No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

I used to know This Dude, he races for Pedros and HUP united now. I was on his first team along with The Fabulous Chronoman, and offered advice and support for his first couple seasons racing. At the end of his first season, I voted for him as most improved rider, but they gave it to a sad sack who couldn't get out of his own way on two wheels, "as incentive" I was told.

This dude got bit by cyclocross racing, and did well at it. As I wasn't racing 'cross much, I loaned him my bike for a season, a Bontrager CX, the last of the steel handmade bontragers before ol' chris sold out to Trek. He used it for a few races before he said he was convinced enough to buy his own.

The day he brought the bike back, he drove from boston to new hampshire with the thing on the roof of his car during a winter warmspell so the thing got road salt embedded into every bearing crevice (including campy chorus shifters) at 60+ miles an hour. I didn't ask him to rebuild it, I was just happy to help get someone into the sport, especially someone with the talent this dude obviously has. Sure, I ragged him about it later in the jocular manner that male friends rag on each other, but way less than I ragged on any of the other guys on the team, and even told him after that I was kidding, it was no big deal, I would have torn the thing down to rebuild it anyways, because that's what I do.

The dude ended up having a severe personality clash with another long-standing member of the club. I felt Old Club Member was completely out of line, and made that opinion known to both This Dude and old club member. I took This Dudes side, and spoke to Old Club Member privately about it. It didn't do any good, This Dude left the club, but I still think Old Club Member was out of line.

I thought This Dude and I were friends, we spoke at a few races after that, but then I noticed he was riding by without saying hello. I emailed him a couple of times and asked him what was up. I offered my congratulations for his new children and condolences when he lost his job. He never responded, even when I directly asked him directly to respond. I've commented on his blog, but he refuses to post my comments.

I don't know what I did to make me all of a sudden such a pyorrhea. I would have thought, after offering the emotional and actual physical support for him, that I would at least get an explanation for what ever heinous act it is I'm guilty of.

But what ever, life goes on. Any of you two readers who know me know that I have this innate ability to piss people off without trying, but still, my _real_ friends tell me when I'm being asshole. Not that it changes my behavior (it may or may not), but at least I know how people I care about feel about it.

I just needed to vent, thanks for putting up with it.