Grumpy McTrumpy

I am always looking for a deal on an SRM. PM me the details.

bostongarden

Thank you. Sorry to hear you experienced a crash. I'm not sure how the situation today developed.

Here's a "doh" addendum to my race report: when in the chase, it was a pack prime lap -- lost track of that during the lap, but I remember it now. I was probably chasing while the other guys were doing the WR kilo+ move going for the prime. I was in front with maybe 50 yards to go, having passed my last contender (although, I was not thinking that at the time). The prime would have been mine had I not shut it down to save some energy for the rest of the race; and we know how that strategy worked I believe it was for a muffin, so, maybe that's why I blanked it out of my mind.

Does this count as me doing the WR kilo if there were 5 that broke with a bit more than a kilo to go, then it was 3 and then it was just me in front with nothing but daylight? Surely not as painful had it been solo. Although, I felt like I was putting down some good power the whole time because I did have to chase for about 200 yards to catch the four who I thought were forming a chase group!

Grumpy McTrumpy

The Muffin Strategy®

davids0507

Did Copperopolis yesterday. I hadn't been able to ride for a couple weeks (sick, business trips) so I got dropped on the first climb (E5). It wasn't that fast, the whole pack was together, I just had nothing. I caught up to a couple guys, we formed a chase group, but I got dropped again; 30 minutes into the race and I was completely cooked. Did a lap of the course, did the long climb again just for fun, got off my bike and cheered for my teammates and friends. Took today off. Glad I went though, it's a sweet race.

bostongarden

Bran for senior moment situations like mine today where one forgets and then ____ the bed after?

mugatu

i couldn't avoid a pile up and broke my face
so ready to be out of cat 5

fordfasterr

Wait till you make it to the Brian Piccolo road course !!! 7 corners in 1/2 a mile !

rydaddy

Why? 4's are worse.

(sorry about the crash but it's true)

ZeCanon

Also of note, now that I'm taking a closer look at the power file:

1324w (21.15w/kg) for 10s, so not a very big drop (just 24w). Sharp drop after that, I'm guessing because I broke the spoke a bit over 10s into the sprint. But those 10s are nearly level.

Again I think that points to being slightly over geared. No real peak, with the highest only 50w higher than 10s average. Must pay more attention to gear selection on uphill finishes.

umd

I'll PM both of you

boka

I was there as well. Did you notice the sketchy guys had nice matching team bikes and full kits, and zero etiquette or racing knowledge? I heard that one of the guys from the sketchy team went down on the second to last lap. I was near the front and didn't see it, but the other one nearly took me out going into turn 3 on the last lap... I was in about 4th when that guy bombed the inside. I had to drift wide, nearly lost position trying to avoid causing a crash due to that guy, then shot around him. I barely managed to get my position back and ended up third.

If you think that race was bad, the 30+ 4/5 race was worse. There were not 2 distinct guys diving the corners, but the pack in general felt really sketchy. A few times people locked up brakes in corners, guys bumped each other, but magically no one went down. It seems that there were (and have been) a number of guys in that race that believe it is "okay" to just bump someone out of position if you want their position in the pace line. I saw this throughout the race, and then got slammed on the last lap.

Maybe you guys can tell me if this is sketchy/rude/wrong/A-hole-move, or just part of racing (note: I've done nearly 80 races on the track and am comfortable being bumped and riding in close quarters). I was near the front for the last few laps of the 30+ 4/5 race. On the last lap 2 guys from one of the local teams jump and I jump with them. I'm sitting third wheel going into turn 3 (2nd to last corner). We go through turn 3 mostly single file, and I am 4-6 inches off the wheel of the guy in front of me, when one of his teammates comes up on the outside and slams into me (think hockey body check). I look over and yell "what the eff" but move back to the wheel and hold my line. He then proceeds to lean into me with his body pushing me off of the line right before the last corner. This is at a local weekend crit in a 30+ 4/5 field. At this point, I decide I would rather let this jackass have the line than go down fighting for position.

So, is this blatant slamming into other riders to take position socially acceptable racing in socal? It seems that some of these teams/individuals have no etiquette, no respect, no class as bike racers. I realize and accept there is contact in bike racing, but when did it become okay to just force your way into a pace line by "checking" another rider out of the line?

myclem

JEEBUS!
I thought 'cross season was over(?)

danahs

how do regular road tires have enough traction?

vladav

@boca
For cat 4's (esp 30+), I'd put that in the "very aggressive" territory, but as long as hands stayed on the bars, and noone went down it sounds legal/acceptable. Then again, I didn't race this weekend...

