substructure

The race Saturday made me start second guessing the whole thing. I'm the main income provider for my family. Crap, if get really hurt because of something like this, my wife will kill me. All joking aside, I'm trying to think positively about my next race in a couple of weeks. I'm actually trying to talk myself into doing it.

jamiewilson3

That is what kills me. I enjoy the racing stuff, but I enjoy being able to ride and run every day a whole lot more. On top of that, it is just a hobby. Major bodily harm affecting my ability to work is not cool. It is an odds thing, but racing vs century and fast group rides puts the statistics in a whole new level.

On a side not, the guy who was hurt really bad on Sat had screws put in his hip and screws and a plate on his arm. He will have to do PT, obviously, but they expect him to recover full range of motion, which is really good to hear.

substructure

That is good.

Thing with me is, I had a major spill last year. I came from a sprint to rejoin the group and someone shot out from that group at the same time and clipped my front wheel. I hit the ground at 25 mph. Woke up in an ambulance. I was shredded and broke my hand really bad. I still have a screw in my thumb and scars all over the place from the wreck. I do not need anything else like that.

Dr. Bill

That, precisely, is the dilemma! Those of us who have people depending on us have to think very carefully about the risks.

I almost didn't renew my USCF license this year because of these issues. Two years ago I broke a collarbone in one of the GTS crits. It was one of those stupid Cat 5 situations where two or three fellows got tangled up on a straightaway at 30 mph and I had nowhere to go but over one of their bikes. I ended up with a smashed helmet, a broken clavicle, and road rash galore. My bike came through it better than I did!

My problem, and I know at least three or four other guys roughly my age in the Greenville, SC area in basically the same situation, is that I'm 50 years old with lots of endurance but limited speed. I just don't generate the wattage to hang with a Cat 4 field for long. I've done plenty of races but there is no point in moving up to Cat 4 if I can't handle the pace.

I wish there were more racing participation options for old geezers like me who like to race and have the bikehandling skills to do it safely. Right now the choice is either "Crash 5" or Masters (which around here seems to be populated primarily by former Pro/1/2's, which often makes for VERY fast races).

I've also done the RUSA thing with brevets and so forth, but there's nothing quite like the rush of racing! I just wish we didn't have to think about upping the life insurance coverage when I go out to race.

Dr. Bill

damocles1

The problem with Greenville is the fact that it's the first races of the year and people are edgy to get out and race. Those same people ride until they are looking through the pain-tunnel and they just lose their wits and whatever small amount of handling ability they had in the first place. When you get a bunch of guys together who think that Europe will call them when they win a 5 or 4 race, stupid sh*t happens.

The key is just give and take. 5s all want to get to the front, then don't know WTF to do when they get there.

merlinextraligh

I'm afraid I would have had to have taken too much time kicking his ass, to still get back with the group.

KramerTC

So the crashes weren't around the turns? This was only my 2nd race so hardly an expert here. One thing I noticed (Sunday's Cat 5 35+) is that no one wanted to take turns at the front after the couple of rolling hills. This allowed all stragglers to catch up and the entire field was together again. I think too many read bikeforums and want to stay tucked to save themselves for the final sprint. I was at the front during the 2nd lap and after a little bit I slowed down to let other(s) get in front. Well... the entire field slowed down behind me. We were going at 15 miles/hr for a bit and I hadn't been going that fast to begin with.

branman1986

I think I've pretty much settled on never racing the GTS...ever.

Dr. Bill

I hope you'll reconsider, and I think I speak from considerable experience--having raced in a fair number of GTS events, and having attended a lot more watching my son compete. Rich Hincapie knows how to organize and promote events, and I thought Glen Thrift, Steve Baker and the rest of the gang did a fine job. The GTS courses are invariably pretty safe. Donaldson Center and the BMW Performance Center are particularly safe venues, in my judgment. The road courses used in previous years--River Falls and Vinyards--are great sites and quite safe as well. Also, you are going to have much the same cast of characters racing as in Charlotte, Ashville, and Atlanta.

I still can't figure out why the Saturday Fork Shoals races were so snakebit this year, though some plausible suggestions have been made above. All seriousness aside, maybe the announcer needs to spend a bit less time warning the racers about peeing in the bushes, and a bit more time warning about race safety.

Dr. Bill

KramerTC

Dr. Bill,

I think this is exactly what happened on Sunday. The race organizer, not the announcer, took over the microphone at the start of each race and told the riders to think of everyone's safety and talked about the rider with the broken hip being operated that morning. I know it made a huge difference in my group.

While we can all think for ourselves the announcers may contribute a little to the tension by trying to act like rush hour radio jockeys.

recneps

oh man the announcer, they must have found the most redneck cyclist they could find.

My friend from NJ was racing and he kept ask "wtf is he saying", and i couldnt figure out why on the last lap he kept telling us to 'bail out'.

branman1986

I rode the Downtown Greenville Cycling Classic last year and I loved it...I'll race that again for sure. For early season fitness, the weekend hammerfests are just fine for me and crash free.