Cycle Hatred
Some of you will know I have taken up cycling again after a few years out of the saddle. To be more precise I’m into Mountain Biking rather than road cycling and I have already taken my new Specialized Rockhopper on a week’s Mountain Biking on the tracks and trails of the Yorkshire Dales. However, recently, something has concerned me a lot. Something I find pretty shocking and somewhat disturbing. Something that should have attention drawn to and something that should ultimately be eradicated.
I use social media a lot. One form I use often is twitter. I use it to chat and interact with other people, usually with similar interests but not always. I‘ve met new people, learnt new things and experienced new stuff through twitter. I have a nice bunch of followers who put up with my rants and moans, random mutterings and general guff I spout about daily. Despite not actually being near me, they keep me company and when you work on your own for the most of the day like I do, it’s quite comforting.
On holiday with my bike.
It was through a follower on twitter I stumbled across an account called @CycleHatred. This account mainly retweets the abuse users write on twitter aimed a cyclists. Occasionally it posts videos of cyclists on the receiving end of abuse from other road users. Whilst I love riding off road, I do ride quite a bit on road too and I’ve had my fair share of near misses and close calls with motorists who don’t look, are impatient, don’t give you room, perform ridiculous manoeuvres and are genuinely oblivious to their surroundings. But I have never, yet, been abused either verbally or physically.
Some of the stuff I have seen via this twitter feed is pretty unbelievable, from videos of Drivers spitting at cyclists, to people telling their twitter followers they want to deliberately run into, injure or kill bike riders. But one tweet I saw today really hit a nerve with me and is the reason I felt the need to sit and write this. I’m not talking about the tweet from @mylomylo that stated “I wish running cyclists over was legal” Ironically it seems this guy is a lifeguard and yes, I am naming and shaming. But it’s the tweet from @ChloeA91 which said “The Cyclist I just followed to work was asking to be injured. Almost hit him just to teach him a lesson #sillyprick” that really got to me.
What is wrong with people? How can anyone be so ignorant towards someone who is riding their bike who I’m pretty sure, unless they were some kind of sado masochist, wasn’t asking to be injured? Why is there so much hatred towards cyclists? Do these people think they own the road? Perhaps it is just another sad refection of society today. Should people like Chloe even be allowed on the road herself to put other people’s lives at risk with her blatant disregard to the safety of others?
I’m not going to tar all car drivers with the same brush though. I know it is the mindless minority who hold so much contempt and hatred of other road users riding bicycles. I’m not going to moan about cars and the environment either. I love cars. Those of you who know me or read this blog regularly will know that I’m a huge petrol head. I like driving, I like motor racing and pretty much anything to do with cars and they are a big part of my life. But I like my bike too and I like to ride it as well. This means I ride on the road where I respect other road users as I wish they respect me.
I will also say that yes, there are a few mindless cyclists too. I’ve seen them jump red lights, not signal when turning, cutting through traffic, not using lights and generally doing some stupid things. But remember, we have all seen cars jump red lights, not indicate, pull out without looking, cut up other vehicles, drive whilst using a mobile phone. So not everyone is blameless.
Digging a little deeper I have seen forums where people try to justify their hatred for cyclists. Some of their arguments and reasoning’s are just ridiculous and really bug the hell out of me as I genuinely cannot believe people can be so ignorant.
One of the most common beliefs from Cycle haters is that Cyclists don’t pay road tax and should therefore not be on the road. Excuse me? There is no such thing as road tax. What these people believe is road tax which they pay each year and receive a disc they display in their vehicle is not road tax. It is a vehicle tax. Most cyclists, like myself also own a car so will also pay this vehicle tax anyway. Also, there are many new cars that are vehicle tax band A and don’t incur any tax charge and Vehicles over 25 years old are also tax exempt. Should these vehicles be banned too? Anyway, this is all irrelevant as all the tax everyone pays, from your earnings to VAT, goes into a big government pot and a percentage is taken out to pay for, the generally poor, upkeep of our roads. So this is a stupid argument. Have these people paid their ignorance tax? No. So stop being such an Ignorant fool.
Like most Cyclists, I own a car too!
