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Non-cyclists reaction to seeing a pro race
Last Post 06/10/2014 02:14 PM by carl x. 5 Replies.
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Dale

Posts:1767

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06/09/2014 09:07 PM
Saturday my GF and I met up with her daughter and a boyfriend for diner in Joplin, MO
The two of them were in Tulsa the evening before and inadvertently stumbled into Tulsa Tough.

They were going bonkers over how fast these guys were, "The bikes were leaned over like motorcycle racers!"

I told them for a real treat head to the top of Crybaby Hill on Sunday to watch the finale.

http://vimeo.com/43947788

Their excitement over discovering how fast and how exciting a crit like that can be was fun. There were two things that they both mentioned: The lean angle of the bikes and the mechanical noise… chain, freewheel, shifting, tires.
jookey

Posts:200

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06/10/2014 06:03 AM
Watching bike racing for the casual fan is like watching paint dry. The best is live crit racing or tailgating on a mtn top finish. TV is pretty boring. Outside of PR, only the last 30 minutes (less if a bunch sprint) is worth watching. Sort of like NASCAR to me. Maybe the UCI should hire some NASCAR consultants for its telecasts.
Keith Richards

Posts:781

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06/10/2014 10:30 AM
+1 on the sound. Even as a racer, the first time I did a big national road race I was shocked by the sound. The course had the start finish line at the top of the hill and the first time over the top to hear 75 guys dump their cogsets to hit the descent...it was NUTS! The entire crowd started cheering. I had never experienced anything like that.
----- It is his word versus ours. We like our word. We like where we stand and we like our credibility."--Lance Armstrong.
79pmooney

Posts:3189

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06/10/2014 12:38 PM
jookey, crits and the velodrome with a really good announcer are great for fans. With a good announcer, even new fans get to know what is going on inside the race and quickly get hooked.

I loved watching the big boys at the Fitchburg Lonjo Classic in the '70s with Dave Chauner (?) at the mic.

And the whoosh of 150 silk tires is burned into my brain.

Ben
Oldfart

Posts:511

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06/10/2014 02:04 PM
The sound never carries to TV does it. The first World Cup downhill race I watched at Whistler was phenomenal. The sound of a skier punching through air at over 100 kph is amazing. And the sound of 75 pairs of bike tires at speed as well as the air and wind following. So exciting.
THE SKINNY

Posts:506

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06/10/2014 02:14 PM
the first pro race i saw was the tour of georgia. we pulled in to rome, ga for the finish of the time trial. i remember being up against the barriers when bobby julich went by about 3 feet away. feeling the air move as he went by so quietly was amazing. and of course a lot of people got greasy pushing mario cipolinni up brasstown bald.
How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.
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