Upon Further Reflection
As I mentioned yesterday, I’m generally not a very angry person. Maybe this is because just about any time I work up a nice batch of righteous indignation and then express it, I find myself feeling silly about it after I’ve cooled down.
Like yesterday, for example.
Shortly after posting, I re-read what I wrote and considered taking it down. Then I decided to leave it up, because, after all, it’s how I really felt at the moment. And I think that it’s a pretty good representation of how anyone who’s ever been knocked off his bike — whether in a race or not — feels.
Which is to say, yesterday’s post may not have been my most noble moment, but it was an honest moment.
Now that I’ve cooled down a bit, here’s what I’m thinking:
- I still think Louis made a bad move. It was reckless and unnecessary, and it could have ended not just my race, but his race, and a lot of other people’s races.
- There was no need to make a reckless move in order to get ahead of me. As I stood in line at the beginning of the race, a racer from behind Rick McDonald and me asked if he could wheel his bike ahead of us to get a better start position. Of course we said yes. The racer’s name was Manuel Prada. He eventually took third, overall.
- I have done stupid things, too. I’ve done very stupid things on a bike before, causing other people to crash. I would have been humiliated if someone had caught those things on camera and published them for the world to see. Well, actually, when I do stupid stuff I write about it pretty much immediately. But there’s a difference between writing about something stupid I do and something stupid someone else does.
- I should not use my blog for revenge. I can see that if I use my blog as a place to get even, it will quickly transform from the generous community it has become into an angry, snarky place that I wouldn’t want to read. So I’m going to take 300 deep breaths before clicking Publish the next time I consider using my blog as a weapon.
- I forget to suck in my gut when I’m crashing. Thanks to Holly for getting this photo. While I don’t seek out crashes, I’m glad that I somehow manage to have people catching them on film. Here it is again. This time, just admire it for Holly’s awesome timing with the shutter.
Comment by Boz | 08.12.2008 | 1:07 pm
I’m sure Louis appreciates the reprieve. Sh#t happens, no one is perfect.
gob
Comment by Joni | 08.12.2008 | 1:10 pm
Nicely put. We are all there at one time or another…on both sides. Enjoy the high points. WIN Susan!
Comment by Eufemiano Fuentes | 08.12.2008 | 1:18 pm
hmmmm…very level headed FC…..Although, it is probably too late to to get the anthrax letter I sent back at this point…..
Comment by VT Mavryk | 08.12.2008 | 1:18 pm
Very Cool, Thanks man.
WIN Susan.
Comment by Soul_Rider | 08.12.2008 | 1:19 pm
Thanks for the further, calmer reaction. The guy was in the wrong, apparently. Maybe it should end there. I was just bummed out because I was directed to this BLOG from another forum where I was seeking good info on the LT100, as I want to give it a shot in 2009 or 2010. The original posting and all the following flame throwing was the first thing I read, and therefore my first impression of Fat Cyclist, and I was pretty disappointed. I’m glad to read that possibly cooler heads prevail and I am looking forward to lots of good info. I can also surmise that Susan is a very special person and I hope that she wins as well.
Comment by bikemike | 08.12.2008 | 1:20 pm
we must all hang our collective heads at some point and say we were not quite as right as we thought. humility is wonderful in small doses.
blogs are powerful, i want one. it’s kind of like that one laser of death you talked about having before. maybe you just got your one time use. better this way than actually having the laser.
you’re a good man. we’ll all just move along.
Comment by Gillian | 08.12.2008 | 1:21 pm
That is an excellent shot.
I’ve totally hit the Publish button too early myself on occasion. But I’ve been reading you for many moons now, and I haven’t noticed an overabundance of snark, even during your frequent periods of high stress. So, on balance, I think you’re still the Barney of the blog world. ;) Only much less purple, of course.
And you couldn’t pay me enough to be at the front of that pack. Goodness. What’s the scientific name for “fear of being crushed by six million manly cyclists?”
Comment by chtrich | 08.12.2008 | 1:24 pm
and besides, 300 deep breaths might also help in your gut sucking.
Comment by GenghisKhan | 08.12.2008 | 1:25 pm
Yeah, but Louis’ kit…
Comment by Drew | 08.12.2008 | 1:26 pm
Fatty redeemed.
