Joaquim Anguas

Some have honest ambitions and sincere intentions while others are simply looking for my/your money. They promise faster, stronger, fitter and healthier, knowing that our greed for bragging rights wins out over common sense. If a magazine or website advertises it, we must need it. If your buddy, or worse yet, your competition, races with it, you’d better do the same. While very few of us are out-n-out cheaters, most of us are always on the lookout for ways to cheat hard work.
Stop.
Don’t be a sucker. Don’t fall for slick marketing, empty promises, over-hyped hype.

Do you know why Dave Scott was fast? Because he worked harder than the rest of us. Tim DeBoom, same deal. Macca, him too. Chrissie, duh. They’d kick your tail riding any bike, in any shoe, downing any drink. They want it worse than you and are willing to pay the price for it… and that price isn’t ‘retail.’

Before you go begging your spouse for the next whatzit you saw on the roof rack at the club, ask yourself, «Is it really going to make me a better athlete?» Odds are, the answer is no. Don’t believe me? Go to eBay or craigslist and search for bikes, frames, wheelsets, wetsuits, etc. You’ll find plenty of «only used one season» from people who fall for the sales pitch year after year… after year.

Equipment won’t put you on the podium, hard work will… really, REALLY hard work.

Pete Ylvisaker @ XTri.