The way to justify some of the seemingly insane purchases for the MOP-BOP athlete

Triathlon Forum
1

It has been discussed here, but I do have something new to add. I have finished everywhere from the near-front to the back of the middle, depending on condition and injury. While I have only tended to spend more the older I get, I probably could have used the super-aero bits when I was younger and had more in the tank.

Here is why you should spend the coin:

  1. Your poor finish can only be blamed on you, as you have the best equipment possible.

  2. You are more excited about going out and train or race.

  3. You are the talk of the transition area.

  4. You might have the slight edge and beat that one guy/girl who has beaten you every year in the same races.

While I do skimp on certain things, I can’t justify not leveling my playing field a bit. And while the people who are always in the top three generally will not be beat by anything other than better physiology, you can have a chance at adding hardware to your mantle. If nothing else, you look really cool doing your race.

2

"If nothing else, you look really cool doing your race. "

I agree totally! I don’t get why a lot of people on this forum beat up on guys asking about how to best spend their money. “Train more, get an altitude tent, blahblah…” Are the people who want the coolest stuff really the minority in tri or is it just because the poser police are the only ones with time on their hands to shoot down every new carbon fork question?

Kim

4

Jhendric - Just out of curriosity, which distance(s) do you like to race and what are your times? Also, where do you see your biggest improvements coming from?

5

I hear what you’re saying Jason. A few years ago I would’ve been right up here with you shouting about the guys “with all the gear and no idea”. Personally, in any pursuit, I would feel like a bit of a dick rocking up with the Gucci gear and only being capable of a K-Mart performance.

However, seeing I “race” triathlon, I never come across any of these types except in the transition area before and after events. I am yet to meet one who is not your average friendly triathlon type guy. They know they’re not out to challenge for the top places and just enjoy getting out there on their bikes and shooting the breeze about their gear before/afterwards. I’ve come to the conclusion that their motivation is different to mine (and yours) and am quite happy to adhere to the doctrine of laissez faire. My energy is best spent concentrating on me and my race.

NB - However, if some guy with the latest, aero-ist, spangly-ist gear turns up, struts around, talks the talk and makes out like he’s some kind of ninja…and proves not to be - I’m not adverse to ripping the piss after the race with any one of the commonly heard favourites: ‘shame you haven’t got a £4,000 pair of legs to match your bike’; ‘skirt get caught in the chain?’…

6

If people want the exotic stuff, I say go for it. At what point to you say to someone, “Ok now you are worthy of a Zipp 404 wheelset, but not a Mavic IO”???

If it makes them happy, and they can afford it, then why not? I thought tri was an individual sport. Hell, by the logic that only the fast guys should be on the really nice, expensive equipment, then none of us should have it, only Lance, Jan, and Peter Reid!! I don’t think Zipp would be too happy about having a potential market of 3 people.

7

I have found that I need to justify nothing to nobody…including my language skillZ.

EL

8

You wonder why people are critical of those who need cool stuff so that they’re motivated to get off their ass to train? It’s because “playing the role” is transparent like Saran Wrap (but welcomed by marketing departments worldwide). It’s no different than the white kids from affluent suburbs who dress, talk, and act like they’re 50 Cent, yo. In either case, money can’t buy legitimacy. But it can make you look like an idiot.

But bunnyman makes a good point - that if you have all the best shit money can buy you have no excuse for a lackluster finishing time. It’s obvious to everyone else that your heart (and wallet) are misplaced, and that is the reason you are labeled a Poseur. Once you finally get all the coolest stuff, you will still be a mediocre triathlete who’s in it for the wrong reasons. Mediocre triathletes on $5,000 bikes don’t look cool doing their race. The guys and gals that pass them look cool.

This elitist attitude bothers me. Assuming your argument is valid, who decides the correct match for ability+motivation=allowed equipment. Take me for example, I consistently finished in the top 5% of the bike split, and the top 10% overall last season. I raced on a Nashbar frame, fast forward seat post, syntace bars, and Ultegra. On that combination I beat a lot of people with nicer bikes. I recently bought a P2K that I’m looking forward to racing this season. I guess my question to you would be, do my abilities warrant me having this bike, or am I a poseur? Or maybe I earned a P3? Again, I’ll ask, who decides? I love this sport because it is open to everyone. My sister is doing her first race in June, and she’ll be on a mountain bike (and breaking 2hrs for a sprint, maybe), but I know she’ll still have a blast (and if she gets hooked I’ll advise her to buy the best equipment she can afford).

