Do you ride? (Poll)

by kos on Jun 14, 2007 12:31 PM EDT

One of the things that makes cycling so fun is that any of us can ride the bikes the pros ride (if our wallet allows), and we don't need to join leagues or put together teams or rent facilities. We just get a bike, dress up funny (as my wife says), and then hit the road.

So unlike most other sports, I've always assumed that the majority of cycling afficionados actually cycle. Since it's never a good idea to just assume, hit "Entry Link" and take the poll.

Poll

Which best describes you?

I'm an avid cyclist

71 votes

I ride ocassionally

5 votes

My bike is gathering dust

5 votes

I want to ride, I just don't have the equipment

1 votes

For me, cycling is a spectator sport

10 votes

92 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 13 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Avid Cyclist does not mean racer

Just a note - I chose avid cyclist because I ride recreationally all the time, not because I race at all. Never have, at 100 Kilos, I could be a good smasher of others in a race but thats all. I have ridden many centuries, self contained trips, etc at a nice 20-30 kph pace. Riding does give you a feel for the sport like standing over a pressure putt does for golf. When you have ridden up a long climb and can barely turn your feet over, and then you stop for 30 seconds and suddenly you can wiz the pedals around, you get a feel for what those guys are going through. The pro's to me are like NBA players - they have special bodies, drugged or not, really don't care.

by Markk on Jun 14, 2007 1:17 PM EDT reply actions

I'm addicted

Love to ride. Get in 100 - 140 per week.

by johnw on Jun 14, 2007 1:38 PM EDT reply actions

Small sample?

After 32 votes I'm ready to call this one for "avid cyclist".

Got a problem? Va fa Napoli!

by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 14, 2007 2:26 PM EDT reply actions

Definitely avid

I wish I had time to ride more, but I probably average about 100 miles per week in the warmer months. Three of my last four vacations have been bike trips, which is the best way to travel, in my opinion.

I've never raced, but I often imagine I'm some famous racer while I ride. If I'm trying to bridge a gap in a club ride, for example, I'm usually Francesco Moser in A Sunday in Hell.

Eleven Nation Army: Ready to get rich off the other teams' lunch money

by Susie Hartigan on Jun 14, 2007 2:40 PM EDT reply actions

Aiming for 5k miles this year

Might be tough, as I don't count my MTB miles, and my Big Race this year is the Shenandoah Mountain 100, so I'm spending a lot of time in the dirt (you know, when I'm not on the couch icing my ankle). My best year, mileage-wise, was the year I graduated from law school. Just short of 9k. Anything was better than Barbri, no?

by Sui Juris on Jun 14, 2007 5:06 PM EDT reply actions

Let's see

I could watch a video of some guy playing to my fears that I don't know enough about the subjects that I've been studying non stop for three years...

I could pound out a few hours on the bike in beautiful weather and light midday traffic.

Tough call.

Got a problem? Va fa Napoli!

by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 14, 2007 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Addicted

I have moved through all the stages of cycling addiction from TdF couch potato to commuter to recreational rider to riding for fitness to criterium racer. I love riding, I love pushing myself to go faster, and I love the wolf pack aspect of racing/team training.

Another thing I love about cycling is that, at least in the amateur categories, age doesn't really matter. For example, in a recent local Cat 3 crit here in Chicago, the winner was age 57, and 2nd place age 14.

by driss on Jun 14, 2007 5:09 PM EDT reply actions

Awesome!

that's incredible. I know some 50+ cat 3s, but 14-year-olds?? Does he have representation?

Got a problem? Va fa Napoli!

by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 14, 2007 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions

None that I know of

Right now he rides for my team XXX Racing-AthletiCo, a large local amateur team, but I can see him starting to get some attention.

He just graduated middle-school so I hope he takes his time. He really loves racing and he's not a 14 year-old in a 21 year-olds body, he's still just a kid.

by driss on Jun 14, 2007 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Good for him

And I was joking anyway. "Lawyer humor."

Got a problem? Va fa Napoli!

by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 14, 2007 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions

I regularly get schooled by a 14 year old . . .

of course, he is the under 14 nat. champ.

And the kid who won the cat3 TX crit champs is 16; and he was almost beat by another 16 year old (& don't get me started about the couple of high schoolers who catted up to 2 this year. I'm really regretting having played football in hs)

by R Mc on Jun 14, 2007 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions

one of the stranger things about cycling

is the total random mix of people that are good at it, and how often totally average riders (like me) can mix it up with national class (maybe world class) guys.

A chubby guy might smoke a ripped muscle man. A gangly kid might stomp a field of experienced hardmen. A 50 year old might outsprint a field of 20 year olds.

I have friends who think the slide into decrepitude starts at 25, and I always trot out the examples from racing.

-K-

by KevinK on Jun 14, 2007 10:54 PM EDT up reply actions

The old guys

around here are lightning fast. I ride with many 50+ and 60+ guys. Crazy fast. Now, it doesn't hurt that one is a three time US Olympian, One is a multi-year age group national champ, one is a former national mtn bike champ, and so on.

There's even one guy in town who is 80+ who still rides. He's won age group worlds a number of times.

As a matter of fact, the 45+ races in the socal crits can be among the fastest groups. On a par with the 1/2/3 races.

by johnw on Jun 14, 2007 9:07 PM EDT reply actions