"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Cat5 -- Guy's I'd Like To Slap

I'm not the most experienced racer by any stretch -- which is why the thread is called "Cat5." But I've spent some time on the track and doing a bit of 'cross, and can handle my bike, and have an acute sense of safety (because, at 40 and with a family, I really need to be at work on Monday in good shape).

And if there is one thing I can't stand, it's how every time the Cat5s pull away from the line, in the first corner, from the back of the pack, you hear some guy yelling "hold your line!," or "don't brake in the corners!"

If this is you yelling, please . . . shut the F up. First of all, we know -- except for maybe a few guys (and they get dropped quick like) SoCal Cat5s aren't generally filled with ignorant, non-pack-riding doofuses. Second, it's Cat5s: who the hell are you? You want crystal-clean races, then get your starts/points and upgrade. Or stay home.

But riding Cat5 and yelling commands in the first turn is like teeing off on the local Muni course at 10:30 a.m. on a Sunday and being pissed when you have to wait on the box of the par 3s.

Or maybe I'm just too passive/agressive.

It happens in the Cat 4s too.

Or maybe I'm just too passive/agressive.

Maybe? ;)

I had some guys yelling at me as I advanced from the back to the front on the far right side of the road. For some reason they couldn't handle me using the gravel / grass to advance. I see no issue if you can handle your bike and you're not putting anyone in danger.

It happens in the Cat 4s too.

And in Master's, in CX races, and even in charity rides. There are d-bags everywhere. Just stay smooth and let your legs do the talking.

I had some guys yelling at me as I advanced from the back to the front on the far right side of the road. For some reason they couldn't handle me using the gravel / grass to advance. I see no issue if you can handle your bike and you're not putting anyone in danger.

unless it's against the rules.. is it? sounds like you're off course to me.

It happens in the Cat 4s too.

and 3s

and 2s

and 1s



I do it for entertainment to be honest. 90% of the time if I want a hole to open up in a pack or a line into a corner all I need is to bark at the guy thats in my way.... They always move :)

People will yell. People are dumb. Drop them.

I had some guys yelling at me as I advanced from the back to the front on the far right side of the road. For some reason they couldn't handle me using the gravel / grass to advance. I see no issue if you can handle your bike and you're not putting anyone in danger.

Thats pretty damn dangerous if you ask me.. that and its a road race not off-road

Drop them.

I'd love to. But I'm still to fat/slow. At least I'm a smooth and safe fat/slow with reasonable expectations.

Hold your line and don't brake in the corners, and people will stop yelling at you.

Bob

if you're surrounded by idiots, yelling is good for your health.

I had some guys yelling at me as I advanced from the back to the front on the far right side of the road. For some reason they couldn't handle me using the gravel / grass to advance. I see no issue if you can handle your bike and you're not putting anyone in danger.

I wouldn't yell at you. I'd just ride far enough inside that you wouldn't do it again.

Intentionally riding through gravel and grass isn't a good idea. If nothing else you're likely to be throwing gravel on the course.

"But riding Cat5 and yelling commands in the first turn is like teeing off on the local Muni course at 10:30 a.m. on a Sunday and being pissed when you have to wait on the box of the par 3s."

Or like sending back the house wine.

I wasn't throwing gravel on the course, it was just some rougher road where the shoulder ends. Maybe it was a bit aggressive, but the space was there. Might have been too close for some riders, so I can see the reasoning for worry.

In one of my first races, I made a very abrupt and dangerous move while in the front of the pack -- and crossed up my rear wheel with the front wheel of the young guy who was drafting me. My fault, really, even though his front wheel was in trouble. I looked back, and the kid gave me a goofy grin that said "Well, that kind of s**t happens!"

This was my impression from the Strasburg 4/5 race. I couldn't believe all the orders people felt compelled to give each other. Typical herd mentality of freaking out at the slightest upsets of order. It has a "boy who cried wolf" effect when bad sh*t actually does need to be called out to avoid disaster.

if you're surrounded by idiots, yelling is good for your health.

+1

I sometimes yell, but it's usually reactive rather than proactive.

It's also often less civil than a polite, 'Hold your line'

Do the 4s and 5s in flat road races still yell "get him!" every time someone on the front gets a gap?

race with an ipod. that way you won't hear their yelling.

if you're surrounded by idiots, yelling is good for your health.

yes, but it's frowned upon at work.

For the record, I never yell at anyone during a race, nor do I condone yelling during a race.

That said, adrenaline has a wide array of affects on a person.

On the golf course, it's best not to watch the other foursome play. Just avert your eyes and wait 'til it's time to hit.

I talk to people during races. Most of the time people either ignore me or look at me funny. Why are people so unfriendly?

