UM Cycling part 2

Up with Montana!! UM Cycling!

Photos by Tom Robertson

www.tomrobertsonphoto.com

SAGAN!!!

Belgacom Sven Nys

#letprosrace

Sign the petition at Change.org!

USA Cycling and the Union Cycliste International (UCI): Attend Sea Otter to negotiate abolishing UCI rule 1.2.019

1.  
   2. Petition by
      John Q. Cyclist
      United States
 
2.  

This rule severely marginalizes the ability of many professional cyclists to earn a living wage by prohibiting their participation in non-sanctioned events, many of which boast significant prize purses or represent off-season or alternate-discipline training opportunities. It also unnecessarily places these athletes at a distance from aspiring athletes and fans, and by extension damages the growth and maturation of the sport, particularly within the various mountain biking disciplines, which often suffer under the templated rule system seemingly handed down from the road cycling culture without a great deal of thought regarding that rule system's relevancy or appropriateness.

We the base of US and international riders, racers and enthusiasts call for the attendance and participation of Steve Johnson (CEO, USA Cycling), Micah Rice (VP, National Events) and Pat McQuaid (President, UCI) in a joint team, industry, athlete and governing body summit to be held at this year's Sea Otter Classic. Relevant board members, rule committee officials, and whatever other persons necessary to immediately rescind this rule and enact this change should also attend.

Gentleman - you've gone on record as stating that riders must elect between the pursuit of an Olympic berth OR occasional participation in non-sanctioned events. This is your opportunity to defend that position and explain why such a choice is necessary.

Steve Johnson and Micah Rice: you better than most understand the financial difficulties inherent in chasing the Olympic dream, these trials made greater for US athletes by virtue of our sport's limited funding and stature within our country as compared to that of its European counterparts. By electing to enforce this rule you are willingly complicit in augmenting the difficulty of the path any US athlete must tread in order pursue that goal. You knowingly sabotage your own athletes. Shame.

The time for change is at hand. The opportunity to prove that you truly represent the wishes of your constituents (as opposed to blindly supporting a universally unpopular bylaw) is at hand.

The choice or whether to address this issue or not is yours, but be warned - should you choose the latter, the next petition issued will call for:

- a general boycott from all riders of USA cycling individual licensing
- an appeal to the promoter community to seek alternate insurance vendors
- a side-by-side product comparison of available insurance options including an explanation of true benefits and costs (believe us, this comparison DOES NOT place your organization in a favorable light)
- a detailed list of where promoters can find those very same vendors offering identical policies for less than half the cost of the product you offer.

Included in that petition will be a general call for brands, sponsors and potential sponsors to "buy local" in lieu of underwriting an erratic, shortsighted, and overly regulated and hidebound bureaucracy. The option described above will also include a legal component on behalf of the riders and events affected.

Turning a deaf ear to the demands of your base is NOT a sustainable business model. Electing to play pure power politics with the foundations that form the very underpinning of your sport is a dangerously risky business.

Without question you are intelligent men and women. Consider this your respectful warning to not fall victim to the hubris often associated with such intelligence.

Pride cometh before a fall. On behalf of the same riders, athletes and brands referenced above, please take steps to avoid a revenue and public relations disaster on the very same scale your two organizations along with all of cycling continue to navigate and endure as a result of your most recent PED debacle.

Details regarding meeting venue are forthcoming.

To:
USA Cycling and the Union Cycliste International (UCI) 

Attend Sea Otter to negotiate abolishing UCI rule 1.2.019 

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Supporters

Reasons for signing

• Most Popular
 
• Latest

• Scott Smith FEEDING HILLS, MA

  • 6 days ago
   
  •   Liked 1
  Its important to me because I want to win some cash. CASH MAKES THE COOCHIE GO WOO WOOOOO
• Julie North SACRAMENTO, CA

  • 7 days ago
   
  •   Liked 1
  Cyclist should be able to support themselves while pursuing their cycling ambitions.

News

1. Reached 750 signatures

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Up with Montana

Saint Velo

Gent-Wevelgem Mascot

Course Profile and Map Gent-Wevelgem 2013

#MSR Milan - San Remo 2013

"MSR" 2013 will go down as one for the ages...

From Twitter:



Start, Stop, Start..Epic all the way...

Photos from FYC Blog, Cyclingtips and Eurosport

Oh then there was Taylor Phinney at the end who almost suprised the winning break at the finish. Go to the 14 minute mark and watch Taylor come out of nowhere...

Happening early tomorrow morning in LA!!

RACING THE END ------(Marathon Crash Race 2011) from Warren Kommers on Vimeo.

Back in the day...

Willy Z at Nationals Deer Valley, UT 2005

CX Single Speed Worlds 2012

Single Speed Cyclocross Worlds - Los Angeles 2012 from Noah Luke on Vimeo.

Behind the Barriers Tokyo

Behind THE Barriers Season 3 Episode 13 from Behind THE Barriers on Vimeo.

On the Team Sky, er, Deathstar Bus

A message from the bike shop...

The sun is shining in the inter-mountain west. Here is a helpful post from a Seattle bike shop from several years ago.

Via Craigslist

best of craigslist > seattle > A few things from the bike shop.
Originally Posted: Wed, 27 May 16:05 PDT

A few things from the bike shop.

Whoo-hoo Seattle, the sun is out! Let's discuss a few things before you fumble with swapping the unused ski rack for the unused bike rack on the Subaru.

