Personality Argument

Section head text.

I’ve always enjoyed racing because it allows me to drop my workaday costume and behave aggressively, deviously and ruthlessly. For me, it’s part of the fun. But, am I more like myself when I’m racing or when I’m not?

I’d like to think I’m more aggressive when I race than I am in daily life. So, here’s the question? Does your racing style reveal your true personality or it a distortion of who you are?

This is a self revelation style argument, which means you can’t speculate or just talk crap about anyone else. No log in but no identity theft allowed either.

84 Comments

DHR

Ok, I’ll start this…I fart a lot more on the bike than I do in polite company…so I guess you could say that I am more myself. Maybe that is just my way of getting rid of wheelsuckers.

What happend to Settel? The hand it what happened!

He got robbed is what happened! It was the hand! The time difference was the timer’s hand!

bike racer

the same guy beat him last year too….in the same TT !

was it the hand there to….or is that guy just faster than him ?

NYC racer

That was not just any guy, Tony should not feel bad being beat by Brian Wolf. He won the GC there last year and this year in the 45+. look at the times in the RR and Crit, the 45+ was the fastest of all cats ! Brian Wolf is an old school superstar who knows how to win bike races !

to Anon:

Olsen didn’t get his upgrade because he didn’t word his resume properly. He’s got the points, and even if he’s shy, he can go on 10 top tens, and if he cant go on that, well he at least did 25 pack finishes. What else can be said?

Chris M

In "regular life" I wear leather underwear, but it chafes too much on the bike, so I just go with the chamois. But the lycra still makes me feel sexy, so its cool.

Anonymous teammates

Maybe he lost cause his shoes did not match his saddle, did they Bone cause if not I know thats like 2 secs right there.

Then there is the whole Euro hair cut, thats gives you an easy 10 seconds. Shaved arms 3 seconds. OILED FINGER TIPS did you oil up?

TT is in the details

Personality Test..which rider are you..

Personality type

Adventurer-Bombs the descents! Attacks often and never in the same spot. Like to try new gadgets.

Bossy-Yells at everybody in the pack, Always attacks in the same spot (Rad). Knows no pain. Always wants to be the team leader.

Conventional-Always attacks in the same place very predictable

Conformist-Never see them in a break.

Creator-Likes to ride alone but at the same time loves the sprint finishes and utter chaos. Comes up with interesting strategy.

Dependent-never attacks unless someone else attacks

Eccentric-Uh Eric Berend

Extrovert-The sprinter

Fall Guy-A real team player, does what he’s told

Fearful-Never involved in the sprint

Flamboyant-Rides in Soho with his kit on

Hyper-Always attacks for no reason

Loner-Rides on the outside, Likes to ride in the back or solo on the front.

Man’s Man-Always ride’s in the front, Drags everyone

around the park, takes really long pulls then dies!

Passive Aggressive-always thinks that the proposed strategy never works. Pisses off everyone in the pack.

Never a good team player. Hates following team orders. Attacks all the time and without thought

Personable-Always work in a break, Good team player, Usually the joker in the pack.

Problem Solver-Loves to whip up bike strategy and resolve team politics

Resilient-Never gives up, Never overreacts in a sticy situation. Always in the mix and finishing up front

Show-off-(the soon to be pro)..knows he or she is good.

Always crosses the finishing line not even breathing hard.

Ultra-Femme-Uh..well we all shave our legs and wear tight lycra? Never aggressive in the race.

Victim-Always rides on the outside, never wants to assume a team leader role. Never attacks, but then kicks themselves later for not doing so. Rides not because they enjoy it but because they have to lose weight or some other similiar excuse. Always complains about how slow the pack is but never does anything to drive the pace up.

Resiliant. . .

. . . or at least I’d like to think so.

To the creator of Personality Test: man, you really put a lot of thought into this. Impressive. Regarding the original question, I’ve observed that conditions of duress tend to reveal a person’s strengths and weaknesses of character pretty reliably. The more extreme the duress the more is revealed. INO, we’re more likely to be ourselves in a race than we are in the world at large.

DHR

I am certainly more agressive in races than I am in normal life. I don’t care if I am first into the subway, or whatever, but dammit I am going to try to win every chance I have in a race.

TH

agree with Resiliant.

i think we’re closer to ourselves in a race. a competitive drive just doesn’t go away when you put down the bike. instead it just gets hidden away under different societal layers. in real life we have to pick our battles, we can’t be agressive all the time (unless you want to be a major dick head)

Anonymous

Anxious-Very sensitive always worried about what the other rider is going to do

Defiance-Will attack, just because someone said you couldn’t do it. Always argues with the team, and always has a team strategy that everyone else "should" follow.

Obsessiveness-Worries if is saddle height is 1mm over or under. Will only race when it’s dry out.

