"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - what are the toughest amateur race scenes in the US?

sorry if this has been done

i guess the only way to answer is people whove lived and raced in a number of regions to compare them...

Can't help you -- I've only ever raced in NorCal and one race in Oregon -- but I'm interested to hear what comes out of this thread.

sorry if this has been done

i guess the only way to answer is people whove lived and raced in a number of regions to compare them...

for christ's sake dude, you've been a member of BF since '04.

why are you asking an inane question that's been asked again, and again, and again?

cuz i'm bored at work

sheesh, man

wtf do you expect? it's a 41 level dick measuring question.

honestly not how i intended it.

was legitimately curious about level of competition around the US. to the extent i have any regional pride its more pride in the big guys i know, im not under any illusions about where i personally fit in the food chain.

to answer your question.... From other posts, it sounds like NorCal, SoCal, CO, TX, NE.

correct me if i'm wrong, I have no experience outside of TX.

to answer your question.... From other posts, it sounds like NorCal, SoCal, CO, TX, NE.

correct me if i'm wrong, I have no experience outside of TX.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/botto/bf/687fea91677be9103defb8d.gif

i would point out i deliberately made the thread plural, so as to invite a list, not a definitive answer.

Socal....in before the lock.

Socal....in before the lock.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/botto/bf/1232550426_worffacepalm.gif

sorry if this has been done

i guess the only way to answer is people whove lived and raced in a number of regions to compare them...

CO - are you happy now? =]

Actually I think the answer is Cat 1.

I am at work and can't see botto's retort.

A certain someone from west o' the missipp is fittin' to find out.

you can probably guess.

oh well.

sorry botto for desecrating bike forums with banality.

please resume vaguely homoerotic critique of race photos and posting star trek gifs.

I am at work and can't see botto's retort.

facepalm.

I am at work and can't see botto's retort.

Star Trek face palm. (2 of 'em, and neither is Picard.)

ohhh...i got two?

...wow...big days here in Socal, land of the hardest amateur racing scene.

ohhh...i got two?

...wow...big days here in Socal, land of the hardest amateur racing scene.

nope.

ohhh caloso lies like a dog, but i don't see you disputing the Socal racing scene as being the hardest in the nation.

socal is full of overtrained *******.

It only really makes a difference at the ultra-elite level. Then you can have a handful of folks that make the highest level races just that much harder.

As for the rest of us it is really hard everywhere.

socal is full of overtrained *******.

or undertrained in my case.

socal is full of overtrained *******.

Overtrained ***** has a certain appeal.

ohhh...i got two?

One was for the OP.

It only really makes a difference at the ultra-elite level. Then you can have a handful of folks that make the highest level races just that much harder.

As for the rest of us it is really hard everywhere.

false.

I did not know that a synonym of "cat" would be censored. Now I know.

false.

bs.

go thread go!

Sorry. One of those facepalms was for johnnybutts. And I won't take the bait. You guys must be tough having to slog through that brown sludge you call air.

neither of the facepalms was for me

bs.

when's the last time you lined up in a 35+ masters race with 1 ex, 1 current world champion and several national jersey wearers...

just saying that although the racing might not be "faster" the depth of the field is absurd in Socal.

I am sure that others from NorCal and Texas could argue that also, but i refuse to believe that racing in upstate NY or bumf**k Minnesota has the talent that Socal does.

yawn.

when's the last time you lined up in a 35+ masters race with 1 ex, 1 current world champion and several national jersey wearers...

just saying that although the racing might not be "faster" the depth of the field is absurd in Socal.

I am sure that others from NorCal and Texas could argue that also, but i refuse to believe that racing in upstate NY or bumf**k Minnesota has the talent that Socal does.

Thank you for proving my point. I claimed that having a handful of outliers was the key element in the SoCal superiority argument and you come back with a handful of outliers trying to prove your point.

Crap, I have been on freakin' training rides in Gainesville, Florida that had multiple then current National Champion jersey wearers. I think that our little town has a whole lot smaller population than the greater LA area. And I am not claiming that we are the hot bed of amateur racing because of this.

And if you think that racing where you are is so hard and other folks have it easy, then take a vacation and race somewhere else. Take a vacation to b-**** Minnesota and report back.

when's the last time you lined up in a 35+ masters race with 1 ex, 1 current world champion and several national jersey wearers...

just saying that although the racing might not be "faster" the depth of the field is absurd in Socal.

I am sure that others from NorCal and Texas could argue that also, but i refuse to believe that racing in upstate NY or bumf**k Minnesota has the talent that Socal does.

No current world champs here, but I occasionally line up with a guy who recently drank and smoked himself out of a pro contract.

you guys are proving botto right

hope youre happy

No current world champs here, but I occasionally line up with a guy who recently drank and smoked himself out of a pro contract.

boonen?

Sorry. One of those facepalms was for johnnybutts.


Oops, my mistake

socal is full of overtrained *******.

it's called san fernando valley.

socal is full of overtrained *******.

San Fernando Valley?:p

it's called san fernando valley.

I thought the simi valley was edging them out?

wtf do you expect? it's a 41 level dick measuring question.

can't we finally step this old argument up to the level 42?

im sure you would know umd ;)

we have similar dirty minds agoodale.

I used to fence competitively. The "upgrade" path in fencing is very different in fencing. In effect to upgrade to a "Cat" you pretty much had to enter a competition with a sufficient number of fencers in that "Cat" and win the competition. You then had to repeat that in a certain time frame to keep your "Cat" or else you were automatically downgraded.

Now it was "common knowledge" that NYC was THE hotbed of fencing in the USA, so we would occasionally get folks from NYC taking vacations to Florida trying to pick up a "cheap" upgrade. Their thinking was that out in the sticks the ranking were all inflated and they would easily win. They always left muttering about how they couldn't believe the competition was so fierce and how good these guys out in the sticks were.

I bet bike racing is exactly same way.

I used to fence competitively. The "upgrade" path in fencing is very different in fencing. In effect to upgrade to a "Cat" you pretty much had to enter a competition with a sufficient number of fencers in that "Cat" and win the competition. You then had to repeat that in a certain time frame to keep your "Cat" or else you were automatically downgraded.

Now it was "common knowledge" that NYC was THE hotbed of fencing in the USA, so we would occasionally get folks from NYC taking vacations to Florida trying to pick up a "cheap" upgrade. Their thinking was that out in the sticks the ranking were all inflated and they would easily win. They always left muttering about how they couldn't believe the competition was so fierce and how good these guys out in the sticks were.

I bet bike racing is exactly same way.

impossible to compare fencing with cycling.



...we all know fencing is not a sport.

The "upgrade" path in fencing is very different in fencing.

well there ya go.

ok...i gotta go eat dinner...i'll be back to argue my less important points later, and we'll discuss ruler choices/ options as well ;)

impossible to compare fencing with cycling.



...we all know fencing is not a sport.

It has been in every modern Olympics. Not many sports can say that.

well there ya go.

Editing text while drinking wine is not a good thing.;)