I challenge you to define exactly what “equipment that’s inline with their abilities” is.

I say, buy what you want (and can afford), train as much (or little) as you want, and have a great time. The only person’s equipment and finishes I’m really worried about are my own.

Chris

11

jhendric i think your position sez more about you than it does the MOP/BOP rider on the swanky bike. first off, of what benefit is “posing” in a fringe sport in some parking lot at an event 99.5% of the population is completely and totally unaware of gonna do anybody? i think you attribute meaning to this which generally does not exist. here is thought - perhaps these MOP and BOPers on swanky bikes have entirely different reasons for their actions! maybe they have overcome a perilous and destructive lifestyle, and as a present to their newfound life have purchased a bike better than they are - or had it purchased for them by an appreciative loved one. perhaps a parent has passed away, and left behind funds so they could get rid of an old crappy bike and get one of their dreams in remembrance of them for enjoyment of a sport which means so much to them. maybe they have raised a family and sacrificed 18 years and are now enjoying themselves for themselves and figured they desrved it. etc etc. as it happens i know of these very reasons in people myself. would you blast past them and sneer? how do you know, and why do you care ?? if you do care, why not ask somebody - here is a thought tho - when you approach them start with a smile and maybe a greeting such as " hey man, cool bike".

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well how can you know they are a poser until you take the time to get to know them, and the reason they ride the bike they do?
Bob

14

**But when you’re more concerned with looking cool and having the latest gear than you are training hard and putting in the time, then yes, you look like an idiot. **

If this was the point of your post, I did miss it, and I apologize. That said, in 10 years of racing I have yet to encounter this person. In any race you’ll find all levels of ability, experience, available time for training, available resources, etc. I have a great deal of respect for anyone who gets off the couch and does a tri, regardless of their abilities or the equipment they might have. In my experience, everyone has their own reasons for racing, but I’ve never met someone doing it just to ‘look cool’.

Another thought, have you ever considered that if all the MOP and BOP people (the vast majority of the sport) didn’t make purchases in vast excess of their abilities, the industry would never be able to develop things like the P3, OCLV, Zip 404’s, etc.

Finally, do you actually believe that all the high-end equipment on the market is targeted to high-end athletes? Hell no! If I were a marketing manager at one of these companies, I certainly wouldn’t be targeting the market segment that wins races and/or averages 24+mph, that’s what, probably 0.5% of the market. I’d target the 80% of the market who are MOP & BOP, and who have LOTS of disposable income, and that I can convince that “my bike, wheels, etc. will make you faster, better…” From a purely business perspective, I’m glad there are people out there spending $1000+ on a set of wheels, because they created the market for Renn to make a disk that I can afford. J

Just to be clear, you and I agree about people out to ‘look cool’, I can’t stand them either. I just disagree that they are widespread in our sport.

Chris

15

Hey if you have the money and like cool things then go mad! That’s what I do…I’m only a 12.5 hour Ironman Finisher but I have some of the best gear money can buy…if I see something that I want I buy it…it doesn’t matter to me what other people think as long as I’m happy!

16

well let me come at this from another angle then, jhendric. i am a big singlespeed mt bike fan. love them. i know guys that buy ultra boutique level singlespeed mt bikes PRECISELY because they are cool. no other reason at all - what reason in the world can there be for a 4000 dollar mtn bike with one f-ing gear, other than it being a bit&chen bike which looks cool as hell. who cares if they are overweight, or don’t ride as much as the next guy, or whatever? dude has a nice bike - what is so wrong with that? i just do not get it . . . . . why interject negativity into it? why not just - to the degree that you even think about it all - say " yo man, nice f-ing bike " and be done.

moreover, there is long and illustrious tradition in road cycling for old fat guys to own exceedingly nice bikes and maybe take them out on sunday morinngs and whatnot. they have a name for these guys in italian - i forget it now - but it is not a condemning or derogatory sense but instead a sorta endearing one. again, to the degree you think about others at all why not give them the benefirt of the doubt, and assume the best? maybe, they just like nice bikes!

fianlly, if the guy you describe actually does exist - so what? he sounds more funny to me than maddening.

