Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - ESPN article on track cycling

Came across this article. This pro triathlete is trying to find a sport she can qualify for the Olympics in. In this article she goes to the US Olympic track cycling camp.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=olympianpartthree

"However, dramatic skids with the rear tire don't make you look cool on track bikes."

Well, that's that, then.

With all due respect to Ms. Bertine, crap articles like this infuriate me. Rather than actually doing something for the sport and backing an unknown but TALENTED track rider who could not afford or manage Olympic training otherwise, they go for the cutesy fluff piece.

This is Part 3 in our series on Bertine's Olympic quest in which she tries out the redheaded stepchild of biking — track cycling.

What the ****? Maybe somebody should make them sit down and read/watch Six Day Bicycle Race (http://www.sixdaybicyclerace.com/). And coming from a huge source like ESPN too.

PS: comments, concerns, criticisms, and/or complaints: ESPNOlympian@aol.com

Load it up people.

I can't compete in my usual sports, so I'll take up a new one...**** that sh*t

Man, you guys are way too easily infuriated when folks don't bow down to your precious fixed gear culture. The article takes the perspective of an outsiders view of track racing. Its not intended to be a review of the history of track racing, or a piece on the coolness of fixed gears, or fixed gear culture, and if it was most people would find it to be extremely boring except a few track/fixed gear nerds. Face it...track racing is a marginal sport in this country. Does olympic track cycling ever even get televised here? Its just not that exciting to most people because they don't identify with it. Most cyclist don't even really identify with it because its such a specialized and restrictive form of cycling. Most of you probably wouldn't even really care much about the sport of track racing if you weren't obsessed with track bikes. I've tried track cycling, and frankly, my first impression of it is that its kinda lame. And although it can become exciting the more you get into it, frankly, riding on roads and trails is way more exciting right off the bat. The article is a human interest story and not intended to be about track racing really. Its part of a larger story about an ameteur's attempt to get into the olympics and how challenging that would be. Theres nothing wrong with that.

Man, you guys are way too easily infuriated when folks don't bow down to your precious fixed gear culture. It an article about an outsiders view of track racing. Its not intended to be a review of the history of track racing, or a piece on the coolness of fixed gears, or fixed gear culture and if it was, it would be boring to everyone except a few track nerds. Face it...track racing is a marginal sport in this country. Its just not that exciting to most people. Does olympic track cycling ever even get televised here. The article is a human interest story, and part of a larger story about an ameteur's attempt to get into the olympics and how challenging that would be. Theres nothing wrong with that.


but but but.... oooohhhhhh

With all due respect to Ms. Bertine, crap articles like this infuriate me. Rather than actually doing something for the sport and backing an unknown but TALENTED track rider who could not afford or manage Olympic training otherwise, they go for the cutesy fluff piece.

Did you actually read the article? It doesn't sound to me like
ESPN actually paid for her training or is somehow bank-rolling
her Olympic dream in any way. In fact, I doubt that they gave
her anything except a few bucks to write this article for them.
As for it being a fluff piece, well this is ESPN, not the New York
Times.

I just curious how you find an untrained rider with elite potential? Like american idol but with vo2max tests muscle biopsies and brutal ordeals of masochism instead of stupid judges with snarky comments?

i love how she rides on the tops of the bars like a hipster with b123's

i love how she rides on the tops of the bars like a hipster with b123's

never been to a track have you?

She's hot. And the article isn't bad IMO.

I have a little. but she does it in pacelines, which I was told not to do. *shrug*

I just curious how you find an untrained rider with elite potential? Like american idol but with vo2max tests muscle biopsies and brutal ordeals of masochism instead of stupid judges with snarky comments?
+1

Yeah, I just +1 dutret. It was a good point, what can I say. One difference: I would keep the snarky judges and their comments. Oh wait, I think the editor managed to take that job.

