La Flamme Rouge **off topic discussion**

daragh_

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

Jesus I don't read into things much. I saw the measuring tape across the guys shoulders & just thought "Ah, tailored bikes".

Mickiemcfist

nee wrote: »

You don't have to because you see something of yourself in the image (white, Male, age etc.. maybe). That's the thing. If you're not one or all of those things there is no space for you in that message.

I get what you're saying but at the same time why is that any different to any other advert where it's only white males? Cillit bang & Barry Scott?

magicbastarder

the very first cillit bang ad i found on youtube (dating from 2007) showed barry scott as the 'expert' and a woman as the user/customer.

Mickiemcfist

magicbastarder wrote: »

the very first cillit bang ad i found on youtube (dating from 2007) showed barry scott as the 'expert' and a woman as the user/customer.

That's sort of what I was getting at, is that not worse?

magicbastarder

possibly, but pointing at a worse ad does not make this one better.
i saw it and just thought it looked wanky and hipstery.

and the bike pictured has too many gears for a hipster - 21 too many.

Mickiemcfist

magicbastarder wrote: »

possibly, but pointing at a worse ad does not make this one better.
i saw it and just thought it looked wanky and hipstery.

and the bike pictured has too many gears for a hipster - 21 too many.

Fair points..all round.

LollipopJimmy

I just got the point they were trying to make - it's tailor fit. Although what's bad is I have the same haircut/beard combo as yer man and am currently in a navy suit, redish tie and brown shoes

CramCycle

I looked at it, and my mind went between two places, first, they are targeting middle aged white men with two much money, fair enough, do what you want, every business has to have a target. If they find a few stupid enough to pay for them, fire away. The other thought was that unless i was rich, white and male, i would not feel comfortable in the company of those two gents, A "Clockwork Orange" and "media injunction" were the two main thoughts, based solely on looks, which makes me as bad for being so judgemental.

NamelessPhil

There is a quote from Billie Jean King about women's sport which is, "You have to see it to be it.". Nee has a point about the exclusionary attitude in the ad.

While I agree that not all advertising is aimed at all people, as a middle-aged woman that ad is off-putting.

magicbastarder

CramCycle wrote: »

they are targeting middle aged white men with two much money

speaking of which, a colleague who doesn't do an awful lot of cycling has decided to buy a new bike. he's been talking about two options, one of which was 7k and one which was 8k.

the same chap has a hi-fi worth north of 50k. he's got a taste for expensive things.

Mickiemcfist

magicbastarder wrote: »

speaking of which, a colleague who doesn't do an awful lot of cycling has decided to buy a new bike. he's been talking about two options, one of which was 7k and one which was 8k.

the same chap has a hi-fi worth north of 50k. he's got a taste for expensive things.

Sweet jebus. Any jobs going?

LollipopJimmy

magicbastarder wrote: »

speaking of which, a colleague who doesn't do an awful lot of cycling has decided to buy a new bike. he's been talking about two options, one of which was 7k and one which was 8k.

the same chap has a hi-fi worth north of 50k. he's got a taste for expensive things.

Point him towards my Look will ya?

Beasty

magicbastarder wrote: »

speaking of which, a colleague who doesn't do an awful lot of cycling has decided to buy a new bike. he's been talking about two options, one of which was 7k and one which was 8k.

the same chap has a hi-fi worth north of 50k. he's got a taste for expensive things.

What's wrong with that



:pac:

VW 1

If I had that kind of cash, my taste would be similar:D

tomasrojo

There's a tendency towards resentment among guitarists towards the undeserving rich buying nice guitars that they don't play all that well. But, I suppose, there wouldn't be much of a guitar industry if trade in fine guitars was restricted to people with a lot of talent. The mediocre deserve nice things too anyway.

tomasrojo

magicbastarder wrote: »

the very first cillit bang ad i found on youtube (dating from 2007) showed barry scott as the 'expert' and a woman as the user/customer.

A very shouty expert?

That's quite interesting. Men telling women how to do housework properly was quite a staple in advertising for years, I guess. Especially the male saviour calling to the door.

CramCycle

tomasrojo wrote: »

There's a tendency towards resentment among guitarists towards the undeserving rich buying nice guitars that they don't play all that well. But, I suppose, there wouldn't be much of a guitar industry if trade in fine guitars was restricted to people with a lot of talent. The mediocre deserve nice things too anyway.

My race bike is the most expensive thing in the house, typically the most expensive bike at many of the races I go to. I am never leaving A4, but I feel that I too deserve it, and it is nice to get validation of this point.

magicbastarder

tomasrojo wrote: »

The mediocre deserve nice things too anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4pRe8ul7KQ

Lumen

tomasrojo wrote: »

There's a tendency towards resentment among guitarists towards the undeserving rich buying nice guitars that they don't play all that well. But, I suppose, there wouldn't be much of a guitar industry if trade in fine guitars was restricted to people with a lot of talent. The mediocre deserve nice things too anyway.

