Greg's cap looks familiar. Available 2016!
We made it to the new year! Bicycles have not been outlawed so things are looking up. Yet, the state of Cycling could always be much better and here are a few hopes.
Women’s Cycling- If anyone is racing on passion alone it’s women cyclists. God knows they are not doing it for the money as they don’t get any. Professional cyclists need to unite to get more of a share and women need to be there for the wrangling. The Women’s Cycling Association (WCA) is a great beginning. In Europe, another association, Strongher, is here to raise women’s cycling profile. I don’t know enough about women’s racing but I do know they are racing their asses off. They get little press, little money, little respect but anyone who watched the Women’s Worlds in Richmond knows how hardcore the racing is.
Men’s Cycling- The men are making good salaries, the prize money is impressive but the basic professional structure is teetering over a giant pot hole. Teams need more financial stability which will promote longevity and more sponsors. Can’t Gianni Bugno use his abundant Italian charm and good looks to fix all this, FFS? Frankly I’ll never have an informed opinion about this so I just hope someone gets it together. I’m calling for a strike damn it! See, I just said I no informed opinion.
Professional men’s cycling, like most professional sports where money is the driving force, is always going to be imperfect. And by imperfect I mean cheating by degrees will always be there and professional riders have always been negotiating the results while rolling down the road. There is no reason to think any of this will ever change so take your professional cycling with a small glass of skepticism.
UCI’s Technical Changes- It is likely the UCI will lower the weight limit for racing bikes in 2016. There maybe a trickle down effect for us civilians but I hope I can just lose some weight on me in 2016. It would be cheaper.
The disc brake experiments this year will be interesting. A soaking wet Amstel Gold or Roubaix would be a good litmus test. We all know soaking wet carbon rim brakes suck something awful; it’s the only time I fantasize about the discs. And speaking of soaking wet Roubaix, is that not on everyone’s list this year? This has to happen. And a snowy L-B-L while we are praying for miracles. Baby Jesus, make it so.
Velominati Goals- In 2016 I think we all hope for the time and health to train so as to crush our enemies and to hear the lamentation of the women (second part is optional). Getting older is no excuse when Rule #5 is on our crest, so Vive La Vie Velominatus, people. And yes, maybe finalize the V-crest this year too.
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Maybe Bugno can buzz the UCI in his helicopter, perhaps mess up their hair.
Riding the discs has changed my entire experience. I can carry so much more speed into the corners and if (more like when) I smash a rim out of perfect true on the cross course or pave, I still have predictable braking. That said I still like mechanical over hydraulic for bomb-proofiness.
Snuck in an ultimate ride of 2015 with my son yesterday, a quick spin in the low 60's down here in AZ. He complained at first but then kept pushing the pace - the V is strong with this one. he's on a coed team so competes with the faster girls all the time - perhaps the new generation will see more gender equity in the peloton. Let's hope so.
I know this is only one event but the 2015 whistler granfondo Giro category, (a sanctioned race that starts just ahead of the main granfondo), featured equal prize money for the female racers. The first place woman got the same $15,000 first place prize as the first male finisher. Would be great to see this more often as I agree the women race hard too and are great to watch!
Props for women's cycling. If you haven't seen already, watch Half The Road.
And on my reading list for this year is Ride The Revolution.
https://books.google.com/books/about/Ride_the_Revolution.html?id=4eWLCgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
Got a ride in yesterday with my wife and friends. Cold (40F) but not bone chilling cold. Although mostly overcast so it definitely felt cold. Good start to the year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
@Major VVald
Interesting. I sort of agree that mechanical disc sounds better. I guess hydraulic works well until it doesn't and there is oil all over things. My MTB has never gone to fluid failure but then again I don't ride it much either.
Co-ed cycling team. Jesus, that is a great idea. There is hope for the world. There weren't any scholastic cycling programs when I was a youth, unfortunately. If there had been maybe I would have actually talked to girls and not had to play football and football.
@Gianni
But the mechanical ones still tend (all decent ones anyway?) to have hydraulic callipers.
@chuckp
Good old Pat McQuaid. We don't miss him. It's still such a man's world, the ASO/UCI operational mess. And it's about to get more messy.
@Major VVald
Seriously. Gender equity won't happen until a younger generation of cyclists gets brought up to see that it's normal. Maybe I'm a cynic but I've given up hope that a bunch of old rich guys will get it done.
Also, I surely hope your son's team resides in the greater Phoenix area and doesn't ride for the hated blue and red team down south ;)
Discs are just wrong on road bikes. It completely fucks the lines.
@Gianni
Co-ed cycling team ??? Here in the states it's NICA !! National Interscholastic Cycling Association. This outfit will do more for getting kids on bikes and racing than USAC has any chance. Our local team doubled in size year over year and our ladies and gents are training and racing together. Race day is same day, same course. Yes, separate fields by gender and grade but the result points all add up the same and contribute to the overall team score. It's a blast and exactly what everyone is thinking is, Why didn't they have this when I was a kid ?!?