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In Print: Articles of Interest

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Jules
Dec 07, 2018 at 06:02 PM
There is ALWAYS room on Kissena for people who want camaraderie, good group rides and gifs. The TBD guys (and CRCA clubs in general) always seemed to me to be quite elitist - which is why I left and joined Kissena.

Local high schools in MN and CO have mtn bike teams that race every week. Racing with the younger generation is not dead, it is thriving - just in a different discipline. Road races are spectacularly expensive and difficult to run compared to other events like fondos, color runs, etc.

IMHO this is USAC's biggest failing over the last 10 years: they haven't changed their approach to supporting (or ahem - ignoring) race promoters. As the race promoters age, and the competition to their events gets stiffer, and USAC continues to turn a blind eye... many of them just give up. The races themselves don't have any value as assets because each promoter is a stand alone small businessman.

If USAC treated race promoters as franchisees (is that a word) I think things would be quite different.
mugwump
Dec 07, 2018 at 06:40 PM
Jules said:

If USAC treated race promoters as franchisees (is that a word) I think things would be quite different.
Yes, it's a word.

Yes, it's an idea worth pursuing.

What's hard on all levels is that thanks to the multiplying and splintering of media outlets, it's hard for people to find something they're not explicitly looking for.  And costs for bike racing have gone up faster than inflation, so it's harder for a person to casually dip a toe in the proverbial water.  

It's hard for people to cross paths with local bike racing, it's hard to make the pitch to the uninitiated, and it's hard for people to get started.  And USAC hasn't figured out how to make any of this easier.  Supporting local promoters and associations would be smart, or tying them together, or making an effort to bring the curious to racing. 

It's a big job.  Good thing we're used to long odds and uphill battles.  Don Quixote is a hero.  
 
JohnPowell
Dec 08, 2018 at 06:23 PM
When I moved to NYC I felt like I was leaving behind a vibrant racing community in Austin. The weekly Driveway race series is a Thursday evening party that happens to include bike races. There’s music, beer, food trucks, and a few hundred people. The race announcer pokes fun (in a really loving way) at the racers and knows most of them by name. My last race there was depressing because although I never made it on the podium, everyone knew me. They didn’t care if I was the fastest guy... they respected anyone that showed up week after week and went all in. I was a mediocre racer, but I felt like I mattered.

The fondos and charity rides I’ve done have many of the same qualities as the Driveway, just slower. Honestly, more people do them because they’re simply more fun. I love bike racing, but it’s an unwelcoming, rude, elitist culture.

When I went on my first Kissena new member ride, I was really grateful to find a group that rode hard, but was also welcoming and polite. Most of the other groups I encountered in NYC were quite the opposite. My short time on CRCA was not a great experience at all.

Kudos to this club for being good stewards of the sport. I have no idea how that can help improve the declining state of competition in the sport.


JohnMalcolmson
Dec 08, 2018 at 09:13 PM
Did not know Robin Williams was a big biker:
https://paddle8.com/auction/robin-williams/

eloy
Dec 09, 2018 at 12:31 AM
JohnMalcolmson said:
Did not know Robin Williams was a big biker:

He was a big fan. Big supporter of Lance Armstrong, Le Tour, etc... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGRkxBUKCDM
Mark Taylor
Dec 09, 2018 at 01:26 PM
JohnMalcolmson said:
Did not know Robin Williams was a big biker:

He discussed how important riding was to his sanity in the recent documentary ,come inside my mind
PatrickGrehan
Dec 12, 2018 at 12:24 PM
I wondered if the Comcast takeover would effect Team Sky, but really did not think much of it. Peloton could look different in 2020

http://inrng.com/2018/12/sky-reaches-the-end-of-the-road/
JohnPowell
Dec 12, 2018 at 02:05 PM
PatrickGrehan said:
I wondered if the Comcast takeover would effect Team Sky, but really did not think much of it. Peloton could look different in 2020