Actually I think it is perfectly ok for you to rant about something on your blog. What I found distasteful was the reaction of some of the commenters. Especially the posting of a telephone number.
Come on guys! Loius may be an idiot, but I doubt he crashed anyone on purpose. Over reaction…
Pingback by RocBike.com | The RocBike Review » Links of the Day: 12 August 2008 | 08.12.2008 | 1:28 pm
[...] (Cycle Chic) Following the Paths of Others (Dan On Bike) The First 30 Seconds (Fat Cyclist) Upon Further Reflection (Fat [...]
Comment by JAT in Seattle | 08.12.2008 | 1:29 pm
We’ve all been knocked off our bikes and we’ve all felt angry about it – you hit the nail on the head there – but we’re not all influential bloggers, and you are, in fact, a very influential blogger.
I think you were right to publish the photo; I’d be tempted to say identifying Louis by name was a step too far, but as you know you have resourceful readers who would have found that info and posted it in the comments and the anthrax would have been loosed and the suspicious fires set in Las Vegas anyway… so I won’t say that it was a step too far.
Your readers are very loyal to you – protective, maybe a little unbalanced. You know that, so maybe you have a higher duty.
It was pure comedy genius though, and poetic justice for all of us who didn’t get the license plate of that car or the race number of that jack-ass or the name of the contractor who left all the gravel in the road. And that’s why we keep reading.
Comment by graisseux | 08.12.2008 | 1:31 pm
Forget Louis’ knickers; who’s the chubby dude with the pink jersey trying to push him over with his fat face? Am I missing something?
Comment by graisseux | 08.12.2008 | 1:32 pm
Great. Now I feel all bad about calling you fat and chubby and stuff…
Comment by Big Boned | 08.12.2008 | 1:33 pm
This all reminds me of an article I recently read where someone found out that he was someone else’s “worst date ever”. He barely remembered the date and had a very different perception of it.
It’s possible Lewis has a different perception of this incident. I think the “snarkiness” many expressed is from being on the receiving end of the elbows and having our bars hooked in similar situations. No one appreciates that behavior (accident or not).
A simple “sorry” and making sure everyone is OK goes a long way in my book.
During LOTOJA one year I was in the lead pack ~70 miles in when someone in the pack went down on a descent at about 45 mph. The whole pack stopped to make sure he was OK (he wasn’t, but lived to race another day).
That’s what cyclists do.
Comment by Al Maviva | 08.12.2008 | 1:34 pm
A stupid race crash doesn’t justify flame emails or comparable treatment. Other things that don’t: bad 90’s vintage tights, showing up late for the group ride, not pulling through.
Things that justify fisticuffs: intentionally-caused race crash, vehicular assault, bike theft interdicted mid-theft.
There is nothing wrong with a little rant now and then, and singling somebody out for really dumb race behavior – like attacking in the neutral rollout area – is perfectly appropriate.
Comment by MTB W | 08.12.2008 | 1:36 pm
No worries, Fatty. You were reasonably calm, despite the incident, in your first post. Forced to the cement and almost ruining the biggest race you look forward to every year by someone who disregarded the rules warrants a little frustration and anger – you contolled and muted it anyway. Your second post only states what everyone who reads your post regularly already knew – that you mean well and always think of others. Anyone who thinks otherwise only needs to back and read this past 6 months worth of posts.
Now, about that gut. You are going to have to wear a girdle everytime you ride to make sure no future pic of it every shows up again!
Finally, everyone wants to know – did the mayo cushion the fall and was it damaged in the fall?
Comment by dug | 08.12.2008 | 1:41 pm
i think we may have actual video of the crash. we’ll have to go back to the zapruder film to be sure. i’ll let you know.
Comment by KT | 08.12.2008 | 1:44 pm
Wow, I didn’t even notice the gut… thanks for pointing it out.
I retract my “cut up that terrible kit with scissors” suggestion, and replace it with “I hope you got mayo all over his kit and he had to ride with the stink of slowly putrefying mayo for all 100 miles” comment.
Just kidding! Sorta.
Bad form for others to search him out on the interwebs to personally vilify him…. isn’t it enough that he gets poked fun at on this blog by millions of people over the world? Cheez, people, simmer down.
So…. how did the mayo packs do?
