Why did you stop racing?

[BikeCentric]

Cuz Leipheimer beat me at the Gila.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

 

[Baggins27]

Cuz Leipheimer beat me at the Gila.

Excellent!

 

[BigBoat]

I'd be interested to know if Lance, Levi, Horner are dragging the whole field much of the way or are they sitting in a lot?

I sort of "quit". I have a cat 1 license for the road and I still do the races but as for seriousness not so much... I'm not very old and I have the options to ride... I just dont like the sport much anymore with all the Lance loving and PR marketing. Its gotten really old and boring...

In hockey you do not see individuals owning the lions share, in other sports you do not see the negative things that have happend with cycling. All this "livestrong" and one side domination, and the $12,000 bikes... Its just too much. And most of the people that ride are either assholes or mentally insane. Or they quit after 2 years because they dont like it.

 

[Power13]

I'd be interested to know if Lance, Levi, Horner are dragging the whole field much of the way or are they sitting in a lot?

.

Reports today was that it was a two man TT, LA and Horner slaving away at the front all day.

After Landis lost a bunch of time, he went on a day-long break to gain back time. Huh.

 

[mr. tibbs]

I'd be interested to know if Lance, Levi, Horner are dragging the whole field much of the way or are they sitting in a lot?

I sort of "quit". I have a cat 1 license for the road and I still do the races but as for seriousness not so much... I'm not very old and I have the options to ride... I just dont like the sport much anymore with all the Lance loving and PR marketing. Its gotten really old and boring...

In hockey you do not see individuals owning the lions share, in other sports you do not see the negative things that have happend with cycling. All this "livestrong" and one side domination, and the $12,000 bikes... Its just too much. And most of the people that ride are either assholes or mentally insane. Or they quit after 2 years because they dont like it.

I find that the former describes me well.

 

[BikeCentric]

I find that the former describes me well.

Both describe me well.

 

[pmcg76]

I raced when I was a teenager, I actually won my first ever proper race easily in a sprint, thought I was going to be a star but was then DQd because I didnt know there was gear restrictions. Never came close to winning again. I gave up because I was participating in 4 different sports and cycling was the most time consuming and there was nobody else I knew into cycling.

Have dabbled in Leisurely cycling since and fulfilled a few lifleong dreams last year, done the Tour of Flanders cyclosportive(short route) the crowds on the Muur were amazing, even gave me a push. Also got to climb Passo Pordoi, Passo San Pellegrino, Marmolada(easy side) Madonna del Ghisallo, Col d'Iozard, Alpe D'Huez, Col du Soulor/Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin. I recommend every cycling fan to try and do a few of these climbs once in their life. All tough but I found Tourmalet sheer hell, 2 hrs to get to the top, not in great shape then.

 

[Willy_Voet]

I got a job and married. Weekends in a chamois just didn't seem fun anymore.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I raced from about 1988 to 1992. Never got above Cat 3. Mostly raced as a 4. Never won anything. One non-USCF race against Cat 5's and amateurs. I was best at TT's. But inconsistent at climbing. Couldn't sprint.

Left racing when I had girlfriend problems, financial problems, and didn't have the dedication or interest in continuing to lose, and compete with assholes and their $12,000 bikes, as BB and Tibbs say.

The "sad" part is that I was superfit at one point. I mean, really, really fit. As much from XC skiing as cycling. I should have won a state XC race in 1991, medalled in a sprint distance triathlon, and once set a VO2 Max record at a clinic in town. But I burnt out on even that, and how, I'm nowhere near that fit, and 30 miles is a long ride to me. That's the aspect that bothers me today.

 

[rhubroma]

I'd be interested to know if Lance, Levi, Horner are dragging the whole field much of the way or are they sitting in a lot?

I sort of "quit". I have a cat 1 license for the road and I still do the races but as for seriousness not so much... I'm not very old and I have the options to ride... I just dont like the sport much anymore with all the Lance loving and PR marketing. Its gotten really old and boring...

In hockey you do not see individuals owning the lions share, in other sports you do not see the negative things that have happend with cycling. All this "livestrong" and one side domination, and the $12,000 bikes... Its just too much. And most of the people that ride are either assholes or mentally insane. Or they quit after 2 years because they dont like it.

Sounds familiar...In the early 90's I road pretty much all the Pro 1, 2 events (Tour de Toona, Fitchberg-Longsjo Classic, etc.) on the east coast, then came to Italy to ride for a top amatuer team. Then had my eyes opened to a "different cycling culture." In America, at the time at least, doping seemed like a fringe activity practiced by only a few (at least so I believed). Stuff you read about in the far off world of the Tour, but maybey couldn't (didn't want to) believe it. In Italy things were totally different: the team doctors, rider/dealers, the frank and open conversations, etc.

