Fifty Plus (50+) - Just finished watching women's road cycling

And now I know who I can compete against.
They finished 78km (~46.5 miles) with a wicked climb in 3 hours
I just did a 40 mile ride with a wicked climb in 3.5 hours.
They're half my age and highly trained and I could maybe almost hang with them.
At least I know that if I can never harbor dreams of being a pro men's racer I could be a woman pro.
Hey, they're still professionals, that ain't no knock on them.

Oh, boy. I think this will get you in trouble, SKT. :eek:

:popcorn

And now I know who I can compete against.
They finished 78km (~46.5 miles) with a wicked climb in 3 hours
I just did a 40 mile ride with a wicked climb in 3.5 hours.
They're half my age and highly trained and I could maybe almost hang with them.
At least I know that if I can never harbor dreams of being a pro men's racer I could be a woman pro.
Hey, they're still professionals, that ain't no knock on them.

I assume that you are talking about the Olympic women's road race. By my book, they did 128km (approx. 79.4 miles) at an average speed of 35.706 km/hr (approx. 22.2 mph). Good luck!

When I was watching the race for awhile (live on the web), they were about 60 miles into the ride; it was raining (hard); they were running at about 26 mph; and none of them seemed to be breathing hard.

I would have been able to keep up with them *easily*..........







....as a passenger in the team car.

Cool. You'll only lose by a half hour.:eek:

Redo the math using the right distance.

Redo the math using the right distance.

Ok then, a half hour or thereabouts.:thumb:

And now I know who I can compete against.
They finished 78km (~46.5 miles) with a wicked climb in 3 hours
I just did a 40 mile ride with a wicked climb in 3.5 hours.
They're half my age and highly trained and I could maybe almost hang with them.
At least I know that if I can never harbor dreams of being a pro men's racer I could be a woman pro.
Hey, they're still professionals, that ain't no knock on them.

I'm sure this could be arranged for the next Olympics. You should be recovered from the sex change surgery by that time:D

I assume that you are talking about the Olympic women's road race. By my book, they did 128km (approx. 79.4 miles) at an average speed of 35.706 km/hr (approx. 22.2 mph). Good luck!

+1, nice try.

Jeannie Longo is 49 and she finished 24th. Are you 98?

Jeannie Longo was born Oct 31, 1958, so she will be eligible to join this group in 2 1/2 months. She did the 126 km in 3:32:57

Jeannie Longo was born Oct 31, 1958, so she will be eligible to join this group in 2 1/2 months. She did the 126 km in 3:32:57

In my dreams I ride like she does. ;)

Jeannie bio:
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/4/217154.shtml

I'm sure this could be arranged for the next Olympics. You should be recovered from the sex change surgery by that time:D


As long as you're not barefoot and pregnant and stuck in the kitchen. :roflmao2:

OK, so I was wrong...

I'm sure this could be arranged for the next Olympics. You should be recovered from the sex change surgery by that time:D

In fact, with the right measure of determination and confidence, you'll probably find a team that'll sponsor the surgery. Keep us posted.

(Sorry to join the tease-fest):)

OK, so I was wrong...

Bad math...hey, we all have our days. Here is a second chance to redeem yourself. Early in the year, our club sponsored the Webcor KOM race up Sierra Road which is the decisive climb in the Tour of California. The race preceded the 2008 Tour of California. Most of the local women pros from Webcor Builders and Team Tibco competed including Christine Thorburn who is on the USA's Olympic road team. Christine was leading the women's peloton on a few occasions in the race you watched.

Go to the bottom of Sierra Road and race up the hill, 3.7 mlles average grade 10.5% starting with a 15% (surveyed number) at the start, and see how you compare to the professional women. Report back. We will let you know what we think.

