Is cycle sport encouraging uptake of cycling?

Club cyclists are already involved in cycle sport. They might not all be competing but they are getting the benefits of an 'active lifestyle'. pukes They were cycling before and after the Olympics, in this case. And anyway, who says that all club cyclists are motivated by the success of Olympic athletes / pro cyclists? (edit: in retrospect, this may be what you're getting at.)

I think the point that Skully is trying to make is that there is/has been an overwhelming focus on medals and 'getting the gold' rather than competing for the sake of improvement or personal achievement. I don't think the athletes have this view - they want to win, of course, but I think they could more elegantly state the case for participation in sport as an end in itself; something the Gary Lineker / Clare Balding / Guardian editor are incapable of doing in the rush for TEAM GB WINS GOLD, NATIONAL PRIDE, TEAM GB, WHAT RECESSION? etc attention grabbing headlines.

Without wishing to grandstand the media focus (and I think it is the media) on medals, and Golds being worth five times a bronze medal, and disappointment when out precious games fails to deliver WR times is more a product of being part of a society which idolises celebrity - and it just so happens that athletes have been the celebrities for the past couple of weeks. It's a pity, because it obviously detracts from the bigger issues, as Skully mentioned, such as the woeful underfunding of grass roots level sports.

There seems to be a lot of contradiction in your post, not sure what point you are trying to make. You're right about club cyclists, of course they do not all race. In fact most don't, and most aren't even what you'd call 'active' as they only participate once or twice a week. Joining a club has many benefits. Some people don't understand it's not just a handful of wizened faced old choppers, wordlessly beasting each other over grey, drizzly hills.

As for grass roots, the national governing bodies are largely responsible for this. And their funding depends almost entirely on the success of the elite programmes. The government gives UKsport guidelines on what they want to see regarding numbers, and those sports who deliver get their funding. Those who don't get it cut.

a handful of wizened faced old choppers, wordlessly beasting each other

I had no idea that people thought cycling clubs were like this

Catch 22.. don't perform, don't get funding.. don't get funding don't perform.

#itsallabitshit

I had no idea that people thought cycling clubs were like this

RPM's never actually cycled on the road. He only knows about some gnarled old bloke that used to harass him on the way to the track with "something something CC" on his jersey..

I had no idea that people thought cycling clubs were like this

Pretty much every cycling club I've ever been a member of, bar my current one, has been like this.

...which is a shame because it doesn't need to be that way. I blame the current trend for 'racing clubs' who take themselves too seriously, do plenty of races (but probably don't host one).

/rant

Pretty much every cycling club I've ever been a member of, bar my current one, has been like this.

I guess I won't join one then...the last thing I want to do whilst out for a nice ride is to be wordlessly beasted by a gang of wizened old choppers. That's what adultfriendfinder is for.

...which is a shame because it doesn't need to be that way. I blame the current trend for 'racing clubs' who take themselves too seriously, do plenty of races (but probably don't host one).

That's the thing though.. the kids wanna race.. not stand on a junction pointing riders to head a certain way.

In Melbourne the clubs came to an arragement that, if you raced, you had to marshall at two events a year otherwise, piss off.

In GB I've experience Willesden which definitely is one of the older clubs but has loads of younger members and Grupetto and Rolla which are both new fangled post-internet established clubs.

All of them have run races. All of them are friendly. They do slightly different things.

RPM's never actually cycled on the road. He only knows about some gnarled old bloke that used to harass him on the way to the track with "something something CC" on his jersey..

I just wound the windows up and turned the stereo louder, then it wasn't a problem.

I guess I won't join one then...the last thing I want to do whilst out for a nice ride is to be wordlessly beasted by a gang of wizened old choppers. That's what adultfriendfinder is for.

Silky^

I just wound the windows up and turned the stereo louder, then it wasn't a problem.

There he is!

There seems to be a lot of contradiction in your post, not sure what point you are trying to make. You're right about club cyclists, of course they do not all race. In fact most don't, and most aren't even what you'd call 'active' as they only participate once or twice a week. Joining a club has many benefits. Some people don't understand it's not just a handful of wizened faced old choppers, wordlessly beasting each other over grey, drizzly hills.

As for grass roots, the national governing bodies are largely responsible for this. And their funding depends almost entirely on the success of the elite programmes. The government gives UKsport guidelines on what they want to see regarding numbers, and those sports who deliver get their funding. Those who don't get it cut.

