ROCK RACING FANS ???
Thread started by
Freeekeone at 04.3.08 - 5:03 pm
Any Rock Racing fans out there ??? They kicked ass in San Dimas and are going to take the win at The redlands classic. I'll be shooting pic's out there on Saturday also.......
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first they need to lower the MPG on their chase car....
e-rock04.3.08 - 5:31 pm
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Aren't they the team that tries to cultivate a tough image...like leather jackets and stuff? Are they sponsored by a wrestler? Are they sponsored by a Honda dealership?
tern04.3.08 - 6:10 pm
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They are backed by the owner of Rock&Republic jeans...... you gotta love the lime green and black outfits .....
Freeekeone04.3.08 - 6:19 pm
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that picture with the two chase cars was taken like 10 minutes from my house!
ruinedbyidiots04.3.08 - 6:20 pm
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By "chase cars" you mean SAG vehicles?
(Support And Gear)
Rock Racing is one of the top Continental (US) teams, but there is unfortunately a high likelihood of their doping (or SOMEthing fishy) going on with them, as evidenced by their involvement with the split of Scott Analytics away from ACE. Unfortunately, even though RR has some serious style points, they're losing on the racing front: They were not invited to the Tour of Georgia, which is sadly not surprising at all considering the parade of crap Micheal Ball put on during the ToC. Cipollini has also left RR shortly after the ToC and put it in the most diplomatic terms possible to the press.
Symmetrics (out of Canada) has often been head to head with them in races though. Team Bissell isn't doing too bad this year, and Kelly Benefits is staying healthy, which is nice for a change.
Toyota United - I have no idea what the hell happened to them this year, they're falling off the radar.
Anyway....
prendrefeu04.3.08 - 6:37 pm
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Fans? I'm a fan of trainwrecks in general, so yeah. I'm a fan.
markedge04.3.08 - 10:47 pm
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As dumb as this will sound, I'm a fan of Rock Racing and I really think anyone who rides a bike should be as well.
Why?
Rock and Republic owner Michael Ball designs his $300 jeans and other high fashion items for the kinds of folks who think Hummers are cool and have probably at least once in their lives have appeared on hotchickswithdouchbags.com.
If the Rock Racing team can show these meat heads that riding a bike is actually a cool thing to do, then maybe they'll be a little more polite to cyclists they pass while driving to the tanning salon or wherever it is a person drives a Hummer to in LA.
chunk04.3.08 - 11:16 pm
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Rock Racing did not do so well in San Dimas. They were suppose to be the dominant team yet Sevilla lost his 40 sec lead and lost the GC by 2 sec.. How can RR allow that to happen? The best part of the San Dimas race, according to some, is Tyler being reprimanded by Michael Ball after the race.
I'm not a RR fan but I like the attention they bring to the sport.
sc_nomad04.3.08 - 11:27 pm
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Not much of a racer-fan due to the nature of most of the racers, but.....
I'm now pondering the idea of how to purchase and acquire ownership of an existing, cycling team.
The "Sleeper Cells" would have a good ring to it.
"Q-Bike" and "GunRunner's" would sound pretty cool as well.
bentstrider04.4.08 - 1:10 am
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If I were a 14 year old girl and racing in spandex was cool, I would probably be into RR. Since I am a grown ass man and I'm over images and shit like that, I'm not into rock racing because well, their record speaks for themselves. Yeah, they can kick my ass but I'm not putting my ass out on the colored lines.
NEWB31004.4.08 - 3:05 am
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They look like a six-pack of Monster Energy Drink on wheels.
pavetheplanet04.4.08 - 5:03 am
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Not much of a racer-fan due to the nature of most of the racers, but.....
I think you're painting racers with a really broad brush here. The percentage of a-holes in cycling is probably same at it is in any sport. Which is probably similar to what you'll find in any cross section of the population.
