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Man refused Giant bike because of his weight; Vincenzo Nibali calls on pros to bin power data during races; Update on THAT cycle lane; Paris-Nice déjà vu as local authorities say final stage must be moved; A very Dutch problem + more on the live blog

It's Thursday and Dan Alexander is in the hot seat for all your live blog needs...
11 March 2021, 16:11
The look says it all...Julian gets his revenge for Strade Bianche
11 March 2021, 14:55
Man refused bike because of his weight: road.cc reader's experiences...

It's disappointing to see the man in the Giant story say he's been discouraged from taking up cycling by being refused the bike he'd saved up for. We got a similar tale from one of our readers, TallTim, who gives the other angle of the story, as someone who has had frames snap after asking if they'd be safe for a larger rider.

It's a tricky one but another reader asked if the shop could have sorted a bike for the short term that was suitable to the man's build until he could ride the one he wanted? Also worth noting some sympathy for the bike shop too. If the man had bought the bike and it had caused a crash, they'd be held accountable. Sebastien Barsetti added the owner of Giant Halifax offered to sell him the bike if he signed a waiver but he refused, as he didn't think it was right to need to sign it to get his bike. 

11 March 2021, 16:31
Sam Bennett wins stage five of Paris-Nice

Sam Bennett got his second win of the week at Paris-Nice in what looks likely to be the final sprint stage of the race. A dominant Deceuninck-Quick-Step leadout set the Irishman up perfectly to win ahead of Nacer Bouhanni and Pascal Ackermann. Phil Bauhaus and Giacomo Nizzolo rounded out the top five. 

A strong headwind neutralised much of the action with the peloton rolling along at speeds some of our readers would have probably felt comfortable tagging along at the back. 31.8km/h was the average speed for the first hour of racing...Yesterday it was Jumbo-Visma winning at both Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Nice, today it was Quick-Step who doubled up. 

11 March 2021, 11:36
Man refused Giant bike because of his weight

A man from Nova Scotia in Canada was left discouraged and crying by his experience of trying to buy a Giant bike from their Halifax branch. Sebastien Barsetti wanted to buy a bike to help him lose weight but was refused because of his weight. Barsetti weighs just over 300lbs (136kg) and the owner of the shop Barry Misener said it wouldn't have been safe to sell the bike to someone over the maximum rider weight of the model.

Barsetti had saved for the bike for several months and was refused, even after saying he didn't intend to use it until he was under the maximum limit. "Honestly, I spent my afternoon hiding and crying because I was really upset about it and it really affected my self-esteem," he told Global News. "I told them my weight, my height and shortly after they told me they wouldn’t sell it to me because of my weight. Because I was a little over the max weight. I knew I was over the max weight a little bit but I wasn’t even intending on using it until I was under."

Barsetti received a refund from Giant Group Canada and the shop's owner has given his side of the story, saying he was only concerned about the rider's safety and feared he could sustain life-threatening injuries by ignoring the weight limit. "I told him the maximum rider weight is 300 pounds. I said, ‘You cannot ride the bike safely,'” Misener explained. "I will not compromise anybody’s health. I just can’t do that, I can’t live with that."

In a statement, Giant Group Canada stood by the decision, emphasising they'd rather disappoint a customer than risk their health. The brand has also written to Barsetti to offer the option of holding a bicycle ready for him once he's under the weight limit.

11 March 2021, 15:59
Julian Alaphilippe wins stage two of Tirreno-Adriatico as the Holy Trinity go head to head

In the earlier post about Tirreno we asked if it would be Mathieu van der Poel vs Wout van Aert vs Julian Alaphilippe on today's uphill finish?...And that's exactly how it turned out. This predicting thing's easy when you choose the three favourites...After Van der Poel and Van Aert got their hands in the air on Saturday at Strade Bianche and yesterday's opening stage respectively, Julian Alaphilippe joined the party on stage two, winning the sprint after his teammate João Almeida, the last man standing from a late breakaway with Mikel Landa, Pavel Sivakov and Simon Yates, was caught in the final few hundred metres. Van der Poel finished quickly and looked the fastest coming from further back but couldn't overhaul Alaphilippe's advantage, taking second — Van Aert was third and keeps the leader's jersey by four seconds.

11 March 2021, 15:30
Ex-footballer Geoff Thomas talks the Tour 21 Challenge 2021

Our presenter Rebecca sat down with the ex-England, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers player to talk about the challenge, which will see 25 amateur cyclists take on the full Tour de France route a week ahead of the pros. 

