"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - hardest districts to race in?

someone recently mentioned to me that a district in California was the hardest area to race in, with the DC area being second. Has there been anything written about something like that? It'd be interesting to see where each location ranks up, but more importantly how someone would even decide on that.

Chicago. July.

Don't know. But someone tell me the easiest district to race in. Daddy needs upgrade points.

DC? :lol: sure.

Districts are uncomparable.
This thread will be silly.

This thread will be silly.

You're being overly pessimistic.

I've never raced in the States, and have little to offer on the current situation.
However, I do feel that in a few short years, this district (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ODe9mqoDE)might be very tough.

^^^
It's already started

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb1Z9VU_Yco&feature=PlayList&p=EF974048485138A5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=21

I moved away about 12 years ago, but Colorado used to be a pretty interesting district to race in during the early/mid 1990's. Pro/1/2 fields had some surprising euro-pros turn up from time to time (over here doing altitude or mountain training) and even cat3 fields had a fair share of pro mountain bikers show up--particularly for mountainous road courses--Tinker Juarez, John Tomac, Travis Brown, Rishi Grewal to mention a few. I even remember seeing Bob Rolle ride a cat3 road-race in Durango after he'd changed his focus to mountain biking! The strangest of all had to be when Jeannie Longo raced as a cat3 under an assumed male name. No one could figure out who the feck the scrawny little rider who went up hills so quickly was.

Eastern Nebraska... due to the ultimate lack of racing.
It's incredibly hard on the psyche to wait so long in between events. :D

Eastern Nebraska... due to the ultimate lack of racing.
It's incredibly hard on the psyche to wait so long in between events. :D

Ever think of moving for your sport?

Ever think of moving for your sport?

Yep!
I'm stuck here for 2 more years while I finish my MA and MFA (I'm a huge glutton for punishment), but then the wife and I are eying Ft. Collins. :thumb:

what sort of fine arts?

Yep!
I'm stuck here for 2 more years while I finish my MA and MFA (I'm a huge glutton for punishment), but then the wife and I are eying Ft. Collins. :thumb:

good thing you're getting an MA, because as you probably know, an MFA stand for Mostly F___ All.

English, specifically, writing - creative nonfiction specialization.

should be enough to get a public school gig

good thing you're getting an MA, because as you probably know, an MFA stand for Mostly F___ All.

True! But, it's a terminal degree.
I'm burnt out on quantitative and qualitative research and enjoy writing creatively more anyway. Win/win.
Except that I won't be a "Dr."

they have Arts PhDs these days.

they have Arts PhDs these days.

As it seems that I'll be a life-long graduate student at this rate, that is definitely still something to consider down the road. :p

^^ don't do it.

I'm waiting for

1) Norcal is the toughest
2) Socal is
3) You guys just don't understand until you've ridden in CO
4) CO used to be tough but now that WR is in TX, it's rough there
5) NE is a ballbuster b/c everyone has built-up rage from the winter months
6) umd explaining there are fast guys everywhere, they just go deeper some places

^^ don't do it.

I'm waiting for

1) Norcal is the toughest
2) Socal is
3) You guys just don't understand until you've ridden in CO
4) CO used to be tough but now that WR is in TX, it's rough there
5) NE is a ballbuster b/c everyone has built-up rage from the winter months
6) umd explaining there are fast guys everywhere, they just go deeper some places

Yeah, it seems like we have this same thread every 3-4 months, with the same answers, from the same people.

You've condensed them very well, though.

^^ don't do it.

Go back for a PhD or become a lifelong grad student? :lol:



I'm waiting for

1) Norcal is the toughest
2) Socal is
3) You guys just don't understand until you've ridden in CO
4) CO used to be tough but now that WR is in TX, it's rough there
5) NE is a ballbuster b/c everyone has built-up rage from the winter months
6) umd explaining there are fast guys everywhere, they just go deeper some places

Nebraska or the North East? I'm nearly positive you meant the latter.
Where does the Pacific Northwest figure into that list? Just wondering.

Go back for a PhD or become a lifelong grad student? :lol:



Nebraska or the North East? I'm nearly positive you meant the latter.
Where does the Pacific Northwest figure into that list? Just wondering.