http://inrng.com/2018/12/sky-reaches-the-end-of-the-road/
I was surprised to see this article pop up on the front page of Reddit. I think it was rather popular news. Can’t say I’m sad to hear it.
eloy
Dec 12, 2018 at 05:50 PM
JohnPowell said:
PatrickGrehan said:
I wondered if the Comcast takeover would effect Team Sky, but really did not think much of it. Peloton could look different in 2020

http://inrng.com/2018/12/sky-reaches-the-end-of-the-road/
I was surprised to see this article pop up on the front page of Reddit. I think it was rather popular news. Can’t say I’m sad to hear it.
add one to the unfortunate column of road cycling dies with us.
PatrickGrehan
Dec 15, 2018 at 02:00 AM
Next time someone makes fun of you for riding a bike you can tell them that it makes you younger than them at a cellular level. Boom

they probably will still think we are crazy

Is Aerobic Exercise the Key to Successful Aging?  
https://nyti.ms/2GcK5ge?smid=nytcore-ios-share
eloy
Dec 19, 2018 at 04:54 PM

Former NYC Marathon director Mary Wittenberg joins EF

https://www.velonews.com/2018/12/news/former-nyc-marathon-director-mary-wittenberg-joins-ef_482275

Mary Wittenberg will be President of EF alongside CEO Jon Vaughters. Gotta say this is kinda surprising, but totally awesome. She works at a whole other level and scope than almost anyone in American cycling, looking forward to what will come.
eloy
Dec 20, 2018 at 02:36 AM

Mountain Biking's Bumpy Road to Gender Equality

After her win at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Kate Courtney noticed a shift in how people talk about women in sports


https://www.outsideonline.com/2373091/kate-courtney-mountain-biking-gender-equality
After crossing the line at the world championships, and in several instances since, conversations about my riding have shifted from a preoccupation with my looks, instead focusing on my grit, determination, and ability to overcome obstacles—the kind of qualities that drive all athletes, regardless of gender.

This is interesting and awesome for many reasons. 

It takes me back to watching the world championship race, it too was amazing for many reasons, makes me wonder if Courtney realized it even then. Once she passed Langvad, we weren't just watching Kate Courtney win MTB worlds, we were witnessing her life change forever.

Mark Taylor
Dec 20, 2018 at 10:55 AM
eloy said:

Mountain Biking's Bumpy Road to Gender Equality

After her win at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Kate Courtney noticed a shift in how people talk about women in sports


https://www.outsideonline.com/2373091/kate-courtney-mountain-biking-gender-equality
After crossing the line at the world championships, and in several instances since, conversations about my riding have shifted from a preoccupation with my looks, instead focusing on my grit, determination, and ability to overcome obstacles—the kind of qualities that drive all athletes, regardless of gender.

This is interesting and awesome for many reasons. 

It takes me back to watching the world championship race, it too was amazing for many reasons, makes me wonder if Courtney realized it even then. Once she passed Langvad, we weren't just watching Kate Courtney win MTB worlds, we were witnessing her life change forever.

And mine, she was the reason I went out and bought a mountain bike
Jules
Dec 22, 2018 at 01:29 AM
https://www.velonews.com/2018/12/news/usa-cycling-hires-new-ceo-demartini_482480


twoyacks
Dec 22, 2018 at 02:51 AM
Mark Taylor said:
eloy said:

Mountain Biking's Bumpy Road to Gender Equality

After her win at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Kate Courtney noticed a shift in how people talk about women in sports


https://www.outsideonline.com/2373091/kate-courtney-mountain-biking-gender-equality
After crossing the line at the world championships, and in several instances since, conversations about my riding have shifted from a preoccupation with my looks, instead focusing on my grit, determination, and ability to overcome obstacles—the kind of qualities that drive all athletes, regardless of gender.

This is interesting and awesome for many reasons. 

It takes me back to watching the world championship race, it too was amazing for many reasons, makes me wonder if Courtney realized it even then. Once she passed Langvad, we weren't just watching Kate Courtney win MTB worlds, we were witnessing her life change forever.