A blood cancer survivor, Thomas and his team hope to raise over £1 million for the national charity Cure Leukaemia, and are already over halfway there with £515,000 raised at the time of writing. To find out more and donate, check out the Tour 21 website and JustGiving page.  

11 March 2021, 14:21
Electric vehicles are the biggest problem for promoting cycling and walking, according to Chris Boardman

Chris Boardman told the Commons Transport Select Committee that electric vehicles are potentially the "biggest problem for boosting active travel". Boardman, who is now Greater Manchester's walking and cycling commissioner, said the technology gives people a reason not to change their habits and that a car-led recovery from the pandemic can only be avoided if more is done to create safe space for people to travel differently.

"Electric vehicles are potentially our biggest problem, because they give us a reason to not change," Boardman told the Select Committee. "And that means that we won’t get any more space back. It doesn’t touch our health. It doesn’t touch most of the problems. It impacts one tiny small amount of very localised pollution. We’re having to fight, as is happening in London, for every bit of space to allow people to travel differently. The bigger-picture reality is we have to. We are facing, it’s not hyperbole to say, a species-level crisis."

11 March 2021, 13:30
Local authorities refusing to let Paris-Nice final stage finish on Promenade des Anglais in Nice

Meetings are underway between ASO and state services to find a new finish for the final stage for Paris-Nice after Alpes-Maritimes authorities decided the race cannot finish on the Promenade des Anglais as planned. Yesterday, the Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi asked for the stage to be moved and the route to be adapted. In a statement, the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes coast said "In any case, these stages can only take place outside the confined area and behind closed doors." Ruling out the Promenade des Anglais.

11 March 2021, 12:43
Vincenzo Nibali calls on pros to bin power data during races

 Vincenzo Nibali thinks his fellow pros should ignore their bike computers during races after Mathieu van der Poel's performance at Strade Bianche last Saturday. The four-time Grand Tour winner told Gazzetta dello Sport there's little need to be glued to your power data during a race. "[Power meters] can be useful in training, but not in racing. The data isn’t useful unless you have a point of reference. We’re better off switching our bike computers off in races or not looking at it."

On Van der Poel's performance, the Shark of Messina said he was stunned just like the rest of us by the TV pictures coming through from Siena on Saturday afternoon. "It was crazy. I switched on the television for the last 60km and I saw what Mathieu did…mamma mia."

11 March 2021, 10:43
A very Dutch problem
11 March 2021, 10:26
Update on THAT cycle lane
Oxford cycle lane Parks Road - via Oxfordshire Cycling on Twitter.PNG

We've got some clarification on that cycle lane photo...It turns out that as part of the University of Oxford's refurbishment of a library, the 60m stretch of cycleway has been suspended until December 2021. The University's website says that cyclists will be directed to join the carriageway by additional signage and that the barriers have been built to segregate cyclists and pedestrians, who can use the temporary walkway between the orange barriers in the background of the photo.

Because the work is on a basement under the cycle lane, it has been suspended and the footpath diverted to the new line on the grass verge. We're guessing the signs telling cyclists to join the carriageway are behind the person taking the photo, but that's not entirely clear either. In short, the cycle lane is now a walkway and cyclists should ride on the road until the works are complete and the cycle lane will reopen.

Oxfordshire County Council has now responded to our questions over the arrangement, saying: “We are aware of the measure outlined to the county council by road.c at Parks Road and are currently looking at this situation.”

11 March 2021, 09:41
Paris-Nice déjà vu

We've been here before. A year ago this week a shortened Paris-Nice ended at La Colmiane before the finale in Nice as bike racing was put on hold for the next five months... The mayor of Nice has asked for Sunday's final stage in Nice to be cancelled "as it is currently planned". One to keep an eye on in the coming days...

As for the racing, today we've got a sprint on the cards in France, while over at Tirreno-Adriatico it's a long day, backloaded with climbs including an uphill finish. Mathieu van der Poel vs Wout van Aert vs Julian Alaphilippe?

11 March 2021, 08:50
Your thoughts on THAT terrible cycle lane

We've asked Oxfordshire County Council to comment on this and we'll likely have a full story coming later today on this cycle lane. It reminded us of this other dubious piece of infrastructure that appeared on the blog last month from Dublin...  