We've housed several pro racers for SDSR every year and had very few bad experiences. Even working registration for the race i didn't notice an inordinate amount of a-holes probably the same percentage as the ones who showed up for Wolpack's 2nd street tunnel drag race.
I'd say most racers are fine but there will always be some.
Agitator04.4.08 - 7:34 am
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@agitator
-If you read one of my earlier posts, I mentioned an old, English teacher from back in the day.
Apparently, I had an interest in cycling back in high school and this guy always had his Litespeed sitting on one of the rear tables.
I asked him about racing and cycling in general, during non-lesson times of course.
Everytime I did though, he didn't really seem that interested in sharing anything in regards to it, so I simply wrote him off as JerkAss, and was out in the cold as usual.
So, in general, if first impressions last a lifetime, it looks like it was one of those.
But if I do happen upon any cool ones that aren't so uptight, I'll be kind to them in return.
bentstrider04.4.08 - 8:41 am
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Chunk, I think you're pretty naive if you think that $300 designer jeans, Hummers, and a total dickwad of a manager are going to ever improve the plight of cyclists.
I could not give one fuckall about road racing and its "image" with the general public. I care more about urban transportation.
markedge04.4.08 - 10:45 am
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It is unfortunate that one incident turn you against racers. That teacher of yours probably isn't aware that his actions will affect your attitude towards racers. Yet you do the same thing, when you propagate an unfair opinion, but this time in a forum read by hundreds of people.
sc_nomad04.4.08 - 2:11 pm
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seems a little gimmicky to have the blinged out escalades... like the equivalent of the And1 streetball league or the XFL.... like the WWF of cycling... it's already kind of ridiculous that there are 15 -30 cars following racers around the course let alone having them be giant pollution spewing gas guzzlers... but then again it does seem to give more visibility to the sport.
Roadblock04.4.08 - 2:31 pm
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Don't forget that many innovations, though not all, come from racing. Also, commuters and urban riders benefit from all the quality components that racers and wannabes put into circulation on the used market.
cabhauler04.4.08 - 2:52 pm
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^^^^^ So true, you can usually pick up year old bikes from racers at half the cost of retail at the beginning of the racing season. It is when they get their new bikes at the pro rate and the savings gets passed on to you.
Agitator04.4.08 - 2:57 pm
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hotchickswithdouchbags.com is not a real site ? :-(
It should be!
marino04.4.08 - 2:59 pm
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@ marino:
http://www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com/
you were missing an "e" : )
markedge:
"I could not give one fuckall about road racing and its "image" with the general public."
Word up. This notion that the RRC circus is "drawing attention to cycling and that's somehow good for us regular ol' bicycle guys and gals" is entirely absurd.
"Fans? I'm a fan of trainwrecks in general, so yeah. I'm a fan."
And a +1 on that.
City Hobgoblin04.4.08 - 3:16 pm
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Cabhauler, point taken, but again, I could not give two shits whether I have the best hubs on the planet if drivers in LA put a death sentence on me for exercising my right to take a right-hand lane.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not shitting on racing as a sport or denying its influence. But the influence that stretches to urban commuting and rides of the MR nature is pretty much non-existent.
markedge04.4.08 - 3:55 pm
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Just the other day I was riding my bicycle down the street and I happened to turn my head for a minute and what did I see behind me? A bunch of cars following me. It was JUST LIKE IN ONE OF THOSE RACES!
See, that proves that racing has a positive effect on street cycling. And if you don't think so, you are a big fat hater. So stop hating, you hater.
PC04.4.08 - 4:16 pm
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"Don't get me wrong. I'm not shitting on racing as a sport or denying its influence. But the influence that stretches to urban commuting and rides of the MR nature is pretty much non-existent. "
Werd!!
Bells and whistles racing acts against urban commuting and MR-types by reinforcing existing perceptions about when and where cycling is socially acceptable.
It validates stereotypes; not cool.
Corporate sponsorship with fleet of 12 Escalades = Ride on the road.
