Joe Cipale
I will allow you into my Cat CHris. I need some competetion for a little bit before I ride off with my medal... :^)
Chris Alling wrote:
> I will be happy to vote to give Joe his own catagory.
>
> > Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:20:58 -0700> From: joec@aracnet.com> To: brian.a.mack@gmail.com> CC: obra@list.obra.org> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] TT, categories, and beer for lunch> > And people bitch about USACycling... Fer chrissakes. There will never be> a completely 'fair' scoring scheme. This is not kindergarten where we> give everyone a ribbon for participating. Take the G**D*** touchy-feely> 'My Child is an Honor Student at Who-gives-a-Damn Middle School' and go> away.> > Newsflash: Life sucks sometimes. I am not blessed as much athletic prowess as Michael Phelpes (attempt at being topical) or Lance, or even the lowly bench> warmer on any given professional sports team.> > I dislike the fact that no matter where I go and race, I have to compete> against Harry Phinney, David Zimbleman, or George Schreck. Oh booo-hooo for> me. Give them their own category and create a special one for Joe so I> can always bring home a g-damn medal.> > If you want to win, then damnit, get o!
n your bike and ride.> > Now THAT is a rant worth posting to OBRA! > > > Brian wrote:> > > > > > > > > No beer for me today Erik, unfortunately.> > > > I think it is important for an organization to be able to reassess its own institutions from time to time. If you aren't interested in doing that, this post isn't for you.> > > > The categories thing might seem extreme, but honestly that is how they do it in many countries where cycling has been around a lot longer than it has here. Whatever its benefit, Categorization creates only the illusion of fair competition and success.> > > > And I do believe that realistically, for the average racer out there, it would be more fulfilling and realistic to focus on his own improvement and beating his friends at the races than to worry about getting on the podium and eventually becoming a cat2, the be-all end-all of local cycling. But that's just one opinion on healthy competition mentality.> > > > As for time trialing, I do think that!
it is a completely distinct discipline than road racing. I al!
so think it' a serious flaw in stage race design that it requires investing a couple grand in aero equipment simply for the sake of being competitive in GC, when in one way of looking at it, TT has little to do with the actual concept of a stage race. > > > > Also, let's face it, most people with TT bikes just get them out of the garage a few times a year when they need them. Thinking of TT as a separate discipline, with its own categories if necessary, would make them more attractive purchases and encourage using them more.> > > > And finally, I believe that the perception that time trialing is a subdivision of road racing creates just one more barrier for new cyclists entering the sport. E.g., potential racer shows up to watch Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, sees that every racer is dressed like a mutant and riding a min. 5k dollar bike, and has no way of relating that to the kind of biking he does.> > > > Thanks for asking me to clarify that. Now for some beer...> > > > > > > >!
> > > > Erik wrote:> > > > Brian, please tell us that you had a few beers with lunch and THEN wrote that. > > _______________________________________________> > OBRA mailing list> > obra@list.obra.org> > http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra> > Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org> > _______________________________________________> OBRA mailing list> obra@list.obra.org> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
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