Road Cycling - The typical cyclist

Well guys, if you are ever in Cork Ireland where I'm living at the moment, the first round is on me. :)

I will be traveling to Ireland this September. I'll keep you in mind :)

I do want to do some riding over there to and really check out the country side. OK back on topic:

http://www.tflinks.com/articles/a011_020/a00013_1.shtml

interesting, but I think its the "Man" keeping down the "brothers" from dominating another sport. ;)

I was just wondering why there are no black riders on the Tour? Considering that, for example, a large proportion of our decent athletes in England are black I would have thought that cycling would have been represented too.

So when you see a "black" person doing something in society you think they are REPRESENTING a race. So I guess whenever I am doing "something" I am representing a race. I'll try to be a better representative for my race.

Maybe because blacks have inferior calves and also there is no jumping involved.

it is weird. they have plenty of runner... they kick white butts all over the place. some of the sprinters could probably transfer pretty nicely.

So when you see a "black" person doing something in society you think they are REPRESENTING a race. So I guess whenever I am doing "something" I am representing a race. I'll try to be a better representative for my race.

Maybe because blacks have inferior calves and also there is no jumping involved.



Where the do get your information regarding calves??????????

Nelson Vails won the silver medal in the 1984 olympics,

http://www.enter.net/~kiddycar/hall-fame/vails2004.html

Pro cycling is an endurance event, and athletes with east african decent have tremendous endurace potential. Why do you think every world record at all olympic distances are held by athletes of african ancestry

So when you see a "black" person doing something in society you think they are REPRESENTING a race. So I guess whenever I am doing "something" I am representing a race. I'll try to be a better representative for my race.

Maybe because blacks have inferior calves and also there is no jumping involved.


"Representing" has multiple meanings and the original poster may not be clued into the urban slang definition of the word as he is in England.

For one: To act the part or role of.

In this case, a cycist of the TdF. I doubt he means "To stand for; or symbolize".

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=representing

I think that cycling is favored more by white people than any other race, because when I goto rides I rarely see black people, or any other race riding.. Many sports have discrimination lawsuits ect but, I don't think race has anything to do with cycling, its all performance.. Theres probably few black racers, and so many white people racing that, the chance of finding a black person that is better than all is rare. So probably if there was more black people into cycling, im sure you would see more black people racing.. Same goes for all other races.. As far as the white boy can't jump thing, I think anyone is capable of doing anything regardless of race.

[QUOTE=ehenz]"Representing" has multiple meanings and the original poster may not be clued into the urban slang definition of the word as he is in England.

I think I didn't really word my original question properly. I just meant why don't we see many black cyclists.
I certainly don't know of the urban slang definition.

I agree with Koffee's thoughts as well, there was a lot of wisdom in that. Also keep in mind boys and girls; at one time boxing, football, baseball, basketball was a white mans sport with very few blacks or other races. As time went on the white race for the most part gradually left those sports except in Europe but they have a large white percentage of population in those countries. Tennis, Soccer and Cycling for years saw very few black or Asian races and for that matter even white Americans! Take a look at auto racing, again mostly white American and European sport. And as Koffee said money and where a person lives plays a major role as for what type of sport they will embrace. As time goes by the minority races will eventually catch up financially with the majority races and you will see more and more minorities getting more involved with the more expensive sports...as it should be! The Williams sisters in Tennis should have a positive influence on other minority people to start considering tennis as a major sport for them. Also as the world gets smaller (not in physical size), we will see more and more sports that were popular in one area become popular in other areas due to the publicity that wasn't available until just recently. Soccer is a good example, a sport that was not accepted here in America as just in the last 5 years is becoming a school sport and cities now have league teams; maybe some thanks to the American Olympic team that won the Gold medal in 2000 that it has really taken off, but we still don't have a real good (or high paying), stadium filling American Soccer team...but we will. The Racial lines across all races are bluring, especially in America.

Hi, after reading several of the threads I felt compelled to post a reply. I am an African-Trinidadian and ever since I was a little girl of 3 years or so I had an unnatural inclination to cycling. I grew up (and still do) loving cycling, so much so that I sometimes feel as if I was born to cycle. I get a lot of comments from people; especially men, who most of them automatically think that if you are female you do not know how to cycle. I do my best to encourage other ladies and young women to cycle, but to no avail. Several daunting deterrents I think that women face in my country is the thought of the busy and congested streets, reckless driving, crime, and the fear of falling of their bicycle. More people own vehicles now more than ever and I myself at one point was considering giving up cycling outdoors completely, but I prayed about it and came to the conclusion that this is something that I enjoy doing and I will continue doing it as long as I possibly can.