I’ve seen people moan they hate cyclists because they hold them up while they are driving. Oh boo hoo. They probably moan about tractors too. The tractors farmers use to produce the food these morons eat. A lot of cyclists cycle to work. Usually because rush hour traffic is a nightmare and it is probably quicker to cycle than drive. Maybe all the cyclists should drive and add to the already congested roads? Other cyclists ride as a sport. A sport like football. A sport that some motorists pay lots of money to watch. Also these cyclists are keeping fit and active. In a world of obesity and laziness, is that such a bad thing? Think about that next time you get held up for a few seconds behind a cyclist after you’ve jumped in your car to pick up your take-away pizza from just up the road.
Another statement I’ve seen about a lot is ‘If you can’t afford a car get off the road’ or words to that effect. I can afford a car. I have a car. It’s quite a decent one too. It’s better and more expensive than quite a few of the other cars on the road. Hell, even my bike is worth more than some of the sh*tboxes a few of these haters drive around in. As stated before, most other cyclists have cars too. Some cyclists have top of the range hand built carbon fibre bikes that cost thousands of pounds. Some even cost more than a brand new car. So from this I can deduce that I and many other cyclists can afford a car and judging by this stupid statement should be allowed on the road. Let’s also not forget that you are entitled to WALK on a public highway. I rest my case.
I can afford a car. Here it is. I also pay what some morons beleive to be a ‘Road’ Tax.
The final point I’ll touch on is the belief that the law will always side with the cyclist over the motorist. This is completely false. The law will side with whoever was not in the wrong. As mentioned above, there are idiots on bikes and the law recognises this. Yes the woman who knocked Bradley Wiggins off his bike was summoned to the local police station, but she was in the wrong. Witnesses saw her pull out of a petrol station in front of him. But on the flip side, I will give you another example.
I knocked a cyclist off his bike once whilst I was in my car. It was actually just yards from a Police van containing half a dozen policemen who saw the incident. I had stopped in the road waiting for oncoming traffic to pass so I could make a right hand turn into the road the police van was parked and the direction I was indicating. As the traffic passed I quickly checked my mirror and made my manoeuvre. As I was halfway across the road there was a bang. A cyclist had ridden into the side of my car and fallen off his bike. I hadn’t seen him. As I got out of my car to see if he was ok and apologise, the on looking policemen had made their way over. The cyclist was fortunately OK, but was keen to show me his anger at what had happened. Thankfully the police were there although I did think I was going to get into a lot of trouble. One policeman was trying to get the cyclist to stop shouting and go home despite his complaints his front wheel was buckled. The other policeman who had came over spoke to me. He told me I had nothing to apologise for and was glad there wasn’t any damage to my car as they didn’t want the paperwork to deal with. I was somewhat confused by this. He explained the cyclist had overtaken the car waiting behind me and rode straight into the side of my car as I made the manoeuvre I was signalling for. He was in the wrong and I had done nothing punishable.
Maybe it is this kind of cyclist that the haters refer to. The minority. Yes they can be a nuisance. But there are many other nuisances behind the wheel of a car. Do I hate them? No. I am a car driver too. I love cars and I love driving. I also know that they are the minority and I don’t judge everyone on the actions of a few. Whilst I accept we are all accountable for our own actions on the road, I can’t really accept the attitude of the mindless few who think it’s funny to suggest it would be worthwhile to harm people who ride bikes. Surely they are the ones who shouldn’t be on the road. Or even out in public as they seem to pose a danger to everyone and even themselves with their own idiocy. So please, less of the hatred. I know we can all get frustrated and cross at times for a number of different reasons, but it would be better for all if we could all just get along, put aside the ridiculous reasons for hating people and put the brush that’s used for tarring down.
Oh, and feel free to follow me on twitter: @ChrisGurton
Missing Two Wheels & An Engine
Having spent the summer watching the incredible Olympians and Paralympians wow everyone with their achievements and putting most of us to shame, I decided I needed to get off my backside and participate in some kind of sporting activity. I guess this was the Olympic legacy that had been talked about.
So, it was time to get back into cycling. Well, Mountain biking to be precise. My old bike was getting on a bit and needed some work done to it. But rather than spending money on a bike that was over 10 years old, I thought I would treat myself to a 30th birthday present and buy a new one. Spending a while researching and looking for a new bike I eventually opted for a 2013 model, Specialized Rockhopper 29er. A lot of mountain bikes are now opting for 29 inch wheels over the standard 26 inches and although dubious at first of buying a 29er, after trying one, I was impressed.