As I said, I could hold my own on the climbs over 3k. Make the selections. But, in the end, there was always someone able to go faster (sometimes rediculously so) in the end. Now I am under no illusions. Mine was a good motor, not an super one. And I don't subscribe to the belief that, had I taken EPO and growth hormones, I'd have climbed like Pantani (though I was once told so!). The fact remains that at my natural best, I saw that I could compete with real pros and that, many of my 3rd and 4th placings were (and I was also told this) first place among the non-dopers. And while I make no excuses for my results, the suspicion that there were always those racing against you that had put a "Ferrari motor" into their natural "BMW" body played in the end a negative role in how I perceived the entire exsasperated sport and, at a certain point, it became sickening.

Having said that, I never stoped loving cycling. And this last adventure on my old bike (against the $ 12,000 ones), with my own natural motor (against the jacked-up ones) is a personal challange to remind me that I can still compete and, above all, have fun.

I always road on pane e acqua ("bread and water" as the Italians say).

 

[franciep10]

Sounds familiar...In the early 90's I road pretty much all the Pro 1, 2 events (Tour de Toona, Fitchberg-Longsjo Classic, etc.) on the east coast, then came to Italy to ride for a top amatuer team. Then had my eyes opened to a "different cycling culture." In America, at the time at least, doping seemed like a fringe activity practiced by only a few (at least so I believed). Stuff you read about in the far off world of the Tour, but maybey couldn't (didn't want to) believe it. In Italy things were totally different: the team doctors, rider/dealers, the frank and open conversations, etc.

As I said, I could hold my own on the climbs over 3k. Make the selections. But, in the end, there was always someone able to go faster (sometimes rediculously so) in the end. Now I am under no illusions. Mine was a good motor, not an super one. And I don't subscribe to the belief that, had I taken EPO and growth hormones, I'd have climbed like Pantani (though I was once told so!). The fact remains that at my natural best, I saw that I could compete with real pros and that, many of my 3rd and 4th placings were (and I was also told this) first place among the non-dopers. And while I make no excuses for my results, the suspicion that there were always those racing against you that had put a "Ferrari motor" into their natural "BMW" body played in the end a negative role in how I perceived the entire exsasperated sport and, at a certain point, it became sickening.

Having said that, I never stoped loving cycling. And this last adventure on my old bike (against the $ 12,000 ones), with my own natural motor (against the jacked-up ones) is a personal challange to remind me that I can still compete and, above all, have fun.

I always road on pane e acqua ("bread and water" as the Italians say).

I guess I had the same problem I finished 7 In the 1997 US Time Trial Championship when I was 27 the following year I was getting some interest from pro teams like 7 up but in 1998 I finished 16 with a better time than the year before on the same course when I was crushed by a guy that I beat the year before, then in 1999 i was doing the time trial when I crashed on a oil slick tearing my patella tendon never racing at that level again

 

[rhubroma]

I guess I had the same problem I finished 7 In the 1997 US Time Trial Championship when I was 27 the following year I was getting some interest from pro teams like 7 up but in 1998 I finished 16 with a better time than the year before on the same course when I was crushed by a guy that I beat the year before, then in 1999 i was doing the time trial when I crashed on a oil slick tearing my patella tendon never racing at that level again

Wow! 7th in the US Time Trial Champs. Your friggen strong! Hats off man, bravo...

 

[180mmCrank]

Cycling wasn't my first sport - I used to cross train on my bike and when I retired from rowing I started riding my bike more. I got into racing in the mid 90's and really enjoyed it. I am 6'6" and 100kg so I look a little funny in the pack! Always seemed to have folks drafting off my wheel Despite my weight I was always pretty competitive.

I got lost in the World of work for a while but rediscovered cycling after I rode a stage of the Tour with some friends in 2004. I started riding Sportives in Europe - awesome fun. I even found a seven day granfondo The Giro Sardegna - absolutely fantastic! Riding and semi-racing against a bunch of Italians - really good fun.

I moved to Vancouver BC and got in with the local cycling crowd...and got fit enough to race the local spring series out here - and even won a race! First and last time for that. Now a couple of years later at 45 I cycle at the weekends and enjoy just being on my bike.

