Freds throwing away bottles

TGD

I thought I had seen everything .... until I saw Cat. 4s throwing away bottles coming to the end in Caherconlish today.

dahat

TGD wrote: »

I thought I had seen everything .... until I saw Cat. 4s throwing away bottles coming to the end in Caherconlish today.

Saw same, idiot as it bounced back off the ditch back into the group.

Lumen

Yeah, this problem rears its head every now and again

professional-like throwing of water bottles in A4 races?! (March 2012)
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056586268

Littering at races (March 2014)
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057170356

I'm sure I could find a thread from March 2013, March 2015 and March 2016 if I looked. :pac:

daragh_

I've seen that a few times in A4. Some people watch too much Telly.

ednwireland

recessions well over then

Dcmb1984

Ive heard it all now. If its not in the legs its not in the legs. A guy/girl would want to be at the very top end of their game before the weight of their water bottle well help give them an edge. As previously said. Someone must be watching too much telly.

Hunterbiker

Was it a Team Madison Genesis bidon?

gordongekko

Marginal gains

Kaisr Sose

Hunterbiker wrote: »

Was it a Team Madison Genesis bidon?

Ha ha, being biodegradable they will break up but throwing even one of these is senseless! In the pro peloton there can be accidents from this practice too (eg. if it comes back from a kerb) and I think all race organisers also give a briefing/warning on littering (gels /bottles) in pre-race literature/ director sportif meetings.

magicbastarder

I would give my right testicle if those bottles are really biodegradable except in the most insanely favorable conditions.

velo.2010

One auld boardsie on here had the good grace, many years ago, to stop and pick up his bottle after it bounced out on the previous lap. Went on to win the race too!

CramCycle

All it would take is one article from sticky bottle to explain the complete lack of benefits at this level and it would have stopped by next week.

doozerie

I'm not sure how much of this practice is due to the utterly deluded belief that it'll lead to an advantage towards the end of a race, and how much of it is due to the perpetrators just being pure ignorant arseholes.

My money is on the latter though. I've also seen it in sportives, which lends support to that theory.

Etc

While I really don't understand people throwing away perfectly good water bottles, my oldest are 11 years old, I'm almost as baffled at the level of snobbery that seems to pervade cycling these days in how cyclists are categorised.

People need to learn how to ride in a group and learn the etiquette. Did you know how to execute an efficient nose blow in the middle of a group the first time you went out on a freezing January with a horrible headwind with most of the group behind you ?

Cee-Jay-Cee

It'd be interesting to know where those who threw their bottles came in the race!

InTheAttic

Littering of gel wrappers is appalling. I don't care if you say it's a race, nothing excuses it. If you manage to take the gel out of your jersey pocket during a race and consume it, then you have no excuse for not putting the empty back in your jersey pocket. Not fair on the locals. Just unpleasantly surprised by how non chalant riders are with littering.

Jack the Stripper

Walk the molls gap after the ROK wreckless. Bottles, banana skins, gel wrappers, lucozade bottles, red bull cans, coke cans, chocolate bar wrappers etc.

sparrowcar

TGD wrote: »

I thought I had seen everything .... until I saw Cat. 4s throwing away bottles coming to the end in Caherconlish today.

Is a Cat 4 rider considered a Fred?
At one point/category does a superior rider decide you are no longer a Fred?

wexandproud

sparrowcar wrote: »

Is a Cat 4 rider considered a Fred?
At one point/category does a superior rider decide you are no longer a Fred?

was out in a group years ago with an x-pro continental rider and a guy [usual winter warrior ] passed a smart comment about some of the guys in the group being freds .The pro turned around and said ,'' look we're all freds , its only a matter of what level of fred's we are ''
i find its usually a ''fred'' who refers to other riders as freds . Riders who have been around the block usually have to much respect for other riders of any level, for the most part any way

sparrowcar

wexandproud wrote: »

was out in a group years ago with an x-pro continental rider and a guy [usual winter warrior ] passed a smart comment about some of the guys in the group being freds .The pro turned around and said ,'' look we're all freds , its only a matter of what level of fred's we are ''
i find its usually a ''fred'' who refers to other riders as freds . Riders who have been around the block usually have to much respect for other riders of any level, for the most part any way

That was my point exactly

1bryan

wexandproud wrote: »

was out in a group years ago with an x-pro continental rider and a guy [usual winter warrior ] passed a smart comment about some of the guys in the group being freds .The pro turned around and said ,'' look we're all freds , its only a matter of what level of fred's we are ''
i find its usually a ''fred'' who refers to other riders as freds . Riders who have been around the block usually have to much respect for other riders of any level, for the most part any way

I'm a Fred. It's the height of my cycling ambitions and I'm proud to have achieved it.

