Just right

Belting along a local cycle path this evening, about a dozen young boys
of maybe ten or eleven years old, all on half-ton "supermarket" bikes,
all with the saddles far too low and many with the tyres far too soft,
many of the bikes emitting creaks, squeaks or clanks - and every one of
the riders yelling away and grinning from ear to ear with the fun of it.
Sometimes, for that moment, plain wrong can be just right!

--
Brian G
www.wetwo.co.uk

Brian G wrote:
Belting along a local cycle path this evening, about a dozen young boys
of maybe ten or eleven years old, all on half-ton "supermarket" bikes,
all with the saddles far too low and many with the tyres far too soft,
many of the bikes emitting creaks, squeaks or clanks - and every one of
the riders yelling away and grinning from ear to ear with the fun of it.
Sometimes, for that moment, plain wrong can be just right!

Well, good for them, but don't you think they'd have been grinning
even /more/ on half decent bikes at half as much effort and half as
much speed again?

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

"Peter Clinch" wrote in message
...
Brian G wrote:
Belting along a local cycle path this evening, about a dozen young boys
of maybe ten or eleven years old, all on half-ton "supermarket" bikes,
all with the saddles far too low and many with the tyres far too soft,
many of the bikes emitting creaks, squeaks or clanks - and every one of
the riders yelling away and grinning from ear to ear with the fun of it.
Sometimes, for that moment, plain wrong can be just right!

Well, good for them, but don't you think they'd have been grinning even
/more/ on half decent bikes at half as much effort and half as much speed
again?

Pete.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Clinch"
Newsgroups: uk.rec.cycling
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 8:07 PM
Subject: Just right


Brian G wrote:
Belting along a local cycle path this evening, about a dozen young boys
of maybe ten or eleven years old, all on half-ton "supermarket" bikes,
all with the saddles far too low and many with the tyres far too soft,
many of the bikes emitting creaks, squeaks or clanks - and every one of
the riders yelling away and grinning from ear to ear with the fun of it.
Sometimes, for that moment, plain wrong can be just right!

Well, good for them, but don't you think they'd have been grinning even
/more/ on half decent bikes at half as much effort and half as much speed
again?


My first bike came out of a scrap yard. One lad would stay outside and the
rest of us little tykes would lob bits we wanted over the fence for him to
stack up and stop them getting nicked! I am going back to the 1950's
though. Anyhow, my bike was heavy, had a single speed, holes in the tyres
patched with bits of leather, and lots of rust on the frame and wheels, but
it was mine, and I had many happy rides on it, and, like the kids seen by
the OP, lots of fun. That bike, little more really than a wreck, started a
lifelong love of bikes and cycling. Perhaps one of those kids enjoying
their BSO's will also develop a love of cycling.

Bill

Bill wrote:
"Peter Clinch" wrote in message
...

Well, good for them, but don't you think they'd have been grinning even
/more/ on half decent bikes at half as much effort and half as much speed
again?


My first bike came out of a scrap yard. One lad would stay outside and the
rest of us little tykes would lob bits we wanted over the fence for him to
stack up and stop them getting nicked! I am going back to the 1950's
though. Anyhow, my bike was heavy, had a single speed, holes in the tyres
patched with bits of leather, and lots of rust on the frame and wheels, but
it was mine, and I had many happy rides on it, and, like the kids seen by
the OP, lots of fun. That bike, little more really than a wreck, started a
lifelong love of bikes and cycling. Perhaps one of those kids enjoying
their BSO's will also develop a love of cycling.

I wasn't really looking that far ahead, though of course you might be
right. I was just thinking that while it's clearly right to try to
raise standards and to persuade people to the joys of serious cycling on
proper machines, just occasionally it's good to see that kids' innate
sense of fun can overcome the handicaps imposed by sloppy purchasing and
cynical marketing.

--
Brian G
www.wetwo.co.uk

"Brian G" wrote in message
...
Belting along a local cycle path this evening, about a dozen young boys of
maybe ten or eleven years old, all on half-ton "supermarket" bikes, all
with the saddles far too low and many with the tyres far too soft, many of
the bikes emitting creaks, squeaks or clanks - and every one of the riders
yelling away and grinning from ear to ear with the fun of it. Sometimes,
for that moment, plain wrong can be just right!

On Sunday I was doing the same and came across a family group on mostly
reasonable bikes who moved over to let me fly past. The mother shouted to
the lad to keep in but he decided to race me on his BSO with full
suspension, low gears and bit fat nobbly tyres, swerving around on the cycle
path so I couldn't pass. In the end I just followed until he could hardly
breathe any more then sailed past almost effortlessly! (I know I'm cruel but
maybe he'll be riding for the UK one day and I can say I helped train him).

