"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - When did you realize that you SUCKED at this?

This dawned on me in the mid 1990's. Did it stop me from 'racing' (I use that term facetiously)? No. And I have one tiny 4th place trophy I won in some obscure race to show for it. The other times I got results I got silly cash awards like $25. I would have preferred another trophy.

And I continue to flog that very same dolphin as my 50's approach.

But as they say, better dead than Fred. And these racing dudes are out to fulfill the 'dead' part of that equation.

It dawned on me the first time I pinned on a number.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to the shrink to find out how my mom made my handlebars crooked.

When I was getting fitted for my new bike, I bonked on the trainer.

It dawned on me the first time I pinned on a number.



Me too. The only solace I've been able to find is that so far there has always been someone behind me at the finish...this is proof that someone sucks at this even more than I do.

... the first time I threw my leg over a bike.



but I still like racing. :)

Probably after my first 4 races. Lapped by the field, 2 crashes, and a DFL (but only because I wasn't paying attention, damnit!).

To borrow from the great bicycle racer Winston Churchill, "never surrender!" or something. Gotta believe in yourself, yo.

The 1987 Beale AFB Triathlon, my first tri. I was the first guy out of the water and as I pumped down the road on my trusty old Schwinn World Sport, I was thinking to myself, Hey I'm gonna win this thing!

A few minutes later guys started flying by me like they were on motorcycles.

Now, 20 years and several (much lighter and more expensive) bikes later, guys are still flying by me.

Probably after my first 4 races. Lapped by the field, 2 crashes, and a DFL (but only because I wasn't paying attention, damnit!).

To borrow from the great bicycle racer Winston Churchill, "never surrender!" or something. Gotta believe in yourself, yo.

You sound distrubingly like Randy Jackson from American Idol. 'Yo'? You're a white kid from New Paltz.

Chill out dawg. Homie don't wanna have to throw down, yo.

werd.

Chill out dawg. Homie don't wanna have to throw down, yo.

werd.

Now you sound disturbingly like the Jammie Kennedy in Malibu's Most Wanted.

Naw, dog... Penguin be kickin' it old school and *****.

http://www.blakeschwendiman.com/blook/vanilla_ice.jpg

Don't be hatin'.

Don't be hatin'.

I'm jus' jealous of da 5 point 0. :D

I'm so white middle class sometimes that it's even appalling to me. My dog loves me, and that's all I need.

Except for my Six13. My dog Sam, my Six13 and that's IT.

And my HR monitor. My dog Sam, my Six13, and my HR monitor.

And BF...

I'm jus' jealous of da 5 point 0. :D
:roflmao: wtf does that even mean :D

When I got passed on a hill by an old guy with a beard and helmet mirror, riding a recumbent.

:roflmao: wtf does that even mean :D
Vanilla rolled in a Mustang 5.0...Just another Ford POS.

Vanilla rolled in a Mustang 5.0...Just another Ford POS.

YET another Ford POS.

I'm so white middle class sometimes that it's even appalling to me. My dog loves me, and that's all I need.

Except for my Six13. My dog Sam, my Six13 and that's IT.

And my HR monitor. My dog Sam, my Six13, and my HR monitor.

And BF...

isn't Sam a lab?

you can't get much more LL Bean catalog than that.

:roflmao: wtf does that even mean :D

Perhaps Vanilla, in all his glory, was a bit before your time. ;)

The voracious verse vocalizer Vanilla Ice was slightly before my time.

Besides, I thought he was into Kawasakis :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z1xqLPcE0c

isn't Sam a lab?

you can't get much more LL Bean catalog than that.

You got it wrong "My Dog Sam" is Patencads level of reading ability. ;) My daughters in kindergarden and is also reading this book.

:roflmao: wtf does that even mean :D


So his hair can blow.

You got it wrong "My Dog Sam" is Patencads level of reading ability. ;) My daughters in kindergarden and is also reading this book.

what ever happened to classics like Dick & Jane, with ol' Spot?

i realized i sucked on my first group ride. i got behind this 50+ guy with gray hair and thought to myself- "just hang behind this guy... you can match whatever HE'S got"


i got dropped about 3 minutes later.

The other times I got results I got silly cash awards like $25.



Ah-ha! So, you are a Pro, then!

At one time in the past century, you would not have been able to participate in the Olympics--if you were able to make it to the team that is.

I was shamed in my second road race. Coming from a MTB racing background, I was used to being at the front killing everybody. I was at the front pulling for about 10 miles covering all of the attacks then on the first hill I got dropped off the back.

I tried to rain the pain and ended up distributing nary a sprinkle of discomfort.

Ah-ha! So, you are a Pro, then!

At one time in the past century, you would not have been able to participate in the Olympics--if you were able to make it to the team that is.

