Section head text.
This one is a reader submission – did you know we did those? Of course we do, as it means that we have to do less thinking! The argument is as follows: who is more dedicated – the single racer with time to train and compete or the racer with a spouse and children who squeaks out their training and racing by cajoling, begging and making deals? Personally, I found that being a husband and father has made me a better racer as it’s made me more efficient in my training and racing time. But it takes a special sort of endurance to take the kids to swimming lessons and a puppet show after a crack of dawn race at Prospect Park.
Slow afternoon of posting = strong market recovery
taking on the spouse and kids instead of biking means you’re not as dedicated as the others
Bike bling — nice review of three bikes here:
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2007/08/bsnyc-2008-dream-bike-shootout.html
I’m dedicated to neglecting my responsibilities.
there is dedication and then there is neglecting other things to make time. often it is a thin line.
At least one. Not sure about a trinity
All the nihilists are in the German techno-pop band, Autobahn
Nihilists are dedicated.
she’s not a nihilist – she’s a nihilist’s girlfriend.
Walter, I’m really glad you brought that up. That is one of my favorite trinities in the movie; it took me a while to figure that one out.
There are three real musicians who act in the movie. You got one (Flea). Do you know ther other two?
Hey T-Boner – only the little people pay taxes.
I think you might be wrong Riddler, I thought there were 4 nihilists – cricket bat, tall dude, flea and the girlfriend.
When is Bear registration opening?
At the Park Ridge NJ Cycling Classic they had one of those inflatable jumpy cage things that kids love. I joked with other riders that I’d buy one for CRCA and have it be a marshal assignment. My kids were in heaven. Race Site Babysitting Services – sounds like a business model to me.
i want my two dollars?
I’m sorry if I came off as anti stock broker or something. As a matter of fact, I work on Wall St. I was just saying that equating paying $400K a year in taxes with paying all those salaries is unfair. I don’t think people realize what is actually done with their taxes, that’s all.
should everyone with kids start chipping in for a baby sitter at races so you can go to more and let the wife have some free time. kid gets some outside time and gets to watch dad.
wow there is a lot of testosterone flying around this page.
i think there are some women in the club who are married AND have kids and jobs. not sure, though, whether they are ironing their husbands’ clothes and cooking the hot meals, but who knows? maybe they are.
everything is a choice, and at the end of the day we each have to live with our selves.
lots of good stuff here
http://www.hotvelociti.com/women/womens-apparel.htm
Also nice men’s stuff if you’re into looking at that.
Which I’m not.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
If you are serious its sad… you will surely die a lonely empty life one day if all you focus on is a sport that you likely are just average at (not a Euro Pro).
They have the kids for 8 hours a day but can’t teach them to read. i call that a waste of time.
Can anyone give a rundown of the “Mrs. Littlefield” post. She happens to be a lovely and dedicated wife and mother. No doubt she is the wife of the “A Lucky Man” post, What was the jist of the post?
I spent all my vacation days, and weekends going to races, sick days for the long rides, rode at night until I was bored, and even dated bike racers. I had other stuff to do, but racing was my priority. I never wanted to go pro, or even be a cat 1, I enjoyed each category thoroughly. Once the wife, house, kids came along, I find it impossible to find the time and energy, and as the results left me, so did the motivation. I still love riding my bike, but racing, not as much.
Ever notice how many of the relationships in the Big Lebowski come in threes?
– Dude, Walter, Donny
– The Big Lebowski, Brandt, Bunny
– The three nihilists
– Jackie Treehorn, Wu, blond goon
– The cast of Logjammin’
– Maude and her two helpers
– Arthur Digby Sellers, Larry Sellers, Pilar
The movie is fixated on this number. Notice when the nihilists go to the diner. Two go for the Lingenberry pancakes, and one goes for ‘sree picks in blanket,’ i.e. ‘three pigs in blankets.’ Then comes the woman’s turn, and she wants to order something different. A small argument ensues, and Dieter forces her to change and orders for her: lingenberry pancakes. So there you are: three lingenberry pancakes, and three pigs in blankets.
The Coens even take cinematic license with it; when the Dude is talking to the Big Lebowski, and Brandt walks out of the room. Look far off in the distance, and you’ll see a maid enter the scene stage left. Or when Donny blows away in the wind, you’ll see a lone figure on the cliffs above the shoreline. Each relationship or scene is unbalanced when there are only two participants.
