[Samadhi]

..... with THIS on the back wall?

View attachment 280381

 

[Local Hero]

No!

I'd burn the shop down!


KILL KILL KILL ARMSTRONG AND ALL WHO HAVE POSTERS OF HIM MUST DIE.

 

[Local Hero]

Just kidding.



Actually, the trek dealer near my house has an Armstrong poster up. I don't ride a trek. I don't get much work done on my bikes there because it's a little out of the way. But if I needed someone to build a bike I'd take it to him. He's a damn good mechanic even with the poster.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Heck yes! I have no hate for him at all. For an American, he's the most inspiring cyclist since the early 90s. He's the reason I became re-energized about cycling and have my current fitness level. He's the reason I'm as interested in the sport as I am. I can say the same for almost every serious rider I know -- they all loved him. They may have mixed feelings or entirely negative feelings about him now, but they owe him their fitness. Most still have predominantly POSITIVE feelings about Armstrong.

He cheated and got caught, like dozens of others -- and like dozens of current riders eventually will. Professional sports present ethical dilemmas that cause many athletes to make poor decisions. I see no difference among Pantani, Ullrich, and Armstrong -- except that the first two are likeable. And it's pretty easy to argue that the decisions weren't even poor, depending on a person's goals. We wouldn't even be discussing Lance if he hadn't done the same things the rest of the professional sports world routinely does.

Lance was a bully -- just like lots of successful people. I worked with bullies my entire career. They don't scare me; I don't fear them and I don't hate them.

So yes, I would gladly patronize a bike shop with a giant poster of Lance on the wall. At least they're being honest about the reason for the shop's existence.

 

[spookyload]

Really? You question the morals of a shop with Armstrong on the wall and have a Pantani homage in your signature. Isn't that sort of hypocritical. What killed Marco? In case you forgot....

Although he never tested positive, his career was beset by doping allegations. In the 1999 Giro d'Italia, he was expelled due to his irregular blood values. Although he was disqualified for "health reasons", it was implied that Pantani's high haematocrit was the product of EPO use. Following later accusations, Pantani went into a depression from which he never fully recovered. He died of acute cocaine poisoning in 2004.

 

[Bluenote]

Oh look. It's been a few weeks. Time for another Armstrong thread.

The mans been banned. He's sorting out financial implications in the Court System. Can we just drop it already?

A more fair question would be 'Pro cycling is dirty as hell. How do you feel about a shop / magazine / blog that is part if the Pro Sport scene?'

 

[MG537]

I always did business with the local Trek dealer in my area because they had the best service around here. Their mechanics are top notch.
I don't take my R3 to the local Cervelo dealer because I don't get the same quality service that I do from the other dealer I mentioned above. The Cervelo dealer actually tried to get me to switch my groupset from Campy to either SRAM or Shimano. I guess he couldn't sell me stuff. Since then I turned my back on him.
Back to my Trek dealer, I believe he took down the Lance posters but I'd have check that, since I always ignored them. Never liked him even before the "reasoned decision". Like I said, quality of service is way more important than some misplaced belief in a sports icon.

 

[Samadhi]

Really? You question the morals of a shop with Armstrong on the wall and have a Pantani homage in your signature. Isn't that sort of hypocritical. What killed Marco? In case you forgot....

Spooky,

I question no one's morals. Even those with no morals.

This is kind of my answer to that thread, "Would You Ride With a Celebrity Doper?"

Actually, I love the shop this poster/wall hangs in.

 

[tlg]

Give the guy a break. If I had one testicle, I'd dope too.

 

[jlandry]

I don't know what problem you have withthat wall. The bench is clean and the tools are pristinely placed.

 

[Staylucky]

Poster or no poster, that wrenching area looks fantastic. If they treated my bike like they treat their tools and work area, they'd have all my future business.

 

[spade2you]

My shop is anti-Trek. No posters of Armstrong whatsoever, although there are posters from the 80's all over the place, including one of Hampsten. As for dopers, there's a big pic of Jan and Giant bikes.