Comment by Sam | 08.12.2008 | 1:47 pm
Fatty if you liked the still shot, you will LOVE the video. Prior to the start Holly set the video camera on the car you crashed in front of and caught the whole thing on tape. Chances are it will make Dug’s Best of Leadville 2008 video.
Comment by Louis | 08.12.2008 | 1:54 pm
Ok, I did it. I wasn’t thinking. I got carried away by visions of athletic glory and I put you at risk. Sorry, man. My bad. Glad you’re okay.
Comment by leroy | 08.12.2008 | 2:08 pm
The thing is… when I wear my Fat Cyclist jersey, I am much more polite than usual.
It’s more than just asking someone who is standing over a flat tire if they have everything they need.
I wave thanks to cabs that don’t cut me off and pedestrians who stop mid jay walk to let me come through.
The Fat Cyclist is a brand and somehow it wouldn’t be right to do something inconsistent with that brand while wearing the jersey.
The other odd thing is that this is starting to spill over into my riding when not wearing the jersey.
Strange, huh?
But I still hope you’ll tell us if Louis got word of his transgression, apologized and made a small donation to Live Strong.
Comment by Roadie34 | 08.12.2008 | 2:12 pm
MAN…I was just about to comment on the Liberace-like kit Louis is wearing and he apologizes…..
Fa(s)tty, your retraction and thoughtfulness towards others exemplifies your character.
Louis, it takes stones to apologize after being crucified.
Good lookin out guys.
Comment by leroy | 08.12.2008 | 2:12 pm
Louis 1:54 PM –
If that’s really you and you want to be classy, click on the Live Strong link at the side bar, make a donation and e-mail the confirmation to FC at the link to his contact at top.
Just a suggestion.
Comment by Bitter (formerly known as Lissee) | 08.12.2008 | 2:12 pm
Glad to see the mob mentality has cooled off a bit. :D
Fatty both posts were fine (the 2nd gracious as ever). Perhaps in the future when you need to rant (because you know that’s what blogs are sometimes for) you should add a post script for your lemmings and remind them to behave. problem solved. *grin*
On a side note: still glad that you were okay from the crash. and HOLY COW! I didn’t realize that was you in the background with the pink gut poking out. I thought this was a pre-race, sitting around photo. (I thought the tilted bike -your bike- was at rest, . . . not tipping over.
-Liss
Comment by Don | 08.12.2008 | 2:14 pm
I feel as though this could be a personal attack for my lambasting of Ohio Sports * Fitness on my blog last Friday. Wait, Im not important enough for a personal attack. Never mind that then…
Anyway, It does look as though Louis is smirking, just saying.
Comment by Wutz | 08.12.2008 | 2:16 pm
I give to you the “Thumbs-Up of Good Intentions and Hindsight” for today’s post.
You also receive the “Shoulder Brace of Tactful Blogs” for yesterday’s muted display of what I would have expressed in a much more R-Rated fashion.
Your readers (myself included) get the “Saddle Sore of Finger-Pointing.” We should have examined ourselves and our past actions before jumping to conclusions and defending our Fat Cycling little brother who we each took as one of our own with a territory-marking urination the first time we read his endearing blog.
…or maybe I’m the only one peeing on the computer these days.
I don’t race (so I don’t have a perfect parallel), but if I were playing a “no slide-tackles” game of soccer and somebody slid in with their cleats up in full negligence (letting the dice roll on a possibly serious injury), the least that would happen to them would be a blog post. The most would be a fence post or light post (whichever was closer).
Again: a rant is a rant. I don’t feel like you were out of line for it. Hopefully I’ll be able to afford enough “DZNuts of Self-Reflection” to be able to get back in the saddle and carry on with proper judgement.
Comment by Jake | 08.12.2008 | 2:17 pm
As you can see by the heading, this was left by the now infamous Louis, copied and pasted from your comments section.
Comment by Louis | 08.12.2008 | 1:54 pm
Ok, I did it. I wasn’t thinking. I got carried away by visions of athletic glory and I put you at risk. Sorry, man. My bad. Glad you’re okay.
There was another of these apologetic comments left by Louis yesterday, where he identified himself as “Cyclist.” I’ll bet his experience today is not nearly as much fun as his first Leadville finish experience might have been without all of the extracurricular internet bullying.