The biblical importance of the number three can’t be ignored. There are references to the Christian trinity throughout the movie, even if their significance is debatable. Clearly, one could interpret the Dude as Jesus; long hair, beard, no stretch there. Which makes the Stranger/Cowboy either God the Father, or the Holy Ghost. Maude takes on the part of Mary Magdalene; remember one of the Gnostic gospel’s reports Jesus sleeping with Mary Magdalene, which was part of the whole controversy of movie ‘the Last Temptation of Christ’ several years back.
What really puts the biblical references in contrast, though, was when Walter chopped the ear off a nihilist. Dude was professing a non-violent solution, but Walter would not heel. Always struck me as interesting. Where in literature have we seen someone cut off someone else’s ear? Right before Jesus was apprehended in the Garden of Gethsemane, the day before his crucifixion:
“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest
Ve vant ze money, Lebowski.
unbalanced when there are only two participants.
The biblical importance of the number three can’t be ignored. There are references to the Christian trinity throughout the movie, even if their significance is debatable. Clearly, one could interpret the Dude as Jesus; long hair, beard, no stretch there. Which makes the Stranger/Cowboy either God the Father, or the Holy Ghost. Maude takes on the part of Mary Magdalene; remember one of the Gnostic gospel’s reports Jesus sleeping with Mary Magdalene, which was part of the whole controversy of movie ‘the Last Temptation of Christ’ several years back.
What really puts the biblical references in contrast, though, was when Walter chopped the ear off a nihilist. Dude was professing a non-violent solution, but Walter would not heel. Always struck me as interesting. Where in literature have we seen someone cut off someone else’s ear? Right before Jesus was apprehended in the Garden of Gethsemane, the day before his crucifixion:
“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest
Fortunately, I’m adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug, uh, regimen to keep my mind, you know, uh, limber.
I have a carried interest in my zipps so I pay long term capital gains on them
The Ridler runs a $5B quant fund in Greenwich and takes home $25MM/yr. All his for the people is bullshizz.
Thanks for your question. Yes. Use them for overnight business travel, or eat them on an overnight business trip (meal), or make a tee-pee with them on an overnight business trip (lodging), and you’ve got an itemized deduction for an unreimbursed business expense.
Beggars is a better album
Are my Zipps tax deductable?
why the markets did so poorly today. Come on guys! Wait till after 4 to post!!!
BORING!!!!!
This thread went to pieces after the only real post was removed.
I’m rich!
They pay more in both absolute and percentage terms.
Some of you are trolling. No prob. But some of you seem to think that I’m writing things that I’m not.
Who transported me back to my freshman dorm room at 2 am? Wake me when you guys start talking about Exile on Main Street.
YOU”RE DRIVING MY NONFARM PAYROLLS DOWN
If he believes that the wealthy pay more in taxes. Hello, the middle class is getting raped by Bush’s tax plans, while the wealthy elite pay less and less every year in taxes.
i think giving back to kids in the city is a good way to make our selfish guilty pleasure less self indulgent. it is probably the only way to keep us all from burning in hell from leaving our love ones alone so much
They don’t make $200 bills
I believe U.S. employers lost about $45,000 in blown work hours to this thread.
There isn’t exactly a shortage of people wanting to work in finance. If an i-banker resigns, he’ll be replaced pretty much immediately. There is, however, a shortage of good teachers so I think it is much more beneficial to society for a talented person to choose teaching over finance. Also I’d expect a good teacher replacing a bad one could have a pretty significant economic impact when you consider the future earnings of their students.
There is nothing inherently wrong with working in finance, but please don’t rationalize your place in society by saying you are more beneficial than good public servants.
They have access to the exact same goods and services – national defense, infrastructure – that you do, only they get to pay a significantly higher price. The higher their income, the higher the price they pay. The government engages in price discrimination – they charge more for a product based on consumers’ ability to pay.
Analogous to if you tried to buy a Snickers bar, and the cashier based the price on how much money you had in your wallet. Which, by the way, would be illegal. Price discrimination in varying forms is illegal in the private sector.
As a side note, that’s while you’ll find things like ‘ladies night’ at your local watering hole. “1/2 price drinks for the ladies” is more palatable (and cleaner legally) than advertising “2x as much for you suckers with testicles.”
