Anger Management reports

[UmneyDurak]

Post your race reports here.
I'll post a more detailed one later (need to run), but to summarize. Field was scetchy as hell. Ridley Orion performed excellent!

[merckx89]

I must say, that was one of the better cat 5 races ive been in. Not too sketchy, only a few knuckleheads who didnt know how to take a turn, but other than that, a good group of guys.
Race report:
Start the day at 4:40... damn overslept(mistake #1), jump out of bed grab something to eat and run out the door. Jet over to my friends house and pick him up and were off. Start driving and realize that the tom-tom's dead, (mistake #2 forgot to charge it) so we get lost on the way there and arrive with less than an hour to get ready. Run over and get registered... damn it's still dark, im starting to agree with my friends who say im crazy for getting up BEFORE the crack of dawn. The race barely started in daytime. Jump on the trainer for a quick warm up, about 20 min. (mistake #3, though we couldn't really do much about that one at the time).
Roll out to the line and sit through the obligatory cat 5 speech, dont crash, you all suck so don't try anything stupid, blah blah blah. The guy made a big deal to one of my teammates about the sticky (3M) stuff i gave him to use instead of pins, and made him go over and put pins in. ( For the record mine stayed on just fine with the stuff, No flapping whatsoever) We get our warm up lap in and my and Rick are front and center on the line for the start with dave right behind us. Great position, about that last time that will happen today.
And were off. Nice easy pace for the first lap and rolling into the second, i figure since i didn't get a good warm up in now is the perfect time. Attack, balls to the wall for 20 seconds or so, look back and one guys bridging up (green jersey on a felt), sit up a little let him catch on and were off. Stay off the front for probably two laps. I look back again and realize the pack closing in so we sit up and get absorbed back in. For the next few laps, just stayed near the front, top 20 or so content to sit in for now, recover. With about 15 minutes to go i decided its time to launch another one, see if the field wants to chase. This time they're intent on not letting me get away and I only get about 30 yards away from them. (started too far back on that one). Next lap someone else goes off the front, so i bridge up and we manage to stay away for a lap or so maybe one and a half. One thing i did notice, is that is was much easier to take the corners by myself or with one other on a break than in the field, like 2mph faster.
The sign goes up for 5 to go and the pace starts picking up a little. With 3 to go i decide to try my luck one more time on a break. Give it everything I've got left and gun it out of the first corner. One goes with me and we stay away for 1/2 a lap or so, but the fields not going to let us try anything now. But as soon as were caught, another goes up the field on a counter. Green jersey to be specific. I knew that if someone could stay away he could, so i jumped hard again and grabbed his wheel and we manage to stay away until one to go, but to no avail, people are working in the field, they want their sprint. Going into the final turn got caught on the inside as the field clipped the apex and had to slow way way down. (mistake #... what number are we up to now) By the time I got back up to speed the sprint was already on, so i just coasted in for a mid teens finish. I've still got a lot to learn.
After the race 3 of us came back to glendale to do the normal sunday ride as a little recovery, and i feel pretty good now. Actually i felt pretty good at the finish, just out of position. That's why i hate crits, it's all about position.

[VanceMac]

That's why i hate crits, it's all about position.

Yeah, not a fan. But since they are so much easier to organize, I guess we're stuck wit them. :)

Nice report, and congratulations to you, Chuckles, Brian, and Crash... and to the others who will report later!

[tbrown524]

Anger Mgmt was my first crit and I actually finished it.. I have been bitten by the crit bug..

Now my brief race report..
I showed up at a little before 6am to register hoping to get a spot because there were rumors that the Cat V was filled. I decided to take a chance anyway and head down there. I was a bit reluctant to get out and race for various reason..
#1 I didn't lose the weight I wanted over the winter(was the largest guy out there today)
#2 My team uniform hadn't arrived.
#3 Just nervous about getting out there even though others have said that quite a few people get dropped on their first crit.

Luckily there were still openings and once I paid my fee there was no turning back. From reading various post here on BF, I knew to bring my trainer to warm up about 45min before the race. After warming up I showed up to the line... A bit nervous when I looked around at the bikes around me with expensive wheels and me showing up with my "stock" wheels. Well, now to the brief part... During the race I remembered from reading here on BF that I should stay to the front of the pack so basically I kept fighting to get to the front throughout the entire race. Towards the last two laps of the race I felt like I didn't have the energy to keep on so I felt myself drifting back but the thought going this far and being dropped pushed me to just fight through it and just finish with the pack. I finished!!!!

I saw a few familiar faces there today... Next time I'll walk up a give a BF what's up...

