Cycling

[faulty_damper]

In response to DonJuan's questions

so, are you one of those cyclists who wear tight speedos

Cyclists don't wear speedos, they wear spandex shorts designed to support their legs.  They wear them alone, without underwear, as underwear can chaffe. Almost all cycling shorts have a chamois sewn into them which helps in comfort and as extra padding.  Most chamois are coated with an anti-bacterial application for hygeine.

and ride all crouched over

Cyclists do often ride in a crouched position.  The primary reason for this is to reduce aerodynamic drag, which is the main reason cyclists are unable to ride at speeds over 45mph on flat terrain, un-assisted by any moving obect to block the wind.  However, the top speed record for a bicycle is over 163mph, assisted by a pace vehicle.

on those super-light weight

The weight of these bicycles must now meet a minimum weight of 14.96 pounds in UCI sanctioned races.  The governing body, the International Cycling Union (UCI)decided that this would keep the racers at a set advantage as the heavier the bicycle, the slower a rider will go and since larger riders ride bigger and heavier equipment, it is therfore a disadvantage to be a larger rider.  Sometimes, a rider will have to exchange for heavier equipment to meet the minimum weight limit.
However, non-UCI santioned races, like the United States Cycling Federation do not have such a rule yet, but their rules will be UCI-compliant by the year 2007.  So for the meanwhile, these racers can ride superlight bicycles as light as under 13 pounds.  

10 000$ road bikes

Performance road bicycles usually cost a lot.  The cost of bicycle framesets that many professional racer's ride are usually very expensive; anywhere from $1,500 - $3,000 USD and sometimes more.  Again, this is just the frame and fork and sometimes it comes with a seatpost.  The weight of the frames can be as light as under two pounds.

The compononts that these bicycles are outfitted with are almost always the very top end, also very light in weight, and cost as much or more than the frame.  The drivetrain set can cost as much as $1,800.  The wheels sometimes cost more than $3,000.  And the tires to match these wheels cost as much as $75 per tire and sometimes more.  Other components like the handlebar can cost from $75 - $250.  The handlebar stem can cost up to $200+.  And fancy carbon Handlebar and stem monocoques can cost $500.  The seatpost as much as $200.  The clipless pedals ussually cost arund $200.  And for what thes racers sit on, the saddle costs anywhere from $60 - $200 (some ultra lightweight saddles cost more.)

If you add up the cost of the entire bicycle, it will usually be around $5,000 for the standard setup these racers ride on.  Some races may be more due to choosing different components and may well cost $10,000.

Recreational riders can ride on these same bicycles pro racers ride on, and they do.

with skinny little tires?

Skinny tires reduce rolling resistance.  The tire size that most road cyclist ride on fit 700cm wheels with a side width of 23mm.

I tried riding those, but I quickly lost balance

Riding a road bicycle requires the utmost in coordination.  Also, riding faster is more stable due to increased gyroscopic forces of the spinning wheels.

- also, the seat was so uncomfortable because it was cutting into my arteries and threatening to cause impotence! NOOOOO!!...

Performance saddles are usually hard and flex very little.  It is usually very difficult for a recreational rider to be accustomed to sitting on them.  Another thing to consider is the saddle fit - different people have different
shape anatomy and there is no one saddle that fits all butts.  Many people have to try many different ones before they are satisfied, if not happy, with their saddle.  Another factor to consider is saddle adjustment.  The saddle can be tilted so the nose is higher or lower.  Sometimes lowering the nose will relieve pressure in those sensitve areas.

About impotence, the common perception about ridng bicycles causing impotence is false.  A few Cyclist do have impotence and some are caused by riding on ill-fitting saddles but the rate of cylists with impotence to non-cyclist is about half; or 1% of the cyclists compared to 2% of non-cyclists in the general population.

Men should have the little gap in the middle of the seat, otherwise, well...NOOOOO!!

There are saddles with cutouts in them and some women's saddles have it, too.  Those cutouts are not necessary, in my opinion, if the saddle one chooses to sit on has the correct shape and padding to distribute the rider weight evenly and the saddle has been correctly adjusted.


Something I'd like to add:
GO LANCE!

[donjuan]

wow, it's all so clear now- well, everything except "Go Lance"!  Road bikes sound pretty complicated...Im pretty happy with my aluminum frame Mountain bike.  

Oh, just a side note- I had a listen to that Alkan Concerto Op.39 No.8-10 to see if it was everything you said it was.  I liked it..But, I prefer the first movement to your "orgasmic" third.
donjuan

[faulty_damper]

Lance Armstrong is going for his next win at the Tour de France.  If he wins, he'll be the only racer in the Tour's 101 year history to win 6.  Companies have already spent millions in R&D so he'll be faster and hopefully win.

The Tour de France starts this Saturday, July 3rd.

Look out for American Tyler Hamilton.  He really wants to win this one.  Last year, he was the rider who crashed in a big pile up on the first stage and broke his collarbone.  Broken collarbone... so what?  He got back on his bike and took fourth place, overall.  That guy is tough.