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Why do BMW and Audi owners often seem to drive like idiots?

When I first got back into cycling I bought a very cheap hybrid. It was more mountain bike than road bike too, fat tyres, heavy as fuck, even gentle slopes were a killer. I loved that bike, had it for years, but I was chuffed if I managed more than a couple of hours on it and maybe twenty miles covered in that time. Then I got a road bike, not a particularly flash one (RRP a grand but I got it when new one came out at half that) and suddenly I could spend four, five + hours and do 20mph easily. Although it did ruin my arse.
 
Saul Goodman said:
But I'm not talking about people using a bike to commute. It makes perfect sense to use a lighter bike for that. It's people who buy a bike for exercise and for no other reason. They're the subject matter. And just because a bike weighs more, doesn't mean it's crap.

And why should I care what bikes people choose to ride? I don't care what they ride. I just want to help them to find the correct bike for their exercise regimen. Although I don't ever see you questioning those here who assert that motorists shouldn't be allowed to drive certain cars.
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You can go further and see more pretty places, which helps motivation.

Well you can up North anyway. I'm not sure about the South tbh.
 
Proper Tidy said:
Not really because on a big heavy bike even in lowest gear you're gonna struggle up hills etc, having a bike that is quick and light is going to mean more time in saddle and more distance covered
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If you're riding a really heavy bike up a massive hill, most people would just get off and push it. And then think, "do you know what? I'll get the bus next time."

If you live in a hilly area, a decent bike will make commuting a far more pleasant and practical experience.
 
sleaterkinney said:
Carbon is more comfortable and stiffer. Thinking a heavy bike will make you fitter is daft, it's about the amount of time you spend in the saddle, not muscle mass.
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That statement seems to contradict itself.

The pros and cons of steel frame material
Steel might be real, but it’s also heavy. However, it also has a notably springy ride quality, which enhances comfort over long miles.
www.cyclingweekly.com

Your next road bike needn't be carbon: could steel, titanium or aluminum be a better choice?

Carbon is often seen as the default option - but a metal bike brings with it a lot of benefits
www.cyclingweekly.com www.cyclingweekly.com

Most sources seem to agree, that steel framed bikes are better 'time in the saddle' bikes.
 
Saul Goodman said:
That statement seems to contradict itself.

The pros and cons of steel frame material
Steel might be real, but it’s also heavy. However, it also has a notably springy ride quality, which enhances comfort over long miles.
www.cyclingweekly.com

Your next road bike needn't be carbon: could steel, titanium or aluminum be a better choice?

Carbon is often seen as the default option - but a metal bike brings with it a lot of benefits
www.cyclingweekly.com www.cyclingweekly.com

Most sources seem to agree, that steel framed bikes are better 'time in the saddle' bikes.
Click to expand...
Where are these most sources?, that's just a flimsy article in a magazine.
 
editor said:
If you're riding a really heavy bike up a massive hill, most people would just get off and push it. And then think, "do you know what? I'll get the bus next time."

If you live in a hilly area, a decent bike will make commuting a far more pleasant and practical experience.
Click to expand...
But steel framed bikes aren't really that much heavier, are they. Maybe a pound or two? I don't think the weight a bag of sugar is going to make someone get off and get the bus.

Here's an interesting article, from a bike site.
www.roadbikereview.com

Throwback Thursday: Why you should be riding steel and...

Editor's Note: This is one of the most engaging articles we've ever published and it's as relevant today as it was when first published in 2012. So you're about to mosey on over to your local bike shop and drop more coin for your first genuine racing bike than most people pay for an entire...
www.roadbikereview.com www.roadbikereview.com
 
8ball said:
I know a few keen cyclists who ride steel bikes. Had a go on one of them and it was surprisingly light compared to the hunks of metal I rode round on as a kid. Horses for courses.

I thought carbon bikes were only for really competitive stuff, really (like my sister's triathlon bike).
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Modern steel framed bikes are only marginally heavier than carbon framed bikes, and when you take the weight of the rider into account, you might only be talking 1% of a difference. I think the real difference is that steel doesn't look as cool as carbon, so I guess the choice to buy carbon over steel is mostly down to that, or maybe some famous racing type person rode a bike from that manufacturer at the tour de France last year. In that regard, I guess it's the cycling equivalent to a car driver buying a Porsche 911 or a Ferrari. Totally unnecessary but if it makes them happy, have at it.
 
If you get a steel bike approaching the weight of a carbon bike it's probably more expensive, and you'd be a retro poser to boot.
 
