Kinda hits home.

[unterhausen]

yeah, I think if riding a crit is the hardest thing someone has ever done, maybe they haven't lived their life to the fullest after all. I was sick all spring a few years ago and realized that I just like riding my bike. I don't have to be the fastest or drop anyone, and if someone does need that to feel fulfilled I'm perfectly happy to watch them ride off. And I have hit a plateau in my training that I'm having a hard time breaking through, so I can either enjoy what I'm capable of or quit. And I don't feel like quitting.

I get the attraction of racing, I missed it a lot for the longest time. There was a series of deaths in the cat 3 ranks a while back and I realized that traveling 6 hours to ride for less than an hour and possibly come back with a bad case of road rash or not come back at all just isn't something I'm all that interested in. At my age, people don't bounce as well as a 20 y.o. does.

I guess I don't see the denigration of other cyclists in that blog post though.

[Kirk007]

I too would cut the writer some slack - assuming that its a true story and he's indeed struggling to make sense of the "that could have been me moment." I'd also wager that he's relatively young if he's lining up and hanging on with the pro group; in other words, he has yet to hit the stage where the body starts to "rust" regardless of what you do. I'd wager he hasn't experienced the birth of a child. Perhaps never participated in other competitive sports that can provide that adrenalin high and feeling of either conquering or being vanquished.

So I chalk it up to youthful lack of world experience (he doesn't know what he doesn't know) when he says that the deceased lived more in the Tuesday moments of pinning on a number than most people do in a lifetime. Sorta like looking to Tomi Lahren as the fountain of knowledge on social issues and thinking your hearing wisdom spoke.

[parallelfish]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

I'd also wager that he's relatively young if he's lining up and hanging on with the pro group; in other words, he has yet to hit the stage where the body starts to "rust" regardless of what you do. I'd wager he hasn't experienced the birth of a child.

You loose the wager. Mid-fiftyish with adult children.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

I too would cut the writer some slack - assuming that its a true story and he's indeed struggling to make sense of the "that could have been me moment." I'd also wager that he's relatively young if he's lining up and hanging on with the pro group; in other words, he has yet to hit the stage where the body starts to "rust" regardless of what you do. I'd wager he hasn't experienced the birth of a child. Perhaps never participated in other competitive sports that can provide that adrenalin high and feeling of either conquering or being vanquished.

So I chalk it up to youthful lack of world experience (he doesn't know what he doesn't know) when he says that the deceased lived more in the Tuesday moments of pinning on a number than most people do in a lifetime. Sorta like looking to Tomi Lahren as the fountain of knowledge on social issues and thinking your hearing wisdom spoke.

I'd cut the guy some slack if this wasn't such a prevalent attitude in certain segments of the cycling world. God forbid you snap a picture on top of Mount Tam because it would screw up your (and everyone else's) Strava time. Hurling yourself down a hill with a dozen other people in close proximity is not the only path to cycling Nirvana and self-discovery.

[spoonrobot]

Reminded me of the tone in The Rider.

“Hot and overcast. I take my gear out of the car and put my bike together. Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafés. Non-racers. The emptiness of those lives shocks me.”
― Tim Krabbé, The Rider

The comment from the deceased riders mother-in-law was unexpected.

[oldpotatoe]

Non-racers. The emptiness of those lives shocks me

The arrogance of this statement is astonishing, astounding, shocking. Even if he KNEW who some of these people were. BIG forehead slap followed by head shake.

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by parallelfish

You loose the wager. Mid-fiftyish with adult children.

Interesting. Well, opinions are like a**holes; everyone's got one but yeah, I was in competitive sports including amateur bike racing for about 30 years so I've known the "thrill of victory agony of defeat thing" and would hardly define that as the core of living or the only way to push your boundaries but hey that's just my opinion.

Lots of ways to push limits, physical and mental. For instance I've never felt more alive than when out of my element and with little control - be face to face with a tiger shark on his/her turf, underwater living off a tank of oxygen on your back. At night. Or face to face with an elephant that's trying to figure out whether to push the land rover you're sitting in out of the way to continue to browse the Acacia tree. Or having a stare down with a pride of lions from 40 yards whule on foot in the bush. And on and on.

As to the elitist attitude in road cycling, yeah whatever roadie dudes and dudettes, I don't let others define myself. I would hope that if there's a moment of reflection before I pass I don't look back and think wow, those moments when I was on the rivet, that was really living.

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

I'd cut the guy some slack if this wasn't such a prevalent attitude in certain segments of the cycling world. God forbid you snap a picture on top of Mount Tam because it would screw up your (and everyone else's) Strava time. Hurling yourself down a hill with a dozen other people in close proximity is not the only path to cycling Nirvana and self-discovery.

Some thoughts after reading several of your posts.