And mine, she was the reason I went out and bought a mountain bike
One of the greatest bits of grit and determination I've seen since Buster Douglas KO'd Tyson (watched that fight using an illegal de-scrambler device for my cable box...ssshhh don't tell cablevision)
Courtney closes the gap to Langvad and Langvad does THIS

Courtney claws her way back to Langvad's wheel and does THIS

Mark Taylor
Dec 31, 2018 at 11:23 PM
This was a great read 
A historical review of the race climb after climb , with a tense review of the 2011 edition
JohnPowell
Jan 13, 2019 at 03:13 PM
https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/peter-sagan-specialized-allez-sprint-53456/

In particular, I wonder why they’re racing on road tubeless wheels instead of tubular. Other than it being a marketing gimmick, I can’t think of any advantage the former has over the latter in pro competition.
RobertMullen
Jan 14, 2019 at 12:25 AM
It’s gotta be all PR. Idk about the tubeless stuff but I think it’s pretty rad that specialized is pushing a relatively “affordable” aluminum bike like this when they could just as easily be pushing the new $10,000 Venge. 

That said, I also ride an aluminum bike so my vision may be clouded a bit lol. 
JohnMalcolmson
Jan 14, 2019 at 12:54 AM
It's a crit bike though, don't see Sagan winning GC anytime soon.
eloy
Jan 14, 2019 at 02:53 AM
I get that Sagan is a superstar, so people will notice whatever he rides, but the OMG quality of all this feels a bit over blown. Bluntly, Sagan, and all these elite pros will be just as good on this top component bike than on any other.

The top specialized tubeless tires often come up on top in study comparisons as the tires with the lowest rolling resistance in the market today. It only makes sense that some pros might want to give them a shot. 
RobertMullen
Jan 14, 2019 at 04:29 AM
For sure, just like amateurs will be amateurs on a Venge. Even though it’s all a marketing scheme, it’s neat that Specialized is saying (to the people that pay for the bikes) that their $1200 frameset is as race worthy as their $6k ones. 
Then again, if people’s only takeaway is that Sagan is so good he can compete on a shitty frame, then specialized may have got this one wrong
JohnPowell
Jan 14, 2019 at 02:07 PM
I especially love Sagan's very lukewarm statement about the bike. You can tell he's really sold on it.
PatrickGrehan
Jan 14, 2019 at 06:15 PM
A cautionary tale of why you don’t want to retrofit a motor onto your road bike. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2019/01/14/electric-road-bike-explodes-on-adelaide-hill-climb-causing-bushfire/
RobertMullen
Jan 14, 2019 at 06:26 PM
Wow, even more reason to get an Allez Sprint. My bike has never spontaneously combusted, not even once. 
eloy
Jan 14, 2019 at 06:58 PM
PatrickGrehan said:
A cautionary tale of why you don’t want to retrofit a motor onto your road bike. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2019/01/14/electric-road-bike-explodes-on-adelaide-hill-climb-causing-bushfire/
The co2 exploding is pretty hardcore, and even more scary than the frame burning.
twoyacks
Jan 14, 2019 at 09:03 PM

They didn’t get it wrong and it’s not a shitty frame...that frame crossed the line first at the us pro championships...it’s not just a crit frame either...it’s a bicycle racing frame...I’m a little jaded by categorizing aluminum frames as crit frames. They can be quite comfy...just let a little air out of your tires
RobertMullen
Jan 14, 2019 at 11:50 PM
Agreed! I’m super happy with mine as an every day/ race/ only bike. 
twoyacks
Jan 15, 2019 at 02:42 AM
tangentially...a titanium frame would have laughed at that electrical fire....cuz it melts at 3200 degree
https://construct.typepad.com/25seven/2009/01/results-of-fire-damage-to-titaniumand-other-materials.html
JohnMalcolmson
Jan 16, 2019 at 07:10 PM
twoyacks said:
They didn’t get it wrong and it’s not a shitty frame...that frame crossed the line first at the us pro championships...it’s not just a crit frame either...it’s a bicycle racing frame...I’m a little jaded by categorizing aluminum frames as crit frames. They can be quite comfy...just let a little air out of your tires
It's a good point you make @twoyacks—throw some 26mm tubeless at it and you could ride that Coke can all day long.
Jules
Jan 22, 2019 at 08:01 PM
Siiiick waaat is going to worlds!