It is this way in all things. "All the gear, no idea" being the phrase that comes to mind.

In my experience, talentless people with nice stuff tend to be disarmingly modest about their abilities, and don't go out of their way to rub their good fortune in people's faces.

Well, most of them.

CramCycle

Lumen wrote: »

Well, most of them.

Not me, I constantly say it to people as I ride through the bunch, knocking people over with my Chris Froome style elbows like a pro. Sometimes I go to the front just to freewheel so everyone can hear how expensive my wheels sound as I glide through the bunch :pac:

Weepsie

Nipped out at lunch to get something on foot. Got drenched. Now sitting in my dry cycling clothes at my desk!

Eamonnator

magicbastarder wrote: »

whoever the marketing bods are at eddy merckx bikes, they need a talking to.

https://www.mycorsa.com/

Oliver Naesen, AG2R, rode one of these in the final stage of the TdF on Sunday.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-bikes-oliver-naesens-steel-eddy-merckx-corsa/

brocbrocach

nee wrote: »

It's the advert and website I'm averse to - particularly the middle aged, middle/upper class white male image they're going for.

I don't know the figures but at a guess I'd say that European cachet bike buying is overwhelmingly made up of middle aged well-off white men.
While putting a young black woman woman in their advertisement might pander to a certain sensibility it just might not sell as many bikes.

eeeee

brocbrocach wrote: »

I don't know the figures but at a guess I'd say that European cachet bike buying is overwhelmingly made up of middle aged well-off white men.
While putting a young black woman woman in their advertisement might pander to a certain sensibility it just might not sell as many bikes.

Indeed, it also indicates that they are a conservative, out of touch, old fashioned company, nothing that would encourage me or many of their apparent target market to them.

Mickiemcfist

Slightly nerdy activity but I was curious about how much cycling to work vs the bus has saved me. I started 11 months ago & was spending c.120 per month on the bus, bought a bike for 250 & between tyres, tubes, mudguards & misc. have spent c.90 on top of that. Saved 980 to date....Just wish I had put it aside! That's my plan for next year, save what I would have spent & treat myself to something I wouldn't have otherwise bought.

Weepsie

"wish you put it aside"

I said that, and then had 2 more bikes, 2 frames, Garmins, dynamo wheels x 3, spare wheels, tool kits, etc etc!

But yeah, also factor in the health benefits too and how much you might be saving on GP fees and such to long run.

I've probably saved about 2500 quid in 4-5 years I've been regularly commuting. That's a conservative estimate too, and there have been times I've indeed opted for the bus or just walked.


Also discovered this morning that although my commute has nearly doubled this week as I'm temporarily at home with the folks, it's only 50% longer as I'm having to stop at fewer lights. Would be quicker still if the lights on Snugborough road didn't take 5 mins to run through their sequence.

Mickiemcfist

Weepsie wrote: »

"wish you put it aside"

I said that, and then had 2 more bikes, 2 frames, Garmins, dynamo wheels x 3, spare wheels, tool kits, etc etc!

But yeah, also factor in the health benefits too and how much you might be saving on GP fees and such to long run.

I've probably saved about 2500 quid in 4-5 years I've been regularly commuting. That's a conservative estimate too, and there have been times I've indeed opted for the bus or just walked.

Yea I started the process not having any interest in cycling or bikes, it was purely for the efficiency (time) & bought a basic commuter road bike on Decathlon for 250 because "all road bikes look the same". However I do now occasionally catch myself admiring other peoples bikes at traffic lights, convincing myself I "need" disc brakes or perusing through ads that I see on this forum. So my time of saving 1k plus per year may be shortlived!

However I'm unquestionably fitter & healthier, which is even more important.

CramCycle

@Mickiemcfist no one needs disc brakes unless MTBing, wanting them in any other scenario is peculiar in my opinion and while most of my life I like to make the more unusual choices, Disc brakes are simply wrong both aesthetically and otherwise.

RobFowl

CramCycle wrote: »

@Mickiemcfist no one needs disc brakes unless MTBing, wanting them in any other scenario is peculiar in my opinion and while most of my life I like to make the more unusual choices, Disc brakes are simply wrong both aesthetically and otherwise.

Finally a man who understands me ........

Mickiemcfist

CramCycle wrote: »

@Mickiemcfist no one needs disc brakes unless MTBing, wanting them in any other scenario is peculiar in my opinion and while most of my life I like to make the more unusual choices, Disc brakes are simply wrong both aesthetically and otherwise.

Aesthetically I really don't mind, however I commute in all weather & had discs on my MTB which were great in the worst of the rain. That's the underlying logic, however it's much more a want than a need. Plus I'm big enough & am heavy on brakes so I wear through normal blocks fairly fast.