On Facebook, Baron Bianchi commented: "According to the signs as you enter it, Oxford is a 'cycling city'. Typical Oxford, talking the talk but as for walking the walk..." To which Pete Smyth suggested walking the cycle would be more accurate...

Chris Dale told us that "Apart from the whole thing being a nonsense of discouraging clutter, I do like the short essay 'Cyclists please dismount at this point'." Always nice to remember your manners I guess...

Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.

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55 comments

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Daclu Trelub | 3 years ago
2 likes

Re: the fat bloke and Giant bike.

I was there, in the same position, but not quite at his weight. My LBS twice replaced broken spokes in the rear wheel, but I eventually paid them to rebuild it with stainless spokes and a better rim, and never had any further trouble. It was (and is) a steel-framed Claud Butler MTB, so I never had any doubts that the frame and other parts were up to the job.

History repeated itself years later, when I'd got fat and lazy, through "bad lifestyle and dietary choices" and I'd went mega-sized, right up to the bracket the purchaser was in. I was fairly sure the bike, hardy though it is, wouldn't have stood up too long to the assault of 300lbs of lard, so lost a  bit before using the machine. I was around 17 or 18 stones when I re-started using the bike, and had no trouble from it. It's been fine and stood up to a lot of use, but I'm not confident an alloy frame would have been as forgiving.

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Rich_cb | 3 years ago
4 likes

I've been in a similar situation to the bike shop owner and it's pretty unpleasant, especially when you end up getting threatened and abused for simply doing your job.

I don't think we should ridicule people for being overweight but we must not make the mistake of normalising obesity.

It is the greatest health challenge our society faces.

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hawkinspeter replied to Rich_cb | 3 years ago
0 likes

I didn't pick up on this shop owner getting threatened and/or abused - that is indeed unacceptable. I just think they missed a good PR trick.

As well as not normalising obesity, I think there should be more efforts made to encourage obese people to make lifestyle changes without putting them up for ridicule. It's a shame that the bike shop didn't have anything more suitable in stock and I can understand that there's going to be a small market for beefed up frames and wheels, so it would've been nice if they could have phoned round their contacts to see if there was some bike builder that could help.

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Mungecrundle replied to Rich_cb | 3 years ago
0 likes

If the Canadians are anywhere near as litigous as their neighbours south of the border then I can understand why the shop owner wanted some irrefutable evidence that he had warned the customer that the bicycle was not suitable for his use due to a manufacturer quoted maximum rider weight limit. This is not fat shaming, it is protecting yourself from a potentially costly nuisance lawsuit. Though this might backfire as I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a claim for hurt feelings making its way to a settlement of some kind.

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Muddy Ford | 3 years ago
3 likes

Regarding the refusal to sell the bike. The shopkeeper advised the buyer they were over the safe limit based purely on their weight. There was no intimation they were too fat. Muscle weighs much more than fat, the buyer could have been a body builder. Lou Ferigno weighs more than 300lb, as do many serious body builders. Whilst the bike would very likely support that weight without issue, what if the rider was going downhill and the brakes failed? In Canada it might be that the rider would sue the seller for providing equipment not fit for purpose. It's not fattist, obesist or anything else 'ist' to ensure that you sell equipment fit for purpose. You therefore have to establish that purpose as best you can.

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brooksby replied to Muddy Ford | 3 years ago
4 likes

Muddy Ford wrote:

Lou Ferigno weighs more than 300lb, as do many serious body builders. 

Ah, but green paint is very heavy!

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Captain Badger replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 3 years ago
4 likes

Nigel Garrage wrote:

The problem is that - rightly or wrongly - many see obesity as a lifestyle choice for the feeble-minded. The NHS itself says "Obesity does not happen overnight. It develops gradually over time, as a result of poor diet and lifestyle choices". More rarely, obesity is as a result of medical or genetic factors, but in the main it's due to diet and lack of exercise.

Because of this it's considered fair game for people who wouldn't discriminate against immutable characterists such as race or gender.

You then have the added problem of a grown man crying because he couldn't ride what - for many - is a child's toy. Result: derision.

People react differently to rejection. For some, being told they were too fat for the bike would act as a catalyst for self-improvement (think Jose Mourinho's conduct and the way his staff react). For others, it has the opposite effect. So there's no easy solution, without taking the time to understand an individual's motivation.

I'm absolutely shocked the NHS couches obesity in such terms - and I'm not denying that they do, the quote is Googlable.

