Sunday, April 15, 2012

CYCLISTS - GIVING CADEL EVANS A BAD NAME

I live fairly close to the Bay Run, so once or twice a week, Q and I walk it with a dear friend, our mouths moving as fast as our legs.
The other day my sister-in-law joined us, so I walked ahead pushing Q and yelled my comments back so we didn't walk 3 abreast and hog the entire footpath.
Which brings me to the point of this post - cycling etiquette on a shared path.

I have absolutely no objection to those using the Bay Run as a commuter route to work, their sensible office shoes in a backpack on their backs, their suit pants tucked into their woollen blend socks.

But the serious cyclists, identified by their Cadel Evans Silence Lotto uniforms (he's not with them anymore you ninnies. He won last year's tour racing for BMC), hooning around the Bay like it's the Champs elysees. Seriously?
Go find a hill.
The Bay Run is 7km of dead flat track. You can walk it in under 50 minutes. (To be fair, us three ladies are all at least 5'10" so we do have a long stride, but the fact remains that it is not one of Sydney's most challenging courses).

Perhaps I wouldn't feel so affronted by these MAMILS (middle aged men in lycra) if they didn't whizz past me so fast I got whiplash from their slipstream, and just the other day have one of them shake their head at my 16 month old girl toddling along on the correct side of the path and well out of their harm's way.

And as for the series of slow down gates by the Leichhardt Rowing Club, there is a sign that says DISMOUNT FROM BIKE. 
Not skid to a halt and chuck a filthie at the distinguished older gentleman who walks the route every day with his dog Missy.
His name is Peter, you bike-riding bullies, and he is a very nice man.

It would be my assumption that if you're wearing all the gear, sucking on a gel pack and sporting those ridiculous bike shoes, you consider yourself a fairly proficient rider.

Might I suggest then, one of two things.
Either you find a route that matches your outfit (all I'm saying is my daughter can walk 1500m of this 7000m track), or you stop picking on those of us with a slower form of recreational movement and learn to share the road.

As I'm always telling my girl, sharing is caring.

We went to Primary School together. I like to think he remembers me.

2 comments:

  1. little miss q is on her way to becoming a great carer and sharer! keep it up! get those maimiacs off the trax!!nancy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks lady, she does love to share and give kisses to other kids...then get punky if they have something she wants! such a tough little world for her! thanks for reading.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...