1. Strava is not racing

2. Hurting yourself / “training” on a bike has nothing to do with strava times.

3. Have you ever raced?

4. You seem more upset and argumentative about “the other” (the invisible racer strava boogeyman) than anyone seems to be about your approach to bikes. Focus on yourself, stop caring about other people’s approach or perception of your approach.

5. Lighten up. It’s just riding a bike.

Edit: Should add. Have raced. Don't currently (as I have a young family and can't justify spending the time away from them that racing takes). Ride a lot. Ride a bike hard sometimes. Sometimes I don't. Partake in semi-structured training as I enjoy the satisfaction of working at something and reaping those rewards. But I also enjoy easy rides, and love smelling the roses. Don't just ride road, spend a bit of time on an enduro/all-mountain rig too. Commute a lot. Just love riding bikes and seeing other people riding bikes, man!

[Matthew]

With guys like Tim it's no wonder roadies are often cast in a negative light. I love cycling obviously and have done a little racing. I've never once thought I was better because I do and others don't. There's more to life than bikes.

[Alaska Mike]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

The arrogance of this statement is astonishing, astounding, shocking. Even if he KNEW who some of these people were. BIG forehead slap followed by head shake.

Wow. You're joking, aren't you?

[e-RICHIE]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

The arrogance of this statement is astonishing, astounding, shocking. Even if he KNEW who some of these people were. BIG forehead slap followed by head shake.

The quote (statement) is from Krabbé's book.
You knew that, right?

ps

arrange disorder

[Alaska Mike]

Originally Posted by jimmy-moots

1. Strava is not racing
2. Hurting yourself / “training” on a bike has nothing to do with strava times.
3. Have you ever raced?
4. You more upset and argumentative about “the other” (the invisible racer strava boogeyman) than anyone seems to be about your approach to bikes. Focus on yourself, stop caring about other people’s approach or perception of your approach.
5. Lighten up. It’s just riding a bike.

I would say that I agree. If that's how one chooses to enjoy a bicycle, more power to them. The more people riding, the better the world is.

The departed cyclist obviously enjoyed racing his bike, and he died doing what he loved. He could have died bike commuting (happens every day), riding down a MUP/MUT (those are really dangerous), or walking down stairs in cycling shoes. The way I look at it, there are any number of ways to die related to cycling. The same can be said of just about any activity. If I have to die (and I have no desire to do so anytime soon), I would rather it be doing something that has meaning to me. If you don't agree with my choices, that's up to you.

Seth (the blog author) actually pretty much stopped racing (as in USAC-sanctioned racing) after a few decades of doing it at a somewhat high level. Now he pretty much does competitive group rides, promotes the power of cycling (in all forms) to bring together people together, advocates for cycling rights/safety (while not wearing a helmet), and occasionally represents cyclists in court (his job). He's probably done more to advance and promote participation in cycling in his own little South Bay world than most people on this site (I'm making n assumption about the vast majority). His words hit a nerve with those that aren't necessarily drawn to the competitive side of cycling, and that's fine. But again, that says more about them then him.

Some racers can be stubborn and elitist. So can wool-clad Luddites (Grant?). People are people.

Riding around on a kid's toy in your underwear is something to be taken seriously. Or not. Your choice.

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by Alaska Mike

.... that says more about them then him.

Well I'm with 'ya on 90% and good for the blog author for what he does for cycling. But I disagree with the above:what he said in essence is that his choices make his life more lived than those that "don't push all their chips to the center" through competition. So yeah, I think he's talking more about them than him, and that says something about him as he's expressing an opinion/judgement that their lives less lived than his - he has no foundation for making that statement and as a lawyer should know as much.

[quickfeet]

Racing is cool and all, but have you ever just gone for a bike ride as an adult without anything in mind? No training, Garmins, or structure? So good, talk about dopamine.

I’ve spent a bunch of time the last couple years just riding around local trails on my cx bike in baggies and a regular old T-shirt. Came home with the same buzz as ripping around a flat square 4 corner crit too.

I don’t begrudge anyone for wanting to pin and number on and call it the best, but imho there are lots of other ways to create introspection. I can discover myself doing lots of things.

[spoonrobot]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

Well I'm with 'ya on 90% and good for the blog author for what he does for cycling. But I disagree with the above:what he said in essence is that his choices make his life more lived than those that "don't push all their chips to the center" through competition. So yeah, I think he's talking more about them than him, and that says something about him as he's expressing an opinion/judgement that their lives less lived than his - he has no foundation for making that statement and as a lawyer should know as much.

He's right. Some people live more fulfilling lives than others, competition can be a big part of that. Since the blog and author is primarily concerned with competitive cycling, both sanctioned racing and unsanctioned group ride competitions, it makes sense that the death of a racer would be framed in such a way.

I find many of the negative reactions here distasteful. A person died, someone who witnessed it was moved to write about it and here are several people calling into question how it is presented. Not to mention questioning the author's professional and personal judgement. Poor taste, in my opinion.