Commuting to work on your $150 Target Special = Get the fuck on the sidewalk before you taste my Escalade.
Eric Hair04.4.08 - 4:18 pm
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So weird that a wool, lugged steel, and panniers type like myself is defending racers, but ...
Racing can coexist just fine with urban and practical cycling. After all, I don't think the Lakers are hurting your game of HORSE.
In Europe, where it's totally OK to ride your bike to get places, racing is huge and all the stars are celebrities. Portland has a huge cyclocross scene. Lots of urban fixed-gear riders follow track racing.
know a lot of peeps on this site and in the cycling community who are dedicated urban riders and commuters but also race.
cabhauler04.4.08 - 5:42 pm
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Yay panniers!!!!!!!!!! Bags, buckets and fruit baskets are the way to go.
The Lakers do not ruin my game of H-O-R-S-E.
But basketball is not a sport where traffic is intermittently introduced amongst games depending on your level of sponsorship and skill level.
- So Long As You Remain Upright -
That should be the LADOT's moto for cycling on city streets.
Eric Hair04.4.08 - 6:10 pm
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Naive is the nicest thing I've been called all day.
The point I was trying to make is that if Michael Ball and his Rock Racing Team can make cycling "cool" to the kinds of people who drive Hummers then there's a really good chance that those same people just might be a little nicer to the people they see biking on the street.
It all comes down to appreciation. If some tool surfing rockandrepublic.com for a sweet pair of jeans and ends up seeing a clip of Santiago Botero charging up a climb and just getting a glimpse of the effort needed to pedal a bike up a hill, maybe he'll be a little nicer to some plugging up the hill on Barham on their way to work.
Really, that's all it iis.
Now, I've just got to go figure out what exactly my "plight" is being someone who rides a bike on these city streets.
chunk04.4.08 - 8:40 pm
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Cyclists hating on other cyclists is just stupid. The uninformed motorist is common enemy. Whatever draws people to cycling is irrelevant, the goal is to get as many people to ride.
Experience is the greatest teacher. You can talk about the joys, benefits, challenges and dangers of cycling until you're blue in the face and it will not even come close the actual experience. It does not matter whether it is RR or MR that got anyone to ride, once they've ridden cyclists will be part of their mindset.
Agitator04.4.08 - 11:58 pm
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Well, another thing I could do is up my training to the 10th degree.
Seeing as how I'm already keeping toned up by cycle-commuting and gym workouts, I guess it's time to start upping the ante.
I'm guessing if I hate these guys in some way, perhaps I should start adding a 30 minute, hard run on the treadmill to my 1-1.5 hrs already spent on the elleptical; 20-30 minutes of lower-body, resistance training in addition to the 30-40min of upper-body pumping; all of this done 4-5 days a week, with a change in what I'm currently throwing down my gullet.
Aside from the extreme, training regimen described above, a switch-over to a high-geared, 18-20lb roadbike.
That way, I could chase down and gradually begin to smoke the local jockeys up here.
Perhaps after that, I should move up to the higher-level races in the Basin, and take on the role of "Renegade Crasher".
I know this sounds like a split from the easy-going, persona y'all know at the MR's, but when I'm up here by myself against this crew(VVBC), then somethings gotta give.
In fact, like I've told some of y'all at recent rides, I tend to think of myself more, or less as a Clint Eastwood-gunfighter on two-wheels instead of a horse.
Alrighty, I'm done.
bentstrider04.5.08 - 1:37 am
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sometimes when i read your posts i think youre going about things the wrong way.
ruinedbyidiots04.5.08 - 1:20 pm
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@rbi
If you're referring to the post above yours, then I've already been doing that for several months.
I tell you, I've tried speaking and hanging with this crew awhile back and they just don't seem to care about attracting anyone outside of their own circle.
As far as I'm concerned, MR-groups seem to be the only ones, fast or slow, that have any patience when it comes to accepting new people.
Hell, "ride whatcha like, come as you want" is the name of the game.
