like 95% percent of cat 4 racers

[Lithuania]

think they are far superior than all the other cat 4's.

I am constantly amazed by the stuff being said in races.

If you are such a cut above everyone else why havent you upgraded yet?

shut the **** up and race

[carlfreddy]

If you are such a cut above everyone else why havent you upgraded yet?

shut the **** up and race

+1

I stay quiet when racing.

[MrCrassic]

Yes.

[Snap]

"Well I would have won, but I got _______________ (insert excuse of the week here)."

+1 to OP
There are some superior riders in the 4's, but by this part of the season they are all 3's or 2's. :thumb:

[ldesfor1@ithaca]

+1

I stay quiet when racing.

I talk a lot. It is a habit carried over from my basketball days. I rarely tell others what to do, but I'm very chatty. I often say things like: "I'm going to attack Ben, would you like to come?" And then, I yell things like "It's you and me Ben, we've got the best legs today and no one will catch us!... we've got a good gap and the best legs! lets GO motherflopper!!"
Then we get caught and I do it all over again.

On that note, I'd like to suggest that your frustration with people talking is a waste of your own energy. The beauty of sport in general is that it mimics life in many ways: others are always telling you what to do and how to do it. The beauty is that you get to either get frustrated by it, or not.



But, I will say that my favorite is when guys from the back of the peloton try and command a race: "Close that gap!" is my favorite.
"No!, you close that gap, A-hole!" is my response.

god, I love racing.


-L

[Lithuania]

i dont care about people talking. I just hate all the whining, crying and complaining these "superior" riders seem to do.

[ldesfor1@ithaca]

Ahhhhh, I see, Lithuania.

Yup, that is most annoying.

Agreed.




-L

[daytonian]

i dont care about people talking. I just hate all the whining, crying and complaining these "superior" riders seem to do.

i thought Ricco was in Italy yesterday

[brianappleby]

I hear what you're saying, but some cat 4 riders are just unsafe. I don't think it's unique to the 4's, but I think a greater portion of the field is still learning how to race bikes. I reserve the right to ***** about the people who do unsafe things.

[Creakyknees]

+1, Lithuania.

Except for me of course; I actually am far superior to the rest of the 4's. If it wasn't for job/family/bad diet/laziness/half-assed equipment, I'd so be a 1 right now. So give me your wheel and take me to the front.

.

[deadly downtube]

i've only done one race this year (cat4) and it was a funny mix... half people who looked like goofy recreational cyclists (me), the others were a bit more "legit" looking, but the top 20% are always monster freak leg looking people who would probably be able to do ok or better in cat 3.

[schnabler1]

Drop them.

[brians647]

i've only done one race this year (cat4) and it was a funny mix... half people who looked like goofy recreational cyclists (me), the others were a bit more "legit" looking, but the top 20% are always monster freak leg looking people who would probably be able to do ok or better in cat 3.

Yep, always amusing to see the diversity in body types, but don't be fooled. Many times you'll get a wolf in sheep's clothing and vice versa.

Back the the OP's point. Yeah, whiners suck.

[Usetacould]

Best excuse you'll never hear would be in a women's race:

"I would have won if my water hadn't broken."

That would be one tough woman!

[bdcheung]

Is there a specific encounter that sparked this post?

[ottsville]

Upgrade. I'm sure this doesn't happen in the 3's:D

[RHOsbrink]

times like this I thank god Im deaf.. SERIOUSLY, I can just zone out ANYTHING.

[patentcad]

>>like 95% percent of cat 4 racers<<

You suck at this sport?

That is the correct conclusion of that open sentence. I know, I'm one of them.

[caloso]

Seems to be the rule that the guy who spends the whole race yelling at other racers to hold their line is the biggest squirrel of them all in the bunch sprint.

I learned my lesson at Modesto: Go early and get the hell in front of those guys.

[Lithuania]

Is there a specific encounter that sparked this post?

its just been on my mind for a while now. this forum and local blogs seem to be made up mainly of 4s and the majority of posts seem to be about the sketchy riders they are surrounded by yet they continue to be 4s month after month.

In my last race some guy next to me was complaining about the pace or something. he was saying the race was boring and that everyone was going slow or something. i told him to attack if he had a problem with it and he was all like "im not going to attack by myself." When I tried to ask him why he had nothing to say or laughed it off.

[Lithuania]

Seems to be the rule that the guy who spends the whole race yelling at other racers to hold their line is the biggest squirrel of them all in the bunch sprint.

ha this is how I feel about it too. i generally dont experience many racers with the skills and strength to back up thier mouth but that is probably because they dont last very long around myself because they are too busy winning and moving up :p

[patentcad]

Seems to be the rule that the guy who spends the whole race yelling at other racers to hold their line is the biggest squirrel of them all in the bunch sprint.


Correct.

[ElJamoquio]

"im not going to attack by myself."

You mean you can attack... with other people? How would that work?

[Lithuania]

You mean you can attack... with other people? How would that work?

i dont know man. i told the guy he should go and maybe someone would go with. he didnt seem to understand that possibility.

[Creakyknees]

You mean you can attack... with other people? How would that work?

uhhh... yeah.... (hoping I'm not missing your sarcasm here)

.

[bdcheung]

its just been on my mind for a while now. this forum and local blogs seem to be made up mainly of 4s and the majority of posts seem to be about the sketchy riders they are surrounded by yet they continue to be 4s month after month.

In my last race some guy next to me was complaining about the pace or something. he was saying the race was boring and that everyone was going slow or something. i told him to attack if he had a problem with it and he was all like "im not going to attack by myself." When I tried to ask him why he had nothing to say or laughed it off.

heh, yeah, there are a lot of big attitudes around. I yelled at a couple people during the race for throwing gu wrappers, banana peels, etc. on the side of the road. Throwing trash on the race course is probably one of my biggest annoyances. Everyone I "yelled at" (there was no yelling, I just said "don't do that, think of the promoters, local residents, etc. etc.") basically told me to **** off.

oh well.

[botto]

heh, yeah, there are a lot of big attitudes around. I yelled at a couple people during the race for throwing gu wrappers, banana peels, etc. on the side of the road. Throwing trash on the race course is probably one of my biggest annoyances. Everyone I "yelled at" (there was no yelling, I just said "don't do that, think of the promoters, local residents, etc. etc.") basically told me to **** off.

oh well.

you do realize that they're biodegradable, right?

[bdcheung]

They don't break down instantly, and they're still a nuisance for the locals as it attracts wildlife that otherwise would stay out of residents' lawns and such.

[FatguyRacer]

its just been on my mind for a while now. this forum and local blogs seem to be made up mainly of 4s and the majority of posts seem to be about the sketchy riders they are surrounded by yet they continue to be 4s month after month.

In my last race some guy next to me was complaining about the pace or something. he was saying the race was boring and that everyone was going slow or something. i told him to attack if he had a problem with it and he was all like "im not going to attack by myself." When I tried to ask him why he had nothing to say or laughed it off.

Funny thing about perception. I've been racing and riding Cat 4 for so long, I dont even really notice what others call sketchy riding. My biggest "Oh Snap!" moment came at RFK in the Mas 35+ race when one guy layed it down right in front of me. I ran him over and kept it upright and was more pissed about being gapped off then I was about him crashing in front of me. I think it's more the noobs doing this. They dont have the experince needed to now how to react and as a consequene they tend to overreact. Crashing happens in racing. This year it seems like it's happening too much. The 10 race and upgrade rule needs to be revaluated in my opionion. The clubs need to do more to teach high speed pack skills. Bumping, elbowing, wheel touches. riding over debris, and the like.

[Lithuania]

when residents on the course complain about trash being thrown on their roads and in front of their homes they dont care that the garbage is biodegradable. Same thing with the parking and registration area. I dont get why people think its cool to leave their trash on property they dont one just becuase its biodegradable.

[Lithuania]

Funny thing about perception. I've been racing and riding Cat 4 for so long, I dont even really notice what others call sketchy riding. My biggest "Oh Snap!" moment came at RFK in the Mas 35+ race when one guy layed it down right in front of me. I ran him over and kept it upright and was more pissed about being gapped off then I was about him crashing in front of me. I think it's more the noobs doing this. They dont have the experince needed to now how to react and as a consequene they tend to overreact. Crashing happens in racing. This year it seems like it's happening too much. The 10 race and upgrade rule needs to be revaluated in my opionion. The clubs need to do more to teach high speed pack skills. Bumping, elbowing, wheel touches. riding over debris, and the like.