My Olympic Legacy. A Specialized Rockhopper 29er.
With the new bike purchased it was time to set myself some targets. I needed to get a lot fitter, but ultimately I’d like to compete in some events. There is a winter race series in Thetford Forrest each year which I have attended before as a spectator. Four races, one a month from November to February with a choice of a four hour or two hour race and a leisure ride. Perhaps this was something I could take part in. Obviously I wasn’t going to jump in at the deep end so I was thinking about taking part in the leisure ride at the end of January and the two hour race in February.
The Thetford Winter Series.
This means I have a few months to get fitter and train for the target I’ve set myself. Having bought the bike at the beginning of this month I thought a target of 50 miles of riding a week for the first month and upping that each subsequent month would be a good start. At the moment there are still a few motorsport weekends I will be in attendance at so most of my cycling is done after work during the week. However, last weekend, I wasn’t trackside so took the opportunity to take my bike to Thetford to ride round the Forrest.
There aren’t many bridleways or tracks near my house, so it was a good opportunity to take the bike off road on the miles of Forrest tracks, fire roads and single track. With four different routes ranging in difficulty there was a lot of chance to put my bike through its paces. I spent the morning on the two easier routes, mostly tracks and fire roads. It was good fun and I clocked up 22 miles before I stopped for some lunch. After my break I decided to tackle the two harder routes mostly single track with berms, dips, jumps, pits, and more! The smile plastered across my face showed how much fun I was having. The only low point was being overtaken at speed by someone who was clearly more experienced than me and the realisation following that I had a lot to do to get up to standard for the winter series. But, in the mean time, I was just having great fun.
A few things I have remembered since getting back out on my bike though are a bit more concerning. I remember now how arrogant some car drivers can be towards cyclists. I don’t appreciate having my elbow hit by wing mirrors because the driver hasn’t given enough room when passing or just can’t wait to get by and squeeze between you and oncoming traffic. Also, a car driver wouldn’t overtake on a blind bend, so why do they think it appropriate to overtake a cyclist on a blind bend? Because, let’s face it, if a car did come the other way, all drivers are going to swerve left, into the cyclist and not right into the oncoming car. But I won’t get preachy on you. I love cars and I love driving, I just wish a few others would be more considerate. One thing we can all agree on though, is who died and left horse riders in charge of the roads? Many times I have ridden down lanes to be confronted by horse riders in the middle of the road, sometimes two or more abreast and been given the most filthy of looks!
It is safe to say though, I’m loving being out on my bike and the fact I’m getting valuable exercise without paying a fortune for gym membership. As I write this, I have had my new bike just over two weeks and I love it. Although I sometimes come home feeling knackered after a ride, I also come home feeling really good and that is a positive thing. As for my 50 mile a week target, well, after two weeks and a day, I’ve done over 160 miles. I’m even going to take the bike with me on holiday next month. There are plenty of tracks and Bridleways in the Yorkshire Dales and although I’m pretty sure the hills will kill me, I can’t wait.
The Dales might well be the death of me.
In the meantime, the fact that my bike is missing a pair of wheels and an engine doesn’t mean my blog will take a change in direction and I will stop talking about Motorsport. Far from it. There’s still lots of track action to be seen before the season is over and next up this weekend is the Britcar 24 hour race. A highlight of my year and I am looking forward to it. Maybe I will see some of you there.
Hero, Legend & Inspiration?
A couple of weeks ago, the British Touring Car Championship headed north of the border for its annual trip to Scotland and the Knockhill circuit. Again it was a weekend of high drama and yet again one man in particular was right in the centre of it all.
Plato: the centre of controversy at Knockhill
I initially decided not to write about this particular incident, which saw Aron Smith make contact with Jason Plato sending the latter off into the gravel and out of the race. Previous blogs expressing my opinions of Jason Plato and his attitude and behaviour have generally been met with agreement. However some fans of the outspoken racing driver, who’s lead has clearly been followed by those who support him and have decided to be very critical of my own opinions. Some been quite personal but many claiming I know nothing about what I am saying. Somewhat Ironic in many cases.