Of course if I was 'that guy' bumping, then I'd have to expect that now the door is open to return the favor. Sounds like he won the game of intimidation...

umd

No.

What team?

ridethecliche

I would report that rider. Like woah.

That's pathetic riding right there. I hope it wasn't the same team that was talked about on here recently.

Completely wrong. There's no place for that in this kind of racing. You'll see that a bit in the P12 races every now and then, but even then rarely so. The pros do it every now and then when jockeying for a wheel in the final sprint, but a lot of that is leaning that looks more aggressive than it is.

It has no place in any local races. People have to go home to their families and earn a livelihood after that race. There is no place for that behavior. That should be an automatic 1 month suspension at the least.

danahs

one of the team touch riders went down pretty hard at ontario today... so it probably wasn't team touch right?

robncircus

Is this a mockery post? Only asking since my team was in good spots for both of these races. The 2 that went down in front of me in the 4s race were not the cause but a byproduct of the other dude's poor cornering skills...

What team are you talking about?

boka

@vladav
Hands stayed on the bars, but it was definitely the most abuse I've taken on a bike. I'm comfortable with a little contact on the bike, but this was beyond that. This guy seemed like he wanted to put me on the ground and he was very aggressive with the bump and then leaning hard. I'm guessing he just watched some pro race and thinks he's a sweeper clearing the wheel of his teammate so they don't lose their pro contracts and sponsorships... wtf?

@umd
The guy rode for LaGrange. I want to be clear that it was only one person on that team that was riding like this (that I witnessed). I have not noticed their other riders behaving this way.

@ridethecliche
Yeah, I was going to report him after the race, but then I thought it was better to let it go; it's not worth the additional drama.

@danahs
A few of my teammates warmed me about team touch. There were 2 of them in our race today, but I think they stayed upright. In the 4's race the Ritte guys were by far the most sketchy with the kamikaze dives into the corner.

@robncircus
LaGrange. Not a mockery post. And, it is not my intention to bash your team. Most of your guys seem like smart, safe racers. There was one guy that took things a little too far. Again, I'm not trying to make any statement about your team. The intention of my post was to gauge if this type of bumping and aggressive leaning is commonplace in Cat 4 races...

ggatsby

I'm not so sure about that. The team with the rather large guys with the white/yellow/navy kits were the ones cutting those corners. I thought the Ritte guys were riding alright, and if anything were just in the wrong place at the wrong time when they crashed. The big guys tried to cut in the top 10 at 30 mph and pushed everyone behind them to the right. The guys who should have been safe on the outside ended up literally getting pushed into the curb. What can you do? You have to keep in mind that to save yourself from a duo of portly corner-cutter sometimes you've got to swing wide to avoid them. This definitely happened more than once, and I wouldn't really blame the guys at the end of the domino effect.

saratoga

Yea, the spooked cow that crashed through the barbed wire fence and charged through the field across the dirt road as everyone was jamming on their brakes didn't help either.

NickDavid

First time racing Central Park yesterday. Entered the 5's, which they mixed with Masters. Very strange and way too many people. Had to be over 100 out on that narrow course. Speed avg was roughly 26.X mph, 3 laps, 18 miles.

Race started off fast. By the end of lap 2, I was tired from helping close gaps and taking a pull up front. Thought I would be worthless in the sprint. Managed to recover, sneak my way into position and grind it out on the uphill sprint.

I won by inches, pulled aside with numero dos and we congratulated each other. Then the Masters came zipping by for their final lap.

Awesome race.

MrClyde

My first "real" race, the CBR Crit at Dominguez Hills. Cat 5. Hung on for 5 laps, little over 10 minutes, then got dropped.

Time for more training......

tspek

I like the notion that Cat 4 racers from the same team are going to ride the same way, as if there is some sort of unifying riding style. Cat 4 teammates wear the same kit and will work together, beyond that an idiot is an idiot regardless of what team he's on...unless there is some sort of Cat 4 team meeting discussing the finer points of riding like an idiot.

robncircus

Well I'm the guy who went out in the CAT 4 race on the last lap. However, Not sure how I could have caused trouble from the back of the 2 who went down. Not sure about the 4/5 race since I'm not old enough to race it. I have video from the end but it sounds like whatever happened was before then.

I agree the 4s race was sketchier than normal. There were some guys riding a tad aggressive through the corners but they weren't LG riders.... I didn't recognize their kit. There were a couple laps where they caused the pack to swing wide.....

Anyway, I'm the short LG dude with all the tattoos. Say hi if you see me at future races

Rob