Comments on: Serious Thoughts for the Weekend (and Next Week Too) http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/ It's like reality TV. Except it's real. And there's no TV. Fri, 04 Mar 2022 03:21:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: spaceyace http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/comment-page-1/#comment-670709 spaceyace Thu, 13 Oct 2016 21:36:09 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/#comment-670709 @Jeff D - thanks! lol at "And the odds of crashes are high, with little chance of major injury." Schadenfreude, but not too much? :) I will check those out. @Jeff D – thanks! lol at “And the odds of crashes are high, with little chance of major injury.” Schadenfreude, but not too much? :) I will check those out.

]]> By: Jeff Dieffenbach http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/comment-page-1/#comment-670681 Jeff Dieffenbach Wed, 12 Oct 2016 20:56:30 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/#comment-670681 ^ Full schedule: http://www.cxmagazine.com/2016-2017-uci-cyclocross-calendar-world-cup-c1-c2-national-championships ^ Full schedule:
http://www.cxmagazine.com/2016-2017-uci-cyclocross-calendar-world-cup-c1-c2-national-championships

]]> By: Jeff Dieffenbach http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/comment-page-1/#comment-670680 Jeff Dieffenbach Wed, 12 Oct 2016 20:55:50 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/#comment-670680 @spaceyace, in my opinion, the best pro cycling to watch is cyclocross. Races take about an hour. The courses are super interesting. People get muddy. And the odds of crashes are high, with little chance of major injury. For instance, go to YouTube and search for "cyclocross joey". The major European races are typically on the weekend. Not long after a given race, you can typically find it on YouTube (you may not get the benefit of English commentating, if in fact you call that a benefit). To find search terms for YouTube, go to the full international schedule here and put "BEL C1" or "NED C1" in the search box. That will filter down the number of races to consider--sort by date (noting that the date sort field is kind of wonky). An excellent recently completed race is "Hansgrohe Superprestige Gieten." - Elite women's race: https://youtu.be/I07rjmodtTY?t=172 - Elite men's race: https://youtu.be/I07rjmodtTY?t=5566 And, if you just want to see highlights of the men's race (with spoiler at the beginning), check this out, it was a particularly great race. http://nos.nl/video/2135580-van-der-poel-wint-na-schitterend-gevecht-met-van-aert.html @spaceyace, in my opinion, the best pro cycling to watch is cyclocross. Races take about an hour. The courses are super interesting. People get muddy. And the odds of crashes are high, with little chance of major injury. For instance, go to YouTube and search for “cyclocross joey”.

The major European races are typically on the weekend. Not long after a given race, you can typically find it on YouTube (you may not get the benefit of English commentating, if in fact you call that a benefit).

To find search terms for YouTube, go to the full international schedule here and put “BEL C1″ or “NED C1″ in the search box. That will filter down the number of races to consider–sort by date (noting that the date sort field is kind of wonky).

An excellent recently completed race is “Hansgrohe Superprestige Gieten.”
- Elite women’s race: https://youtu.be/I07rjmodtTY?t=172
- Elite men’s race: https://youtu.be/I07rjmodtTY?t=5566

And, if you just want to see highlights of the men’s race (with spoiler at the beginning), check this out, it was a particularly great race.
http://nos.nl/video/2135580-van-der-poel-wint-na-schitterend-gevecht-met-van-aert.html

]]> By: spaceyace http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/comment-page-1/#comment-670679 spaceyace Wed, 12 Oct 2016 20:19:02 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/#comment-670679 @BostonCarlos: no problem! I think there are lots of other reasons, but that's the one that makes most sense to me. @Jeff D: I'm going with the chicken-and-egg theory - both as part of the problem and part of the solution. Fatty, thanks so much for talking about these issues. I've never really been interested in following pro cycling, but when you interviewed Kathryn Bertine a few months ago I watched Half the Road and it got me more excited about the sport. @BostonCarlos: no problem! I think there are lots of other reasons, but that’s the one that makes most sense to me.
@Jeff D: I’m going with the chicken-and-egg theory – both as part of the problem and part of the solution.

Fatty, thanks so much for talking about these issues. I’ve never really been interested in following pro cycling, but when you interviewed Kathryn Bertine a few months ago I watched Half the Road and it got me more excited about the sport.