 

[nhluhr]

Poster or no poster, that wrenching area looks fantastic.

Just right for wrenching on that awesome girl's bike with basket and streamers.

 

[jspharmd]

Heck yes! I have no hate for him at all. For an American, he's the most inspiring cyclist since the early 90s. He's the reason I became re-energized about cycling and have my current fitness level. He's the reason I'm as interested in the sport as I am. I can say the same for almost every serious rider I know -- they all loved him. They may have mixed feelings or entirely negative feelings about him now, but they owe him their fitness. Most still have predominantly POSITIVE feelings about Armstrong.

He cheated and got caught, like dozens of others -- and like dozens of current riders eventually will. Professional sports present ethical dilemmas that cause many athletes to make poor decisions. I see no difference among Pantani, Ullrich, and Armstrong -- except that the first two are likeable. And it's pretty easy to argue that the decisions weren't even poor, depending on a person's goals. We wouldn't even be discussing Lance if he hadn't done the same things the rest of the professional sports world routinely does.

Lance was a bully -- just like lots of successful people. I worked with bullies my entire career. They don't scare me; I don't fear them and I don't hate them.

So yes, I would gladly patronize a bike shop with a giant poster of Lance on the wall. At least they're being honest about the reason for the shop's existence.

This has to be one of the best posts about Armstrong that I've read. While, i wasn't as inspired by his performances (meaning I didn't get into cycling because of Lance), he certainly raised cycling awareness and popularity.

 

[Doctor Falsetti]

He's the reason I became re-energized about cycling and have my current fitness level. He's the reason I'm as interested in the sport as I am. I can say the same for almost every serious rider I know -- they all loved him.

Interesting

You would be surprised but there are a lot of us who ride because we love it not because we were inspired by a cheating bully

 

[Slartibartfast]

Interesting

You would be surprised but there are a lot of us ride because we love it not because we were inspired by a cheating bully

Why would I be surprised? Different people do things for different reasons. Riding because you love it is a great reason. I love it too. I let myself languish for several years while I raised a child, but when Lance won a couple tours it heightened my interest again. Nothing wrong with that as far as I'm concerned. If it bothers you, I simply don't care. Couldn't care less, in fact.

 

[Doctor Falsetti]

Why would I be surprised? Different people do things for different reasons. Riding because you love it is a great reason. I love it too. I let myself languish for several years while I raised a child, but when Lance won a couple tours it heightened my interest again. Nothing wrong with that as far as I'm concerned. If it bothers you, I simply don't care. Couldn't care less, in fact.

Nope, it does not bother me that you and your circle of friends admire him....just don't be surprised that the vast majority of people do not share your admiration.

 

[Samadhi]

Why would I be surprised? Different people do things for different reasons. Riding because you love it is a great reason. I love it too. I let myself languish for several years while I raised a child, but when Lance won a couple tours it heightened my interest again. Nothing wrong with that as far as I'm concerned. If it bothers you, I simply don't care. Couldn't care less, in fact.

That's the spirit.

For myself, I've been around a lot of different forms of racing in my life - as official, participant and fan - to know beyond any shadow of doubt that the real winners are often cheats and bullies or perilously close to that. I don't have to be disappointed, disillusioned, righteously indignant, or morally outraged (I'll save those things for what truly matters), I can enjoy racing for what it its - a contest, and riding for what it is - healthy and fun and reap the benefits of seeing the world as devoid of absolutes.

I can go into this shop, stand in awe of the sheer enormity of the image before me, and chuckle with the mechanics over those who take the whole Lance Armstrong thing WAY too seriously.

 

[Samadhi]

Poster or no poster, that wrenching area looks fantastic. If they treated my bike like they treat their tools and work area, they'd have all my future business.

Yeah, those guys keep a nice, tidy shop. They do good work too.

 

[bayAreaDude]

The bullying had significant negative consequences for the victims. If a shop chooses to identify themselves with that kind of behavior I'd choose a different shop to support.