How does that work? I've won over a hundred bucks this season.

How does that work? I've won over a hundred bucks this season.

PRO!

SWISSY PRO!

Every D@mn Day.

isn't Sam a lab?

you can't get much more LL Bean catalog than that.

Yes you can... he's a Golden Retriever. Best Dog on the Planet, and I tell him several times daily. Which makes him very happy. Of course I could whack him upside the head with rolled up copies of Velo News and he'd be very happy. Goldens are happy dogs.

I won a pair of shorts as a prime. Thank god it hasn't affected my amateur status.

Yes you can... he's a Golden Retriever. Best Dog on the Planet, and I tell him several times daily. Which makes him very happy. Of course I could whack him upside the head with rolled up copies of Velo News and he'd be very happy. Goldens are happy dogs.

as happy as my folks english bulldog is when he spots a bare shin? ;)

The other times I got results I got silly cash awards like $25.

whooo hoooo...!

The purse for 1st place at the weekly race I do is 10€.


I won a pair of shorts as a prime. Thank god it hasn't affected my amateur status.

i once won a sweater for finishing 2nd, after spending 30 miles in a 2 man break, when I was in Scotland.

damn sweater was an XS.

as happy as my folks english bulldog is when he spots a bare shin? ;)

Not as happy as our English Bull Terrier when she ate my air conditioning unit. That dog is only happy when she's destroying something that is going to cost me a lot of money....a lot of money.

When did I realize I sucked at racing? This is kind of pathetic, but...

My first and only race ever, 1978, when I was 8 years old - a 25-miler. My dad was really into racing in those days, so he was off with the speedsters at the front and I was soon way at the back, alone. I remember looking at the map before the race, but I couldn't have said where I was supposed to go even 10 minutes later, it was in an area at least an hour's drive from my home so I had no landmarks to help me out, and I was totally lost and alone at the back.

I came up on this old guy repairing a flat; he had a racing number on so I stopped and chatted him up, and he ended up doing what my dad should have done in the first place - swallowed his pride and competitiveness and led me to the finish. Cool old geezer, I remember.

I decided after that I didn't want to race at all and became the touring freak I am now. I'm guess I'm just not competitive except in chess. :o

I realized I sucked at racing in the first race I did. I took a turn at the front, in to the bright sunshine, the fresh air, and the general peace of the front of the race. And then my legs weakened, my pace dropped, and the entire group shot around me, leaving me behind like a Tie-Fighter chasing the Millenium Falcon as it made the jump to lightspeed.

I realized I sucked on the next race too, where the same thing happened. It just happened faster and on a hill. This time it was like the saucer section of the Enterprise breaking off and going on, leaving the main section to drift alone in the emptiness of space. Or boarded by the Romulans. Anway...

Then the next race I did, I managed to stay with the group, tucking in all meek and safe, hiding from the wind. Did the same thing on the next race and the next race and the next race and so on. So I still suck. And I will always suck.

But it's hella fun.

When did I realize I sucked at racing? This is kind of pathetic, but...

My first and only race ever, 1978, when I was 8 years old - a 25-miler. My dad was really into racing in those days, so he was off with the speedsters at the front and I was soon way at the back, alone. I remember looking at the map before the race, but I couldn't have said where I was supposed to go even 10 minutes later, it was in an area at least an hour's drive from my home so I had no landmarks to help me out, and I was totally lost and alone at the back.

I came up on this old guy repairing a flat; he had a racing number on so I stopped and chatted him up, and he ended up doing what my dad should have done in the first place - swallowed his pride and competitiveness and led me to the finish. Cool old geezer, I remember.

I decided after that I didn't want to race at all and became the touring freak I am now. I'm guess I'm just not competitive except in chess. :o

that's a really good story- and anyone who's a father should take note. funny how such a relatively small gesture can reverberate throughout someone's life.

Put in proper perspective, I think most everyone in this forum is pretty impressive. Most everyone here that's raced a few times, has figured out to hang with the pack for the most part, and even be competive at their particular level from time to time.

Being able to finish a Cat 5 race with the group may not seem like much, compared to other racers , people in higher catagories, and professionals.

But compared to cyclists in general, it makes you pretty damn fast,and pretty fit.

and compared to the general populace, it makes you off the chart fit, and very impressive compared to lots of people wit zero focus, zero goals, and zero discipline.

and compared to the general populace, it makes you off the chart fit, and very impressive compared to lots of people wit zero focus, zero goals, and zero discipline.

Hehe... You're totally right. To many people, my sorry cat 4 a$$ is actually a super hard-core athlete. It's pretty funny.

Put in proper perspective, I think most everyone in this forum is pretty impressive. Most everyone here that's raced a few times, has figured out to hang with the pack for the most part, and even be competive at their particular level from time to time.

