Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Your claim to "Hardcore" status?

Ok, TechKnowGN states I'm hardcore because I finished a 30 mile ride under duress. Last year a couple folks said I was hardcore for riding 90 miles on a bumpy canal towpath with a fractured rib.

We know 10 Wheels is hardcore for riding all those miles, Tom Stormcrowe is hardcore for coming back from his seemingly endless string of injuries, Bdinger is hardcore for taking up mountain bike racing at 400 pounds, and Mr. Beanz is hardcore for being Mr. Beanz. How about you? What's your claim to being hardcore?

I'm told by my LBS that I'm "hardcore" because I ride in the rain. Sure, why not?

(I'd think that my riding in snow and sub-freezing temperatures is more hardcore than that.)

I'm told by my LBS that I'm "hardcore" because I ride in the rain. Sure, why not?

(I'd think that my riding in snow and sub-freezing temperatures is more hardcore than that.)

That's a definite. BTW, you should have posted about your winter tour here in C/A. It puts many of us to shame.

BTW, you should have posted about your winter tour here in C/A. It puts many of us to shame.

Sure The journal covers it well:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/follies

I also posted about it in the regional and winter forums a few weeks back. The short version: 86 miles over three days, temperatures down to 4 degrees F. Ice, snow, et cetera. I mostly used the High Point to Cape May trail. Lots of steepness, particularly going over High Point at night. I had a blast!

I don't feel the cold but do get very hot, this means that on winter rides when everyone else if swapping tips for staying warm I'm wearing a thin cotton shirt. Also when I get hot and we stop to re-group steam rises off me.

Really long distance rides...
Double century in 97F weather last year.
Setting up for a half dozen centuries, half dozen 200k rides, a 300k and a 400k this year.

I was involved in a 4 car traffic accident late in the afternoon a week and a half ago while at work. My work van was removed on a flatbed tow truck and I suffered neck and back injuries. Still managed my evening commute a couple of hours later even with 25 MPH headwinds.

Ok, TechKnowGN states I'm hardcore because I finished a 30 mile ride under duress. Last year a couple folks said I was hardcore for riding 90 miles on a bumpy canal towpath with a fractured rib.

We know 10 Wheels is hardcore for riding all those miles, Tom Stormcrowe is hardcore for coming back from his seemingly endless string of injuries, Bdinger is hardcore for taking up mountain bike racing at 400 pounds, and Mr. Beanz is hardcore for being Mr. Beanz. How about you? What's your claim to being hardcore?

That said, a true "hardcore" doesn't describe himself as hardcore. He's too busy doing things to stop and pat himself on the back.

Everyone says I am nuts because of my roller century rides last winter. Hardcore or ???? You make the call.

The only people that think that I'm hardcore are some of the people that frequent the spin classes at my gym during the winter. I roll into the gym parking lot all bundled up on my old mountain/commuter bike at 5 AM, and slam it as hard as I can for 2 spin classes back-to-back every M-W-F morning.

I like to work up a good sweat, and push it to the edge. Even the people that ride a lot outside don't understand why I would take 2 spin classes back-to-back so regularly. The simple facts are, that I know that I need to work out that hard before the spring to get ready to be in good enough shape to enjoy rides in the nearby foothills (my favorite place to ride around here), and that I actually like spin classes. It is a lot less boring than riding on a trainer to me.

When I have to choose betwen bike commuting to work OR getting to work on time... :D

I have no claim to hardcore status.

If we're keeping track of the softcore now that I can contribute towards.

Everyone says I am nuts because of my roller century rides last winter. Hardcore or ???? You make the call.

I did 80 on a trainer stand 2 weekends ago, so if you're crazy you've at least got company. :)

Finished a 100 mile nightime century after hitting a possum at mile 40 and dislocating my shoulder..

I rode 12 miles while standing up because I snapped my carbon fiber seat post in half. That was brutal, just try riding a mile standing up, it's way tougher than you think.

I'm told by my LBS that I'm "hardcore" because I ride in the rain. Sure, why not?

(I'd think that my riding in snow and sub-freezing temperatures is more hardcore than that.)

A previous thread asked the question, When does hardcore become stupid." A good criterion was:


Hardcore becomes stupid when it becomes dangerous...In each case, it's not just the weather that makes it hardcore or stupid, it's the degree of preparation and knowledge used in dealing with the weather.

I ride in winter with adequate preparations, therefore I am hardcore. BTW, a nice standard for winter riding IMO was stated in a thread that asked, "What's the minimum qualifying distance for a cold-temperature ride?":


The time it takes for your water bottles to freeze.

I'm somewhat hardcore because I carried my 330+ lb self on a century ride--half with a bad tire, and I loved it. On the biker scale, this is not tremendous, but on the Clydesdale scale, this is pretty good.

I am a weather wuss, but I'm planning on a back to back century tour this year between my house and where I grew up.

