dennisa

So I entered another local 4/5 crit and got yelled at I feel there's nothing I could have really done differently to avoid it. I was riding with the lead group for the at least the first 8 laps. I fell off the back. I got lapped and stayed out of the way as much as possible keeping to the right or left shoulder while riding solo in case of getting lapped again.

In any case I finally catch up to a another guy that was off the back as well but always about 400m ahead of me. We crest the only notable incline take the left turn and now I'm riding in front of him. He yells up they are right behind us so I stick to the left. I'm approaching the next left turn they still haven't passed so I keep to the left on a minor decent that's going to take a pretty hard left ( one of those turn where you would approach from the outside thu the apex and come out wide) I finally see them on my right, I expected them to pass me 500m ago, there's no time to move right or I'd cross the field and would not have been safe to give them 100% open and clear road for the left turn so I hold my line. I'm staying as left as possible and slowing up so they can hit the hard (90deg) left before me. Well that didn't pan out so I'm hugging the curb, and there's no way they didn't see me. I get yelled at by some guy that's all pissed that I was there, but there wasn't much else I could do.

Was I in the wrong ?? What could I have done differently??

mattm

If you didn't cause a crash, don't sweat it too much.

Really I would say it's the official's job to pull you before this situation arises..

But, it sounds like ideally you should have gone to the right when you got the warning they were approaching you as you neared the left-hand turn.

Racer Ex 

Getting yelled at by a 4/5 is like being attacked by a stuffed tiger.

dennisa

When I got the heads up they were right behind use this turn in question didn't come up for almost another 1500+ m I guess in hindsight there was time a lot earlier to move right.

dubsnyc

Don't take it too personally. I feel like people yell all the time during races and afterwards. Most of the time it's for no good reason.

bostongarden

When some bars bumped when I filled an opening large enough for a Mack truck yesterday, the persons on my right and my left squalked. Ya just put the ignore switch on when it's without merit or purpose.

shovelhd

OP, well you could have moved out of the line early. You could have pulled over before the turn and stopped. You could have pulled yourself out of the race, something the officials should have done before the incident. But that's neither here nor there. Don't take it personally, don't waste any energy on it. Spend it on keeping from getting dropped in the first place.

Given that your guads were larger than her waist, take it as a sign of admiration.

Four of us not on one of the large teams yesterday had been pulling the field up to the break. We got the split down from 40 seconds to 20 seconds, but needed a rest. When we sat up, some bonehead back in the field yelled "work!!!". I laughed.

substructure

Ka-POW! That's a good one, right yonder.

mollusk

so don't race like Calvin.

hammy56

the last race I was in, there was a team of 5-6 guys...one of them was constantly yelling. More than likely posturing for his buddies/teammates. I finally got annoyed when he yelled again and I yelled "F*** OFF"...he actually didnt yell again.

and I actually got a few laughs and 'thank yous'.

topflightpro

Don't worry about being yelled at.

But in the future, if you are off the back, just stay to the outside line. That way, you won't have to worry about where the field is.

carpediemracing 

One guy in a 2010 Cat 3 race attacked a lot, so much so that every time he went people would yell "Right!" "Left!" etc. So he launched an attack up a side, I'll say it was the left side. As he attacked he yelled "LEFT!". It was pretty funny.

I was in a P123 race with Mike McCarthy, top dog in the area for a while (and a National Crit Champ and World Prof Pursuit Champ around that time). Every time he went people screamed bloody murder. So he wound it up from the back, went up the right side, yelled "Right! Right!", and went off the front.

ridethecliche

Go cry about it.

Oh wait...

Psimet2001 

OP - take everything here with a grain of salt....

Let me share my take - a bit of background first: I am a professional career cat 4 Racer. I frequently go off the back of most heavy crits just so I can indulge in my favorite pastime - yelling at other slow guys.

In reality - I have spent my fair share of time in the pack lapping riders as well as being lapped. If you were riding with me I would have yelled at you that we were getting lapped as well - this is why:

1. When off the back - be AWARE of where the field is. This isn't a tiathlon and you're not going to set a "PR" or fight so that you are 51st instead of 52nd in the results. You are off the back. Your race is over. Race heads up and you might be allowed to actually ride on the course for the rest of the race and not cause any problems.
2. When you come off the back the amount of time it takes the field to come up on you decreases as the race continues. You tire even more and their speed increases. So while it may have taken them 10 laps to lap you the first time they might be back around in 5 this next time.
3. When it's been a while start taking a quick look over your shoulder at the end of a long straight before you corner. If you don't see the leaders or a pace car then race the next section like you normally would. If you see the leaders or the pace car then start thinking right then where you need to make sure you are when they pass. The idea is to GTFO of the way. You have no business being anywhere near where the race is occurring at this point. This can even mean you STOP in a spot that is completely out of the way if you realize that failing to do so will result in you being passed in a tight section.
4. Understand that even if you're out of the way many riders still int he pack WILL yell at you. Why? because they feel that they need to, because they think they are showing the rest of the pack that they know what they are doing by yelling at that lapped guy, and because there have been a butt-ton of wrecks cased by riders doing what you described in the OP. You may know exactly what you're doing and may think that everything is fine, but all it takes is one dumbass to think you're doing something else to cause a wreck.
5. When I am in a race with a pace car they will usually honk. I usually acknowledge the honk and I have even gone so far as to give the car a "hold the f back" hand signal if I know I can make it through a tight section before it becomes an issue, etc. I usually give the car a thumbs up or a finger pointed to what side i am "clearing" for the field. Works well and I have been thanked by many.
6. If it's coming down to the last few laps - err on the side of caution. GTFO of the way. I try to make sure the pack laps me BEFORE they get 2 to go. That way I am right off the back of them with 2 to go. This pretty much assures that you won't be in the mix when all hell breaks loose. If you don't do this - at least around here - you're getting pulled. Not the end of the world, but there ARE ways to stay out there and stay safe but it requires that you think!