Looking back, I think my dad was scared to allow me to join a cycling club and also scared to support my cycling hobby financially as it was a bit expensive. I truly believe that if I was given the opportunity to pursue cycling from that tender age, I might have been a successful and professional cyclist today. After begging and pleading to my dad from age 7 to about 21, I finally gave up on cycling as a profession, but I never gave it up as a hobby. I was disenchanted and so never thought about doing it again professionally. I continued cycling to the beach on Sundays, cycling when I was bored, cycling to my friends house, etc. Finally in late 2005 I bought my second bicycle (a mountain bike - hard tail) and decided to join a club. In 2006 my dreams came true, I entered a few mountain bike races (and won) and I went on a few rides, it was totally awesome. I thank God that at the age of 31, he gave me the opportunity to experience a dream come true, even if it was for only 1 year.

I thought that I was too old to cycle professionally, but I was wrong, most of the ladies (about 6) who I competed against were older than me, I was shocked but pleased to know that some time in the near future I can still do something in the sport of my choice. Working and studying is claiming all my attention now, and when you get older you have much more responsibilities, so unfortunately I have to put cycling on hold. However; I am not allowing that to stop me, because I have a genuine love for cycling, I try to cycle 3 times a week. Whenever I have to go into the city, attend classes or go to a client (sometimes 16 miles away) I try to go cycling as opposed to public transportation. It is a great work out if nothing else, and I still get to keep doing my favourite hobby.

Yes, I worry about my hair, but I love cycling so I am considering cutting it very short (cut off all if possible) if and when I decide to compete professionally. Yes there are many obstacles to cycling whether as a hobby, exercise or professionally, but I believe that if a woman or man truly love it they will make a few adjustments, make a few sacrifices and let it happen (even if it is for 1 year, like I did in 2006), because where there is a will, there is a way. It is true that very few women (especially African-women or men for that matter) are into cycling for different reasons but I think if the sports ministries, the media and professional cyclists (especially the few female cyclist) showcased and wholeheartedly supported cycling more (as they do with football for example) and if more companies and government will contribute more (especially financially) towards this sport I think it can be attainable and (dare I say) desirable for much more women and young children.

Cycling is a lovely sport and I think if much more people had the opportunity there will certainly be a stable and steady increase in this sport. In that 1 year that I was an active member of my cycling club, I learnt discipline, responsibility, dedication and time management along with some important cycling skills. If proper infrastructure is put in place to design, develop, implement, support, and manage cycling as the respected sport that it is, I think cycling can go a long way again, opening more doors to different races and especially to us females.

As for motor sports, F1 is about as culturally diverse as one could hope for. There's Asians, whites, blacks, Hispanics. As far as cycling goes, I see more black kids on bikes than I do white kids. I guess that is because bikes are cheaper than, oh say, an Xbox, and it gives kids a way to get around. That's if you think there is a socio-economical reason for the larger numbers of white cyclists.

I guess it also depends on what makes one a "cyclist." It also largely depends on what part of which town you are in. Anybody who is familiar with Macon, GA will know that if you go down Pierce Ave. or Broadway, you're sure to see many more black "cyclists" than you will see white "cyclists" in the rest of the city.

I'm sure the reasons are more numerous than we know, but that's my $.02

Let's do the time warp again.... (thread from 2003?)

http://www.forumspile.com/Old-BTF.jpg

So... being asian, 19, and just simply curious about this...I'm honestly curious as to why it is like this?
Ken

Ken, we have plenty of Asians here in our club rides in Japan. What's your beef? The cycling you see in America is predominantly American and European racing, of course there will be mostly caucasians.

If you were to watch the Tour de China...guess what you would see. The Tour de Nigeria...wanna take a guess??

Women don't play a bunch of sorts of any kind, perhaps with exception of tennis. I'm guessing it's because sports are considered to be fun and women are supposed to be more practical. What's the poon of chucking a ball from a to b or cycling around in circles when you cold be doing something more constructive. Perhaps this is why they don't play video games either.

