Paper short abstract:

The paper asks for the motivations of hobby riders in road bike races. How are training and race efforts embedded in personal & professional settings of actors? How do guiding principles such as excellence, enjoyment, or team spirit relate to each other and other aspect of participants’ lifeworlds?

Paper long abstract:

Hobby races in road cycling have seen an immense increase. While the number of professional races in Germany has decreased, the number of participants and the level of professionalization of age-group races show how successful this format has become. Up to over 20000 hobby riders take part in races, and sponsored teams with substantial budgets, training camps and former professional and amateur riders are becoming more frequent. During race season from March to October, there is at least one bigger event each weekend.

While there is usually no prize money, riders and teams face considerable costs for travel, equipment and training. In some cases, the time spent for training can almost amount to the workload of professional racers, and training methods are quasi-scientifically monitored by power measurements and blood tests. There are reported cases of doping in hobby bike racing.

The paper asks for the motivations of hobby cyclists and the competitive dynamics on the level of local clubs, races and online media: how are training and race efforts embedded in the personal and professional settings of actors? How do guiding principles such as excellence, enjoyment, health, team spirit or discipline relate to each other and to other aspect of participants' lifeworlds? What influence do actual race rankings and virtual leader-boards on online-platforms have on the performances of hobby riders? The paper is based on interviews with road cycling hobbyists, cycling club members and officials from cycling associations as well as on participant observation at races.