I really don’t consider myself someone that wastes that much time. Sometimes I’m doing things that others don’t consider important, but each person has their own thoughts on what they consider quality use of their own time.
We all “own time”. We’re allotted a certain amount of it when we are born. At some point in our lives, we get to decide how and what we’re going to do with the time we’ve been allocated. I look at time like money. It is very important and wasting it, is just that, wasting it.
I don’t watch very much TV. Pretty much none, other than sporting events, the weather sometimes and a movie every once in a while. I’ve watched two movies on Apple TV since I’ve been out in Colorado. Both have turned out to be a total waste of my time.
Last night I was ready to go to sleep at 10:45. I was washing my cycling clothing and there was 19 minutes to go on the wash cycle. I made the mistake of turning on the TV in the room I’m staying in Vincent’s basement. Next thing I know I’m watching a movie. The movie had no redeeming qualities. I’m not sure why I think a good movie is a less waste of time than a bad one, but I do. Anyway, I watched it to nearly 2 am. This is one reason I’d never have a television in my bedroom.
Now, this morning, I’m all tired from lack of sleep. I rode over 4 hours yesterday on my MTB bikes and could have used that extra 2 hours. Plus I missed all the action in the Tour’s stage today. By the time I got up, everyone was split up, Contador had already fallen down and was chasing, so there was nothing left except everyone to ride across the line. I have a hard time thinking about trading that shitty movie for a good Tour mountain stage.
I rode twice yesterday, both off-road. The 2nd ride I ran into a guy on a tri-bike that was all wearing a total Specialized kit. He saw me and rode up to me and told me he followed my website and used to race “with me” back when I rode for Specialized. He told me he had been a loyal Specialized customer every since (I guess sponsorship works sometimes). Then the guy starts asking me a ton of, what I consider a bunch of stupid questions, wants me to help him with his seat height and more stuff that seemed somewhat odd.
Of course I did most of what he wanted – Selfie with him, looked at his seat position, (like I know what seat position is good for a guy I meant 10 minutes earlier), and such. Normally, the guys I meet out on the road are great. One of the reasons this sport is so cool. This wasn’t great. Not even close. So not close I’d consider it a waste of time. Lisa had told me that dinner was going to be early and I was on a time restraint, so maybe that came into play, but whatever the reasons were, I wish I had that time back.
Anyway, like I said above, time is valuable. And it is finite. And one of the big problems with time is we don’t know how much of it each of us has. So, we need to treat time with respect. If you think you are doing something that has a high potential for falling into the waste category, then, in my opinion, you should stop doing it and do something that would be a better use. No one likes to look back and consider what they’ve done to be a waste.
Pink Floyd covered this long ago:
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you’re older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to say
(From Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, 1974)
Some suggest that time isn’t real. Perhaps this video is a waste of an unreal idea.
so what movie was it ?
I don’t see any reason to trash a “fan” when he says he reads your website.
yeah, he sounds like he really values (or maybe use to,, now) Steve’s opinion.
Dang. What a Wednesday bummer for said Specialized guy. I had better spend the rest of the afternoon contemplating what questions I would ask you if I ever got to meet you. Then I’ll run to a print shop and have the list printed and laminated the size of a business card so that I have it in my wallet at all times. Better yet, I should have a tattoo shop put the list on my knee so if I meet you out riding it’s readily available. Or, perhaps that would be a waste of time. Or was writing this a waste of time? I’ve always thought that guys on here that “ask” you stupid questions in the comment section (mike crum) were stupid and wasting their time. Most of it they could figure out themselves with a Google search, but dang – why did you have to call him out the next day on the blog he said he reads? Bad look man. You are a niche-celebrity you know. Didn’t your Grandma ever teach you if you don’t have anything nice to say you shouldn’t blast out a fan on your worldwide blog? I know you’re nicer than that. You probably just needed a Snickers.
Just go bionic and time won’t be an issue anymore.
Your time is valuable, like money. Yes, the Specialized guy cost you some of yours, but you probably made a huge impact on his day. Was it worth it? Maybe not to you, but your influence on him will most likely be passed onto the next new/young/inexperienced rider he meets. I wouldn’t call any interaction with a human a ‘waste’ of time. We just need to keep our eyes open to the impacts we don’t see in the moment.
If you keep this entry up, you’re going to lose a lot of fans, and people are going to be really hesitant to come up to you and talk, because they don’t want to be publicly excoriated on your weblog as a “waste of time”. You owe that guy an apology for doing this sort of thing to him.