It’s a race with 1000 riders, and there is bumping all over the road until everyone finds a rythm. If you expect a no bumping rule to be in effect at the start, even in a “neutral start,” you should maybe time trialing where only one rider starts at a time.
Comment by mocougfan | 08.12.2008 | 2:17 pm
Man I’m looking at that pic again. I’m really worried about the Mayonnaise (http://kanyonkris.blogspot.com/).
Did it come through the crash ok?
Comment by Bitter (formerly known as Lissee) | 08.12.2008 | 2:19 pm
Hey Louis, If that’s *you* and not someone pretending to be you, welcome. :)
If it’s someone pretending to be you, then please clarify in your name like Louis (the other one). Oh, and welcome.
-Liss
Comment by blinddrew | 08.12.2008 | 2:22 pm
Louis @1.54, if that’s really you then good work for coming on here and apologising.
Comment by Al Maviva | 08.12.2008 | 2:43 pm
Louis, is that you?
It’s me, Margaret.
Comment by KanyonKris | 08.12.2008 | 2:45 pm
Tell the story already! It’s been 2 days/posts and we’re only into the race 30 seconds. You’re killing me. What is this, American Idol? The people want to hear the tale! Thankfully the accounts from Bob, dug and Rick have placated me. Still, I’m sure to be entertained by your account.
mogougfan: I didn’t know I was the Mayonnaise 411. I have received no word about the condition or whereabouts of the Fatty sandwich spread.
Comment by Philly Jen | 08.12.2008 | 2:48 pm
Louis, you may rescue me from a flaming casino any time.
Thanks for coming to douse us hotheads. I suppose having professional experience helps. :-)
(I still recommend an upgrade on your outfit — perhaps a rockin’ 2009 edition Fat Cyclist jersey?)
Comment by Frodo Baggins | 08.12.2008 | 2:49 pm
Mr. Fatty:
I completely disagree that there was anything wrong with yesterday’s posts. People who race the neutral section of a race are akin to people who cut into long lines up near the head of the line. Now, no one should lay a beating on someone for cutting into line, or for accidentally hooking someone else’s bars. At the same time, though, there should be consequences for the person who is, let’s face it, cheating. So you can’t hunt this guy down and beat him up, but you were able to teach him a lesson. I say good for you.
Comment by rich | 08.12.2008 | 3:11 pm
Fatty, that was the nicest version of someopne being angry I think I’ve read.
Pretty sure I would have been a little less nice.
Reading today’s comments only proves what those that read you regularly already knew.
Win Susan
Comment by Jay Peitzer | 08.12.2008 | 3:13 pm
In my younger days when wronged I had a thirst for revenge. Age and experience have tempered my baser instincts greatly. Oh sure I vent verbally, as you did, but like you I would never hurt a flea(well…maybe a flea). In every large group ride I’ve done over the years one thing I have noticed is that many people over extend at the beginning. I’m betting that poor old hapless Louis just got carried away with the moment. Probably a bit under experienced and just raring to go. We’ve all been there sometime in our life. In this case no real harm was done and hopefully the word will reach the fellow and he’ll learn from the experience. Just glad that you weren’t hurt.
WIN SUSAN!!!!
Comment by Marrock | 08.12.2008 | 3:24 pm
While taking those deep breaths, on each exhale just tell yourself “Karma is a bitch” and remember that she’s the kind of bitch that just ‘loves’ people like your friend Louis there.
And I agree, there was nothing wrong with venting like that, better to release the pressure than let it build till you blow a gasket.
And, in my not so humble opinion, if anyone has the right to vent whenever and where ever he wants, it’s you.
Comment by Ronster | 08.12.2008 | 3:51 pm
I’ve been reading you for over a year now… and I certainly don’t think you went overboard yesterday. Especially in the comment section, when there was the *potential* for the lynch mob mentality to take off… you shut it down quickly.
No… you did a great job of expressing your frustration at what happened, without allowing it to become a revenge issue. You the man, FC. Peace.
Comment by The Suit | 08.12.2008 | 3:53 pm
@Louis–assuming it is–wow. After the beating you took on this site yesterday, showing up to apologize gets +1 from me.
@Al Maviva: well played, sir. Well played.
Comment by Bluenoser | 08.12.2008 | 3:53 pm
Ok fatty,
I’m going to do what we Canadians do best. Saying we are sorry. Sorry Louis for calling you a loser. And sorry for saying your kit made your legs look like they were on fire. You having something to do with the FD and all. Sorry eh?