So you can imagine my delight in a saviour in an unexpected form. There were so many things I wanted to say about Jason Plato and his attitude, behaviour, driving and his somewhat scathing and hugely hypocritical comments live on TV. One man saved me the trouble of writing down my views, as he had already done so. This man? The Boss of Motorbase Performance Dave Bartrum. A BTCC race winning team and also a British GT winning team too. So this Man cannot be accused of not knowing what he is talking about.
Dave had written a blog about the weekend at Knockhill which included a large section about Jason Plato which went like this:
“The only sour note of the weekend was Jason Plato’s reaction to the incident with Aron. I realise he will see it his way and we will see it ours, that’s natural. I was disappointed in the penalty which TOCA gave us because we’ve been on the receiving end of nearly identical incidents with Aron & Rob Austin in round 1, TOCA verdict – Racing incident, Liam & Lea Wood at Croft, TOCA verdict – Racing incident. Someone does it to Plato, TOCA verdict – 3 points & a £500 fine. Is it because its Plato? Maybe, who knows? With that in mind when we heard that 888 & Plato had appealed we were surprised, turns out Jason wanted more! He even suggested that Aron had a job to do on him! What can you say to this? Paranoid maybe?
Aron Smith’s contact with Plato was no worse than that Plato has dished out himslef.
Jason is supposed to represent British Motorsport, in two roles even beyond his role in the BTCC with MG & 888. He is the face of the KX young driver programme mentoring young aspiring drivers & has a major role at the BRDC as a Director. Yet despite all of this he remains the most outspoken, shouting his mouth of to anyone who will listen about how badly everyone else drives! Sorry, am I missing something? Is this the same Jason Plato who rammed Matt Neal off in a fit of rage/revenge at Snetterton, the same Jason Plato who rammed Gordon Shedden of at the last corner of Donington after pushing him along the back straight whilst Gordon tried to brake, and the same Jason Plato who simply disposed of Dave Newsham disgracefully at the first race of the season? And that’s just this year. He has been one incident away from a 3 month ban for a little while due to his own indiscretions on track in the last 12 months. Pot and kettle spring to mind!
He suggested Aron doesn’t deserve a race licence. Quite frankly, he is the man who needs banning from the championship. Why TOCA didn’t give him points for his revenge mission at Snetterton on Matt Neal is anybodies guess! Probably because he has so many points already. MG & his sponsors should think twice before renewing his contract if he continues to behave like this. He makes damning statements that other teams and drivers are merely ‘playing at this’ and we’re just ‘pretenders’ unlike the paid professional drivers. At most, if this was the case there would be a 3 car grid, this is modern day Motorsport. I amongst other would love to have the budgets of yesteryear and be able to pick two fully paid drivers like Andy Neate & Jason Plato as 888 have been able to this year!
Pot & Kettle. Plato has been guilty on a number of occasions this year of putting people in the gravel.
How he keeps a job with the BRDC is beyond me. He is a Director in the most influential club in British Motorsport, he is in a role which people need to respect him and look upon his as someone who sets an example of how a race driver conducts himself both on and off the circuit. In my opinion he does neither! It’s a joke that they have someone with such low regard for fellow competitors and young drivers in such a position. It’s hypocritical. There is a new young driver programme which he is fronting. He then accuses Aron of being ‘a pretender’ because he pays for his drive. Will that be the same for all the drivers under his management who are paying for their drive? I doubt it, I’m sure he will change his mind then! Quite frankly no driver having been mentored by him would be welcome in a race car of mine.
All of that said I do respect his driving ability, he is clearly very talented. He also puts on a great show for the public, who seemingly love a bad boy. Maybe we’re just another part of his show this week. I just think if he kept his mouth shut and his thoughts to himself the world would be better for it. I can only assume, and half understand that Aron is on the receiving end of his passion from the reality that Jason’s Championship received a massive dent at the weekend due to him making a mistake of his own by drifting over into Aron, giving Aron very few options. Jason made the uncharacteristic error in which he lost out, something he doesn’t do very often. I think most drivers would have driven exactly how Aron did, and the others probably would have ended up in the gravel themselves!”
Not only do Motorbase have a three car BTCC team, but also two Porsche’s in the British GT. So Dave knows a thing or two about Motorsport.
