I (effing) love Brendan Quirk.

[swoop]

I'm just sayin... some of the best bikin' writing I've ever read... and if you're a local knucklehead like me... this is exactly what it's like around here... and exactly what its like to see up close what a different breed these guys are that do this for a living.


https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=WHATS_NEW

[saab2000]

Word. Good writing makes for an entertaining read! Nice report!

[roman meal]

Thanks. That was a lot of fun to read.

[Steve Hampsten]

that was awesome!

brandon is such a good writer, i'm so ashamed...

[manet]

the part about frank (+ friends) being a faggot is just dumb.
that shiite happens all the time 24-7 across this great freedom flag waving pick-up trucks make us men land of ours. one dont need to be a paid guppy on a bike to have deep seated anger at being called a faggot by some john cougar mellon kamp wanna be.

[swoop]

he just has a way of nailing it.
that bit about how they descend while talking, the bumping into each other on the bikes, the unwritten rule about talking while climbing...
the descent (it was decker which shares the top of encinal and is one of the most fun descents around here.. but not even close to impossibly technical like tuna where they did the red bull).

any of you ever come for a visit and i'll take you down decker... its like magic mountain.

[R2D2]

Where is Decker?
Arkansas?
Thanks....................

[saab2000]

any of you ever come for a visit and i'll take you down decker... its like magic mountain.

And anyone come's with me to Switzerland I'll take you down Hulftegg, with its sweeper near the bottom with smooth pavement and banked just right so that you just HAVE TO go ultra fast. 'Cept it sweeps left and to then right and in order to do it just right you have take the apex in the lane of oncoming traffic which there almost never is any, but you never know what's coming around that right sweeper....

So without a death wish you can never really take it full bore even though the invitation by the devil of speed is so enticing!

It is a real 50-60 mph sweeper if you could do it. But the picture in my mind of the oncoming tractor coming around that bend meant I never really ever did it full on...... Still, brings back good memories!

[swoop]

Where is Decker?
Arkansas?
Thanks....................

just north of malibu. the next canyon up from encinal. its the line that comes down where it says ventura.la

[coylifut]

great writing and riding. point number 6 really hits home. all riders (not just racers) who ride in groups should be comfortable with that type of rubbing.

[R2D2]

I see.
I'm way too East Coast centric.................

[Keith A]

Hey swoop -- I think Jack B took me down Decker couple of summers back...that was amazing! The whole riding in that area is amazing, plenty of hills to climb and cycling lanes ever where when you are in the city.

[coloclimber]

Great report. I used to live in Newbury Park, work in Westlale Village and ride those same roads. I rode up Mulholland from PCH almost every weekend. The descent down Encinal is fun and the end is steep! It looks like CSC stayed at the Westlake Hyatt. They must have come down Decker/Westlake after every ride. That is a fun descent once you know it well. His writing really put me back there. Thanks for passing that along. I especially liked the part of wanting to be cool while descending with the pro's.

[pdxmech13]

.....leave the coug otta it !

[Simon Q]

Best website in bicycle retailing by some margin IMHO. Me and a lot of my buddies here in Aus check in regularly just for the eye candy and content as well as the occasional purchase of course. The writing is top notch. They get it.

The best thing of all though is Brendan's surname... ;)

[manet]

.....leave the coug otta it !

ok boss.

just so ya know, i still heart brendan.

[Erik.Lazdins]

Great article - I've been a fan of his writing since I came across it a few years back!


:beer:

[Bud_E]

Thanks for the link. I love reading stories like that. Adding to it that I've ridden on all of those roads many times.

I used to do quite a bit of riding with a friend of mine who's a retired pro from Poland. It wasn't unusual for him to ride right next to me and put his hand around the back of my neck and carry on long conversations while we were cruising along, handlebars just inches apart. Of course I was nervously aware of every bump and jostle but tried to pretend like I was comfortable with it. He was the best bike handler I've ever witnessed so I'm sure he didn't give it a second thought.

[Grant McLean]

Great writing Brendan.

Like the piece he wrote on the Pinarello Gran Fondo ride last year,
it really speaks to me in a way that shows what our passion for cycling is
really like. I find myself reading his words, and thinking that i've thought the
same things many times. I'd say he "gets it", but he already knows that.