I too generally believe its mainly noobs saying this stuff but I know of at least a couple second year cat 4s around here that love to whine and cry about state of their current race.

[MDcatV]

They don't break down instantly, and they're still a nuisance for the locals as it attracts wildlife that otherwise would stay out of residents' lawns and such.

Residents complain about those kinds of things (interesting that they dont seem to express the same malcontent over empty Bush cans or heinekan bottles, or piles of horsesiht on the road), but they DO complain about water bottles, gu packs, and anything that could possibly be bicycle rider/racer related. As the promoting club, guess who gets to ride around in a thunderstorm and pick up all this crap - this year I think it was Lithuania, but in the past it's been me. That sucks.

[bdcheung]

I understand completely, MD and Lith. i've also been there, cleaning crap up long after everyone has left. Which is why I yell at people that carelessly throw **** to the side of the road.

It's rude, insensitive, and stupid.

[cat4ever]

I've raced cat 5,4,3 and master's. Only in the Master's races are where people STFU and ride in my experience. All the wannabees keep their mouths shut in these races because there is always the 40+ year old cat 1 who makes everyone feel and look like a chump.

[RJBTrek]

I understand completely, MD and Lith. i've also been there, cleaning crap up long after everyone has left. Which is why I yell at people that carelessly throw **** to the side of the road.

It's rude, insensitive, and stupid.

+1...Don't forget that these people allow the races to happen on their streets. I was at a race this weekend and a friend of mine has his driveway block for most of the day. He makes a party of it but does not want to pickup trash, regardless of the type. The neighbors came out to watch and had fun.... but get enough people upset picking up trash and they can stop the race on their streets.

[wfrogge]

Racing is an ego driven sport..... HTFU

[bdcheung]

Racing is a passion driven sport. *****ing and whining is an ego driven competition*




*Ref. Riccardo Riccò, Mark Cavendish, et.al.

[El Diablo Rojo]

[QUOTE=Lithuania;6796075]think they are far superior than all the other cat 4's.

I am constantly amazed by the stuff being said in races.

If you are such a cut above everyone else why havent you upgraded yet?

shut the **** up and race[/QUOTE

I've experienced this in Ca5 races, Cat4 races, 35+, and 45+, it's not a cat thing it's a bike racer thing.

My two favorite things said are on your right/left from guys trying to move up, like I'm supposed to just move over to let them by. My response? Rider, on your left, good for you, on your right.

The other great quote seems to come in the last moments of a race, some yahoo in the back yells faster faster, like the guys on the front are just cruising and should be going faster to set the yahoo up.

[wfrogge]

Racing is a passion driven sport. *****ing and whining is an ego driven competition*




*Ref. Riccardo Riccò, Mark Cavendish, et.al.


Some guys do it to get into the head of others.... some guys do it because there negative all the time so its the norm for them.........

BTW its gets worse when you CAT up :)

[Voodoo76]

"Well I would have won, but I got _______________ (insert excuse of the week here)."



This coulda, shoulda, woulda talk still exists as you move up. What you gotta watch out for, (especially in the Masters), are the dudes giving you excuses before the race even starts. "I havn't been training much lately", "havn't been sleeping well", "feel like crap today". Watch out! :lol:

[carlfreddy]

You know, after giving this subject further consideration (I know, I need to get a real job) I've come to my own (jaded) conclusion.

All those racers you hear saying "I woulda/coulda/shoulda finished higher except I got chopped/there were too many sketchy riders" are maybe just not ready to admit that they don't have the fitness to do anything beyond just stay in the race.

Up until two months ago I was one of those guys; worried that I had the fitness to just stay with the race, let alone make moves, go with moves, surf the pack, etc etc. Now I've actually got some form and I've noticed how huge of a difference it makes. I can comfortably surf the pack, coast to the back, move up on the outside without too much effort, and basically put myself wherever I want to be. The caveat of this is that racing requires more than just fitness (this ain't a triathlon!). Now I've got to actually learn the craft of racing, and I suspect this will take longer than building fitness, and will be an on-going process.

So I can see how, when faced with the task of both building fitness and learning how to effectively race, a lower cat racer might scape-goat his mediocre performance on a squirrely (sic?) rider. Still doesn't excuse said behavior! :)

[Voodoo76]

You know, after giving this subject further consideration (I know, I need to get a real job) I've come to my own (jaded) conclusion.