Sorry.
-B
Comment by nancy | 08.12.2008 | 3:55 pm
Aaah, a post that reveals your frustration with inconsiderate people, that’s not a bad thing. Your honesty is always appreciated don’t change a thing!
Well done with Leadville, you and your cohorts are an inspiration!
Comment by Lucky Cyclist(the d----eb-g) | 08.12.2008 | 4:45 pm
Did you ever see Jackie Chan’s “Rumble In the Bronx”? At the end, all the gang members have a rational moment and comment that maybe sometimes they take things a bit too far. It’s cheesy and insincere there too. I didn’t feel too bad for the guy until somebody tried to post his phone number. Fatty, you could take a lesson from BikeSnob NYC. He just stands there and takes pictures of those who wrong him…….And he swears. (Just kidding)
Comment by Dobovedo | 08.12.2008 | 7:55 pm
The first post is what makes you human. This one makes you a great guy. Both are 100% valid.
I’m happy you didn’t take the other down, but even more happy you wrote this one. “The pen is mightier than the sword.” That’s true… pens can be used to sign peace accords.
Comment by Javert | 08.12.2008 | 9:26 pm
You’re a good man, Charlie Brown.
Comment by b21 | 08.13.2008 | 6:49 am
oh posh, he deserved it. He won’t do it again now, will he? Public Service number 118, delivered by the Fat Man. And for God’s sakes, will someone with some editing skills get a blow-up of that gut on line already?
b21
WIN
Comment by Rob L | 08.13.2008 | 7:01 am
Maybe twin six can work up an official FC girdle for those of us sensitive about our gut???? :)
Cheers for giving up playground rules!
Comment by Louis | 08.15.2008 | 6:33 am
Fatty (racer #135,aka Elden Nelson),
I’m not sure if you’ll remember me, racer #845, aka Louis Baker, circus bear, douche baker, dillweed, knucklehead, color-blind superhero, bonehead, well you get the picture.
The Crash. The gun went off at 6:30a.m., and I – along with everyone else – started pedaling. Things were tight, and the neutral zone rule didn’t cross mind especially as I listened to my mp3 player getting ready for one of the most difficult mountain bike races around. Then this happened: Ladies and gentlemen, meet Elden Nelson (Fatty) – feeling all the riders around him were following the rules except me, but lacking the skill to stay upright when things go bad, leans into me almost making me crash. Somehow I manage to catch my balance and simply try to keep moving. Unfortunately, Fatty was not so lucky and got caught up with me or something on my bike. Though I kept moving forward and didn’t check back on Fatty for fear of causing a pile up, it appeared to be a slow moving crash and I hoped Fatty was ok. As most of you don’t know, I am not an angry, resentful, sadistic person. In fact, I’m one of the most positive upbeat individuals you’ll ever come across. Hindsight, I should have checked on him. This is what I remember happening in the heat of the moment. But the rest of this post is going to be sarcastic. Why, Oh, I dunno. Maybe because some ballerina with poor balance fell off his bike and blamed me publicly. Despite Fatty’s lack of balance, I cringe at the idea of someone being hurt in these events. Anyway, if you don’t like my side of the story, you may want to read Angry Fatty’s post one more time. Oh, that atrocity of cycling garb. I feel inclined to explain. You see the day before the race I was unlucky enough to get my matching race jersey signed by Lance Armstrong and Dave Wiens putting me in somewhat of a jersey dilema. Do I ride with an original signed jersey of these legendary men? So off to the local bike shop where there was a plethora of jerseys (only 1 medium) to choose from. Now I knew going in this looked ridiculous – but I did have a cool signed jersey! You may be saying to yourself, Louis intentionally cut Fatty off and was gunning for him because of his celebrity status knowing he was the king of cycling web blogs and the ripe opportunity to be famous. Yes, that was it, forget about being in a cool race with Lance. Oh, and that picture, it clearly explains what happened. I intend to use it as a brochure in my new line of cycling clothing called “Take Out Fatty”. As for Fatty, well, let’s take a look at how much injury and time he lost in the race. Ok, this is his twelfth year doing this race, that is very cool, not a bad time at 10:06. Let’s see, my time was 10:38 and this is very new race for me and Fatty is three years younger than I am, shoot you got me…this time. Elden, some advice: next time you race, you may want to bolt on some training wheels, I have some if you want to borrow them.
