Why do I "hate" racers? Is it good to hate, no. How about why I "don't like" racers? Well, maybe it's not the people themselves, just their behavior. No, it is the people themselves.

For one thing, they like cars. All they can talk about is cars, and motorcycles. They are not bicyclists, they are drivers in spandex. They are roof-rackers, they DRIVE to races, even local ones. One local Cat 1 who manages a LBS told me he doesn't really like riding his bicycle just around town, he'd rather drive. I'm coming to think of them as "wolves in sheeps clothing", ie. "motorists in cyclist clothing". They are cyclists on the outside, but with a motorist mindset. As such, they give the "rest of us" a bad name.

My friends in the local advocacy group would disagree. They want us all to be one big happy cycling family. Well, I suppose the family analogy fits, if you consider an extremely disfunctional family. We don't choose our family members, we are just together by an accident of birth. In the case of racers, an accident of riding two wheeled vehicles. The president of the local bikefed tries to "make nice" with them, and all he gets is grief in return. He is a patient fellow, though, much more patient than I. More power to him in his evangelism of the spandex crowd. In my opinion, they will never convert, never give up their sinful racing ways.

I hate being lumped with them and taking grief because of poor riding by racers. They are the ones blowing the lights, riding in huge packs blocking up traffic. They are the ones giving the fingers and being rude (OK, generalizing here).

I hate the clothes they wear, Euro jerseys, Postal jerseys, give me a frickin break. $4000 bikes. These are not bicycles that you and I ride, they are lightweight, anorexic, "supermodel" thingies that couldn't survive two potholes in a row, at least not with someone who weighs more than a feather.

If I could "disown" my brother racers, I would. I know all of this is generalization and wreaks of stereotype, but god help me if there is not a kernal of truth here. End rant.