The past couple of weeks have been fun getting to know some of the BSM guys. I rode with Sam and Max last weekend for 3 hours. They totally and completely destroyed me but it was a fantastic ride and I actually kept up pretty well! I felt super excited and optimistic about finding cool people to train and race with.
Then I recruited another girl (14 years my junior). I knew her through a couple of mutual friends, and IMKY. We raced a crit together last year, and I thought she'd make a good teammate since we rode so well together. She even hooked us all up with vo2 max tests at NKU, with the agreement that we participate in a study on cyclists. I was psyched, only to find out I didn't q'fy for the study because I have Hep C.
Blow to my face. And I was too embarrassed to say anything when the emails came flying through about when everyone else would be doing their test.
Then I found out they were meeting with a local bike shop to set up some kind of sponsorship. The shop they chose didn't sit well with me. At all. It's the highest end shop in the city, carrying bikes like Colnago, or Pinarello. I can't even afford to look inside the shop, let alone buy a tube!
$85.00 for a tune up?
$60.00 for a 1/4 hour of labor?
Please. That's not me.
So I guess I jumped the gun, way too fast, on my new team for 2011. I won't be riding with BSM. I like the guys a lot though. They will do well, but it's not the fit I thought it would be for me.
I am just gonna do my own thing next year.
FTW.
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13 comments:
oh judi... that is a bummer. Can you still ride with them sometimes, though?
I went back to your earlier post and found your copy of the letter that BSM sent you:
"BSM Management wants you on the squad, congratulations! Standout features include the strong effort you made to get on our radar, writing for a terrific blog about cycling, sharing a passion for promoting positive attitudes in the cycling community, and not being an exclusive ass towards other cyclists. Due to all of the above the BSM would like to officially extend an offer to join our team."
*********
I found the part about "not being an exclusive ass towards other cyclists" to be especially enlightening in this case.
Never mind you not being a good fit for them. It's possible they may not be a good fit for YOU. That doesn't make it any less sad right now, but it's something to file for future reference. I hope you find some excellent human beings to ride with very soon.
big hugs --bh
Let me clarify a previous statement:
I hope you find an excellent team and sponsorship soon.
And if money were no object, *I* would sponsor you.
My first cross race is tomorrow, off to bed soon for something resembling a decent night's sleep.
I'm sorry Judi. You deserve better than that.
I'm confused..does the Hep C mean you can't be on the team?
Also I'm wondering what's wrong with a sponsorship from an expensive store? I mean..does that mean you have to buy stuff from them? I'm just thinking, who cares? I mean you can just buy stuff from your usual stores, but they will help sponsor your team. Or am I not understanding the way the sponsorship works?
beth, how'd your race go? i hope you had fun. thanks for your comments. the whole problem is my own misunderstand thinking this was a sponsorless team. and they aren't.
i don't need sponsors. i have my LBS and they take good care of me.
@carmen - this shop is everything i am against in cycling. i like to support the mom and pop shops. i won't ride for a shop that i don't even believe in supporting, let alone PROMOTE them by riding a jersey w/ their name on it. and no, the hep c did not prevent me from joining the team, just from participating in the study.
I don't get it. It's seems like a small, rider owned and operated, bike shop that happens to sell some high end products. What is wrong with that? Besides, they sell Surly, so they can't be all bad.
I sense some reverse bike snobbery going on here.
Of course, they could be pompous assholes, in which case disregard my bike snobbery comment.
call it reverse snobbery. i don't care. stores like that intimidate me, just like sax fucking 5th avenue. ugh. people don't get it.
Just curious:
"People don't get it" - what don't people get?
A bike is a bike, regardless what you paid for it, and shouldn't be treated as a status symbol?
TKB, there are lots of different bikes and lots of different kinds of people associated with them. i choose to use an unknown, not-the-hippest, small mom and pop shop that also carries surly (FYI anyone who orders from QBC can have a surly in their shop).
my email is judir6@gmail.com if you want to have a conversation. i don't normally carry on conversations with people in the comments section of my blog.
Hi Judi -- race report and results posted at my blog. Photos at my flickr page (which you can link to from my race report). It went well.
I understand about comfort and fit. It matters. Be patient and you will find the right fit. Meanwhile, keep racing and wowing the masses.
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