"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Do you hang around on race day, or not?

When you go to a race, do you show up, race and leave, or do you like to make an all-day thing out of it, hang out, shoot the breeze, watch the other races etc?

Make it an all day family picnic. Our wives and kids all hang out together before and after the races.

I'm around until I get paid.

TT: Definitely not. Talk about a snooze fest.
Road: If it's a shorter circuit, maybe. Just depends on my mood.
Crit: Almost always.

I usually show up 2 hrs early to warm up for an hour and shiggle around. After the race I hang around to watch a faster race if there is one.

For the next race usually. Then I head home

2 hours before minimum. Afterwards it depends on if the wife and kids came, what travel time is, etc. My goal is to stay as long as we have people in those other races.

If I have friends racing in the Cat3s, 4/5s or W1/2/3, yeah, I'll show up.

There were plenty of times when I was at a venue from noon to 9pm this summer. Shouted myself hoarse several times; made for some poor verbal communication and rather interesting hand signaling on my part.

had a great time watching the women 1\2 races last year :drool:

but ya on more than a few occasions I ran to the corner market for a 12 pack of cold beer and then found a nice grassy knoll to watch the suffering!

For me, a bike race is like an errand. I'm likely to do three things on the way there and two on the way home.

If I'm racing the 45+ then the 35+ then the Pro-I-II, yes.

Sometimes I don't see the end of the Pro-I-II.
Sometimes my vision is so blurry I can't really tell what it is.

I feel guilty when I race...

My family puts up with my training and then I have to drive a couple hours to a race, it is an all day affair...

I rush to the race and then race home...


A bike race for my family is pretty boring...


Is that him...No....Is that him...No...Is that him...No...There he is!!!...Go, Dad...Go, Dad...Is that it...Let's go home....

yes.

I'm bad at socializing (yea, I know, so are most other racers) and I get bored easily, so I don't hang around much after the race. If I have teamates or friends there I'll chat with them a bit then go home.

Before the race it's pretty much all business. If I can be social while getting ready/warmed up I will but I am focused on the race.

Tuesday nighter is team family night during the summer, complete wtih dinner and beer afterwards. Sat/Sun just depend on how far from home and what's going on. Usually have some debriefing with the teammates after the race at least.

I hang around if I have won something. After getting it, I head out.

It depends on the race, too. If it's in an industrial park with the same guys I've seen race a million times, good bye.
If it's well run and in a cool part of town with a good field and decent food nearby, I'll hang.

I will go to a race 1-1.5 hrs before the start of my race, race, then usually stay and watch the P/1/2/3 crit or cross race, unless I am racing it.

Road races: Show up 2 hours early to avoid the lines. Leave soon after all races are over (most races over within an hour of each other). Go to dinner with team mates.
Crits: Show up 2 hours prior to first race. Unless I have team mates or friends (or a great field) in the 1/2/3's I leave before they start
TT's Show up at least an hour early, leave after the awards.

all day for cross races

road races and crits I rarely stick around for more than my race unless I have team mates in other races

I prefer to stick around, especially if I have teammates or friends in other categories, but it depends on other commitments (read: I'm married and attached to the house with a leash)

yeah I'm with WR and Hammertoe.

the family has seen more than enough bike racing and whether I win or get dropped, when I get home I am presented with the chore list, just like any other weekend.

back when I was young n single I'd hang all day and shoot the breeze with folks. seems like I knew every racer in the region personally, and these days I couldn't tell you the names of 5 guys, even in my race, without looking up their numbers. one of the hazards (benefits?) of riding unatt.

and actually I like it that way. show and go on my schedule. no mandatory hanging around to "support teammates" etc.

yeah I'm with WR and Hammertoe.

the family has seen more than enough bike racing and whether I win or get dropped, when I get home I am presented with the chore list, just like any other weekend.

The difference between a wife and a girlfriend is the girlfriend goes to your races and cheers for you while the wife just wants to know if you'll be home in time to mow the lawn and fix the _______.