Here are the times to beat:

1 256 MATTIS, Katheryn C-WEBCOR BUILDERS 23:24.71
2 261 THORBURR, Christine C-WEBCOR BUILDERS 24:47.12
3 264 WRUBLESKI, Alex C-WEBCOR 24:47.50
4 250 BASTIDE, Victoria C-TEAM TIBCO 25:17.90
5 263 WILLOCK, Erinne C-WEBCOR BUILDERS 26:07.36
6 260 SIMS, Stacy C-TEAMTIBCO 26:07.61
7 254 HOLCOMB, Janel C-WEBCOR BUILDERS CYCLING TEAM 26:23.57
8 255 HUTCHINSON, Jerika C-TEAM TIBCO 28:18.86
9 251 BREMS, Karen C-WEBCOR 30:09.94 30:09.94
10 262 WEISLO, Laura C-BMW BINACHI 30:59.99

Good luck.

Jeannie Longo was born Oct 31, 1958, so she will be eligible to join this group in 2 1/2 months. She did the 126 km in 3:32:57

I was in Atlanta watching Jeannie Longo win the 1996 Olympic Women's roadrace. Everyone talked about how old she was then. She dominated the race.

I was in Atlanta watching Jeannie Longo win the 1996 Olympic Women's roadrace. Everyone talked about how old she was then. She dominated the race.

We should send her a +50 jersey on 10/31 this year.

But anyway. I just made an assumption that there is a reason why pro cycling is not co-ed.
I've never seen any women in the TdF peloton. Not saying it's right or wrong; not casting any aspersions; just stating an observation. I also know (and accept) that what the men are doing in the pro peloton is so far from what I am (or ever will be) doing as to be a joke. The women -in the Beijing road event- seemed (seemed) to be putting in times that more in line with I did on Saturday. Were their times still better than mine over a longer distance? Yes. Could anyone of them dust me with but a shrug, like a gnat? Certainly. So, I say... excuse me for seeing a small ray of hope in my too slowly improving abilities.

Now, let me pull this sword out of my gut, my entrails are making a big mess here at work.

Bad math...hey, we all have our days. Here is a second chance to redeem yourself. Early in the year, our club sponsored the Webcor KOM race up Sierra Road which is the decisive climb in the Tour of California. The race preceded the 2008 Tour of California. Most of the local women pros from Webcor Builders and Team Tibco competed including Christine Thorburn who is on the USA's Olympic road team. Christine was leading the women's peloton on a few occasions in the race you watched.

Go to the bottom of Sierra Road and race up the hill, 3.7 mlles average grade 10.5% starting with a 15% (surveyed number) at the start, and see how you compare to the professional women. Report back. We will let you know what we think.

Here are the times to beat:

1 256 MATTIS, Katheryn C-WEBCOR BUILDERS 23:24.71
2 261 THORBURR, Christine C-WEBCOR BUILDERS 24:47.12
3 264 WRUBLESKI, Alex C-WEBCOR 24:47.50
4 250 BASTIDE, Victoria C-TEAM TIBCO 25:17.90
5 263 WILLOCK, Erinne C-WEBCOR BUILDERS 26:07.36
6 260 SIMS, Stacy C-TEAMTIBCO 26:07.61
7 254 HOLCOMB, Janel C-WEBCOR BUILDERS CYCLING TEAM 26:23.57
8 255 HUTCHINSON, Jerika C-TEAM TIBCO 28:18.86
9 251 BREMS, Karen C-WEBCOR 30:09.94 30:09.94
10 262 WEISLO, Laura C-BMW BINACHI 30:59.99

Good luck.


Yup. Naturally mean. No room for any doubt left now.:thumb:

I made a mistake about 15 years ago of reckoning that girls would not be up to a hard Offroad ride I used to do. Have to admit that they managed it and it was very pleasant following those two girls along the trails. Then 5 years ago-I did the ride again and heard the snide remarks about two old gits not being able to do the ride- They would not be able to do it and on top of that- They were on a Tandem. 14 hours later and I collected the side bets for the Charity.

I never think I can compete with anyone on a ride- And as I ride solo now- I even get worried about keeping up with the bike.

But anyway. I just made an assumption that there is a reason why pro cycling is not co-ed.