17

“fianlly, if the guy you describe actually does exist - so what?”–TTN

My thoughts exactly. The poser police should get off their crappy bikes and leave us MOPers/BOPers alone. The guy w/ the 5k bike coming in last is infinitely less annoying than the guy who brags that he won on his circa-80s steel bike with box rims.

Kim

18

Look JHendric, I am not the triathlete I was a few years ago, though I might be again if I can keep trucks from hitting me. I used to be a podium contenter. Right now, I’m happy to be in the top 10 of my AG. So I’m at a slow point physically. But, for the first time in 20 years of racing, I have the $$ to own a $5000+ rig, and I do. Are you going to call me a poser and look down on me when you pass me on your $2000 P2k now? Tell you what, I don’t give a rat’s ass if you do. I’ve spent my time in the trenches. I’ve got a nice bike now and some other nice gear. I use it. I finish. And I love this sport. Just don’t gloat too long when you pass me. You never know when I’ll be back in REAL shape, and then, I dare you to hold my wheel. What’s my point? You don’t know Dick from Jane out there most of the time. Who are you to judge them? The great thing about this sport is you don’t have to EARN anything to be a part of it, certainly not the approval of folks like you.

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well he won’t look down on you unless you hit 17mph on his radar gun hidden in his bento box:-)

Kim
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Thank God for the BOP MOP bikers that spend the money on nice equipment. If you didn’t I would never see it. I like nice stuff. Nothing like the feeling of a new expensive tubie on the road. The fitness police did not catch me biying the last tire I bought. I posed as a 20 mph guy. As soon as I paid the shop kepper I ran to the door my wife had the get away car ready and zoom we were gone. Next week I am going for a pro style race belt or Hammer gel what ever looks like a easy pickins. If it dosn’t work out I will email from PC prison.

dirtball aka lefty
Boy am I glad to be free !

21

Let’s face it- in the local yokal races, there are only three or four people who can ride faster than 17 miles per hour. They also swim faster and run much faster. Chances are, they will never encounter the MOP-BOP on their really cool bikes.

The quote of "If nothing else, you look really cool doing your race. " is meant in jest. I would have hoped people would have seen that, especially when I said that there is nothing holding you back when you have the best equipment in a race. If you’re a BOP-er on a really cool P3 or something getting passed by a guy/girl on an old junker, you give the guy/girl on the old junker great satisfaction of passing a you on that P3. It can work both ways. I have passd people and been passed on my Fox. 'sall good.

Do I think BOPers and MOPers need the best stuff? Of course, especially if they are going to buy stuff I had designed (none out on the market, yet) or fabricated (some available soon).

As many years as I have been doing this, do I get motivated when I get new stuff? Of course, as I want to try it out. But watching Judge Marilyn Millian motivates me to train in the winter in front of the tele, as well. A sunny day makes me motivated to call in sick and be on a bike all day. I just love bikes and everything about them.

22

People should buy cool gear. That is what keeps the economy rolling. Most slow-pokes know in their heart that the $9,000 bike will not get them onto the podium. But it’s how they want to spend their money. This practice makes it easier to get better things to trickle down to the rest of us.

23

“NB - However, if some guy with the latest, aero-ist, spangly-ist gear turns up, struts around, talks the talk and makes out like he’s some kind of ninja…and proves not to be - I’m not adverse to ripping the piss after the race with any one of the commonly heard favourites: ‘shame you haven’t got a £4,000 pair of legs to match your bike’; ‘skirt get caught in the chain?’…”

Yes, this person deserves as much mick taken from him/her as possible. Thank G’d that they don’t show up too often.

24

“At what point to you say to someone, “Ok now you are worthy of a Zipp 404 wheelset, but not a Mavic IO”???”

When you’re jealous that you can’t afford a Mavic IO.