Those of us who have been in love with cycling for such a long time
develop an affinity for the little things that represent the big ones...
the stuff that escapes us personally, but inspires us regardless.

-g

[old_school]

Brendan certainly has a flair for writing, almost prose like in nature.

Brendan is, no doubt, a busy man; nevertheless, he should give serious consideration to a CC blog. I suspect more than a few of us would tune in.

[djg]

Ok, so, Frank is an intense skinny dude who has issues about others' perceptions of his sexuality?

[TimD]

> Bitter anger is the bedrock of bicycle racing...

Sooo, when FS shows it and BQ knows it, everyone applauds; when LA shows it, maybe boosted by a beer or three, the guy is pilloried?

Just askin'.

That aside, I really enjoyed the writing, thanks for sharing.

[swoop]

> Bitter anger is the bedrock of bicycle racing...

Sooo, when FS shows it and BQ knows it, everyone applauds; when LA shows it, maybe boosted by a beer or three, the guy is pilloried?

Just askin'.

That aside, I really enjoyed the writing, thanks for sharing.


how you get from a to b just seems like a fey attempt to stir the pot.
anger is just a feeling.. it slots in a good place. lance is a bit larger than the sport.. that comes with some baggage.

the reality is.. it just doesn't matter.

[TimD]

Ooops, wrong thread. :) That pot needs no more stirring, that's for sure.

[flux]

Brenden Quirk is my hero in the Industry-Online Sales-High End thing. I wish I could make the time to do even 10% of what he and the rest of the CC staff is able to accomplish... These guys have real passion. Love it.

[Mr. Butterworth]

Has this, or similar situations actually NOT happened to anyone here who rides a lot?

[SoCalSteve]

Has this, or similar situations actually NOT happened to anyone here who rides a lot?

I saw Rock Racing out doing a training ride on New Years Day, does that count?

Just askin'

Steve

[DarrenCT]

I saw Rock Racing out doing a training ride on New Years Day, does that count?

Just askin'

Steve

i saw some fat old dude riding a trek on a ride today

does that count for anything?

i got his autograph on my jersey. willl post l8r

[Mr. Butterworth]

I saw Rock Racing out doing a training ride on New Years Day, does that count?

Just askin'

Steve


HA! Love it.
Actually, I meant being yelled at by Mr. Angry Driver man: Fag, p***y, B**ch, or my personal favorite - the long, loud horn for no reason.

[roman meal]

Brenden Quirk is my hero in the Industry-Online Sales-High End thing. I wish I could make the time to do even 10% of what he and the rest of the CC staff is able to accomplish... These guys have real passion. Love it.


I have a son named brendan and want him to work at


www.sveltecycles.com


some day.

[jtferraro]

Thanks for the link, swoop. I enjoyed the article. It's definitely well written. A few of my favorite lines, re: Schleck:

"His physique hypnotizes: No woman in LA older than 14 is as slender."

and

"but it was a revealing snapshot of what's under his hood. Sure, much of his success on the bike is thanks to his freakish physiology. But it showed how much anger he had pent up, and how easily accessible it is to him."

This pic, from VeloNews, comes to mind:

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . I stay away from the CC catalog. I'd spend waaay too much time reading it and waaay too much money ordering from it! :crap: ;)

BBD

[Sandy]

I'm just sayin... some of the best bikin' writing I've ever read... and if you're a local knucklehead like me... this is exactly what it's like around here... and exactly what its like to see up close what a different breed these guys are that do this for a living.


https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=WHATS_NEW


Many moons ago I went to graduate school in math education at Penn State. My abilites are more non-verbal than verbal. My math abilities are better than most people. However, I found out very quickly, that compared to ALL of the math professors I had at Penn State (stayed for a master's plus 60), my math ability was remarkably inferior. Their minds were super fast and mine super slow, their knowledge was great and mine was very limited, and their understanding and useage of mathematical concepts was so far beyond mine that it was almost startling. It mattered none how much I studied. I was simply not in their intellectual arena. Never was and never could be. Just didn't have enough brain power. In any field of endeavor, whether it be writing about bicycles, playing basketball, painting, playing the piano, shooting a rifle,...., there are a rare few who are so far above the others in natural ability/talent that to try to compare their abilities to others within the discipline is almost fruitless. They are just so far beyond the rest of us mortals.

