Triathlism: an incredibly unserious sport

Fred Flintstein wrote:

If you step through it slowly you can see him clip a pedal.

Yes, that's clearly what happened. His pedal hit the curb like PBA
suggested.

So Mr. Flintsein, you've often talked about how dumb it is for guys to
pursue bike racing, and that instead they should go to college and get
on the conventional career path. I've always felt that there is
nothing wrong with trying to do both in life. If you are passionate
about bike racing, why not devote a few years and fully experience it?
The guy who slid across the pavement there in your hometown stage race
is a perfect example. He spent four years riding as a mid-level D3 pro
in the US, and got to do the big US races like Philly week, Tour of
Georgia, etc. and even some international racing. But he also got a BS
in mechanical engineering, and when he finished bike racing he went on
to get a Masters from UC Berkeley. Now he has a great job designing
telescopes and rides his bike for recreation and fitness. There are
plenty of other examples like him in US bike racing.

On 1/6/2011 11:52 AM, Marco wrote:
Fred Flintstein wrote:

If you step through it slowly you can see him clip a pedal.

Yes, that's clearly what happened. His pedal hit the curb like PBA
suggested.

So Mr. Flintsein, you've often talked about how dumb it is for guys to
pursue bike racing, and that instead they should go to college and get
on the conventional career path. I've always felt that there is
nothing wrong with trying to do both in life. If you are passionate
about bike racing, why not devote a few years and fully experience it?
The guy who slid across the pavement there in your hometown stage race
is a perfect example. He spent four years riding as a mid-level D3 pro
in the US, and got to do the big US races like Philly week, Tour of
Georgia, etc. and even some international racing. But he also got a BS
in mechanical engineering, and when he finished bike racing he went on
to get a Masters from UC Berkeley. Now he has a great job designing
telescopes and rides his bike for recreation and fitness. There are
plenty of other examples like him in US bike racing.

What I've repeatedly stated was that being a professional cyclist
was not an acceptable career path. That story reinforces my point.

I also know people that went to many interesting places to do
interesting things while they were in school. Having to fit those
experiences around high level bike racing would have ****ed it all
up for them.

If I were magically young again I would waste less time trying to
be a fast bike racer. I'm not saying I wouldn't indulge myself in
an extended adolescence, I'm saying I would spend more time in places
more interesting to be than central city crits.

As a young man I was passionate about bike racing. As I grew older,
if I was going to compete in a high level competition it had to be
within easy driving distance of where I lived. If I was going to
make a sacrifice to go someplace and do something there was no way
it was going to be to do a bike race. That's why I've never been to
masters nationals.

Fred Flintstein

In article
,
"Kurgan. presented by Gringioni." wrote:

On Jan 3, 5:25Â*pm, " wrote:
Anyone who thinks triathlon is serious should be forced to watch this
over and over until they are cured:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRKajY5GlyI




Dumbass -

That video is so sweet.

Also made me think of Arte Johnson.

--
Michael Press

On Jan 6, 1:33*pm, Fred Flintstein
wrote:
On 1/6/2011 11:52 AM, Marco wrote:





Fred Flintstein wrote:

If you step through it slowly you can see him clip a pedal.

Yes, that's clearly what happened. His pedal hit the curb like PBA
suggested.

So Mr. Flintsein, you've often talked about how dumb it is for guys to
pursue bike racing, and that instead they should go to college and get
on the conventional career path. I've always felt that there is
nothing wrong with trying to do both in life. If you are passionate
about bike racing, why not devote a few years and fully experience it?
The guy who slid across the pavement there in your hometown stage race
is a perfect example. He spent four years riding as a mid-level D3 pro
in the US, and got to do the big US races like Philly week, Tour of
Georgia, etc. and even some international racing. But he also got a BS
in mechanical engineering, and when he finished bike racing he went on
to get a Masters from UC Berkeley. Now he has a great job designing
telescopes and rides his bike for recreation and fitness. There are
plenty of other examples like him in US bike racing.

What I've repeatedly stated was that being a professional cyclist
was not an acceptable career path. That story reinforces my point.

I also know people that went to many interesting places to do
interesting things while they were in school. Having to fit those
experiences around high level bike racing would have ****ed it all
up for them.

If I were magically young again I would waste less time trying to
be a fast bike racer. I'm not saying I wouldn't indulge myself in
an extended adolescence, I'm saying I would spend more time in places
more interesting to be than central city crits.

As a young man I was passionate about bike racing. As I grew older,
if I was going to compete in a high level competition it had to be
within easy driving distance of where I lived. If I was going to
make a sacrifice to go someplace and do something there was no way
it was going to be to do a bike race. That's why I've never been to
masters nationals.