This is worryingly almost exactly what I wanted to say on the matter and many will know I have been saying similar for a long time, but only this time, hopefully, I won’t get abuse from certain people so thanks Dave.
Now even the most hardcore Jason Plato fans must take on board some of these comments and surely see Dave has a very good point. I am however, not criticising people for wanting to be a fan of Mr Plato though. I have said it before and say it yet again. The guy has great driving ability there is no argument there. But is he really a role model to those who do support him? Especially the younger generation. Is the do as I say not as I do attitude setting a good example? Is the constant moaning and criticising of the rules and others inspirational for others? Lots of Plato fans say he is a hero and legend. But is this really the way a hero should conduct himself?
Is Plato’s ‘Revenge’ Attack on Matt Neal the actions of a hero?
Two words I have just used are thrown about far too much in describing sports stars and mostly unnecessarily. Hero and Legend. I’m going to stick my neck out on the line here and risk further abuse by saying Plato is neither of these. Good yes. But not hero or legend. Why? I’ll tell you why.
A Hero or Legend is not just someone who reaches the very top of their discipline, but someone who inspires others. Someone who sets a good example to others, overcomes adversity, conducts themselves well and shows a good, positive attitude and strives to achieve. But most of all, someone others can look up to. A role model who people want to emulate. After the Summer of Olympic and Paralympic games, it is clear there are many that put the MG BTCC racing driver in the shade.
Zanardi: A geniune Hero
For motorsport fans though, If you want a real Hero, Legend and Inspiration, look no further than Alessandro ‘Alex’ Zanardi. The Italian ex Formula one driver suffered a horrific crash in 2001 in the Champ car series and subsequently lost his legs. Whilst many of us, faced with this for the rest of our lives would wallow in self pity and hate the life that you now face. Alex didn’t. He continued do race for a few years after his legs were amputated, but he had his heart set on one goal. The Paralympics.
Without moaning, complaining or criticising, Alex set out to achieve this goal. Training hard in the face of adversity, all this hard work came to fruition last week. The road cycling took place at Brands Hatch, somewhat poignant in this incredible story and Alex Zanardi was there to represent Italy in the hand cycling with his unique three wheeled bicycle which was no doubt designed with the help of some of his friends within formula one. The British crowd were there in their thousands to cheer and support the participants with many motorsport fans there to support Zanardi.
All the hard work and determination came to fruition for the Italian which saw him take two Gold medals and a Silver. The delight within the motorsport fraternity was clear to see. This man’s incredible journey in the face of adversity had come good and he had reached the very peak. This man is a genuine Hero. A true Legend. And an Inspiration to all.
Dave Bartrum’s full blog can be read here.
Inspirational
This Sunday saw the closing ceremony of the 2012 London 2012 Olympics. I stayed up to watch despite needing to be up early the next morning. Not because I felt I had to, but because I wanted to. It was truly fantastic and the Athletes who treated us to some amazing moments over the previous 16 days looked to be having a great time and rightly so. The Olympics had been a huge success.
London had transformed Iconic landmarks into sporting venues during the Olympics. (Image:London 2012)
Now turn the clocks back a year or so when the Olympic tickets went on sale, I was really excited. I wanted to get a ticket for something. I wanted to see the greatest sporting event in the world. I wanted to be a part of history. I selected a number of events I wanted to see. Hoping I would be chosen for at least something. I wasn’t. Stories came through about people who got loads of tickets, MP’s and the such being given tickets yet I couldn’t get a single ticket for anything. I only live about 50 miles from the Olympic Stadium. Was one ticket too much to ask for? I was gutted. I was angry about the whole ticketing process and I had lost all interest and excitement in the Olympics.
Even when the Torch relay began I was still fed up with it all. It was all we had been hearing about for months and I still hadn’t managed to get a ticket for anything. Although it was nice to see worthy people running with the flame, people who had done a lot for charity and their community, I did get cross that minor celebrities got the chance to run with it to for no apparent reason. Remember Will.I.Am running with it in Taunton? Why? What had he done to deserve that opportunity? He didn’t even have any connection with the place and couldn’t even spell it!
But one image changed the way I thought.