...none...

self admitted wuss, here.

Hardcore, hahahaha! I wouldn't consider myself a hardcore cyclist. Not even a cyclist. I consider myself a rider. I would say that I'm more of a hardcore athlete rather than a hardcore cyclist. If we had the chance to play other sports together, you'd know why. I've been called 'extreme' by so many others!:D

Does regularly logging 2 hours per session on the trainer count for "hardcorp" status?

Does riding daily through my 2nd Buffalo NY winter count?

The folks at the school have stopped asking if I get cold... they finally believe me when they see me arriving hot and sweaty even though I generally only wear a T shirt and a soft shell coat. When gas hit $4.50 a gallon I was getting a lot of thumbs up as well. Some still don't understand how you can ride through Winter. I had to take my car one day last week... I was a lot colder in the car than on my bike, and that car has seat heaters no less. In the 5 miles to work the car just barely gets warm by the time you pull in to park. I'll take my bike thank you very much. The only times I've had to take the car was when we were getting hammered with snow during the day. I just can't ride a hybrid through a foot or more of fresh snow. That is when 4 wheels are much more stable.

Happy riding,
André

Car free.

I guess that counts from the reaction(s) I get...

Seems more practical to me.

I am no longer hardcore but was... =sigh= at one time.

Several years ago before 3 surgeries and cancer I did Texas Hellweek... 8 days of 100+ rides each day. OK I fudged one day and only did 68... my saddle broke off the rails and I had to ride 12 miles back to town standing up!!! Trust me... that's hardcore! ;)

I just do my commute. I ride 3.5 hours/day, 5 days/week unless something's wrong with the bike. 38 miles/day with a total of 2575 feet elevation change. I leave home at 5 A.M. and get back at 7 P.M.

I know people who do more. They're hardcore.

I'm hardcore because I stay up late and post comments about cycling

I'm Hardcore because I have bones...which kinda create a hard core....

Im not currently hardcore from the cycling standpoint. But I will be on 4/15/09. Count on it.

Not too hardcore, but really into it. Ride during all 12 months, rain sleet or snow. On those rare not-able-to-ride days, I'll do 50 miles on the trainer (I really take my hat off to those who can ride 80 to a 100 on that thing). I'll ride in the heat and during T-Storm, even rode in 80-plus mile gusts during freak storm earlier this past fall.

For me, dropping dead while on the bike would not be a bad exit strategy.

For me, dropping dead while on the bike would not be a bad exit strategy.

I defied doctor's orders and rode my bike after what turned out to be a mini-stroke. God can take me any time, and on a bike is as good as any.

Sunday morning I had a clipless fall that resulted in myself and my bike falling off a bridge about 7 feet into a rock bottom creek, which in turn broke two of my ribs. Climbed out of the creek with the bike, tried to call my wife who didn't answer the phone, took my bent back rim off, straightened it enough, put it back on, rode a horribly painful last two miles home.

and...........................GOT ZERO SYMPATHY FROM THE WIFE:(

Am I hardcore?

Isn't being "hardcore" just doing what you need or want to do? In a sense it's like heroism - landing a plane is something a pilot does all the time. He does it once on the Hudson and people finally notice.

Sunday morning I had a clipless fall that resulted in myself and my bike falling off a bridge about 7 feet into a rock bottom creek, which in turn broke two of my ribs. Climbed out of the creek with the bike, tried to call my wife who didn't answer the phone, took my bent back rim off, straightened it enough, put it back on, rode a horribly painful last two miles home.

and...........................GOT ZERO SYMPATHY FROM THE WIFE:(

Am I hardcore?

What's worse - the pain, or the tough love from the woman living with a bike addict? :D

What's worse - the pain, or the tough love from the woman living with a bike addict? :D

The real pain is seeing my brand new bike beat to hell. Sleeping sitting up and only taking short breaths is livable. As far as the tough love thing, I have been paddling whitewater for years, so she is used to me doing things that she disapproves of. I have trained her to expect the worse because sometimes it happens:innocent:

Sunday morning I had a clipless fall that resulted in myself and my bike falling off a bridge about 7 feet into a rock bottom creek, which in turn broke two of my ribs. Climbed out of the creek with the bike, tried to call my wife who didn't answer the phone, took my bent back rim off, straightened it enough, put it back on, rode a horribly painful last two miles home.

and...........................GOT ZERO SYMPATHY FROM THE WIFE:(

Am I hardcore?

Only 2 miles? Good, I'm still king of riding with a fractured rib. :)

Sunday morning I had a clipless fall that resulted in myself and my bike falling off a bridge about 7 feet into a rock bottom creek, which in turn broke two of my ribs. Climbed out of the creek with the bike, tried to call my wife who didn't answer the phone, took my bent back rim off, straightened it enough, put it back on, rode a horribly painful last two miles home.

and...........................GOT ZERO SYMPATHY FROM THE WIFE:(

Am I hardcore?

