Triathlism: an incredibly unserious sport

On Jan 6, 9:32*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****.

Perhaps they should. But professional cycling is rarely a road to
happiness.

Kurgan. presented by Gringioni. wrote:
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****.

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
Perhaps they should. But professional cycling is rarely a road to
happiness.

The road to happiness is a cul de sac.

Fred Flintstein wrote:
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.

Perhaps you-now would, but you back then may have been happier at the
races than in an exotic place. Unless of course you're regretting all
the times you could have got laid.

On Jan 6, 9:42*pm, Fred wrote:
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.



Dumbass -

My parents were happier when they were poor.

thanks,

Kurgan. presented by Gringioni.

On Jan 7, 3:00*am, "Beloved Fred No. 1" wrote:
Fred Flintstein wrote:
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.

Perhaps you-now would, but you back then may have been happier at the
races than in an exotic place. Unless of course you're regretting all
the times you could have got laid.

As I get older I think I should have done more stupid & irresponsible
stuff when I was younger.

On 1/7/2011 2:00 AM, Beloved Fred No. 1 wrote:
Fred Flintstein wrote:
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.

Perhaps you-now would, but you back then may have been happier at the
races than in an exotic place. Unless of course you're regretting all
the times you could have got laid.

Superweek is a waste of time and money. Spending summers
racing crits was stupid. I went to the races because I
was a dumbass. If I had been smarter I wouldn't have gone.

Bike racing is a great hobby. If I had only known.

Fred Flintstein

On Jan 7, 3:06*am, "Kurgan. presented by Gringioni."
wrote:
On Jan 6, 9:42*pm, Fred wrote:



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.

Dumbass -

My parents were happier when they were poor.

thanks,

Kurgan. presented by Gringioni.

That's interesting, and not surprising, but it doesn't change the
validity of what I said. If you want to test your theory on 'do what
makes you happy'... give all your money away, all of it, and live only
on what you can earn going forward. Get back to us on that, 'mmkay?

Fred

Fred wrote:
If you want to test your theory on 'do what
makes you happy'... give all your money away, all of it, and live only
on what you can earn going forward. Get back to us on that, 'mmkay?

Total non sequitur. While happiness usually doesn't come from owning but
rather doing, money does help a lot in enabling the doing. A bike ride
makes me very happy. The bike alone cost me thousands of nickels. Roof
over my head also makes me very happy.

On Jan 7, 6:08*am, Fred wrote:
On Jan 7, 3:06*am, "Kurgan. presented by Gringioni."





wrote:
On Jan 6, 9:42*pm, Fred wrote:

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.

Dumbass -

My parents were happier when they were poor.

thanks,

Kurgan. presented by Gringioni.

That's interesting, and not surprising, but it doesn't change the
validity of what I said. *If you want to test your theory on 'do what
makes you happy'... give all your money away, all of it, and live only
on what you can earn going forward. *Get back to us on that, 'mmkay?



Dumbass -

Many people in this culture have the wrong ethos if they want to be
happy. I know so many people who work at jobs they don't like so they
can pay their mortgage and car payments. They've bought into this
notion that buying those things will make them happy and when it
doesn't bring them long term happiness, they don't bother to reflect
why.

IMO, what makes people happy is choosing a profession which they
enjoy.

We live in a very rich nation. No one's gonna starve. People should do
what they enjoy doing. Buying things doesn't bring happiness.

thanks,

Kurgan. presented by Gringioni.

On Jan 7, 8:40*am, "A. Dumas" wrote:
Fred wrote:
If you want to test your theory on 'do what
makes you happy'... give all your money away, all of it, and live only
on what you can earn going forward. *Get back to us on that, 'mmkay?

Total non sequitur. While happiness usually doesn't come from owning but
rather doing,


Bingo.