Obesity has so many factors, pinning it down to "lifestyle choices"  is incredibly lazy and reductive, and to see it written in NHS material is deeply shocking and disturbing. It seems the epitomy of victim-blaming from our supposedly scientific NHS (an institution I value)

Obesity is often a symptom of other issues in peoples lives, and has a strong correlation to environmental influencessuch as socio-economic background and current circumstance. Other correlations maybe mental or physical illness, childhood trauma, and a myriad of other factors.

You are objectively correct that people are derided as such, however, let us not forget it is the deriders who are doing that, not the victim. We all have a genuine choice in how we treat others. Personally I take no pleasure from deriding people who are in a position i would not want to be in myself, and I cannot comprehend why others do. 

The guy has displayed an open emotional reaction to a situation he found distressing. Whereas it may not have been my reaction, his upset is in no way detrimental to me, so it is not something that I'm going to try to humiliate him for.

 

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Rick_Rude | 3 years ago
1 like

Crying because you couldn't buy a bike. Time for new age of stoicism.

Even a motorbike chassis would have a hard time with 300lbs. Dude needs to do some serious walking. It's funny actually, I go on a mainly American forum and their idea of overweight is somewhat skewed. You'll get people who are 5'10 and 210lb and they don't think they fat.

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Captain Badger | 3 years ago
11 likes

The comments around Sebastian and his bike have been really interesting. Particularly as they seem to be polarised into either: 

  • Sebastian is being at least unreasonable, over-sensitive, and even that he deliberately cooked up the whole scheme for clicks
  • Alternatively the shop owner was at best being officious and at worst fat-shaming

It is possible that both are genuine in their sentiments, but the situation resulted in a clash that left both feeling hurt.

Surely the way we feel about our bikes, we can imagine how excited Sebastian was at getting a new machine, especially considering the time he waited and saved, and its intended use to help him open a new chapter in his life

The shop owner is conscientious, understands the product, even bits that most people don't even imagine exist such as weight limits. He has a genuine desire to ensure that he gives sound guidance on a matter he is knowledgeable and passionate about, but also has a duty of care for the health and well being of his customers.

The point of contention is a weight limit - the bikes are rated, presumably for good reason.

How does the owner communicate this to Sebastian, in a way that is empathetic and kind. It's not trivial - the message is "you are too heavy for this bike". It not only has to be delivered well, it has to be taken well. Kil0ran has communicated below very articulately and succinctly some of the messages are given covertly and overtly to bigger people pretty much all the time by society. 

We don't know exactly what was said. Either or both may have been having a bad day. Can we be sure that the message was thoughtfully conveyed? Can we really blame Sebastian for finding it hard to distinguish a straight message from yet more fattist bullying?

I hope that Sebastian isn't put off, and gets a bike that he will love. I also hope the LBS doesn't suffer from serious fallout over a difficult situation

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don simon fbpe | 3 years ago
1 like

I don't understand the refusal to sell the bike to the dude thing.

Bloke walks into a shop and wants to buy a bike.

Bike shop sells bike.

The end.

OK, slightly more complicated but I sell stuff where there is a legal obligation to specify equipment correctly. Incorrect installation is an offence in law and not just a moral or warranty question. I am fortunate in that I have people further down the line to ensure the equipment is fit for purpose, but that's no guarantee.

The bike is covered in warning stickers about weight limits and the customer says it's for his 65kg son.

If the shop has a more suitable bike, show the dude and tell him why it's more suitable.

How is the shop liable?

Just give the dude the bike he wants.

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sparrowlegs | 3 years ago
2 likes

Re the guy who wanted the Giant bike. The shop manager did the right thing. Who says he would have lost weight afterwards? He might have even put weight on and then tried to ride it. Seems like a non-story at the least and a "look at me but don't look at me" attention story at the worst  

I think the shop has missed an opportunity here. Instead of saying no to that one bike they could have given him options of others that would have suited him but maybe they did? Very rarely do we get the full story of both sides once the "shaming and blaming" starts. 

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Bungle_52 | 3 years ago
4 likes

re giant bike. I don't know about Canada but if it was in the UK I'd advise getting an old steel framed bike in reasonable nick with 36 spoke wheels and 5 to 18 gears. Get the bike shop to check it over and it'll last as long as you want it too. If you get the bug then you'll have a much better idea about the sort of bike you need and you can keep the old one as a "pub bike". Same advice as I'd give to any one starting cycling.