Last edited:
Saul Goodman said:
But steel framed bikes aren't really that much heavier, are they. Maybe a pound or two? I don't think the weight a bag of sugar is going to make someone get off and get the bus.

Here's an interesting article, from a bike site.
www.roadbikereview.com

Throwback Thursday: Why you should be riding steel and...

Editor's Note: This is one of the most engaging articles we've ever published and it's as relevant today as it was when first published in 2012. So you're about to mosey on over to your local bike shop and drop more coin for your first genuine racing bike than most people pay for an entire...
www.roadbikereview.com www.roadbikereview.com
Click to expand...
Just to get this straight: you're asserting that carbon framed bike is only a 'bag of sugar' lighter than the kind of steel framed bike people regularly use on their daily commute? You really have no clue at all. It's not just the frame - it's the components that add weight - and cheap ones can be heavy. :facepalm:
 
Saul Goodman said:
That statement seems to contradict itself.

The pros and cons of steel frame material
Steel might be real, but it’s also heavy. However, it also has a notably springy ride quality, which enhances comfort over long miles.
www.cyclingweekly.com

Your next road bike needn't be carbon: could steel, titanium or aluminum be a better choice?

Carbon is often seen as the default option - but a metal bike brings with it a lot of benefits
www.cyclingweekly.com www.cyclingweekly.com

Most sources seem to agree, that steel framed bikes are better 'time in the saddle' bikes.
Click to expand...
You claimed earlier to be in a position to help people "find the correct bike for their exercise regimen."

So let me ask again: apart fro calling all cyclists 'knobheads,' how many types of bikes have you ridden? How often do you go cycling? Do you commute on a bike to work every day?> Have you been touring recently? Racing? Part of a bike club? Have you ever ridden a carbon framed bike? How about a folding bike?

You see, there's people here who know a lot about bikes, and you just seem to be trying to bluff your way along. But please answer my questions so we call all ascertain your level of expertise in bikes.
 
editor said:
How many types of bikes have you ridden? How often do you go cycling? Have you been tpouring recently? Racing?
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I've ridden just about every type of bike ever made. From unicycles to motorcycles.
I currently own 3 bicycles, although, admittedly, I rarely ride them these days.
Proper Tidy said:
Maybe my eyes are shit but I can't tell the difference between a carbon frame and a steel frame just by looking
Click to expand...
But I bet your mates all know that it's carbon, even if they've never seen it :thumbs:
 
editor said:
Just to get this straight: you're asserting that carbon framed bike is only a 'bag of sugar' lighter than the kind of steel framed bike people regularly use on their daily commute? You really have no clue at all. It's not just the frame - it's the components that add weight - and cheap ones can be heavy. :facepalm:
Click to expand...

And the shopping. A few 6-packs in your pannier bags and you'll really feel it on the hills.
 
dessiato said:
Can we get back to questioning the types of people who drive “upmarket” German cars? I don’t know enough about bikes to insult cyclists.
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I've always felt the A4 is the weak link in the audi chain. Its got shit leg room in the back so why not just get the A3 or better still a 3 series. Then again I've never really seen the benefit of spending all that extra money on a German car when you get so much more for your buck with Japanese cars. Japanese cars have much lower maintenance costs as well and very few problems. Well, up until they do and its usually terminal.
 
Teaboy said:
I've always felt the A4 is the weak link in the audi chain. Its got shit leg room in the back so why not just get the A3 or better still a 3 series. Then again I've never really seen the benefit of spending all that extra money on a German car when you get so much more for your buck with Japanese cars. Japanese cars have much lower maintenance costs as well and very few problems. Well, up until they do and its usually terminal.
Click to expand...
I’ve had a couple of Honda and they were extremely reliable. Although trying to do some brazing in the engine of the Civic was a bit exciting.

WRT the Audi the last one I drove a lot was a Quattro. It was very good but a bit boring compared to the sport.
 
editor said:
That hasn't stopped one poster.
Click to expand...

Knowing fuck all about cars doesn't seem to have kept the po-faced car haters from commenting on a thread whose premise is that people who for whatever reason drive a BMW or Audi seem to drive like idiots. When the study quoted in the OP explicitly states that premise to be false.
 
Bahnhof Strasse said:
Knowing fuck all about cars doesn't seem to have kept the po-faced car haters from commenting on a thread whose premise is that people who for whatever reason drive a BMW or Audi seem to drive like idiots. When the study quoted in the OP explicitly states that premise to be false.
Click to expand...
Touché :D
 
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