I don't have a problem with the article, my problem is with the editor's note at the beginning. Track cycling is a sport with a lot of history, it takes strategy, and it is a respected sport in many places. But wait, American's don't like it. Oh, it doesn't count because we don't watch it in America.

PS-

Hi Ryan,

I think we (Editors and myself) were trying to infer that track cycling is "the redheaded stepchild" because no one in mainstream, football-watching, America knows the sport exists or pays any attention to it. This is not a reflection on track cycling, but on the "popularity" and capitalization of mainstream sports. Hopefully it was clear how very difficult the sport of track cycling is, and that it deserves much more coverage and credit!

Best wishes to you,

Kathryn Bertine

OH Snap! I liked the article. I thought it definitely showed how hard it is, and was up to ESPN's usual level of entertaining-ness. My favorite part was this little jab:

In the past few years, road cycling has enjoyed a surge of popularity (thanks to Lance and EPO — separately)
separately - HA!

it seem like some what of a catch-22 to me (but more likely it's just sporting channels being presumptuous). their logic appears to be: american's don't get track cycling because it's not televised so there isn't a lot of exposure, but it isn't televised because american's don't watch it (more under the assumption that they/we wouldn't watch it)

someone with money could make it hot, but you already knew that.

Those "seemingly generic purple bikes" she speaks of are KHS aero's.

I get the impression this kind of "I can't do my thing anymore so I'll cycle" seems kinda common. That aussie AIS (?Amy Gilette?) roadie that got killed in Germany a couple of years ago was a former rower and switched to cycling to continue competing.

At least the track is getting press. I don't think it's just the US anymore that has a waning affection for track racing as the IOC dropped both the men's & women's 500m track event from the 2008 Olympics anyway... to make room for... eeewwww... BMX.

With all due respect to Ms. Bertine, crap articles like this infuriate me. Rather than actually doing something for the sport and backing an unknown but TALENTED track rider who could not afford or manage Olympic training otherwise, they go for the cutesy fluff piece.

EXACTLY
Like some of these people

http://www.velonews.com/race/trk/articles/8693.0.html

Some of these are friends of mine and I know how hard they work for little in return
How about giving THEM some props ESPN????

I get the impression this kind of "I can't do my thing anymore so I'll cycle" seems kinda common. .

YEP..... Unfortunate isn't it??

" However, dramatic skids with the rear tire don't make you look cool on track bikes."

LIES!

I don't see why everyone is so mad about this. Sure she didn't fawn over track cycling. Does anyone other than a small handful in this country? This ain't Belgium. And unless you live by one of the very few velodromes, chances are you've neither rode in nor watched a track racing event.

While I would love nothing more than to see the proliferation of cycling and fixed gear bikes in general, I'm not going to complain when ESPN doesn't do a front page bio on someone no one has ever heard of. Sure it would be great for them to follow someone with true potential, but if they did, no one would read it and the article wouldn't be published at all. Besides, I seem to remember a few years ago when the only cycling you'd see all year in the states was ABC's Wide World of Sports, every Sunday, for an hour, during the Tour de France. Now that's covered live. I don't get OLN anymore but when I did they had several cycling events. This lack of cycling coverage you complain about could be much, much worse.

As far as her calling track racing 'the red-headed stepchild of cycling,' who cares. She's saying its abused, undervalued, and outcast. Can you argue with any of these?

i love how she rides on the tops of the bars like a hipster with b123's

Hey! I'm that hipster!

Is Triathlon no longer in the olympics? I know it was in 2000 and I think 2004, a bastardized version of it anyway. I can totally understand if she just doesn't like that version of Triathlon though, it was really just a 10k road race.

I get the impression this kind of "I can't do my thing anymore so I'll cycle" seems kinda common.


