MONGO!

5-4, big whoop

My last race as a 5 was sketchy as hell, no crashes (miraculously) but did involve me touching wheels coming into the last corner (guy cut across me as I was passing cos a guy squeezed into a non existent gap on his left)

Ironically there were crashes in the two cats above but I figure there has to be less dumbassery, right?

bdcheung

congrats!

umd

sure...

SushiJoe

In theory and on paper.

MONGO!

Hmmm, well at least I won't be riding with the noobs anymore, around 1/3rd of my last race were beginners and it showed.

Had to tap a couple of hips to prevent getting squeezed and guys were changing lines in corners without looking.

bdcheung

The better a racer thinks he is, the more risks he'll take.

MONGO!

True enough.

I think for some of those kids it was their first time in a big group, there were 60 starters and I figure 20 of them had never even been on a group ride yet.

Next week will be my first official 4 race, I've done 4/5 before, next race will be 3/4

fishmel

Congrats, Btw, it was in the 3/4 race that two bad crashes happened this last Tues. Both during sprints. So keep your wits around you just like you had to do in the 5s, the 3/4 race is just faster and longer.

Good luck!

Dubbayoo

4's are just 5's that managed to avoid crashing enough times to upgrade.

umd

I was in 3 races on Sunday and the only one with a crash was the in the 1-3...

kensuf

Guess again. There's dumbasses everywhere, it's just some ride faster.

ridethecliche

I've rubbed wheels, bumped shoulders, etc in 3/4 races. Also got pushed into the curb in a 3/4 race.

The difference is that when you touch someone in the 4's/3's they don't freak out most of the time.

Psimet2001 

Not much changes except you don't shell as many racers as in the 5's. Still....FWIW - I have seen far more wrecks in the 3's than any other category over the last couple of years. Period.

MONGO!

I was watching that race from the finish line, saw the guy and the girl getting treated, the girl was pretty beaten up.

Just talked to a guy who works in my LBS, he did his first road race and crashed, fractured a bone in his sinus cavity which let air into the brain cavity, he's off the bike for 2 months, another crash would risk permanent brain damage

Yeah, one of the guys I tapped on the hip just about peed his pants and got yelled at from behind

patentcad

Let that be your guide.

patentcad

Sometimes experience doesn't preclude crashing. A team mate of mine has had a few rather traumatic and high causality crashes in the past couple of seasons, despite being a very accomplished 40+ racer with lots of results. He tends to ride with his head down. If you don't guard your front wheel you can be Lance friggin Armstrong and you're going down. Just ask Lance.

Look it's bike racing, skinny tired bikes ridden by guys on the rivet @ 30+ mph and crashes are just waiting to happen, period.

queerpunk

^this is why i don't understand saving precious pennies in order to buy carbon wheels. if you can't replace it, why race it?

patentcad

I don't crash much in races, and if I do the chances that I'll wreck my gear are rather slim. Usually it's a some road rash and a contusion and maybe a scratched brake lever.

specq

A bad idea at any level (:34 into the video there's a textbook example)

grolby

This is an incredibly bad idea in low cat races - you never know who's going to freak out and cause an accident. You should NEVER deliberately touch someone in a 4/5 race. If you really are a much better pack handler then the rest, lone squirrels won't squeeze you. As for changing lines in corners, you just have to expect that. Touching some n00b who's freaked out and cornering badly already isn't going to make him correct his line, and it could be a recipe for disaster. And furthermore, touching other riders deliberately is against the rules. Keep your hands to yourself.

urbanknight

I would expect the "penultimate category" to be Cat 2 since penultimate means next to last, not next to highest. You disappoint me.

Brian Ratliff

I didn't see the crash in the final sprint last Tuesday, but had a front row seat to the first crash on the first prime. That didn't look good at all. Crossed up wheels with one of my teammates and went down pretty hard.

Congrats on your upgrade!

umd

It's a play on the joke that cat 3 is the ultimate cat... although I suspect you knew that

obra3

'Grats! Course I already knew.

That would be the Ironcladdie eh? I need to get him a get well card.

Who went down? My supply of get well cards is getting low.

urbanknight

*Smacks forehead*
Yes I knew that, but wasn't thinking of it when I read this threar title.