All those racers you hear saying "I woulda/coulda/shoulda finished higher except I got chopped/there were too many sketchy riders" are maybe just not ready to admit that they don't have the fitness to do anything beyond just stay in the race.

Up until two months ago I was one of those guys; worried that I had the fitness to just stay with the race, let alone make moves, go with moves, surf the pack, etc etc. Now I've actually got some form and I've noticed how huge of a difference it makes. I can comfortably surf the pack, coast to the back, move up on the outside without too much effort, and basically put myself wherever I want to be. The caveat of this is that racing requires more than just fitness (this ain't a triathlon!). Now I've got to actually learn the craft of racing, and I suspect this will take longer than building fitness, and will be an on-going process.

So I can see how, when faced with the task of both building fitness and learning how to effectively race, a lower cat racer might scape-goat his mediocre performance on a squirrely (sic?) rider. Still doesn't excuse said behavior! :)

Amen. There is a paradigm shift from for example "i was in bad position" or "the wheel I was on quite in the sprint" to "I picked a bad wheel". I've noticed the complainers are generally riders who never quite make this change in thinking. The race happens to them, instead of them racing.

[botto]

Some guys do it to get into the head of others.... some guys do it because there negative all the time so its the norm for them.........

trying to decide which one i am.

BTW its gets worse when you CAT up :)

i freely admit that i'm prone to yelling when i'm racing. that said, it's not superfluous.

i keep my mouth shut when i'm riding with a new group, until i figure out what's the score on the door. after that. my talking is limited to a venting my spleen, i.e. shouting at someone to pedal over a bump, when they coast over it, and i'm on their wheel.

it could also be a matter making suggestion to the field, that just reeled in my breakaway, that it would be a good time to counterattack, as they all sit up and catch their breath.

over all of the years i've been riding, there's been plenty of yelling, at all levels. NYC had the most, but there's one particular guy in the New Haven area who's the most annoying loud mouth, hands down. Hate the guy.

[SushiJoe]

I'm too slow to talk.

[Spreggy]

you do realize that they're biodegradable, right?

My brother-in-law likes to complain about all the banana peels tossed along the country road he lives on. I tell him it's his reminder to get his enormous ass off the couch and get his old Nishiki tuned up.

[Lithuania]

i highly doubt the stuff i am talking about continues on in the higher levels where its not basically every man for themselves.

i dont care about the guys that yell on your left or coming through or whatever.

[Voodoo76]

i highly doubt the stuff i am talking about continues on in the higher levels where its not basically every man for themselves.

i dont care about the guys that yell on your left or coming through or whatever.

Examples? Heard a lot of excuses, and *****in about so and so who "can't ride", "doesnt work", ect. Even in 2's.

[NeelsGap86]

times like this I thank god Im deaf.. SERIOUSLY, I can just zone out ANYTHING.

haha...i'm with you on that. Hard of hearing over here.

Are you going after the US Deaf Mens Cycling National Team this July?

I might go...

[Kris Flatlander]

There are 4's who are talkers in every area for sure. The local in our area seems to find a way of finding me after every race just so I know why he was off the back this time:rolleyes:. Oftentimes it's the other riders who are blamed for his misfortunes.

To add to all this I was talking to a friend who was in a group off the back with Mr. Excuse in a recent race, from the sound of it he's quite the talker while on the bike (I haven't experienced it personally). He was literally riding alongside various riders telling them to get back on the front etc. because he was sure they "had better legs in them" etc. :p

[patentcad]

Shouting in a ride or race doesn't do anything but get your HR up. Nobody listens to you, and half the time the person you're yelling at is instantly aware they screwed up anyway. I only shout to warn somebody, like when the dude on the group ride Saturday stands up to stretch his back and his rear wheel almost clips my front. I talked to him later and explained why I said anything (which was 'dude, don't do that'), he already knew, no hard feelings, he realized he should have checked his rear wheel before letting it slide back by getting up (the same reason some people say 'up' when they get out of the saddle while climbing, this happened on a flat). But getting into a diatribe with every racer who perpetuates a bonehead move... stopped doing that a long time ago. I shake my head, make a mental note of it, and get away from that individual.

But if yelling keeps your adrenaline flowing, by all means.