Fifty Plus (50+) - Watching Paris Roubaix

Three hour coverage today. These guys are freaking nuts. I mean they're dropping like flies on the cobbles. Who was the maniac that thought riding as fast as you cold in a pace line on cobbles was a good idea. The Marquis De Sade?

As an older rider, I find such feats well beyond the kind of riding I was aspire to master.

Just riding a bicycle for 6 hours straight is a challenge that few humans are up to. Riding hard for that period of time has to be nearly impossible. Throw in impossible roads and it ranks up there with putting a man on the moon.

At least they don't throw in a mountain or two!!!

Those Cobbled farm roads are now a national historic preserve.
the race itself has been run, since 1896..
they are a many centuries old, ..
Roman empire based. paving technology..

stones are reset periodically.

Some of the Belgian spring races Do throw in some steep climbs..
Ghent Wevelgem sends the rider out 100 miles to the Coast ,
then they throw in the Kimmelberg, on the way back, twice.

There, going direct, is a Navigational Canal side route
between Kortrijk and Ghent.
It is a casual days cruise. I rode that way..
a friend took me on a day ride to Kimmel, from Ypres, to show me the hill.

Really fun to watch, wasn't it?

Just riding a bicycle for 6 hours straight is a challenge that few humans are up to. Riding hard for that period of time has to be nearly impossible. Throw in impossible roads and it ranks up there with putting a man on the moon.

I have no problem riding for 6 hrs; It's trying to average 27mph that gives me trouble.:(

It was pretty incredible, that speed over those roads.

There are some pretty good video of historical Paris-Roubaix races on You Tube.

Even riding slow on wet cobbles (really setts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sett_(paving) ) is a challenge:)

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Europe%202011/IMG_4981-2-1.jpg

True cobblestone road.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy112/Doug64_photos/Europe%202011/IMG_4996-2.jpg

At least they don't throw in a mountain or two!!!

Not mountains, and Paris-Roubaix is fairly flat. Bt the other cobbled classics like the Tour of Flanders include some very severe hills on cobbles. Murder when it is wet, because one tends to lose traction. If a rider goes down in front of you, you're walking because it is impossible to get going again on the hill. On occasion I've seen virtually the whole peloton running up the hill with their bikes on their shoulders.

These are the monuments of the sport. For Flandrians, especially, winning the one-day classics is right up there with the Grand Tours in terms of prestige.

I loved the race (if you can call what Boonen did to the field a race) but I thought NBCSN's coverage left a lot to be desired. It starts: "OK Tom Boonen is out in front with 20 miles left to go, oh and here are the crashes that happened earlier." So we get the last 20 miles of the race??? Thats like watching the last two minutes of a basketball game. Only someone with no appreciation for the event itself would be satisfied with just the ending. OK folks welcome to the 2012 super bowl, now this is what happened in the last three and a half quarters:

I loved the race (if you can call what Boonen did to the field a race) but I thought NBCSN's coverage left a lot to be desired. It starts: "OK Tom Boonen is out in front with 20 miles left to go, oh and here are the crashes that happened earlier." So we get the last 20 miles of the race??? Thats like watching the last two minutes of a basketball game. Only someone with no appreciation for the event itself would be satisfied with just the ending. OK folks welcome to the 2012 super bowl, now this is what happened in the last three and a half quarters:

I guess that's the nature of live TV. They stated the race was at least 30 min ahead of the expected pace. Should they go back to showing the race in the evening? They could put together a better show but it would be anti-climatic knowing the winner in advance. I appreciate the efforts involved with bringing the event live to us. The timing won't always work out though.

Caught both airings of the race. the later showing was 3 hours and caught a lot of the earlier action that the live showing missed. Boonen absolutely walked away from the peleton and showed his talent in the Pave'. Great race to watch. Tour of Flanders is next Saturday. I hope the mods let 50+ keep this thread for our own discussion this time.

Bill

Tour of Flanders is next Saturday. I hope the mods let 50+ keep this thread for our own discussion this time.



Hmm. I tend to disagree. There's a perfectly good forum for talking about the pro races, and I don't see any reason for the discussion to be age-specific. In my opinion there's too much discussion in the 41 of issues that aren't road-specific, too much in clydesdales/athenas that isn't size-specific, too much in fifty+ that isn't age-specific.

NOS88, Racing on cobblestones is just one of those historic links between the current racers and the racers of yore. For me the fatigue factor goes off the scale after a long stretch of cobblestone, or even brick road riding.

