globecanvas

Now to decide between masters+3/4 or masters+1/2/3 for the Kermis.

mike868y

Should I double up at myles standish? on one hand bikes are fun and going fast is fun (course is a 5 mile circuit, mostly flat, cat 3 race is 25 miles, 123 is 35). on the other hand, $35/race with no discount for 2nd race and i'm not confident my fitness can handle two races right now, but I finished both at bethel and new britain, so who knows.

carpediemracing 

I think it's 3-4s, M40 1-4, and P123.

I could do all three I suppose but I'll be doing the 3-4s.

M40 will be a strung out affair.

carpediemracing 

I think, if it's the same course as when I did it, it's like a super long New Britain. $70 is a lot for two races. Can you do day of for the second?

globecanvas

Yeah, I meant racing the masters plus deciding which other field to do.

Harlan

Man, the 5 standish field is about 70. That's huge. Will they split that up? I can't wait to be into the 4s. The fiancé gets to race 15 people. That sounds more fun!

gsteinb

do one and win it.

globecanvas

Masters is the earlier race regardless. As long as I'm there I'll do another field afterward, but the masters is the one I'm coming for.

carpediemracing 

That's great. The 5s have been light this year. USAC limit is 75 for Cat5s so I don't see a need to split it.

Although I've been racing longer than you I'd much prefer to race a lot of people than a few people, at least on a flatter course like Myles Standish. More people = easier due to shelter from the wind. Also much more tactical, which is what appeals to me about bike racing.

If it's a small field it's like running (same applies if it's a hilly course). You go your pace, you might be able to go a bit faster for a short time, but really your potential is capped before the race has even started. If it's running a 7 minute miler will never beat a 4:30 miler, ever. Maybe run with them for a bit but not beat them. In mass start racing I'm the 7 minute miler and I regularly beat the 4:30 milers. That's the appeal for me, to finish above my actual strength.

mike868y

maybe, but they're back to back so not really feasible. $70 is a lot for two races on one hand. on the other hand, $70 for 60 miles of racing isn't TERRIBLE compared to how road races are priced these days.

mattm

so much this.

Ygduf

I always try to win the first race of the day. The 2nd is training, to justify the trip, and in case I get lucky.

gsteinb

to bear or not to bear, that is the question

globecanvas

Do you have time to change your address for the jersey?

gsteinb

I don't think I could actually win that. I'd probably work for my buddy who won last year. Hell it would be (by far) my longest ride in a lot of months. I wonder if I could finish.

mike868y

is bear this weekend? what's that course like (other than hard)?

globecanvas

Bear is Sunday and it's the NY RR champs this year. Beautiful course but tough and a little weird. Neutral start is a steep descent into a narrow hairpin. Guys smoke wheels on the neutral start. Race starts immediately out of the hairpin with a 13 minute climb that looks for all the world like it's over at 9 minutes and suckers you into going too hard, then some rolling stuff and back to the descent/hairpin/climb for 4 (or whatever) more laps. Sprint is downhill, fast, and somewhat blind.

gsteinb

14 miles. 1200 feet per lap.

mike868y

every thing about that sounds...terrible.

globecanvas

Beautiful course!

mike868y

yeah, but I'd rather do sunapee on saturday.

shovelhd

Do you like racing in the dark on a mostly unlit course? If not, don't do the 1/2/3.

carpediemracing 

I wish someone had told me that. I only did Bear once.

I was told the neutral roll out was nutty and to be at the front. I got to the pace car's bumper, put my front tire about 3-4 feet off of it and didn't let the car get away. We hit about 40-45 while just rolling, I punched it when he punched it (he punched it to get a gap to make the hairpin), didn't let a gap open (probably going over 50 - at the time I was running a 54x11 and I was spinning like mad), I started to brake when I thought it was almost too late, pace car went straight, I did the hairpin (I pre rode the descent, hairpin, and then turned around to go back to the start area, so I knew only the hairpin), almost crashed about 2/3 into the turn, made it out okay. Car went flying past me (the hairpin is actually a Y, one way traffic running down one side, going up the other, the car just made a U-turn after the "hairpin" which is a U-turn for people coming down one side and going up the other.

I had a massive, massive gap coming out of the hairpin. Went over the first little rise, like 100m, pretty fast, 54x14 or 54x15, then settled in for the NINE minute climb. I'd never climbed it before so I just climbed it at hard-to-me pace. Field caught me, I realized that the guys passing me were absolutely redlined, and just when I thought the climb was over (probably at the nine minute mark) it went up. I was off the back before the top of the climb.

Based on the description of the climb I was off the back in well under 13 minutes.

carpediemracing 

+1

There was a massive pile up in the first Kermis in the P123 on the last lap.

Last year it was raining so there were crashes day and night.

Stas87

Still searching for that elusive first win of the year. I raced on the track tonight, I got a 3rd in one race and 4th in another (3 race omnium). Starting to get frustrated as its May and I'm 2.5 months into the season.