I just feel that at least in my neck of the woods, I should start up a separate faction/movement to counter the de-facto, "hard-ass" monopoly that has been in place here for awhile.
bentstrider04.5.08 - 1:27 pm
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dont pay any attention to them then. ride by yourself and have fun. we are all loners in the long run anyway.
ruinedbyidiots04.5.08 - 1:34 pm
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the group youre referring to probably live on bikeforums and only give a shit about their rides if they are putting out x amount of watts (they can tell you that because they dropped a grip of cash on a powertap). i dont know why youre so hell bent on trying to fit in with them or whatever. they will never be the type of cyclists we are.
ruinedbyidiots04.5.08 - 1:37 pm
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As much as I want to challenge that, you're probably right.
The ignorance level towards "non-motorized" events up here is catastrophic, to say the least.
At least when I was driving the big-rig cross country, the solo-rides were a little, more enjoyable due to the mere fact of knowing I was in a completely, foreign area.
That's why as soon as I get back into that line of work, Shrimp cocktails and Margarita party on the beach!!!!!
bentstrider04.5.08 - 1:40 pm
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Rodriguez destroyed his Lew's at Redlands. Well, the hoop has a big crack in it, the spokes have been obliterated.
prendrefeu04.7.08 - 12:12 pm
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"Even working registration for the race i didn't notice an inordinate amount of a-holes probably the same percentage as the ones who showed up for Wolpack's 2nd street tunnel drag race. "
I call BS on that. I didn't meet a single a-hole at the 2nd street race, and I've met loads of a-holes at mtn and road races.
toweliesbong04.7.08 - 12:24 pm
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There were several incidents at the 2nd street race. Some at the start line and the other at the finish. They were quickly diffused. I worked that whole race, I got to the start before RB and Wolfrider1 and was one of the last to leave.
While 90 percent of the people were fine there were a few who were difficult. They were complaining about why we didn't have a geared category, who could and couldn't race, why we starting too late, etc... The couple people I'm talking about were probably wasted but they being a-holes.
The fact that you didn't notice was probably due to RB and WR1 diffusing the situation as fast as they can. Overall the race was a success and went smoothly, but to say that no one gave us problems was far from being true.
Agitator04.7.08 - 7:33 pm
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RB,
You held on to me for most of the 2nd street race.
Agitator04.7.08 - 8:04 pm
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It is the same with MTBrs, we hosted a race called Saint Patty's Day Feast MTB race in Bootleg Canyon, about 3 weeks ago. Of the over 300 entrants we had a problem with one.
Like I've said there is bound to be some in every crowd.
BTW here's a snippet of the video:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=31590334
Agitator04.7.08 - 8:09 pm
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haha ok now I know.. why the second ID? are you really an agitator? and what are you doing on the compooter you need to get out here for tonight!
yeah there was a couple guys that were for a split second causing a ruckus but over all the whole vibe was all good. I think mostly because we're all friends anyway and competing is not a life its just for shit and giggles... when people get all serious and depend on competitions for their livelyhoods well I think thats' when people become assholes to each other.
now as for MIDNIGHT DRAGRACE 3
Best get your training on!!
Roadblock04.7.08 - 8:16 pm
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There is really no real money to be made racing bicycles, unless your are a top pro. Maybe 90% do it for the love of the sport, just like us.
Agitator04.7.08 - 8:24 pm
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"now as for MIDNIGHT DRAGRACE 3
Best get your training on!!"
Is it for a good cause again?
If that's the case, gimme that last place honor one more time!!
Eric Hair04.7.08 - 8:27 pm
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no entry fee, no good cause, it's just for the fuck of it....
Roadblock04.7.08 - 8:30 pm
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however a big thankyou for all those who donated to the cause at the 6th street bridge race. Rebecca was totally thankful and was able to use the money to transport her doggie out to her on the east coast!
Roadblock04.7.08 - 8:31 pm
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