I think all they’re saying is “thanks for paying attention to us and noticing our sponsors”
5 Likes
This might only make sense to me, but I feel like these kind of stunts are low key insulting to the mid-pack folks who paid their money and are doing the thing.
At the same time it’s just a big expensive luxury bike ride for people of means. So maybe it’s cool a bunch of affluent white dudes are mocking a bunch of other affluent white dudes.
Either way, it’s still not sitting well.
8 Likes
I was trying to articulate something similar last night. I’m all for having fun and being silly. But at the same time its a race and folks are out there struggling to even finish (assuming they could get an entry at all) and it’s almost an insult like ha this is so easy we did it on beach cruisers.
There’s a tension between not taking it seriously but also being respectful of people who do take it seriously, especially when there is a wide ability gap.
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Yeah. I’m sure there are people out there that literally just completed the most physically challenging thing of their life. And there were some that failed. Meanwhile these jabronis are yucking it up.
1 Like
Idunnoman. I feel like whenever I’m doing any sport/physical thing- he’ll, even non-physical thing- I am keenly aware that there are people who could absolutely wipe the floor with me, even on whatever that activity’s equivalent of a beach cruiser is.
I didn’t watch the video, so I don’t know if they were obnoxiously smug about it, but I’m not mad at them just for doing it.
4 Likes
I think its funny that theyre still wearing kit. That’s not part of the gag. They just can’t live without lycra.
lol
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Didn’t some people ride a Walmart bike during crank worx a few years back?
This adequately sums up how I feel about a lot of the “party” crap at cross races. Different scene, and kind of from the opposite perspective though.
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The question at the core of the whole stunt, “does anyone need a $5,000-10,000 bike,” also has such a plainly painfully obvious answer that the whole thing reads super disingenuously.
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someone on Threads commented on their post that “its great that y’all took a pause on the marketing machine to do something fun” like this isn’t textbook cutesy marketing circlejerkerey.
I’m gonna race the 350 on one of these next year and take it all the way to the bank.
9 Likes
Ashtabula
I have a number plate bracket that also has a GoPro mount option. People have been using the out front combo computer mounts and the bracket to flip their plates horizontal for more aero.
I don’t know what course marshals think of that, but it’s somewhat ingenious.
they should make a number plate you attach to your body
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Timing chip all the things!
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as someone who’s been DFL struggling to get across the finish line at big races like Lost & Found and Gravel Worlds, i kind of couldn’t give two shits if there are stronger riders ahead of me who “aren’t taking it seriously”? I’m not in contention, i’m just out having a day on the bike, i genuinely could not care at all what’s happening ahead of me on the course, i probably have more in common with the guys yuking it up on joke bikes than i do with the tryhards at the front of the pack. The strong riders who are fucking around are way more likely to stick around after dark and cheer all the stragglers across the line than the people who are in it to win it.
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Speaking of the ‘Spirit of gravel’ why did I just watch the 2024 Unbound Gravel Race Highlights by Life Time Grand Prix sponsored by Kenetik Ketones -I couldn’t stop laughing omg
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I think there is precedent for fucking around at huge events like this. People do stuff like running the boston marathon in crocs, or a stupid costume. I mean yeah it might be annoying to someone who is just trying to finish and suffering a lot. But maybe it’s fun and cheers them up instead. It’s hard to say that it’s inherently bad i think.
5 Likes
love it
hate it
we’re talking about it
it worked
they win
4 Likes