General Cycling Discussion - Rate your competitiveness

Just how competitive are you?

It's stupid to be competitive when you always lose! :D

RichC

For me im very laid back. When i am out on the track and all i use the other people to push my self! I don't really take into fact of my postion and all. :beer:

Jared

I haven't raced for years, but I still like to ride hard and compete with my riding buddies for county-line signs, telephone poles and entrances into the parkway and then a final sprint back to the parking lot. Great fun and a real burn in the legs. If I lose I don't get too bummed out, but it is fun to win some of those impromptu races.

That's about it for my sense of competition. I have enough stuff at work to worry about, without getting all a**ed up about being the best in a group ride. I guess you need to be young, fast and have lots of testosterone for that.:p

I voted for laid back cause I'm not a competitive kinda guy.
But there are rare occasions ;) when I find myself saying, "I can't let that guy pass me", and the race is on. By the time I've dropped him my HR is about 285 :eek: and my legs feel like rubber. :roflmao:

If I was any more laid back, I'd fall off my bike.

I am the most competitive person that you will ever meet, and not just in biking.

Originally posted by KleinMp99
I am the most competitive person that you will ever meet, and not just in biking.
No way! I'm more competitive than you!

My purpose in riding is to get AWAY from competition and relax. There is enough to compete about just to get through life. Why add one more area?

I am pretty laid back when it comes to cycling, but I put Fairly Competetive, because I do pay some attention to how I am doing vs. others. Also, I like to keep up with some of the road bike dudes when they pass me. Gives me a nice challenge and work out.


Dave

On the bike...yeah...you better get out of my way, MORON! :eek:

Because I compete against myself, I voted for "fairly competitive." (I also believe in good sportsmanship and in competing fairly.) Given the number of world-class triathletes and cyclists in San Diego, my ego could not handle a "very competitive" attitude!

I am "Very Competative."

Don't confuse that with, "Actually Competative." :)

I like to think I'm "Laid Back," but when someone is ahead of me, or passes me, or is anywhere in sight of me, I have to try to catch them. And then, if I catch them (or pass) I get this feeling of satisfaction I can't explain; if I can't catch them, it's time for excuses! :eek:

Even when no one's around but car-drivers, I am trying to show them I am faster! :rolleyes:

It's a sickness. I've accepted it...

I suck too much wheel still to be considered competitive. Though I do compete with myself, especially to keep my cadence high. I can't wait to get back on my bike though.

my ego could not handle a "very competitive" attitude!

Even when no one's around but car-drivers, I am trying to show them I am faster!
No kidding. I must say, I enjoy competing with cars. But I don't think I could get into racing or something like that. I don't know if my body could handle it. But, hey, whatever's yer pleasure.

I'm enjoying yous guyses responses to this thread, thanks for postin'. Keep 'er goin.


It's a sickness. I've accepted it...

Hey, I right on!

Peace :D

Dave

Right on, Denver!

I ride for the same reasons.

i am very competitive with myself! and i love riding with someone near my level to always race and push for the next hilltop or whatever... i'm a sprinter so i'm always looking for the next short race... in a group ride i almost always end up right at the front (even if i would be better off drafting)

i voted only 'fairly competitve' b/c i think i'm laid-back enough that i don't criticise others too much or act too snobby, or at least enough that i can ride with people other than those in a club or training for the next race...

but i love racing and especially on a recovery day i have a hard time letting someone pass me and NOT jumping on their wheel and then dropping them on the next climb...

I can't believe laidback is way ahead in the poll! Somebody E-mail these results to Bicycling. I'm glad theres people that race but I think most of us are just making our own adventure. If Car and Driver magazine handled their magazine the same way as Bicycling,We would all be wearing fire proof suits and have big numbers painted on the side of our cars.:D

I said fairly competitive. Most of the time, I push myself to see how hard I can go.

I do race in duathlons, but in the past, I was racing with an old steel frame bike and just could not keep up with the good riders. Since I got my good road bike this year, I hope to become more competitive in the races.

Hi All,

I had to rate myself fairly competitive. My bike is not light and is really set up for distance. I admit I find alot of joy in over taking a younger rider on an expensive bike but I always slow to say hi and chat a bit if they like. It bothers me if someone catches up with me and does not even acknowledge me as they pass.

Ride safe........Dudley

i can never keep up with the darned cars for long... I'm a pretty competitive person, but i'm new to biking so i'm sure i'm slow and pathetic, but i've never really run into anybody else cycling going the same direction that i could try and catch.

Im usually the laid back brotha coasting down the road, sipping a margarita; but strangely always the last one to get back home.

Out of my way moron!!!

I bet Im the least competative person who replied.

No doubt, I'm in the first group. Although I don't race. I started riding for fitness. I've played competitive sports all my life and found cycling to fulfill the fitness need while at the same time giving me the thrill of competition. Although My main Nemesis is myself. Although I'll be the first one to stop and help out another rider, I do my best to stay with the front pack.

What I've done is surround myself with small, fast riders. We ride in rolling terrain, which is so challenging to me on the steeps, being 6'3" 225. The little guys just fly by, but it helps me improve to try and keep up. On our last Century in East Tn, lots of climbs, I got 51.1mph on one downhill. Got a little respect from the little guys that day. :) But like I said to make yourself better you must surround yourself with people better than yourself.

What I do hate is crusing at 21-23mph, doing all I can do to hang on , then we go around a corner and see another group of riders a half mile up. You know what that means.

Mike

I'd consider myself fairly competitive. Like John E. in San Diego, there are way too many elite (and lots younger) cyclists in the Palo Alto/Stanford area for me to get too serious about it. That said, I do try to catch and pass the guy up the road and keep those behind from passing (at least until I can get to a place where I can turn off)! At my age (50+) I'm usually happy enough to keep up with fit riders half my age or getting asked if I'm a racer (not!).

Every ride is a time trial. I keep a training log and try to beat my personal best times on every loop. I time every trip up the longest hill in the county. I wear an HRM and try to keep my HR near my anerobic threshold as long as possible on nearly every ride. I'm racing 6 of the next 7 weeks - XC and road. If you want to race a lot in the northeast, you better be versatile. Recovery rides are boring, but a necessary evil, best done with a slower friend or family member. I wonder if my tubes are too heavy and I always worry that I have a brake shoe dragging.

I rate myself . . . very competitive.