"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - pre-race rituals.

I know youve got them, be it kissing an egg you keep in your cycling shorts at the start line, or not showering for 3 days before the race, or a specific breakfest you must eat.

Ill start, before every race If im leaving from my town, 3 eggs 6 piexes of bacon 2 pieces of toast and an OJ.

Anyone else?

The bike and I have a nice long bonding session. Cleaning, lubing, inspecting etc.

My races are often early in the AM. Accordingly, a healthy bowel movement is not only a must, but often the biggest impediment to making it to the starting line in a timely fashion. Ritual Shimtual. As long as I clear that requisite dump, everything else will work out. Unfortunately the percolation schedule of Mother Nature is beyond the control of the pathetic Pcad.

Everything else is utter static.

Hot cream and/or oil on the legs even if it's 95 degrees. A hold out from my kermesse days.

i'm more about the post-race rituals ... pre-race has been a nightmare for me.

Embrocation and pot Belge.

Yo, Sanka, lemme kiss yo' egg, man

http://www.swr3.de/fun/magazin/sportfilme/pix/cool_runnings.jpg

Several hookers, champagne, cocaine...the usual, you know.

Yo, Sanka, lemme kiss yo' egg, man

Thats what I was thinking. I saw a guy cross himself on the run-in to a field sprint once, that counts as a ritual i guess.

Thats what I was thinking. I saw a guy cross himself on the run-in to a field sprint once, that counts as a ritual i guess.

Hahaha wow, I think I would bust out laughing and forget to sprint if I saw that.

Hahaha wow, I think I would bust out laughing and forget to sprint if I saw that.


I had a sprint ritual...waving to the 10 blokes in front of me as they disappear up the road.

Hahaha wow, I think I would bust out laughing and forget to sprint if I saw that.

Not if you saw the three crashes earlier in the race that all took place above 30mph and whittled down the pack from 60ish to 35, I was really nervous about sprinting with those guys.

Not if you saw the three crashes earlier in the race that all took place above 30mph and whittled down the pack from 60ish to 35, I was really nervous about sprinting with those guys.

I think that's one of those races where you hope your VO2 is in order, and go at 2-3 miles out...

i'm convinced that if i don't listen to "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol before I race that it just isn't worth showing up for.

I think that's one of those races where you hope your VO2 is in order, and go at 2-3 miles out...

^^^ At a Kilo to go, I'm revving it up and hoping that God loves me more than usual that day.

I eat oatmeal.

I also cant start a race with out my "magic" sunglasses.

Coffee. Black. And lots of it. Of course, that is also my everyday ritual, but it is essential on race day. Oatmeal or cereal for breakfast. Nothing unfamiliar, though since race day usually starts at a motel's continental breakfast, beggars can't always be choosers.

And then of course, waste a bunch of time and rush the warm up, arriving at the start line with 30 seconds to spare. :rolleyes:

Where can I get "magic" sunglasses? Performance?

^^^ At a Kilo to go, I'm revving it up and hoping that God loves me more than usual that day.

Most races Ive been in in run-in was 28mph or higher, my V02 isnt bad but I cant hold 30+ for a kilo. Can you guys?

On the flat, no wind...30-31ish for a little over a minute.

Not at this point in the year though. Haven't started doing the shorter intervals just yet.

I'm not too strong in the 1 minuteish area. Thats why I said VO2 (3-8 minutes), races are sometimes a little slower about 3 miles out, and if you're fresh you can get out of sight before the field figures out whats up, and you can get away clean.

I've had bad experiences trying to do kilo finishes. I usually peter out about 300m from the line, and watch first turn into 23rd :p

The last time I did that, a couple of guys bridged across, then a couple more, and soon I was towing like 10 guys. We broke away though, and I kept on trucking. Most of them came around me with about 500m to go, but then died in the wind, and I kept on moving at the same speed and ended up taking third. It was a frustrating yet satisfying experience; I got robbed in a way (but, that's what I get for not jumping hard enough, eh?) but it was nice to see that sort of thing work out moderately well.

The only problem with doing this, for me, is the yellow line rule. I want to jump to the far side of the road and not give anyone any hope of a draft when I start my move.

either get prepared to get dropped or get ready to drop.
I attack until I crack or they do.

How many races have you done again?

My pre-race ritual usually involves eating oatmeal before I leave the house, getting in a car for two to four hours to drive to the race, stopping a few times to use the restroom, eating three scrambled eggs 1.5 hours before the start, eating half a powerbar 30 minutes before the start. Oh, and using the bathroom as close to the start as I can.

Having IBS sucks!

^^^ I know. 3 group rides/races.

Your group rides are NOT races. Had you ever participated in a race you would know this.

^^^ I know. 3 group rides/races.