YEP..... Unfortunate isn't it??


how on earth is it unfortunate? that makes absolutely no sense. can you explain to me why exactly it is a negative thing that people begin cycling?

and for those of you saying "boo to ESPN for helping this woman go to training as opposed to someone who deserves it." a) most of those people who 'deserve it' still aren't anywhere near good enough to be olympic quality b) this woman wasn't taking resources away from anyone else. her being there didn't prevent anyone else from being there and there was never any chance of her taking someone elses spot on a team simply because she was from ESPN c) she was allowed to participate solely because she was writing for ESPN and the people realized her participation would bring publicity for track racing which is a good thing. d) few people in america care about cycling, and even fewer care about track cycling. it's a fact, so don't get all pissy about her saying it is the "red-headed stepchild" of the cycling world cause it's true. it's not some personal insult against you and your bike, it's just a statement of the low general popularity of the sport in the US.

seriously, some people constantly look for **** to complain about.

edit: sorry, tequila makes me argumentative.

bollocks track cycling is the red headed step child why I awtta

the IOC dropped both the men's & women's 500m track event from the 2008 Olympics anyway... to make room for... eeewwww... BMX.

=bullsh1t. Also, I thought it was the kilo for men? But nonetheless, shouldn't have happened.

At least the track is getting press. I don't think it's just the US anymore that has a waning affection for track racing as the IOC dropped both the men's & women's 500m track event from the 2008 Olympics anyway... to make room for... eeewwww... BMX.


Sweet...I've been hearing talk of putting BMX in the Olympics since 1986, when it first started to get popular. The olympics is way to slow to follow trends. If there is an upswing in track interest due to this fixed gear trend, the trend will be long gone before the olympics does anything about it.

i thought bmx'ing belong on like... teh x-gam3z0rs

i thought bmx'ing belong on like... teh x-gam3z0rs

Olympic BMX'ing? What the hell?

I kinda feel bad for her, seeing how desperate she is to fit in the mold she believes she deserves. Its like the nerdy kid who can't play at all and becomes the waterboy so he can be in the team picture.

riding a specialized, man orbea is going to be pissed.

yeah I want a new orca they are sick looking sorry has gears but it is sooo sexy

"There is a product called Chamois Butt'r that one puts "down below" before cycling workouts to ease the pain of the saddle. Today, bleary-eyed and tired at 7 a.m., I've accidentally put Bengay in my bike shorts instead of the intended cream. I don't remember the morning workout. "

that was hilarious

For a bunch of folk who purport to be tolerant about things, a lot of kids that ride fixed-gear bikes sure do let that decide a lot of things for them instead of actually using their brains.

I guess I just missed the part where it was some how disadvantageous to cycling/fixed-gear/whatever for someone to ride a bike?
Is it also forbidden to do other sports concurrent with riding your bike? Am I so terrible for riding my fixed gear or singlespeed bike to rowing practice, or to the gym, or to something other than the track?

I guess, for me, it comes down to a question of "what does this affect, and how?"
It really seems like this affects the overall base of "people who know about/have heard of track cycling/fixed gear" by expanding it through a medium that lots of people who like to watch competition (in general) are exposed to.

Opinion is opinion, though, so like the piece, or ESPN, but don't blame someone for merely riding a bike, merely because it's not you.

I kinda feel bad for her, seeing how desperate she is to fit in the mold she believes she deserves. Its like the nerdy kid who can't play at all and becomes the waterboy so he can be in the team picture.

Except that this waterboy is already a world-class athlete.
Otherwise, yeah, your analogy is perfect!!!

Except that this waterboy is already a world-class athlete.
Otherwise, yeah, your analogy is perfect!!!

Was a world class athlete... in a different sport. The world is littered with failed child prodigies and over the hill athletes chasing their prime.

If you can't make it to the Olympics in triathlon and want to get there somehow, then
-Buy a ****ing plane ticket
-Change your nationality. As a Bora Boran, you'll get a wild card to any event you fancy.
-Take up curling.

-Why TF would you try track cycling, in which you have about as much chance as I do to become US president? (And please do take into account that I'd refuse the job...)

Olympic BMX'ing? What the hell?

I'm pretty sure it's BMX racing that's going to the olympics.

