revchuck 

hell yeah!

Heathpack 

@Racer Ex, kicking his younger butt. I love it, cycling can really turn back the clock.

Nice championship haul for you this year, too. Making it look like a given.

shovelhd

Looks like Ex is back on form. Nice haul.

beatlebee 

LAJ

Thank you @revchuck, @shovelhd!

@rapwithtom, thank you. Honestly, it was a hard weekend, and that crit made me happier than anyone can imagine. After the RR, Bob came by as I was loading up, and had some very kind words. As we've all said, there's a human side to this bike racing that really can't be beat, and this season helped me realize I've been racing with some very special people.

LAJ

Thank you very kindly, @Racer Ex!


Super weekend for you! Amazing stuff!!

happybday29475

@racerex Congrats!

You win so much that it's normal...which makes me wonder if you get fewer congratulations than others...which makes me wonder if it's a tough gig, winning all the time?

Good luck at Nats. I am starting to get to know some of your competition, namely the Boulder Orthopedics guys...are they the 800# gorilla you mention?

We have some folks going to their first Nats. If you see some guys in Old School Industries kit, say hello!

I did my first 2k a month ago, Did a 2:38, with no aero bars or wheels, and thought, "wow, maybe this is something I should practice?" So I did, and then last weekend I went out and did a...wait for it...2:48. Lol. There is always next year!

happybday29475

One of the ways that I've matured in this sport is to realize that it's not all about winning, but rather that a lot of it is about having fun with peeps with whom, more often than not, you have a lot in common.

I also think that Salida is one of the more fun racing weekends of the season. Those that have been, keep returning, and for those that haven't, "it's too far."

Hermes

I may have wandered in the wilderness for 9 years (thankfully, not 40) but @racerex turned his staff into a track bike and kicked some serious butt.

Racer Ex 

The 800 pound Gorilla in the TS is Vos/Sato/Sorkin. The Boulder guys won the TP last year; very nice ride, but they don't hit gorilla status in that they haven't dominated that event like the former.

I rode match sprint against both Vos and Sato last year. I was sort of in the ballpark with the former. The latter destroyed us all like a kid melts toy soldiers with a lighter. Together they are pretty formidable. But beatable. Everyone is beatable.

Tracks and times in events are so conditional to both the specific track and conditions. Right now COS is probably the fastest track in the US if the conditions are right, a lot of US records there. It can also be slow in the wrong conditions. So that 2:38 might be 2:48 at Hellyer, 2:41 at Rock Hill, 2:42 at Carson, 2:50 at Alkek, and 2:40 at Frisco on the same wattage and pacing. And so on with that 2:48. You can ride a better pace and higher wattage at the same track and go slower if conditions aren't good.

What's funny is even Carson, which is indoors, can be slow and fast. Temp, barometric pressure, humidity all play into that. I've been there when it's slow at first and gotten faster as the temp rose from activity, and have even seen a change if there are a lot of riders on the track creating a "swirl" effect.

As far as winning a lot, I've learned to appreciate them when they happen a lot more since my crash and surgery. This is one of those sports where you can go from crushing souls to being crushed in a blink.

Hermes

Thanks... Standing starts are about practice and feedback either via video / working with a coach at the track. I have made the most improvement by getting immediate feedback after the start and then do it again with another person timing me. Also, the best way to measure progress is the stop watch taking times at various points on the track - 1/4 1/2 and full lap. Power measurement is not fast enough to record the fast transient nature of starting power and so much depends on the first couple of pedal strokes.

And the other variable is does one go up track, down track or straight. Most strive to go straight which is faster than up track but slower than down track. The goal is to head down track and ride on the blue band getting back on the track before the sponges. Up track is the kiss of death and I have seen racers come out of the starting gate, go up track, stop and fall over. The best up track result is a slow start.

The 500 meter race is much like the drive in the golf swing. The goal is to hit the ball at least 300 yards but to win a long drive contest, one must hit is much farther. The key to great drives is to practice driving a lot and develop the timing and be able to focus ones effort to a maximum effort without over swinging and hooking the ball.

The 500 is the same. It requires a max effort for the entire ride including a perfect start going down track timed perfectly with the gate. Hence, it needs a lot of practice. Lack of practice yields variable results. And if one is really strong (strength), one can beat a lot of people until one runs into a very strong racer who executes perfectly.

It is a fun event and I like the fact that it requires a lot of practice and specialization that allows me to develop a competitive advantage that sometimes works. YMMV

Hermes

Thanks all for the kudos.

Hermes

Some videos from state track championships

Team Sprint



4k team pursuit my initial laps.



500 meters You can see the flag blowing in the wind on the finish. Later in the day for the team events the wind shifted the other direction that is typical for Hellyer. However, the wind was more difficult in the morning than usual.

sarals 

Yowza, Coach!!!

BTW, you'd look great in the same kit as your pursuit team!

sarals 

Hermes, congratulations!! Wow...

!!!

sarals 

He is, and oh yes!

sarals 

A little late on this, but I'm doing some R&R and heat training (uh-huh) up in Lake County. I had to go to the public library in Lakeport to get internet!