The only sport I see a predominant black contingent is basketball (see the movie White men can jump). The whites of America and Europe are well settled and have disposable incme to spend on sports equipment. The non-whites, although many are well settled (read: worked hard and are well off) still inherited the mentality of their parents who had to work real hard for their kids future. Which means no time or money should be spent n frivolous activities like cycling for pleasure.

I only read the first three or so pages of this thread but I felt the need to chime in.

There are a number of factors that I feel contribute to the fact that non-white Americans are not widely represented in American cycling.

My parents are from Mexico, as is a great deal of my family, and I have experienced a few things that may shed some light on why there are not too many Mexican-American cyclists.

First, the majority of my family thinks of cycling as a good form of exercise and a decent method of transportation...for very short trips, anyway. Many of my family members simply do not understand, or care to understand, cycling as a sport--recreational or professional.

Also, I feel that the appearance of cycling clothing may turn some outsiders off of the sport. They simply cannot begin to comprehend why any male would willingly wear spandex, tight fitting jerseys, special shoes, a helmet and sunglasses to ride a bicycle.

Then comes the price factor. Cycling is an expensive sport in comparison to sports like baseball, soccer, basketball, and football. Those sports require widely available inexpensive equipment and a group of friends. To participate in any of those sports at a recreational level requires an investment of under $50 in most cases. Whereas cycling requires at the very least a bike and a helmet. I would argue that to fully enjoy cycling [read: comfort], it would be wise to invest in some clothing as well. The cost of all of that combined can be well over what a person may be willing to spend in a sport, regardless of their income. I have had some well-off family members tell me that they would never spend over $100 on a bicycle, part or accessory because they can be had for that price [or cheaper] at big box retailers.

Which brings me to my final point, it comes down to exposure. If cycling had as much exposure as all of the other major sports in the U.S., we would not be having this discussion. Regardless of the cost of entry into the sport, more people would be willing to participate.

This relates to track and road cycling by the way. In regards to BMX and mountain biking, I always hear people refer to them as "kid sports."

The non-whites, although many are well settled (read: worked hard and are well off) still inherited the mentality of their parents who had to work real hard for their kids future. Which means no time or money should be spent n frivolous activities like cycling for pleasure.

Are you kidding me? "Non-whites" are the king of bling. They waist more money on frivilous things than anyone. Gold Teeth, 3000 dollar rims on a 250 POS car, etc.

I'm too lazy at the moment to read through the first seven pages, but... Just in case the link to Stuff White People Like (http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/10/61-bicycles/) hasn't already been posted... :innocent:

And for those of you who are concerned about an old thread being revived, it seems like one of two things often happen:
1) The poster get flamed when they resurrect old threads, or
2) They get flamed for not using the search function and starting yet another thread about something that has already been discussed. At least this is a topic that isn't particularly tied to a specific time, such as threads like "What do you think of the new 8 speed groups?" or "Can Lance win the Tour again?" (from 2000). :)

Are you kidding me? "Non-whites" are the king of bling. They waist more money on frivilous things than anyone. Gold Teeth, 3000 dollar rims on a 250 POS car, etc.

Nope not kidding you. The non whites in my circle of friends watch their money. You DO bring a valid point though about the boing. A lot of money is spent on bling and bikes just aren't bling enough ( who the heck spends three grand on a bike then pootles along at 20mph and can't pick up chicks?)

Ken, we have plenty of Asians here in our club rides in Japan. What's your beef? The cycling you see in America...
Holy non sequitur, batman. Did Toronto get taken over by the USA?

It would be interesting to do a survey of the most ethnically/racially diverse sports at the professional level. Football would take the top prize, of course, but after that? You got me.

Simple: socioeconomics + culture

Cycling has an instant barrier to entry in the bike itself. Couple the unfortunate fact that african americans in the USA are poorer across the board than whites, and the fact that cycling here is already a tiny niche as it is....and you don't see as many black riders as you might expect. It's a shame, but a trend that i think will disappear as blacks get closer and closer to equal socio-economic footing as whites.

It's a shame, but a trend that i think will disappear as blacks get closer and closer to equal socio-economic footing as whites.

You mean as soon as Obama's wealth redistribution kicks in??

Holy non sequitur, batman. Did Toronto get taken over by the USA?



Oh, I'm sorry, is Canada no longer in North America??:rolleyes:

You mean as soon as Obama's wealth redistribution kicks in??

