daytonian

Decided last night to do race after a tough metric yestwrday. With wide and kid in tow, I did a halfassed warmup and was prepared to get shelled as legs were sore. Race route was 30 miles, 3 laps with a very tough climb, farmland rollers, and some descents.
The 5's take off and at first climb called "devils backbone" (switchbacks, 15-18percent lactate nightmare) I get dropped by leaders but I also drop half the field so I'm in no mans land. The lead group puts an 1/8th of a mile on me as I bring my heartrate out of the stratosphere. I get pissed cuz I'm alone and drop the hammer on the flats (my strength). I catch leaders at mile 7 just in time for descent and the devil climb again. I stay with leaders for the next 2 climbs and flats. On final lap we finish at top of devil climb.
Mile 29 one guy drops hammer and of course I chase knowing this is really tactically dumb as I chase him down descent that leads to devil climbs but reason if I can beat leadwrs to climb and get head start yada yada . Of course I shoot my load catching him and we both get destroyed on final climb to the finish. Start climb in 2nd, finish race in 14th out of 30.
Good times and no wrecks.
Anyone else race today??

mollusk

I didn't race it, but when I lived in Yellow Springs during the summer of 1988 (and a d*mn hot summer it was) I rode up the Devil's Backbone alot. Are there a lot more cyclists around their now? I remember pretty much having the road to myself 18 years ago.

daytonian

Yeah there's a big cycling community there and the bike path cuts through town so tons of cyclists stop for lunch there on weekends. 88 was a hot Summer.

curlew

Daytonian,

That was a nice effort chasing and catching the lead group. The Xenia Ohio weather station shows 8 mph SW winds during the race. That must have made the stretch between Clifton and the right hand turn where you caught the lead group a pretty demanding ride. How fast did you have to go to gain on the lead group?

Before we rolled into Clifton on the last lap one of the Seven Hills riders (I think it was Seven Hills) took off and 2-3 riders rode up and joined him, including another Seven Hills rider. I expected this group to start working together and open up a larger gap and challenge the rest of the lead group to pick up the pace and chase. Instead, as soon as 2-3 riders joined the Seven Hills rider who started all of this, the Seven Hills rider swung out to the left and rode closer to the yellow center line for awhile and seemed to be waiting for something to happen. The three riders that had ridden up to join him rode along side him but seemed content to have closed the gap and didn't seem interested in separating themselves further from the rest of the lead group.

Did you see any of this? It seemed like a decisive moment and I'm wondering why this small breakaway group opened up this gap but didn't try very hard to take off and go. On that last stretch heading southwest of Clifton, if a group of 4-5 riders had opened up a gap, how fast do you think they would have had to average to stay away? Seeing how the race played out do you think these riders missed an opportunity or was the pack motivated and energetic enough to keep them close?

jazzy_cyclist

Nice to hear about YSO; haven't been back since '74 when I graduated! Unfortunately, I wasn't into cycling then, I was... well, never mind.

cat4ever

I was there in the cat 4 race. That hill was maybe a max 10% and I don't recall any switchbacks. Maybe I rode the wrong hill, and that's why I finished where I did!

daytonian

I forgot it was 10 percent - right at the bottom. My bad.

cslone

You must have because that hill almost doubles back on itself at least 2 times. It goes up 200' in less than 1/2 mile. I ride there almost daily. It may not be 18%, but it's slightly more than 10%.

cat4ever

When I think 'switchback', l'Alp, d'Huez comes to mind, where you have to turn nearly 180 degrees. I don't remember doing that.

cslone

Remember this is Ohio!!!



Anything that doubles back on itself is a switchback here.

If anybody, who do you race for cat4ever?

cat4ever

Hint - you emailed me about a Renn wheel the other day and my name is Bryan.

cslone

How funny is that?

Cat4ever my ass.

cat4ever

I can't upgrade by doing time trials every week!

daytonian

Bryan, are you doing Fred's TT this Sat?? Is it in Casstown or in Troy because of festival??

cat4ever

It's in Casstown at the usual start, and yes, I'll be there.

djbowen1

Whos Wide?

daytonian

You posted a nice time last TT. What did you do different?

cat4ever

They messed up my time on the first TT. My first TT was actually better than my second by 10 seconds, but not according to the official results.