billh

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.

don d.

Perhaps if you left your cubicle more, the world would seem more balanced.

khuon

Why is it that in order to be for something, one must be against something else? I do not see cycling and cars as diametrically opposing avenues of interest. I do not see cycling and high-tech as diametrically opposing concepts. On the whole, I do not see any one type of cyclist as being any better at obeying traffic laws than any other. My suggestion: stop attempting to classify and pidgeonhole everyone you encounter.

skydive69

You need some help pal!

hi565

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

billh, hate to say it you just dug yourself into the hole an you aint getting out.

BostonFixed

billh, take the seat post out of you ass, and then try posting again.

darkmother

Nice. I can totally see where you are coming from. I'm sure there are many exceptions, but I often feel like the local racer crowd looks down their collective nose at me. I think it's the "bling bling" factor-or more likely my lack of the same. I end up riding with these guys in a T-shirt, or whatever I might happen to be wearing, on a 12 year old MTB with parts that predate clipless pedals. I think they are embarassed to be seen with me. Like someone might mistake them for a bike courier, or bum or something, simply by association. It's funny for me. Then to add insult to injury I stomp most of them in the climbs, not because I'm so fast, but because I actually ride my bike instead of buy new parts for it. Just ignore those windbags, who needs em.

Daily Commute

Rude cyclists come in all forms-racers, messengers, BMX'er, MTB'ers, etc (but not commuters, we're all saints). I don't see the point of "I hate [fill in the blank]." Some racers have the discipline to ride safely and with courtesy. Others don't.

billh

Hah if you think that rant is bad, you should see my thread in Road Racing forum where I wonder if "racers are racist" . . .

jharte

Wow. I guess I have a love-hate, love-hate, love-hate, hate relationship with most of my cycling friends. I own a mountain bike in which I love riding off road, single track, and deep in the woods. I also own a vintage Raleigh racing bike in which I "ride like the wind" when I feel so inspired. I also ride a commuter/tourer in which I take long relaxing rides in the countryside, camp, and enjoy nature. I must be screwed up!

I must admit...I do visit more than one forum here.

I like it best this way.

auk

Troll, troll, troll your boat...

Maybe they DRIVE to races because the distance in order to get to them is usually on par with a freakin century.

A phrase about people living in glass houses......

PaulH

In my experience, the serious racers are usually quite well behaved, You can distingush them from other recreational riders by the conversations they have about the training objectives for the ride. The also seem to be good folks.

I think the bad actors are the poseurs and wannabes. But, that's the way it is in any activity, so why single out bikers?

If I get in a friendly race with someone on my commute, am I instantly changed into something evil?

Paul

skydive69

Unfortunately I saw it!

skydive69

Yes, street racers are even worse!

Helmet-Head

This last statement saves you.

A kernel of truth in what you say? Of course.
Some racers do fit the stereotype you describe. But the real question is: so what?
Many racers do not fit the stereotype.

billh

I'd wager MOST racers fit the stereotype . . . at least in my area. I raced at a cat 4/5 level for a couple years around here. I did things on group training rides that I would never do alone on my commute. Take bicycle commuters as a whole and bicycle racers as a whole and compare their knowledge and practice of vehicular cycling, I bet there are some big differences on average.

noisebeam

Riding with groups when the purpose is to push limits even when their are only a few who take stupid risks can cause the others to follow and not challenge - and then behaviors become the norm.
There also are many (if not the majority of non-bike forum) commuters who have terrible road behaviors. This can be because of the opposite effect of riding solo and not learning proper road skills from more experienced riders.
Al

ZenNMotion

Guilty. I'm 40+, cat 3 licenced evil racer. I ride a 20 year old fixed gear Schwinn I found on the curb back and forth to work every day (I missed a total of six days last year due to weather and sickness). I own a 1995 honda civic with 150,000+ miles on it. I'm well paid and could easily afford a nice car or SUV if I chose. I hate cars but I haven't figured out how to disown it completely (or am unwilling, because yes I live in a city and a society where it would be difficult) But I also have a trailer that I use for grocery shopping, a suprisingly lot, unless I'm doing a major run, then I use the evil car. I don't wear Postal or Euro duds. I think they look stupid unless you get paid to wear it. I do wear my team colors with a local sponsor's logo on it. It's a small business that I would frequent anyway, he helps defray some of the costs of my evil racing habit, and he's enthusiastic about the sponsorship, and is convinced that the extra business he gets as a result of the sponsorship is much greater than what he pays our team. I am very aware that my behavior, wearing his advertising, reflects on his business, good or bad. As a team, we remind each other about that- how we treat others (cars) in traffic and on mixed rides with other (non-evil, non-racer) cyclists. I don't flip drivers off- around here, you could be intentionally injured or even killed by an enraged urban motorist- just not smart, especially around this often-violent city. We host a couple of small events, including free bike tune-up days in an alley, where most of our "customers" are young kids on rusty BMX bikes that desperately need brake work and lubrication. I have an anorexic, titanium frame race bike that has seen more than 25,000 miles through all kinds of potholes, and rough roads, and crash-ridden races, still going strong. On my commute and even on training rides I always offer help to a cyclist stopped by the path or road, in fact I'm more likely to ask more than once if it looks like a non-evil, non-racer in sneakers. I stop parents when I see a kid with a badly adjusted (or no) helmet. Our team group rides are the same, usually a few stay behind to fix someone's (not one of us) flat then use the delay as an opportunity to chase to catch the rest of us who rode ahead. And yep, I admit to rolling through an unusually long red light (many don't trip unless a car is there as you know) and I don't put my foot down at stop signs very often. But then, I don't need to as I can track stand a little bit. I don't need to buzz cars, or joggers or other cyclists- when I'm in this kind of "traffic" I'm just cruising at easy intensity- I do my intervals away from all that. And I get my ya-ya's out racing, don't need to prove anything in traffic, or to a non-lycra rider, or racer wannabe. Sorry if you're bothered by "racers". I bet most of them you see are wannabes- dressed up, $$$ bike, with nowhere to go. If they actually raced seriously, they wouldnt need to behave like that- most of the time they would be just cruising on their way to/from a training ride, or too tired. I get passed by guys like that all the time, so what? I am racer- hear me snore...
Anyway, nice troll, I bit.

khuon

Well that certainly cleared it all up.

hi565

Somethings weird about that post, it was posted in my other thread about my shifters, and i think its the same thin, and its not in english, seriously people take note!

Feltup

Do you not have any self- esteem? Are you really that caught up in how people treat you? Who cares? I commute 3-4 days a week and I own a "race" bike. People think I suck because I wear spandex, oh, let me cry about it on a public forum.

rivertrail

I identified it as a bad post to the forum administrator.

hi565

I have also, joe has to do something about it considering i think he has gotten at least 4 pms

LordOpie

wow, the dude was just ranting.

billh, rant on man.

Maelstrom 

Just as a note. Report button likely works faster as a mod is always around but Joe sometimes is not.

Thanks for all the reports guys.