"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - I've always wondered...

If everyone knows not to pull during a race...who the hell is doing all the pulling?

Riders/teams who want to attack or drive up the pace of the race. Comes in handy for wearing out the sprinters.

If a team has riders in the breakaway, they'll actually stay at the front of the pack in an effort to bring the pace down.

Often no one is pulling in the sense of putting in a lot of work. But at any time someone might attack and if they do you don't want to be at teh back of the pack, so some would rather do a little extra work instead of taking the risk. (Same re crashes). Then if a hilly or cobble section the chance of a break goes up. ...

Often no one is pulling in the sense of putting in a lot of work. But at any time someone might attack and if they do you don't want to be at teh back of the pack, so some would rather do a little extra work instead of taking the risk. (Same re crashes). Then if a hilly or cobble section the chance of a break goes up. ...

+1

I have a habit of pulling(being top 3-5) early in crits so I can be at the front of the according and cover, if needed. I also tend to put a little pressure on after the corners to try to sting some other guys. Once we settle in is when I tend to drop back a little to recover and try to be ready for something that will stick.

Probably not the best strategy but it seems to work ok for me.

I'll get to the front in my USCF races on the climbs simply because I'm faster up them than the majority of the guys out there. If I can burn some people off the back and simplify the race a little, why wouldn't I do it?

In cat 4/5 races and some 3 races, many people do work because they don't realize they shouldn't be doing work.

In Pro/1/2 races and some 3 races, it seems like nobody pulls unless they're responding to an attack. Its been interesting seeing the difference between the higher cats and lower cats.

This doesn't really apply when there are big climbs involved.

+1

I have a habit of pulling(being top 3-5) early in crits so I can be at the front of the according and cover, if needed. I also tend to put a little pressure on after the corners to try to sting some other guys. Once we settle in is when I tend to drop back a little to recover and try to be ready for something that will stick.

Probably not the best strategy but it seems to work ok for me.

accordion?

Actually in a lot of lower cat races there are periods where nobody is willing to pull and do any work and the pace slows to 18-20mph.

accordion?

Yes, lets hope i proof read my projects better than my posts!

If everyone knows not to pull during a race...who the hell is doing all the pulling?

me.

In cat 4/5 races and some 3 races, many people do work because they don't realize they shouldn't be doing work.

In Pro/1/2 races and some 3 races, it seems like nobody pulls unless they're responding to an attack. Its been interesting seeing the difference between the higher cats and lower cats.

This doesn't really apply when there are big climbs involved.

The difference between knowing what you are doing, and still learning how to do it.

That's what I hate about crits. It's riding around then a sprint finish. Which is why US riders struggle against the Pro Tour teams. They sprint. That's about it, really.

You could definitely see that in the Virginia race, even with the difficult weather conditions.

In cat 4/5 races and some 3 races, many people do work because they don't realize they shouldn't be doing work.

Ding ding ding.

Regardless of where you're in the field, I think it's always a good idea to ask why you are there. If you can't think of a good reason, you prob shouldn't be there.

That's what I hate about crits. It's riding around then a sprint finish. Which is why US riders struggle against the Pro Tour teams. They sprint. That's about it, really.


Some book I read a while back (Racing Tactics for Cyclists t I think?) said that this is why American's are cornering specialists...

Yep, your not supposed to pull, not supposed to be in the back 2/3, be in the front 1/3 but NOT in the front.

That, my friends, maked for a standard Ohio cat 4 race in 2006. 40 mile recovery ride followed by a sprint.

I'm in the front half of the time, the back half of the time and in the middle for the other half.

That's what I hate about crits. It's riding around then a sprint finish.

Hmmm, I disagree. I've been in lots of crits that were as tactical as any RR, with breakaways, counter attacks, etc. I've also watched the "big boys" (i.e. pros, including the CSC team) race crits and have witnessed same. As an 30-something y.o. cat 3 with job/family/etc., I really like crits, if raced they have all the tactics of an RR compressed into a shorter period, plus a greater emphasis on bikehandling.

Yep, your not supposed to pull, not supposed to be in the back 2/3, be in the front 1/3 but NOT in the front.

That, my friends, maked for a standard Ohio cat 4 race in 2006. 40 mile recovery ride followed by a sprint.

I'm in the front half of the time, the back half of the time and in the middle for the other half.


That's like ... <counts on fingers> ... 3 halves. Your racing an extra half. Stop doing that. ;)

I've seen plenty of crits with successful breaks. It's not rare at all.

I've seen plenty of crits with successful breaks. It's not rare at all.

I do think that team strategy becomes harder to execute in a crit vs. an RR, and so in most lower cat races it fails. After all, teams do a lot to make a breakaway stick.

it depends on the crit course too.

I'm in the front half of the time, the back half of the time and in the middle for the other half.

cat4ever=Yogi Beara:)

Teammates of the guy who is going to win.

I've ended up on the front a few times, not counting the times I'm trying to take one for the team. For instance, last Sunday, I jumped up to a guy who rolled off the front. The whole pack strung out and caught up also. Then the original guy faded off, leaving me in the front. I slowed down, but didn't want to peel off, because I would have ended up fighting to get back on a wheel. In cases like those, I try to slow down just enough to prompt an attack that I will hopefully be able to jump on.

marines.

correct

marines.

