What I have learned from racing.....

[king-tony]

...it takes a lot of time and effort to be mediocre at this sport.


That is all.

[waterrockets]

correct.

If you start thinking you're a badass, you can just upgrade until you start losing again.

[Psimet2001]

...it takes so much time and effort just to totally suck at this sport that you will eventually alienate everyone in your life in the pursuit of the suck.


That is all.

FIxed...

[carpediemracing]

I'm glad I'm mediocre at my level. I'd hate to be a Cat 1 and be mediocre. Or worse, a mediocre pro. It's much easier being a middling Cat 3-5 because at least at that level you don't delude yourself into thinking that you could actually do something significant in the racing world (on a bike anyway). If I was a mediocre pro I'd be obligated to give it a try.

cdr

[pjcampbell]

A great dose of reality is watching the movie "THE HARD ROAD" (I haven't seen PRO yet).

I've got a wife, a mortgage and a dog - and I doubt $17k a year is going to support my family - there is no way anything I do in cycling will be anything more than a money pit. If I can offset my entry fee I should consider myself lucky.

It is a healthy (at least physically, for the most part) hobby that is less $$$ than most. And more interesting than all.

If I had started when I was single and 18 maybe different. As it is I have a long way to go with everything. We have some guys who are in their late 30s and in the top tier of all cyclists in the nation and not necessary retired pros. I'm 27 imagine where I could be in 5 years. I'm not going to be a pro but I could be a stupid strong rider. Or I could still suck :D

Now, if you want to make yourself feel better, consider a mediocre cyclist is probably in better shape than 99% of the US general public.