[urbanknight]

My report as posted in the racing forum:

Start: For some reason, my teammate took off on the first lap. I don't know if he meant to do it or if he thought the pack was still on his wheel, but he went with it and rode solo for a few laps before sliding back in. Meanwhile, I was holding my position in the top 5-15 spots to conserve energy. Many of my teammates were hanging out behind me, probably recovering since they were fresh off the 30+ race.

Mid: I realized there was a timer so we could tell how much time was left in the race. How nice of them. Now I can tell if I'm suffering enough or not. Quite a few twitchy riders have me nervous and I realize that I am letting people squeeze me back because of it. I man up and start defending my position. One rider starts coming in on me and I rub shoulders with him. He tells me to be careful and I just point to the wheel I'm following. I think he got the point. Still, I'm only able to keep myself at about mid pack at this point.

5 to go: 4 of us teammates managed to regroup and I was happily sucking the wheel of my largest teammate. We start moving up and keep it together despite getting broken up a couple of times. The pack surges and we start to lose ground and get seperated. At 3 to go, I make an effort to move up only to see the pack surge and move up again. On the last lap, I make another effort and the pack starts accelerating. I knew I was spent, so I sat up and followed the pack in. I'm glad I sat up because 2 riders mid pack crashed just across the finish line.

So just another pack finish for me. Not bad, though, considering I'm still fighting a cold and haven't been on the bike since Tuesday. Still having fun, still looking to improve myself.

[urbanknight]

Some pics

Ryan in Cat 5, his first race!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v153/UrbanKnight/Bike%20Racing/AngerVRyan.jpg

40+ 4/5
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v153/UrbanKnight/Bike%20Racing/Anger30Start.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v153/UrbanKnight/Bike%20Racing/Anger30.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v153/UrbanKnight/Bike%20Racing/Anger30Mark.jpg

[Brandy]

Pics of the Cat V race!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2411/2272161139_9d5217ea1d.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2180/2272160955_73d553fbc5.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2272160777_9814952201.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2411/2272160139_ca4309f994.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2163/2272952734_47b688dc5f.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2242/2272952522_062f280a00.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2069/2272952098_a5082d775b.jpg?v=0

[Brandy]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/BrandyMama/th_DSCF9547.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v372/BrandyMama/?action=view&current=DSCF9547.flv)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/BrandyMama/th_DSCF9548.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v372/BrandyMama/?action=view&current=DSCF9548.flv)

[VanceMac]

Nice photos and vids. Thanks for posting them!

[UmneyDurak]

Well this was my first crit since last spring, actually it was a third race total since last spring. So I was very curious to see what would happen. The goal of the race was just to stay near the front, practice moving through the pack, and other fun stuff. Oh and not crash was at the top of the list also. Me no likey the cast last time.

So I showed up around 7 just in time to see CAT 5s take off. No one crashed clipping in. Thats always a good sign. Registered and hoped on a trainer to warm up for CAT 4 race, or how I like to call it "CAT 5 just with more violent crashes". I get to the line. Everyone is looking frisky, official making some jokes about camera or something like that. Personally I would have preferred them talking about how the bikes people are racing are worth more then all the prices combined for CAT IV. So maybe people don't kill each other, but whatever.

We take off. A teammate of mine (although he was riding for another team at that race) takes of, and solos off the front for couple laps. I knew he warmed up so I guess he was just bored. I was content to seat in and see what happens. Wanted to strike a conversation, but everyone was so serious. Pace was pretty mellow, no one really wanted to push the pace at the front or something. I considered it, but then remembered I am lazy. Even attacks for primes were somewhat mellow. I tried to stick to one of them, but mentally just wasn't there. Need to work on that. Maybe need to try whatever Hulk was smoking.

For most of the race people weren't doing too much stupid ****. Occasional person swerving to the left without even glancing behind them, but otherwise not too bad. There was this one dude in Giant bibs who couldn't hold his line to save his life, thought. With 5 laps to go stupidity really hit the proverbial fan. I kept my pudgy *** on the outside, but heard a lot of unhappy yells from inside the pack. Going in to final stretch I setup a bit. Frankly I didn't want any part of what was going on, and I accomplished the goals I came in with. I think it was the right choice, two guys managed to crash AFTER crossing the finish line. That takes some effort.

Over all race wasn't all that difficult or fast. I think I was just chilling for most of it, with occasional accelerations. After I finish a build phase and start some harder work outs I should have easier time with those. Most of the issues I need to work on are technical and strategical. I was very very happy with my Ridley Orion. On the corners it felt very solid, even going over the reflectors wasn't a problem. I feel kind of guilty saying it, but I think I like it more then my CAAD8 frame. The carbon frame damps vibration just enough so you don't loose power, but it still lively enough so you don't feel like it's dead. It's kind of hard to describe.

