I did say "she may have "watched" SC - "watched", been the operative word.

 

My intention was to say "she watched the show, heard that joining a club was a good idea, actually recommended, and did so, not realising all clubs are suitable for beginners." Which she found out later to her detriment.

 

Thats all, there was no malice to the Supercycling club or Cyclab intended although I can understand how you interpreted it now, that was not the intention with which I wrote it. 

 

[/quote']

 

Man enough to throw the stone, but not man enough to apologise for hitting the wrong person!

 

You specifically said "watched SC and thought *they* would look after her".  Then further you say "that most of the cyclists in *that* club are elitist tossers with ah ego problem".

 

So, if you aren't referring to Cyclelab SuperCycling, who are you referring to?  Some other club that is directly associated with SuperCycling, and in fact carries the name SuperCycling?

 

You make a direct insinuation, now pretend that it's been misinterpreted!

 

Hmmm, I never referred to any club. Nobody did, the club the good lady joined is an unknown to the best of my knowledge.

 

I think you may be reading a little into thats not there.

 

[Sandro]

Interesting debate this, I must say I was also sceptical about joining a club and trained on my own for 2 years before I did and I must say I must have been crazy not to have done it sooner purely because its safer, lets face it. I think people should rather underestimate their fitness when starting out, start with the slower groups regardless of if you can go faster and work your way up with each ride, its WAY better than getting dropped and that way you'll meet more people and feel more comfortable instead of worrying if you'll keep up. There are egotistical idiots everywhere and it doesn't mean you need to ride with them so don't let their insecurities become your problem. Not a nice experience for her and good for her for not letting it stand in her way!

 

I'm amazed that some people still insist on not joining a club. Give it a chance.

[Tieffels]

Just to ad my first club ride experience which was with Cycle Labs in Fourways. Must have been about a year ago. (Note: I'm not a member of the club being based down in Stellenbosch so felt guilty exploiting a service I'm not entitled to.)

So my buddy and I pitched up for a 6:00 MTB training ride one Sunday morning having left a night spot at around 3:00 am the previous night, or that morning then in fact. Needless to say we were in the early stages of a savage babbelas: nothing that a slow 2 or so hour MTB ride with some rich fat ballies with top end carbon fibre bike on the flats of Gauteng couldn't fix. My buddy borrowed my dad's already borrowed bike (pretty sure it had an elastomer shock) and all his kit. We had a camelback and a bottle of water between us. So as the hundreds of roadies set of I started eyeing out the MTBers left at the starting area outside the shop and I reassessed my earlier assumptions: These guys looked decidedly hard core. But so we also rated ourselves. With my last Dutch courage I asked the details of the ride: 3-4hrs they say. Good I say. So we set of at a serious pace and within a couple of km's hit serious singletrack. This was news to me coming from the Western Cape, I expected open roads and plenty of drafting. My buddy lost the water bottle on the first downhill. As the field spread we just tried hanging on the front group as we were hopelessly lost criss-crossing fields and road and rivers I never knew existed. After about an hour or two the endless muddy singletrack spits us out by Lanseria airport and we stop for a feeding spot. The guys start to pull out serious bars and dried fruit while we share the last remaining water in the camelback to fight the constant hangover induced cotton mouth. The group indicates the mountains in the yonder distance as our turning point and we set off on more leg destroying singletrack, cattle, farms, informal settlements and eventually we stop again for a group meeting. We've lost about half the group so far and need to make a call, the Epic guys push on, the rest turns back. I blew about a kilometer before the stop so I'm thankful that my silent prayers that were answered. I think we still had about 25-30 km back to the car but somehow I recovered, got the car and went back to fetch my buddy that blew on the tar coming back. We we're both shattered but loved every second of it. The club has a systems and the responsibility, I feel, is with me to understand it. We came hopelessly unprepared and we cannot fault anybody but ourselves. But we survived and much for the better. As they say "As jy jouself uitsit as 'n toffie moet jy beried wees om gekou te word". Also the guys from the club were awesome. If I remembered correctly a certain Neil led the ride but they all love the sport and are eager share their passion with you.

With reference to the original article: I'm pretty sure the lady who wrote it benefitted more from that experience, mentally and physically, than from being coaxed along on months of fun rides.