The lifelong grad student one. Yeah, I meant New England, but have no experience with Nebraska, other than spending a weekend at UNL.

The guys in the pacific northewest are too busy jerking each other off on the CX loop to worry too much about racing except for the couple of big stage races which are their biggest tourist draw of the year....

The lifelong grad student one. Yeah, I meant New England, but have no experience with Nebraska, other than spending a weekend at UNL.

The guys in the pacific northewest are too busy jerking each other off on the CX loop to worry too much about racing except for the couple of big stage races which are their biggest tourist draw of the year....

You're right. I likely should eventually pay off these student loans vs. acquiring more. :beer:

Re: the PNW, :roflmao2: :lol: :roflmao2:

From everything I've read on bf, I can only conclude that the toughest ride in the world must be in Nyack.

The lifelong grad student one. Yeah, I meant New England, but have no experience with Nebraska, other than spending a weekend at UNL.

The guys in the pacific northewest are too busy jerking each other off on the CX loop to worry too much about racing except for the couple of big stage races which are their biggest tourist draw of the year....

either that, or posing in their rapha shirts while sipping a triple decaffeinated mochoa frapuccino light, with a twist of lemon.

either that, or posing in their rapha shirts while sipping a triple decaffeinated mochoa frapuccino light, with a twist of lemon.that's eco-friendly, free-range coffee, of course

surprised nobody mentioned Tucson

that's eco-friendly, free-range coffee, of course

Don't forget shade-grown and served by free-range hipsters.

kudude summed up the answers pretty well, but I gotta stick up for the PNW a little. A few pros have come out of Wa, including Tyler Farrar (Wenatchee) and Tom Peterson (North Bend).. I have no idea how much they actually raced up here though.

Also Kenny Williams (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Williams_(cyclist)) is a local who has kicked ass nationally, Crit National Champ in '99.

If nothing else, we have hills and bad weather riding going for us.

Don't forget shade-grown and served by free-range hipsters.

kudude summed up the answers pretty well, but I gotta stick up for the PNW a little. A few pros have come out of Wa, including Tyler Farrar (Wenatchee) and Tom Peterson (North Bend).. I have no idea how much they actually raced up here though.

Also Kenny Williams (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Williams_(cyclist)) is a local who has kicked ass nationally, Crit National Champ in '99.

If nothing else, we have hills and bad weather riding going for us.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/images/smilies/Yawn.gif
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/images/smilies/Yawn.gifhttp://forums.roadbikereview.com/images/smilies/Yawn.gif
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/images/smilies/Yawn.gifhttp://forums.roadbikereview.com/images/smilies/Yawn.gifhttp://forums.roadbikereview.com/images/smilies/Yawn.gif

Unless you're winning your local P/1/2 races, does it matter?

I am the only licensed (US) racer within 45 min drive of my house that I know of. So not where I am. The fact that I will be driving 4 hours to one of the closest races for me says something else too...

I need to move.

I am the only licensed (US) racer within 45 min drive of my house that I know of. So not where I am. The fact that I will be driving 4 hours to one of the closest races for me says something else too...

I need to move.

Indeed.

DC is the fittest city so it must have the best bike racers.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=545286

France. July.

Fixed

The race to registration is certainly a tough one in DC for many categories.

^^ that is at least some kind of indicator. Crits don't fill up here very often. RRs, however, are a different story.

If we're talking pro/1/2 races, I'm sorry but Colorado does have more big names than anywhere. Not local powerhouses, international powerhouses. Dozens of them. How many of your local races have top 20's that look identical to a NRC race, with 3 guys in the top 5 that have ridden the Tour in the last few years?

For lower cat racing, I'd say it's probably pretty equal across the country among areas with decent populations and weather. Crits are freakin' hard in the midwest, RR's are hard in New England and the mid-atlantic, and everything is pretty hard anywhere in California.

Really, racing is hard everywhere. If it isn't, you're doing it wrong.

Unless you're winning your local P/1/2 races, does it matter?

werd.

If we're talking pro/1/2 races, I'm sorry but Colorado does have more big names than anywhere. Not local powerhouses, international powerhouses. Dozens of them. How many of your local races have top 20's that look identical to a NRC race, with 3 guys in the top 5 that have ridden the Tour in the last few years?