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Chris Hayes | 3 years ago
5 likes

Wow...some pretty unkind comments here for Sebastien.  Come on road.cc commenters, you're better than that. 

I'd be more concerned about the wheels than the frame - most off the shelf bikes come with pretty cheap, bendy wheels, so if you're reading this Seb then you'll need to get some 36 spoke wheels made up - but with those and a decent frame you'll be good to go.  Perhaps you should look more at touring bikes than out-and-out road bikes: or a steel gravel bike.  I'm sure you could have a lot of fun on the  back roads around Halifax on that! 

Best of luck. Welcome to cycling. 

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IanGlasgow | 3 years ago
8 likes

I see what's happened here: the university have agreed with the council to redirect the footpath onto the grass and cyclists onto the road while work is being carried out.

They've accidentally misworded the diversion sign so that it says "Cyclists please dismount at this point". This is a common problem, you often see signs at roadworks saying "motorists please push your vehicles beyond this point" when they meant to say, "Road closed, follow diversion".
Happens all the time.

 

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Gkam84 | 3 years ago
1 like

The government have just released another 150,000 "fix your bike" vouchers https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fix-your-bike-voucher-scheme-apply-for-a-vou...

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hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
6 likes

That's really rough on that bloke trying to buy the Giant bike - just imagine spending ages saving up for a nice new bike and then leaving empty-handed - I'd be crying too.

It'd be really nice if they put together a tougher bike for him to use in the meantime and then swap to a typical model once he's within the safety weight range and I bet it'd be great PR for them - Giant bikes built for giants or some such.

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brooksby replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
1 like

How often have you (or anyone) ever checked the maximum load limit on a bike frame, though?

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Hirsute replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
1 like

Only wheels

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hawkinspeter replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
1 like

Never - I assume the wheels are going to be the weakest link and I have managed to break a fair few spokes and I'm not particularly heavy (~85kg)

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Awavey replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
1 like

I suspect that will depend on whether you think your weight maybe an issue or not. For average sized folk frames/forks wont be a problem,but I do know some custom wheel makers only rate upto 90-95kg rider weight to minimise on spoke counts,and that's only average rugby player weight.

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kil0ran replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
4 likes

Every time - it's the only reason I didn't get an Aethian a few years back (from memory that was a 90kg limit). I had asbolutely no need for a race frame but I loved the look of it and the engineering.

Hunt specifically market wheels for heavy people - working with ex rugby players I seem to recall, so if you're over 120kgs you can buy guaranteed wheels that are up to the task.

Prendas sell 8XL jerseys - to cater for the transition from rugby to triathlon that a lot of blokes do. OK, that's still only a 50-inch chest because Italian sizing but it's a big deal to be able to wear something that's identical to someone built like Nairo Quintana.

As much as I'd like to like FLAB they're still designing jerseys to cover fat. If I want to make a statement and wear a La Vie Claire jersey over my beer belly that's my choice, I don't want something dark and minimal to try and skim over the fat.

The hardest thing I found growing up was not being able to buy the same clothes as my peer group. I absolutely dreaded shopping because you'd go somewhere, see an amazing shirt, and then find it's not in your size. I could only make a statement with shoes, socks, ties, and hats.

Sebastian has probably encountered that and all it says is "go away fat boy, this isn't for you". It can be incredibly hard to fight back against fat shaming, it took me until my '40s and the love of my partner and friends to be able to do it. I'm still big but no longer ashamed of it.

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giff77 replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
2 likes

My thoughts as well. The shop owner has missed a trick on this one. To turn round and say we'll hold your bike till you've shed a few pounds but in the meantime have this until then. Brilliant free advertising and spin off slogans. Cudos to Giant for offering to hold the bike for him.

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Awavey replied to giff77 | 3 years ago
5 likes

What kind of bike could support 136kg ? And would you even be able to pedal it to move it ?

They didnt sell him the bike because if he bought the bike, rode it, it failed due to breaking its known max weight limit and he inevitably injured himself, who would be to blame and have to pay compensation and his medical bills?

Plus if he's that keen on the bike, order it online for home delivery, or find a less than 136kg friend to pop in the shop to buy it for you instead.

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bobbinogs replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
6 likes

My take on all this was that it was all very "I am a victim, someone needs to compensate me".  Crying all night because he couldn't buy a bike even though he admits he hadn't planned to ride it yet?  Really?  Big Jesse.  136kg is more than twice my weight so we are not talking about someone carrying the odd pound or two. 