I agree with David – the guy reads your blog and you actually put him down publicly – maybe the guy never had a chance to achieve any success in cycling and is living emphatically through your blog because he “raced on the same team that Steve Tliford raced” – how would you feel if the guy committed suicide because he was put down in front of thousands of readers? Didn’t your mama teach you that if you do not have anything good to say then don’t say anything?
Yeah, this is definitely your worst post ever. I hope the guy you met posts.
I’m trying to figure out the angle on this one . . . You generally seem very generous with your time and appreciate the uniqueness of these sorts of encounters. This guy must have really done a number on you. Very UN-Tilford post.
Wow Steve!!! Not cool…”play nice” with the guy to his face and then slam him on your blog. Maybe you should go back to bed. It seems you could use the sleep.
Where is the real Steve and what have you done with him?
I usually get annoyed with people who read your blog, then give you crap. But calling your fan out like you did in this post makes you sound more like Lance than Steve.
Everybody makes mistakes.
1) He did, with the whole kit thing, the tri-bike, and the silly questions.
2) You did, by ripping him here. (Talking about him with your friends would be OK)
Most people learn from their mistakes.
Just my opinion.
To specialized Tri Guy,
I have talked to Steve before and he is a cool guy. Next time I see him I may ask questions. Steve is still a cool guy and you did nothing wrong at all. I’m sorry I started the dogpile on Steve. He is allowed 1 mistake every so often. But only 1.
Hey Cycling Fans and Mr. Tilford! Chris Froome here! I’ll tell you about wasted time! Remember when the UCI got me all verklempt about testing me at night when I’m micro dosing EPO instead of sleeping? Yeah, that was scary for a while…luckily they aren’t actually night testing us at the Tour De France. My buddy Brian Cookson might have taken away my Kustum RV this year, but he helped me out by intoning that night testing was underway, without publicly clarifying that it’s not ACTUALLY happening at the most important race on the calendar… so yeah- all’s well with the simplest doping strategy in the world- just do it at night! Meanwhile, it’s not a waste of time for me at all explaining how Geraint Thomas switched from being a classics rider to an alpine specialist- I just tell them he did it exactly how George Hincapie did- he used his imagination and also special drugs illegally procured and injected in the middle of the night!
Guessing S.T. already wishes he’d reworded all that, but here’s the thing. This blog seems to really be Steve kind of thinking out loud and allowing us to share his thoughts, on things, usually bike related. We’ve all experienced this, with a co-worker, or friend of a friend or whatever. We’ve also all been “that guy”, maybe getting a little carried away when we’ve met someone. We’d be getting a pretty watered down version of S.T.’s thoughts if he NEVER had a negative thing to say about a bike product, or rider, or organization, or experience. Seemed more like he was have a bad day than just being mean.
yeah, not to add to the pile-on but I would say calling out super-fan NAGL no matter how dorky he is.
but hey, tomorrow is another day.
Hi Steve, it’s me, the Specialized tri guy. Not to worry, I’ve deleted selfie, tossed all Specialized riding apparel in trash, listed bike on Ebay, now riding Giant and adjusted saddle to height that makes me happy. Best part about it, I’m saving myself 5 minutes every day by skipping your posts. Time, including mine, is valuable.
Amazing how you just shit all over a “fan”. Were you looking to send him a message? If so, I think he, and others, got it.
Time is clicking away right now. Let’s ride! Like I said earlier, I’m very sorry if I started the dogpile. Jeff is right. Steve had some negative thoughts about someone( we all do in cycling ) , and they slipped out in print. It’s not a big deal. I like Specialized guy ( we’re all Specialized guy sometimes, even Steve ) and I still like Steve. Keep it comin’ Tilford, we all need it straight.
P.S. How tall should my socks be?
Let’s get this straight: tri-geeks are no better than recumbulators and deserve to be dumped on. We’re roadies for gawds sake.
something seems out of whack with the whole story. Dude sat at Starbucks for a hour.
Dude, maybe a job would provide some much needed perspective. Seriously, what the fuck man? Waaaa, I’m tired today because I watched a movie, waaaaa I didn’t get to watch the tour in the middle of the day because I slept too late in Steamboat, or Vail or Arvada or California or Wisconsin or wherever the fuck you are in your current state of what most Americans would consider a fantasy life. Waaaa one of my jock sniffers from my jock sniffing blog tried to sniff my jock. Waaaaa!
Just a while ago you stated that you wished people that comment here would say these things to your face. Many responded that they’d be happy to. A 55 year old 150 pound gray Keith Richards isn’t exactly intimidating, so be careful what you wish for. But now you decide to not say a single thing to a guy that was a tool bag and bugged the shit out of you, but you ran home to your keyboard to do it there. Major dousche baggery Tilly!
The guy was a tool, no worries, I hate them too, but this way of dealing with the situation is pathetic and cowardly, especially after your posts about saying it to the face.
I’m not a bit surprised actually, you just slipped and let “yourself” show. After all you’re the biggest hypocrite of all time when it comes to doping talk. You actually have a voice, you could make a stand and a small difference, but instead you spew on and on about some dopers (not all, some are buds) while your spouse goes off and brings in a paycheck from BMC and Och. You suck man! You’re such a part of the problem and you refuse to believe it. Now you’re even turning on your beloved jock sniffers.
Eat shit asshole. Come East and I’ll be happy to say it to your stupid 1970’s, headband, straw hair face.
And to think my heart broke for you when you lost Bromont. Bromont wouldn’t have judged that guy, he would have licked him and said hello.
Time for some introspection Old Man.
I also raced with you in the “old” days but didn’t know you as a person and now my son races against you at times, in fact just a few years ago we parked next to you at the the Mike Nesco Memorial ride. While I was dropped on the Deer Creek climb, my son finished just after you and talked to you afterwards since we both enjoy your blog and Dogs. But while you were nice to his face, I wonder what you said to your friends, at least you didn’t slam him publicly. I’ll talk with other old racers like Roy Knickman while we watch his son Bo and his Lux team crush everybody, or Thurlow Rodgers when he loans me a new pair of shoes when I lost mine before a Masters race, Steve Hegg, Nelson Vails(who always has a smile and something nice to say), Wayne Stetina (don’t see him doing Como St much anymore) or my old friend Andy Hampsten. I’ve never heard them say it was a “Waste of time” to talk with a fellow cyclist. Count me as an ex reader of your blog, I won’t waste my time.
Steve, a huge miscue on this one, and interesting. This guy is “all wearing a total Specialized kit,” like this isn’t cool.
Seriously, my man, take a good hard look at us! When the “real men” – the “lumbersexuals” – in the pickup trucks come up on us, we are all that guy in the “wrong kit”!
I agree with others you just needed a Snickers bar because you stayed up too late watching a bad movie.
But I’ve read your blog for years and I know you’re a better man than that.
Cheers.
Terry-I just got back from a long ride and thought that many people would take this the wrong way. I thought about it before posting this and decided I didn’t really care about “losing” one super fan.
You had to be there to understand the situation. I didn’t come close to writing what I really thought about the encounter. The guy was very rude, what I’d call demanding. Arrogant demanding. (I guess I should of put that in the post, but I thought it might hurt his feelings.) I must of told him at least 3 times I was late for dinner and he wouldn’t relent. He even asked me for my water bottle and asked me if I had a pin to sign it. Or to send him some Specialized stuff that I wasn’t using anymore. That in itself is fine, but like I said, you needed to be there to understand it.
It wasn’t one thing, it was multiple, upon multiple things.
I agree, and I said it in the post, that one of the most rewarding and coolest parts of the sport is meeting and hanging with other riders. But, I would put this guy as nearly the most unpleasant encounters I’ve experienced in the sport.
He was just one of those guys I don’t really want to ever run into again. I probably should of taken the high road, but since you’ve obviously been here before, you know I usually write what is on my mind at the time. I guess this was bothering me just that much. Enough said.
Steve
Don’t go all Trump on us. Should have taken it as it goes and moved on. Adding the insults isn’t helping.
Or an ex-racer taken out of it early because of injuries who’s now a bit chubbier at 40 than he’d like to be – hell, as a 22-year-old obsessive hill-repeat buck, I would have mercilessly dogpiled the current me. I used to ride with Steve, Bill, Vincent and all those guys back in the day. Everybody seemed really great (probably nicer to me than I was to others), so this post came as a surprise. We all encounter ‘punishers’ constantly and we probably do just as much ‘punishing’ to people in other walks of life. The kicker was outing the dude when he said he’s a regular reader. No matter what a pain in the ass weirdo someone is (also don’t forget: spectrum disorders and other issues that individuals can’t help), that same person will be super bummed to get called out in public.
Asshole!
Wow, what a bunch of overly sensitive pussies.
Especially the little yapping dog hiding behind the user name LEVI. Typical internet badass.
All of us are bothered by things that happen to us every day. It’s how we handle those things that determines who we are as a person. And, all of us probably, me especially, have handled our frustration very poorly at times. However, our ability to say we made a mistake when we made one really determines who we are as a person.
And, let me tell you of the things that have really bothered me over the last month or so … having many persons shot in a church just because of the color of their skin, or having it found that a young child was killed in Kansas by family members when it could have been prevented if some person in the Department of Children & Families had been doing their job, or when a good friend of many of us (including you) loses her life warming up for a race due to inattentive driving. Steve my friend, in the grand scheme of life, those are the things that really bother me.
Yeah Steve; you blew it on this one. Very bad for your reputation and bad publicity for your sponsors, regardless of how true and difficult the encounter was.
It might be wise to either apologize or at least delete your post and think about what you wrote.
Wow what a bunch of stupid trolls waiting to jump down Tilly’s throat here like a pack of pushy TdF journalists! You haters have to remember real Pro cyclists can get cranky. I remember when a journalist almost stepped on proud fellow TdF champion Cadel Evans’ toy poodle and Cadel freaked out- He shrieked and threatened to kill the guy!!!! What I’m saying is that I think Cadel and most Australians are really nice. But they will punch your stupid face like a caged turkey if you don’t give me my fucking micro dose of EPO Brailsford you son of a bitch you said it’d be behind the air conditioning vent, but I don’t have a goddamned phillips head in my saddle bag, but I digress…. So yeah Steve lost it a little bit and probably is due to have his blood tested again soon and analyzed like we all do from time to time and then he will post how he went to the doctor and then he will get in the top 5 of a hard pro race. That’s just being a Pro.
I wasted Teejay’s time when I fucked up his refill last night. Och is pissed. Checks might be a little light this month.
As soon as the guy started getting all weird over you, you should have gotten the hell out of dodge.
It was still wrong to rip the guy on your blog, but he must have really pissed you off. If people can’t forgive you for this, they should go away.
I probably would have done he same thing, because the only fool I tolerate is myself.
Finally a post that pulled back the curtain….a little.
Love that album
Really? All these judgments? Like none of us have ever had a bad day or met someone that rubbed our charma the wrong way? The blog is a chronicle of someone’s daily life as a cyclist. Good days/bad days—that’s what makes it interesting. Do we really want to edit it/tone it down/shape it so it’s politically acceptable—-edited to attract, retain fans? Pick up any popular magazine and all you see is the same author who writes in a zone of safety so as not to offend, challenge, disrupted our comfortable thoughts. Ugh. Can’t we all reach into our pouch of daily experience and remember an encounter that impacted us with a similar vibe? The blog is a daily tale of our humanity. Does the writer have to be perfect in all respects for us to read what the day has brought? I never cease to be amazed our quickness to judge and separate ourselves from a description of how we all might feel at a given time. I would have been disappointed if Steve took the disingenuous position of how great the encounter was for him. For whatever reason, it wasn’t. That’s okay. Not every encounter with a fan or a person has to be wonderful. Your blog wouldn’t stop me from staying hello (although I might try to wear non-matching shorts. :)).
It is Steve Tilford’s blog, isn’t he supposed to write what he wants to write. It is kinda like his own diary but in the old days, one never got to read someone’s diary until they had died usually. Now we have the option to read this when we choose to. Keep being yourself Steve, keep the rubber side down. Gordo
With his constant rants about fat people, lazy people, people who don’t fix things, chicken shit readers and puffy black jacket wearers a pattern develops. Not a pretty picture.
Still one of the best quotes ever:
“I’ll leave you with this: You might want to ask Floyd about his old boss. See if that leads to your doorstep?” Jonathan Vaughters
Edit it? NO. Tone it down? NO. Delete it? NO. Judgements being made? DUNNO? I see readers doing what the author does, calling BULLSHIT when we/they are only privy to one side of the story, or form opinions based on observations and/or personal experiences. I see 2 options. First, readers can find something else to read. Second, only allow positive comments from real super fans.
Steve, you should have known that nothing was to be gained by sharing your bad experience. You were pissed. Now many of your readers are pissed. And the subject of your post is probably hurt by it. This perhaps being the most important part of this whole deal.
Some things are truly better left unsaid.
But the time part is good! Too bad lost in the all Specialized guy.
Tilly gets it. When we are all done chasing the $ and thinking whatever ALL IMPORTANT project or meeting we have to get done is long forgotten, who’s bucket of quality life experiences is bigger? Duh, go Team Tilly & everyone like him.
I’m working from home, taking crap from just about everyone (piss off), making less (a lot) but I ride more & it usually comes first.
Time & your body, the two most precious things you have. Why waste either?
A four hour nooner awaits :-))
Wow.
I guess this just shows how much of a selfish ego maniac a 60 year old “pro” bike racer is.
You are a niche guy in a niche sport that 99.9% of the population dont give a flying fuck about. You should relish those moments cause they are a lot better for that crazy selfish ego that you have than the 5 extra minutes of riding would have been.
Funny how Steve can’t express any negative thoughts without getting lambasted but several of you have no problem attacking him personally.
Levi, if you just abhor Steve so much ,and apparently everything about his life, why do you keep coming back to his blog? What does that say about you?
I myself likely wouldn’t have publicly blasted the guy either but I’m not Steve, so that is that. Steve may not have ripped the guy to his face but at least he isn’t “like most” hiding behind a fake screen name.
Also, I am soooooo sick of all this politically correct BS. Grown men crying “Steve, you MUST apologise!” Steve said what he wanted so go fuck yourselves.
Lighten up, Francis…
Having a “bad” day is one thing. Uniquely identifying and then publicly shaming a specific individual is quite another. And to think I was already feeling queasy over the “Need/Want” post…
Two problems with this reasoning:
1) Only a few attack Steve personally – so where does that leave the rest of us?
2) It presumes that Steve and “Mr Specialized” are on equal footing. But they are clearly not – can you really not see that? Who has the power in this exchange? And who has the most to lose? Put it another way, if this “Mr Specialized” was say, Peter Sagan, I don’t think anyone would give two hoots.
Raul, I’ve been reading Steve’s blog for a good while now. It just seems to be Steve’s nature to speak his mind. Often to the point of making people uncomfortable. He has more nerve than I do for sure! Maybe that guy was being a complete dick? Maybe he wasn’t “truly” a fan and just wanted to fuck with Steve and give him a hard time? I’ve seen/read plenty of instances where Steve took it upon himself to go way out of his way to help someone out. Whether it be another cyclist or just some random person needing help.
You and others can think/say what you want about Steve but I can’t help but trust that the situation wasn’t just as simple as dealing with an overzealous fan.
Be that as it may, Catherine, attorneys don’t get on law weblogs and rip clients for being insensitive jerks, psychopaths, or morons, and most of us have had such people for clients at one time or another. Attorneys talk amongst themselves about cases – that’s one way of finding out about useful cases or twists in the law, or discerning fact patterns which can help clients – but we don’t rip them in public forums, even when they’re more than deserving of such treatment. And including facts which identify them, knowing that they might see the post, is foolhardy – at best it will lose you business, at worst it might get you a malpractice lawsuit or a complaint to the Disciplinary Administrator. Steve should have sucked it up and kept it private – maybe complain to Trudi or Bill or you, but keep it the hell off this weblog. You can see the negative response it’s gotten, I wouldn’t be surprised if Steve hears from some sponsors, they tend to be sensitive to this sort of thing.
The truly great ones – those that make an impact beyond their sport and talent (i.e. Ayrton Senna) do it through graciousness and humility. From reading Tilly’s posts, it seems like he has these qualities. If he had a small lapse here I imagine we should cut him a break and move on.
I don’t think any less of Steve for his post, I just think that he should have realized nothing was to be gained by going public. Vent to your friends. Not on the internet. At least when it involves a “little guy” in the “lifestyle” who claims to be a fan.
I get the feeling after having followed Steve for quite some time that he truly is a quality guy with many quality friends. I’d enjoy meeting him someday and thanking him for all of the time that he’s taken to share his experiences with us.
Ride on, Steve.
This is “Steve’s” blog and he can say whatever the hell he wants! But if homeboy does actually read this, and was truly a fan, he’s gonna feel like he’s been dipped in shit and rolled in bread crumbs.
For a Guy to lambast Lance for all the things that YOU consider that he has done wrong in his Career , YOU are doing a great job of outdoing him !
DELETE the post ! we will remember it , but those random visitors will likely not see it and thus your reputation will not be too badly tarnished ?
Now going to do something more worthwhile with my time , watch paint dry ! BTW , i arrived on the Le tour broadcast , after the bits you missed , but there were replays !
pissed, bad day cause you wanted pok chops and all your host made for you was fiet? no chcolate on your pillow? as a young beginner rider, reading you blog these past few years, i learned100% nothing from you on how to improve.. all i leaned from you is you’re a mooch and brag a ton..LEVI is spot on…
mike crum = Levi
Jesus, Crum, get a grip!
Just be thankful that Steve didn’t tell us how badly he does at altitude
“Reading you blog these past few years, i learned100% nothing from you on how to improve” and if that’s what you were looking for, and you weren’t finding it after a “few years”…
I occasionally read your blog. After reading this entry, I won’t waste my time on it any more.