]]> By: Jeff Dieffenbach http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/comment-page-1/#comment-670678 Jeff Dieffenbach Wed, 12 Oct 2016 16:50:52 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/#comment-670678 Following Carlos' lead, my question is around equal pay for male and female athletes. For the record, if I were an event promoter, I'd pay out equally regardless of gender. (I might, however, have the number of paid places be a function of the number of entrants.) In cycling, the men command far bigger television audiences than the women. Television audience size translate to money. So, is there a compelling counter argument to the assertion that men should earn more because they generate more? FWIW, I appreciate the chicken-and-egg problem: at least part of the difference in audience size may be due to the fact that so much more is spent to draw audiences to the men's events. Following Carlos’ lead, my question is around equal pay for male and female athletes. For the record, if I were an event promoter, I’d pay out equally regardless of gender. (I might, however, have the number of paid places be a function of the number of entrants.)

In cycling, the men command far bigger television audiences than the women. Television audience size translate to money. So, is there a compelling counter argument to the assertion that men should earn more because they generate more?

FWIW, I appreciate the chicken-and-egg problem: at least part of the difference in audience size may be due to the fact that so much more is spent to draw audiences to the men’s events.

]]> By: BostonCarlos http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/comment-page-1/#comment-670677 BostonCarlos Wed, 12 Oct 2016 13:53:44 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/#comment-670677 @spaceyace: thanks for the great explanation. @spaceyace: thanks for the great explanation.

]]> By: spaceyace http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/comment-page-1/#comment-670676 spaceyace Tue, 11 Oct 2016 20:50:04 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/#comment-670676 Lots of male cyclists are openly straight, we just don't notice it because it's the norm. Every time a male cyclist mentions his female partner (wife, fiancee, girlfriend...), or the press mentions his female partner, he's "openly straight." Representations of every gender, orientation, race, etc. in a sport makes it easier for everyone in the next generation to be able to imagine themselves as part of that sport. Same deal as any representation in any other career. A friend's daughter recently asked, with wonder, after seeing a political ad, "Mommy, girls can be President too?" It's one thing to tell a kid they can do anything; it's something else entirely for the kid to see someone "like them" in that position. Lots of male cyclists are openly straight, we just don’t notice it because it’s the norm. Every time a male cyclist mentions his female partner (wife, fiancee, girlfriend…), or the press mentions his female partner, he’s “openly straight.”
Representations of every gender, orientation, race, etc. in a sport makes it easier for everyone in the next generation to be able to imagine themselves as part of that sport.
Same deal as any representation in any other career. A friend’s daughter recently asked, with wonder, after seeing a political ad, “Mommy, girls can be President too?”
It’s one thing to tell a kid they can do anything; it’s something else entirely for the kid to see someone “like them” in that position.

]]> By: BostonCarlos http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/comment-page-1/#comment-670675 BostonCarlos Tue, 11 Oct 2016 18:41:07 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/#comment-670675 ok! I've listened to both. I think you were right on all accounts - it's time for equality and equity in cycling for all. I have a question though. At the risk of sounding not how I want to sound... Why do we care so much about athlete and celebrity sexual orientation? There aren't any "openly gay" men in the pro peloton, but how many "openly straight" men are there? I don't want anyone to feel like they have to hide something about themselves, but I'm curious why we as spectators even care to ask. ok! I’ve listened to both.

I think you were right on all accounts – it’s time for equality and equity in cycling for all.

I have a question though. At the risk of sounding not how I want to sound… Why do we care so much about athlete and celebrity sexual orientation? There aren’t any “openly gay” men in the pro peloton, but how many “openly straight” men are there? I don’t want anyone to feel like they have to hide something about themselves, but I’m curious why we as spectators even care to ask.

]]> By: Arizona Guy http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/comment-page-1/#comment-670674 Arizona Guy Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:44:39 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/#comment-670674 Since it is a semi-fashion blog today, I thought I would post a pic from this weekend's adventures in Moab - prominently featuring the latest FC Kit[img]http://picpaste.com/Moab_bros-a00Ok8kZ.jpg[/img] Since it is a semi-fashion blog today, I thought I would post a pic from this weekend’s adventures in Moab – prominently featuring the latest FC KitMoab_bros-a00Ok8kZ.jpg

]]> By: Daniel Weise http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/comment-page-1/#comment-670671 Daniel Weise Tue, 11 Oct 2016 00:24:50 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2016/10/07/serious-thoughts-for-the-weekend-and-next-week-too/#comment-670671 YAY!!!! I got in again this year after a 3 year respite. OMG, what have I done? I've only ridden a TOTAL of 48 miles all year! This is going to be interesting...at least I get to support a good cause! YAY!!!! I got in again this year after a 3 year respite. OMG, what have I done? I’ve only ridden a TOTAL of 48 miles all year! This is going to be interesting…at least I get to support a good cause!

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