valygrl

thanks Ex. Trying to look towards the bright side, but still mourning the path I had planned to walk down. Good point about having a choice instead of truly having a bad outcome forced on me.

Heathpack 

@valygrl, I've been riding a mix of stuff here in Scotland on the MTB. By "mix," I mean easier single track trails & fire roads.

It seems to me that fire roads are a pretty huge cycling bang for the buck- minimal risk of crashing, zero risk of being hit by a car, oftentimes epic scenery (that you can actually look at because the riding isn't as technical), and really mellow/cool company in your typical MTBer personality.

Think about it- a full suspension MTB on a fire road is overkill. You are so "overbiked" for what you are riding that there's a lot of inherent safety built in.

Maybe someone here more experienced in MTB, like @Racer Ex, can correct me if I'm wrong. But I was thinking about this when I was out riding solo yesterday in some epic landscape on fire roads without another soul in sight- I felt perfectly comfortable doing this because I was realized the bike was capable of so much more.

I can't remember whether you bought a hard tail vs full suspension. But I would not write off fire road mountain biking. Just ignore the mindset that everything we do has to be the most difficult version (like technical single track over fire roads). There is nothing wrong with relatively safe and completely enjoyable.

Racer Ex 

True dat.

You can run over a lot of stuff on a mountain bike that would knock you off a road bike as well...

Bandera

That is not Crazy Talk.

If you enjoyed riding your bike as a kid, riding one after retiring from competition in whatever other mode you please is not likely to suck overmuch, and there are no entry fees.

-Bandera

sarals 

...and if you feel like, you can go ahead and pin on a number anyway...

There is always life after. Always.

Scummer

3 yrs ago I moved back to the Fatherland and started as a freelancer with family in tow.
The risk of crashing in a crit without having the luxury of laying in a hospital and still getting paid made the decision clear, even though it wasn't an easy one.
I do once in a while peruse the website of the German cycling club and see if there are any road races or crits nearby and the itch starts... but responsibility for my family erases those thoughts rather quickly.

So I commute every day to work, ride my MTB with a couple of collegues in the Alps on the weekends and just enjoy pedaling in general without the adrenalin rush of close quarter riding at 25mph+.

It's better that way. Or so I tell myself.

Bandera

My Evil Twin Skippy is still whispering: " The Comeback.....you can Do it...."

Shut up Skippy, I'm going for a ride.

-Bandera

Racer Ex 

My evil Moto GP twin occasionally taps me on the shoulder and whispers about how cool a certain single cylinder street bike is and how a track day or two wouldn't really be racing.

sarals 

Speaks to why I drive a Prius. If I'm tempted to get silly the car can't.

(But there are two motorcycles in the garage....)

rawly old

At my age I need a 10 minute warm up just to race out with the garbage.

revchuck 

Welcome, @rawly old!

Bandera

Fifteen minutes here, welcome @rawly old.
Which discipline(s) did you compete in: Track, road, cross or MTB?

-Bandera

Voodoo76

The whispers can be insidious. A few group rides get you thinking you still have a little speed, spend a fall day at Alkek turning a few fast laps, Zwift rides then "Races", setting up the TT bike over the winter... A boulder slowly rolling down a hill.

Heathpack 

Do it.

Life is short.

Bandera

Go for it!
The TT is a proper venue for head to head competition w/o the risks of mass starts and no real cost barrier if a Merckx class is available.

My Evil Twin Skippy's reliance on low animal cunning and a disconcerting passive-aggressive style are not applicable to the straightforward TT event, but that whisper is always there deep in the limbic system......

-Bandera

Heathpack 

Do it.

Life is short.

TTs are interesting. No hiding behind the animal cunning. The truth is revealed: how fast are you?

It's pure. Everyone should: Do it.

Bandera

Yep, even if one (as I) Hates it.

"Back when" it was the climbers who never worked on speed on the track who could be had at the line.
It was sprinters who lacked endurance who were dumped long before that line.
It was the fastidious who never rode 'cross who were gapped/dropped in every slightly moist corner.
It was the guy who got away while the sprinters looked at each other to solo in w/ TT experience.

My coaches insisted that young riders experience every discipline of cycling to be well rounded with a full tool box and a confident attitude.