Red Kite The Bump Summer Circuit Race, Cat 3/4 field

The Bump is a fun 7.9 mile loop near Livermore on Patterson Pass Road. The course defines a rough square with Patterson Pass Road, Cross Road, Tesla Road, then Greenville Road. Patterson Pass Road features a 3.5 mile moderate climb, then the course turns right onto Cross Road. "The Bump" is a steep, short roller right after the turn, and the finish is situated at the top of it. There is a bit of a run to the Bump, so it's not so bad as it sounds. Right after it, there is a short descent, another short climb, then a long, sinewy descent to Tesla Road. The course turns right onto Tesla, and is essentially flat to Greenville Road. It's another right onto Greenville, and not long after the turn is another short climb, very similar to the outbound climb on the Canada Road TT course. A fast descent follows, flat for a while after that, and then right onto Patterson Pass Road and up again. Mix and repeat!

My teammate Norma and I were the seniors in a young, small field, thirteen total. Our plan was to stay together, complement each other's strengths, and establish a base for the district road race in San Ardo, which is a month away. What we didn't talk about was communication, and that ended up biting us.

We rolled at 8:10AM, supposedly neutral for 3 miles up Patterson Pass Road. It was already getting warm, high 80's, but there was mercifully no wind. The moto released us far quicker than either of us expected, in fact he sort of caught me by surprise. Norma and I were tail gunning, and when the moto pulled off, I was looking for a way to the front, thinking about holding the pace down. Too late, as soon as the moto left, the pace went up to about 15MPH. In pretty short order I found myself working surprisingly hard, in fact I was confused by the hard effort verses my actual speed. About 2/3's of the way up the climb, the road curves right, and there is a punchy pitch directly after the curve. The pack ramped it up there, and Norma and I both immediately got gapped. Then I gapped even further off of Norma. I wasn't struggling, but I couldn't get the bike going. Norma looked back at me and I called to her "Just let them go!" Much to my surprise, she put her head down and accelerated. I was a bit confused by that, so I called out again "Let them go, not worth it right now!". And she rode on. I fought my way up the rest of the climb, Norma slowly pulling away, and me becoming irritated. That wasn't the plan, and that's all I could think about. Being head locked on that thought caused me to overlook the obvious, my rear brake was dragging, and that was why I was working so hard for so little gain.

Norma heard "Just .... Go" She didn't hear my next (breathless) call, at all. So, she did what she thought I said to her to do. Urg...

I figured out the my brake was dragging on the short climb after the Bump. I opened the rear brake caliper and set about to chasing Norma down. I set a whole slew of PR's over that and the next lap as I chased, TT'ed, and tried to pull her back. I'd make progress, then I'd hit a climb, and she'd pull it out again.

In the last lap I felt my right foot start to go numb. Apparently I was compensating for that, because on the Tesla Road descent I pulled or strained a muscle in my right glute, which then affected my right hamstring. I went as hard as I could, but the last time up Patterson was at a pathetically slow pace.

I finished, DFL. I saw my race field coming back down Patterson from their finish when I was close to the top, so I wasn't terribly far behind.

Takeaway? Discuss communication, and don't get frustrated!

San Ardo is going to be hot. It's also twice as long as The Bump, over a similar profile. It's going to be a challenge to survive it, much less race it.

Thanks, all...

Heathpack 

But at least you got a super cool race pic out of it!

And I'm sure had fun, suffering in the heat.

Hermes

@sarals Tough racing. I have a idea for you. Pilots are meticulous in their preparation and checklists before takeoff. Why? Their life depends on it and mechanical malfunction is not acceptable. I suggest you think of bike racing / riding as similar. Make a checklist on a 3x5 card and systematically check off items. Brakes, tires, headset, shifting, skewers, visual inspection of frame, bike seat and seat post and etc. Go over it even if you just went over it 2 hours before. A pilot always goes over the check list before taking off.

The reality is our life is on the line when we ride our bike. If you take up track cycling, that is even more important because we make changes to the configuration of the bike many times during a session and we go much faster with no brakes and fixed gear. Mechanical problems racing at the track are much worse than the road vis a vis bad outcomes.

Just trying to be helpful and not criticizing.

sarals 

no criticism taken!

This was "one of those things", Hermes. When I got to the line I did a "final check" of the bike, much like a pretakeoff check in an aircraft. This is something I almost always do, which is why I allow myself ample time prior to a race. I check the brakes, check the chainrings (I sometimes start in the small ring), and if I have time, I'll lift the front and back of the bike and spin the wheels. At this race, the rear brake was contacting the brake track on one side, so I centered the caliper. It stuck off center again, unknowingly, when I applied the brakes sometime during the rollout. I checked the bike after the race, and the rear caliper was tight on the pivot, and it wouldn't center properly. It's now fixed.

You make a very strong point, and being a pilot I naturally transfer habits to any performance machine I'm operating. Unlike when I'm flying, I don't use a checklist per se, I use a flow instead. You can't catch everything 100% of the time, even with sound preparation. Mechanicals are rare, but they do happen, and they aren't always apparent on a preflight or pretakeoff check.

But, check just the same!

sarals 

.

That photo was worth the pain!

sarals 

This one!

revchuck 

I can't tell you how many times I've felt like that.

Racer Ex 

ThNW Crit: 2/5 "A".

Late report. Small field, windy and 100 degrees. Had it down to 4 mid way through the race, then 3 in the last 5 laps. Lots of attacking, which is particularly nasty in a small group like this. Last lap sat on my 1800w sprinter friend. Spotting years and watts, couldn't hold his wheel let alone come around.

Hermes

He probably uses one of those over reporting power meters. Time to hit the reset button.