Day 39 of the Torch Relay and the flame was in Doncaster. The crowds had packed the streets to see one person carry the flame. Not a celebrity, in fact a relative unknown. 27 year old Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson. Ben was the most severely wounded soldier to survive in Afghanistan and had lost both his legs. With the help of his family it took him neatly 30 minutes to cover the 300 meters whilst the thousands of onlookers cheered and spurred him on calling his name. It was heart warming stuff and made even the most cynical person such as myself feel rather emotional.
Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson provided one of the most memorable Torch Relay moments. (Image:London 2012)
Maybe this whole farce and waste of government money was a little less of a joke after all.
The days counted down and before long the opening ceremony was upon us. I decided to give the Olympics a chance. Still frustrated at my lack of ticket I watched the opening ceremony with some cynicism. That didn’t last. Before long I was captivated by what was happening. The ceremony was spectacular. It had turned my mood and thoughts completely. I was now really looking forward to the games to begin.
The coverage provided by the BBC was superb. Hours and hours of TV showing every event. Extra channels put on and live internet streaming. Even the commentary on Radio 5, 5 live sports extra and Olympics extra that I was listening to at work was brilliant. The days passed and incredibly the medals for Team GB were racking up. Iconic and heart warming images and stories from the games being beamed around the world. Social media was buzzing and it seemed not just me but a whole nation was captivated. Cheering on the team in every event from Swimming and Rowing to Judo and Volleyball. Crying at images of Victoria Pendleton final goodbye and Chris Hoy’s amazing sixth gold medal.
Team GB domiated the Cycling events winning 7 out of a possible 10 gold medals in the Velodrome (Image:London 2012)
It seemed as the Olympics went on and the incredible medal tally rose, so did the spirit the nation. Everyone was being treated to coverage of sports they had never seen before and introduced to new exciting events. How many people were captivated by the Dressage? How many people were cheering womens boxing? And how many want to give Handball a go? I had soon forgotten about the anger I had felt about not getting a ticket and was backing Great Britain and feeling not just proud of the athletes who have trained so hard to achieve the sporting greatness we were witnessing, but feeling proud to be British and of a nation that was really putting on the greatest show on earth. Despite all the negativity that surrounded the games in the run up, Britain really pulled it out of the bag. I was in awe of it all even with a little sadness that I couldn’t have been at witnessed this great event in person and soaked up the atmosphere.
Thanks to the Olympics Handball has generated huge interest. (Image:London 2012)
As the games end, we are given montages of the memorable moments. The highs and the lows, the tears and the joy, the euphoria and the heartbreak. You can’t help be moved by some of the images but most of all, you can’t help but be inspired by what you have witnessed. The games may be over but the work needs to continue. Sports clubs around the country need to take advantage of the nations desire to get involved in sport. Encourage people to take part, provide opportunities to all those wanting to get a taste of it, and most of all the government need to help out. Even if you don’t think you are able to participate in any of the sports, just helping out and volunteering at a local sports club will make a huge difference to many. The British Team exceeded all expectations over the last two weeks, who’s to say with more people wanting to get involved in sport, they can’t achieve even more in four years time? Let’s hope the much hyped Olympic Legacy is here to stay and not just a flash in the pan.
Some Olympic arena’s will open to the public to enable them to take part in sports such as Canoeing at Lee Valley (Image:London 2012)
As for me? I have been inspired too. The success of the Cycling team has left me wanting to get out on my bike more often. I used to go out cycling a lot, but recently I’ve had less and less time. I need to make time though and get back out there. I know it is highly unlikely I will ever make Olympic standard and by the time Rio starts, I think 33 years old would be pushing it a bit, but one thing is for certain, I would love to be able to photograph the next Olympics and maybe I could capture some images like the once we have seen recently that have helped inspire a nation.
Thank you to everyone involved in ensuring the London 2012 Olympic games has been a fantastic event that has made the world take notice and for turning me from a grumpy cynic to a proud Brit. From the Volunteers and the organisers to the Athletes themselves, Thank you all. I’ve cheered, I’ve yelled, I’ve jumped up and down, I’ve shed a tear or two and I’ve loved every minute of it. I never thought I would be saying that a few months ago. Britain really is Great after all. Bring on the Paralympics!
The Olympic Games has bought a nation closer together. (Image:London 2012)