Brad

Hmm. I tend to disagree. There's a perfectly good forum for talking about the pro races, and I don't see any reason for the discussion to be age-specific. In my opinion there's too much discussion in the 41 of issues that aren't road-specific, too much in clydesdales/athenas that isn't size-specific, too much in fifty+ that isn't age-specific.

Then we agree to disagree on this topic. 50+ has always been allowed some latitude in what topics are allowed to stay here due to the nature of the members maturity and how we discuss things here. You can always not click on an off topis thread and then it doesn't have to bother you. Anywho, have a great week and many miles of riding in fair weather, Chasm54.

Bill

Then we agree to disagree on this topic. 50+ has always been allowed some latitude in what topics are allowed to stay here due to the nature of the members maturity and how we discuss things here. You can always not click on an off topis thread and then it doesn't have to bother you. Anywho, have a great week and many miles of riding in fair weather, Chasm54.

Bill

You, too. I'm not trying to start an argument here, I just think it is to the detriment of the forums, and to the quality of discussion, when subjects are discussed in a fragmented manner across a number of forums. It's not as if the under-fifties don't have anything to contribute on the subject.

And in the case of the pro races, there is one very powerful reason for confining the discussion to one place, namely the avoidance of spoilers. I will often avoid going to the pro forum until I have watched the recording of a race. I think I'm entitled to be able to click on other forums without risk of seeing what I have taken some pains to avoid.

Dangerous is a relative term. Here's another "good idea":


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=592m69FPtjA#!

Loved watching the race, but I watched it streaming online with one of the commentators being Sean Kelly. In the past couple of years, Universal Sports was an on-the-air broadcast channel, but they went to cable at the first of the year (we don't bother with cable or satellite). I've had to find other ways to watch pro cycling and found so many resources that I've seen all the major spring classics and many of the minor ones.

I don't understand Tommeke's Hammering on the last few pave sections. From what I saw many times he was flirting with disaster, on, possibly over, the edge of control. He had almost a minute and a half, a fall would have put an end to his race. But it was something to watch. Too bad Spartacus wasn't there. THAT would have been something.

Caught both airings of the race. the later showing was 3 hours and caught a lot of the earlier action that the live showing missed. Boonen absolutely walked away from the peleton and showed his talent in the Pave'. Great race to watch. Tour of Flanders is next Saturday. I hope the mods let 50+ keep this thread for our own discussion this time.

Bill

Tour of Flanders was held eight days ago, Boonen won that too.

Tour of Flanders was held eight days ago, Boonen won that too.
Thanks, I thought maybe I was having a senior moment and had not really watched the Tour of Flanders last week.

I enjoyed the race and watch it every year. I watched the 3 hour version of the race which had the early sections of the tougher cobblestones. Many racers consider winning Paris Roubaix to be a great achievement including yours truly and like races that are difficult. Races need features that differentiate the competition and provide competitive advantage to those suited for the race. Paris Roubaix favors big powerful men that can ride fast over the cobbles. Boonen did a great job and won in Eddy Merckx fashion by decimating the field. Cancellara did the same thing two years ago.

It was unfortunate that Cancellara broke his collar bone in 4 places at the Tour of Flounders last week and could not participate since he would have provided Boonen competition.

Sylvain Chavanel, Boonen's teammate did a fantastic job leading Boonen through the Forest of Arenberg and decimating the field. I like Chavanel as a pro cyclist and he has won stages in the TdF and is a very tough competitor. It was unfortunate that he flatted.

I found it interesting that many teams copied the tire / wheel selection that Cancellara used in 2010 which is the wider specially made tubular.

I raced a couple of road races that had sections of bad pavement that offers a taste of what the cobbles of Paris Roubaix may be like. However, we rode over them at a more modest 23 mph but it was like a jackhammer on the arms and butt. However, the faster speed seemed better than going slow.

Also, we rode our tandem into Florence, Italy and there were some sections of cobbled streets although smooth by Paris Roubaix standards. It felt sketchy but the weight of the tandem seemed to handle the pavement well.

You, too. I'm not trying to start an argument here, I just think it is to the detriment of the forums, and to the quality of discussion, when subjects are discussed in a fragmented manner across a number of forums. It's not as if the under-fifties don't have anything to contribute on the subject.