Chips Lovell

sparrowcar wrote: »

Is a Cat 4 rider considered a Fred?

If you're tossing bottles, you are.

TGD

sparrowcar wrote: »

Is a Cat 4 rider considered a Fred?
At one point/category does a superior rider decide you are no longer a Fred?

Well, I'm Cat 4 and definitely not superior.
Fred is a term I don't generally like and hardly ever use it. But what really annoyed me about these was that they threw away the bottles from a packed bunch during a descent, when everybody needed both hands on the bars for everybody's safety.

sparrowcar

TGD wrote: »

Well, I'm Cat 4 and definitely not superior.
Fred is a term I don't generally like and hardly ever use it. But what really annoyed me about these was that they threw away the bottles from a packed bunch during a descent, when everybody needed both hands on the bars for everybody's safety.

Yep fair enough, sounds like a couple of dopes alright.

I just despise the term "Fred" and the bullish!t that comes with its use. Life's hard enough without people trying to belittle your enjoyment/involvement of the sport by classifying you as a Fred.

Any camelback bottles just out of interest? :pac:

CramCycle

Wish I was a fred, I don't have the money to go throwing bottles away.

dahat

ronoc wrote: »

Any camelback bottles just out of interest? :pac:

Just a simple old High 5 bottle is what i saw.

death1234567

sparrowcar wrote: »

I just despise the term "Fred" and the bullish!t that comes with its use. Life's hard enough without people trying to belittle your enjoyment/involvement of the sport by classifying you as a Fred.

+1. It's easily the worst and stupidest thing related to cycling. Anyone who uses it is usually some roadwarrior arsehole who think's he's an expert and isn't. Usually can't pedal out of his own way or ride in a group properly either. It's like the football fans who have the "I'm a bigger fan than you" mentality.

buffalo

death1234567 wrote: »

some roadwarrior arsehole who think's he's an expert and isn't. Usually can't pedal out of his own way or ride in a group properly either.

I think you mean 'Fred'.

CramCycle

As with all insults in life, if your calling someone one, you probably either are one, were one or are close to being one. Doesn't bother me too much, if it is a joke, then I take it as such, if it was said in all seriousness, then I think to myself, I might be a Fred but your definitely a ****, and let it roll of my back like water rolls off their overpriced Gabba jacket that they don't need as they never go out in the wet weather anyway :pac:

thekooman

on a lap circuit if i had an empty bottle id throw it off near the finish line on the last lap and collect it after the race.

magicbastarder

I only own 3 bottles. And my wife has nicked one. Not sure if that makes me a Fred.

CramCycle

magicbastarder wrote: »

I only own 3 bottles. And my wife has nicked one. Not sure if that makes me a Fred.

My son took one of mine. It's bright blue and was free from Dell, so like yourself I am down to 2. I had another one but stupidly left it beside the comms at a TT while chatting to someone. When I returned later, it was gone. Some A4 probably just picked it up and threw it at someone else as they set off.

Daroxtar

thekooman wrote: »

on a lap circuit if i had an empty bottle id throw it off near the finish line on the last lap and collect it after the race.

Why? You won't notice the loss of 50 grams and a bottle on the downtube can make your bike more aero.

ABEasy

Daroxtar wrote: »

Why? You won't notice the loss of 50 grams and a bottle on the downtube can make your bike more aero.

Assuming they were full bottles!

Hungrycol

I don't condone littering in any circumstance. Doesn't matter what it is, fly tipping to cigarette butts, it's a blight on our environment, a poor reflection on upbringing or respect for society.

