Thursday, September 18, 2008

Sandbags

Why do cyclists love sandbags so much?





We're a funny bunch...while others may view a sandbag as a way to save their house from a flood, or prevent a bullet from killing them, we cyclists view a sandbag as a weapon of misery.

You see....cycling is all about fear. You are in constant fear that the other riders you will be riding with are better, faster, lighter, etc. You just know the other guy spent every waking minute on his bike putting in the quality time you don't have to get into form. You just know that everyone else may have an understanding famile, easy job, whatever it takes in order to get better....

....so....you're left with fear. Fear that you won't be fast enough. Fear that everyone will drop you. Fear that you'll never be good enough to hang.

The only way to handle it, you find out, is to greatly underplay your current fitness and abilities or in other words...sandbag. In reality you are trying to be truthful about your perceived limitations, but what normally happens is that you end up showing up and dominating. This is seen as bad. This is seen as sandbagging.

We live by sandbagging. We throw sandbags around like waterbottles at a French protester at the Tour.

"I have been sick/getting over a cold."

"I haven't been on my bike in "

"Something is wrong with my bike."

"I'm just out to ride today...nothing serious."

"I suck."

Sandbagging sucks when you are indeed the one that is on the bad receiving end. "I thought everyone was going to ride slow??!!" It's kind of cool when you're on the good end,

"dude, I thought you were sick??!!"

*shrug* "I must have gotten better...must tell the doc that riding might be a possible cure."

I have not been sandbagging as much as I used to. I think that's because my form has gotten a lot better and I don't really know where I stack up anymore. I don't want to be that guy and with my form where it is I would definitely be that guy if I started throwing out excuses.

I still know I am not the fastest out there....so I am just cruising along. Saying nothing. It seems to un-nerve aham...

So...thanks for hte no help with the boobie prizes....I will have to come up with something on my own....shucks... The Psimet Invitational is tomorrow. Over 22 riders committed. More will show. They always do. I am excited. I love this ride. Time to reconnect with the love of the century and riding with new riders.

2 comments:

CyLowe said...

That's it. I'm going home to get my race wheels.


You said "boobie." Huh huh.....

Runner Susan said...

what about those cyclists that are afraid to get out of the neighborhood because they are afraid that their new clipless pedals won't come undone and they will fall over under a car? What about those kind?