Again...when in doubt - just GTFO of the way. If you are on a long wide straight then just hold up and let them by. Point to the direction and they will usually know you know that they are coming. I have seen other riders riding with a hand up as though they are going back through the pack because of a mechanical. Just make sure you aren't on the racing line.

I write all of this because I sat out there and raced for 45 minute at one of the best crit courses in the country yesterday (it was an NRC race this year until Superweek claimed it back) and I got lapped....something like 5 times. The last 2 I made happen in the last couple of laps just for safety. It's a well known dangerous course in hte last few laps and I made sure I was out of the fray.

aham23 was near the front and was taken out with 2 to go

shovelhd

While it is allowed in some races, I've been knocked out cold my a backmarker. I don't believe they should be allowed to race in a crit after being lapped anywhere, under any conditions.

plantrob

I've not raced (yet), so pardon my ignorance :-)
Why would you want to stay on the course if you've been lapped? Seems to me that if you want to get some more riding in, you may as well do it off the course; and if you want to find out what happens with the rest of the race, wouldn't it be better to get off the bike and watch at the finish line?
I could see how you might want to try to latch back on after you've been lapped once, and get back into the dynamics of the action (to some extent); but if the pack just whizzes by every several laps, it seems like it would be a strangely disconnected experience.
Just curious - perhaps I'll find out for myself one day

Racer Ex 

See? There's something we need more of.

Half these guys don't know what a racing line is. That's part of the problem.

Dennis, next time slow up and make sure they pass you while you're off the racing line (you write as if you understand the concept of a racing line). Either that or gas it so you're around the corner before they show up. If I'm lapping guys I like them as far to the other side of the road as possible.

Minion1

Sometimes riders will lap the field and sit on for the rest of the crit, you can't pull the bunch for being lapped by the one or a few riders. Plus it gives the riders a chance to get that lap back, if the rider leading the race can't respond later in the crit, and also the minor placings/sprint points will be fought for while the +1 rider is in the bunch.
Of course this is the opposite to what the OP is talking about, and if individual riders are out the back then they do tend to get pulled. If the marshalls are paying attention.

Racer Ex 

I always keep going. My record is 2 + 3/4, but I did get a free lap when I flatted on the first lap of that one.

Why not? It would be a great motivator. The pulled riders should have to stand on the sidelines for the remainder of the race while the announcer denigrates their abilities. Except for Cat 5's where the guys who keep going after getting lapped actually win some Cytomax.

I have a soft spot for Cat 5's who hang in there.

Never seen this happen.

wanders

I can see it.

"OK. I'm gonna let you guys have a head start. I'll just wait for y'all to come around then I'll show you a thing or two."

EventServices

Psimet pretty much nailed it shut with his post.

I see no need to continue riding once you get lapped. You need to recognize that you're just a moving construction barrel in what is already a dangerous/tricky event. Get out of the way, let them go by, live to ride another day.

Your goal should be to see how long you can last before they catch you, run yourself ragged, and then pull out safely before the catch is made.

shovelhd

Sure you can. I lapped the field this year in a group of six and the official pulled the field with 2 to go. The group sprinted for the win.

I've never seen a marshal pull anyone.

dennisa

Thanks for all the feedback. The only reason I stayed in is because the race official stated any lapped riders would be pulled at 3 to go. Also when they came around and lapped me got on the back after they safely passed and it made me work harder again pushed me a little out of my comfort zone. If I'm not causing a problem at the back I see no reason not to try and push myself harder again.

In retrospect knowning the course was all left handers it would of been a better choice to stay far to the right.

aham23

i was leading the pack at Evanston as we approached some lapped riders. i yelled at the first two because we were entering nasty tight & quick two left turn section. speed was up as i was chasing down a solo break and they seemed to want the middle of the road.

i didnt yell at the third rider, because we were in the turns and he reved up his engine in order to lead us out of the section before safely getting over and out of the way. it was done perfectly without disturbing me or the main pack. i thought that was really smart. he had no where to go until we got out of that section. it also gave me a brief rest, which i needed at that time.

plus, i didnt want to get fired. later.

hammy56

Ive had to yell at idiots warming up on the course during the first lap of a race.