Only offroad race I tried was the Gralloch and that was pretty nuts in terms of the number of people on the course, the size of the packs and the risks that people were taking! Definitely felt a lot less than safe at times, and saw an awful lot of bloodied knees and elbows and people picking themselves up after crashing.
Assume that smaller races are less intense?
Yes, I wouldn’t take the Gralloch as an example, especially this year, where it was both a UCI Worlds qualifier, and British champs.
But to be honest, gravel races might not be the safest anyway, I think they attract a lot of people with little racing experience, who then go all out on surfaces they don’t have much experience with. If you want a friendly atmosphere, and safe-from-other-riders racing, try a local cross or MTB race.
I’m hopping back into this thread having decided to stop riding outside for the rest of the year.
A woman was killed by a hit and run driver here in the DC area recently. I didn’t know her (and RIP to her and God bless her family,) but it’s triggered my PTSD in ways I wasn’t expecting.
To make a long story short, almost 20 years ago I was hit on a ride, blowing up my lower leg. Multiple surgeries later I was able to walk again. Then a year later my Dad crashed in a high speed group ride, ended up in ICU and was touch and go, but made it out OK. Took about a year before he recovered and he never did the fast group ride again. Then my Dad’s best friend was out on a ride and got blown off the road by a passing car and he landed in a ditch with a broken neck. Paralyzed from the neck down.
Those horrific events all stacked on top of each other really soured me on riding outside, but I soldered on and did about 80% of my training on the trainer and %20 outside, doing some centuries and a few CX races.
But the senselessness of the hit and run death has me shaken to the core. I feel instantly more relaxed telling myself I never have to ride outside again, if I don’t want to.
I say this a cyclist who loves riding his bike. And I thank God for the TR platform. It’s allowed me to train indoors for years and now it will make up probably close to %100 of my riding going forward.
Maybe I will bite the bullet and finally get Zwift this year as well.
Anyway, I’ve fallen out of love with riding outside which makes me both sad and relaxed at the same time, if that makes sense.
I’ll see you all on the trainer……and God Speed to all of you looking to get your mojo back
Yeah–this is one of the reasons I had a ton of trouble with my first comeback season. The guy who was one of the owners of the shop I race for was hit and freaking annihilated near Boulder this year. This comes on the heals of one tragedy after another–the maestro here where I live paralyzed from the waist down after being hit at the Alpine Fondo, the Dad of the guy who was best man wedding killed by a drunk driver while riding. There are other people I knew less well who have been killed.
Cycling makes me who I am. It completes me. I’m miserable without it. But….
My first year doing ultras was a series of six consecutive “hardest I’d ever done” races. After finishing #5 I was elated. Spent the next week grinning to myself, so happy about my accomplishment. After finishing race #6 (which remains the hardest race I’ve ever done from a mental standpoint), I wasn’t happy, I was just relieved. Recognizing that as the beginning of burn out, I ended my summer season early. I had my A+ bucket list race on the calendar for next spring and I didn’t want to jeopardize it. It was the correct decision.
After A+ race (which was awesome) I wasn’t really feeling cycling. I took a year off the bike and had a great time lifting weights. I really recommend having a dual sport focus if you’re not planning to go pro. Get tired of one, switch to the other. And hopefully there’s some crossover with training. Even when I was playing football back in the day as my primary sport, I gave rugby a go during a few off-seasons. Cardio++ and better tackling technique. Switching it up can keep you fresh both mentally and physically.
I am dabbling in a totally new sport right now and after my next A race I’ll probably hang up the bike for a bit and throw all my energy into not sucking at New Sport. There’s a type of person who can eat the same meal day after day but that is not me.
I’m very much the same. I trail run in the winter and hardly ride. What sport are you getting into? I started tennis again after almost 35 years of inactivity with it. In addition to cycling and some racing next year, I do hope to be injury free for tennis. It’s so freaking fun.
Yeah, it’s so horrific. It’s just happening over and over again. Cars seem to have won (for now). The thing is, along with my family and music, road cycling is in my top 3. Sometimes I think that if I get taken out doing it, the old adage will simply apply (he was doing what he loved).
Going back to the original post, I’ve always felt that TrainerRoad’s “Making You a Faster Cyclist” differed from my goals keeping cycling fun and staying in shape. Being faster was one way of having fun, but not the only way. Trying to catch live podcasts with Jonathan, Nate and Chad was fun, but I haven’t enjoyed them as much since Chad left and since they stopped being live. (I can understand life being better for Jonathan if the podcasts are pre-recorded, though.
)
These days, much of my outside riding is on bicycle paths. I always have Garmin’s LiveTrack sending my progress home to my wife and Varia radar is always watching my back. There’s a time-trial series I compete in once a year to gauge how well I’m doing - still successful in my age group, but my age group’s population is declining. 
Tennis sounds great! My spouse is former tennis player. We are now doing pickleball. Took a lot of convincing on the spouse’s end, like asking a chess player to play checkers. Now we’re in it and having a lot of fun. That said, I have a hard time doing any sport recreationally. Like we come home from weekend pick-up game. Spouse is like “that was fun” and turns on the TV. Me? I’m on YouTube looking at this or that drill to improve whatever.