Overattachment-Can’t go on a ride without his/her powermeter.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity:Says they’re going to do a slow ride, the ride starts out slow, then turns into a hammerfest, then he says he wants to ride tempo home.

Black/White-hates being in a pack, but can’t ride alone.

Always craves a new gadget, buys it, then gets bored of it almost immediately.

Depressed-Always thinks it going to be a sprint finish and they have no chance. So they always ride in the back. And when they train they always train alone.

Hypochondriac-Always blames their results on some illness.

Narcissistic- Needs people to tell them how good they are. Yells at teamates in the pack. When in a crash, they don’t ask if the other person is ok. Will only do a race if they have a chance to do well in.

Manic/Depressive:Unpredictable, surges in breaks and in pack riding. Attacks like crazy in one race, then you donn’t see them at all in the second race.

Suspicious:Rides on the sides or in the back, Never attacks, Will never change their training techniques, Very stubborn. Always questions team tactics, and scruitinizes everyone on the team. Holds grudges and will try to take you down in the next race.

Psychopathic-Rides in oppsosite way of traffic, Causes crashes, always does an attack on long slow ride.

Cops are always chasing them.

Alex B

i ride just like i live.

the goals in a bike race are much more short-term, so its easier to see myself trying hard to "get ahead" when i’m on the bike. the intensity in a race is magnified because it is explicitly competitive with a short, pre-determined time-frame. but if you look over months or years of non-cycling ("real") life, i dislike falling short of my goals just as much as i hate missing the break or getting dropped.

plus yeah, social order holds me back a little more off the bike then on i guess. like TH said.

Eddie Burlem

I would say something smart or witty but it would just bounce back with hate. Tony is a stand up guy with a great deal of results. Contray to what is written here.

The only thing I can do to protest this site and whats said on it is write each advertiser and let them know I will no longer being using/considering their products if they continue to advertise here.

Eddie

ken s

To Eddie:

Don’t you think that’s a bit of an overreaction? Because some knucklehead–and there’s always going to be a knucklehead–says something knuckleheaded doesn’t mean that anyone else–you, me, this site, those who advertise here, etc.–share the opinion.

schmalz

Mr Burlem,

Let me get this straight:

There’s one negative comment about Tony Settle (which may be some fools’ idea of a joke, but let’s just assume that it is negative).

This comment inspires four people to post and defend Tony, who everyone knows is a great guy.

Making the score is four defenders against one knucklehead.

So, you’re response is to try and close down the entire site through a protest (my name is spelled s-c-h-m-a-l-z, by the way) because someone who isn’t even INVOLVED the site’s operation voiced an opinion (albiet unfounded and stupid), which is still not against the law, by the way. You do get to be stupid in the US, it’s an inalienable right. A right I invoke quite often.

Just checking the facts here…

Anonymous

"The only thing I can do to protest this site and whats said on it is write each advertiser and let them know I will no longer being using/considering their products if they continue to advertise here."

Or you can merely stop visiting this site, thereby taking the responsibility yourself instead of burdening others with it. But you won’t, I guess.

To Eddie Burlem

I dont believe you, your gonna keep coming back for more. you need it, its your fix.

Schmalz, he should get the bawm chicka bawm shirt!

fyi: your site is always outta control, stop defending it, just let it go bonkers!

garrrrrrrr cat 4rrrrrr haterrrrrrrs!

Onto more practical matters. . .

Now that we have pirate talk and peloton psychoanalysis out of the way, one topic that’s had me thinking lately is the issue of how many bikes a person should feel reasonably entitled to own? I just bought my first-ever brand new, up-to-date, racing bike after riding on used, hand-me-down technology all my life, and now I have three bikes. I’m thinking of simplifying my life and putting the other two on eBay and becoming a one-bike man. (although the Colnago Tecnos will be awfully hard to part with). One might legitimately argue that to be in the very best "zone" you should always ride the same bike. Of course there’s always the possibility of crashing your only bike, but to keep a second bike sitting around your apartment as crash insurance seems like negative psychology. . . discounting broken human parts, you could likely be replace your broken bike parts and be up and running again in a week if you choose fairly mainstream equipment. . . any thoughts?

Brooklyn Pro

You sound like every Fred out there who doesn’t have a clue. You can have as many bikes that you want …..nothing is going to help you !

Fred

So, Brooklyn Pro, let me see if I understand you correctly: the more bikes you own, then the more helpless you are. Correct? That does sound logical the more I think about it.

Fred

JFT, the topic isn’t actually about bikes, it’s about riders and their beliefs/habits. . . I’m curious to know who believes in riding a single bike, and who believes in having a bunch sitting around. . . perhaps that -is- boring. OK then, back to pirate talk.

