Are There Any Advantages In Being The Slowest Rider
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Among the group I've been mountain biking with for the last twenty five years the slowest riders have used their slowness as an excuse to get electric bikes.
They consider that an advantage anyway.
Brent
They consider that an advantage anyway.
Brent
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"I have a tendency to meander sometimes." B.G.
"I have a tendency to meander sometimes." B.G.
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You can always just say speed isn't everything. Then others will have to scratch their heads to come up with a smart alec quip.
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Advantages? Yes, you can win the Most Improved Cyclist Award on the Interwebs.

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If she is the prize for being the slowest rider, I need to start slacking.
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Road and Mountain 🚴🏾♂️
Happily mediocre at a low skill activity
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Happily mediocre at a low skill activity
#34
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Yes. You can ride at whatever speed you choose.
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When mountain biking in warm weather one does not have to knock down the spider webs on the trails.
Then there is creek crossings and let your buddy find the holes.
Then there is creek crossings and let your buddy find the holes.
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#38
I don't know.
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I won a bag of delicious local ground coffee for placing last in a Masters 50+ cyclocross race. So yup, it's working for me.
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You have nothing but upside. You are already the slowest.
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Anyways, my friend is a much better, i.e. faster rider than me so he was a bit frustrated at my pace. I was suffering at about the 50 mile mark when he says to me that we are probably going to come in last. He never came in last in anything so I knew he was not happy about it.
I then tell him that it is better to just finish that have the sag wagon come and get us. Low and behold as we make the final turn into the parking lot at the finish line, there is a small crowd cheering us on. You see, they were counting the bib numbers out and knew that someone was still unaccounted for. It was us. So, we get a hero's welcome, sort of. The Director was there and was glad we were back since they were going to come out for us. Look, we weren't THAT slow either, but this ride was just populated with faster riders and then most took the shorter route.
I told my friend that it did pay to be last this time as we got a welcome wagon when we finished. Those that finished middle of the pack got nothing. We still talk about it to this day. That is the only time in an event where the people were hooting and hollering for me crossing the finish line. I must say though, I have not been last in any event ride since that one though, so I guess it did motivate me a bit more to train better.
john
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