Are you interested in cycle sport?

[Disgruntled Goat]

So what's going on in the world of cyclo sport? A few Belgians riding through muddy fields and that's about it.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I like cycling. I am not that fussed about the racing/sport aspect of it, although I can see why peeps are. I do it because it helps my body and helps my mind. I am never going to race, I am more of a lone plodder/tourer who is out there to improove his life and get fit along the way.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

Logging on this morning I noticed that one person was viewing the Racing section, thirty two CycleChat Cafe and twenty three Soapbox.
Not wishing to be dogmatic, but it seems that most of the people who view this site are more interested in the everyday trivia of our lives, than are commited to things cycling!

But racing is a niche of cycling, and it won't interest many who are in to other aspects of cycing. Someone who enjoys horseriding won't neccesarily be interested in horce racing, and someone who enjoys sailing may not share an interest in boat races.

Racing isn't a cycling niche that interests me.

 

[Fnaar]

It's like having an interest in food, but not in veganism.
Liking beer, but not being a real ale fan.
Being healthily fond of the opposite sex, but not wanting to go to dwarf/amputee orgies.
Or something like that.....

 

[piedwagtail91]

i've little interest in racing ,even though one of my clubs is a racing club.
they can't understand it but there are a good few members ride with them who have no intention of racing and little or no interest in pro racing.
most ride for the company/health and the slightly higher speeed / better work out

 

[KitsuneAndy]

so I'm the only one that competes here?

Doesn't Kirstie do mtb races?

 

[Smokin Joe]

I used to race and still follow the sport, but due to the Race section being slow moving here I go on CW forum for that, and on mainly BR or CW for the tech forums.

This site has the best non-cycling forums.

 

[palinurus]

Club TTs, the odd open event. I don't have much class as a serious cyclist.

Might have a pop at road racing one day, but I'm gonna need some proper training for that and I'm spectacularly lazy when it comes to that sort of thing. I dabble, transport's the primary purpose.

 

[palinurus]

Although I wouldn't've gone as far as that if it wasn't for the racing contingent on C+

 

[Rhythm Thief]

It's perhaps because this site evolved from the old C+ forum that there's not a big racing contingent on here. I used to (and occasionally still do) read C+ because it was more about the daily practicalities of cycling as practised by the likes of, well, me. I think the racers tend to read Cycling Weekly, or Procycling, or whatever, and use the appropriate fora.
Personally, I find bike racing utterly tedious, but hey ho, each to their own.

 

[Noodley]

I still visit BR for race stuff. ACF for audax. Here for mindless tattle.

 

[snorri]

I see myself as an all year utility cyclist who takes leisure trips when weather and spirit takes me, with longer tours in the summer. I have never been interested in any form of cycle sport, spectating or competing, although I've done a few charity cycle runs. Tried a couple of club runs, but they did not appeal.
This forum has got about the right balance of technical/fitness/touring advice and blethers for my liking.

 

[papercorn2000]

I do a fair bit of racing - mind you, the way I was going this year, that's being fairly generous! A handful of placings - all in TLI or APR races, so, not one single point this year!

 

[girofan]

Thank you all for your response. Just testing the water!

 

[Smokin Joe]

I don't find racing as interesting as I used to for a couple of reasons. Cumpulsory helmet wearing and the widespread use of sunglasses has lost the sport a lot of it's visual appeal. Compare pictures of races from days gone by to tdays bunch of annonymous grid-iron football look alikes and the athmosphere is completely different. Race radios have made a lot of events sterile and negative, with team managers able to play chess from the cars, telling the riders who is in the break, how they are going and what tempo needs to be kept up to reel them in just before the finish.

I preferred it when riders had to work their tactics out on the hoof, and often races were won because someone was crafty enough to sneak away unnoticed. Barry Hoban won a mountain stage in the '68 Tour after the break he was in was caught and Vin Denson managed to convince the chasing Spaniards that Hoban was back in the peleton after nipping behind a hedge for a pee. Hoban had stayed away and by the time the blackboard motorcycle had got back to the peleton he had a lead of eight minutes. The Spaniards spent the rest of the stage pelting Denson with food.