I have a bad theory when throwing a bottle might be probable. Wanna be A4 pro cyclist has run out of drink from this two bottles during the course of the race and asks a friend for a drink. Friend obliges and passes him his bottle but friend gets caught up in a brake or a fast moving transition and is not able to take the bottle back safely from the take'ee. The take'ee is now in a dilemma, does he cycle one handed towards the fast and chaotic moving finish or ditch the bottle for the safety of two hands on the bars for the finish?

Euro Fred

1bryan wrote: »

I'm a Fred. It's the height of my cycling ambitions and I'm proud to have achieved it.

I'm both Euro and Fred

Crocked

Hungrycol wrote: »

I don't condone littering in any circumstance. Doesn't matter what it is, fly tipping to cigarette butts, it's a blight on our environment, a poor reflection on upbringing or respect for society.

I have a bad theory when throwing a bottle might be probable. Wanna be A4 pro cyclist has run out of drink from this two bottles during the course of the race and asks a friend for a drink. Friend obliges and passes him his bottle but friend gets caught up in a brake or a fast moving transition and is not able to take the bottle back safely from the take'ee. The take'ee is now in a dilemma, does he cycle one handed towards the fast and chaotic moving finish or ditch the bottle for the safety of two hands on the bars for the finish?

He puts it in his pocket

Hungrycol

Crocked wrote: »

He puts it in his pocket

Easier said than done.

TGD

Hungrycol wrote: »

....I have a bad theory when throwing a bottle might be probable. Wanna be A4 pro cyclist has run out of drink from this two bottles during the course of the race and asks a friend for a drink. Friend obliges and passes him his bottle but friend gets caught up in a brake or a fast moving transition and is not able to take the bottle back safely from the take'ee. The take'ee is now in a dilemma, does he cycle one handed towards the fast and chaotic moving finish or ditch the bottle for the safety of two hands on the bars for the finish?

This was about 1.5K from the line, in a downhill section with everyone jockeying for position. I think your theory doesn't hold water (if you'll excuse the bad pun).

Crocked

Crocked wrote: »

He puts it in his pocket

Hungrycol wrote: »

Easier said than done.

I don't see how. He has one hand off the bars to chuck it away anyway and has 3 pockets on his back he can put it in as easy.

There's no excuse for littering, especially not because they'll come 50th instead of 40th in an A4 race.

dub_skav

I hope to have the funds and commitment to purchasing shiny things to one day work my way up to Fred

wexandproud

Crocked wrote: »

I don't see how. He has one hand off the bars to chuck it away anyway and has 3 pockets on his back he can put it in as easy.

There's no excuse for littering, especially not because they'll come 50th instead of 40th in an A4 race.

fcuk ! dont let them know you can gain ten places by throwing away a bottle , it will be like a riot with lads throwing stuff in the last couple k

thekooman

wexandproud wrote: »

fcuk ! dont let them know you can gain ten places by throwing away a bottle , it will be like a riot with lads throwing stuff in the last couple k

and another thing.... unless you are in the top 15 coming in for a sprint dont bother contesting. you are not going to go from 45th to 5th in the last 300metres... be at the front or be out the way.

wexandproud

1bryan wrote: »

I'm a Fred. It's the height of my cycling ambitions and I'm proud to have achieved it.

same as that. the funny part is , as soon as i realized i was a fred , the more i enjoyed riding the bike and racing

not sane

Disgusted by the actions of fellow racing cyclist's dumping empty gel wrappers on the roadside. And now even worse guys throwing there bottles away to. Am I the only one that says something at the time, or has it become acceptable. Nearly felt like going back for all the bottles. Might have made more than the prize money.

Bambaata

Saw a guy chuck a wrapper into the ditch in A2 Waller cup today too, I cant understand these people's minds!

fat bloke

It is disgusting. I've made mental notes of rider/bike/kit and complained to the club sec and they promised to take it up with the rider. Absolutely no need for it.

Beasty

Not that long since we had a similar discussion, so Freds merged:pac:

Boscoirl

Was stewarding for a an A1 race a few weeks ago and a few riders got new bottles at the junction I was looking after, they chucked their empties into the tall grass and people there to give them bottles just got on their cars and left, I fished them out and took them home

Harrybelafonte

Bambaata wrote: »

Saw a guy chuck a wrapper into the ditch in A2 Waller cup today too, I cant understand these people's minds!

A4s were at it all day today.