After reading all the posts. I realise that cycling has become too competitive. Cyclists (if you can all the competitiojn crazed bunch that) are always looking to compare themselves against others. Does he have a better bike, wheels, kit, sponosr, wife, children than me? Can he cycle faster, more elegantly ext than me. This is the route to being constantly unhappy. This also leads to the question "Do they have weight catergories" and an attempt to define oneself as a fat, skinny, round, VO2 max, ext cyclist. It is all an attempt to cut the pie so small that everyone gets a bit. Hey I won the hetrosexual, male, underweight, jewish, blue eyed arian race on saturday..... So how many were competiting? No only me because I was the only Jew not in the Synogogue............. Although Lance (he who may never be mentioned), did say it was not about the bike. BUt in a bike race the bike determined the catergory. You either ride a MTB bike, A road bike, A track bike, A cyclecross bike ext, because that is what is being raced. Another trend is people are "racing" for "rewards" and recognition before they are competent to cycle in the declared discipline. THere are many cases where guys on road bikes cannot even cleat in properly, or ride in pace line, yet they want to "race". (In mtb terms, they guy doesn't know what a single track is, but want to race his 29er and complains that the roads are not wide enough and the trails are too technical). I ask that before you "race" get to enjoy being competent on your bike. Even better seak mastery before speed.