Fred Flintstein

Gosh, I went to masters nationals (road race, TT) one year and it was
very interesting.

Sometimes this place reminds me of a story a friend told me long ago,
about some gathering of English majors who had gone on to not make
very much money in the world of academics.

Cycle racing is a great sport that has a fat bottom line for only a
few participants. Um, didn't we know that going in?
--D-y

On Jan 5, 6:51*pm, " wrote:
On Jan 5, 2:04*pm, Brad Anders wrote:



Then, there's this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPeNQ4pzIX8

When they say "featuring Bob Roll", I thought they were gonna show his
crashes. *What a disappointment.

The funniest pro crash is still this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jeB9...eature=related

I love how they start falling progressively farther out from the
line.

Any comparison of bike handling between the members of the Euro pro
peloton and those tri-girls is gratuitous.
But, WTH: Let's compare getting over the line at 40mph on an
absolutely greasy road surface-- look at the soapy trails the fallers
leave behind-- with not being able to hop on your bike and get your
feet into your shoes without falling down or swerving wildly before
falling down and taking other riders out in the process.
(cue the music from Jeopardy-- dah dah dah dah, dum de dum...)

Did we get real yet?
--D-y

On 1/6/2011 3:09 PM, --D-y wrote:
Gosh, I went to masters nationals (road race, TT) one year and it was
very interesting.

Sometimes this place reminds me of a story a friend told me long ago,
about some gathering of English majors who had gone on to not make
very much money in the world of academics.

Cycle racing is a great sport that has a fat bottom line for only a
few participants. Um, didn't we know that going in?
--D-y

I'm glad you enjoyed yourself at masters nationals.

I've been to several editions of elite nationals. I've also been
to see the Tour a couple of times, spring classics, and 6 day
races.

I'll go see next years 'cross nationals because it's an easy drive.
But no edition of US nationals is as interesting as any spring
classic. If I compare taking a week off and doing masters nationals
and taking a week off and seeing the Gent Six Day or Flanders and
Paris-Roubaix, I think only retards go to masters nationals.

When I was in school I had a roommate that would spend a month
every summer someplace exotic. I might have been able to do that if
I wasn't busy scrimping up money for superweek entries or gas money
to go to the crit-o-the-week. In retrospect I regret doing that. If
I had it to do over I'd spend less time at bike races and more time
at interesting and exotic places.

In other words I'd treat my hobby more like a hobby.

Fred Flintstein

On Jan 6, 4:18*pm, Fred Flintstein
wrote:
On 1/6/2011 3:09 PM, --D-y wrote:

Gosh, I went to masters nationals (road race, TT) one year and it was
very interesting.

Sometimes this place reminds me of a story a friend told me long ago,
about some gathering of English majors who had gone on to not make
very much money in the world of academics.

Cycle racing is a great sport that has a fat bottom line for only a
few participants. Um, didn't we know that going in?
--D-y

I'm glad you enjoyed yourself at masters nationals.

I've been to several editions of elite nationals. I've also been
to see the Tour a couple of times, spring classics, and 6 day
races.

I'll go see next years 'cross nationals because it's an easy drive.
But no edition of US nationals is as interesting as any spring
classic. If I compare taking a week off and doing masters nationals
and taking a week off and seeing the Gent Six Day or Flanders and
Paris-Roubaix, I think only retards go to masters nationals.

When I was in school I had a roommate that would spend a month
every summer someplace exotic. I might have been able to do that if
I wasn't busy scrimping up money for superweek entries or gas money
to go to the crit-o-the-week. In retrospect I regret doing that. If
I had it to do over I'd spend less time at bike races and more time
at interesting and exotic places.

In other words I'd treat my hobby more like a hobby.

Heard that.
To extend somewhat, when I had some non-voluntary free time after the
bust in '86, I rode lots (for a Vet, anyhow), got into amazing (for
me) shape and for instance got 2nd to Scott Dickson at States RR
(Scott did a bronze-silver-gold hat trick at Vet's Nats that year,
some mixture of RR, TT, crit finishes). Very good; I went back to work
and lost that edge amazingly quickly. Meanwhile, I gained what I think
is a healthy perspective: If you're "that good", chances are you're
not doing much else in your life besides riding and resting, and I'm
just not as impressed as I once was g. But that year of riding was,
in retrospect, something I'm very glad to have happened while I was
still young enough to enjoy it, and I sure did.

