Bring back the Clydes

Has Been

I used to a Clyde 220. Now at 195 and looking to hit 180 by next summer. Eat veggies and drink water......and spin baby spin
 
Reason I brought this up is I believe this classification should still live and the age category should die. When looking over the 101wilderness and saw that they still got it right and have a Clydes category it well as Frank said brought a tear to my eye. Plan fact I have no business racing against someone like young Rob who I probably have almost a hundy on. Back in the day they ran clyde category all the time, why did they go away? I would hope that some convincing to the new local series would consider opening up this very special category.
 
mattybfat said:
I have no business racing against someone like young Rob who I probably have almost a hundy on. Back in the day they ran clyde category all the time, why did they go away?
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was talking about this on the way to DH40. At nearly 40 (and looking into the future) there is just no way I am going to be "skinny" no matter how much riding I do and how well I eat. just aint in the genes. might get in great shape but I will always be pulling around 200lbs up the hill. in fact, if I can still be hovering around 200lbs when I hit 50 ten years from now I will consider that a major acheivement!

the guys who are just naturally wiry thin after 40 just have a genetic advantage...those damn skinny guys 🙂

wouldnt mind racing against other "big boned" riders 🙂
 
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If I'm going to race, it's going to be against people roughly in my age class. If I pass a few string beans, that's great. If I place, all the more power to me. If I raced a Clydes(Athena) class I'd be sure to come in first or second because that's how many people in that class even attempt to race and making an extra class for that is not competition, it's pity. I don't ride for pity and I don't race for pity.

What I would really like to see, just once, is a handicapped race. In my utopian event we weigh everyone at check-in and subtract each rider's weight from the heaviest racer. Then we layer sheets of lead on each rider so everyone weighs the same at the start. Then we let the fun begin!

Talk about sweet revenge? I'd love to see how many of the top racers could even finish. Not to mention how nice it would be to NOT be the last one up a hill!
 
Cyclopath said:
If I raced a Clydes(Athena) class I'd be sure to come in first or second because that's how many people in that class even attempt to race and making an extra class for that is not competition, it's pity. I don't ride for pity and I don't race for pity.
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you do realize the comments above are largely tongue-in-cheek, dont you?

when you get a bit older and you're fighting your body's desire to become an old fat ass it helps to poke fun at it.
 
Sandie age is a state of mind, there are many masters out there who can light the pants off peeps half their age. I don't pity my size but see it as a disadvantage when I line up to some stringbean. I could have all my horses aligned but science says the more mass the less fast up that damn hill. I am not one for creating more category's but one for making them equal.

Open M/W
sport M/W
SS M/W
Masters M/W
Clydes/Athenas
 
Cyclopath said:
Thanks, I'll be sure to remember that when I get old and fat.
🙄
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LOL, ditto.

This kind of thinking is why there are 45 classes in the H2H and MASS series'. Why 200 pounds? Because we have a 10-base numbering system? What about the guys who are 50+ and weigh 250 pounds? As soon as you remove the people between you and the podium, you become the reason someone else isn't on the podium. I'm 40 in a few months and 190 pounds. Why should I be racing Little Rob and Fred? They weigh less than 300 pounds and are about 50 years old...combined.

I think there should be 2 classes in every race: men & women. Equal payouts.

Though if we're going to go with the pre-race weigh-in and make the skinny people wear lead vests, I'll sign up for that race too. Well, just so long as DH runs it.
 
I'm old and fat. There's nothing I can do about old, but I can control fat. And when my fat ass can beat your fat ass everything is good.

And as long as Luke keeps taking pictures of my fat ass I will have incentive to become a medium ass......or a half ass:hmmm:
 
in reality, the only reason I liked the idea of having a Clydesdale class is not out of "pity" (nor the mentality of "leveling the playing field" or any other such crap) but since I think it would be FUN. not unlike the DNF prize in the SSPalooza. honestly, I didnt "pity" the guy that won the DNF prize nor do I think anyone else did...far from it...IMO that wasnt the point of the award. the point was to CELEBRATE everyone that participates by giving the prize to the slowest guy in the race. IMO, to have a class for the Clydes wouldnt be out of pity but just to have fun with it. I dont know about you, but I think that what it's all about it. no? I wouldnt be surprised if Clydes riders put pigs ears on their helmets or something equally dumb.

but frankly, I like Norms idea of men's and women's classes only. I am not gonna place so what do I care? start everyone all at once with a looooong prologue to stretch it out and allow riders to find their level before the singletrack.
 
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well Norm you wrestled No? So tell me why then do they have weight classes it's one individual against another. I say if your 190 and thats your fighting weight bravo. I haven't seen under 200 since HS. My bones are too freaking heavy.
 
Cyclopath said:
If I'm going to race, it's going to be against people roughly in my age class. If I pass a few string beans, that's great. If I place, all the more power to me. If I raced a Clydes(Athena) class I'd be sure to come in first or second because that's how many people in that class even attempt to race and making an extra class for that is not competition, it's pity. I don't ride for pity and I don't race for pity.

What I would really like to see, just once, is a handicapped race. In my utopian event we weigh everyone at check-in and subtract each rider's weight from the heaviest racer. Then we layer sheets of lead on each rider so everyone weighs the same at the start. Then we let the fun begin!

Talk about sweet revenge? I'd love to see how many of the top racers could even finish. Not to mention how nice it would be to NOT be the last one up a hill!
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I agree.
 
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