Bloke, just get a strong 'beer' bike, ride it, lose weight...hit your target weight and reward yourself with a nice bike...and use the 'beer' bike as a pub bike when your weight is right and weekly calories in matches calories out and life's natural balance has been restored.

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MattieKempy replied to bobbinogs | 3 years ago
4 likes

@bobbinogs while I agree with your assessment of "I am a victim, someone needs to compensate me", the rest of your assessment is pretty unsympathetic. You sound very much like someone who has never had weight issues and therefore has no idea how difficult losing weight is, even if you're very overweight. Your victim-blaming (you're fat, do something about it)  is every bit as distateful as the blaming-cyclists-for-being-knocked-off-their-bikes bullshit we're used to reading about here. The bloke might be making a fuss about it but he's trying to get fitter and healthier and doesn't deserve your petty prejudices!

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kil0ran replied to bobbinogs | 3 years ago
12 likes

You've got no idea.

No idea how big a step it is to change your life when you're overweight

No idea of the guts it takes to walk into a shop and buy fitness gear

No idea of the abuse you'll get for being too fat to ride

No idea of people thinking it funny to shout "do you need a push mate"

No idea of people calling you a fat cunt and far worse than that for wearing lycra and actually doing something to improve your health

No idea of what might have led to him getting to that weight in the first place

Fat people are continually fat shamed - retailers not stocking a full range in plus sizes, advertising never featuring a fat person unless its to encourage them to lose weight, people naturally assuming that it's a choice and it's your fault that you're fat.

And we all know what a toxic relationship cycling has with weight, and not just in the female ranks.

Sebastian probably spent weeks wondering whether he should take action about his weight, many sleepless nights, clearly some sacrifices to save up. And then he gets knocked back once he's finally got the guts to do it? That's incredibly tough.

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Awavey replied to kil0ran | 3 years ago
2 likes

It's not fat shaming at all, the shop has a legal responsibility to ensure it sells bikes to riders within the manufacturers weight limits, else they would leave themselves open to lawsuits & legal claims.

I'd be more offended & annoyed had they actually sold him that bike,because the poor guy would then be riding a bike which could fail on him unpredictably at any moment and put him at risk of serious injury. There are plenty of moments when riding a bike where a failure of a major component like a wheel,fork,frame could be lethal.

So if hes not prepared to sign that waiver,because presumably he now understands the risk that it entails, and the shop hasnt got bikes that will support his weight, then how can they help him ?

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cmedred replied to kil0ran | 3 years ago
0 likes

It might be a good idea if every time he started worrying about his weight he went for a walk. Exercise has been shown to be even better for mental health than for weight loss. It would surely help him sleep better. And who knows, it might help him drop a few kilos.

We are in the midst of a global pandemic where obesity has been shown to greatly increase one's risk of death. Is this really the time to worry about people being "fat shamed?"

 

 

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kil0ran replied to cmedred | 3 years ago
3 likes

Yes, absolutely. Because being fat is not only a greater risk to your life because of COVID it also reinforces public perceptions of (a) the drain of fat people on society and the (b) narrative of "oh well, he was fat, that's why he died of COVID, it's his fault"

The pandemic has polarised opinion in all sorts of ways over this. The acceptance of care home deaths. The acceptance of the fact that it's OK for people with mental health issues or learning difficulties die of this disease proportionally more than others in their cohort. And then there's the mental health impact on people with a range of conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety, and so on. Sadly fear and uncertainty about the future has made many people care far less about others and be more entrenched in their views on all sorts of stuff.

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hawkinspeter replied to cmedred | 3 years ago
1 like

cmedred wrote:

It might be a good idea if every time he started worrying about his weight he went for a walk. Exercise has been shown to be even better for mental health than for weight loss. It would surely help him sleep better. And who knows, it might help him drop a few kilos.

We are in the midst of a global pandemic where obesity has been shown to greatly increase one's risk of death. Is this really the time to worry about people being "fat shamed?"

The problem with fat-shaming people is that it's hurting their self-esteem and will likely make them want to hide away and probably continue comfort-eating. What we should be doing is seeing the person behind the body-shape and respecting their bravery for wanting to improve their health by taking up cycling - fat-shaming is not going to achieve anything positive at all. Cycling may be more suitable than walking/jogging for weight loss as it's low impact (swimming is also a good choice, but that's not so easy for someone that's sensitive about their body).

 

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