A bit of boredom set in and a conversation occurred when I recalled a time I was out cycling.

In short, said person announced that you weren’t a real mountain biker unless you’ve done Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa). The chap was being serious too

So, what things as a cyclist have you not achieved but “should” have done

Mountain bike
Well, I’ve not done Snowdon, so I’m not a real mountain biker

Road cycling
I’ve not raced (which was horrifying 20 years ago apparently) and I’ve not done a century either (shocking stuff, done plenty of high 90 milers but never gone into treble figures)

Bikepacking
Never dangled a mug


So, what sports do you do but never met the expectations of somewhere willing to make daft/stupid:ignorant statements

I’ve found, that whatever sport/hobby/musical instrument you take up, you’ll meet someone who’s that good at it, that you’ll feel like a numpty.

That’s why I’m the frog at the farriers - I’m trying to be a horse, but I’ll always be just a frog.

I've got as many Tour de France wins to my name as Lance Armstrong.

as a 20 stone 6ft 4'' bloke, who is obviously the least looking cyclist possibly ever, i am very happy to have achieved everything i have wanted to do whilst riding a bike.

Every sport/hobby has a knobhead... Looks like you found yours.

It's just about riding a bike

PS, I've done Snowdon and it was rubbish, so feck them

JohnClimber wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 11:09 pm Every sport/hobby has a knobhead... Looks like you found yours.

It's just about riding a bike

PS, I've done Snowdon and it was rubbish, so feck them

100% Don’t ride with them now

Hmm. Friends traipsed down to Snowdonia many years a go to ride the path and pronounced it a waste of time on a bike (it was a low cloud day so no views) If I was to go all the way down there I'd want a real riding experience, like across Esgair Garthern

So I guess I'm not real, or is that unreal.....

Direct them to the Bealach lice in Torridon if they ere wishing a real climb and descent

So, what things as a cyclist have you not achieved but “should” have done

Used Strava? : )

I struggled to think of much that a cyclist should have done / do? The only real sterotype I could think of was lycra shorts...
Easy to come up with a list of great things to do but 'to be a real cyclist' list is hard. "Ride so far you blow up, bonk and have to have a sit down for a while" ? : )

Riding / pushing up a big mountain is a good one, a classic Crane cousins type of thing to do. Had a great day taking bikes up Snowdon about 20 years ago. Hardtail with Z1s (good) but on V-brakes (bad, but at least it was a dry day). Rode up, ate lunch and sat around looking at the view for a while then rode down the Ranger's Path which was a great descent then. Many pinch-flat stops. Did similar on Cadar Idris on the same trip. Last WRT we did the same sort of thing as there was a grid ref on the highest point of the Berwyns. Going to the tops of big hills just to find a way down again is one of the best things you can do with a bike.

I'm going to go against the tide by saying I think riding Yr Wyddfa is a great outing but I'm not going to have it down as any sort of qualification!

The whole premise of ‘done x, y , z’ really grates on me.

Regularly hear it in the office “yeah we done snowdonia last week, ticked it off like”. - a drive to llanberis, hiked up and down the walkers path and that’s the entire snowdonia region , ticked off! Aah well at least the rest of the region is quiet!

substandard wrote: ↑Thu Mar 20, 2025 7:47 pm The whole premise of ‘done x, y , z’ really grates on me.

Regularly hear it in the office “yeah we done snowdonia last week, ticked it off like”. - a drive to llanberis, hiked up and down the walkers path and that’s the entire snowdonia region , ticked off! Aah well at least the rest of the region is quiet!

I will happily sacrifice Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike to the townies to prevent crowd erosion damage to other peaks.

Can you be considered a MTBer if you haven't opened every gate on the Pennine Bridleway?

I also think Snowdon is a pretty good ride, though I cracked a rib and bent a chainstay last time I did it...but i'd say the Snowdon range is far more enjoyable on foot. Walking the Snowdon horseshoe was brilliant, and felt more of an achievement than the mtbing....

I think any kind of rules for cycling are fairly pathetic, have always hated the element of road cycling that indulges that. There's just individual assortments of cycling experience. More of a definition point, but cycling for me does involves riding a bike outside....controversial I know

If it isn't on Strava it didn't happen. Get to the pub after our weekly night ride and for the first 10 -15 minutes there's no conversation while everyone except me faffs about muttering and swearing at Garmins and phones, syncing to Strava. Strava holds no interest for me at all. Followed by 20 odd minutes of checking various segments for KOM's, local legends and who in the group was fastest and slowest or got a PB. Still allows me some quality time with my pint I suppose!

Also liked Yr Wyddfa on a bike and on foot...the horshoe ( no bike obvs)in deep winter was not that much fun but hey i did not die


Strava i like to know how far i have ridden in a year but that is all...its also poor as my mate always does mote miles and climbing on the same ride with his phoe than my garmin says so its not that accurate ( about 1 mile per 30 and about 100ft per thousand)

I think any kind of rules for cycling are fairly pathetic, have always hated the element of road cycling that indulges that.

An exception for self-supported rules? More of an ethics discusssion than written rules but it's similar, a structure for people to compete within. But, yeah .. cycling for me was always the antithesis of rules-based sports.

AndreR wrote: ↑Fri Mar 21, 2025 10:55 am If it isn't on Strava it didn't happen. Get to the pub after our weekly night ride and for the first 10 -15 minutes there's no conversation while everyone except me faffs about muttering and swearing at Garmins and phones, syncing to Strava. Strava holds no interest for me at all. Followed by 20 odd minutes of checking various segments for KOM's, local legends and who in the group was fastest and slowest or got a PB. Still allows me some quality time with my pint I suppose!

Well that's two of us then

I think the following criteria cover it...

1. Looking at my bike
2. Talking about my bike.
3. Watching TV shows that feature people riding bikes.
4. Websites about bikes
5. Bacon (Shaf, you are excused from this one)

AndreR wrote: ↑Fri Mar 21, 2025 10:55 am ...quality time with my pint...

Absolute bliss!

I would suggest lands end to John o'groats or visa versa

Doesn't matter how you do it

For a couple of years running I stayed in a youth hostel where a solo lady (same both times) passed through doing it (and then a few more miles joined by an aged parent) seemed like an annual pilgrimage for her

Did it once myself many years ago

If you haven't got a bike then you ain't a real cyclist and that's it really

Leerowe76 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 3:19 am If you haven't got a bike then you ain't a real cyclist and that's it really

Succinct and to the point, end of thread

However owning a bike does not automatically make you a cyclist.

Bacon (Shaf, you are excused from this one)

Never ever have i considered that my veganism means I am not a proper cyclist.
I also know folk who think the fact i dont go to pubs during or after rides means i am not a proper mtb.
Odd as neither are in anyway related to riding or owning a bike and the later renders a lot of pro riders as non cyclists.

If I had to pick just one thing it would be riding in bad weather.

Leerowe76 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 23, 2025 3:19 am If you haven't got a bike then you ain't a real cyclist and that's it really

Keep it light!!

whitestone wrote: ↑Sat Mar 22, 2025 9:10 am I think the following criteria cover it...

1. Looking at my bike
2. Talking about my bike.
3. Watching TV shows that feature people riding bikes.
4. Websites about bikes
5. Bacon (Shaf, you are excused from this one)

Yeah, sometimes I think Mrs Voodoo wouldn’t judge me as harshly if she caught me looking at women on the ‘net rather than bikes…

“Why can’t you look at porn like most men…”

Pornographic cyclists?