Putting Off Exercise

I do not think of myself as lazy. I am just like many other people, very busy. My plan was to get back on my bicycle around the second or third week of March. Well, here it is almost May, and my bike is still in the attic. College has kept me busy, and I have worked some weird hours at work, sometimes up to 12 hours a day for a few weeks. Each week I say to myself "this is the week that I am going into the attic, get my bike down, pump up the tires, and go riding", but I keep putting it off. This week is no different. It is the end of the semester, I need to finish up my last assignments, and study for the final exams. We had a prom dinner at our house on Saturday night with around 16 people, so all of last week my wife and I were cleaning the house and the yard. I know that exercise a very important part of a healthy lifestyle, and I know that I will eventually get back on my bike, maybe next week. I hope.

Cycling's Popularity in the U.S.

Before World War II, the only sport in the U.S. more popular that cycling was baseball. Cyclists were once the highest paid athletes in the country, and thousands of fans went to cycling races. After the decline in the 50's and 60's, the 1884 Olympic Games in Los Angeles saw U.S. riders take nine medals including the first ever women's medal awarded for the road race. Interest in the sport took off and, it is one of the fastest growing amateur sports in America today. Greg Lemond's three Tour de France victories and Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France wins (see recent blog posts below) continue to boost the sport, but there is still a continuous battle to regain the prominence cycling experienced before basketball and football.

According to USA Cycling, the governing body of bicycle racing in the U.S., the growth of competitive cycling continues to increase. Since 2002, membership of licensed racers has increased by 48%. Also, during the same time, the number of sanctioned events has risen 50%, while affiliated clubs have grown by 30%.

As we here in the U.S. continue to find different ways to stay fit, the sport of cycling offers a unique alternative to helping us acheive a more exercise oriented lifestyle.

Pro Cycling Salaries

My last blog explained an interesting an usually unknown coincidence about two of America's top bicycle racers. This blog is going to explain some more interesting facts concerning professional cyclists and their salaries which are unknown to many. Most professional athletes' salaries are common knowledge to most sports enthusiasts. Many know of the millions of dollars that pro basketball, football, baseball,and golf athletes earn each year of over entire careers, but many may not know how much some earn by riding a bicycle for a living. Most of cycling's top wage earners are champions in the sport's super bowl of cycling, the Tour de France. In 1985, American Greg LeMond became the first cyclists in the history of cycling to sign a contract which paid him over $1 Million a year. He would go on to win the Tour de France 3 times and change the salary structure forever in bicycle racing. Another American, Lance Armstrong, has a personal net worth of over $30 Million (Forbes Magazine). He won the Tour de France 7 times. On today's top professional cycling teams, the minimum salary is $50,000 a year, and the top riders on each team are earning from $1 Million to $4 Million annually. These numbers only represent the base yearly salary and does not include endorsements from the many companies who associate their products with the sport's top riders.

Interesting Bicycle Racing Facts

This blog's topic references an interesting fact about bicycle racing.

Bicycle racing has existed for over 100 years. Some of the first races were held in the late 1800s. The very first Tour de France, which is the Super Bowl of cycling, was first held in 1903. A very fascinating fact is that after over 100 years of bicycling racing history, only two Americans have reached the top of the sport, but what is even more interesting is that both of these Americans have experienced life threatening incidents. Greg LeMond became a world champion for ages 18 and under in 1979, world professional champion in 1983, and the first American to win the Tour de France in 1986. He was then accidently shot while turkey hunting in April of 1987. He lost a lot of blood, had a collapsed lung, and nearly died. He would return to win the Tour de France in 1989 and 1990 and one more world championship in 1989. The other American to reach the top of the sport of cycling is Lance Armstrong. He won the 1993 professional world championships, and in 1986, he announced to the world that he had cancer. The cancer had spread to his lungs and brain, and he was given only a 50% chance of survival. Well, he survived and went on the win a record seven Tours de France. Lance is still racing today.

More Time and Temperature for Fitness

This time of year is particularly important to cyclists, in-line skaters, and any outdoors exercise enthusiasts. This is the time of year when the days start getting longer and the temperatures start getting higher. Thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, most Americans turn their clocks forward one hour on the 2nd Sunday in March and back one hour on the 1st Sunday in November. Since last October, I and many other cyclists have only ridden their bikes outdoors occasionally on Saturday with weather permitting, but soon the time and temperature will allow me to set out during weekdays as more daylight extends past 5pm quitting time. The next few weeks will see me fine tuning my bike before I finally hit the road sometime around the second week of March. I have gained a few pounds, especially around the holidays, and I am looking forward to looser fitting clothes.

Please comment on how you plan to take advantage of extra daylight in the evening and warmer temperatures, or comment on any fitness or class related topic.

Introduction

Bikes and Stuff

Hello, my name is George. I roller speed skated for 14 years during the 1980's and into the 1990's. I raced road bicycles from 1983 until 2000. For the past 2 years, I have been riding my bicycle again but only for recreation and fitness. Feel free to post any comments related to cycling or inline skating.