Have You Ever Been a Cycling Pro?



i have been in a race with mark mccormack, does that count? i was 14th and he won.
:D
 
Hooben said:
For me it's a yes, but a long time ago...

I rode before clipless pedals
before helmets were used in the tour de france
the most widely used helmet was made of leather
we shifted on the down tube
we marveled at aero hoods (hidden brake cables)
the only cyclocomputer was the avocet
clincher tires were brand new (not tubular)
when people laughed at oversized aluminum
before titanium and carbon
the headsets had threads.

Man this sport moves fast.

Are you still riding? If you are, I bet you can still fly down the road pretty good, eh?
 
Been asked a few times if I am an Olympian by a few little kids a few times, that is the closet I have come.
 
stone61cm said:
Most pros aren't 6'4", 155 lbs,
Look up Magnus Backstedt, winner of the greatest classic of them all, Paris-Roubaix. He's slightly shorter than you, a lot heavier. Check also ex-pro Eros Poli.
 
rhino said:
I am hoping to start my pro life in a couple of months. I am packing my bags and heading to Belgium so I can race everyday.
I wish you lots and lots of luck!!! Hope you kick some butt!! :)
Lets us know how you go if you have time. Please!!!
 
My girlfriend thinks I'm awesome. (I'm not.) I used to race ( Cat 3) locally and now I just ride on the weekends, with my girlfriend. She is great to ride with and has a carbon bike! I'm teaching her how to draft and she is really coming along. I ended up with really well sculpted legs and she says my butt is great. But in my case, these legs are all show and no go. I took her up to see the San Francisco Grand Prix to show what a real rider looks like but she still thinks my legs are nice to look at. I shaved my legs recently after much begging from her and she flipped out over them. I mean flipped in a really good way. Wicked girl!
I never thought about turning pro. I started too late and it's a ridiculously hard life. Plus, it just is not in me physically. I'm an engineer and still love my riding. I have gotten to ride with a several pros at one point or another. Ever hear of Floyd Landis? I rode with him when he first turned pro as a mountain biker. He looked like **** on his road bike! Took him by the bike shop, then to my house for water and Powerbars and sent him on his way. Told him I would be looking for some results.

Hammer, Dudes!
 
Craig Walsh said:
I would love to be a pro, I am 19, and should start racing because I am a very competitive person and like chasing after cyclists 50 or so metres ahead of me.
You sound more like a dog really!
 
I'm not a pro (sounds like no one is on this thread). I do race in few domestic (US) pro,1,2 races. I finish ahead of pros (that tore theselves apart for their team), but most of the time I bust my butt to be an "also ran" way down on the results list. :(

I think after 10 rears of racing I have figured out what it takes to turn pro.

1. Genetic disposition
2. Support (emotional,financial and educational)
3. Abiltilty to suffer (wether you enjoy it or not)
4. TIME

Being 32, I realize I have maybe 2-3 of those bases covered. If you don't have all 4, you may as well have 0 (in regards to turning PRO).

I'm interested to see if any Pro's come out of "the wood work" now that is the Off season for most riders.

GO RIDE!!!!
 
no.
the closest i have been was when some lady sitting on her porch on
sycamore st (the brutal climb featured in the thirft drug classic where lance
won his first million) yelled at me that she sees all the bikers go by and i was
the fastest she has seen since lance during the race.
i doubt it but it was nice.
5'9" 137lbs
 
gntlmn said:
I'm curious how many readers out there have been in the professional ranks, currently or in the past, even for a short period of time.

I was a pro for most of my adult life. Now I make movies that will tell you all about what it's like.
Check out,
prothemovie.com
thehardroad.com
 
I was a pro for most of my adult life. Now I make movies that will tell you all about what it's like.
Check out,
prothemovie.com
thehardroad.com
______________________________________________________________

I own both of your movies and I just wanted to tell you that I think they are great. I find them really inspiring and even though I have no illusions about my own prospects, I still get great motivation from them whkle grinding out the hours on the trainer.

NW
 
jamie p said:
I was a pro for most of my adult life. Now I make movies that will tell you all about what it's like.
Check out,
prothemovie.com
thehardroad.com
Hi Jamie,
I live in Huntington Beach, Calif. I rode with you once, which was pretty cool. Pros are always cooler than local amatuers who "think" they are good! My neighbor (M. Meyers), has raced against you and says you are one of the most exciting racers he's raced against, always attacking.

I bought a copy of 'The Hard Road" and loved it. If M. Meyers ever hands you a DVD cover of it and a Sharpie, he's asking for an autograph for me. Good luck with the film career.
 
jamie p said:
I was a pro for most of my adult life. Now I make movies that will tell you all about what it's like.
Check out,
prothemovie.com
thehardroad.com

whoa man! i just watched that movie with my cycling team a few weeks ago. the one about net zero. it was really cool.