Do the 4s and 5s in flat road races still yell "get him!" every time someone on the front gets a gap?


Heck yeah..... Why? Cause its fun

And its not "get him" its "UP UP UP UP UP"

I talk to people during races. Most of the time people either ignore me or look at me funny. Why are people so unfriendly?

because.

....And if there is one thing I can't stand, it's how every time the Cat5s pull away from the line, in the first corner, from the back of the pack, you hear some guy yelling "hold your line!," or "don't brake in the corners!"

If this is you yelling, please . . . shut the F up. First of all, we know -- except for maybe a few guys (and they get dropped quick like) SoCal Cat5s aren't generally filled with ignorant, non-pack-riding doofuses. Second, it's Cat5s: who the hell are you? You want crystal-clean races, then get your starts/points and upgrade. Or stay home.

But riding Cat5 and yelling commands in the first turn is like teeing off on the local Muni course at 10:30 a.m. on a Sunday and being pissed when you have to wait on the box of the par 3s.

Or maybe I'm just too passive/agressive.



I too race in Socal...coming from a motorcycle racing background i would like to think that my handling skills are above that of the normal Cat 5. Generally i will just go around a guy if he is a mess, but some guys honestly don't know that they are doing stupid or dangerous things out there, hence yelling ensues. If someone around me does something that puts me or the others out there at risk because of blatant stupidity i will yell at them...sorry, but some guys just gotta get told that they are making mistakes and are ignorant (uninformed).

If your hearing it all the time (maybe your not and just complaining about others) chances are there are reason behind it and maybe you need to evaluate or work on your handling skills? Don't think for a second that just cause a guy is a cat 5 that he can't ride or doesn't have reason to voice his opinion in races, there are allot of really good riders in 5's just buying thier time to upgrade;).

That being said...just tune them out if they are not at you..you won't get away from it, that was the great thing about motorcycle racing, your helmet and the bike eliminated hearing guys yelling at you cutting up the inside or running it wide on pourpose.

I hate it when people yell "HOLD YOUR LINE" at someone. It doesn't occur to them that if the offending rider knew how to hold a line, he would. Shouting at him isn't going to teach him how to corner.

For the record, I never yell at anyone during a race, nor do I condone yelling during a race.



However, it's fine to yell at people on group rides.:)

oh snap
http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/sound_sorting/initial_blends/sn/images/snap.jpg

However, it's fine to yell at people on group rides.:)

:roflmao:

I've yelled at people. Sometimes it's out of frustration/temper ("Wtf was that dude?"), other times it's because I want to get a message out ("Go!" or "Right!" or "Leadout go!" etc), and other times because someone pulled a good save (so I yell "good save" or something like that).

In Cat 5s it might be one thing, ditto Cat 4s, but once you get to about the 3s then a lot of times someone is at fault when someone yells criticism.

I've gotten yelled at this year for riding by someone who was putting his bottle into his cage. He couldn't hold his line to save his life, swerved into me, and yelled at me. I didn't say anything back because it didn't seem important at the time (3-4 race).

I've also yelled out that someone who yelled was wrong. A guy swerved, hit the guy next to him, and then yelled at the guy next to him to hold his line. I called the swerver on it and got a "thank you wave" from the guy who actually held his line (P123 race)

If someone does yell at you, consider what they said with an open mind. Is it possible you did swerve? Did you take an unnecessary risk? Or was the yeller overreacting?

Some scenarios (to put things in perspective):
1. You're on one of those MS150 rides with a bazillion riders on the road. You pass within 5 feet of someone who is not a "racer". They yell at you.
2. You're on a group ride where 50-70% of the riders are racers. You are moving up in the group and go between two guys who are a little more than 2 feet apart. You clear each of them by 3 or 4 inches. They yell at you.
3. You're in a race (3-4) and you're moving up in the field at a critical time of the race. You dive into a gap just before it closes. The guy behind you yells at you.
4. You're in the field (1-2-3) going around a left turn. The guy to your left doesn't turn as much as everyone else. He bumps into you. He yells at you.

In all these scenarios (I've experienced them all and more I'm sure), someone yelled at me. Do I think I was at fault? Yes and no.

In scenario 1, the poor non-racers are scared out of their wits. Of course they'll yell. I try and pass them with a LOT of room. When I was young and hot headed, I didn't think anything of it.

Scenario 2 is interesting. I get yelled at a lot on Gimbles because I move up quickly and decisively when I feel the need to do so. People yell at me for doing that. I never contact anyone, nor am I skidding/sliding/whatever. I probably scared some people but others are just yelling because... maybe because it's NY. I dunno.

