Fifty Plus (50+) - Where have all the punters gone?

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stokell
11-04-04, 01:19 PM
You know those people. It's spring, they have a brand new expensive bike and they are wearing a yellow jersey. They go tearing past you riding the chain. I call these people punters, as in someone new and inexperienced. Around this time of year (autumn) they start to disappear and I have the road to myself again.

Has anyone else observed this phenomenon?

As a year round bike commuter I've also observed those people (usually teenage males) who go tearing past you then after several minutes turn around to see how far back you are. If you are still on their tale, they usually make a right hand turn down a side street. I assume they do that so they can catch their breath and save face.

stapfam
11-05-04, 01:23 AM
You know those people. It's spring, they have a brand new expensive bike and they are wearing a yellow jersey. They go tearing past you riding the chain. I call these people punters, as in someone new and inexperienced. Around this time of year (autumn) they start to disappear and I have the road to myself again..

I must admit that I do get a bit narked at how crowded the trails get in the summer. You can't take a fast downhill offroad, without finding an inexperienced rider coming up the track slowly and right where you want to take your line. If its not a Biker, its a bunch of walkers and loose dogs, or a tractor.

Then come the first of the cold weather and you get the trails back to yourself again. Unfortunately, you then realise that it is lonely. Theres no-one about at all, but its not long till spring and those fairweather riders are back again. Then you find out that they are very fit, normally in the late 20's, have bikes that you could not dream of affording, and have a skill that leaves your 10 Years of mud plugging to shame. I don't what they do in the winter, But If a winter layoff means that you can retain that fitness, Then I'm going to hibernate till April.