Skippy liked an over confident group in deteriorating weather conditions on lousy roads with short sharp climbs/descents and nasty cross winds.
The over confident found Skippy to be an opportunitstic apple-cart-upsetter not content to let the designated winners take their pre-ordained place on the podium by indecorous use of low animal cunning.

-Bandera

Voodoo76

@Bandera, I don't have any concerns about mass starts. Matter of fact if I lived closer to a Track I would be a weekly regular.

In a past life I worked my way up to a 2 with a decent but not dominating sprint. And without ever being in a successful break (longer than a couple K). I could accelerate with anyone, could get around a corner faster than most, and put myself in the right place more often than not. Typical Crit rider. I still have that confidence on the rare occasion that I ride with others. If you rode with me then I was the antithesis of a TT guy.

I am finding that as an oldster I really enjoy solitary efforts. Particularly with all of the geeky power numbers we get to play with. I also realized late this year that while I was getting fit again the idea of trying to be what I was didn't provide enough motivation to get back out there. Not trying to turn back the clock. This is like a different sport, a new challenge. Going to give it a season or two, just have to set my expectations low.

Bandera

Go for it!

Be sure to post in both the Training for Racing & Race Results threads in this sub-forum as the '17 season progresses for you.
Even though Skippy still whispers I remain deaf, so far....

-Bandera

Hermes

Retirement is a relative thing. Retired from olympic, pro and elite racing or retired from masters?

On our Christmas ride today, we stopped in Carlsbad and John Howard rides up on his vintage Schwinn Paramount that is fully restored that he raced in the 1971 Pan American games and won gold for the USA. He had the toe clips and strap as well as the cleated shoes.

We had a chance to chat with the former olympian and ironman and land speed record holder about what he is up to and how he is training. As usual, he is trying new ideas and related what is important for masters as we age. He is as gung-ho as ever about racing masters.



As a footnote, I was at the track on Thursday and chatting with one of our 6 day pro racers and another rider who showed up at the track. The other rider was 60+ and not interested in the testosterone younger riders any longer. On the other hand, I told him that I would race in the European 6 day, if they would let me because they looked like so much fun.

Heathpack 

@Hermes, pshaw. Triathletes, everyone knows they're not real racers, just in it for the trophies.

So what's the deal? Do y'all know him or did he just ride up and ask to have his pic taken with Mrs?

The Boy Wonder is going Six Day Racing in Jan. He did last year too.

His bike box is currently in the hold of the plane we're in, I borrowed it for this NY trip.

Bandera

@Hermes, that is great to see!
John was a really nice guy "back when", unless in a race when he was like a Wolverine in a chicken coop.
It is so cool to see him still riding his classic P-13: riding history at a very fast clip no doubt.

Does SD still do the "Banana Gang Rides"?
Those were crazy-hard when I'd come out to visit in the '80's w/ John and the guest Pros of the week attending.
I was dropped like a red-hot-rock, great memories.

Some folk from that age cohort have kept at competition continuously, good for them.
I'll just plooter about with Skippy whispering in my cerebellum.....

-Bandera

Hermes

We met John on a Sisterhood of Cycling ride. John is involved with my wife's racing team so we have talked with him on a few occasions. Great guy and always willing to share information and talk about cycling. John is a coach and trains athletes for many events from the land speed record to triathlons.

@Bandera I do not know about the banana gang rides. We have some fast rides just as other regions do. Swami's is the ride that gets the fast guys and pros such as Horner and Thurlow Rogers.

Heathpack 

Oh makes more sense now.

Boy Wonder in my parlance is the son of one of my cycling friends. Sixteen years old, track is his favorite but he races road & mtn bike too. He's won many National Championships on the track, upgraded to Cat 2 on the road this year, bunny hops over crashes in crits, already has colleges looking at him for mtn biking. You know the type. Boy Wonder.

Bandera

I've lined up behind Howard, Allis & the Stetinas who were going to have their own race while we did something else on the same course.

Here's The Deal: He is a former 4-time U.S. National Road Cycling champion (1968, 1972, 1973 and 1975) and lot's of other "stuff".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Howard_(cyclist)

Not to chide unduely but for someone new to the sport a bit of respect for an elder who had a profound impact on the sport would be appropriate, particullary in the Emeritus thread.

edit:
Totally missed the internal BF humor/reference, sorry to jump on you.
Perhaps a special Imogge for internal BF humor would help the cluless like me "get it".


-Bandera