Gradute school taught me humility, very quickly. The Serotta forum simply adds to that humility. Real talent is rare.


1+ 2= 4


Supewr Smart Serotta Sandy

[saab2000]

there are a rare few who are so far above the others in natural ability/talent that to try to compare their abilities to others within the discipline is almost fruitless. They are just so far beyond the rest of us mortals.

Sandy


Yes, but everyone is mortal. Some have more or less talent within their discipline. But I also learned long ago that some of the best bike riders were the least balanced humans I had ever met. Not even trying to imply that about the guys that BQ met the other day. Sounds like a really great experience. But there is a kind of hero worship of pro cyclists that goes on because the sport seems almosty mythical, mystical and untouchable in the US. Exotic. But the fact is that those are normal dudes. I admire their ability to ride a bike. Ends there though.

Everyone has their gifts. Everyone.

Sandy is the Dog Whisperer. I never could. I wish I could. Honest.

I can fly airplanes. So what? Others wish they could. I wish I could give it to them.

The bike for some of these guys are the golden handcuffs.

[Sandy]

[QUOTE=saab2000]Yes, but everyone is mortal. Some have more or less talent within their discipline. But I also learned long ago that some of the best bike riders were the least balanced humans I had ever met. Not even trying to imply that about the guys that BQ met the other day. Sounds like a really great experience. But there is a kind of hero worship of pro cyclists that goes on because the sport seems almosty mythical, mystical and untouchable in the US. Exotic. But the fact is that those are normal dudes. I admire their ability to ride a bike. Ends there though.

Everyone has their gifts. Everyone.

Sandy is the Dog Whisperer. I never could. I wish I could. Honest.

I can fly airplanes. So what? Others wish they could. I wish I could give it to them.

My adopted American Pit Bull Terrier can fly an airplane too. He has real talent....although I must admit that he ate the former pilot to get the job. :) :)


Sandy

[saab2000]

[QUOTE=saab2000]
My adopted American Pit Bull Terrier can fly an airplane too. He has real talent....although I must admit that he ate the former pilot to get the job. :) :)


Sandy


If I had your talent I could stare that dog down like Crocodile Dundee does with that water buffalo (riiiiiight.....) and just make him lie down. But I can't. Dogs want to bite me. And they make me nervous until I know them and they know me. Then we're friends for life. But I am not the dog whisperer. Cats on the other hand...... They know me. :D

[saab2000]

One more thing. The anger thing is right. It's the only way sometimes to hold the wheel in front. Or ride that son of a beyotsch right off your wheel. Sometimes the body is weak but the spirit is not and you can do what you need to do. That's when the real tunnel vision starts. It's called riding past the pain.

[swoop]

One more thing. The anger thing is right. It's the only way sometimes to hold the wheel in front. Or ride that son of a beyotsch right off your wheel. Sometimes the body is weak but the spirit is not and you can do what you need to do. That's when the real tunnel vision starts. It's called riding past the pain.


i love the biking as a way to express a deep sort of fundamental anger. blame testosterone or a wonky childhood or whatever... its like the dark chocolate of emotions and the biking is such a joyous expression of it ... at times.
and i mean that in the healthiest way.

[coylifut]

Anger is a fools motivator. Look at a DeMato/Rooney Mike Tyson. Cool, calculating, prepared, poised, in control and clearly one of the most talented heavy weights of all time. Compare that to a post Rooney Mike Tyson. Selfish, impulsive, ANGRY and on his back. Champions in the ring, a place where you think anger would be a plus, are more likely to operate as a technitian rather than a thug.

I'd like to hear Frank's explanation on what motivates him when he's "in the zone." My money says he'd explain it as far more zen than rage. Love BQ's writing, but I think he witnessed an adolescent hissy fit and made a nice story out of it. He's lucky he didn't catch up to the hicks who tossed the insults because from where I sit, I'm sure just about anyone could kick his arse.

