Blunt
GENERALLY, I PREFER NUANCE, but I’m failing to make my point regarding USA Cycling. Saying competitive cycling is on the decline is like MySpace saying social media is on the decline. MySpace was squashed by FaceBook the minute it was purchased by Rupert Murdock… because his vision was not forward looking.
Social Media has exploded, because the products got better.
The new guys had a better vision.
USA Cycling… oh, how you break our hearts with your pathetic market offering.
USA Cycling should have invented STRAVA.
USA Cycling should have brought the Gran Fondo to the US.
USA Cycling should have seen the opportunities to race on different surfaces.
Instead, they saw nothing.
NOT,
ONE,
DAMN,
THING!
I came back to road cycling about 4 years ago when my oldest son developed an interested. We rode together, then he left me far behind.
But not as far behind as USA Cycling had remained.
Trevor and I went to do the Boulevard Road Race. I’d done it 20+ years before, and was looking forward to seeing how things had improved.
Nothing had changed. NOTHING!
Same crappy paper numbers.
Same ridiculous lines – longer for pre-reg racers than those registering day of.
Same lack of organization.
Same guys forgetting to bring pins for the racers’ numbers.
Same tape across the road for the finish line…. no banner, no arch… just a flipping orange cone!
Same surly race refs.
I was completely flabbergasted at the lack of interest on the part of the self-appointed governing body to put on a first class event. The guys racing were on amazing equipment, training better than ever, spending more money and time than ever. But USA Cycling had done nothing in 20 years to improve the product!
NOT, ONE, THING.
P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C.
What had they done? They’d loaded up on old people with old thinking. Collected the dues, and cried themselves to the bank at the membership’s expense.
Is it Lance Armstrong’s fault… give, me, a, break… LeMond and Lance did more for cycling in the USA than USA Cycling ever did. 2 guys. 2. Incredible guys for sure, but it was just 2 of them.
L & L inspired us.
Have you ever been inspired by USA Cycling?
Ever?
There are great intentions at the local level, investments of time and energy by smart and passionate people some working to fix USA Cycling, others have given up on USAC and are putting on hugely successful events… I personally love you for it, and have tried to do all the USAC races I could to support you.
Still doubting me? Ask yourself what happened to NORBA once USA Cycling got it’s fangs deep into NORBA’s neck.
The best mountain bike races, with the deepest purses are put on outside of USA Cycling. Go to an Epic Rides event – big money, big competition, big fun.
Take a look at The Crusher. Huge turn out, hugely competitive.
Where did Levi get his idea for brining the Gran Fondo to America? From Europe. What the heck has USA Cycling been doing in Europe all this time? #clueless
OverTheHump gets 600 people on a weeknight.
There are more races – analog and digital – than ever. Many, you can’t even get in if you don’t register in the first few hours, minutes sometimes.
USA Cycling sold out a long time ago.