The difference between a wife and a girlfriend is the girlfriend goes to your races and cheers for you while the wife just wants to know if you'll be home in time to mow the lawn and fix the _______.

Yeah, and if you get injured, you'd better figure out how to demonstrate that you're still functional before you get home. "If I twist my wrist just like this, and shrug a little, I can get my fork close enough to my mouth to drop food in there most of the time. See honey? I'm fine. Absolutely I can fix the garage door opener."

my wife really likes going to cross races and hanging out. we bring the dog and make a day of it. She might even know more people than I do at this point. I guess I am lucky.

if there's kettlecorn.

My wife usually comes and watches and takes pictures. Usually we hang around for a while, watch other races, feed teammates, etc. Of course she didn't come the time I won :notamused:... didn't feel like leaving the house at 4am for a 3 hour drive. That time was all business, only stuck around to get my money. Wasn't really anything to watch anyway, most of the races ended near the same time.

i feel guilty when i race...

My family puts up with my training and then i have to drive a couple hours to a race, it is an all day affair...

I rush to the race and then race home...


A bike race for my family is pretty boring...


Is that him...no....is that him...no...is that him...no...there he is!!!...go, dad...go, dad...is that it...let's go home....

100%

For collegiate stuff, A's almost always race last but I do 'crit clinics' for the C category (lowest in our conference) so I usually have to be out there at the ass-crack-O-dawn. I tend to watch the all the races in between the C's and mine, even though most of my A teammates sleep in or hang out in the car (usually because it's freezing).
I figure, it's collegiate. The whole point is the get people to have fun bike racing. WTF do I care if I'm .5% slower because I walked around all morning yelling from the sidelines.

For non-collegiate racing, we still usually race last so I see the races before mine but tend to leave shortly thereafter.

Oh, and I met my girlfriend on the cycling team. Suckers.

Depends on the food, booze, and women situation.

The other option is usually a college campus.

So no, I rarely hang around unless I'm racing in the boonies.

had a great time watching the women 1\2 races last year :drool:

but ya on more than a few occasions I ran to the corner market for a 12 pack of cold beer and then found a nice grassy knoll to watch the suffering!

does that wife of yours have any cute sisters? yours sure does put up with a lot! :)

I've been in the sport a long time.
Friends in every category.
So, I do my best to pay attention, or at least ask how the other races went.

Not usually. Before I'm all about impatiently getting to the line. After, my head is so far up my ass I can hardly form a useful sentence. Not exactly butterfly material.

I like hanging around afterwards to talk with all the other ultimate cats about:

-how no one wanted to race today,
-everyone was just sitting in for a field sprint,
-beotch about who was sketchy, especially the guy who won,
-make a bunch of excuses about how my personal and work life is interfering with my training so my form is off and I can't win BUT ...
-I'm really close to having everything come together.:D

I like hanging around afterwards to talk with all the other ultimate cats about:

-how no one wanted to race today,
-everyone was just sitting in for a field sprint,
-beotch about who was sketchy, especially the guy who won,
-make a bunch of excuses about how my personal and work life is interfering with my training so my form is off and I can't win BUT ...
-I'm really close to having everything come together.:D

Ya that is the one odd thing about this sport: the un-trash talk made at every race.
You show up and exclaim 'Damn! I'm ready to kick ass and in peak form!' and folks will look at you like you just landed in a flying saucer.

Every other sport I've played it's '***** I'm gonna eat you alive!'

99% of the time I have team mates in other races so yes I stick around to watch and cheer.

Most of the times I hang around. I just feel like if I drive 3 hours somewhere I am going to make a day of it.

Usually I ride to the race-then race-then ride home into the sunset....not really though

My wife and I both race and we leave when the results are posted. Since there can be a gap between our races we are usually one of the first to arrive and the last to leave. We hang out with our friends and racing club members and make a day of it.

Usually I race, then get back to the family. If the family comes to the race, they are ready to go after I am done. On the rare occasion that I have the time, I'll stay to watch later crits.

all day for cross races
+1,000,000 - For cross our race was the last one of the day so you showed up before the first race to have time to pre-ride the course a few times, go get something to eat, come back, pre-ride, watch the 1/2/3 race and cheer on teammates, pre-ride, start feeling like you want to puke, lose feeling due to the cold, and then race.

Crits - depending on the schedule I'll get there early enough to get the lay of the area/course, register and warmup. For big races where our fields fill up fast you have to show as soon as registration opens and then you may be there for a while.

I stick it our through my race. Sometimes do a double if I can. I love hanging out and talking to teammates/oher racers/friends. I usually don't stay the whole day, but that's only because of obligations.

Family enjoys coming, but usually only shows up for my race and then leaves. Who could blame them.

my 2yr old LOVES it.

....ok he just loves ringing a cowbell during cross....as long as it's not cold.....and the venue has a playground....or is near the airport so he can go "ooooo....plane daddy." every 3 seconds.....OK....I guess he doesn't give a crap about the race...where was I???.....

I feel guilty when I race...

My family puts up with my training and then I have to drive a couple hours to a race, it is an all day affair...

I rush to the race and then race home...


A bike race for my family is pretty boring...


Is that him...No....Is that him...No...Is that him...No...There he is!!!...Go, Dad...Go, Dad...Is that it...Let's go home....

I can recommend a book that will help ease your guilt. It's not for YOU to read, it's for them to read.

It appears that my team is the only one that makes bike racing a family outing... As long as the wives and kids are kept busy entertaining each other.. The guys can sit back and load up on carbs and enjoy the races....

Most of the time its an all day event. I race several class's so Im there anyway. Cheering on team mates is alot of fun when ya have beer and wine to go with it.:thumb:

I get jealous of the masters sometimes, what with the whole wife and kids there.

If I was a family man on a team with a bunch of other family-types, that I would love.

However, that's quite a few years off.

I get jealous of the masters sometimes, what with the whole wife and kids there.

If I was a family man on a team with a bunch of other family-types, that I would love.

However, that's quite a few years off.

It's fun. And most crits around here have a kids' race where the little ones will do a short drag race and the bigger kids will do a lap. My 4 year old son loves it. For the 4th of July race in Davis, we've made it a tradition that I'll do an early race, meet the wife and kids for the parade, then race again in the M35 race, then the kids' race, and finally we go home for a nap before the fireworks.

I bet the answer depends on the type of race. Most road races for example don't have much in the way of spectating, and have all fields on the course at the same time. So it's often not possible to race in your field and then watch (or feed teamates in) another race.

Short lap-oriented races like crits and CX are different.

I get jealous of the masters sometimes, what with the whole wife and kids there.

If I was a family man on a team with a bunch of other family-types, that I would love.

However, that's quite a few years off.


:)

It's kind of overrated actually. Especially when time schedules go sideways. Poor spawn waved the GL flag for more hours than he cares to count. Frequently sitting around for several hours so I could sandbag the threes. :rolleyes: I suppose it's cool if it isn't all you do, but since I race just about every weekend the novelty wears off pretty quick.

LOL on the wife thing. Granted, there is the rare one who likes to be out, but for the vast majority of guys I know racing and going to races is a sore subject around their households.

grass

greener

just sayin' :lol:

^^^ I have to agree.. My wife is cool as long as there are other wives there to chit chat with. Without them I'm out of there right after my race and then get an ear full about how a whole day was wasted.

Enjoy the single life!!!!

:)

It's kind of overrated actually. Especially when time schedules go sideways. Poor spawn waved the GL flag for more hours than he cares to count. Frequently sitting around for several hours so I could sandbag the threes. :rolleyes: I suppose it's cool if it isn't all you do, but since I race just about every weekend the novelty wears off pretty quick.

LOL on the wife thing. Granted, there is the rare one who likes to be out, but for the vast majority of guys I know racing and going to races is a sore subject around their households.

grass

greener

just sayin' :lol:

yep, I recall racing a crit (bobby phillips turkey day race), coming around to where my wife and daughter were hanging and seeing "the look" from my wife as daughter was giving her a rough time. I knew that no matter what the legs were saying, there was no 2nd race for me that day.