No, when peoples prejudices finally die. Hopefully by the time my kids kids are adults.

What prejudices?? We just elected a black man to be President, didnt we?

What prejudices?? We just elected a black man to be President, didnt we?

He's whiter than you are.

What prejudices?? We just elected a black man to be President, didnt we?
Yes, racism is dead. All social barriers have been destroyed.:rolleyes:

This thread is full of Don Imus' and Jimmy the Greek's.

Oh, I'm sorry, is Canada no longer in North America??:rolleyes:
Don't be sorry all the time, it's obnoxious. As for where I'm standing...(looks outside and checks)...no, it's still in North America. It's just snot in "America" like you said, though. And yeah, I know that Latin Americans call the two continents together "America," but last time I checked aqui no se habla español.

If racism is dead, how come Jamaicans in Toronto call me whitey? Bass-tards.

but last time I checked aqui no se habla español.


Check again in a couple of years....

Hello,

My name is J Cheikh Ture' Bell. I am twelve years old and I am an aspiring cyclist.
I am an African-American and I do not often see other black cyclist on trails or just riding around here in Washington DC. I seek further training but I am not sure about who I should talk to besides my brother who is also a very experienced rider. If anyone could PLEASE help me with ANYTHING it would be great.!

email removed by admin

Could it be that cycling has been a European sport.?.. Europe has been home of the Caucasian people.. But, then, unfortunately in the EU, there has been some racism evident against Black players in Soccer. But , on the streets , it seems recreational riders offer seemingly more ethnic diversity..
It was a Black friend that got this White guy into Cycling.
Had cycling been an "American," sport maybe more Black riders would be in evidence. ?

Ok I'll chime in. I'm speaking from a strictly recreational viewpoint. I have 2 bikes, which most of you would consider low end LBS bikes, a Trek FX 7.2 and a Fuji Newest from Performance. I ride my local streets and the C&O canal and rail-trails in the area. SInce I've been back riding (about 3 years now) I have seen 1 black male roadie-racer type and 1 black female riding around town. If I dared to venture into DC or VA there might be a higher number but recreationally I just don't see it. When you take into account most of you guys are paying thousands for a single bike, most black people will look at you like you have lost your darn minds! Bicycling magazine does nothing to help either in this regard. The cheapest bike I've seen in that rag was $600 and all the faces white.

Ok I'll chime in. I'm speaking from a strictly recreational viewpoint. I have 2 bikes, which most of you would consider low end LBS bikes, a Trek FX 7.2 and a Fuji Newest from Performance. I ride my local streets and the C&O canal and rail-trails in the area. SInce I've been back riding (about 3 years now) I have seen 1 black male roadie-racer type and 1 black female riding around town. If I dared to venture into DC or VA there might be a higher number but recreationally I just don't see it. When you take into account most of you guys are paying thousands for a single bike, most black people will look at you like you have lost your darn minds! Bicycling magazine does nothing to help either in this regard. The cheapest bike I've seen in that rag was $600 and all the faces white.

so you're saying black people are too poor? :rolleyes:

Nope, just saying the image that is promoted in the major cycling mag is way exorbitant for most folks and a basketball/football is usually much cheaper. WHen I was on the C&O canal last weekend, there was a black family there... who drove not a bike in site.

After reading the first two pages, I believe the crux of the issue has been discussed and well-understood.

In my opinion, the racial disparity that exists in cycling exists for three key reasons:

1) Perception. As Koffee Brown mentioned, many children of color (myself included) are encouraged from a young age to dedicate their training to sports where the big money is. These just so happen to be the same sports that get a good deal of air time, like baseball, basketball, football, etc. I also think that many parents would prefer their children to train in sports that specifically helped excel their own race. As a Dominican, I was heavily encouraged to train as a pitcher.

Cycling isn't on the map. For most Americans, it's hardly even on the radar. The Tour de France might be the exception, but there are way more people that would tune in to the Interleague Series that happens around the same time. Thus, lacking airtime leads to lack of funding, and lack of funding leads to a majority of overworked and underpaid professionals.

Few parents would want their children in that condition, let alone parents that are trying hard to get their children "out of the hood."

2) Economics. The majority of minorities are poor. If anyone here is into comedy, it's no coincidence why a major portion of the shtick coming from Black and Hispanic comedians deals with rough childhood experiences and life in the "ghetto." Most families have trouble making ends meet, and when the barrier for entry into the road bike racing scene is in the hundreds of dollars, decisions have to be made.