[Chucklehead]

that's awesome. you can't even see me go by in the sprint vid. i was that fast.

[Chucklehead]

I must say, that was one of the better cat 5 races ive been in. Not too sketchy, only a few knuckleheads who didnt know how to take a turn, but other than that, a good group of guys.
Race report:
Start the day at 4:40... damn overslept(mistake #1), jump out of bed grab something to eat and run out the door. Jet over to my friends house and pick him up and were off. Start driving and realize that the tom-tom's dead, (mistake #2 forgot to charge it) so we get lost on the way there and arrive with less than an hour to get ready. Run over and get registered... damn it's still dark, im starting to agree with my friends who say im crazy for getting up BEFORE the crack of dawn. The race barely started in daytime. Jump on the trainer for a quick warm up, about 20 min. (mistake #3, though we couldn't really do much about that one at the time).
Roll out to the line and sit through the obligatory cat 5 speech, dont crash, you all suck so don't try anything stupid, blah blah blah. The guy made a big deal to one of my teammates about the sticky (3M) stuff i gave him to use instead of pins, and made him go over and put pins in. ( For the record mine stayed on just fine with the stuff, No flapping whatsoever) We get our warm up lap in and my and Rick are front and center on the line for the start with dave right behind us. Great position, about that last time that will happen today.
And were off. Nice easy pace for the first lap and rolling into the second, i figure since i didn't get a good warm up in now is the perfect time. Attack, balls to the wall for 20 seconds or so, look back and one guys bridging up (green jersey on a felt), sit up a little let him catch on and were off. Stay off the front for probably two laps. I look back again and realize the pack closing in so we sit up and get absorbed back in. For the next few laps, just stayed near the front, top 20 or so content to sit in for now, recover. With about 15 minutes to go i decided its time to launch another one, see if the field wants to chase. This time they're intent on not letting me get away and I only get about 30 yards away from them. (started too far back on that one). Next lap someone else goes off the front, so i bridge up and we manage to stay away for a lap or so maybe one and a half. One thing i did notice, is that is was much easier to take the corners by myself or with one other on a break than in the field, like 2mph faster.
The sign goes up for 5 to go and the pace starts picking up a little. With 3 to go i decide to try my luck one more time on a break. Give it everything I've got left and gun it out of the first corner. One goes with me and we stay away for 1/2 a lap or so, but the fields not going to let us try anything now. But as soon as were caught, another goes up the field on a counter. Green jersey to be specific. I knew that if someone could stay away he could, so i jumped hard again and grabbed his wheel and we manage to stay away until one to go, but to no avail, people are working in the field, they want their sprint. Going into the final turn got caught on the inside as the field clipped the apex and had to slow way way down. (mistake #... what number are we up to now) By the time I got back up to speed the sprint was already on, so i just coasted in for a mid teens finish. I've still got a lot to learn.
After the race 3 of us came back to glendale to do the normal sunday ride as a little recovery, and i feel pretty good now. Actually i felt pretty good at the finish, just out of position. That's why i hate crits, it's all about position.

if that thinking applies to crits, it should apply to all racing that involves a pack. if you take that kind of attitude towards crits and don't adapt to the way the game is being played on a given day, you won't get any better at it. i don't know - maybe you don't care to improve at this type of racing. of course it would be great if we had more road racing in SoCal, but that isn't really the case. all i'm saying is position matters in any racing, so why not try to adapt?

[Speedee]

They should call that the "Bot-Dot Crit" ...must have ridden over a hundred of ‘em. :crash:

40+ 4/5 - 3rd place. My teammate Lee took 1’st. We have my Major Motion pal to thank for the awesome leadout. Won 50 bucks. :D

http://images32.fotki.com/v1091/photos/1/185551/5921820/Anger080435-vi.jpg?1203312149

Cat 4 race - Pack. Back to back races are tough for me after a sprint finish. Spent most of the time trying to recover. Started moving up with three to go, but things got sketchy and I was tired... hung back and stayed upright.

http://images35.fotki.com/v1130/photos/1/185551/5921823/Anger080490-vi.jpg?1203312241

[Happytime]

Congrats Greg and Lee... great teamwork! :D

So what are you going to do with the $50... BF kegger?

[Speedee]

So what are you going to do with the $50... BF kegger?
Lunch for my friend (4th) who gave us the leadout. (edit: so he'll do it again) ;)