It’s been a whole process getting back to… lateral movement. And jumping. Loading the achilles. I’m working on some prehab to make sure my joints and ligaments and everything are prepared. Cycling is an extremely artificial movement and so I imagine there are some glaring weaknesses with so many degrees of freedom off the bike. Who knows if New Sport will end up sticking. But I know that I can use it as a motivator to iron out weaknesses, focus on some shoulder PT which I have been neglecting (don’t need it for cycling), work on agility, footwork, plyos, etc. All good stuff for lifelong fitness, and might have some marginal benefits to cycling if/when I switch my focus back.
Yea, my Dad (who made it out of ICU close to 20 years ago) still rides. At 80 he has a kick a@@ Pinarello e-road bike and does the retirees rides with his other slow friends. But he says the same thing - if I get taken out, at least it was doing what I loved.
I don’t exactly hold that same love for cycling. I also really like hitting the gym, hanging out with my son, playing music, and collecting records. And chances are pretty low that I’ll get run over doing any of those things.
I just started playing golf again after a couple of decades. It’s all my brain can think about right now. And I feel like I’ve finally cracked the code or something. I shot 80 with three birdies after not having played around in 25 years and having just worked on the range for the last couple of months.
Now I’m thinking - a few hours per week on the bike to stay aerobically fit, the gym, and golf. Ironically, maybe I’ll do more cycling now that winter is coming.
At 59, my fast cycling days are behind me but if I can shoot in the 70s regularly in golf, I’ll be near the top of the heap in local senior golf. It’s exciting.
Similar here. While I have played golf all along, this year in retirement we joined a club so have doubled the number of rounds played to somewhere in the 80ish range. Having hobbies that consume large amounts of time conflict with each other and this summer, cycling took a back seat and fitness suffered accordingly. I’ll work on that over the winter and try something more balanced next year.
I doubt I reflect what typical riders here have mentioned except on a few points.
I hated racing nearly from the start, and pretty much hate watching or hearing about any pro racing.
As a solo cyclist (racing, touring, commuting, training) and no friends who did any cycling at all (just one while in high school for 1 year) I really do not do it for social purposes, jyst brain and body exercise. I as a competitor I never found anything in common with others (I had no money, racing on equipment 10 to 15 years or more older than others, improper sized frame because it was the best price, etc.). I was never concerned with looks or fitting in as I thought doing the sport was all it took (wrong!). Last 2 races (both while in my 50s) I wore a cotton t-shirts, and used a 40 year old bike and a 55 year old bike (45 lb, all steel components); of course I was sneered at even though I beat others with $5000 EasyBake Oven bikes with 84 gears, etc.; granted my pedals were only 35 years old (Look pedals so my concession to modernity). Even group rides and non-competition organized events are no fun and none occur in my vicinity. Kind of hard to get excited about driving 100 miles or more just to ride 25 to 50 miles, or even a century (might as well cycle to the event, turn around and cycle home). Just the cost of participating in an organized ride is cost prohibitive. Last century I passed on cost $75 to ride on open roads with traffic and no assurance of safety at choke points/intersections, required to wear a “certified” helmet when my 50 year old helmet is my favorite but is “illegal” per organizers even though you waive them of all liability, buy your shirt (I never do as I do not necessarily feel the need to show others what I participate in), cookouts mid-ride (a banana, peanut butter, and water is all I need and want; of course I never use any marketed “energy” crap: gels, powders, pastes, drinks, pills, ); I cannot eat a hotdog and other crap and want ride anywhere.. So that century essentially would cost me $1/mile given entry, nutrition, and fuel to participate in; wonderful. Even if a member the cost would be higher considering the membership fee does not save you much ($15 discount; $33 membership+ $60 event= $93; no shirt); but there is free pint at the end. The only club I was ever in actually gave members 50% off sponsored events back in the day when the sport meant more than the profit.
I asked a bike club if they ever ride where I live. Answer was no because it was too far for members to drive (or ride), and yet that is exactly what they want me to do (they would not even consider a monthly request to meet at a half-way point). Who wants to do the same boring loops that group rides are incessantly doing.
So my sport of choice for over 50 years has turned decade by decade into nothing in regards to racing, organized rides, and the news surrounding it.
Now in an effort to revitalize my passion I have again been going against the grain. Riding a 40 year old lo-pro on 50 mile rides (did 70 miles on Thanksgiving in ‘25) makes me feel good about my body since most cyclists freak out that I am able to ride the thing (my pain is constant whether sitting on sofa or a bike). Now riding thousands of miles per every 3 months as opposed to hundreds of miles per year; all just riding different local roads, and running errands by cycling instead of wasting money driving to do them. Riding local roads and paths as CX/XC type rides on my lo-pro and older racing bikes using 25-30mm tires is more exciting than riding with what others require for 40-45mm tires to do and allows me challenge myself in body and mind.
