Hermes was talking about that those pedals and the phase not too long ago. I imagine it's tricky to learn to be smooth with that setup.

Hey, IBO, thanks! I'm a little overwhelmed by the support, really, I am. I kick myself in the butt pretty regularly, but that's just me. I'm thankful to you folks, and you have to know that support goes BOTH ways!

Courtesy of my Nokia 1020

A few pics from the Boise Twilight Criterium tonight......man these guys are FAST


http://i61.tinypic.com/2vuas9j.jpg


http://i60.tinypic.com/2hhenv6.jpg


http://i58.tinypic.com/uvvy1.jpg


http://i58.tinypic.com/29bes6e.jpg


http://i58.tinypic.com/nw19g.jpg

Nice shots!!

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/...pse6de075e.jpg

Suffering at Sattley, this year, at the NCNCA ITT Championships. 5th of 5 in my age group.

Craig Huffman, photographer.

Having fun before tonight's 50 lap Scratch Race. My first selfie ever!
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=395398

It's about time!

'Peoples Enduro,' Spokane, in March - -

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...shley_vert.jpg

Couple shots from this year's ProGRT downhill at Port Angeles, WA

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...ract_email.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...acet_email.jpg

PHOTOS BY GREG TUBBS

Man, you get all dirty ​doing that stuff! But it sure looks like fun.

Ready for standing start at Velo Sports Center 500 meters. Mrs H photographer

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...psa264e4fa.jpg

^^^ Hmm... that's me sitting on the apron. Wonder why I was there?

Do tell!

3, 2, 1, explode! It's odd how calm and relaxed one can be just before turning inside out.

Masters Track Nationals 60-64 5K scratch race. @Allegheny Jet. Photo by Hermes

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...psa3ceea17.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb-jQObYDSs&feature=share

A lap around Summit Point Raceway

I know both of the Skilz guys. The short guy in front is arguably the best 60+ crit racer in SoCal. He beat Big M head-to-head in a field sprint earlier this year. The bigger Skilz guy behind AJ is no slouch either.

It was a crazy fast and hard race. There were two teams who kept attacking on every lap. Big efforts, relax for 5" then big efforts again and again. I used up my matches chasing down a couple breaks when there were guys from Boulder and Skilz together off the front. I had intended to sit in and sprint for scrapes at the end of the race,( a short lived plan) then with 3 laps to go I moved back to get a breather then another attack happened and I got boxed in and could not make back to the pack. Ended up 10/15.

In the 55-59 race right after us there was only one half hearted break attempt by one guy. After 1/2 a lap he was back on the fold and the tempo pace continued until the mass pack sprint finish. That is the race I wanted to be in.:lol:

The Scratch Race and Match Sprints are not why I'm here. I used those races to get my feet on the ground after traveling 4 days to get here. Tomorrow is the 2K Pursuit then on Friday I have the 500 TT.

Go get it AJ.

Here are some pics from Masters Track Nationals in Redmond, WA on the 400 meter concrete track located in Marymoor Park. All photos by Hermes or Mrs. Hermes.

For those that have not attended a track national championship, it all starts by getting space in the infield and setting up a tent city that is home for several days of racing and socializing. Since we race a Velo Sports Center in Carson, CA, we joined a group from SoCal and we all chipped in to purchase a couple of pop up canopies for shade.

The infield

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps747886d6.jpg

Marymoor is flat on the straights but has a more abrupt rise entering the turn than Hellyer, Carson or Trexlertown. I called it the Marymoor climb. I found myself wanting to get out of the saddle entering the turn at the relief line and even more so at the rail. The sprinters lane was flat and not a problem but due to the banking, I felt that drifting up to the red line and then "diving" off the banking to the black line offered a way to get a couple of seconds of recovery on each turn during the pursuit.

500 Meters... At Marymoor, the 500 is started on the track apron and one enters the track before the half lap line. Our age group did two ups. I started on the home stretch.

Here is BF @Allegheny Jet starting on the apron getting ready to go on the track.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps0744e33d.jpg

Coming into turn 4

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...pse566bccb.jpg

Heading to the finish.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps2597e1b8.jpg

500 Podium

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps389620cf.jpg

2K Pursuit...I am used to doing 8 laps on the 250 track with lap times called every lap. At Marymoor, we decided to get 1/2 laps called. We use Roger Young as a coach when in Carson and Roger attended the championships and provided advice and assisted with timing. I decided on my schedule and gave it to Roger. It seemed like most everyone who had done pursuit was a little slower so I increased my lap times and figured if I had any juice left, I would light it up with 600 meters to go. I hit my 1/2 lap times and turned it on with 1 1/2 to go. My opponent was up by 3.8 seconds in the first kilo and I won by .9 seconds to grab the short podium.

This was my first pursuit podium and my fourth time at nationals and once at worlds doing pursuit.

The start

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...psf191c57e.jpg

Getting getting times

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...psd7b3986c.jpg

Team Pursuit... I did not have a team going into nationals and I was approached by a racing friend to join him and another racer to do the 65+ 3K team pursuit. I do a lot of team pursuit, but ad hoc pursuit teams do not win at nationals. You race and have fun doing it. The problem is team pursuit needs a lot of practice to get close and race fast. The other guys did not have time to practice and so we just lined up and raced it. One other glitch was that our fourth decided not to race team pursuit and save himself for team sprint. So we did it with 3 men versus the other teams have 4.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps65b323cd.jpg

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...pscea8260f.jpg

Team Sprint... The short podium 1st, 2nd and 3rd individual pursuit racers (included me), got together to do team sprint. I have done team sprint many times but the other two racers had not. I was unsure about this because although team sprint looks easy, it is hard to hold the team together and get the gearing and order correct.

We decided that I would start and Roger would be at the curve and signal me that the other racer was on and then I was to light it up. It sort of worked but you can see in the pics that we had some gaps. However, it was an amazing first effort by my teammates doing team sprint. If we practiced, we could do much better and I should probably go second.

Start

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...pse9e4b661.jpg

First exchange...you can see the gap behind me.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...psd1300e13.jpg

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps55ea3b08.jpg

I had a great time racing and socializing. We had fabulous weather and Marymoor was an excellent host. The hotdogs were to die for and what is with the beer sequester? I had to leave my beer with this lovely woman when I left the yellow chain area.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps41cb4b4a.jpg

There are a lot of dripping efficiency losses in our team events but at least I am not sitting up and begging for it.:D

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps9e02a7fe.jpg

Hermes, fantastic shots! You really captured the flavor, intensity and FUN of that event!

Yes, @Hermes, I agree that the photos make racing at Masters Track Natz enticing. However, the Force is still not strong enough. :D

I still think that @Allegheny Jet should be doing a sport that can make better use of his upper body strength. ;)

BTW, is the pole lane as bumpy as I remember it?

yes

What struck me here was his non UCI approved use of a wired boom box velcrod to his back. Odd cross between technology and old school power sourcing. And clearly, looking at the pic below, his cord was too short.

some cool shots. Looks like a tonne of fun