Especially when you're wearing spandex and "fruity-colored" jerseys.

3) History. Others have mentioned already that cycling has historically been a European man's sport. The greats of yesteryear were from middle-class descent that struggled to make ends meet practically anywhere else. It just so happened, however, that they were talented enough to deliver packages of hurt in a race, so they did it as a job.

There's racing in other places in the world (Tour of Korea, Tour of Qatar, there's a tour in Africa too, I believe), but they get a lot less attention. The key, though, is that they are getting attention. I can think of at least two articles written in the last year and a half that discussed impoverished individuals taking up racing in their regions, and the difficulty of doing so do to the lack of racing in those regions.

With these said, I think that in urban cities, there is a noticable amount of minorities taking up cycling at the competitive level. Here in New York, there are a good number of folks of all diversities to be seen on morning group rides or races. There are also cycling groups that focus directly on ethnicity, such as Major Taylor Iron Riders and this Dominican cycling team (that I wish I could find more info on).

Oh well. I'm sure that if I were actually any good in baseball, I would have kept at it anyway.

What prejudices?? We just elected a black man to be President, didnt we?

I suspect you didn't vote for him.

Hello,

My name is J Cheikh Ture' Bell. I am twelve years old and I am an aspiring cyclist.
I am an African-American and I do not often see other black cyclist on trails or just riding around here in Washington DC. I seek further training but I am not sure about who I should talk to besides my brother who is also a very experienced rider. If anyone could PLEASE help me with ANYTHING it would be great.!

email removed by admin

I think you will get better replies if you start a new thread instead of hijacking this one.


After reading the first two pages, I believe the crux of the issue has been discussed and well-understood.

After not checking the date and not looking at the actual recent posts in the thread, you are once again completely oblivious.

I expect this out of others, but come on man, you are a mod!

Don't be sorry all the time, it's obnoxious. As for where I'm standing...(looks outside and checks)...no, it's still in North America. It's just snot in "America" like you said, though. And yeah, I know that Latin Americans call the two continents together "America," but last time I checked aqui no se habla español.

If racism is dead, how come Jamaicans in Toronto call me whitey? Bass-tards.

It is North and South America meaning that it is America as a whole, we're called the United States OF America so to call the U.S. "America" is incorrect.

why was this thread resuscitated?

why was this thread resuscitated?

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=9018195#post9018195

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=9018195#post9018195

you are traveling through another dimension. A dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind....

^^^Hee hee hee. I just got finished watching that show this morning!!!

I think you will get better replies if you start a new thread instead of hijacking this one.



After not checking the date and not looking at the actual recent posts in the thread, you are once again completely oblivious.

I expect this out of others, but come on man, you are a mod!

Argumentative much, Steve?

Chill out. I had something to say.

I'm a white cyclist.

Like liquid paper white, I'm unable to tan.

I have some black cyclist friends, I know a couple of Asian cyclists, I don't know any Hispanic cyclists, I think that's simply because we don't really have many Hispanic people in VT.

I never really thought about it until I saw your post.

I thought the minimum chronological age to post here was 14?

Argumentative much, Steve?

Chill out. I had something to say.

I just don't understand why you are a mod.

This thread is a perfect example of why threads should be automatically locked after some period of time. The "bump" added nothing to the discussion, was not even relevant, and people reply to the old posts not realizing the age of the thread and completely miss new discussion.

^

I was actually just thinking of that idea.

However, I didn't bump the thread, and the thread topic is interesting. Sorry if that doesn't whet your appetite, but please chill out.

^

I was actually just thinking of that idea.

However, I didn't bump the thread, and the thread topic is interesting. Sorry if that doesn't whet your appetite, but please chill out.

One of my pet peeves is that people completely miss the new discussion when old threads get bumped because they only see the old discussion. Your post is a perfect example. You even explicitly said in your post that you didn't bother to read the newer posts. Like I said, you are a mod, you should be held to a higher standard.

One of my pet peeves is that people completely miss the new discussion when old threads get bumped because they only see the old discussion. Your post is a perfect example. You even explicitly said in your post that you didn't bother to read the newer posts. Like I said, you are a mod, you should be held to a higher standard.

I can understand that YOU may not like that pattern of posting, but if you still have issues with what I posted for whatever reason, take it to PM.