You were right about that. There is a big gap between the speeds of the top pro men and the top pro women, due I'm sure to physilogical differences I could never hope to understand.

But there is an even larger gap between the speeds of those top level women and the fastest guys you are likely to see on the roads.

yesterday, i rode 17 miles in 52 minutes. (roughly 19.61 mph avg spd.) at the end of the ride, i knew i had gotten a good work out. but, when i read results such as those posted by the Olympic women, i have nothing but absolute respect and admiration for them and their athleticism. i know how hard i have to work to hold 20 mph for an hour... (and i've held on to 17 mph avg for a 50-miler)... i can only imagine how much it would hurt my old carcass to ride 79 miles at 22+ mph!

so... take heart SKT. i think we could both compete against them. you would come a comfortable "some place ahead of me," and i would come in a huffing, chuffing, whimpering, solid last.

ain't it great to have goals?!

It may be politically incorrect and insensitive to suggest this, but...

There has been and continues to be a significant difference in women's and mens' pro road race speeds.

There are certainly physiological differences, but it seems the main reasons there is such a disparity is that women race against each other, and the top cyclists don't have to go any faster. It's the situation US riders were in up until the 70s -- real good here, blown away over there.

It wasn't until US men started mixing it up with European pros that the American speeds reached parity.

Jeannie Longo is 49 and she finished 24th. Are you 98?

For a direct comparison with male racers she also came in near 66th in a mixed field including Cat 1 men in the annual Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans hill climb. First woman by several minutes.

Obviously any of the top pro women would drop any of us so fast it would make our heads spin. These days I get dropped by a cat 4 woman. She's nice enough to wait for me, though.

Now to continue- Won't tell the result but all of you should watch the womens Time trial. J.L.Came ?? but was beaten by a couple of surprises.

I missed live coverage and there appears to be very little repeat coverage in North America, so I just looked up the results. Interesting.

Actually, the top male masters riders should be able to post times about the same as the top international women. When we were doing 3000-meter pursuits, an outstanding time for either masters men or international women would be around 3:30, with most of the top times in the 3:45 to 3:55 range.

It's tough to draw conclusions from pack speeds. But one thing is certain: women's racing is way more competitive now than when I first started racing. Back in the early 70's, the women's race would be five females lined up for the criterium. The five would string out, and it would be a boring parade for the next half hour.

I saw some of the racing during BC Superweek, and the women's field is way larger now. I still wish they'd do more attacks, though. It seemed more like a fast Cat 4 field, where the pack chases everything down and the outcome is left to the sprint.

Also back in the 70's, I remember I couldn't wait to race in Masters (then called Veterans) because the old geezers at that time were so slow. They'd pretty well parade around too, and I always called it "pretend racing." The only problem was that as I got older, I had to race against the same guys I raced against in Cat 2. As we all got older, the Masters fields just got faster and faster. Now, if you're 50+ and want to get into bike racing, you're probably better off racing against the younger Cat 4's than against the guys your age (who are probably still capable of finishing with the Cat 2's as long as the course is not too hilly). In other words, if you race against the Masters, you will likely get dropped right away. At least against the 4's, you'll probably be able to finish with the pack, provided you don't get knocked over.

L.

Actually, the top male masters riders should be able to post times about the same as the top international women. When we were doing 3000-meter pursuits, an outstanding time for either masters men or international women would be around 3:30, with most of the top times in the 3:45 to 3:55 range.L.

My wife and I are competing at the track on Saturday for the first time. One does not want to start activities like this too early in life. We wanted to make sure we were old enough. Sometimes it is easier to age up than Cat up.:rolleyes::D We have watched races but have never ridden on the track. This is a special charity event for cancer where we get to ride our road bikes on the track and compete in pursuit races against other racers equipped the same. I am doing the 2K and the 3K. My wife is doing the 3 and 4K. We will be on TT bikes. You never know...if we like it, we may have to start track racing.:D

Way to go, Kristin! (http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=1130854&channelcode=sportcy) :thumb: