Why do you think road racing is so competitive?
05-27-13, 04:56 PM
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Why do you think road racing is so competitive?
I was thinking, what draws so many super dedicated athletes to bike racing? It sure isn't like the local 5k with so many different levels of skill. The level of talent seems amazing even in cat 4 and 5. No obese people racing bikes at all, doing triathlons yes. I got top 5 percent bike splits on a road bike without aerobars on triathlons, now that I'm doing bike races, I'm pushing 100% to finish mid pack. It really impresses me and is quite humbling. Any ideas why only the best even sign up?
05-27-13, 06:06 PM
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05-27-13, 06:17 PM
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Obese people race bikes. Some of them are evn fast. There was one such character in my race today. There are many folks that are simply heavy, but were it not for bike racing they'd surely looked cream filled. The truth is simply that the dynamic the OP mentions is due to the structure of races. Running and Tris have citizen type classes at the same events as the competitive categories. Folks who aren't competitive in cycling tend to do bike tours and centuries.
Last edited by gsteinb; 05-27-13 at 06:46 PM.
05-27-13, 06:22 PM
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no such thing as getting "dropped" in triathlons or (running) road races. show up, go your own pace, finish. you can't really do that in a bike race.
05-27-13, 06:28 PM
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People who know me and who know nothing about cycling are often surprised to hear how far from winning I am in my races. They have this idea that I am so crazy about riding, naturally I should win. I have a hard time explaining how it's not like winning a basketball game. I don't try to explain anymore.
05-27-13, 06:43 PM
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Normal people have no idea how much work it takes to be a mediocre bike racer.
05-27-13, 07:04 PM
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05-27-13, 09:09 PM
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I was thinking, what draws so many super dedicated athletes to bike racing? It sure isn't like the local 5k with so many different levels of skill. The level of talent seems amazing even in cat 4 and 5. No obese people racing bikes at all, doing triathlons yes. I got top 5 percent bike splits on a road bike without aerobars on triathlons, now that I'm doing bike races, I'm pushing 100% to finish mid pack. It really impresses me and is quite humbling. Any ideas why only the best even sign up?
05-27-13, 09:09 PM
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05-28-13, 12:26 PM
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05-28-13, 12:53 PM
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05-28-13, 01:12 PM
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Trolling falls under Disruption and either I or Gary will close the thread and follow up with disciplinary action if necessary.