Were they races, or just group rides? There is a very distinct difference.

have only recently realized that there's one particular table where i will take off my jersey and pin my # on.

will also place my pump/bag/mobile/extra bottle under the same radiator.

that's about it.

^^Still not a race.

group rides very hard.

BIG difference!!!

:roflmao: my dear sweet RyanF/Brick Tamalin.

Come and find out everyone is invited.

Most of us go to these gathering type things where everyone is invited as well. However, you have to pay an entry fee and pin a number on your side or back. The biggest difference between our little gatherings and the one you are inviting us to is that everyone at the gatherings we attend actually knows that it is a race. That kind of evens out the field a bit, it's nice when everyone is on the same page.

Regardless, getting dropped on three group rides definitely does not make you a racer.

RyanF: I bet you finish in the bottom half of your first race.

RyanF: I bet you finish in the bottom half of your first race, little girl.

You think he will actually finish?? He can't even finish a group ride how would he ever finish a race? ;)

No need to insult Ryanf, he does a pretty good job of adaquately representing himself as it is. Now, back to other pre-race rituals... ;)

:roflmao: my dear sweet RyanF/Brick Tamalin.
Ahh man, censored? Bah.

oooook back on topic.

Same breakfast before every race
Gatorade always on seattube, water on the downtube


That's about it I think.

You think he will actually finish?? He can't even finish a group ride how would he ever finish a race? ;)

finish a race? finish a group ride? hell, he can't even spell them, let alone finish them. :D

I only got dropped 2/3 times. I always get home I'm race hardened just never been in a "race".

I don't even know what to say to that one. :o

I don't have any rituals per se, but I do tend to eat the same sorts of things -
nothing new at the last minute. Also, the trunk of my camry is set up like a
bike shop so I don't have to pack and unpack from every race. I just have
plastic storage boxes with lids and handles for different stuff. One box for
tools, another box for tires/tubes, another for medical stuff (bandaids, ibuprofin,
warming cream), another for gels/bars, etc.

I typically get really nervous before events - especially on my way to the start
line...but my boyfriend figures out how to distract me enough at the start line
so I don't think about getting nervous anymore. It really worked for my last TT.

Just treat me like all the other great members of BF(best friends).
If this isn't a cry for help due to neglectful parents I don't know what is.

Ryanf = Cypress?? Has anyone else noticed that it seems Cypress quit posting around the same time Ryanf showed up? I think someone is having a little fun with us.

I only got dropped 2/3 times. I always get home I'm race hardened just never been in a "race".

FWIW, people who can hang on that group ride most likely got dropped in their first race, if they race at all.

Please, go ahead and buy a license, and enter a race. Be sure to let us know how reality feels.

BIG difference!!!

Depending on the 'group ride', they can be harder than many races I've participated in. Extensive experience with both.

But typically, the races tend to be harder. Sometimes *much* harder of course : ). I have already been shell-acked in one of those races this season. And the season is young.

F it. I've been dropped more than all of you put together. And I kept coming back. I'm a peloton dog. And every dog has his day. I've had a few.

But VERY few : ).

Depending on the 'group ride', they can be harder than many races I've participated in. Extensive experience with both.

But typically, the races tend to be harder. Sometimes *much* harder of course : ). I have already been shell-acked in one of those races this season. And the season is young.

F it. I've been dropped more than all of you put together. And I kept coming back. I'm a peloton dog. And every dog has his day. I've had a few.

But VERY few : ).

I have been in some pretty tough group rides but I feel that there was always just a little more caution being exercised since there wasn't really anything up for grabs. With that said, I have been in some very high paced group rides, I have also been in some very slow paced races. Never know what you are going to get yourself into when you line up.

As for the being dropped in a race, I had my first experience with that a couple of weeks ago. I didn't enjoy it. :( I haven't been dropped in a group ride in about three years, that was when I "thought" I was fast. Now that I know I'm not fast I don't seem to have to worry about it as much. :D

Don't take it the wrong way though, I know there are plenty of group rides that I would get dropped from like a box of rocks. I just choose to stay away from those. ;) Plus, where I live the number of fast cyclists is pretty limited. I wish this wasn't the case, I would love to have some fast group rides / practice races to help with my training. When you only have one or two road races in your state all year there isn't much demand for bike racers though.

Come out to Wednesday Night Worlds outside of Fort Collins, CO and tell me there isn't such thing as a training ride thats harder than a race.

But RyanF, don't you realize you're just making a fool out of yourself by claiming your group ride is harder than a race? I'm talking about a group ride that often contains some of the fastest guys in the US, you're talking about a local coffee shop ride (correct me if I'm mistaken here).

My favorite pre-races ritual involves:
Worrying about my lack of quality training, or indeed any training at all
Worrying about how well the other guys went last week,
Worrying that I've chosen the wrong ratio / wrong wheels / wrong drink / too much food / too little food.