Brooklyn Pro

Let me be very clear Salut……..its not about the bike or bikes , ITS ALL ABOUT THE RIDER ………Now lets talk about Tony Settle’s TT…….the fact that he is NY State TT champ, he let NY down up there at Bob Beal. We have the Mets and Yankees…….we want nothing to do with Settle ! So what if he won the 40-44 up there last year, it was a weak field ! Look at the names of the 45’s up there this year……and he was 10th in GC. What does that say ! I’ll tell you what itsays ……HE SUCKS !

Eugene

"We have the Mets and Yankees…….we want nothing to do with Settle "

Brooklyn Pro, you’ve honored Tony by putting him in with some very good company. He should be pleased.

Fred

<<Let me be very clear Salut……..its not about the bike or bikes , ITS ALL ABOUT THE RIDER >>

OK, now I understand. If I really have a brass set, I can just get rid of all the fu*kin’ bikes and challenge you to a match sprint in my bare feet. Yeah, I can dig that. That -really- simplifies things. Thank-you for the insight. . . well, time to leave the corrections facility and get back to work.

Anonymous

Sep 20,2006 by anonymous

Anxious-Very sensitive always worried about what the other rider is going to do

Defiance-Will attack, just because someone said you couldn’t do it. Always argues with the team, and always has a team strategy that everyone else "should" follow.

Obsessiveness-Worries if is saddle height is 1mm over or under. Will only race when it’s dry out.

Overattachment-Can’t go on a ride without his/her powermeter.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity:Says they’re going to do a slow ride, the ride starts out slow, then turns into a hammerfest, then he says he wants to ride tempo home.

Black/White-hates being in a pack, but can’t ride alone.

Always craves a new gadget, buys it, then gets bored of it almost immediately.

Depressed-Always thinks it going to be a sprint finish and they have no chance. So they always ride in the back. And when they train they always train alone.

Hypochondriac-Always blames their results on some illness.

Narcissistic- Needs people to tell them how good they are. Yells at teamates in the pack. When in a crash, they don’t ask if the other person is ok. Will only do a race if they have a chance to do well in.

Manic/Depressive:Unpredictable, surges in breaks and in pack riding. Attacks like crazy in one race, then you donn’t see them at all in the second race.

Suspicious:Rides on the sides or in the back, Never attacks, Will never change their training techniques, Very stubborn. Always questions team tactics, and scruitinizes everyone on the team. Holds grudges and will try to take you down in the next race.

Psychopathic-Rides in oppsosite way of traffic, Causes crashes, always does an attack on long slow ride.

Cops are always chasing them.

My profile of Brooklyn Pro

Suspicious:Rides on the sides or in the back, Never attacks, Will never change their training techniques, Very stubborn. Always questions team tactics, and scruitinizes everyone on the team. Holds grudges and will try to take you down in the next race.

Brooklyn Pro

Wow I didn’t know Tony had so many lovers……no wonder he lost the TT, he had a hard time sitting on his saddle !

denos

WW’s 45-49 took 2,4,5 and 6th in Beal TT, unfortunate accident in crit gapped Tony S off preventing a higher GC finish.

Brooklyn Pro

What happened in the RR, best place for WW’s was 7th with Settel in 14th. You mean to tell me after the Crit he would have won overall ? NO WAY !! Even if there was not a mishap .He would not have made top 5. Those guys in that race were real bike racers, Tony was not in their class !

denos

you’re right brooklyn pro, we’ll discuss removing TS from the team. sorry to bother you and thanks for the heads up about who’s a real bike racer around here.

Brooklyn Pro

One last comment and you will never hear from me again. I’ll give you alittle insight on my disdain with Tony Settel. Last year at this same Bob Beal race he whined and cried to everyone here in NY and God knows where else about not being the fastest at that TT, so much so, that he sounded like alittle girl with a dress on . So this year same race, same TT ……you would think TS is going to do the right thing and go up there and Man UP ! but no , he shows who he really is , and the whining the excuses and the crying start allover again…….it is awful to listen to your teamate be such a poor sport ! My advice for TS is to lose with grace and SHUT UP !

Thats all have a nice off season .

Boston, Ma

So is this personality argument to prove that !00% of NYC racers are wanks, isn’t science grand.

Olsen this is the reason your still a 4, Judy knoows therer is a very good chance that your not a nice person.

B

Albin

Oh yeah– Brooklyn Pro _totally_ has a crush on Settel. That’s some petty nonsense to get all worked up about. But he _is_ all worked up.

Jersey Boy

Settel has hairy legs and no class, I agree with Brooklyn Pro. ……Albin , I think you have – a – crush -on BP

schmalz

You fixate on my grammar and you can’t tell the differenece between "to", "too", and "two?" And keep refreshing your screen to see the responses to your mighty post…

Tony Settel

Bian Wolf beat me fair and square. What a great race to come down to .1 of a second. That’s the way it goes sometimes.

With regard to the hating – Thanks! Now I feel like a real bike racer as I have joined the ranks of so many that I admire that have been flamed on this site.

Comments are closed.