Lack of interest: cycling races

[azfiddle]

My interest went from zero to sometimes paying attention.

Quite a few pros train in Tucson in the winter, and we have met a couple, including Tommy Danielson and Phil Gaimon, from Garmin Sharp. Most of the time it's too hard to actually watch races unless we can get replays on the computer (like tour tracker for Tour of Utah this week or Tour de Frances when we buy the package.

And I'm getting coaching from a pro racer now, so I like to see how she's doing in her races, but just see occasional results online.

[pll]

Watching races has grown on me. I clearly remember the first time I paid attention to a stage of the Tour de France (a friend wanted to come to my place and watch it ... his TV was broken) and I just did not get why it would be interesting. I understand it better now and it is fun. If I have to workout on the trainer, having a race on the TV or computer makes a big difference in the ease of the workout.

Last year another friend convinced me of participating in races myself. I did it as an experience (not my thing: I ended up viewing road races as opportunities to ride elsewhere... most of the participants could be my daughters!). Tried cyclocross and gravel races, as well. Those are more fun.

[Owlie]

I don't really care either, although when I was working at a bike shop, I sort-of paid attention to the pros so I could actually participate in conversation with customers. I do have former co-workers/friends who participate in local races (well, back-in-Ohio local), so I always ask or check to see how they did. Nothing beyond that, though.

[tulip]

I've been watching the Tour de France since 1986, when ABC Sports had one hour of coverage on Saturday. I really enjoy it. YMMV.

[zoom-zoom]

I love going to watch local races when I know a lot of the field...but to watch TdF...could not care less, in large part because of the scandals and chronic EPOing. When it was running this year it is all my MIL would talk about. At one point she started yakking to me about the race and I told her point-blank that I never watch it, don't know who half the names of cyclists are, and why I don't watch -- and she kept on yammering. Seriously?! The woman loves to name-drop. I just roll my eyes.

[shootingstar]

Which begs another question I ask myself, would I watch the female equivalent of Tour de France?

I didn't even watch the last few Summer Olympics Games. I haven't had a tv for past few years. Even before I was watching maybe 4 hrs. of tv in total weekly. Sometimes a lot less. I don't subscribe to pro cycling race news feeds. I have avoided subscribing to twitter feeds on anything I don't have facebook. I think I know there is a news blog for women' pro cycling races.

It would take some aggressive marketing for such an international race to penetrate into awareness for national-local audiences world-wide. Not to say, I wouldn't be interested but then I have to make the effort to find the info., create an online alert for myself when to watch, yaddyaddda..

There is a reason why I seem to wall myself slightly (I'm still in blogosphere..that's my social media): I like to declutter my brain from automatic bombardment of electronic alerts vying for my attention...less stress. Mind is at peace. I focus on the now, loved ones, and present future for stuff that happens live in before me.

I like participating in cycling itself. And still read non-racing stuff on cycling. But I pursue other personal interests outside of cycling also. Important for my own overall learning and enjoyment of other stuff for balance.

[Sky King]

The whole race thing is always funny. If you tell someone you ski, they don't automatically assume you ski race, but I find when I tell someone I enjoy biking they seem to assume I enjoy racing - two different things in my mind. My current favorite ball cap is from Surly and it says "Racing Sucks". Owning a bike store, I am constantly explaining to people that our store is not race bike oriented. I have moved beyond the need to defend so often times I will just smile, nod my head and walk away.

[shootingstar]

Owning a bike store, I am constantly explaining to people that our store is not race bike oriented. I have moved beyond the need to defend so often times I will just smile, nod my head and walk away.

I guess the proof in the pudding, would be the type of bikes you sell and how your web site looks. It's a tough one..because some of the money is in the racing oriented bikes. In some big cities, methinks some of the bike retailers have had to make some clear choices on the volume and diversity of inventory on hand.

[Owlie]

The whole race thing is always funny. If you tell someone you ski, they don't automatically assume you ski race, but I find when I tell someone I enjoy biking they seem to assume I enjoy racing - two different things in my mind. My current favorite ball cap is from Surly and it says "Racing Sucks". Owning a bike store, I am constantly explaining to people that our store is not race bike oriented. I have moved beyond the need to defend so often times I will just smile, nod my head and walk away.

I think that in the minds of many people, road bike or drop bars=race bike. When I worked at a bike shop, I often came across people who, after talking to them about what kind of riding they wanted to do, would probably benefit from a road or CX bike (when we started stocking them), but when I'd walk them over to the road/CX section, would go "Oh no! I don't want a racing bike!" I suppose that was sort of the fault of The Powers that Be who put all the bikes with drop bars in the same set of racks.