As I mentioned before, I’m not an angry, resentful, sadistic person. Maybe because when someone feels the need to be judge and jury and abuse their power, I get a little worked up. Like this week, when my wife, friends, co-workers and boss got to read this garbage. Initially I thought about responding in anger, but resolved myself to take the high road and post an apology for the good of the order aka Cyclist. Power comes with a higher level of integrity and to do the right thing. I considered not writing this response but in Fatty’s words “ it’s how I really feel at the moment” This too may not be my most noble moment, but I hope it will make Elden think before he posts…In response to Elden’s cooled down state:
We all hopefully learn from our mistakes.
We all have done stupid things and there are two sides to a story.
A blog is not a place for revenge. A simple email or phone call would have been nice. Elden, you have a responsibility as a leader of your community and web master to control the content of your communication. I’m sure you are a good person and this incident is not really what you are about.
About that gut, I’ll lose weight if you will…
Best regards to you and your wife.
Louis Baker
Pingback by Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » Equal Time for Louis | 08.15.2008 | 10:32 am
[...] I wrote an angry post about how I got crashed at the starting line at Leadville this year. Then, on Tuesday, I backed down, embarrassed at what a hothead I had [...]
Comment by Chakra | 08.15.2008 | 7:54 pm
Dear Louis Baker:
“Things were tight, and the neutral zone rule didn’t cross mind especially as I listened to my mp3 player”
This is where you lost me. A little early in the rant, it must be said, I cannot help being curious. . . since this race is, as you put it, “one of the most difficult mountain bike races around” I wonder why you would choose to absent yourself by listening to your mp3 player? Surely there was lots of time for the mp3 player during less busy stretches? I would have thought the opening few minutes you’d want to be keeping your ears open with all the cyclists around you.
Wonder if Lance wears mp3 players while racing. . .
Comment by Chakra | 08.15.2008 | 8:01 pm
Sorry Fatty, but really, the mp3 player part just had to be addressed.
And I think you were very gracious in the above post, and it is your blog after all, people are not required to love what you say.
Best wishes to your family and especially Susan.
Comment by jennhollo | 08.17.2008 | 9:01 pm
Dear Fatty, Louis, and other loyal readers,
In addition to bike riding, I’m also a scuba diver. Whenever we go out on a group dive boat, there’s always one what we call ‘Joe Diver’, some guy who knows more, has been to more places, has all the latest gadgets and will tell you how much he knows. Louis, my dear, you are Joe Diver.
I’m relatively new to mountain biking, I’ve been a runner and road biker and swimmer and gym rat; I can say the FC blog was one of the factors that made me comb Craig’s List to find a used small framed full suspension Trek.
I adore FC but don’t check every day. I read somewhere else that Lance did Leadville and I knew that Fatty did Leadville so when I finally got here was expecting a Lance/Fatty lovefest and so was very surprised at the post.
So, I’ve read the two posts and the two hundred or so comments.
Louis, you are new to this race so you should not have been up where Fatty was. If you were up there you were ignoring the rules. The crash was your fault. You admitted you didn’t listen to the pre-race prep. Take your lumps and learn. Don’t whine and blame someone else.
Fatty maybe should not have written your name, but your number was there and anyone could have looked it up so he just saved his loyal readers a collective 5 minutes. That 5 minutes x his zillion readers = more productivity. That much increased productivity x that many readers = an increase in GNP. Really. So while I know it’s not nice being humiliated in public, you did a great service to the economy.
My god, I know it’s hard to suck up and swallow and say…gee, I might have been wrong. You did that then backed off. That is confusing. I know the public forum is not easy so I’m not trying to slam you but be a man, OK?
_____________________________________________________
Fatty, thanks so much for posting that pic of you and Susan 20 years ago. I think we all teared up.
I ordered a jersey. Fatty and everyone else, I buy all…(most all…I do buy bike shorts on line) at thrift stores. To pay this much money for a piece of clothing …what can I say….I’ve got a Cannondale jersey and a Nashbar jersey I found second hand for under $3 each so ….what can I say….I’m supporting the cause…
Win Susan.