Sorry, No. While the fall and subsequent ride home qualifies you, not having the wife under control enough to have a steak dinner ready for you while dressed in something frilly DQ's you. ROFL :D

(Kidding, thats way hard core).

Tough crowd here. If I ever fracture a rib, I'll have to go ride over 91 miles of potholes to get any recognition out of it.

Isn't being "hardcore" just doing what you need or want to do? In a sense it's like heroism - landing a plane is something a pilot does all the time. He does it once on the Hudson and people finally notice.

No, because there are usually easy ways out. For example, ditching in the Hudson was the easy way out. He could have tried to land on a freeway. But to save lives, and tons of property distruction, he landed in the water. Landing a jumbo jet in midtown manhattan. Now THAT's hardcore :D

Tough crowd here. If I ever fracture a rib, I'll have to go ride over 91 miles of potholes to get any recognition out of it.

Or at least have someone sexy making you steak in lingerie at home afterwards.

Or at least have someone sexy making you steak in lingerie at home afterwards.

Gee, I missed that. I had to make do with Neil Fein getting me a sub. :)

***********
"I just left the library. I'm downtown, and I see places to eat. Do you want me to pick you up anything?"

Neil's been resting up in the room. "I'd appreciate that, thanks." We discuss what's available, and I end up bringing him a big sandwich.....
***********

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3Tzut&page_id=78675&v=8E

(My providing the link isn't an endorsement of the material at the other end.)

The Bee is Hard Core cause I ran over my own front tire...oh wait that makes me an idiot...

The Bee is Hard Core cause I ran over my own front tire...oh wait that makes me an idiot...

At times, there's little difference.

Gave my sister my car
When I was still living in Lynchburg, I rode a fixed gear around town (its all hills...you are lucky to find some flat road)
Rode 30 miles in the rain just to be told I didnt have to attend the meeting....make that 60 miles in the rain.
Oh and I tell my girlfriend to make me a sammich everyday. Not that I get the sammich, but I ask.

idk what hardcore really is
off to cycle now.

Or at least have someone sexy making you steak in lingerie at home afterwards.

About equally likely, I think.

I hardly consider my self "hardcore" but I did ride today despite the 40 MPH wind gusts, between class got caught by a massive squall line which had completely breached my meager rain gear (read: light Rain Jacket) and soaked my lower half to the bone before I got my bike off the rack. It was so wet, my bars were slipping in the stem and could no longer apply enough pressure to my breaks, which were already compromised enough by the water. Since I had tried to sprint to the next class, I was moving at a mighty good clip and wound up unable to navigate the tight corners around the building I was heading too and wound up making a big ass loop through a veritable mudpit, up th wrong way of a one way road and into the a crowd of people waiting in the weird atrium/courtyard/thing on the bottom level of my destination. When I got to class, I litterally was sitting pools of water at my feet for an hour and a half. The weird part is, with a little better rain gear and no classes, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

We were hit with the further-north version of that same storm. I took off in a driving rain -- the girlfriend thought I was an idiot -- and barreled off, head-long into the wind. After about half an hour, the rain stopped. A beautiful line of blue appeared in the sky off in the distance. A few minultes later, brilliant sunshine flooded the afternoon.
Those are the moments that make it all worthwhile.

Sunday morning I had a clipless fall that resulted in myself and my bike falling off a bridge about 7 feet into a rock bottom creek, which in turn broke two of my ribs. Climbed out of the creek with the bike, tried to call my wife who didn't answer the phone, took my bent back rim off, straightened it enough, put it back on, rode a horribly painful last two miles home.

and...........................GOT ZERO SYMPATHY FROM THE WIFE:(

Am I hardcore?


Definitely!!! Was this this past Sunday???

ummmm.... I like technical climbs and such... not hardcore but it's the closest I could think of hahaha

We were hit with the further-north version of that same storm. I took off in a driving rain -- the girlfriend thought I was an idiot -- and barreled off, head-long into the wind. After about half an hour, the rain stopped. A beautiful line of blue appeared in the sky off in the distance. A few minultes later, brilliant sunshine flooded the afternoon.
Those are the moments that make it all worthwhile.

Yeah, i was probably heading into mild hypothermia because i was having to sit through lecture when the sun broke on through. But the ride home and the bath and hot meal i had when i got home were amazing. Everything is better when you're cold and wet

Everyone at work thinks I am hardcore simply because I ride nearly every day regardless of weather, and I live in a mountain valley in the cascade mountains where we definitely get our fair share of snow and winter cold.

I don't know about being hardcore necessarily, but I do know on the rare day I don't ride to work I am a flurry of nervous energy. I am at the point where my body needs to burn a couple of times a day or I get fidgety.

I'm not hardcore, I just like to ride.

I do find it sad that my coworkers think my 1.5 mile commute is hardcore.