I ride with a banker — every time he climbs up Harlem Hill, $200 bills come shooting out of his toosh. We love that guy!!
oh I know I’m not
I think people in finance think NYC is all about them sometimes. NYC is also the center for many things in the US. Fashion, art, overpriced real estate, pompous a**holes, etc.
Your job is important if you don’t show and someone dies or doesn’t get educated. Otherwise, you’re just making money – nothing wrong with that. Just don’t pretend you’re Mother f-in Theresa.
I don’t think anyone’s hating on people in finance, just don’t equate paying more in taxes with teaching, working with the homeless, etc.
And if you are such a hard core rider, what are you doing in NYC? Shouldn’t you move to Boulder or Cali?
Why do you live in New York and hate bankers? That’s like living in St. Lake City and hating Mormons.
for all you that villainize finance types- think about this. the finanical markets are tied to the global economy. withot one, the other doesnt work. Finance guys are a piece of that puzzle and play an important role in commerce and the economic development of the country and the world.
“boo hoo, the bank makes money, he’s evil!”
This is what gets me out the door to ride my bike (I have about a dozen of these types of posters around my place):
http://www.artexpressed.com/DedLH.html
I might try putting green and purple paint on my hands and giving myself the riddler
to say that the banker’s taxes actually buy 3 teachers, 1 cop, and 1 firefighter is completely false and only serves to make the uber priveledged capitalist feel better about himself. Tax dollars do a lot more than buy public servants. They also pay for cool stuff like bombs and border fences.
What’s with the lazy school teachers taking summers off!!
pimps don’t pay taxes
Daddy, where are you?
The strange lady you left me with smells funny.
is contributing more to society the the guy making $20k a year working with the homeless or underpriviledged children. Good argument… I am with the Riddler on this one.
are taking summers off. duh
i have laughed more at this post than any other.
first of – cat 4 is average by definition. and the “jump” from cat 4 to 3 is really nothing since you guys race together ALL THE TIME.
post take down!
Please, tax contribution does not equal contributing to society. If you think school teachers, or what have you, are not contributing to society, then what are they doing?
BUT the not selfish thing is if you’re helping other people who really like it. Like Craig Cook with the juniors. Or there’s a woman from upstate whose daughter is really into racing (and had a juvenile form of cancer!!!) who travelled with her daughter and they’d both race the same events.
we want the mrs. littlefeild post
put it back up
WHERE’S OUR PIZZZZZAAAA!!!!
The Boys in Finance
Was her post taken down? Classic!
eating buritos and drinking beer after a top 50 in the 4s.
My little Ugli just showed me the site. I am really upset to learn about his reputation on this site. People unfairly paint him as a major douchebag who is running after sleazy woman every night. They say he will poke his manhood in anything with long hair and a big truck. They post about all his tatoos being drunken pranks that he received after he passed out on the floor of some LES club. I’ve even hear them go after his field sprinting, saying it is just an extension of his night life, and that he stinks of booze at the races.
Well, I want to say that I love him very much, and I want him to call me. I miss him and the number he gave me didn’t work.
Uglibums.. please call
I thought the SAME THING about ultra-marathon guy being twins. But neither he nor the waving, crazy-colored clown-suit man has it on ball kicker guy – you ever see him go to work with TWO BALLS going up the downhill in Prospect? Ded-i-CA-tion.
The problem with this thread is that the we are all judging eachother from different perspectives. I am married and a decent Cat 4 who started racing this year. I have mostly top 20s in hilly races outside of the city and that is good enough for me. Since getting into cycling I have lost 30 pounds, and have gained alot in terms of health and perspective on life. With this said, everyone in this community rides for their own reasons and has different levels of dedication and goals. Some are happy training to win the local Gimbels Sprint. Some to win a Cat 5 at FBF (thats you Mex) or beat there personal best time up river road and some to reach Cat 2 so they can race against a real pro from time to time. We are all dedicated to reach and stay at a level we enjoy. For me, I train 10-15 hours a week (150-300 miles a week) to stay healthy, do decent in a Cat 4 race and maybe go to the 3s one day and not get dropped in the hills by my stronger teammates. I dedicate my time to staying healthy, riding as fast as I can and keeping up the meaningful relationships in my life. Thats my dedication.
screw you guys
“Well, from my personal experience it has been a lot harder to train and race now that I’m married and with a new born baby.”
At least you’re not trying to train and race after giving birth to that baby.