'86 Nats RR, Indiana: someplace in the top 20 before the last time up
that #@%$ hill that Wayne Stetina said was "too hard" for Vets and
especially good because I had broken a Modolo brake spring, couldn't
find a spare or a Campy spring, either, and the sharp left corner at
the bottom was a scary affair, every time. 20th in the TT with a
1:00:37 (totally non-aero and I'm not a TT'er in the first place)
which sucked because I didn't break the Hour, but was wonderful
because, at the turnaround an Indiana State Trooper risked his life to
save mine by leaping in front of a grain truck (semi-size) who got
****ed about having to wait and dropped the clutch and started forward
just as I started my turnaround, totally committed (really really
wanting to break the Hour) to the turn, smoking it in there with no
way to get stopped and no other place to go due to spectators and
barricades. Confessing, I might have broken the Hour but I went kind
of wobbly there for awhile after the turnaround. It took some time to
get my concentration & deep breathing back; for all the adrenaline
pumping through me, I think there was a net loss of forward propulsion
g.

No Hour, but no Kingsbury Award (apologies for that), either. Yup,
20th in my age group and the last one to get my name in VeloNews,
complete with mention of club affiliation which was good because they
gave me some travel money to go. A far piece from Texas, don't you
know...

So, interesting!

I got to travel much later in life and what can I say, I'll always be
an American but I wouldn't mind living elsewhere until I got homesick.
Amsterdam comes to mind.

BTW, I used to very deliberately go on camping-style bike tours in the
Rockies during Stupidweek, by which pejorative I am only referencing
the Immortals who were willing to die for a TV set race prize.
"Altitude training", don't give me any crap about it! g
--D-y

On Jan 6, 11:33*am, Fred Flintstein
wrote:
On 1/6/2011 11:52 AM, Marco wrote:





Fred Flintstein wrote:

If you step through it slowly you can see him clip a pedal.

Yes, that's clearly what happened. His pedal hit the curb like PBA
suggested.

So Mr. Flintsein, you've often talked about how dumb it is for guys to
pursue bike racing, and that instead they should go to college and get
on the conventional career path. I've always felt that there is
nothing wrong with trying to do both in life. If you are passionate
about bike racing, why not devote a few years and fully experience it?
The guy who slid across the pavement there in your hometown stage race
is a perfect example. He spent four years riding as a mid-level D3 pro
in the US, and got to do the big US races like Philly week, Tour of
Georgia, etc. and even some international racing. But he also got a BS
in mechanical engineering, and when he finished bike racing he went on
to get a Masters from UC Berkeley. Now he has a great job designing
telescopes and rides his bike for recreation and fitness. There are
plenty of other examples like him in US bike racing.

What I've repeatedly stated was that being a professional cyclist
was not an acceptable career path. That story reinforces my point.


snip


Dumbass -

Why isn't it acceptable? Because he didn't make as much money?

IMO, people should do what makes them happy. Everything else is
bull****.

thanks,

Kurgan. presented by Gringioni.

On Jan 6, 10:32*pm, "Kurgan. presented by Gringioni."
wrote:
On Jan 6, 11:33*am, Fred Flintstein
wrote:



On 1/6/2011 11:52 AM, Marco wrote:

Fred Flintstein wrote:

If you step through it slowly you can see him clip a pedal.

Yes, that's clearly what happened. His pedal hit the curb like PBA
suggested.

So Mr. Flintsein, you've often talked about how dumb it is for guys to
pursue bike racing, and that instead they should go to college and get
on the conventional career path. I've always felt that there is
nothing wrong with trying to do both in life. If you are passionate
about bike racing, why not devote a few years and fully experience it?
The guy who slid across the pavement there in your hometown stage race
is a perfect example. He spent four years riding as a mid-level D3 pro
in the US, and got to do the big US races like Philly week, Tour of
Georgia, etc. and even some international racing. But he also got a BS
in mechanical engineering, and when he finished bike racing he went on
to get a Masters from UC Berkeley. Now he has a great job designing
telescopes and rides his bike for recreation and fitness. There are
plenty of other examples like him in US bike racing.

What I've repeatedly stated was that being a professional cyclist
was not an acceptable career path. That story reinforces my point.

snip

Dumbass -

Why isn't it acceptable? Because he didn't make as much money?

IMO, people should do what makes them happy. Everything else is
bull****.

thanks,

Kurgan. presented by Gringioni.

That's easy to say when you have money, especially trust fund money.
If you don't have money, that whole 'do what makes you happy' line is
a crock.

Fred

On Jan 6, 5:58*am, Brad Anders wrote:
On Jan 3, 4:18*am, Ryan Cousineau wrote:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011...llington-inter...

Best female triathlete on the planet wasn't into sports until her 20s,
had a creepy relationship with her sex-offender first coach, and can't
really ride a bike. I'm not making any of that up.

FWIW, when I was reading about how she wins by 30 minutes, how her
times are better than many of the men pros, how quickly she came to
the top level, how she has a really creepy coach, I realized I'd heard
this story before - Genevieve Jeanson.

Whoooaaaa....