-Why TF would you try track cycling, in which you have about as much chance as I do to become US president? (And please do take into account that I'd refuse the job...)
Because it makes a good ****ing article people. Are you all so thick-skulled that you can't figure out the purpose of this series? HINT: This woman isn't going to make the Olympic team. Also: ESPN doesn't give a crap if she does or not. Why the hell would she even try handball or the pentathlon if she were serious about it?

The purpose of the article is to get a first-person view of what it takes to make it to the Olympics. And if that person has an athletic background, that only makes it better, since they have something to compare it to.

Was a world class athlete... in a different sport. The world is littered with failed child prodigies and over the hill athletes chasing their prime.

and it's also full of people who never really accomplish anything of merit but sit around all day talking **** like they have 5 olympic golds...


Because it makes a good ****ing article people. Are you all so thick-skulled that you can't figure out the purpose of this series? HINT: This woman isn't going to make the Olympic team. Also: ESPN doesn't give a crap if she does or not. Why the hell would she even try handball or the pentathlon if she were serious about it?

The purpose of the article is to get a first-person view of what it takes to make it to the Olympics. And if that person has an athletic background, that only makes it better, since they have something to compare it to.

+ seriously!

This thread is totally blowing my mind. Wow.

I have a little. but she does it in pacelines, which I was told not to do. *shrug*
depends - for warm-up pacelines I have been in the flats for the first half to get to a comfortable speed, and then proceeded into the drops to utilize form to increase control, comfort, and speed.

I have also been in pacelines with a "no flats" rule.

Well, it doesn't make a good article. Any article that takes the readers to be total ******* only deserves to be read by... total *******.

-She discovers that athletes use drugs. Wow!!!
-She realises that, as an ex-triathlete, she is best suited to do endurance events, not sprint. She needed help from a coach for that, but congrats anyway.
etc.

The whole thing would be a good series if it didn't have all the idiotic lies in it about trying to make it to the Olympics. Just try out a few sports for fun and introduce the pros, that's a viable plan. This is just tabloid **** this way. BTW, she has a decent chance in luge I guess.

Well, it doesn't make a good article. Any article that takes the readers to be total ******* only deserves to be read by... total *******.

The whole thing would be a good series if it didn't have all the idiotic lies in it about trying to make it to the Olympics. Just try out a few sports for fun and introduce the pros, that's a viable plan. This is just tabloid **** this way. BTW, she has a decent chance in luge I guess.

What does developmental disability have to do with not being knowledgable about track cycling?
What would have happened if she had actually been "legit" and blew some of the pro's out of the water?

Of course that didn't happen, but it very well could have been any number of people that go out for Olympic camps and don't make it on the team. Granted I agree with you on the tabloid part, but that's the entire business of sports-journalism: finding something/anything that's not quite in the public eye and magnifying it. I see what you're saying in that respect; it would have been more germane than someone out of nowhere, but that's part of obscurity, you take what you get and you run with it. Sure track cycling has been around awhile, but you take what you get and you respond to the writers with your opinions en masse when you see something you don't like.

But let's at least have a little perspective: show of hands, how many of you who read this have tried to go to the Olympics in something obscure, and didn't make it?

Well, it doesn't make a good article. Any article that takes the readers to be total ******* only deserves to be read by... total *******.

-She discovers that athletes use drugs. Wow!!!
-She realises that, as an ex-triathlete, she is best suited to do endurance events, not sprint. She needed help from a coach for that, but congrats anyway.
etc.

The whole thing would be a good series if it didn't have all the idiotic lies in it about trying to make it to the Olympics. Just try out a few sports for fun and introduce the pros, that's a viable plan. This is just tabloid **** this way. BTW, she has a decent chance in luge I guess.

do you realize who reads ESPN articles? it's not pro atheletes looking to learn more about their area of expertise.

i love how she rides on the tops of the bars like a hipster with b123's

Shut your mouth