Now planning on trying to organize some informal racing on my property in a family oriented manner is also helping to lift my spirits regarding cycling. Giving something back a sport that never gave me anything in any organized manner. Events will include gravel drag racing, short CX/XC loop type events, log or weight sled pulls, longest jump, etc. and would allow the youngest to the oldest cyclists a chance to have fun, test themselves without any pressure or cost (no charge) to do some events I doubt most done; and earn a little cash, and share some BBQ afterwards without all the BS (no sponsors, etc.). Hope to get it off the ground for the coming summer if I can clear legal hurdles regarding liability. I know I will not attract “serious” cyclists and that will be perfect.
Do not get me wrong; I love cycling, but something to do with its soul has diminished exponentially with the insane marketing and one-upmanship regarding equipment. I dread being seen on a bike, dread the vehicular traffic, and dread hearing everyone who i just having a wonderful time while oblivious to the insanity that only I seem to encounter. Seems everybody with a liitle money needs to be dressed and equipped like pro athletes in all the disciplines. I may have never looked or acted the part; but at least I could perform on par with those that did. The foolishness I hear is just inane, like the rather “large” man who firstly stated he did not think a woman could handle a 15 mile commute; but is worried about whether he should ride deep section rims for his “intense long duration sprints”. When I asked how long these sprints were he stated 3 miles. Wow; my “long” sprints were only ever 1/2 mile with a 1/4 or less being more normal; at least what I consider a sprint at speeds of around 35 mph or higher (any of you actually sprint at 1.5 times or more your normal spped for 3 miles on the road?). He is not competing, he is not a track pursuit racer; but rims that are not really going to provide measureable benefits are of major concern, and not frequency of riding; nor distance, duration, etc. I have never heard casual cyclists being so hung up with stuff that high level atheletes use as I have in the past 20 years or so (yes, there were always those types, posers, etc., but not nearly as many). I can only assume the blame is due to being brainwashed by the marketing on the internet stressing the advantages of using professional equipment all the while neglecting to point out that the benefits were designed around those who operate on a completely different level than themselves and the majority of benefits are psychological that and primarily that of a placebo effect made to make you feel better about having the best stuff. No electronic wireless shifting system or carbon fiber bike has ever beaten me; only better, stronger, faster cyclists who would beat me just as often if I rode their equipment and they used my antiquated down tube friction shifting (never used indexed in competition) “heavy” steel frame bike.
So my love of cycling has diminished due to bragging (about accomplishments and what they have for equipment), cheating (at all levels), overpriced equipment, overpriced service, incompetent service (have had multiple bikes damaged and nearly damaged by shops), hyped marketing, companies building “collectors bikes” (never intended for actual use; e.g. ColNogo) and downright delusion in the community on average.
I doubt I could even enter a masters event and not be laughed at; nor do I want to now that testosterone is their thing to cheat with.
I do hate recumbent trikes (they seem to affect a rider’s logical thought process), and ebikes (for many reasons).
Sorry, I will shut up until reality hits the sport again (I’ll be dead).
Take care, Jesper
(N. Florida)
I asked Gemini to summarise the above post and it created a file called ‘Cycling Grump’s Manifesto’ which seems fairly accurate!
@CaptainThunderpants I’m not a racer by nature (coming to cycling from basketball) so I felt what you’re describing right after my first season, yet my passion for cycling has mostly grown through the years.
Let me elaborate: in 2020 I raced almost every XCM event in my country as I had just returned home after living abroad and I wanted to travel around. The following year I did at most 1/3 of the races, and I’ve kept them to 2 or 3 in total ever since, feeling about them mostly as you’ve described, without the anxiety. Instead, I go on yearly ~10-day bikepacking trips in different countries, every second year I do a big 2-3 month bikepacking adventure, and I train to extend my range and capabilities for these challenges. This has kept me progressing in terms of fitness which in itself has proven to be quite addictive as I am in my late 30s and I’ve only seen my high impact team sports performance declining in the past 5 years. When it comes to cycling, I feel like I have at least ~5 more years of improvement in myself and I take it as my responsibility to see how far I can push it. Thus, I can keep myself motivated by doing 2-3 yearly races that I use as benchmarks of my performance and as events to center my training plans around. I set myself challenges like doing Everesting, or going on a hard bikepacking trip, or reaching certain power or Wkg targets. However, I have been very strict about not ever racing my road bike, just the MTB, because it’s been my happy place and I didn’t want to contaminate the experience of adventure and exploration with racing. I broke this last year by going to a stage race in the Alps with my partner, but it was well worth it. It doubled up in the exploration compartment and was a whole new racing experience. Also, doing it with my girlfriend, I really want to be able to push her up the iconic alpine climbs (and not the other way around), which motivates me to be at my absolute peak for that event, as she’s very fast herself.
Bottom line: having multiple and varying sources of enjoyment helps (you can focus on different thing different seasons), having other people to ride/race with (not only against!) helps even more, and being able to look at riding from a healthy lifestyle PoV does so, too. Ultimately, it’s OK to take a break from racing, or even quit altogether, it’s OK to not ride your bike ever again, too. Life has everything else to offer. I’d miss the views and the sense of speed though.
@Jesper sounds like you should try mountain biking. We are all t-shirts and baggies here. Sure you can kit up for a race but all vibes and old bikes are envied. We fuel with beer and tacos. Give it a try! 