Don't think mother was too impressed when caught up with him a mile and a
bit further along.
--
peter

Cheap train tickets database
http://www.petereverett.co.uk/tickets/

Email sent to this address is generally deleted upon arrival
Visit website if you want to contact me

in message , Bill
') wrote:

My first bike came out of a scrap yard. One lad would stay outside and
the rest of us little tykes would lob bits we wanted over the fence for
him to
stack up and stop them getting nicked! I am going back to the 1950's
though. Anyhow, my bike was heavy, had a single speed, holes in the
tyres patched with bits of leather, and lots of rust on the frame and
wheels, but it was mine, and I had many happy rides on it, and, like the
kids seen by
the OP, lots of fun. That bike, little more really than a wreck, started
a
lifelong love of bikes and cycling. Perhaps one of those kids enjoying
their BSO's will also develop a love of cycling.

My first bike was bought for ten shillings from a junk shop; I was
thirteen. It had a sturmey archer 3 speed, rod brakes, 28 inch wheels. It
was massive - I was already over six foot at that age, but even with its
saddle at the lowest I could barely get on it. It had been wartime army
issue, and it had been black, but by the time I got it the predominant
colour was rust. That bike was a freedom machine. I loved it.

Looking back at it now it was a hideous heap of ****e, but I didn't know
any better at the time!

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

The trouble with Simon is that he only opens his mouth to change feet.
;; of me, by a 'friend'

Peter Clinch writes:

Brian G wrote:
Belting along a local cycle path this evening, about a dozen young
boys of maybe ten or eleven years old, all on half-ton "supermarket"
bikes, all with the saddles far too low and many with the tyres far
too soft, many of the bikes emitting creaks, squeaks or clanks - and
every one of the riders yelling away and grinning from ear to ear
with the fun of it. Sometimes, for that moment, plain wrong can be
just right!

Well, good for them, but don't you think they'd have been grinning
even /more/ on half decent bikes at half as much effort and half as
much speed again?

You underestimate the power of peer pressure. My (12 year old) son
rides to school every day with a group of mates. He'd much rather take
his mountain bike than the commuting bike that he has for the
purpose. He knows perfectly well that as a tool for getting the job
done it's a better bike, but the mountain bike is cooler :/

On 5 Jun, 05:54, Paul Rudin wrote:
You underestimate the power of peer pressure. My (12 year old) son
rides to school every day with a group of mates. He'd much rather take
his mountain bike than the commuting bike that he has for the
purpose. He knows perfectly well that as a tool for getting the job
done it's a better bike, but the mountain bike is cooler :/

My nephew got a new bike and was adamant about wanting full sus and
knobbly tyres. After a few weeks it got nicked, he opted for no rear
sus. His birthday is coming up soon, he's asked for some slicker
tyres. I guess the novelty wears off after a while.

On Jun 5, 8:37 am, POHB wrote:
On 5 Jun, 05:54, Paul Rudin wrote:

You underestimate the power of peer pressure. My (12 year old) son
rides to school every day with a group of mates. He'd much rather take
his mountain bike than the commuting bike that he has for the
purpose. He knows perfectly well that as a tool for getting the job
done it's a better bike, but the mountain bike is cooler :/

My nephew got a new bike and was adamant about wanting full sus and
knobbly tyres. After a few weeks it got nicked, he opted for no rear
sus. His birthday is coming up soon, he's asked for some slicker
tyres. I guess the novelty wears off after a while.

Point him at the track. Then he'll be wanting no gears or brakes
either..

...d

David Martin wrote:
On Jun 5, 8:37 am, POHB wrote:
On 5 Jun, 05:54, Paul Rudin wrote:

You underestimate the power of peer pressure. My (12 year old) son
rides to school every day with a group of mates. He'd much rather take
his mountain bike than the commuting bike that he has for the
purpose. He knows perfectly well that as a tool for getting the job
done it's a better bike, but the mountain bike is cooler :/
My nephew got a new bike and was adamant about wanting full sus and
knobbly tyres. After a few weeks it got nicked, he opted for no rear
sus. His birthday is coming up soon, he's asked for some slicker
tyres. I guess the novelty wears off after a while.

Point him at the track. Then he'll be wanting no gears or brakes
either..

That's alright, none of his mates would have those after a week anyway,
assuming they're riding Sterling House specials.

A