On the military side, that would be Recon, which was my bag. Not so much on the bike.

In my third race ever it was about the 8th lap of a 10 lap crit and I was making a move toward the front when the pace slowed a little. My momentum was going to carry me to the very front so i decided, "what the hell, i am gonna make these b*st*rds chase me" and I did for about a half a lap. I knew I had no chance of breaking away but it was a blast making 25 dudes have to respond to me. My head grew three sizes that day. :D

Someone wants to string it out to keep it safe
someone who knows they aren't a sprinter goes off the front and other chase
someone dosen't know better
someone riding support
someone wanting to show how strong they are

someone just does

On the military side, that would be Recon, which was my bag. Not so much on the bike.

Ha! Even then we only took point for our own. If anyone other than Marines were tagging along, we let their dumb a$$es take point...we didn't want em behind us, that's for sure! :D

Ha! Even then we only took point for our own. If anyone other than Marines were tagging along, we let their dumb a$$es take point...we didn't want em behind us, that's for sure! :D

:beer:

I found myself at the front of the pack in my last race.... i just put the power dial on "recovery watts" and started talking to people. Hell, i'll pull if we're going nowhere slow. In the end I ended up getting third, but not because I spent any energy on the front, the other guys were just better sprinters than me, no matter how fresh I was I was gonna get third.

The difference between knowing what you are doing, and still learning how to do it.

That's what I hate about crits. It's riding around then a sprint finish. Which is why US riders struggle against the Pro Tour teams. They sprint. That's about it, really.

You could definitely see that in the Virginia race, even with the difficult weather conditions.

That's not how the crits around here operate. Attacks going up the road, right and left. Some get reeled in right away, some last a little while, some stay away for the rest of the race, some lap the field.

Actually in a lot of lower cat races there are periods where nobody is willing to pull and do any work and the pace slows to 18-20mph.

I wish. My first Cat. 5 road race my 'puter said 25+ mph average 16 miles into the race (where I got dropped).

In fact, in my 20+ races so far, Cat. 5 and Cat. 4, and Masters 45, I have yet to experience any significant periods at 18-20.

"Balls-to-the-wall" 90% of the time describes all my races so far. The other 10% would be "time-trial" pace. The only substantial slowing occurs during climbs or when approaching a tight corner.

(I'm not saying that where you race this doesn't happen. I'm just saying that where I race it doesn't happen. But I sure wish it did once in a while).

Bob

Bobby Lex- How long are the races you are doing? What I have noticed is in longer road races(60-70 mile) are very mild(think sunday group ride) untill a major climb or some other place to attack and make it stick. It is almost a given that someone is going to pin it up a hill or accelerate out of a corner. Any finally if a break does get away or as short flyers are taken it is more like 1-3 minute very hard efforts(above tt pace/ftp) or rotating group to try and stay away.

This has been my obervations in the lowley cat4.

When people say don't pull, they usually mean, don't be like many novices who pull the entire field, lap after lap, get smoked in the sprint and then whine because they did all the work and didn't win.

Theres always pulling going on, the question is you have to use your judgement on whether you want to be a part of that effort or if you think its not worth it and wait for another opportuinity to take a turn at the front. Its not so much that you aren't supposed to pull, its saving your limited amount of stregnth for when it counts, which usually means getting organized and working with others.

For example, theres usually some effort to push the pace and if you ride towards the front, which is the best place to ride, you will eventually rotate to the front, so you will pull, but if its organized, it will be a circular paceline, you get to the front and get off right away, using little energy and being in the thick of things where you are in the best position to attack or react to an attack.

Bobby Lex- How long are the races you are doing? What I have noticed is in longer road races(60-70 mile) are very mild(think sunday group ride) untill a major climb or some other place to attack and make it stick. It is almost a given that someone is going to pin it up a hill or accelerate out of a corner. Any finally if a break does get away or as short flyers are taken it is more like 1-3 minute very hard efforts(above tt pace/ftp) or rotating group to try and stay away.

This has been my obervations in the lowley cat4.

Longest: 54 miles RR.

Shortest: 12 mile Crit. (25 min. +5 laps).

If you are suggesting that the longer the race, the slower the pace, I agree/understand. The 25+mph race I mentioned was only 35 miles long. But it was also only a Cat. 5 race. And note that to average 25mph you are often doing 28--31 mph. We never saw 18--20 mph. Never.

I keep reading these posts like "so there we were, coasting along, too slow for me, I was getting bored, so I sprinted out and did a couple of laps solo just to stretch my legs, then I rejoined the pack, no one wanted to take a pull, we slowed to like 17 mph, my training rides were so much harder than this race...."

Well, guess it's just been my bad luck that I always find myself racing against guys who are forever trying to push the pace. The only race I ever did where I found the pace to be annoyingly slow was one RR where we had a big field (75+ riders) and a strictly enforced center-line rule. No one could make a move because there was no room to do so. We seemed to be inching along at a snail's pace, but which in reality was in the low 20's most of the time. Still, never below 20 mph.

Guess I'm not really complaining though. If it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger! Right? ;)

Bob