If Single Dad were dedicated to cycling, then his kid(s) would be raised by their grandparents. His choices are worthy of respect and admiration, but his dedication is elsewhere.
That ball kicker dude is crazy stuff!
That famous, skinny, glasses-wearing ultra-marathoner who walks in PP is DEDICATED. OR the guy who jogs with the staggered stride wearing super dirty clothes. THAT dude is ON ALL THE TIME.
Full timer’s last post gets an A for accurate.
BMJ get’s a C- for being a trolling hater.
so far, Gaile could be winning this argument… or maybe Single dad…
dedicated, or committed, or should be committed, for getting up at garbageman hours to put on brightly colored spandex over our shaved legs to do a sport that few care about and many others associate with drug use.
in other words, you don’t have to ride to be dedicated to cycling.
um..
No one’s as dedicated as the guy who kicks medicine balls around Prospect Park in the joggers lane. That guy puts in 20/hrs a week easy.
you have got to be kidding-if what you say is true your wife needs to get a life-and what about your kids? what,you spend too much time with them now? I ride in the early am so I don’t give up any time with my son-
Yes, he has an amazing grasp of the obvious.
It should be mentioned that Charlie Issendorf, Alan Altwood, Maurice and their crew — along with other officials, marshalls, pace drivers, etc… — are super dedicated to the sport.
Perhaps more than any rider.
Single dad’s dedication is hard core.
With all his responsibilities, he still makes the effort, finds the time to ride and race.
Maybe he’s winning another argument, but he’s winning this one too.
shut up “btw” nobody asked you. idiot
Single Dad is more dedicated to his family than to cycling. He’s winning a different argument.
and training keeps me from over-training, which might be a good thing, but it is super hard to justify to myself. Yeah, family man/training geek is far more dedicated.
send me an email
d_trumpf@earthlink.net
(sorry guys)
Agree with the comment about finding a good partner.
Very lucky for me, my wife is very supportive, loves to cook awesome healthy meals, comes to outta town races and helps out, even rides with me on easy days.
Probably because she knew the fat unhealthy me, she rather keep me on the bike.
We are both dedicated to cycling and staying healthy. (more, less dedicated than someone else, whatever)
need to feel that they are doing something positive in the world, hence the tax contribution argument.
Single dad is still winning this argument.
…is doing the training others are unwilling to do in order to win.
So by this logic Michael Milken or Dennis Kozlowski contributed more to society than almost anyone because they likely had the highest tax liability?
I am not saying banker guy does not contribute to society I am just saying tax liability is a stupid barometer of that question.
If you have other people in your life who depend on you, you’re not dedicated to cycling. To excel in this sport, the focus must be inward.
I’m single, w/out kids, live alone. I recently missed a family wedding rather than miss a national-level race. It’s a different type of dedication I’m talking about– not better, just different.
Does taking the time to make your hand go numb make you dedicated?
I might be interested.
How do I contact you?.
Hey Riddle Me This: take your commie pinko posts somewhere else – bankers rule.
Your wife sounds very cool. I like the image of your girl pointing up the road.
That’s the kind of woman who rocks you in the sack like Grace Jones in a bond movie.
Isn’t being dedicated to cycling the same as making it a priority over all else? If you have a wife, kids, real job, etc. then cycling is by definition not your main priority (and it really shouldn’t be) so you aren’t as dedicated as the person who has sacrificed all other parts of their lives to live as a cyclist-monk.
This doesn’t make them better and likely doesn’t make them happier, but it does make them more dedicated. Most of us are not willing to forgo family, career, money, comfort, etc. for cycling, so we train is our free time and enjoy it for what it is – a hobby. We are by definition less dedicated, but we get to show up at races in much fancier cars.
Hey AA, you seem like a decent guy. Got a sister who’s single?
Is a cat 4 whose goal is to get a top 10 any different that a tri-geek who wants to beat a certain time?
I say no. No difference.
Finance guy makes $1mm a year, pays $300-$500k in taxes….
Because the $1mm a year comes from creating no value, just from siphoning off a bit.
is what it takes to get out the door and train whether it is at 4:30 am for CP laps or a 2 pm ride to the orchards. We all have some degree of that and I dont see that being dependent on significant others.
Negociation is what it takes to apply that dedication if you have a family. Single folk dont need to negociate as much to carve out the time needed.
Personally, I like the back and forth of negociating time if only because it allows for reciprocal generousity, something that is critical to a healthy marriage.