My one last ambition is to ride the Paris Roubaix sportive - I'd love to ride onto the velodrome having dusted off all those pave. Maybe next year who knows

 

[Anonymous]

started riding about 85, started doing club runs in 86-87 and raced tt and the odd 1 day from about 89...

bit of a bump in about 94 put me off the road for a couple of months and just after i came back, my road bike was stolen (bolt cutters job) and ended up being about 6 months later before i could afford to replace it..

by then, mid to late twenties, girlfreind, job, settled down, always planned to get back on the road again but its never quite happened.. funnily enough, getting in from work, going straight upstairs, changing, and going out and doing thirty miles every night, no riding saturdays, and then ******ing off on a sunday and riding 50-100m doesnt go down that well...

interesting as well what some say about cost of bikes, idiots on expensive bikes.. i was pretty working class, and it always was fairly tough, kicking off on a 2 or 3 hundred pound road bike against poeple riding 1k bikes who where no better than me, just had the money for the equipment, they kinda looked down on others a bit.. never was in the cool club me..

at the moment restricted to a bit of trundling down the river on a touring bike, just picked up the wife a cheap bike so we can do a few miles along the river together, so ive got a feeling the itch will be back...

mind you, nearly 15 years on, my old handbuilt peugot frame is still in the conservatory.. picked it up today, weighs more than my everyday bike, and thats just the frame.. no wonder i was so damn fast downhill, and so slow going up them... there is a temptation to strip the remaining components off it, and then slowly pick up the bits n bobs and build it back to life again..

but im saving that for the "got a frame, how cheap can i build a bike whilst using decent components" thread..

 

[hulkgogan]

I haven't the faintest idea! That's why I've started up again after being out for 8 years and I'm loving it. Sure is fun not having to ride for your dumbass team leader who never tells you what he's doing or thanks you for riding your balls off for him or the few times you get in a decent move, rides you down...oh wait now I remember.

 

[Wallace]

I stopped racing because I took so much epo that my kidneys seized up and my penis fell off.

 

[Wrecktangle]

Wrecked in Holland when a civilian ran out in front of us in a daily race. Got a torn retina from it...Doc said: don't race or even cycle any more if you want to have your vision. So now I watch crap cycling coverage courtesy of a joke channel (Versus? GMAFB) and eat my heart out.

 

[Argon Man]

I'm trying to work out why I havent stopped, I have got a titanium wrist and a load of other injuries, but then i think I would miss the friendship and fun of racing, taking yourself to you limit and then some, the chat and the joking afterwards, the joy of a win, and the what ifs after every race. Also the comeradery of the training group and the getting away from everyday life. Well I think I will be always a racer.
Feeling a bit sorry for you guys.

 

[podilato]

Used to race in Australia. Won plenty of weekly local races but not much further afield. (Raced against Robbie McEwan in the 1993 Australian University Games). Moved to the UK (fatter and older) and did some racing but I was just making up the numbers.

Another reason I stopped racing is that I found other racing cyclists in the UK way too serious.

In Australia, you would race with some top cyclists who would talk about the kebab and 4 beers from the night before not having gone down yet. In the UK, at a small local race you would see 40-somethings getting leg rubdowns and discussing their week-long training camps in Spain and then hopping on their £5000 bikes.

Still love riding bikes for fitness though.

 

[tashimi76]

Great post.

I used to row in high school and due to having high fitness volunteered for the interschool cycling race. Got smashed so decided not to do it again, for 11 years. I'd always ridden to commute and loved the whole 'sense of freedom' type thing from cycling. Last year I had a black year, not good in any way. Was sick of getting sick, injured, bad results and ultimately thought I was missing out on something by riding so much. Realised a couple of months back that it was cycling that I was missing and 4 weeks ago started training again. Raced a 3-stage tour on the weekend, got beaten badly again but loved it and feel good again. I don't think I'll give it up again unless injury forces me too, it's too important in my life. I will maybe take it less seriously though, and try to focus on my coaching a bit more.

 

[astokes]

This is my 16th straight year with a racing license. Who's talking about quitting?
Actually, there have been years where I only buy the license as a motivator to actually get out and race. For every "on" year, (for me it was 1997 thru 2002 and 2007), there's a lot of "off" ones where I toe the line maybe 5 times. When you're on there's no other rush quite like it. Attacking, making a break (though extremely rare in SM3's) and sprinting for a high placing in the office park crit makes all the training and risk taking seem worth it. But the downsides are many, and they seem to be winning me over as of late.
Those downsides being time management for training, money, crashes and, though I'm ashamed to admit it, bad weather which I'm unwilling to deal with anymore.
I spent the majority of my time racing in Colorado where the talent level is sky high. I've seen some pretty big names come through the ranks (Taylor Phinney most recently, cleaning up the SM3's for 10 straight weekends a couple of years ago!) and used to wonder, "why couldn't that be me?"
That's pretty much why we don't quit. There's always that chance that maybe next weekend, just maybe, we'll be able to pull off an exploit to make it all worth it. What other sport offers that?!?

My $.02