"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Branchbrook Park March 15, 2008 report

As usual, linky here (http://www.westwoodvelo.com/showthread.php?t=3777).

Or, short version: I failed to bridge the gap. I was Wussy.

'I had to settle for 5th'?

Somebody shoot me.

yes, that definitely sounds like wussy. ;)

Wow.... those are impressive numbers.

i want helmet cam back:(

DrWJODonnell,

Question after your wind-tunnel experience: do you know how many people do wind tunnel testing on their road bikes [not TT rigs]? Seems like it might be useful sometimes. ;)

-bullseye

As usual, linky here (htt p://ww w.westwoodvelo.com/showthread.php?t=3777).

Or, short version: I failed to bridge the gap. I was Wussy.

i call bs.

I'll bet Dr. W. sleeps in an altitude tent.

Sweet race, good work. The way that Sommerville team played it is exactly how all the M35+ races work out here, from what I've seen. Big teams get a guy or three in the break, then shut the field down by following every move. I'm grooming myself to bridge through this tactic, now that I know I can get a clean break when I go (that's where the 5s and 1m power comes in handy ;))

Well played though, losing that guy.

FWIW, if he'd have caught you, just motoring with him on your wheel will make you slightly faster (as he fills the part of the negative pressure zone behind you).

you got some sweet genetics going on. are your parents and\or sibilings good at this kinda stuff too.

my uncle, for some reason, got all the good genes in our family. and my brother too. it sorta passed over me. :(

Nice job DrW. Over an hour by yourself, brutal.

i want helmet cam back:(

Helmet cam. Yeah, I guess I have been lazy. And it would be really easy to edit if I am spending anywhere between 20 minutes and an hour in no man's land.


I'll bet Dr. W. sleeps in an altitude tent.

I am stupid enough to have looked into one, but I check my Hct 2x/year and it is always 48 or 49. So I don't play with that.


Sweet race, good work. The way that Sommerville team played it is exactly how all the M35+ races work out here, from what I've seen. Big teams get a guy or three in the break, then shut the field down by following every move. I'm grooming myself to bridge through this tactic, now that I know I can get a clean break when I go (that's where the 5s and 1m power comes in handy ;))

Well played though, losing that guy.

FWIW, if he'd have caught you, just motoring with him on your wheel will make you slightly faster (as he fills the part of the negative pressure zone behind you).

I know, and if it had been a different guy, I might have dragged him the whole way, but part of me said, "I need to figure out how to drop TWO SS guys. I can't bring a third across," and another part said, "You told him you would drop him. Now DROP HIM."


you got some sweet genetics going on. are your parents and\or sibilings good at this kinda stuff too.

my uncle, for some reason, got all the good genes in our family. and my brother too. it sorta passed over me. :(

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. No.

I am stupid enough to have looked into one,

dope.



but I check my Hct 2x/year and it is always 48 or 49.

doper. ;)

I'll bet Dr. W. sleeps in an altitude tent.

I'm waiting for an altitude RV to come out. I hate tents...way to close to the ground for me.

DrWJODonnell,

Question after your wind-tunnel experience: do you know how many people do wind tunnel testing on their road bikes [not TT rigs]? Seems like it might be useful sometimes. ;)

-bullseye

I was thinking about this during the solo breakaway (amazing what you can think of when riding for an hour alone trying to bridge a ridiculous one minute gap). There was a BFer last year who yelled at me as being a dope for considering wind tunnel as all of the time racing is spent in the pack (He for some reason assumed I would not be taking a TT bike). In any case, I know that I am MUCH MUCH MUCH faster on the TT bike than on my road bike (In the realm of 5mph faster...and that is before my wind tunnel experience) and today I spent most of my time in the 'invisible aerobars' position, though when I needed control I was just very low in the drops with my head as close to the bars as possible. But, I know that I am as aero as a brick on the road bike.

As for what Robby at the tunnnel said, Slipstream did a LOT of road bike testing in the tunnel, particularly for sprints, but also in general. So track riders, people pursuing the hour record, and Slipstream at least. :)

Nice job DrW. Over an hour by yourself, brutal.

It wouldn't have been so bad with an ipod. You can get away with it in March, you can't see the headphones under all the crap on your head. Go for it Dr. W.