Originally Posted by bassplayinbiker

I'm a competitive cat three who races on $5 weekly for allowance. My parents sometimes help me with entry fees's but they're poor as hell too.

Here are things you will learn real quick:

1. You can eat like a king at taco hell for $5 (you'll figure this out when traveling broke)
2. Poptarts are the cornerstone of every meal
3. Never throw any food away when traveling to races.
4. Mix 4 oz of hawiian punch with 4oz of water and add a pinch of salt to make a poverty sports drink
5. Learn to patch tubes. It's much cheaper
6. Learn to re use old derailer cable and brake cable. (it'll come up, trust me)
7. you can get off brand whey protein for $11 at target
8. Powdered gatorade tastes like crap
9. never throw out a tube, if it cannot be patched, use it as a bungee cord
10. If a training buddy flats, ask for his tube, and patch it
11. you can use the cam end on your skewers as tire levers
12. trainer blocks are for those who can afford them, use your tennis shoes when warming up
13. When snobs look at you funny for rocking 9 speed, berate them for having the 10th extra "weenie gear" It'll confuse them to no end.
14. I'm the 16 year old cat three, when you're 16, rocking "inferior equipment" and fast, the pack has a tendency to try to flick you out of spite.
My coach gave me some good advice, "don't worry about what everyone else has, let you legs do the talking."