Cycling does not require skills?
#151
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https://escapecollective.com/kim-le-...n-on-saturday/
Kim Le Court-Pienaar (emphasis mine):
Kim Le Court-Pienaar (emphasis mine):
Riding in the bunch was a new experience for me. I know how to fight for position in getting onto the singletracks but in a mountain bike race we are not a group of 150 riders where all of them are on a high level and racing aggressively which makes the bunch a scary place to be honest.
My teammates joked that I can’t be scared because I am used to crazy downhills on rock gardens and all, but I said the rocks front of me don’t move like riders in a bunch. Another thing is that mistakes on the MTB are almost always your own fault. In road racing so much more is happening out of your control and you have to be focused and wide awake all the time. It’s way longer in kilometers but shorter in hours [than marathon racing]. It’s a big difference but I am adjusting to it.
My teammates joked that I can’t be scared because I am used to crazy downhills on rock gardens and all, but I said the rocks front of me don’t move like riders in a bunch. Another thing is that mistakes on the MTB are almost always your own fault. In road racing so much more is happening out of your control and you have to be focused and wide awake all the time. It’s way longer in kilometers but shorter in hours [than marathon racing]. It’s a big difference but I am adjusting to it.
#152
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your friend is right, and that is the reason I decided to get more serious with cycling. I am so out of shape and uncoordinated, I cannot join any local basketball or tennis club because I can’t play any “real” sports like those, but I also don’t want to stay “unhealthy” without any regular exercise.
“Most” popular sports that brings in tons of revenue are much harder and takes much more time to practice to be remotely competitive.
take baseball or football for example, sure, you can round up enough guys together to play a game, but if you want to join any club for “real” games that counts, it takes years of practice to get qualified for a “real team”.
for cycling, you can practice on your own and sign up a local event, and it is within the realm of possibility to do well in the event if the person is very determined.
“Most” popular sports that brings in tons of revenue are much harder and takes much more time to practice to be remotely competitive.
take baseball or football for example, sure, you can round up enough guys together to play a game, but if you want to join any club for “real” games that counts, it takes years of practice to get qualified for a “real team”.
for cycling, you can practice on your own and sign up a local event, and it is within the realm of possibility to do well in the event if the person is very determined.
Cycling is my lifelong sport, and at the highest levels requires a great motor and good kinesthetic intelligence (athleticism). But for the rest of us, I think it's great that it's highly accessible.
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#153
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Most recreational golfers, if playing by the rules, never break 100 in their lifetime. I've been out of it for about 15 years, but the average score used to be around 102 despite the enormous gains in technology/game improvement. I had a friend that I played with for about 5 years. I was close to scratch and always played the ball down and by the rules.(you need to if you play any competitive golf) He asked me one time how many strokes I thought he was getting playing the ball up and not counting every stroke. He thought it was around 3-5 strokes a round. I said it was about 20 or more. He decided to play the next round by the rules. It ended being 23 more than he usally recorded on that course. He quit shortly after that. His problems were mental. He had the skills to play much better, but would make bad decisions selecting clubs. His ego would not let him make overall good strategy decisions.
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#154
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#155
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Still working on emulating Danny
maybe next lifetime
maybe next lifetime
#156
I think that’s the same with any sport, especially if they were adult learners. But at least with cycling they can still get by for decades. They would probably just give up with other sports if they were really that bad.
#157
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#160
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They still do since down hill and free disciplines ride can lead to dangerous accidents but I think their armor is thinner compared to what they used to wear before .
Last edited by georges1; 04-15-24 at 04:17 PM.
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#161
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#162
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#163
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He returned back to dh last year Sam Hill is Back to Take on a Full Season of World Cup Downhill Racing. But after 5 years successful years racing Enduro, Sam is swapping his Nukeproof Mega for a new Dissent Carbon Downhill bike all set on a return to the sport he loves; downhill racing.
#164
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Didn't see him last year... however, after few years break from racing (even enduro) - family, covid etc. I doubt he can "successfully return"
there is a new breed of young crazy riders already (No, i'm not talking about Loris, Loic or Amaury )
there is a new breed of young crazy riders already (No, i'm not talking about Loris, Loic or Amaury )
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