[swoop]

i don't think anyone talked about the idea of anger as motivation or a reason to be/race,etc.
so i'm not sure where or why one makes that leap.
nor is this thread about anger... its really about enjoying someone for writing something that feels honest, full of candor, and style... that also talks about some experiences ont he bike that are just great to share.

in my little corner of the world.. all feelings are healthy and none more or less than any other. there is a joy in turning a pedal in anger. you can see it in jens voigt's eyes when he talks about the happiness that is getting paid to hurt people on the bike.

but yes.. to be motivated by anger for the sake of anger... doesn't get one anywhere interesting... its just that it has nothing to do with this thread or the content of the piece b wrote.

i know for me.. i can't push on a bike unless i can tap into some anger. and i find that specific experience to be deeply satisfying.

atmo.

[coylifut]

anger completely applies to this thread. go back and re read BQ's piece. He first tells the story of how Frank becomes agitated by the mechanical, followed by the hick cat call and then how the same anger is the hallmark of this champion.

"Bitter anger is the bedrock of bicycle racing, and Schleck showed us his talent for rage."

There's the leap right there. If it's in the piece, it applies to the thread. With that said, I'm not going to let the above steer me away from the point of the write-up. "...its really about enjoying someone for writing something that feels honest, full of candor, and style...that also talks about some experiences ont he bike that are just great to share."

I whole heartedly agree with the above statement. I'd rather see BQ write freely and maybe go too far than be careful. Miles Davis was once asked for what he listened for in the playback of his own music. His answer was, "what is it that I can leave out." It's my opinion that the opining on Sleck's "rage" could have been left out and the article would have been better for it. He's not really talking about turning a pedal in anger. He's talking about a 130 lb bike racer wanting to chase two fat-arses in a Chevy.

i don't think anyone talked about the idea of anger as motivation or a reason to be/race,etc.
so i'm not sure where or why one makes that leap.
nor is this thread about anger... its really about enjoying someone for writing something that feels honest, full of candor, and style... that also talks about some experiences ont he bike that are just great to share.

in my little corner of the world.. all feelings are healthy and none more or less than any other. there is a joy in turning a pedal in anger. you can see it in jens voigt's eyes when he talks about the happiness that is getting paid to hurt people on the bike.

but yes.. to be motivated by anger for the sake of anger... doesn't get one anywhere interesting... its just that it has nothing to do with this thread or the content of the piece b wrote.

i know for me.. i can't push on a bike unless i can tap into some anger. and i find that specific experience to be deeply satisfying.

atmo.

[swoop]

oy vey. yer workin' too hard for me on this one.

[RIHans]

Thanks for the link Swoop...


Bumpin' bars is the way the old school guys in Central Park rode. We still ride

close today...New dudes look at me like it's way too close, but it scares 'em

off a half wheel.

[coylifut]

oy vey. yer workin' too hard for me on this one.

we're all good here. i have a very low need to be right about things that don't matter all that much.

[MalleyNogo]

we're all good here. i have a very low need to be right about things that don't matter all that much.

I (effing) love coylifut.

[Too Tall]

Thanks for the link Swoop...


Bumpin' bars is the way the old school guys in Central Park rode. We still ride

close today...New dudes look at me like it's way too close, but it scares 'em

off a half wheel.
Note to self...need to ride in central park. I need to get out more.

[jerk]

awesome write up....riding with the csc guys was a blast when i got to do it two years ago prior to the tour of california.

are there really people who don't storm off after pick-up trucks that contain douchebags who scream "faggot" at men in bright lycra? :rolleyes: i'm fairly mild mannered off the bike but somewhat of a nut-job when it comes to dealing with motorists. granted, i have as much chance of winning a fist fight with a redneck as any schleck brother; but in the event the you do catch the guy; he does stop his car and step outside and prepares to square off, even if he kicks my ***; at the very least he has to go home and tell his wife or go to the bar and tell his buddies, that he kicked the crap out of a guy in a white leotard who was wearing shoes he couldn't walk in.