Was a Cat 2 got married had kids – didn’t race/ride for a few years – now I’m a 4 and havin’ fun. I don’t train more than 8 to 10 hours and even that’s hard to do with work and family responsiblities.
I think your argument is flawed. You are, I think, saying that if one trains more hours they are more dedicated. I think we have to look at what percentage of a cyclists free time they train to see how dedicated they are regardless of results. Also under what conditions they train. If you have kids, work and other more important family obligations (that are far more important in the grand scheme of things then bike racing) and you choose to dedicate 100% of your free time to training (whether that be 1 hour or 5) then that is alot more dedication then a single guy or gal that puts more hours in but only 50% of there free time. Also, you have to look at the conditions one is training under. A single guy can wait out the rain. A married guy may only have a 3 hour window to train and if they wait out the rain they loose the window. Also, one can be dedicated at being the best they can be and improving regardless of whether they are a Cat 5 or a Cat 1. For some results just come easier.
train 20 hours. Mostly cat 1s & 2s, and semi/unemployed, but there you go.
There are a ton of Cat 4’s. More than any other category. A lot of guys don’t make the jump the cat 3, ever. So they’re horribly average.
And BTW, who do you know who trains 20-25 hours a week, single or married?
Then every Cat 4 who isn’t on their way up the ladder is horribly average. So the vast majority of them.
Is that fact, or are you talking out your butt?
Are you asking me if cat 4s who are not moving up are average? Ummmm, are guys who race in the lower cats when most of the racers are doing harder races against better riders? Umm. yes, they are average at best. But that’s not the point. How can you argue otherwise?
we were talking about guys with families and kids. I think that guys who train 1/5th as much as full timers are not nearly as dedicated. For whatever reason… they have jobs, lives, a future, fine, but the fact remains, they are not as dedicated on cycling as guys who speed much much much more time working on cycling
Says things like “I thought you were a tough guy” when I’m reluctant to go out in the dark in the rain to train. So that’s good.
And she occassionally has gone to long hot races to help me with feeding. And one year I got blown out the back in the circuit race at Fitchburg and tried to quit and she wouldn’t let me. She pointed up the road and said “Ride.” Which was right as I got to ride other stages and finish the thing.
any way you cut it our sport is very very selfish.
Most top 10s (regional races not PP or FBF) are younger guys and single.
Can any cat. 3 or 4 consider themselves dedicated? Isn’t actually being decent at what you are focusing on a necessary condition to dedication?
And I agree with Mikem and I’ll take it a step further. If those guys were so dedicated, they would stop worrying about other things in their lives and start actually being dedicated to cycling and train 20-25 hours a week. Dedicated must = good. Pack filling lower cat races is not real dedication, it’s horribly average..
anyone looking for a ride to GMSR?
we are looking for someone with a driver license to share the drive
…but it would be interesting to look at some of the race results and see which of the top ten are married w/ kids. That might answer the question.
it’s all the time I waste after the race looking at this blog that annoys her.
I think there is no argument that the married w/ children lot are more focused with their training. They have less time to screw around. Dedicated is subject to argument. They put their families first, whereas single guys don’t have to.
or, hell, even a brother?
you have to look at the argument as though the two “types” are at the same level. A married with kids guy/gal racing Cat1 or 2 (or whatever) and a single guy gal at the same level. It takes more dedication for the married guy to race at that level, but, on the other hand, a single guy/gal with the same relative dedication would probably go further, or race at a higher level.
Apples to Oranges, my friends.
Does she have a sister?
and have my wife and kids, than win a park race now and again*. but it’s a personal choice, not everyone should be in a relationship or be a parent.
*then again, guys like rashad, ricky lowe and some others are talented enough to ‘have it all”… bastards 🙂
I am married with kids. It’s hard to be a bike racer and also be a husband/father/breadwinner, but it would be impossible to race bikes without my wife. My wife creates huge amounts of space in my life so that I can train, race and travel. She deals with my boys solo every weekend morning so that I can disappear for 4 or 5 hours. If its been a particularly hard race or ride, she’ll take them out in the afternoon so that I can hit the couch.
My kits are always washed and hung up, my socks and gloves always matched and put away. Bottles are always clean and in the cabinet. If I’m running late she’ll stop what she’s doing and mix bottles for me, and she always helps pack the car for out-of-town races.
