Answer: To pay it forward
I have written race reports regularly for the last few years. Recently, the cycling club indulged me by sharing a tastefully modified version of my original version, and it made me really proud. My writing style has been called (amongst other things) Notorious, Brutal, Self-indulgent, clickbait and raw. Its also been called wisdom, helpful, engaging, thought-provoking and comical. I focus more to the points of being helpful and engaging because nobody lives long enough to make all their own mistakes, and If I can mentor the newer generation to be better tomorrow than they were today I would consider my continuation in the sport valuable.
My career took me to every state in Australia, across Asia and into Europe. Beginning as a 13 year old, I have raced for 21 years with success including state and national gold medals, and race wins that meant a lot to me at the time. Mentoring has become much more difficult, and experienced riders are passing on less information than any other time in my memory. If my race reports can be enjoyed and pass on some of what I have learned, then it’s worth the hour it takes to write them. I may not be Robbie McEwen with a million protour wins, but I know more about bike racing than most people know about their professions. “Caught between a has-bin and a never-was but still more experienced than the majority by 10 fold.” Plenty of people have no idea that I ever raced at all, and know me only for my Bike Fitting business. There are dozens of champions of greater stature than me who are not recognised for their former glory, and I would love that to change and for them to become willing mentors again. For now, I will be that guy.
Sometimes I am harsh, and mean. There are often lots of swear words, and creative descriptions. Regularly, people have hurt feelings. Most of the time these hurt feelings belong to people who already know it all, and couldn’t be told. Im ok with that, because making the example clearly will help more than the one with hurt feelings. Nobody is ever named.
From now on I will write the reports on my website to keep a catalog, as I am regularly asked to find old race reports for people to share and pass on to their friends.
For as long as people call what I write helpful, I will continue. Or until I get sued for hurting someone’s feelings, then I will probably stop. Could even start a Youtube Chanel one day, if I didnt have a head for radio.
“Be Better than you were yesterday” Abe lincon or Yoda (I forget)