[wildroadie]

I started cycling in SA and had the same daunting experiences with clubs but luckily I found a great group of friends to ride with and that carried me for 2 and a half years of fantastic Fun/racing cycling.  Yes I was a "funrider" but I raced myself.  Why can't you be both!?

 

Now I live in France and if you thought it was difficult figuring out clubs in SA - try here!  I did the cyclotourist thing when I lived in Paris - what fantastic people.  Now in Tours I ride with a group from work.  Some of those guys could give the Vets categories in SA a serious run for their money.  But the group still maintains that "no one returns alone"!  That is what struck me about this story - who in SA can let a woman ride alone!!!  I am definitely not the strongest in the group and normally at 70km's the wheels fall off but despite being in a "safe" country and I am perfectly capable of dealing with mechanical issues I NEVER return alone.  How is it so hard for the average SA man to humble himself to have that attitude (I am the only woman that rides in the group here)??? 

[Evan Andreou]

My club doesn't do regular club rides due to our geographic spread. I ride most weekends with a group from Bester Cycles. While there are a number of racing snakes there is an unwritten rule that newbies are accompanied by one or more of the regulars at a pace they are comfortable with.

It's an informal rule that has become part of the way the group operates and means new peeps are never left behind.

[EZRider]

 

 

Damn that is why I so enjoy MTB'ing. My boet and I an just hit the bush and not have to worry about keeping up with anyone.

Couldn't agree more but it's not all roses in MTB either.We have our fair share of: "What' date=' you're only doing the 40? Why even bother??" and "3 hours for that ride? Did you walk the whole way?"A lot of make-believe Burry Standers in the MTB community too.[/quote']

 

 

 

If someone asks me if I got off and walked, I would reply no I got off for a quick shag and it took a little longer than expected. I got two rides for your one...

 

So I gather you aren't one of those "would you like a quickie or the full two minutes" kind of guys?

 

[EZRider]

 

We have our fair share of: "What' date=' you're only doing the 40? Why even bother??" and "3 hours for that ride? Did you walk the whole way?"

A lot of make-believe Burry Standers in the MTB community too.

[/quote']

 

I see your point, but I would like to offer another thought. The statements in blue above here could be considered a chirp or friendly ribbing. Depending on the tone of voice, I would take no offence and probably have another come-back at them.

 

The one in red would earn a swift, sarcastic remark from me. That is not friendly or joking at all.

 

I hear you Gasping.

But face to face you can usually gauge the intent of the ribbing. I don't mind being mocked and never actually feel the need to respond but it is sad to see how even a great, and normally friendly, sport like MTB can inspire pi$$ing contests in men with something to prove.

I am not talking about wanting to win here but rather the need to condescend upon those with less ability than you. It is of course, much easier than trying to catch a faster rider.

 

[Sammajoor]

 

 

Damn that is why I so enjoy MTB'ing. My boet and I an just hit the bush and not have to worry about keeping up with anyone.

Couldn't agree more but it's not all roses in MTB either.We have our fair share of: "What' date=' you're only doing the 40? Why even bother??" and "3 hours for that ride? Did you walk the whole way?"A lot of make-believe Burry Standers in the MTB community too.[/quote']

 

 

 

If someone asks me if I got off and walked, I would reply no I got off for a quick shag and it took a little longer than expected. I got two rides for your one...

So I gather you aren't one of those "would you like a quickie or the full two minutes" kind of guys?

 

 

 

nope I am a foreplay type of guy... and not jewish foreplay... you know 4 hours of begging

[EZRider]

 

 

Damn that is why I so enjoy MTB'ing. My boet and I an just hit the bush and not have to worry about keeping up with anyone.

Couldn't agree more but it's not all roses in MTB either.We have our fair share of: "What' date=' you're only doing the 40? Why even bother??" and "3 hours for that ride? Did you walk the whole way?"A lot of make-believe Burry Standers in the MTB community too.[/quote']

 

 

 

If someone asks me if I got off and walked, I would reply no I got off for a quick shag and it took a little longer than expected. I got two rides for your one...

So I gather you aren't one of those "would you like a quickie or the full two minutes" kind of guys?

 

 

 

nope I am a foreplay type of guy... and not jewish foreplay... you know 4 hours of begging

 

 

 

Problem is: no amount of begging will get a gal to go near my cycling shorts after I have been in em for a few hours.