What do you enjoy about racing?

[CNote]

I raced for the 3rd time in my life today, and by the end of the first of four 14-mile laps, I was already asking myself, "What the hell am I doing this for?"

Now there were two enjoyable moments of the race for me. The first was at one point when I almost forgot I was racing and turned my head to check out the scenery. Unfortunately (but perhaps fortunately for everyone's safety) I had to come back to reality and focus on my position and everyone around me, and think about silly things like when and how to move up closer to the front of the pack, all the while wondering whether the idiot on my left would almost squeeze me off the road again. The second enjoyable moment was passing through a small town where there were two little kids in their front yard obviously mesmerized by the pack of guys dressed up like spandex-clad super heroes riding their bicycles through town at breakneck speed. I shot them a smile and a wave, and I'm guessing I'm the only one who bothered.

Now the intention of this post isn't to bash racers, although a lot of them take amateur racing all too seriously. I'm actually curious what those of you who race enjoy about it? Is it only about results? Is it the workout you get ('cause that is a certainty)?

Did I mention that all three races I've been in have had train-wreck crashes that I have luckily managed to avoid?

[Dr. Doofus]

so many challenges

position

handling

reading a race

picking your spot

making your move

learning what do when you fail

the rare times when it works

[oracle]

upgrade. the racing will get better.

[Ti Designs]

I retired from racing when I found I no longer enjoyed racing. I'm not doing it for a living and too many people took it too damn seriously. In the first 10 years of racing I didn't even know there was a protest period after the race, now it's like a bunch of old ladies fighting for the last loaf of bread. Things can get dangerous, people are willing to risk life and limb for no good reason, I've done all that, I don't see the reason to jump back into it.

That said, I still coach riders who race, and I still play just as hard as ever in training rides. I loved racing when I was in it, and I think it's worth giving it a chance - more than just a few races. First, it gets easier. Doof has it right, so many things to concentrate on all at once. It's like driving in traffic for the first time, watch in front of you, watch your speed, watch the other cars, watch the traffic lights, check your mirrors... Given time it all becomes second nature.

My second point in learning to love the sport is that it's not an individual sport. Join a team and treat it as more than a bunch of guys in the same jersey. Some of my fondest memories are from working my a$$ off for my team, or knowing that my teammates would do the same for me. It motivates you to push well past what you would do for yourself, at times it even erases all the other distractions. In crits when I was riding support for my team leader I never gave a second thought to the dangers of diving into a corner with 20 other idiots - I had a job to do and that's all I focused on. In the rare times when I was the team leader there was no way I was going to let my team down, I could have the worst day of my life on the bike and I would still stay with my lead-out man.

[e-RICHIE]

i like being in breaks that work, giving people
"the look", and beating folks that train too much.
what can i say, it's the little things in life.

i hate getting worked over by another team's
tactics as well as, god forbid, being beaten by
a guy with a 90 degree stem on his frame.

[Dr. Doofus]

ti --

"I've raced off and on since 1982, and it still challenges my faculties to go into a corner at 30 with a) guys on both elbows b) an interesting and creative pattern of reflectors on the road and c) a move going out of the turn.

draw your own conclusions regarding doof's competence.

its still fun

post-race protests and risking limbs in masters' fields are pure stupidity"

yeah

what he

said

[jerk]

what does the jerk like about racing?

the head games

the camaradarie

pulling a lead-out through holes that aren't really there....

riding a screw-ball who won't take a pull off your wheel...

bumping elbows with guys much, much faster than you.....

getting your calfs grabbed by a fat guy drinking beer while he pushes your sun-glasses up so he can see your eyes and getting told he thinks you have good chance....


the big money and big prizes and rock-star lifestyle (let the jerk tell you about the time he won 300bf and ham. big pimpin' style.

jerk

[e-RICHIE]

jerk-issimo
we should try to meet up at a race
and bump uglies together. are there
any local cat 1-2 crits we can sit in
at? hey - thanks for reading.
e-RICHIE

[Dr. Doofus]

jerk -- check yer pm's....need some 2 cents

[e-RICHIE]

snipped:
what does the jerk like about racing?
riding a screw-ball who won't take a pull off your wheel...
jerk


jerk-issimo
i think your participle is dangling!
xoxoxox's
e-RICHIE

[Dr. Doofus]

and jerk needs commas or parentheses to set off that subordinate clause

[Dr. Doofus]

"riding" would be a gerund in that instance

[jerk]

jerk-issimo
we should try to meet up at a race
and bump uglies together. are there
any local cat 1-2 crits we can sit in
at? hey - thanks for reading.
e-RICHIE


good idea. this week was lunch week though. tomorrow is the last day of lunch week...then hard-training begins anew.


maybe something down your way? jerk'll try to get. j.s. to come too.

jerk

[e-RICHIE]

good idea. this week was lunch week though. tomorrow is the last day of lunch week...then hard-training begins anew.


maybe something down your way? jerk'll try to get. j.s. to come too.

jerk

i'm down for at least 2 events tomorrow
at new britain...

[ergott]

:banana: :banana: :banana:

All right, I won a nothing little race with the slow group, but it was by half a wheel in a sprint. I let them go because they jumped way too early and I reeled them in with 100-150m to go. I don't care what race it is, if you win by that small a margin you are racing your peers and beating them is the best!

The next best thing about racing is finishing because if your are really racing (not just sitting in), you can't wait to get off the freaking bike by that point (oh, the pain) :crap: :crap: !

Eric

[coylifut]

It's a circle. I love training. Racing gives me something to train for. Can't explain it, but after a cross race I say "that's what racing is supposed to feel like." On the road, I like employing team tactics. Our team seems to always win and it's fun being part of that.

[cs124]

...snip... as well as, god forbid, being beaten by
a guy with a 90 degree stem on his frame.

what if the 90 degree stem is on one of YOUR frames?

[e-RICHIE]

what if the 90 degree stem is on one of YOUR frames?

i've never seen that, and would be amazed
if 1) i saw it, and 2) that guy passed me in
a race!