Meh… my cat 1 status of the past gives me credibility to say I’ve seen and experienced the most unexpected bike crashes that anyone that has ever thrown a leg over a bike has experienced. Whether it’s me experiencing it or seeing it.
So you’re wrong…
its amazing the level of stupidity of ppl on this board that actually support two elites in their prime risking something so dangerous.
I’m not sure you actually absorbed what I said. No one is saying you don’t have credibility as a cyclist, but your cat 1 experience has skewed your view of cycling because you cycled in a way that was far more dangerous than the average rider who just rides for fitness. You see casual road riding as more dangerous than it is because you witnessed and were part of gruesome crashes that occur frequently when people RACE bikes and are conflating that in your head with casual road riding.
They are not racing bikes. You are overreacting to this.
Maybe they have worked out how to get the most out of their riding. Like not going areo, etc.
When I was racing marathons I used long rides at a high effort to get the 3-4 hour workouts i could not get running. This was long ago and I was a poor grad student and shoes were poor.
Why are you making assumptions and criticizing them without adequate knowledge of what they are doing and why. The one example where the poster have better knowledge (driving to the ride which is in a low risk area) might clue you in that they are not mindless young guys.
And I was a good enough rider that when foot problems meant that I could not run enough to race marathons I turned to racing on the bike.
Finally, someone mentioned Gwen J maybe about crashing. Bicycling was her biggest component and she had to be good enough that she could make the lead group. A year plus of being the dominant triathlon racer culminating in Olympic Gold means that she need bike conditioning and skills. So what was the risk she was taking?
This post was edited 6 minutes after it was posted.
Reason provided:
Added Gwen comment
Come on man, stop creating straw man arguments. I’m sure you saw lots of crashes during training rides and I never said otherwise. But people who race approach their training rides differently than people who just ride casually. On training rides, they practice descending fast and cornering fast. They do fast intervals in training. They ride at way faster speeds in training than Cooper and Cole. Generally speaking, they are less risk averse than the average cyclist just looking to put some miles in for fitness. That is my point and that’s why a cat 1 perspective doesn’t necessarily lend itself to understanding how dangerous it is to bike casually for fitness.
Everyone has to manage thier own risk budget based on what's important to them. Running on a treadmill is always going to be safer than the road. Anyone remember when a wrench got thrown into Nico Young's indoor racing schedule last winter because of a dog attack. Rock climbing definitely adds injury risk, but I bet off-season climbing was non-negotiable to Hobbs Kessler. Biking risk is very dependent on where, how, and when you ride. I trust two adults to determine the appropriate level of risk for themselves. Everyone's choices will be different from what someone else might choose for themselves if they were in the same position. It's not like they are playing full contact American football or mixed martial arts fighting.
Severy was notorious for doing risky stuff and was biking down a mountain everyday to get to class. Much different than what Cole and Cooper are doing…
Severy was notorious for doing risky stuff and was biking down a mountain everyday to get to class. Much different than what Cole and Cooper are doing…
Hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother were killed from some unhinged driving.
The player, nicknamed “Johnny Hockey,” and his younger brother, Matthew, were struck and killed by an SUV one day before they were to appear in their sister's wedding.
Sure, lots of people cycle without issue. But the risks are higher, even for regular folks. I’m with OP, the risk reward ratio is off, given the similar training stimulus is available for much lower risk and their performance window is so relatively short.
You gotta have big brass ones to run the race that Hocker did for gold. Now you want him to be timid or something? You can't enclose them in bubble wrap. They're not all housecats like Rupp. Personally, I think a crosswalk in midtown might be more dangerous
It seems odd that anyone would take 60 seconds out of their day to analyze what these guys are doing wrong. I tend to have zero negative opinions on how a gold medalist is training. Whatever the formula is, it seems to be working.
I am unsure why cat 1 was even mentioned. sounds like an ego. I, too, have raced all of the major stage races in the US. That has zero weight in wether or not these dynamic duo should be riding bikes. Everyone with a hard opinion on this should stay in their own lane, on the track or in the bike lane!!
