lets try that again

i am not anti masters racing, Hell I am a masters racer, master racers are the bulk of the participants, they pay the bills, so to speak.

I am anti masters racing taking the sport in the wrong direction, I am anti masters racing taking away attention and funding for the future, I am anti masters racers complaining about entry fees and the like.

I am not a fan of USAC, for personal and professional reasons. I believe local does better and a loosely organized grassroots structure can strive and grow and keep the control in the local promoters/racers hands.

I am anti no qualifying to CX nationals (where fields reach 3 digits) and anti qualifying for MTB nationals (where fields are lucky to go above 20)

But in the end, I am a fan of dialogue, whether we agree or not, dialogue is good.

Adam, you are wrong, always, sorry.

I am a fan of snowy, icy cx races and hole shots and volunteers and people donating their time and resources for little to no recognition or reward.

thanks everyone, except you Adam. Sorry.

Masters Racers are Ruining the Future of Cycling

This is not pretty, not only the topic, but my attempt to get the thoughts down on 'paper' but i wanted to get these thoughts out there.

1. What have I done to help grow the sport?

2. What have I done to deserve deals?

3. What have I done that helps those who have a future and need assistance?

4. If i receive something from a business or sponsor, do I honestly give something back in return (sorry gang, a logo on a kit doesn't mean shit, nor does a podium at a local race)

I believe we should be spending our time and effort on building the sport for the future and I see many things that cause me great concern.

We live in a selfish society, people generally want to know what is in it for them, they want the ‘bro’ deal at a shop, they want free kits and entry fees covered all because they had a few decent results in some local weekend warrior event. Most of the people I see asking for these freebies DON’T need them, let alone, deserve them.

I see 30+ racers asking for and sometimes getting free bikes (I got one myself in 2009) I see shops recruiting 30+ racers by promising to pay entry fees and give away kits. I see teams reimbursing riders entry fees at the end of seasons. I see riders taking advantage of local businesses.

Most of this makes me uncomfortable and sometimes downright sickens me. Most of the people asking for and/or receiving these deals and dollars do not need them or in some cases don’t even deserve them.

Every single one of those dollars should be channeled into a junior program, building the future of the sport. As adults, we can afford a 30 dollar entry fee and a couple hundred bucks for a team kit

----Every time I hear someone complain about entry fees, while they ride off on a several thousand dollar bike, I want to throw up. ----

With very few exceptions, any racer, over 30, does not have a pro contract in their future. if these racers pooled their energy and time, just a small amount into building a sustainable Junior/U23 program, imagine the possibilities.

People are selfish, everyone is a legend in their own mind, because they win a sport race, a B race or a cat3 race, meanwhile, the next potential National Champion is sitting at home, because some jackass 40 year old, who drives a $40k SUV and lives in a $500K house got a 'Bro' Deal on a bike and entry fees reimbursed, leaving a business or teams budget empty.

What are you going to do about it?