There seems to be a lot of vagueness in your criticism, not sure what contradiction you are trying to call out.

As for you point about grass roots - well, you haven't made a point. That is how it is. Personally I don't think that funding should be inextricably linked to the performance of a couple of athletes. Having worked in schools (and I'm aware that this would perhaps be but one destination of any funding) it's kind of clear to me that most kids aren't getting enough sport/activity.

edit: was about to make tortuous point about particitpation in formalised sport vs just particitpating in it as an 'activity', but I think it's been made before so I won't bother.

Survey sporting clubs and see if there's been a spike in attendance or joining rates..

Go.

All of them have run races. All of them are friendly. They do slightly different things.

This is how things are these days. Andy's clubs of yesteryear do still exist, but as you can imagine, attitudes like that don't encourage new membership so the wizened old choppers are a lonely few, and instead of wordlessly beasting each other out in the dreary lanes of North Yorkshire, they are wordlessly attending their clubmates funerals as yet another dour and soulless heart gives up. With no younger members to take over, these clubs are just a forgotten jersey design and an inactive line on the BC club register.

That's the thing though.. the kids wanna race.. not stand on a junction pointing riders to head a certain way.

But what about the fat, slow kids?

There seems to be a lot of vagueness in your criticism, not sure what contradiction you are trying to call out.

As for you point about grass roots - well, you haven't made a point. That is how it is. Personally I don't think that funding should be inextricably linked to the performance of a couple of athletes. Having worked in schools (and I'm aware that this would perhaps be but one destination of any funding) it's kind of clear to me that most kids aren't getting enough sport/activity.

edit: was about to make tortuous point about particitpation in formalised sport vs just particitpating in it as an 'activity', but I think it's been made before so I won't bother.

Well done. I'm sure you know best.

So the way it is now, is best?

You're right, I don't know. That's kind of why I brought it up.

Only funding for the elite programme is linked to medal success, rather than funding for all cycling.

The track cycling performance at the Beijing olympics made me want to build a fixed gear bike, with the express desire to race on a velodrome one day.
That made me join this forum, and the forum+the bike made cycling my main means of transport rather than coming a poor second to the motorbike.
And I got to race at Herne Hill on a forum track day, so that ambition was fulfilled.

So yes, cycle sport encourages grass roots regular cycling.

As for grass roots, the national governing bodies are largely responsible for this. And their funding depends almost entirely on the success of the elite programmes. The government gives UKsport guidelines on what they want to see regarding numbers, and those sports who deliver get their funding. Those who don't get it cut.[/QUOTE] RPM

This is getting into the meat of.the thread.lots of sports are jumping.to try and meet the requirements of people miles off delivery of training, competition, membership, club development
The most saddening.thing is that so many clubs are struggling due to the last decade or so of the same govermental insistance on regulation, qualification,r.a pushed again by faceless office drones who never go near actual sport.
And CUNTS in charge like that Gove

They were cycling before and after the Olympics. And anyway

Munich 72 that is.

Only funding for the elite programme is linked to medal success, rather than funding for all cycling.

Sorry Quinn, simply not true.

I can't speak for the likes of the campaign groups, anyhow that's not really linked, but the departments of British Cycling which deal with grass roots sport, recreation and clubs and competiton are all extremely dependent on funding granted because of elite success.

I'm not 100% about how the money makes it's way through but BC's reduced rates help juniors hugely with race entries, licenses and stuff.

We collaborate with a shop chain to get a crit series going for the yout' each summer. As a result we have a lot sprogs keen as hell and racing. This is all funded by our membership fees (less than £30 a year) and membership numbers have just risen and risen over the last couple of years and it's all good. We're now having to run 2 chaingangs and 'social' ride in the week and 4 rides at weekends (including one specially for kids once a month).

It's still really expensive to host a proper road race, but we manage. It's always a bit of a slog getting marshals.

If you ride a bike it makes no sense to me not to be in a club, even if it's initially just for the insurance.

I can't speak for the likes of the campaign groups, anyhow that's not really linked...

Actually, there are some links. In that British Cycling is able to support campaigns for cycle safety, and with increased membership faces the prospect of influencing bills passed in Govt. Without petition.

What I meant was elite success doesn't directly financially assist the likes of the LCC, though that's my assumption.

But what about the fat, slow kids?

You've never seen a fatty sprint to the cake stop?