Nobody is arguing that cycling isn’t beneficial. MY OP was stating it’s stupid for the reigning 1500 m champ, esp in a world championship year to be riding a bike on any road due to major risk of a crash or being hit by a car that could ultimately ruin his season and future.
if they want to ride, great! Just do it on trainers.
I ride indoors on a trainer and outdoors on a hybrid bike with wide (stable) tires. I prefer to ride outdoors if the weather is conducive because it is more enjoyable and I tend to do a better (and longer) workout - especially when riding with others of similar ability. Peddling in place on an indoor trainer is tedious and boring.
If there are some hills involved, an outdoor ride comes with a natural flow of up and down effort. This can provide a great training stimulus with minimal impact on the legs, back and feet. So I think the decision of these runners to cross train on a bike outdoors in areas with light vehicular traffic is very reasonable.
When your athletic career , which is already so temporary, is being put at risk over a activity that isn’t necessary and can be done in a safer environment… the “we live everyday risk” argument is dumb.
Actual pro teams and pro sports have contracts that permit their athletes from engaging in dangerous activities, sadly track is far from a professional sport.
I ride bikes too and for a while felt invincible. Stupidly took a a downhill in wet conditions and wiped out dislocating my shoulder. It also affected my sleep for a few months. Pro runners should not be on the roads on a bicycle it's one of the most dangerous activities you can do imo especially with stupid drivers ( I wad hit by a lady as a teenager)
It can happen fast, especially if you hit your brakes while cornering on a wet road.
Possibly because OP had an inflammatory comment at the end of his post that some readers may not have cared for or found divisive. “i ride bikes” shared a life experience that was legit and well written. I was scrolling, looking for some true cyclists to chime in sharing their crash stories to upvote when I opened the thread, so that’s how he got my vote.
My raccoon comment is based on personal experience. Squirrels are small enough they usually won't cause a crash if you don't panic. You might be able to bunny hop a raccoon if you're experienced and it gives you enough time to react. The one I hit didn't. I got lucky and my shoulder (and collarbone) remained intact despite landing on it. I cracked my head on the pavement and had a concussion as well, despite having a helmet.
I only cycle when I need to cross train (and it's laughable that this would somehow make my experience more relevant than a Cat 1). I've crashed twice over less than 10k miles, one being the raccoon and the other being a slide out on fall leaves trying to avoid a dumb pedestrian. I split my cheek open on that one and needed stitches.
The "if not when" comment is spot on. Every cyclist I know has crashed. Lots of them have been really serious.
Raccoons are nocturnal. So unless it’s rabid or road kill. In which you should see its dead carcass with plenty of time and space. Now if you’re riding at night you’re an idiot.
Ritz once missed the 2005 outdoor season bc he was playing w his dog
solinsky did samething and pretty much ruined his career and forced a retirement after his hamstring became detattched.
and you ppl want to act like I’m being ridiculous over these two riding bikes on roads? Obvious most of y’all don’t cycle and have ever crashed.
the ignorance of the youth is thinking they are invincible.
Oh golly gee maybe they should just run and sit inside the rest of the day? They definitely should never get together with friends, that could be dangerous too. Probably shouldn't drive to see their parents either because people get in car accidents everyday.
My raccoon comment is based on personal experience. Squirrels are small enough they usually won't cause a crash if you don't panic. You might be able to bunny hop a raccoon if you're experienced and it gives you enough time to react. The one I hit didn't. I got lucky and my shoulder (and collarbone) remained intact despite landing on it. I cracked my head on the pavement and had a concussion as well, despite having a helmet.
I only cycle when I need to cross train (and it's laughable that this would somehow make my experience more relevant than a Cat 1). I've crashed twice over less than 10k miles, one being the raccoon and the other being a slide out on fall leaves trying to avoid a dumb pedestrian. I split my cheek open on that one and needed stitches.
The "if not when" comment is spot on. Every cyclist I know has crashed. Lots of them have been really serious.
Raccoons are nocturnal. So unless it’s rabid or road kill. In which you should see its dead carcass with plenty of time and space. Now if you’re riding at night you’re an idiot.
Cool I'll let the raccoon know the next time I see it on my 5pm evening commute.