Scenario 3 is usually a frustrated racer who became complacent and lost out. They yell out of frustration.

Scenario 4 the racer yelling doesn't realize what they did wrong. Therefore they yell.

However, in all of them, *I* took some risks. And in all of them, in some way, I encouraged them to yell.

So, when someone yells at me, I think about it. If it's really my fault and I can see it clearly like that, then I'll find the guy and apologize.

One last "yell" thing. One crit, now gone due to massive crashes, featured a 170 degree turn at the bottom of a 45+ mph slight downhill. It was critical to be in 10-20th spot coming out of the turn due to the massive accordian effect. We were flying down to the corner, curb to curb, maybe 10-12 wide, everyone going as fast as they could. Then, from somewhere in the middle of the field, someone said in a loud voice, "Okay people, none of us want to crash here. Let's make it through this turn and fight it out like men afterwards." Everyone took a mental break, eased a hair, and we cruised through the turn maybe 5 wide. And fought it out like men.

I lost btw but it was really intense being in the middle of that field.

hope this helps,
cdr

that's a lot of text!

welcome to BF. I see you've met CDR.

that's a lot of text!

cdr writes a lot in his posts, but they tend to be good reading. This one is no different.

However, it's fine to yell at people on group rides.:)

A survival skill even! "OK WHO FARTED!"

I talk to people during races. Most of the time people either ignore me or look at me funny. Why are people so unfriendly?

I'd probably look at you funny as I usually am using all the oxygen I have to just stay with the field let alone hold a conversation with someone other than a few grunts and nods. I don't know how fit you are but I'm pretty sure the day I'm able to hold a conversation in a race will be the day I feel I need to move up to a harder category

I hate it when people yell "HOLD YOUR LINE" at someone. It doesn't occur to them that if the offending rider knew how to hold a line, he would. Shouting at him isn't going to teach him how to corner.

And in a CAT5 race, three-quarters of the field thinks they've done something wrong, so they tighten up.

In cross we're encouraged to act like psychopaths during a race. Guess that why I quit RR in the late 90s... my meds ran out. :D

I hate it when people yell "HOLD YOUR LINE" at someone. It doesn't occur to them that if the offending rider knew how to hold a line, he would. Shouting at him isn't going to teach him how to corner.

Now we know your secret shame.

One of my favorites occured last week at a crit. There was a break 100 yds off the fron, and some guy in the pack in about 30th spots starts yelling "C'mon, chase them down".

I'm not the yeller, but I can appreciate those that do, even if I'm the one getting yelled at (if I did something that boneheaded). No big deal. If you don't like riding with people with egos that yell, maybe racing is not your thing. LOL Just sayin.

One of my favorites occured last week at a crit. There was a break 100 yds off the fron, and some guy in the pack in about 30th spots starts yelling "C'mon, chase them down".

Those are the ones that i love....i am on the front chasing and still trying to conserve enough to not blow up and some jackmunch wheel sucker in the back screaming at me to catch em'..love it.

cdr writes a lot in his posts, but they tend to be good reading. This one is no different.

A big +1. His posts are always worth reading.

I talk to people during races.

Same. One of my teammates was making conversation with another one of our teammates (which we both just met at that race) and that guy's reply was "just keep racing." He later apologized after the race and said he just doesn't like to chat during races, but it was a Tradezone training race, lol.

I like to do this when we hit the first turn of a 5k or 8k road race. Really confuses everyone.

what do you guys talk about? "seen any good movies lately?" "how's the stocks doing?", etc?

what do you guys talk about? "seen any good movies lately?" "how's the stocks doing?", etc?

Same ***** you talk to anyone else about. Especially if it's a teammate.

My Teammate: "Welcome to the team, you coming out to the training camp?"
Other Teammate: "Just keep racing."
My Teammate: "..."

what do you guys talk about? "seen any good movies lately?" "how's the stocks doing?", etc?

"I can't believe that move didn't stick! Who was chasing?"
"Are those the new Negative-G brakes? How do you like 'em?"
"Nice ass" (training race. we had some female racers in our pack)

At the Rouge Roubaix last weekend, I came up along the edge of the road, said "on your right," was told there's nowhere to go, then proceeded to pass in that lack of space. A lot of it is comfort, and apparently the guy in front of me (4/5 race) wasn't comfortable with the amount of room, but I was and I took it. If folks aren't comfortable in a large pack, they shouldn't yell at other people (what it is, most of the time), they should grow a pair and shut it, or quit racing.

One of my favorites occured last week at a crit. There was a break 100 yds off the fron, and some guy in the pack in about 30th spots starts yelling "C'mon, chase them down".

Was that in the 4's at Bethel? I think someone yelled the same thing in the M40+.