Gel wrappers do not self destruct in 5 seconds...

ROK ON

Every weekend in Kerry after we have had fine weather there are gel wrappers tossed at side o road to Molls Gap/Caha Pass etc.

Monday just gone I saw a discarded inner tube as I descended from Caha Pass.

This stuff is nuts. If you can carry a tube/gel with you on a cy le you can carry it home.

Name and shame the club Dirk.

outfox

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Then a portly mamil in the older radioshack gear (the grey/red/livestrong) tossed a wrapper, after riding like a complete tool to hand his shaky friend a bottle. Seriously, he took one hand off the bars to drink and the bike was shimmying all over the place.

I saw that bottle handling event. It looked like a comedy act. I moved well out of the way I can tell you.
I did think during the ride that there was a particularly large amount of wrappers on the route. Way more than on other sportives.

Jawgap

Captain Havoc wrote: »

There is no need for gels on a sportive or audax, you can stop at a shop. Gels shouldn't really be used as food as they're generally quick burners to give you a boost say for a dart up a hill or a sprint.

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Why don't you join me in Austria next year on the 230km sportive that I did this year through the mountains in over 30 degree heat. You find a shop in the middle of a mountain you let me know. Or how about the Milan san remo 295km that I did last year? Then we'll revisit your answer. I don't use gels in races or training. I know what I'm talking about.

Look what just popped into my inbox! Saw it and thought of you guys!

http://www.cyclosport.org/16-Oct-2013/news/registration-now-open-for-44th-annual-milan---san-remo-sportive.html

Lusk_Doyle

Jawgap wrote: »

Look what just popped into my inbox! Saw it and thought of you guys!

http://www.cyclosport.org/16-Oct-2013/news/registration-now-open-for-44th-annual-milan---san-remo-sportive.html

Nah. It's only 294kms next year. Not long enough. That said though, I'd probably get around without a gel cos of the shorter route!

petethedrummer

They offset the gel wrapper by not driving the route, so environmentally speaking everything remains in equilibrium.:)

Spokes of Glory

There's a special place in hell for people that treat the public roads like their own private landfill.

Unfortunately there's something in the Irish psyche that still doesn't see littering as socially unacceptable. On my commute and spins around north county Dublin I regularly see whole bin liners full of waste, tv's, matresses, (yesterday a full windscreen) etc fly-tipped at what are obviously well-known points, and I'm sure many here see the same. Some would try to justify it by pointing to waste charges; ironically a lot of the stuff you see dumped can be legally disposed/recycled for free.

It really is a stain on our national character, and I'd put anybody who engages in "bike littering" in the same category.

Spokes

LeoD

Green&Red wrote: »

I think the real way to stop it is to pull up people on it, tell them in no uncertain terms that they are not sean kelly and to get the f**k back and pick up their rubbish

Enduro wrote: »

I'd definitely try to catch the litterer and give him a piece of my mind there and then if I could

What a completely moronic thing to do so don't do it again.

I don't actually mean that so don't be offended but I just wanted to highlight how unhelpful telling people "in no uncertain terms" or 'giving them a piece of your mind' can be.

My approach is usually to roll up to the guilty party and ask them who they think is going to pick their rubbish up and would they mind putting their wrappers back in their pockets instead.

Green&Red

I'd think of it more as a way of shaming them into going back and picking it up. I'd imagine someone like that wouldnt have the balls if someone was to stand up to them and ask them to pick up their rubbish

Perhaps less aggression!

07Lapierre

Spokes of Glory wrote: »

There's a special place in hell for people that treat the public roads like their own private landfill.

Unfortunately there's something in the Irish psyche that still doesn't see littering as socially unacceptable. On my commute and spins around north county Dublin I regularly see whole bin liners full of waste, tv's, matresses, (yesterday a full windscreen) etc fly-tipped at what are obviously well-known points, and I'm sure many here see the same. Some would try to justify it by pointing to waste charges; ironically a lot of the stuff you see dumped can be legally disposed/recycled for free.

It really is a stain on our national character, and I'd put anybody who engages in "bike littering" in the same category.

Spokes

Good man Spokes! you don't post very often, but when you do....;)

AIR-AUSSIE

Dirk, you've made on to the top of the list most thanked posts today.

liam7831

I think anyone using these gels are planks anyway, trying to make themselves feel like a pro cyclist or something. I did ROK this yr did minimal training and all I needed was a water bottle

RobFowl

liam7831 wrote: »

I think anyone using these gels are planks anyway, trying to make themselves feel like a pro cyclist or something. I did ROK this yr did minimal training and all I needed was a water bottle

Proper order, I read in a 1983 edition of Cycling weekly that the guys in the 1950's said anyone who took a water bottle on a spin less than 100 miles was well soft.
Plain and simple.

Just like your comment

ford2600

RobFowl wrote: »

Proper order, I read in a 1983 edition of Cycling weekly that the guys in the 1950's said anyone who took a water bottle on a spin less than 100 miles was well soft.
Plain and simple.

Just like your comment

I was going to reply something similar but didn't want a sanction!

