Seattle Forrest

It's a charity, it's not like they're going to do something good with the money. Not wanting to pay your share makes it fine.

Bald Paul

You have elevated yourself to royalty here on BF. From now on, you shall be addressed not as LarrySellerz, but as Sir Richard Cranium.

cyclezen

HI Larry,
"Rationalization' is not being rational. Rationalization is bending something to fit our personal view/need, even though it clearly is not even close... One of the worst of human traits.
Enjoy a ride somewhere else.
Very likely there are other group rides happening at the same time, which don;t require some payment or this type of organization. Go ride somewhere you always wanted to ride, but haven't yet gotten around to.
$30+ for a Sanctioned crit is expected, given the organization and work to an event, so realistic, for sure, and should be expected.
$5 beer races - sounds like a good deal - if the beer is drinkable... LOL!
Back in the day, when we put on a race, we tried to keep costs reasonable, but high enough to allow us to keep cost for 'juniors' even more reasonable, and also be able to fund 'kids' races for local kids from tricycle age up to Jr High. That brought out the Locals/families who wouldn;t normally come to a bike race. Possibly expanding our riding community in the future.
Cycling is a very individual thing - your ride is always 100% yours. But its also about community, riding together and encouraging the best in each of us. Respect and self-respect are an important part of that.
If those buddies who are doing the event,are close riding friends, maybe go do a different ride close by, plan to meet them at the finish (or wait for them in the last 3-4 miles), give them high-5s and listen to their stories.
DO you have a dog-pet? Be the person your dog thinks you are...
Ride On
Yuri

Chuck M 

I'm probably wrong, but I hope I'm right. I have to think Larry is just someone, possibly with a legit BF account, that enjoys trolling the board with these posts and then enjoys the stink that it raises. At least I want to believe that I suppose.

WhyFi

Hmmm - not quite. Let's keep going.

curbtender

You got some time. Do a "Pay Larry's Way" charity ride. Maybe raid a few of those green bin clothing sites for a shirt give away and grab the day old bagels out of the bin behind Noah's, lol. I ended caught up in a ride once and as I crested a hill there was a large group ringing bells and cheering.
Which one of these do you object to raising money for? Good Karma?

• Puente serves the entire south coast community with essential and broad support including COVID-19 testing, food distribution, financial assistance, transportation, health care and education. Puente is successful in bringing healthcare providers “into the field” to treat workers, families, seniors and children and is the bridge to fitness, preventative healthcare and insurance for many hundreds of hardworking people.
• The La Honda Volunteer Fire Brigade is an all-volunteer organization that exists to protect the lives, property and environment in the La Honda community and surrounding areas. In 2021, this team was dispatched to over 400 various incidents such as medical aid, traffic collisions, downed power lines and trees, general public assistance and water rescues at San Gregorio Beach and Pescadero Creek. Their efforts were invaluable in battling the massive and devastating CZU complex fires in 2020.
• Abundant Grace Coastside Worker organization is focused on locals who are experiencing or are at-risk of homelessness. AGCW provides skill training, community building, meaningful employment, as well as other services. One of AGCW’s several programs is collaborating with Potrero Nuevo Farm (owners of The Bike Hut), employing unhoused people and farmworkers who plant and harvest over 20,000 pounds of fresh, organic products each year.
• The Cycling related orgs include the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Good Karma Bikes and others.

Mojo31

He just needs to set up a Go Fund Me so he can pay the fee, get a shirt and helmet, and maybe (if people are feeling extra generous) get a decent bike.

Mojo31

Grifter, gypsy?

LarrySellerz

I disapprove of the COVID testing provided by Puente but that’s besides the point. If I bring my own food like a jar of peanut butter and find my own water I should be good to go. Everyone else is gonna be there probably I’ll feel left out if I don’t go

tomato coupe

How have you made it this far in life?

WhyFi

I don't wanna feel left out, so I'm going to go across the street from the rest stops and eat from a jar of peanut butter and drink from a garden hose while everyone else is hanging out, chit-chatting and eating donuts.

Lol, yeah, tell us another one.

Where ya gonna keep the jar of peanut butter, anyway? That's not gonna fit in a jersey pocket...

seypat

I'd be afraid of someone turning me in. People don't take kindly to cheaters.

GrainBrain

For sure it was the start of great weather this week after the last gasp of winter. Looking at this thread I'm like, "Bike Forums are you okay?"

Mojo31

Turn in to whom? And, what would they do?

bahula03

Shouldn't this be in the charity events sub-forum instead of here? Not sure why it's posted here

Didn't you get fired for declining vaccination? Maybe if you'd made a different choice, you could've afforded the entry fee for this charity ride and this thread wouldn't have ever been created What a world that would've been.

Koyote

I don't know if Larry is for real, or a troll who likes to wind us up. But I would like to thank everyone for their participation in this thread; I just read through it, and it made me smile and chuckle several times.

cxwrench

You are an incredible ******bag.

LarrySellerz

says the dude who wants to deny someone water

Mojo31

I wouldn’t give you water if you didn’t pay the entry fee.

Chuck M 

If I recall, he doesn't wear a jersey. Or a shirt.

GhostRider62

If that were possible, I literally would not be able to ride any weekend where I live. Spray painting arrows on the pavement, signs showing the route. putting a burden on local services that my taxes pay, and then trying to dictate who can ride when and where on public roads is ridiculous. They never remove the signs or clean off the pavement.

Larry, I would not go poaching but I personally get really annoyed at the self entitlement that many of these rides and riders have, especially the gran fondo crowd. Charity my ass.

bblair

I'm going with freeloader.

There are lots of charity fundraiser rides around here, and while I do some of them, if I opt out then I ride somewhere else. To do otherwise is to be a total ******.

HOWEVER...Larry....did you ever consider volunteering to help with the ride? Paint arrows, stuff envelopes, do registration. Many local rides will let you ride free if you help. So if you REALLY want to ride free, do that. Otherwise, go somewhere else.

Polaris OBark

I think that is correct (and looks rather obvious from my point of view). He over-did it with the copper tubing aero bars, but for the most part it has been rather well-played.

This one still is probably his most successful troll-thread:
Weird rules for the group ride

cxwrench

I forgot obnoxious, arrogant, annoying, freeloading troll. Thanks for the reminder.

seypat

First it's someone talking to a ride staff accompanied by the point of shame. Then it's the staffer coming over and talking to you while all onlookers stare. Then you might get the treatment that a golfer in your state got if they got caught cheating in a competitive event/tournament. (At least when I lived there) A picture of the cheater was displayed in the local paper and circulated to all of the clubs and courses. The cheater was blacklisted and couldn't get into an event anywhere.