Originally Posted by
southernfox
Thanks. I was planning on trying to have a conversation with them after the track cert course, between that and the race cert session, asking them to pay particular attention to me for racing mass starts the following week.
Awesome.
I've hosted a few races that had fast roadies in them and here are the common issues that I saw:
Sprinting out of the saddle at the end of a race:
Don't do this. Learn to sprint in the saddle. Stand up to get a few RPMs from low speeds. Do not attempt to sprint out of the saddle from high speeds.
Waving the bike side-to-side:
Many roadies naturally do this because this is how they sprint on the road. This will make a mess. Learn to sprint without waving the bike around.
Letting off the gas at the end of a race:
Remember, there are 10 other people right behind you with no brakes barreling in at full speed. Give yourself some room.
Passing underneath other riders:
Yeah, I know you see a spot and have the juice to get there. DON'T. PERIOD. Look right, if clear then pass over the top.
When in doubt, hold your line.
At the end of a race or sprint for points, hold your line.
Hold your line.
Don't pull up/out at odd times because it's flashy and you've seen it done on youtube (see rules above).
Forget the team tactics. I know that's your teammate bro. Until you know how team tactics work on the track, you don't know how team tactics work on the track. You know, the leadout train where you burn up then peel off. That will cause a wreck. That tactic is executed differently on the track.
Treat this as a new sport that is
loosely related to your old one. They are as related as Tennis and Table Tennis
EDIT:
As you get more experience, you'll know when it's OK to break all of the rules above. Until then, just think of them as strict rules for now.