fortunatly, most angry drivers are more bark than bite and generally catching up with them at the next light; reaching into the car and pushing their heads usually makes them shut-up. "people don't like it when you push their heads" to quote some other hot-head pro rider who is only slightly less skinny than a schleck brother.

suffice it to say brendan is right on about the anger thing; if you do not easily get pissed, and couple it with a somewhat selfish myopic world view- you probably don't have the mindset to be a pro cyclist or a pro athlete. the work load itself is too hard to not require a degree of narcissism and a quick ability to get worked up is a really great tool to allow oneself to tolerate suffering.

jerk

1%er

[Chris]

What I tell everyone is that despite my frail upper body, the guy that finally does step out of the car gets it for everyone who hasn't...

So many of the stories about the greats, include backgrounds of self-doubt and anger that came out on the bike. Many of the champions of this world have/had a chip on their shoulder and felt like they had to prove themselves everytime they were on the bike. I think that was the type of anger to which Brendan was referring, and he was only illustrating how that anger can be tapped for situations where you clearly wouldn't be expected to come out on top. I am glad he added it in the narrative. Makes the guys more human.

[tv_vt]

There's something about cycling, and racing bicycles, that lends itself to a good story.

I can think of a few writers who have really fueled my love of cycling as much as actually getting out on an epic ride. Back in the 80's, Bicycle Guide magazine had some great writing. Ted Constantino comes to mind. I remember a review of a Basso Gap that singlehandedly put that bike on my dream list.

Then there's Samuel Abt. Another classic. I enjoy almost anything he writes about bike racing. John Wilcockson is another.

Brendan Quirk, although writing for a retail outlet, is definitely on that list of great writers. I love his writing. It's great reading to help get through these dreary snowy winters of little to zero riding.

I'm spacing on the author, but a gem of a little book is "Need for the Bike," originally written in French. Just great fun - one man's life-long relationship with his love of cycling.

I also have to compliment many on this forum for their writing. Climb comes to mind, but there are many. It is actually quite striking how well most folks write on this board. Keeps me coming back.

As Fixed would say, Cheers.

TV

[davids]

"people don't like it when you push their heads" Words of wisdom, atmo. I'll remember this.

[coylifut]

I guess I've gotten on the wrong side of this discussion because, and although I'm not completely comfortable saying this here, I've knocked people out, over 10 of 'em and it was for money. Anger never entered into it. And, although it was more than a job, there's never a fight or flight response. I guess keeping a cool head in physical confrontations is something I take for granted and I see flying off at the handle a weakness in others. I have to remember that it's my wiring that's different, not the rest of the worlds.

awesome write up....riding with the csc guys was a blast when i got to do it two years ago prior to the tour of california.

are there really people who don't storm off after pick-up trucks that contain douchebags who scream "faggot" at men in bright lycra? :rolleyes: i'm fairly mild mannered off the bike but somewhat of a nut-job when it comes to dealing with motorists. granted, i have as much chance of winning a fist fight with a redneck as any schleck brother; but in the event the you do catch the guy; he does stop his car and step outside and prepares to square off, even if he kicks my ***; at the very least he has to go home and tell his wife or go to the bar and tell his buddies, that he kicked the crap out of a guy in a white leotard who was wearing shoes he couldn't walk in.

fortunatly, most angry drivers are more bark than bite and generally catching up with them at the next light; reaching into the car and pushing their heads usually makes them shut-up. "people don't like it when you push their heads" to quote some other hot-head pro rider who is only slightly less skinny than a schleck brother.

suffice it to say brendan is right on about the anger thing; if you do not easily get pissed, and couple it with a somewhat selfish myopic world view- you probably don't have the mindset to be a pro cyclist or a pro athlete. the work load itself is too hard to not require a degree of narcissism and a quick ability to get worked up is a really great tool to allow oneself to tolerate suffering.

jerk

1%er

[chrisroph]

I guess I've gotten on the wrong side of this discussion because, and although I'm not completely comfortable saying this here, I've knocked people out, over 10 of 'em and it was for money. Anger never entered into it. And, although it was more than a job, there's never a fight or flight response. I guess keeping a cool head in physical confrontations is something I take for granted and I see flying off at the handle a weakness in others. I have to remember that it's my wiring that's different, not the rest of the worlds.


