What are the benefits of being a cyclist?

[roger89]

Hi all,

What are the benefits of being a cyclist? How much income will make? Is it a good career? Will it help us at old age, as in future? how? My parents say I better take up other careers and such..

I hope my questions isn't too rude. I'm just curious.

Thanks.

 

[briansmt4]

Hi all,

What are the benefits of being a cyclist? How much income will make? Is it a good career? Will it help us at old age, as in future? how? My parents say I better take up other careers and such.. http://cyclingforums.com/images/smilies/frown.gifhttp://cyclingforums.com/images/smilies/confused.gif

I hope my questions isn't too rude. I'm just curious.

Thanks.

Roger, my advice would be (and I'm sure your parents would agree) to get a good education at the same time as doing cycling training, so that you can be qualified for other work than being an athlete, in case cycling doesn't work out for you. Lance Armstrong makes $10 million a year or more, but he is definitely one of a kind. But there are a lot of us that do well in other careers that pay the bills and allow us to pursue cycling racing as amateurs. On the other hand, if you find that your talent in cycling is so strong that a professional career is possible, the good education will still be useful. And if the pro cycling career is cut short for some reason, there is something to fall back on.
The question regarding benefits of being a cyclist: for most cyclists, it isn't about money, in fact usually it is about spending it rather than making it. But the benefits are really big in the fitness level you can achieve. I think cyclists are the fittest athletes of all. I am a runner, and it doesn't come close because injuries are very common in running at training level much lower that in cycling.
Hope this helps.
Brian

 

[Flyer]

Cycling is a great hobby activity. It is social and team oriented.

You can gain tremendous fitness if you train, eat and rest properly. And you can see the world whilst meeting new friends along the way.

Professionally, it is a complete disaster. Doping and enormous sacrifice is required. Few people make any decent money, careers are typically very short and cycling takes away from education and other opportunities to make greater income in other businesses. Cycling is not lucrative but may be life threatening. The cost/benefit ratio is unprofitable.

Bottom line, bike racing is a fun hobby, never to be taken too seriously. It is an addiction and must be held in proper balance with other aspects of life.

 

[trackman23434]

don't forget great stress reducer

 

[carpediemracing]

Greg Lemond in some interview somewhere said what he didn't realize is how much of a toll the sun took on his skin (his face in particular) and that's one thing he'd change if he could.

Cycling for professional reasons is probably not that healthy - just like being any other professional athlete.

But taken into moderation, cycling reduces blood pressure, resting heart rate, flushes out your system, develops muscles without much impact problems, helps stabilize your kneecap (inner quad gets developed, unlike in running), makes for flexible quads, develops your glutes, and generally conditions your body. Cycling at a recreational level is a sport for all ages, although it seems like after 55-60 yrs old the number of racers drops sharply.

At the same time, too much cycling (either at once or a huge step up in mileage) can result in excessive fatigue, soreness, and numbness (hands, crotch, even feet). Like any other aerobic activity, your body needs to acclimate to different levels of activity.

If you go into it with professional aspirations, be realistic. Did you beat the club TT record the first time you did it while using sneakers and a borrowed bike? Or get disqualified from a win in a time trial or hill climb because everyone thought you cheated since you won by so much? These are signs that you should think about turning pro. If you aren't completely dominating everyone up to a Cat 2 level from the start then those are signs to think of cycling as a hobby. Although others may dispute this, I believe there is talent necessary at a genetic level for you to be competitive professionally. All the dope in the world won't help you overcome lack of talent. Lack of talent isn't a good or bad thing, it's just a fact of genetics. Chris Carmichael doesn't say "Oh Lance is one of the worst riders we've seen but he's worked really, really hard to get where he is". He says "Lance is an extremely talented racer, generates record numbers in his lactate/wattage/whatever, and then he trains really hard to maximize his talents."

 

[RapDaddyo]

I am an avid amateur cyclist and have followed cycling at both the amateur and professional levels for 35 years. I can think of few sports that are more rewarding and enjoyable for amateurs and at the same time less rewarding and profitable for professionals. But, as I said, that's from an amateur's perspective and probably not worth much as an opinion on the merits of being a professional cyclist. The basic problem is that in the U.S. cycling has never gained traction with the television media. Look at last year's coverage of the TdF, with LA going for an historic number of wins. Apart from OLN, which is a small-fry among the cable channels, I think it got a whopping 30 minutes of coverage on the final Sunday on ABC or another of the majors. Road cycling is also not very spectator friendly -- you just get to see them whizz by every so often. I think they should hold races at the Indy 500 track. Professional sports generate their revenues from seats in the stadium and TV. That's what generates the money they pay professional baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer players. Cycling is a weak contender on both counts and I don't see that changing any time soon. So, most pro cyclists in the U.S. will have a hard time just earning a living wage. Look at the prize money at the pro races in the U.S. Peanuts! But, as I and others have said, it's a great amateur sport and one you can enjoy as long as you can pedal a bike. So, go ride and race but keep other career options open.

 

[BlueJersey]

It is not really an issue to be a cyclist. Cycling if done recreationally, can be another form of fitness or exercise. Now, if you want to race bikes, that's another question. If you are a competitive individual who is determined, hardworking, and patient, bike racing is for you. You have to put a lot of hardwork and determination to get in 15 hours of training a week. 2000 base miles during the off season, riding through Winter. In your race day, you realize everyone trained as hard or harder than you. It is luck or chance if you do well in the race. Sometimes, bad luck can strike leaving you with a flat or getting dropped because you couldn't recover fast enough. You make sacrifices but sometimes the sacrifices you make are simply distractions. You have to be really love riding your bike during your day offs though. Once you have all the issue sorted out, you have to still face the fact that you may not go pro or good enough to be a top amauture. Then, again, nothing beats the sensation of riding in the front and helping out your teamates to get on a break. Nothing beats the sensation and skill of holding a rotating paceline at 30mph. How about those damn hills??? Don't you want to ride faster each time you race the same course??? How about dreaming of taking a flyer and win the race???

Hi all,

What are the benefits of being a cyclist? How much income will make? Is it a good career? Will it help us at old age, as in future? how? My parents say I better take up other careers and such.. http://cyclingforums.com/images/smilies/frown.gifhttp://cyclingforums.com/images/smilies/confused.gif

I hope my questions isn't too rude. I'm just curious.

Thanks.

 

[Catabolic_Jones]

I am completely in agreement with Blue Jersey. If you want it, go for it. If you believe in yourself, you can do it. Do it for the love of the sport, and you will have enough money.