So yes, you've noticed the sun is out, and hey!- maybe it would be cool to to some bike riding. Let's keep in mind that the sun came out of all 600,000 of us, so for the most part, you're not the only one who noticed. Please remember that when you walk into my shop on a bright, sunny Saturday morning. It will save you from looking like a complete twat that huffs "Why are there so many people here?"

Are we all on the same page now about it being sunny outside? Have we all figured out that we're not the only clever people that feel sunny days are good for bike riding? Great. I want to kiss all of you on your forehead for sharing this moment with me. Put your vitamin D starved fingers in mine, and we'll move on together to some pointers that will make life easier.

SOME POINTERS FOR THE PHONE:

- I don't know what size of bike you need. The only thing that I can tell over the phone is that you sound fat. I don't care how tall you are. I don't care how long your inseam is. Don't complain to me that you don't want to come ALL THE WAY down to the bike shop to get fitted for a bike. I have two hundred bikes in my inventory. I will find one that fits you. Whether you come from the north or the south, my shop is downhill. Pretend you're going to smell a fart, ball up, and roll your fat ass down here.

- Don't get high and call me. Write it down, call me later. When I have four phone lines ringing, and a herdlet
of people waiting for help, I can't deal with you sitting there "uuuuhhh"-ing and "uuummm"-ing while your brain tries to put together some cheeto-xbox-fixie conundrum. We didn't get disconnected, I left you on hold to figure your shit out.

-I really do need to see your bike to know what is wrong with it. You've already figured out that when you car makes a noise, the mechanic needs to see it. When your TV goes blank, a technician needs to see it. I can tell you, if there is one thing I've learned from you fucking squirrels, it's that "doesn't shift right" means your bike could need a slight cable adjustment, or you might just need to stop backing into it with the Subaru. Bring it in, I'll let you know for sure.

- No, I don't know how much a good bike costs. For some, spending $500 dollars is a kingly sum. For others, $500 won't buy you one good wheel. You really need to have an idea of what you want, because every one of you raccoons "doesn't want to spend too much".

FOR YOU INVENTIVE TYPES AND DO-IT-YOURSELFERS:

- Just because you think is should exist, doesn't mean that it does. I know that to you, a 14 inch quill stem makes perfect sense, but what makes more sense is buying a bike that fits you, not trying to make your mountain bike that was too small for you to begin with into a comfort bike.

- If some twat on some message board somewhere says that you can use the lockring from your bottom bracket as a lockring for a fixie conversion doesn't mean that A: you can, or B: you should. Please listen to me on this stuff, I really do have your best interests at heart.

- I love that you have the enthusiasm to build yourself a recumbent in the off season. That does not mean however, that I share your enthusiasm; ergo I won't do the "final tweaks" for you. You figure out why that Sram shifter and that Shimano rear derailleur don't work together. While we're at it, you recumbent people scare me a little. Don't bring that lumbering fucking thing anywhere near me.

A DEDICATION TO ALL THE HIPSTER DUCHEBAGS:

-If you shitheads had any money, you wouldn't NEED a vintage Poo-zhow to get laid. Go have an ironic mustache growing contest in front of American Apparel, so that I can continue selling $300 bikes to fatties, which is what keeps the lights on.

- Being made in the 80's may make something cool, but that doesn't automatically make something good. The reason that no one has ridden that "vintage" Murray is because it's shit. It was shit in the 80's, a trend it carried proudly through the 90's, and rallied with into the '00's. What I mean to say is, no, I can't make it work better. It's still shit, even with more air in the tires.

SO YOU'RE GONNA BUY A BIKE:

Good for you! Biking is awesome. It's easy, it's fun, it's good for you. I want you to bike, I really do. To that end, I am here to help you.

-Your co-worker that's "really into biking" knows fuck all. Stop asking for his advice. He could care less about you having the right bike. He wants to validate his bike purchase(s) through you. He also wants to sleep with you, and wear matching bike shorts with you.

- You're not a triathlete. You're not. If you were, you wouldn't be here, and we both know it.

- You're not a racer. If you were, I'd know you already, and you wouldn't be here, and we both know it.

- So you want a bike that you can ride to work, goes really fast, is good for that triathlon you're doing this summer (snicker), is good on trails and mud, and costs less than $300. Yeah. Listen, I want a car that can go 200 miles an hour, tow a boat, has room for five adults, is easy to parallel park but can carry plywood, gets 60mpg, and only costs $3,000. I also want a unicorn to blow me. What are we even talking about here? Oh yeah. Listen, bikes can be fast, light, cheap and comfortable. Pick two, and we're all good.

ABOUT YOUR KIDS:

Your kids are amazing. Sure are. No one else has kids as smart, able, funny or as good looking as you. Nope. Never see THAT around here.

- I have no idea how long you kid will be able to use this bike. As it seems to me, your precious is a little retarded, and can't even use the damn thing now. More likely, your budding genius is going to leave the bike in the driveway where you will Subaru the bike to death LONG before the nose picker outgrows the bike.

- Stop being so jumpy. I am not a molester. You people REALLY watch too much TV. When I hold the back of the bike while your kid is on it, it's not because I get a thrill from *almost* having my hand on kid butt, it's because kids are unpredictable, and generally take off whenever possible, usually not in the direction you think they might go. Listen, if I were going to do anything bad to your kids, I'd feed them to sharks, because sharks are FUCKING AWESOME.

I hope this helps, and have fun this summer riding your kick-ass bike!

Location: Seattle
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Posting ID: 1192150038

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