When Terry and I first started riding together, we were accosted by an A** hole motorist--you know the type--and we were discussing what a git the guy was and that we hoped he didn't come back. Terry sort of off handedly told me, if he does come back, step back and hold my bike and shoes and I'll take care of it. I said what? He said I'm a black belt and was a weight class champion who used to make a lot of money fighting people. I thought, you've got to be kidding me, this guy is and looks like an investment adviser but he does have a pretty thick neck. He told me he got back into cycling because his body just couldn't take the fighting any more. Anyway, we've been harassed a time of two since then but I know what my job will be if somebody is dumb enough to jump out of his car and take us on. If that happens, I doubt there will be a fight because Terry will kind of smile at the guy and tell him his with this confident attitude that he is happy to take the guy on but, before doing so, his lawyer has instructed him to warn the guy of his background.

[Chris]

I just ask the guy if he knows how long I actually spent at the Shaolin Temple learning the particular technique I am about to use...

[Dave B]

Anger is an emotion. It is ok.

The more arguments settled with hands over guns, fine by me.

I learned to defend myself when I was a kid so I could protect me and the people I walked home from school with. Actually got pretty good at it.

After I sent two kids to the hospital for surgery no one bothered us anymore.

Once a coward tried to hit me with his car...I yelled at him and told him he was number one. He stopepd and got out. I stopped and picked up a rock. He got in and drove away.

I also do not wish to be violent ever, but sometimes you have to.

That is what nature intended. If you disagree fine, I don't care I am talking about me.

None of us, even the shrinks who help us deal, walks in our shoes.


"Sometimes if you can't get along you got to get it on!"

[Chris]

Anger is an emotion. It is ok.

The more arguments settled with hands over guns, fine by me.

I learned to defend myself when I was a kid so I could protect me and the people I walked home from school with. Actually got pretty good at it.

After I sent two kids to the hospital for surgery no one bothered us anymore.

Once a coward tried to hit me with his car...I yelled at him and told him he was number one. He stopepd and got out. I stopped and picked up a rock. He got in and drove away.

I also do not wish to be violent ever, but sometimes you have to.

That is what nature intended. If you disagree fine, I don't care I am talking about me.

None of us, even the shrinks who help us deal, walks in our shoes.


"Sometimes if you can't get along you got to get it on!"

I'm not trying to start and argument here, but this is one thing that i discuss with my clients a lot. I firmly believe that anger is a reaction to an emotion, but not necessarily an emotion itself. There is usually an underlying hurt or insult involved and anger is the most socially acceptable and least vulnerable reaction available. Of course that is just ATMO

[Climb01742]

I'm not trying to start and argument here, but this is one thing that i discuss with my clients a lot. I firmly believe that anger is a reaction to an emotion, but not necessarily an emotion itself. There is usually an underlying hurt or insult involved and anger is the most socially acceptable and least vulnerable reaction available. Of course that is just ATMO

i think chris nailed it. i'd venture to say that most great accomplishments are driven by a psychological scar. the scar generates many emotional responses or expressions, from anger to joy. personally, i'm driven at work by insecurity and the need to prove my worth. i bet most great athletes are working out some issue. it's just human. as tolstoi said, unhappy families are great stories. happy ones aren't.

[djg]

are there really people who don't storm off after pick-up trucks that contain douchebags who scream "faggot" at men in bright lycra? :rolleyes: i'm fairly mild mannered off the bike but somewhat of a nut-job when it comes to dealing with motorists. granted, i have as much chance of winning a fist fight with a redneck as any schleck brother; but in the event the you do catch the guy; he does stop his car and step outside and prepares to square off, even if he kicks my ***; at the very least he has to go home and tell his wife or go to the bar and tell his buddies, that he kicked the crap out of a guy in a white leotard who was wearing shoes he couldn't walk in.

...
jerk

1%er

ok, after complaining I guess I should fess up that I have, at least once in not too distant memory, chased down a pickup truck that gave me a close shave while its driver yelled something, I couldn't quite catch what, and that various bad words were exchanged at a certain volume when I caught up with the guy, before he roared off without actually running me over. I recall pointing out, in effect, that he had weight issues, among others. I'm not saying I did the right thing.

