Hammond rides one too… and so does Clarkson. May is a sensible guy and has a Brompton of course.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/james-may-on-bicycles-2012-12-14
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
James May on bicycles
(17 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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Lots of very good points. I'd say hello, but then I don't wear lycra, so perhaps that doesn't count.
Posted 12 years ago # -
On the odd occasion when I see another I'll often shout or ring a bell.
Posted 12 years ago # -
He's is also a very keen motorcyclist. I believe the correct etiquette there is to nod,small flick of the hand, or foot, just something to aknowledge the other rider. If you look, you will see this is very common amongst motorcyclists. Perhaps he misses that whilst on his pedal cycle ?
Posted 12 years ago # -
He's exaggerating for effect, of course, but I can only presume he's cycling in the miserabilism magnet of London where the sheer extent and close proximity of humanity means it is common practice not to acknowledge your fellow man...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Seems very sensible to me. Funnily enough the Top Gear commenters are a league and a half above the general citizenry of the EEN too (in a good way).
Posted 12 years ago # -
He hedges his bets though to appeal to the cyclist hating TG readers. In summary, he says that he loves bicycles and cycling, but is contemptuous of other cyclists/lycra louts whom he finds miserable.
Also he resorts to a version of the washing machine fallacy. As if he's going to be schlepping a new fridge strapped to a Lambourghini, or whatever typical TG review performance car he's driving in the photo...
Posted 12 years ago # -
He does hedge his bets a little, but overall I think that's an eminently sensible, and generally fair, reflection of cycling. And from a source that may not have been expected (save, as pointed out above, that it's well known he, and the Hammond, and even occasionaly Clarkson, cycle).
The froidge comment isn't quite as blustery a reference as 'you shouldn't cycle because you can't carry a fridge which you can in a car'. It's a little more subtle than that, and not really directed at 'cars are better than bikes', but rather that each tool has its purpose - which is right really, because save for a few people we won't take fridges home on the bike (nor in the car, but he doesn't actually say that cars are good for that), but will rather rely on an internally-combusted delivery lorry.
"In summary, he says that he loves bicycles and cycling, but is contemptuous of other cyclists/lycra louts whom he finds miserable."
Bit harsh? In summary, he says he loves bicycles [good?] and cycling [great?], but
is contemptuous ofis frustrated byother cyclists/lycra louts whom he finds miserablepeople being unfriendly despite sharing the same transport mode (see threads passim for people here who agree with his thoughts - not me to be honest, I don't nod to every other pedestrian when walking, nor flash my lights at every other Mini on the road).Posted 12 years ago # -
He does have a point about the smiling thing. I cycled for 3 years between Slateford and the Bush Estate (I've since moved). There are very few cyclists doing that exact route and I'd often call out hello or smile. Often that was met with looks of astonishment from cyclists going the other way. When people overtook me and I called out 'Morning!' there was an obvious wobble from their front wheel at the fact that someone had spoken to me.
I generally found the slow cyclists (slower than me so had to be slow) and the female cyclists were the most likely to respond cheerfully.
Posted 12 years ago # -
@WC, while it's nice that he likes bikes, I don't think you need to go out of your way to defend James May. He's writing with his audience in mind, and knows which buttons to press.
Also, before we all convince ourselves that other cyclists are miserable as he says, I find it depends. This evening as I made my way along the the NCN route from Dalmeny to Leith in the dark, I was surprised by a number of cyclists who greeted me as they passed. This in reserved Edinburgh too.
Posted 12 years ago # -
20 years ago I found people on mountain bikes didn't wave. I assumed this was because they hadn't grown up on bikes and only got on one when they became trendy. In those days we didn't wave, we sort of pointed at each other but it came to the same.
Mr Gow tells me that road bikes are trendy now.
Bromptons are common place in London.
I also notice that Doctor Marten boots are trendy too.
Seems I've been ahead of the loop for years. I don't see any need for colourful Docs or for putting spikes on them.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"@WC, while it's nice that he likes bikes, I don't think you need to go out of your way to defend James May."
I'm not. I think you're going out of your way to criticise what is overall a decent article because it's James May.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Frinstance
"before we all convince ourselves that other cyclists are miserable as he says..."
However... "I was surprised by a number of cyclists who greeted me as they passed"
Why 'surprised'?
Posted 12 years ago # -
[iI think you're going out of your way to criticise what is overall a decent article because it's James May.[/i]
You might think that, I disagree.
Posted 12 years ago # -
As it seems I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't I think I'll just keep waving.
<edit> There's a bloke who stands at the cross-roads just down the hill from East Saltoun most days. He can remember when horses were used in the fields. He's great to talk to and he waves to everyone, whether, by his own admission, he knows them or not. But then he's farmed those fields - I mean worked those fields - for maybe fifty years. Is it propriety or is he being proprietorial? Who knows. Everyone seemed to wave at everyone else when I was young, living in the countryside. Perhaps James May is yearning for a more innocent age. Perhaps he and I worry that there's a trend to all sit inside a solipsistic bubble, ignoring anything or anyone who doesn't pass our rigorous standards. Wrong bike? Wrong kit? Wrong cadence? It's tempting to scorn him for promoting car use which so removes us from contact with each other then complain when that contact isn't immediately re-established once he steps from his car. But I don't think it's a complete loss. Suppose you were climbing a Munro and you met someone descending. Would you say hello? I think most would.
And iirc the Volkswagen Beetle handbook circa 1966 suggested that all Beetle owners wave at one another.</edit>
Posted 12 years ago # -
Humm, he should try recumbent, everyone says hello! I know what you mean, where I grew you you said hello to everybody, its just how its done, imagine for a moment we had actually high levels of cycling, you wouldnt say hello to everyone then would ya? I think maybe he should take a longer ride into the country, the percentage would shoot up Im sure.
Posted 12 years ago # -
In the more rural parts of Scotland even drivers wave at each other as they pass. Especially in the isles.
Posted 12 years ago #
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