rkwaki

Another taker, hahahaha
How is fat Phil feeling?

mollusk

Probably not so good.

Really nice guy, though.

botto 

is he getting a PhD in stupidity?

rkwaki

Had I been riding I was planning on coming down your way last winter so you could cook me dinner and I could beat up on fat Phil on the flats

Boss McCross

Thank you very much for your feedback. I have had some of the results you posted about. And beaten legit pros. I would really be interested in having a private conversation. Maybe you could provide me some background and what teams are looking in a private message?

rkwaki

BTW I was joking. Rosters are set for the year.
One thing to remember a pro in a local event (i.e. p/1/2/3 race) and the same pro in a pro race is a completely different rider. They often ride them for training or to keep from getting bored or to make a little cash but when surrounded by their peers they are very very different.

botto 

too true.

rkwaki

I have spent a bunch of time with a UHC guy (grolby knows who I am talking about) and his persona during long training rides/local races is very different than at big races. He and I laughed last year after I got into an argument with two riders (they said I was being sketchy, I told them to get out of my way so I wouldn't have to go around them in a corner) - we laughed about the fact that that is how you do it in the bigs...

mollusk

You can get a PhD anytime.

A pro contract is harder to get.

mollusk

I have passed him many times on personal training rides. He is REALLY disciplined in his training.

I would be happy to cook you dinner. Just stay away from my wife.

botto 

true, but a domestic contract pays what? about what a burger flipper at micket d's makes?

rankin116

Probably better than what I make while working on a PhD.

island rider

I actually doubt that if you manage to be a TA or research assistant or something. Now, in terms of after the PhD. I think the domestic pro has a PhD recipient beat. Especially if the PhD is in Early Spanish Colonial Cave Painting.

rankin116

I get a research stipend. They pay my health insurance. It's literally just enough to get by.

echappist

next up: try living on a stipend in NYC. in that context, cycling is truly an luxury. I avoided the MTA for four years in order not to pay fares and commuted to most places on my bike. Thank goodness there was a trader joe's where i could get the cheapest grocery in the city, and often times i ended up having 20lbs of stuff on my bike rack and another 30lbs on my shoulders. When i stood up to pedal my bike actually felt unstable b/c of the heavy weight on the back. Hooray for the life of a Ph D student.

and the best part? I was paying $1k for a single room whereas i pay $1200 now for a large studio. My grocery bill, even after the scrimping, was $400/month in NYC, and i sure ate a lot of stuff i wouldn't buy now (e.g. poultry laden with antibiotics). i didn't actually realize that 6oz-heavy chicken breast was unnatural...

Forget about going to bars or restaurants if you want to save a bit or have a hobby. Many people i know resorted to tutoring to make ends meet.

Homebrew01

I knew a guy back in the day that started racing as a master, upgraded to a 2 quickly and went over to Austria with a teammate and they got 1-2 at Masters Worlds road race.

Racer Ex 

Started racing at 45. Went from 5-2 in a season. I got my 1 at 47. Had offers to ride with several 1/2 teams. Figured those slots might be better filled with kids who might turn into something other than old.

Bobby J. lived out of his car for a year.

When I did the pro Moto GP thing I lived hand to mouth for a lot of years. Never got the factory ride, never made the "big Show" in Europe. Could have spent that time getting a degree, instead all I have is a diploma from a lousy high school.

Never regretted it for a second.

I learned more doing that than I ever did in the 6 months I went to JC. Money's just an opportunity tool, it's not a life.

You're talking like a responsible parent (shudder).

Is...this...the...end...of....

Botto?

shovelhd

A friend signed with Kelly this year at 24. He was mainly recruited for cross, though. 24 in UCI cross is a whole different deal than 24 in UCI Continental, much less Pro Tour.

OP, if you're for real, good luck and race safe. If you're a sock, go **** yourself.

echappist

i thought we agreed that he was for real?

shovelhd

I'm a Master and I can't keep up. Go **** yourself.

shovelhd

There's a Kwakerson retort in there somewhere.

botto 

Yes, because I chose such a practical profession.

HMF

Your math doesn't work out. If you're new to racing, you started as a 5. You must complete 10 races to upgrade to Cat 4. You need 25 points to upgrade to Cat 3, wich could be done in 4 races if you won every race. You would then need 30 points, I think, to upgrade to Cat 2, which could be done in 5 races if you won every race (maybe less if you did stage races).

So, if you won every single race you entered, we're talking at least 19 races here.

Anyway, to answer your question, there are a few racers around here who went from 5>1 in a season, one of whom is now riding for a domestic pro team. He just raced with them a lot, and was consistently up there for the finish. I think he just asked them, or they asked him. Race a lot, with the teams you want to ride with, get results, and see if something pans out by September.

theblackbullet

Interesting thread. It's pretty cool to see people who can just enter the sport and dominate.




and fwiw, despite the rules, 10 races are NOT necessary to become a cat 4

nhluhr

Fixed the math for you.