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General Climbing Discussion

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Off-topic Climbers who ride version 2; MOTORcycles 19-Jul-2013 At 9:04:55 AM technogeekery

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On 18/07/2013 f_abe wrote:
>I reckon that if I was paid millions of dollars a year to be flown (first
>class no doubt) to 18 of the best climbing locations in the world with
>free choice of the best brolly dolly's for post climb 'de-stress' I'd be
>happy to have whatever pain killing injections I could so I could still
>climb to keep my bevvie of sponsors happy and keep the dream alive...

f_abe - I'm calling f_ake. There are perhaps 10 riders earning $1m+ a year in road racing. They mostly started racing when they were 5-8 years old, and they (and their parents) have given up everything to race. They spend everything they earn on going faster, on training, on supporting themselves while racing, and often have to pay to get a ride (ie bring their own sponsorship). They spend years on uncompetitive rides, riding the wheels off them to get the chance to ride a better bike, often pushing far too close to the line too often - and getting injured in the process, frequenty and repeatedly. Its not avoidable, you will crash as a racer, and broken bones and permanent damage are just part of the price you pay. Only once you reach the very peak of the profession do you earn more than say a mid-level finance professional, and you have a shelf life of 10 -15 years max, more like 5 years at your peak in reality. It is all about winning races, and every racer want to win - but you can go for years without ever winning a race (most riders do) - and imagine what that does to your career satisfaction? If you are super talented and lucky, you retire mid 30's, become a TV commentator and can pay for a lifetime of physio. Others go out with a whimper, like world superbike champ Colin Edwards, circulating at the back of the CRT bikes on an old postie bike, trading on a once-great name just so he can still smell the petrol in the morning. Others take up kart racing because they are paralysed from the waist down, and every couple of years one of the unlucky ones will die.

I raced for 2 years (bumbly club level) and have a small understanding of what these guys do - and not for a second do I think that I could do it, for any kind of money. I think you do them a disservice with your flip comments.