Keith99

I had the good fortune to have contact with top level competitors in 2 sports other than cycling. Swimming and Rugby. Swimming was long ago. Rugby started long ago and continues still. In Rugby I have spent time with capped players (men who have played for their national team) from at least 10 countries. I say at least because I almost forgot Italy and Ireland and I have also known guys for months before I knew their status. My local club has two players whose brothers are current national side players for South Africa and Kenya. In cycling a club member was being coached by a former Tour rider and several years ago the womans winner of RAAM was on a couple of club rides.

Funny thing is I can not recall any of them getting into the real player/real racer bull. As far as they were concerned anyone who played, swam or rode was worthy of the title.

GuitarWizard

I understand what he's saying, but like I said earlier, I don't see anyone pretending to be Mr. Pro Racer when they're not.

GuitarWizard

Bingo

SDRider

My point, which obviously flew right over your head, is that you are judging these guys yet you know nothing about them. Knowing nothing is something you'll hopefully overcome as you grow up.

Who are you to judge them? Does it make you feel good about yourself making inane observations about people you've never met or ridden with?

cbip

Finally, someone with a good point. I guess what everyone is missing and possibly myself is " I " think of a Racer as a Professional bike rider, now a Recreational Racer is what I think of when I see ravenmore and others. That doesnt mean that someday they might not be PRO, or may have been a pro at one time, but they are still reacreational racers. Right?
Everyone that rides is a cyclist. I think my confusion is that your an Amature Racer until you get paid to ride for someone.
So lets call ourselves what we are, Amature cyclist, Amature Racer working up to Pro someday.

Cromulent

As someone who as 'tried' racing (and you 'try' racing the way you 'try' mountain climbing - you have no real idea of what your doing until you do it, but you better keep your head out of your butt while you do it otherwise you may hurt yourself and others), I can say that it is entirely different than fast recreational riding.

Most anyone can get a bike up to 30+ miles per hour on a flat. You just have to make your legs go around fast. And with light bikes and affordable, good parts and equipment, most people who want to can. But sustaining that speed, controlling it, exploding when you have to, and recovering when you can, takes a level of fitness that most rec riders don't have (myself included). And that doesn't even take into account of how much you have to be aware - your team, who's where, what's going on, anticipating where to go and how to get there, grabbing on wheels, playing that whole chess game while dozens of other guys (or gals) swarm around you like angry, controlled (hopefully) bees.

Is it rocket surgery? No. But it is really intense. And it takes a lot of work just to suck at it. Trust me.

So to the guys buying $12,000 machines, dropping $300 on uber-light, unobtanium water bottle cages... good for you. Glad to see that you are doing well for yourself. Glad you are on a bike. To those on $100 lovingly restored flea market finds... good for you too. Glad you are on a bike. And for those of us in the middle (a big middle, sure)... good for us. Glad we're on bikes.

So let's all get out there and dial our watts up to whatever we can, or whatever we want to.

Cypress

I've ridden with Leipheimer and Dave Wiens....Can I be a racer now?

Obviously my bike racing doesn't apply.

cbip

In every sport there are two classes.
Those who get paid are Pro's, those who pay are Amatures. I have a feeling we all know which ones are here on the forum fighting my statement.

Cypress

My FIRST year racing I got over $200 in prize money. Does that count?

2Rodies

Nobody here is fighting you on the fact that there are amateurs and pro's, that's not what you originally stated. You said that if you aren't racing with the likes of Basso et al that you are not a racer. I don't believe anyone here claimed to be a pro, we just said that you don't have to be a pro to be a bike racer.

LIVE2BIKE80

Perhaps the point of my posting flew over you head. Point out to me one spot where I said that a guy with a gut sucks at cycling. Or that they are any less of a cyclist than myself. I'll be waiting.........

The point I was making is that said fat guy goes into lbs and spends thousands of dollars to buy a lighter bike. Therefore said fat guy is concerned with weight. The irony of the situation is that he could strip alot more weight off his overall bike/rider combo by just losing the weight himself.

Does this mean that he is less entitled to purchase this bike; by all means NO! If he wants the bikes because of aesthetics then so be it, if he wants the bike because he likes how it rides then so be it. But to purchase it merely for a loss in weight seems foolish.

Perhaps leaving out comments like " I know a guy at my LBS who can thrash you" is something that comes with age but I guess not, as I assume you are far older than the elementary school kids who come out with stuff like that.

2Rodies

On that note if someone asks, I refer to myself as a competitive cyclist rather than a racer, or I say I race road bikes.

SDRider

And you care about this because???

You know what's really foolish? You creating a thread ranting about someone you don't know because of how he spends his money.

LIVE2BIKE80

WTF, seriously this is going around in circles! This is the biggest circle jerk I have ever seen.

I care about this because all fat people should be systematically executed. I mean come on, it was just a posting on a forum. Have I touched a raw nerve with you?

And what is the point of any forum? Lets not create threads and initiate discussion then maybe noone will get offended or take anything too much to heart.

So I have learned a few things from this thread-

I am apparently a fataphobe

I am jealous of all rich fat guys especially ones with smokin wives

Every rider who weighs more than me can apparantly ride better than me

And you are not a racer till you are in a Euro peloton, or a Crit rider, or a fast rec rider, I dont know I have lost track. Maybe in order to be a pro you need to be European?

Ginetta

And on that note... welcome to bikeforums! haha

thewalrus

SDRider

Well, maybe next time you'll think before you post.

And no, you didn't hit a raw nerve with me...well, except for the fact that this kind of stupid thread comes up about once or twice a month. You should feel lucky, you haven't been beat down as bad as some of the others.

AlanS

You've also learned how to capitalize the first word of each sentence -- very commendable. However, you've apparently forgotten that each sentence must end with a period. My other piece of advice for you: paragraphs are good. Paragraphs are your friend.

thewalrus

cbip

And I beat a rice burning civic at the drag strip so that makes me a drag racer! I also hit a drive past Tiger Woods so I am a Pro Golfer and I once scored a basket on George Gervin( of course who didnt) so I must be a Basketball Player.
I'm not trying to offend anyone here, I'm just pointing out that when you tell someone that you race Road bikes they most likely think that equates to the Pro level rider.
It seems like everyone I meet is either racing crits or TT's or is on some "cycling team". It sure seems like its easy to be called a racer in this sport but in every other sport I know of you have to get drafted or get through a qualifiying tournament.
The distinction should be " I race amature races" or " I race on the semi-pro level" or maybe "I am racing Cat 1 and hope to get picked up by a team.
Why does not calling yourself a racer make you less of a rider but calling yourself a racer give you stature?

GuitarWizard

Is this alanbikehouston in disguise.....

Little Darwin

Not to diminish your right to do whatever you want... but when you move up to carbon would you consider selling to a fat old guy?

Cypress

How many times a day do you use this picture?

LIVE2BIKE80

Are you an English teacher? Perhaps I should run my posts through MS Word first?

barba

Well, now I feel terrible. I can't do that very easily or for very long at all. Oh well.

I don't really have much to add to this conversation besides that I think we all have moments of what the German's call "shameful joy".