Reinforcement

I stumbled across a network of triathlete blogs while looking at Blogshares related to some bike racing blogs. In contrast to bike racers, triathlete bloggers seem incredibly supportive of one another. This is interesting. Bike racers all talk smack and berate each other, albeit mostly good-natured. The triathletes seem all lovey-dovey by comparison. Weird. I don't know too much about the triathlon scene, but I am guessing that it does not have as bad of a poser problem as bike racing does. It makes sense, because in bike racing, any Fred or Wilma can drop six G's on a ti bike with all the goodies, strap it to the roof of their new Volvo, kit up team gear, and go to a race with no training. They can cruise the parking lot looking all pro and stuff, then get dropped on the first climb and be out of there before the real racers get back. Later on, it is simple enough to say you flatted, or whatever. Triathlon probably doesn't have this problem, because the poser would promptly drown at the start of the race. End of problem.

Time trials are called "the race of truth" among bike racer types. The reason is obvious, as most of the normal variables are not present, and you ride as fast as you are capable of riding, no BS. I have to admire triathletes, because all their races (at least the traditional ones) are like time trials. Running is much the same. You cannot hide the truth about your time. You are either fast or you're not.

A lot of bike racers are afraid of the truth, at least the truth about their TT ability.

Fear or not, bike racing is not just you against the course. We race each other. This may be the key difference. Of course triathletes can be all encouraging to one another. Especially in the endurance events, the primary goal is to finish, to beat the obstacle. Bike racers compete against each other; you can't win unless you beat everyone. No wonder we talk shit about one another.