For lower cat racing, I'd say it's probably pretty equal across the country among areas with decent populations and weather. Crits are freakin' hard in the midwest, RR's are hard in New England and the mid-atlantic, and everything is pretty hard anywhere in California.

Really, racing is hard everywhere. If it isn't, you're doing it wrong.

Nice.

From everything I've read on bf, I can only conclude that the toughest ride in the world must be in Nyack.

lol.

English, specifically, writing - creative nonfiction specialization.

Huh? So you're writing assembly manuals for assemble-it-yourself furniture? Or IRS tax code? :)

Huh? So you're writing assembly manuals for assemble-it-yourself furniture? Or IRS tax code? :)

That'd be more noncreative nonfiction.
Think "into the wild," "zen and the art of motorcycle maintenence," "the rider."
Also authors like tom Wolfe, Norman mailer, ken Kesey, hunter thompson, jack keroauc.
Only not quite as well known (or likely good). :D

The race to registration is certainly a tough one in DC for many categories.

That is so true. I miss the good ole days before Bike Reg, where I could wake up on the day of the race and decide "Hmmmm, it's nice. I think I'll go race today" and just show up, pay my monies and do it. And back in those pre-historic times, if it was raining, I wouldn't be out an entry fee if I didn't feel like getting wet.

To be honest, that is what bothers me the most about Bike Reg. If the weather sucks on race day, you have to go or you have to eat the fee if you don't.

On topic - Racing is hard for me no matter where I go.

For lower cat racing, I'd say it's probably pretty equal across the country among areas with decent populations and weather. Crits are freakin' hard in the midwest, RR's are hard in New England and the mid-atlantic, and everything is pretty hard anywhere in California.

That was pretty much my point about "epicenters" in another thread...

I've never heard of chicago being big, though they have a big population

The guys in the pacific northewest are too busy jerking each other off on the CX loop to worry too much about racing except for the couple of big stage races which are their biggest tourist draw of the year....

:roflmao2:

I guess DoK is one of the new circle-jerkers. :D

Yeah, we just happen to have Carl Decker, Adam Craig, Chris Horner and Ryan Trebon.

And we happen to have sent over 3 of the 6 juniors to Europe for the Jr. National Team.

And we're not even federation. :p

But... in all honesty, I think CO has it. WA is pretty hard as is So/NoCal.

I've never heard of chicago being big, though they have a big population

Nope, nothing big at all.

Biggest money race in the US, national crit championship, 17 straight days of 100km crits with 150+ man fields at SuperWeek.

I'm guessing you're a Cat4/5 guy?

That'd be more noncreative nonfiction.
Think "into the wild," "zen and the art of motorcycle maintenence," "the rider."
Also authors like tom Wolfe, Norman mailer, ken Kesey, hunter thompson, jack keroauc.
Only not quite as well known (or likely good). :D

That's a work of fiction. The race it's based on is a real race, and Krabbe refers to a lot of real events, but it's fiction.

:roflmao2:

I guess DoK is one of the new circle-jerkers. :D

Yeah, we just happen to have Carl Decker, Adam Craig, Chris Horner and Ryan Trebon.

And we happen to have sent over 3 of the 6 juniors to Europe for the Jr. National Team.

And we're not even federation. :p

But... in all honesty, I think CO has it. WA is pretty hard as is So/NoCal.

There's another thread asking about "How did you upgrade?" or the like. I b!tched about the OBRA calendar.

We (Oregon) need to stack more races on top of each other. Sunday crit following a Saturday RR in Salem. Circuit race in Eugene followed by a RR somewhere near there. Too many race weekends are one-and-done. People are reluctant to travel 3+ hours for a race where they could just...flat out.

Bigger, longer crits at the Pro/1/2 level. 90min+. It's the premier event of the day. A 60min crit is a warmup. And anyone with aspirations of racing the Elite (Cat1) or Pro event at Downers Grove needs to be able to race 80km to 100km, respectively, in Chicago heat/humidity. Let's at least give them a chance to be ready for the distance.

Should've called this thread "Where do you live?" ;)