I'd like to think that, had he yelled the epithet in question, I would have chased him down to counsel him about his homophbia, but maybe the smarter thing would be for me to ignore the putz in any case. Really. I mean, yeah, in high school, in upstate NY, in the late '70s, "faggot" was a fighting word, maybe, and I guess it's still that way in certain of our penitentiaries, but, you know, who cares really?

[gt6267a]

the idea that a person has a known-to-the-world-trigger word that requires them to do something is amazing. that so many people choose to have a trigger word, and that they choose the same one is border line unbelievable, except it happens. seems more like a serious weakness in that individual than something to celebrate.

that said, having a volcano to tap when you need a little heat is a great resource, i just don't know why one would ever hand over the keys to that kingdom to anyone, let alone a stranger.

[swoop]

ok... yes anger is an emotion. yes all emotions have value. they also have a function.. to put it simply they guide you to your needs. without anger there'd be no rock and roll for gawd's sake. there is no hierarchy of emotions... it aint no paper scissors, rock.

anger is a beautiful thing.

like any emotion its all about your relationship to yourself and your ability to deal with, mitigate, soothe and express your emotions in culturally sanctioned ways..
you can't cut anger or amputate it because it makes you uncomfortable (because doing so involves distorting reality.. and in reality anger has a rightful presence). we are a culture of people that constrict around anger. its the denial of it, the repression of it, the judgments around it and the inability to express it in meaningful ways that makes things wonky. some see depression as anger directed towards the self. too many of us can only make contact with our anger because we project out onto innocuous things.


its silly to call mike tyson angry and then assume anger therefore is a bad thing. what tyson is.... is mentally ill. prolly has bipolar disorder, prolly has a nice big personality disorder or two, and prolly has a lot of feelings he can't do anything with but act out like an infant... because he has the coping mechanisms of an infant. what that means is that the only way an infant can discharge a feeling is to act them out. rage becomes violence. i wouldnt wish his perfect storm of illness and environment upon my worst enemy.

i don't want to live in a world without anger. too much good comes from it. its a catalyst for too many kinds of perfection.

and like it or not its embedded in the language of our sport.
you turn the pedals in anger. you attack, rip someone's legs off, you suffer, you counter attack, you chase....

illness is the lack of or abundance of defense mechanisms. its not about the abundance of feelings... is the inability to make meaning out of feelings is in some ways an expression of pathology.

i drink water. central to that action is drinking. that doean't make me an alcoholic... although they both share the same action. to drink.

someone that represses their anger or can't mitigate or sublimate it healthfully to something like sport or sex or song or anything... is just watching life on a black and white tv.

i spend many hours a week teaching parents how to survive the healthy expression of anger from their teens as the kids begin to find a self on their own terms. anger is fundamental to human development.


thank you anger... one of my favorite feelings. and thank you biking.. one of my favorite dances to invite in anger as partner.

[coylifut]

just wondering. Will I be getting a bill for the above?

:beer:

[swoop]

just wondering. Will I be getting a bill for the above?

:beer:

oh, hell yeah.... but what do i owe you for being my bodyguard.

[flux]

awesome write up....riding with the csc guys was a blast when i got to do it two years ago prior to the tour of california.

are there really people who don't storm off after pick-up trucks that contain douchebags who scream "faggot" at men in bright lycra? :rolleyes: i'm fairly mild mannered off the bike but somewhat of a nut-job when it comes to dealing with motorists. granted, i have as much chance of winning a fist fight with a redneck as any schleck brother; but in the event the you do catch the guy; he does stop his car and step outside and prepares to square off, even if he kicks my ***; at the very least he has to go home and tell his wife or go to the bar and tell his buddies, that he kicked the crap out of a guy in a white leotard who was wearing shoes he couldn't walk in.

fortunatly, most angry drivers are more bark than bite and generally catching up with them at the next light; reaching into the car and pushing their heads usually makes them shut-up. "people don't like it when you push their heads" to quote some other hot-head pro rider who is only slightly less skinny than a schleck brother.

suffice it to say brendan is right on about the anger thing; if you do not easily get pissed, and couple it with a somewhat selfish myopic world view- you probably don't have the mindset to be a pro cyclist or a pro athlete. the work load itself is too hard to not require a degree of narcissism and a quick ability to get worked up is a really great tool to allow oneself to tolerate suffering.

jerk

1%er

I ripped a guys radio antena off his car today. True Story.

