No One Really Knows...

It seems I have been having this reoccurring conversation over the past season, seeing as it is a common topic I think I'm going to discuss it openly... please feel free to comment as this is an open discussion. The consensus is that many racers are stuck up and self-absorbed. I spend most of my time hanging out with non-racers and hobbyist cyclists, I get some good feedback from good people that get treated like losers from racers. The most recent story is of one friend waiting in line to register at Piru while chatting up another friend. He asks Mr. Serious (seems like a fitting name) standing in line behind him if he would like to go ahead of him and register. So, instead of being gracious to my nearly 60 year old friend and just going ahead, Mr. Serious's response was; "what, you don't want me to pass you?"... I would say that takes some balls to say, but not when you're 20 years younger... So, there's one example... then there's always the guy you ask a question at the race and they turn around and look at you, like, who are you? and why are you talking to me? This is why I rarely talk at races, and partially because I'm usually busy preparing mentally and physically for the race... none of this stuff really bugs me, because I don't typically talk enough to give someone the opportunity to snuff me. This brings up another topic, it has been brought to my attention that I come off as very standoffish and stuck up... yea, I'm a bit standoffish, but stuck up I think is used for lack of a better word... I think the word is observant, just because I'm quite doesn't mean I'm stuck up... I listen to people and observe their mannerisms. I'm not quite because I'm stuck up, I'm quite because I'm observing... it's what I do... I'll be the first to tell you I suck (and I'm not just saying that and sandbagging), ones strongest point is knowing where they're weak... So, back to racers in general being ignorant or stuck up or both as they usually go hand in hand... It's evident in the fact that many seem to be so infatuated with themselves that they fail to understand who they're racing against. Personally, I think there are cool racers out there and those are the ones I like to talk to. It's the ones that can't have enough restraint to withhold the smart remarks that everyone remembers... that's the way it always is... My thought is every guy that makes a "I'm cooler than you" remark, we take them to Europe and leave them there for a season and see just how cool they are... If they can kick butt in those races, than they do indeed deserve to act all serious... racing in circles in southern California where you barely race in the rain, cold, and the races are way shorter and easier does not warrant the ability to be cocky... whatever, that's what I think...