"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Yes!

My first top 20 finish was at a pretty tough race here in Austin called "Belterra". I'm pretty stoked as I'm a Cat 5 (should make Cat 4 with this race) and raced in the 35+ Masters. Most of the top 10 from what I hear were Cat 2's. SWEET! ;)

(sorry, I'm a dork)

Oh, and I got 18th.

AND I was laying off the lead group on purpose as I didn't want to screw up anyone else's race. I'd planned on doing the Cat 5 race but got lost on the way out to the race (20 mile detour made me late). Only race left was the 35+ open so I planned on hanging at the rear of the pack.

deserves a dbl yes!

its a great feeling isnt it? congrats and enjoy the feeling the next few days.

Around here the Masters 35+ is generally considered as fast and as hard as the Pro/1/2 race only shorter. And the teams are very strong, very cohesive, very active. So that's a great placing as a Cat5.

--Steve

aww ravenmore!!!
Im so proud for you!!!

Outstanding! Great job Rav, Bo said that was just a brutal race..btw did you get my email about Sat morning?

That's awesome Ravenmore. Congrats.

See you on the hill today... ;)

Thanks guys(and gals!) - our race was the last one so they didn't have the results for it up at the race. I just saw the results on txbra.org last night.

Yep EDR - I saw Bo up ahead a few times, at least I think it was him (there was another guy on some other team that had a blue/orange kit on - hard to tell them apart from a distance). I kept trying to bridge to him but couldn't quite pull it off. That race gets so strung out and the wind was brutal on the straight away that it made it very difficult to bridge to anyone. Btw, I got your email last night. Sounds like a good ride. I'll drag my butt outta bed for it. ;) I wish I could do Ft. Davis this year, but my brother decided to plan something as trivial as his wedding that day. Pffft - the nerve. ;)

Thanks Rockets - I'll be there today too.

Yeah, masters 35+ are serious fast riders here in Florida. Good job on that finish!

Great job, that was a brutal course. I raced in the Cat 5's and placed 16th, I could not imagine what it was like in the 35+. At the top of the finishing hill I would throw up a little in my mouth and suffer all the way around the course, then repeat. . . .

Nice. :)

Great job, that was a brutal course. I raced in the Cat 5's and placed 16th, I could not imagine what it was like in the 35+. At the top of the finishing hill I would throw up a little in my mouth and suffer all the way around the course, then repeat. . . .

Congrats! Good job! - yeah, I'd planned on doing your race. Got there right as you guys were going off. Doh. That finishing hill just starts to kick your butt about 3 or so laps in. Everyone makes a big fuss about the hill on the backside but I loved that one. It was shallow enough that I could drop it into a harder gear and power up it. I also loved that fast somewhat snakey back section after you decended from the finish hill. That was a blast to bomb through. :D I had some bright orange vredestein Fortezza Tri Comps on (only tires I had on short notice. Had em in a closet - perfectly good, just...orange.) I've never raced on those tires before but I tell you I might just have found my new race tire. Good gawd do those things stick. I bombed through turns around 25+ mph and they laughed at me like I was riding a little girls bike with pink tassles or something. I've never felt anything close to as good as they were in a clincher. Probably too soft to last for training but I'll probably put a set on before a race from now on.

I just hung back and watched the front group in my race for the most part. I know enough to know I've still got a lot to learn and these were the guys to learn from. I might do the masters from now on no matter what just because I think I can learn more from them that I can the 5's or 4's. The team dynamics seemed like they were hindered by the course. No one could really get away on the attacks. The hills or the wind on the straight away were too much for anyone to get away and make it stick.

I got to the race 10 minutes before the start and they let me in, I have a full report in EDR's "There is pain in my future" thread.

The 5's race was blown apart my lap 2, that did not make for a very fun race.

Thanks Rockets - I'll be there today too.
Awesome ride raven. Nice suffering with you :eek: again. That ride feels so much better when it's over!

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/8858/hillrepeatsho3.jpg
(http://www.toporoute.com/cgi-bin/getSavedRoute.cgi?routeKey=SPWLQEMXNTPRQGB)

Lol - thanks! I wussed out a bit today. Good little workout you got going there. Wish I could make it on a regular basis. As it is I'll try to hit it on my own on the weekends or something.

I got to the race 10 minutes before the start and they let me in, I have a full report in EDR's "There is pain in my future" thread.

The 5's race was blown apart my lap 2, that did not make for a very fun race.

Yeah - I got there literally right at the 5's start time, and I still had to register, ect... I'll have to look for that thread.