I don’t have to worry about eating healthy, hot meals are served almost every night, and teammates are always welcome to visit and stay over. She even packs recovery snack-bags for the rest of the team.
Marrying a good woman is better for your bike racing than new carbon wheels.
Single Dad, you are my idol. To do everything for your kids and your household and still race bikes….wow.
like your right hand?
why not go out on dates *during* the race, like ugly
Sometimes having more time is tougher, its easier to blow off training. If you have a small time slot to get something done very often you just bite the bullet and do it.
Now whether you can get in a 3 hr nap after a 5 hr training ride when you have a wife and kids thats another story.
choice was the mate. How about picking one that is supportive of your endeavors.
That is the most telling statement about why so many ride. Some to get away from what’s home some to get away from other stuff… so true..
sorry man–i wasn’t actually responding to your comment. it was to the one from the guy who was complaining about not having a choice. i know plenty of married guys and girls, though honestly not too many with kids, who are still riding with plenty of “dedication”… i’m just saying that being crazy busy and still riding a little doesn’t make you more dedicated than someone who goes out of their way to keep things relatively simple, and that you shouldn’t complain about not having a choice.
0
i bumped into a guy the other day who ui hanven’t seen out much these days ,i said hey man where have you been ,he replied “i got divorced ,so idon’t need to ride as much anymore
I’m not married and I don’t have any kids. I’m putting my 2 cents in and voting for the married guys because I know, as a single guy, that they have it a lot rougher. I also know a lot of married guys who race. They eek out their training when they can, and a lot of that involves being on a trainer early in the am. Yes, having kids and getting married is a choice. One that 99% of the population makes. And do you think your work hours decrease when you have kids? Your boss all of a sudden says, “hey, take it easy, I know you’ve got a family.”
Having a family means being less selfish by definition. You make a sacrifice, it may be a choice, but it is a selfless one.
OK, here goes…. 1) I never said I roll-out at 4 am to ride CP. Hardly, I actually barely ride these days. 2) I’m not one to *fill up every second of my life* in the hopes of being a *dedicated cyclist* anymore. 3) I’d make a safe guess in saying that you are neither married or have kids. 4) I’m sorry to see the continued snarky comments on this here site. It makes me wonder why bother.
you’re right, dude. you’re stressed out and busy as hell because of powers beyond your control. you must be dedicated.
-1 for logic.
Finance guy makes $1mm a year, pays $300-$500k in taxes.
If those taxes cover the cost of 3 teachers, 1 cop, and 1 firefighter, how would him quitting to become a teacher add value to society?
Society would be unambiguously worse of
Dont comment unless you have something worth while to add.
You have to be kidding us. you could take a pay cut and add some value to society by becoming a teacher or somthing. You would then have your summers free to train.
mr. married guy with kids, you may “not have a choice,” but you HAD a choice, and you already chose… the mere fact that you get up at 4am to roll 3 laps of central park because you’ve chosen to fill up every second of your life doesn’t necessarily make you a dedicated cyclist.
Well, from my personal experience it has been a lot harder to train and race now that I’m married and with a new born baby. Single, it was quite easy for me to dedicate 15-20 hours on the bike and race every weekend. Heck, even taking a week off of work to do a stage race was no biggie! Now, I’d be lucky to ride 2-3 times a week and work my hectic 50+ hr week job (gotta make the loot, have mouths to feed.) All this while keeping marital harmony in check. So, to answer the question, does it take more dedication to train/race single or with family? Well, with family of course, duh! Anyone who can master the art of training 10-15 hours a week, handle a full time job, be a good spouse and parent is a dedicated, driven individual. Will they be cutting corners and making sacrifices to certain parts of their lifestyle? You bet! Probably, if anything it will add stress and new pressures where before (in the single life) there were none. I’d have to say I agree with ababaian. It’s all a matter of, “what you choose to sacrifice and how you spend your available time.” Besides, I L-O-V-E my wife and kid and they are the most important thing to me now.
usually after a race i’m up on a ladder fixing shit or getting boxes out of storage or shopping or something, at the request of my beloved.
funny how after a 4 hour ride my single friends rag on me for not going for a 1 hour coffee bs session b/c I have to go home and spend time with my wife. After I train from 7-10am (Sat and Sunday) I then have a deal to do what ever the wife wants. This somtimes means sitting on the beach chilling out or it could mean painting the apt or hiking at Bear Mnt – not the best way to recover/rest after a ride.
every time I have to buy a stroller, piece of kid furniture, extra health insurance for the kids, write a check to day care etc. etc. I think, damn for this I could by the new force gruppo or a new wheelset etc etc.
but I guess it’s kind of worth it.
how about the single finance types working 100 hrs a week? dedication comes in all forms, whether or not you knocked somebody up or got hitched
so far, single dad is winning this argument.
