Originally Posted by teamawe
I'm not elite, dont race, but ride lots and do it as fast as I can. I have worked VERY hard to be in the shape I am and can't fathom the dedication it takes to be a 1 or 2. That can all be taken away by someones inexperience. Folks like to talk about racers 5k bikes, its more the years of training and last 3 4 or 5 months of pure pain they have gone thru to get in the shape they are in that racers fear losing. They have an INVESTMENT they are trying to protect. We participate in a dangerous sport, they are at the front end of that. I have NEVER met a guy that wouldnt help a noob out when asked, so long as it wasnt while he was training.
You've hit the nail on the head here. I think many of the people who have been harping on Event Services are taking issue with the exclusionary nature of his "rules". The problem lies in the fact that cycling is so many different things to so many different people. Some people ride for competition, some ride for transportation, but most ride to stay in varying degrees of shape. There's a place in cycling for everyone, and with that being said, there are some guys who are simply much better at riding a bike than the next guy, and it's perfectly normal for them to expect to ride with people of the same skill level. It ain't nothing against you as a person, but I'd rather not have to be driven home with a broken bone or road rash up and down my body.
I take bike-riding and racing seriously, and every single time I line up to start in a race, I'm wondering if the guy next to me will be the jerky rider who can't hold his line and knocks me down in a corner. Of course, it's the nature of the sport, but is it really so wrong to want to minimize the risks? I've spent a weekend in a hospital due to a rider who couldn't hold his line. I hold no grudge against the guy (hell, I can't even remember what he looked like), but that doesn't mean I want to have a repeat performance.
In my admittedly short bike-racing experience, I've encountered plenty of those weekend warriors who may have a good amount of steam in the legs, but are lacking in all the other skills which are necessary when riding at full-clip with other cyclists. Sure, I make mistakes once in a while and been yelled at, but I've learned from them, and become a better rider because of my desire to not pissing off a bunch of fellow riders.