Gels have their place for cyclists, I don't use them, but they work for some people even though IMHO over marketed

Darkglasses

I don't understand why others get so upset by some cyclists having gels. If you don't want them/don't see the point of them, don't have them. What the heck does it matter to anybody else if I have them?

dedocdude

Darkglasses wrote: »

I don't understand why others get so upset by some cyclists having gels. If you don't want them/don't see the point of them, don't have them. What the heck does it matter to anybody else if I have them?

Yeah like I eat gel all the time. I got home from work yesterday and my Missus says "Gel ok love? It's got caffine in it!" Looks after me she does. It will be roast gel on Sunday you know

disco1

Jeez...we have some right hard men here...close this bloody thread...

wirelessdude01

They have a time and a place but for instance I saw a lad reaching for a gel about 20km into the NCR yesterday. No need for one then. I think at times people use them to be 'cool'. Like look at me i'm a real cyclist

killalanerr

Jeez...will yeas wind your necks in its only a gel wrapper,i know if someone started shouting at me during a race it might not be just the wrapper that ended up in the hedge
I seldom use them when training in fact i find an apple and a banana does me for the first 100km or so,i do use them for racing and i do bring my wrappers home as a rule but some times when the pressure is on my gel wrapper may end up on the floor "understand all the facts before you judge"

cormacjones

killalanerr wrote: »

Jeez...will yeas wind your necks in its only a gel wrapper,i know if someone started shouting at me during a race it might not be just the wrapper that ended up in the hedge
I seldom use them when training in fact i find an apple and a banana does me for the first 100km or so,i do use them for racing and i do bring my wrappers home as a rule but some times when the pressure is on my gel wrapper may end up on the floor "understand all the facts before you judge"

Eh? I don't understand the point you're trying to make. So littering is excusable in certain circumstances?

Lusk_Doyle

cormacjones wrote: »

Eh? I don't understand the point you're trying to make. So littering is excusable in certain circumstances?

I think there's a misunderstanding here. I'd wager he meant during a race when a used gel wrapper might not go into your pocket when you try to put it back while at the same time hanging on for dear life in the race.

Others will have meant casually dumping whilst cycling in any scenario except racing.

Sometimes it is not possible to know if it has gone back into your pocket until after the race.

DirkVoodoo

To be clear: this was a casual sportive, no one was hanging on for dear life. It was a conscious throw of the wrapper, there was no fumbling with rear pockets.

Those facts were clearly given in the first post.

Lusk_Doyle

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

To be clear: this was a casual sportive, no one was hanging on for dear life. It was a conscious throw of the wrapper, there was no fumbling with rear pockets.

Those facts were clearly given in the first post.

Ah yea Dirk, but the conversation has clearly morphed since then.

DirkVoodoo

Yeah, the gel war has me baffled...do people really give two f**ks what anyone else eats on the bike? Seriously?

"No, he used a gel, I'm turning for home and throwing my bike into the first scrap yard I see!"

I can honestly say I have never become upset at what someone else has decided to eat, unless it contains coconut...barf.

Raam

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

do people really give two f**ks what anyone else eats on the bike? Seriously?

It's when lads start buying breakfast rolls after 30km into a spin that I might raise an eyebrow.

Lusk_Doyle

Raam wrote: »

It's when lads start buying breakfast rolls after 30km into a spin that I might raise an eyebrow.

Uh oh...

DirkVoodoo

Raam wrote: »

It's when lads start buying breakfast rolls after 30km into a spin that I might raise an eyebrow.

Stopping and eating lunch...on your coffee stop or whatever, is not quite what I had in mind.

I was going for actually "on" the bike. But sure if some lad whips out a breakfast roll from the back of his jersey, then yes I would agree with you.

I remember being completely famished after my first couple of cycles, I would have gladly eaten a breakfast roll after 30 km.

Lusk_Doyle

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Stopping and eating lunch...on your coffee stop or whatever, is not quite what I had in mind.

I was going for actually "on" the bike. But sure if some lad whips out a breakfast roll from the back of his jersey, then yes I would agree with you.

I remember being completely famished after my first couple of cycles, I would have gladly eaten a breakfast roll after 30 km.

Damn. I thought he was referring to some of your own past indiscretions!

DirkVoodoo

I've probably done far worse to offend his sensibilities, I think a breakfast roll would be a step up!

Pawlie

Ive said it before and I'll say it again,IT TAKES **** ALL EFFORT TO TUCK YOUR RUBBBISH UNDER YOUR JERSEY WHILE RACING....
I do not understand why lads cannot do this,its more dangerous doing 50kmph on bike while trying to rip open a gel than it is to tuck it away.

They should be no excuses for littering,you would'nt do it at home nor would you let your kids throw their rubbish around.

BofaDeezNuhtz

Raam wrote: »

It's when lads start buying breakfast rolls after 30km into a spin that I might raise an eyebrow.

This cycling lark might just suit me after all ha

Pawlie wrote: »

Ive said it before and I'll say it again,IT TAKES **** ALL EFFORT TO TUCK YOUR RUBBBISH UNDER YOUR JERSEY WHILE RACING....
I do not understand why lads cannot do this,its more dangerous doing 50kmph on bike while trying to rip open a gel than it is to tuck it away.

They should be no excuses for littering,you would'nt do it at home nor would you let your kids throw their rubbish around.

Spot on Pawlie