And in the case of the pro races, there is one very powerful reason for confining the discussion to one place, namely the avoidance of spoilers. I will often avoid going to the pro forum until I have watched the recording of a race. I think I'm entitled to be able to click on other forums without risk of seeing what I have taken some pains to avoid.

Go back and read the original post again. I've addressed your "age specific" concerns. Additionally, there was virtually nothing in the post or the title that would have been a spoiler. Had I wanted to have a discussion with others not frequenting the 50+ segment of the larger discussion choices, I would have posted in other sub forums.

Go back and read the original post again. I've addressed your "age specific" concerns. Additionally, there was virtually nothing in the post or the title that would have been a spoiler. Had I wanted to have a discussion with others not frequenting the 50+ segment of the larger discussion choices, I would have posted in other sub forums.

Perhaps you should read my original post again. I wasn't criticising this particular thread, I was disagreeing with the suggestion that the mods should leave threads discussing the pro races in forums other than the pro race forum.

Maybe we should have a 50+ discussion about whether the tendency to take unnecessary offence increases with age?

I was told that in Flemish-Dutch, the paving stones were called
'the heads of children' for their shape..
The modern interlocking pavers in NL villages are great.
No jack-hammers needed for underground utilities maintenance

Society will be back to that, roads of rocks, when burning Asphalt,:rolleyes:
will cost less than getting petroleum out of the ground ..

Perhaps you should read my original post again. I wasn't criticizing this particular thread, I was disagreeing with the suggestion that the mods should leave threads discussing the pro races in forums other than the pro race forum.

Maybe we should have a 50+ discussion about whether the tendency to take unnecessary offense increases with age?

I did read your original post twice before I made my response, and for the life of me couldn't see how you got to where you were with your thinking. The Mods have on more than one occasion jumped in when there seemed to be no need to do so. (To their credit they have been responsive for the most part and always respectful when asked to reconsider). Bill's comment made perfect sense to me. The nature of discussions here regarding professional racing seldom degrade into name calling, negative, demeaning comments, etc. In terms of unnecessary offense, take a look at my avatar. It's there, because I've got pretty thick skin. Had I taken offense I would have dealt with it via a private message to you. (As a handful of others on this forum could attest.) I was raised to try and behave as much like a gentleman as possible.

Throwing the thread back on point. After watching the three hour version of the race, I couldn't fathom how my 60+ year old body could take such a beating. As I thought about it I realized that 20 years ago I might have thought about it as a possibility. Thirty years ago I would have been sure it was possible. Forty years ago, I would have had a swagger as I boldly stated that it didn't seem all that challenging. From where I sit today, I really marvel that this race and Flanders takes place. Hermes, IMO, nailed it when he indicated that different venues require different skills and suit different riders. I think that makes sense, but to want to be one of those riders is a great deal like wanting to participate in full contact martial arts tournaments. It gets real old after about five years of it.

I was told that in Flemish-Dutch, the paving stones were called
'the heads of children' for their shape....

I've often heard cantelope sized rocks on MTB trails referred to as "babyheads".

Throwing the thread back on point. After watching the three hour version of the race, I couldn't fathom how my 60+ year old body could take such a beating. As I thought about it I realized that 20 years ago I might have thought about it as a possibility. Thirty years ago I would have been sure it was possible. Forty years ago, I would have had a swagger as I boldly stated that it didn't seem all that challenging. From where I sit today, I really marvel that this race and Flanders takes place. Hermes, IMO, nailed it when he indicated that different venues require different skills and suit different riders. I think that makes sense, but to want to be one of those riders is a great deal like wanting to participate in full contact martial arts tournaments. It gets real old after about five years of it.

Thanks for your courtesy. There's no need for us to get into a twist about it, you were talking in particular and I was talking in general. Forget it.

As for the quoted section above, there has never been a time in my life when I would have felt comfortable or blasé about riding those roads. Least of all now - at the start of December I broke a couple of ribs when I came off my bike on wet cobbles.

Hermes was right in saying that it seems easier to ride the cobbles at speed. One seems to skip from crown to crown, whereas slowing down becomes a jarring judderfest. But of course, as the speed increases so does the risk, especially where it is wet, mossy or sandy. Horrible stuff to ride.

I realized the TOF was already held, yesterday while I was in a meeting.:rolleyes: Actually I don't see much on the schedule for NBC Sports or Universal Sports TV except a 1230AM Fleche Wallone on Sunday 22 April 2012. I need to buy the Giro package pretty soon. it begins 5 May 2012, I believe.