cpk0

April 13th at Tufts University, 4pm!
Mens' 3/4 and Womens' Pro/1/2/3 Criterium

Just wanted to get the word out that this year's Boston Beanpot Cycling Classic is going to have a much bigger focus on USCF racing than in the past.

More details can be had by checking out the USCF race flyer at https://beanpotclassic.org

Hope to see some people there!

waterrockets 

So, anyone have a time machine to get a USCF license? (flyer actually says "USCF")

I figure with a time machine, I can race this race. Actually, I'll probably do every race there ever was and ever will be. BRILLIANT!!!

cpk0

the flyer "actually says 'USCF'" because that's what it is... I'm not going to go into the various uses of USCF in race promotion, but since you're in Texas and don't seem to be doing anything but chastising a race that's completely non-profit and organized by college students in their free time, I doubt it would do anything anyway...

ldesfor1@ithaca

I will be racing the 3-4 as long as I dont die in the Turtle pond RR 4 hours prior.

Death to Me

-L

MDcatV

it's USA Cycling not USCF.

javashane

Whatever it is, I get the weird feeling that this race is going to rock.

blavelle

Is it the same crit course as last years beanpot? that second left hand turn was home to some of the best carnage i saw all collegiate season.....

hopefully i'll do the collegiate race and the "USCF" race

cpk0

So do you know believe in NORBA either? Is that just USA cycling? "The United States' cycling organization, including USPRO (track), USCF (road), NORBA (mountain biking), and NCCA (collegiate cycling) programs." direct quote.

Anyway.. the race is going to rock. And it is the same course as last year, and the last 10 years or so. It's gonna be great

waterrockets 

Link? The only site where I see that text is in Google search results, which are outdated.

It looks to me like NORBA, USPRO, etc. are all USAC now: https://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=97

bitterken

Yes, it's the same course as last year - .6 miles, 6 corners, questionable pavement and it's not flat. It's a hard, fast, and technical race. Make sure your engines are red hot when you line up. I think only 1/3 of the cat 3/4 field even finish.

I'm racing Turtle Pond in the morning, but will be working support in the afternoon.

Cavalão

At our regional meeting, it was communicated that NORBA, USCF, etc are no longer to be used, it should be USA Cycling road, USAC track, USAC mnt biking etc. I guess the memo didn't get passed around to the guys in the northeast, but stuff like that is hard to change I know.

ridethecliche

We're (Wesleyan University) going to try our best to be there.

edesros168

Is this race just for college racers or can anyone race in cat 5?

bitterken

There is no cat 5 race...

https://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=6154

blonduathlongrl

I had planned to go and watch but didnt realised it falls on my daughter's bday, so guess that counts me out.

eippo1

As there shouldn't be - there's enough carnage on this course with the other races to go around.

Idioteque

bah this is gonna be my first race since crashing out and taking time off... and it's gonna be a damn crash fest, im just going to sit in the back the whole time, screw it. I rode that course once and as i was solo off the front i was scared

ridethecliche

Why is beanpot a crashfest?

The more I start to love racing the more frightened I become...

bitterken

^^^
It's a pretty tough and technical course. It's not like an industrial park crit at all. You can check out the course on the flyer at https://www.beanpotclassic.org/

Now add some inexperienced racers (new cat 4's, college D's, etc)...

pinky

I'm pretty sure you can search old stories from the Beanpot here (I know I put up a few). Basic recollections.
First time, B race, started with 70 riders, started raining about half way through. 10 riders finished, 20 crashes. I saw a line of 4 riders go down each spooning each other in a hay bail after the first grabbed brake heading into the second lefter. Oddly the worst I saw was the 3 left, gent hit a pot hole, front wheel went in the air, could turn, drilled the curb and flipped. Stretcher time.
Then saw a good friend go into the first left turn as 4th wheel, get swiped from behind and break his hip on curb.

My basic advice would be stay in the top 10 for purposes of health and winning or just sneak off the back and DNF. Its not a race to half ass.

MrCrassic 

Our team (Stevens) is going to try and be there. I might be new, but I personally will finish. Even if I have to walk :-p

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dan.lavelle

True story with regards to that:

Last year at the beanpot crit, i believe it was the Men's D race, there was a kid flying down the hill into turn 2 (the scary one with haybails everywhere) on the third lap and he went down. Not hard, no big deal....however he got back up and his seat had seperated into two pieces: all that was left was the rails attached to the seatpost.

That kid, to our amazement, hopped back on his bike and finished the entire race with only two pointy steel rails for a seat..I don't want to know the pain he endured just to finish, but he should've gotten a medal of honour

I'll be there racing A's

javashane

I was in that race! Total carnage. The best way I could describe it afterwards was that it was similar to the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan. Lap after lap you hear the noises of aluminum-on-pavement, tires popping- you see people go down out of the corner of your eye, but you keep your head down and don't look back.

Idioteque

i just/will shell out like 600 bucks in bike damage after two mishaps... im seriously considering not racing this, and im from boston, or im just gonna try a solo breakaway and then get spit out the back.... because if i crash and anything gets effed up, that's the end of cycling for me for months.

ridethecliche

Haha, I feel you.
I'm not sure why people feel the need to go so fast that they can't control. The most important thing about racing is knowing your limits, especially for bike handling. If you're going to be an idiot you're going to hurt yourself and possibly a lot of other people. It just isn't worth it.

I almost don't want to race D's anymore after seeing people flying into the bushes in philly because they didn't know how to corner. I almost ran into a guy because he stopped in a turn because he was going straight into the curb. I don't know how I changed my line and fishtailed around him, but I do not want to be around people who force me to do that.

I'm not all that fast, but I'm good with my handling. So unfortunately I can't shoot out the front and stay there forever.