Being able to finish a Cat 5 race with the group may not seem like much, compared to other racers , people in higher catagories, and professionals.

But compared to cyclists in general, it makes you pretty damn fast,and pretty fit.

and compared to the general populace, it makes you off the chart fit, and very impressive compared to lots of people wit zero focus, zero goals, and zero discipline.


THAT, my friend, is one motivation I have.
The, "How do you get up at 4am to ride to work?" Or, "How many miles did you do?" Or "Man, you're getting skinny." Or "My what big teeth you have." (Sorry wrong story).

But one that hits home - and my heart - the most is hearing my wife telling people I race bikes. (Not just ride.) I like that.

My first race: started in the C's, when the A's went by I hopped on the back. The organiser saw me after a couple of laps (the C's had this ignominious pink ribbon on our arms). He put me in the B's. I broke off the front. By the end I was so exhausted I couldn't sprint, came in around 9th. It wasn't a bad result, but looking back it was the dawn of the realisation that I can't sprint. I couldn't outsprint a 5 year old girl. Lord knows I've tried, I have the road rash to prove it.

Put in proper perspective, I think most everyone in this forum is pretty impressive. Most everyone here that's raced a few times, has figured out to hang with the pack for the most part, and even be competive at their particular level from time to time.

Being able to finish a Cat 5 race with the group may not seem like much, compared to other racers , people in higher catagories, and professionals.

But compared to cyclists in general, it makes you pretty damn fast,and pretty fit.

and compared to the general populace, it makes you off the chart fit, and very impressive compared to lots of people wit zero focus, zero goals, and zero discipline.

Hugs, everybody!

How does that work? I've won over a hundred bucks this season.

Did you let the IRS in on this?

and compared to the general populace, it makes you off the chart fit, and very impressive compared to lots of people wit zero focus, zero goals, and zero discipline.

That would make me feel better if all the dudes I ride with on a regular basis weren't currently faster than me. Currently. But they won't be forever. Hey, that's a GOAL, isn't it? And I did finish ONE race already this year (1 out of 2 ain't bad).

Look at it this way: There are 8 million people who ride their bikes at least 3x weekly. There are only about 50,000 licensed USCF racers. That means of the people who can fairly be classified as cycling 'enthusiasts' of one degree or another, less than 1% even TRY to race.

On the other hand, it's equally arguable that they have common sense and the race weenies are the real idiots here. So don't get too full of yourselves. That's MY job.

I just realized today that I really suck at putting a bike together. Damn cables and stuff....pissed me all off today.

Guess I'll have to wait for my buddy to lend some assistance :D. On a positive note, it's a good pound or two lighter than the 5200, after utilizing my highly accurate pick-up-one-bike-then-pick-up-the-other-bike bike weighing skills. The mis-matched blue colors are gonna look hot.

Halfway up Wolfpen gap when my world closed into a narrow circle surrounded by blackness though which I watched the lead pack disappear...

same here, when I hear my kids telling " My mom ran the Boston's marathon, or my mom would rock at this ect"
that's worth to me more then anything, well, it is all Ill ever earn:o so I enjoy the little I get.

Now back on subjet when did I find out I 'suc****' ?
when I thought I had a strong ride and felt content with my time and jumped in my running shoes and started running cross country, I was jumping over tree stumps and watching my every step, trying to not slip in the mud and I most have missed a mile marker indicating the right path. I found myself to a complete stop in the middle of the woods looking around me, every single darn trees look the same, couldnt remember my way out. I stood there for what seemed to be an internity * sounds of crickets* I found my way out somehow when I finally heard foot step behind me. I had planned everything that day but getting lost.

*edit* I realise this is not about cycling, but i dont just race cycling, I took this as racing in general, maybe I am still in deny and didnt realise I suck at cycling too yet, allow me time to face the thruth, i need that:))

Great reply, the " Don't give up ," attitude. I love it. Every MTB race that I have entered - finished last, Trail run race 96 out of 106 runners, 20 K , Road Race finished last or the only one -- I finish if at all possible. I started these events when I turned 40. Over weight and outa shape. BP 139/97, pulse to high along with short fast respers. A year later BP 107/76 pulse low 60's , respers much deaper and less often. Ohh 30lbs lighter after 3000 miles on bike and many miles running.

When did I realise I sucked,... at sports in general-- March 13, 1965 my birth day lol.

NO natural tallent here. But I try.

Jamie

...I'll soon find out:o

(my first race-ever-in about a month!)

Makes me feel better that I wont suck alone.

(man, that reads terrible!:eek: )

I couldn't outsprint a 5 year old girl. Lord knows I've tried, I have the road rash to prove it.

She hooked you as she came around?