Fortunately for me he wouldn't get of his car after many requests made by me for him to do so. I totally would have gotten my *** kicked.

[stevep]

I ripped a guys radio antena off his car today. True Story.

little know fact
the movie raging bull was about justin...
not jake lamotta

the just transcribed one of his training rides into a fight.
serious.

in person he looks like sylvester stallone.

[flux]

little know fact
the movie raging bull was about justin...
not jake lamotta

the just transcribed one of his training rides into a fight.
serious.

in person he looks like sylvester stallone.

Steve,

They guy looked at me the wrong way. What else was I gonna do?

[swoop]

I ripped a guys radio antena off his car today. True Story.

Fortunately for me he wouldn't get of his car after many requests made by me for him to do so. I totally would have gotten my *** kicked.


hey. that was me dipshTT. ***? you wanna get at it... lets go.
signed,
steve pucci.

[stevep]

Steve,

They guy looked at me the wrong way. What else was I gonna do?

well,
the jerk woulda thrown a brick through his windshield, pulled him through the hole and explained to him not to worry, his insurance would cover the windshield but to stop f'in with bikes.

watch this video.
its flux after breaking off the cops antenna...
"how was i to know it was a cop car?"

maybe the blue lights on the roof?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1a_Z-ywTc4w#

[Grant McLean]

well,
the jerk woulda thrown a brick through his windshield, pulled him through the hole and explained to him not to worry, his insurance would cover the windshield but to stop f'in with bikes.




Are you joking? the guy would have seen how long his stem was,
and how big the drop was to his round handlebar, and backed off.

:banana:

-g

[flux]

well,
the jerk woulda thrown a brick through his windshield, pulled him through the hole and explained to him not to worry, his insurance would cover the windshield but to stop f'in with bikes.]

I'll try that one tomorrow.

[coylifut]

when I was 17 i got into a tussle with a motorist on a rainy day and ripped both of his windshield wipers off. yes. the guy who's preaching self control lost it. That was 28 years ago. some times I forget to give young people like the Frank Sleck's of the world a break for being, well, young.

[swoop]

i've never really beat a person up (adult-wise).. but man, i can kick the living daylights out of a car mirror, wiper blade, or already weakened antennae...
and i can swear with impunity and at the same time use magical esp powers to keep the object of my affection in the car and mesmerized by the 140 something pounds of lycra spinning out of control.

shrink fight club.


i roll like that.
use your effin signals, man.

[R2D2]

I've at times had enough abuse and lost it with motorist.
Sometimes they stop and eventually run off.
A couple times I've had a 38 or 9mm pointed at my head.
So I try to keep cool anymore.
You just never know...................

[swoop]

hey... i did just get an email from competitivecyclist.com. check this out... you can demo EMOTIONS from them.

they send you a box with the 5 most popular cycling emotions and you can ride them for a week to see what works.
they've got:

Anger,
Rage,
Happy (comes with Gelato),
Jens Voigt,
and something called VDB, which is a sampler of all the emotions at once and comes with a bottle of sleeping pills and bleach for your hair.
As an extra they throw in something called Dk-head. One dose and you chase down clean guys and yell at them even if they're 2 hours down on gc.

[musgravecycles]

Snipped: watch this video.
its flux after breaking off the cops antenna...
"how was i to know it was a cop car?"

maybe the blue lights on the roof?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1a_Z-ywTc4w#

That's pretty incredible...

[fiamme red]

We had a lead car and two follow cars. There were ~35 of us riding in the group. Not an unimpressive armada. But nonetheless, a pair of fat jackasses in a late model Chevy peeled out of the gas station to our left. "Get off the road you faggots…!" they screamed.From the photos, it appears that at least one of the CSC riders uses anatomic handlebars. ;)