Originally Posted by
TiHabanero
This will sound controversial going against convention, however what is the point of "racing" if one does not have a chance of riding at the front? I raced for 10 years on the road and 5 years off-road, then dabbled in TT for another 5 years when it dawned on me that I was chasing something that I did not understand. In the last TT I did it came to my mind half way through that this whole racing thing is pointless unless I can actually win, which I couldn't and never did except the very first race I entered.
From that point forward riding has been about the joy of the motion, yakking it up with a buddy as we roll the road, or saving a ton of money commuting to work and running errands. No longer do I chase my ego from one event to the next or compare my times with everyone around me as if they knew me and gave a crap about my times or anyone else's times. Just their times are important to them.
If one cannot win, why do it? To be the fastest middle-packer? Not to finish last? Seriously? Pathetic. One races to win. Period.
I mostly agree. But you can still race yourself and/or your peer group. I enter events with a view to beating my own PRs and competing against my friends at a similar level. There are faster guys outside of my little bubble, but that doesn’t bother me as long as I’m doing my best and enjoying the ride. I entered the L’Etape du Tour last year and finished somewhere in the top 5000. But it was an epic ride, I finished 2nd in our group and nobody really gives a crap who actually won it overall anyway! I don’t bother with local crit races and TTs for much the same reasons you stated. Crits are not worth the danger to be an also-ran and TTs are not worth the mindless effort unless you can win and even then nobody will care.