I love how the single guys are trying to put up a fight. Like it’s even a contest. Here’s an experiment, call up a sibling/friend/whatever and tell them they can go on vacation for a week, you’ll take care of their kids. See how much riding you get in that week. End of story. Married w/ kids will win every time. We understand that the single guys have other things to do in their lives. But they have a choice. Married guys with kids, do not have a choice.
you’re definitely the man
If you dont have a wife or husband waiting for you at home wanting to anything but hear about your ride, bike and lack of fitness you cant even compare. The other halves make training at times impossible. They want to enjoy the weekends also, and that does not mean waiting around in the house/apt for you to get back from a 5 hour ride to then eat, shower and chill out. So finding balance is much more difficult. When I was sigle, if I wanted to sleep in on Sunday I knew I could ride when I woke up. Also, your money goes towards much more then just gear. Lame shit like furniture.
… the single father/mother racer. I’m a single dad and taking care of my boy takes a lot of time. Bringing him to school and picking him up every day and cooking dinner and helping with homework without a spouse help doesn’t leave much time for training. So, I think the single parent is the most dedicated.
my wife and i are always arguing about my ride time. she always says, “you and your stupid bike.” i am definitely torn between family and bike but i love it……
you know what it is. its that covert, hold-your-breath and rub it out quickly maneuver you do when your wife is sleeping right next to you. if she’s a sound sleeper, you might even be grabbing one of her cheeks for a lil inspiration. then you fake a cough and roll over at money time.
hows that for too much info.
I think that this argument has a flaw. To dedicate yourself to something, you need to sacrifice something else (at least that’s how I view it). So, regardless if your single or married, you can be equally dedicated to cycling. What differs, is what you choose to sacrifice and how you spend your available time.
my wrikle stick is sore from all the sex i’m having. being single in NYC is the shit
Sex? Whats that?
Singles can’t honestly comment, they have no idea.
It’s a heck of a lot easier to get out of bed at 5 a.m. for a training ride / race when you’re married (especially after a few years) then to do it with a new bf/gf. That’s all i have to add. The prospect of morning sex kills my motivation to leave the bed.
too much information
For the copy editing, you’ve mad me a beter person. The wirld cin relax now.
I go with the single guys and gals – they have a ton more options than those of us with family responsibilities and yet still choose to participate in all this silliness. What else could I be doing at 6:00 AM?
not much of an argument here. Married Guys and Girls with children are more dedicated.
yuo assume that single people have nothing better to do because they aren’t married or have kids. just because your marital status is different doesn’t mean you don’t have lots of other stuff going on in your life. you’re as dedicated as the time you put in. a single dude putting in 15 hrs a week is just as if not more dedicated than a family guy getting 10 in.
married with childen is tough logistically, but easy motivationally…you aren’t going to bars any more and sometimes bike racing is the only “guy” time you get. On the other hand, I agree that in NYC there are so many attractive options for a single person then getting up at 6 to ride.
So it’s a tie.
when i was single i was a shitty bike racer because i spend all my time shagging chicks and playing beer games. Now the wife cooks me healthy food, washes my kit so my balls don’t rot off and prefers a friday night dinner date to colored fishbowls at brother jimmy’s. Incredibly, despite all my efforts to turn my body into an emaciated reflection of a cancer patient, she still sleeps with me.
Do you spend time with your family? Good. Because a man that doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.
….racer with spouse, kids, full time job is definitely more dedicated. Or does the racing/training really serve as therapy for all the other aspects of the parent/spouse/full time employee life. I’d probably find escape in the bottle if I didn’t have cycling in my life……but that’s just me.
it’s mad you a better speller too.
I kick myself for not getting into cycling when I was single and in college (my school had a great road and mtn team). Now I have to get up at 6 to ride from 7-10 on the weekends so my wife does not sit around all day waiting for me. I think married guys and gals are more efficient in their training and it is tougher as we cant get back from a 5 hour ride and then take a 3 hour nap. I cant imagine what it will be like when we have kids. I will be even slower!