FAQ

I'm often surprised by the misconceptions people have about biking. I hope to clear up a few right here, by answering some frequently asked questions.

What's your favorite off-road trail?
Isn't that tiny seat uncomfortable?
How can you ride all bent over like that?
What's up with all that lycra?
What country does Jan Ullrich ride for?
Are you a big fan of Lance Armstrong?
Will you ever ride the Tour de France?
Why do you refer to racers as "he" -- aren't there any female cyclists?

What's your favorite off-road trail?

Actually, I'm into road biking, not the more familiar sport of mountain biking. Like stock car racing versus Formula 1, the racers, equipment, and rules are all different between these two sports. Other distinct sports within the "cycling" umbrella include track racing, cyclocross, and BMX. Here's a quick comparison between them all:

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Isn't that tiny seat uncomfortable?

Although the seat on a typical racing bike is very narrow, with little or no padding, I've never had serious problems with discomfort while riding. The narrow shape avoids chafing on your inner thigh, and cycling tends to build pretty strong butt muscles, so padding isn't necessary.
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How can you ride all bent over like that?

The rider's position on a racing bike -- arms forward, knees in, back flat -- strikes a balance between comfort, performance, and aerodynamics. If the seat were lower, leverage against the pedals would be reduced. If the handlebars were higher, drag on the riders's upper body would be increased. Therefore, riders pay a lot of attention to the adjustment of these components.

That being said, I can ride for 6-8 hours in a racing position without any aches; after that point, I think my muscles and joints would be tired no matter what position I were in. A good position on a road bike might seem awkward at first, but is not inherently uncomfortable. And, although you might not realize it, an energetic ride involves quite a lot of moving around, changing positions, and standing up on the pedals; it's not like sitting in a chair all day where your body just gets stiff and tired.
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What's up with all that lycra?

Again, modern cycling clothing strikes a balance between comfort and aerodynamics. Shorts and jerseys are cut to fit well in the riding position, their tight fit avoids chafing or, worse yet, dangerous tangles with moving parts, and the fabrics are designed to wick sweat away and keep the rider cool. At the same time, the clothing offers an aerodynamic profile. Wind resistance is a cyclist's worst enemy, so the last thing one needs is a baggy shirt flapping in the breeze.

If I ride with cycling clothes, I forget I'm wearing them, but if I ride with regular clothes, they always cause some kind of problem.
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What country does Jan Ullrich ride for?

Professional bike racing is organized by so-called "trade teams," not by countries, so the nationality of a rider is largely irrelevant. In the trade team system, teams are named after and get a budget from their sponsors, and offer jobs (usually one- to three-year contracts) to the riders they like best. Riders are free agents, and join the teams that offer the best combination of salary, performance bonuses, and shared goals.

Although a few teams like to identify strongly with their country of origin by hiring a large proportion of local riders (for example, ONCE in Spain and Deutsche Telekom in Germany), most teams are a potpourri of riders from around the world. Lance Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team in 2002 included riders from the United States, Canada, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Czechoslovakia, and Australia. The 2002 Tour de France jersey winners included an American riding for an American team, an Australian riding for a Belgian team, and a Lithuanian riding for an Italian team.

The only exceptions to the trade team system are the annual World Championship races and the Olympic Games, in which riders change into national team jerseys and work for their country for a day. However, these races are sometimes tainted by divided loyalties when long-term trade team alliances overshadow short-term national ties.
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Are you a big fan of Lance Armstrong?

Sure, who isn't? Lance combines modern training methods with an old-fashioned passion for winning and is one of the top-ranked riders in the world. However, my favorite rider over the last few years has been Laurent Jalabert. This Frenchman lives in Switzerland, has ridden for Spanish and Danish teams, and has won races all across Europe. Unfortunately, he retired at the end of 2002, leaving a big gap in the pro scene. I'll probably pay particular attention to the promising Columbian, Santiago Botero, this year, as well as Lance's Spanish teammate, Roberto Heras.
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Will you ever ride the Tour de France?

The short answer is no! The road to becoming a Tour rider is long and difficult. Here are the major milestones:

• Citizen racer If I wanted to enter a race tomorrow, I'd enter the "citizen's" division. This basically means, "Anybody off the street who wants to race (and brings a helmet)." Citizen's races are usually contested by 10-50 competitors, with distances of 10-50 miles over moderate terrain.
• Classified amateur The next step beyond citizen's racing is to apply for a racing license from the rider's national cycling federation. In the United States, that's the USCF. The USCF classifies its racers according to their level of advancement, starting at Category V (beginners) and working up to Category I (experts). Advancing from one category to the next is very difficult; I know people who can ride twice as fast as me but have been stuck at Cat. III for years. Cat. II and I riders are very, very good, and are often allowed to enter professional races. Amateur races are usually contested by 20-100 competitors, with distances of 40-80 miles over more challenging terrain.
• Domestic pro When a rider reaches the top of the amateur ranks, he may seek a contract with a professional team. For American riders, he'll usually start with a domestic team -- that is, a team that participates primarily in American races. Quite a few riders make a living this way, but American races generally lag far behind European races in terms of difficulty and prestige. Professional races are usually contested by 50-150 competitors, with distances of 75-150 miles over difficult terrain.
• European pro To race in Europe, an ambitious American must either join a European team, or join an American team that participates in European events (currently, U.S. Postal Service is the only American team riding in Europe). European races are larger (up to 200 or more riders), longer (up to 250 miles a day), involve more challenging conditions (poor weather, cobblestones, Alpine passes), and include the toughest competitors in the world.
• Tour rider Even after making the climb to a European pro, a rider still might never get into the Tour de France. Although it's the largest bike race in the world, the Tour can't accommodate everyone, so its organizers have to be selective -- they invite about 20 teams, of nine riders each, every year. Teams must race well in early-season events to earn an invitation, and riders must race well to earn one of the nine places. And becoming a Tour finisher is even more difficult -- each year, about two-thirds of the riders abandon due to injury or exhaustion before the race reaches the final stage in Paris.

To put this into perspective, I raced for four years as a citizen, then tried USCF racing for a few months and was blown away. I didn't even make it to the second step! So the guys who ride in Europe, and participate in the Tour, are mind-bogglingly good at riding bikes, and I will never be in their company.

I would, however, like to see the Tour de France some day! But that will have to wait until I'm brave enough to polish up my French language skills, trek to the south of France, rent a car, and drive it up into the mountains with a half-million other crazed fans from around the world. Mon dieu!
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Why do you refer to racers as "he" -- aren't there any female cyclists?

Well, yes, and the same path of advancement exists for female racers. Men and women ride in separate races, and most teams hire either male or female riders, but not both. However, the majority of teams are men's teams, the biggest events are men's events, and the publications I read cover men's racing almost exclusively. It's a sad fact about the sport. (Note: the male/female balance is much better in mountain biking, track racing, and any kind of U.S. racing.)
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