globecanvas

Stop raining. I want to race tonight.

globecanvas

Aw, they already cancelled it.

mike868y

i think i'm out for lime rock. not sure i can justify 6 hours of driving for a crit considering i'm driving out to bear mtn next weekend too.

gsteinb

Justify is a weird word to use in relation to a pursuit without many viable justifications.

mike868y

lol, true.

island rider

I think I am sacrificing my bear mountain race fee for the good of my marriage.

Harlan

Anyone else doing Standish? It's like 20 minutes from my house vs the 2+ hours we've been doing. I'm excited. And I get to race two 4 fields.

FFJ

How much of a deterrent to racing Bear Mountain is it that the race is held on mother's day? Is there anyone else on here that is not racing it but would if it were held on the Saturday before Mother's Day or some other non-holiday weekend?

I'm trying to convince CRCA that they should move the race in future years, and the more tangible evidence I can point to that the Mother's Day date hurts entry numbers the easier it will be to convince them.

hubcyclist

I was sorta kind of going to do it, but the 5 field is full already. Quabbin filled up early too for the 5s. Doesn't seem like a problem getting newbies out there. between races filling up and the June races (Harvard and Purgatory) conflicting with other stuff, I may not race until Hilltowns or maybe even until Jamestown. Maybe I'll climb Wachusett on the 7th instead lol

gsteinb

The race is literally in my back yard, and I'm not doing it. A mid day, mother's day, masters start time is ponderously stupid. I suspect the cat 3s that run CRCA are simply looking again for an excuse to say "masters don't show up and then whine when their fields disappear."

SprinterSmak

I plan on doing standish. Last year I did standish then drove down to Harriman and did bear mountain the next day. Makes for a long but fun weekend. Will I see your wife as well? Women's registration is nonexistent right now and may stay light considering the women's Woodstock Grand Prix is popular. I may also double up and do the women's race first then do the men's 4b race in the afternoon.

Harlan

Cool, we'll see you there. Separate W4 field from the P123 (2 mins). You upgraded right? Are there any guidelines about women in men's races when there are women's fields available? I'm not saying it shouldn't happen, just curious because I saw a cat 2 women in the men's 3/4 at Mystic Velo.

I recall last year at Standish the W4 field passed the P123 part of the way through, then near the end were neutralized to let the P123 back in front.

mike868y

my plan for this year.

TheKillerPenguin

GLV is like half the 1/2/3 field. Come watch them sweep the podium!

globecanvas

I did Bear a couple years ago but racing on Mother's Day definitely comes at a cost for those of us with wives and kids. Likewise the Harlem Crit on Father's Day, though to a different degree.

globecanvas

Signed up for Lime Rock. Cheers to Alan for all the masters fields!

SprinterSmak

I did upgrade! Finally. Women can race with men in the same category or one category lower...so theoretically I could race with the 1/2/3 men, but don't think getting dropped 10 mins in would be worth the entry fee. Last year we did pass the 1/2/3 women pretty early in the race, confusion followed. I'm pretty sure no one warned them we were coming up behind them so they didn't know we were there until we were alongside. I think someone fell in the pond as it all happened...

gsteinb

Morning or afternoon start when you did it? 1:00 start runs into dinner conflicts.

yeah harlem is different on a number of levels. for one the races are much shorter. And it's father's day. And it's in NY which is easier for more folks.

I just think if they tossed it on another weekend it could be the most well attended RR in the NE. Maybe it already is. Dunno.

globecanvas

Early morning start for the masters when I did it.

To be fair, my reasons for not racing Bear don't have much to do with the date. That climb is about 60 seconds outside of my range.

ShutUpLegs

All you guys (and girls) looking for some stage racing, sign of for Tour de Gretna this weekend in Mount Gretna, PA! It's going to be a tough and challenging race. Circuit Race with a little climb to separate the group, plus some challenging rollers on the back stretch. Rolling 6 mile TT (positive elevation change). Finish it off with a road race course that could really change up the GC. Plus they got podium girls! Good food and beer right in town and great for families.

TheKillerPenguin

Aw jeeze, this is the first I've even heard of it! I think if I did a stage race this weekend my coach would kill me, so I must pass in favor of mostly rest.

ShutUpLegs

TKP - it's new this year. Has potential to be a really great race, although registration of riders currently is pretty low. I would imagine if he doesn't hit a decent number it may not be back next year. Which sucks, since there aren't many stage races around.

TheKillerPenguin

I was super jazzed about Nittany and was sad to see it skipping 2016 when I was figuring out my 2016 schedule. More stage races would be awesome, no question. If I wasn't totally fried I'd definitely come down to party this weekend.

FFJ

Agreed.

For what it's worth, there have been a lot of changes to the CRCA board in the last two years (I think there's only one Cat 3 on the board right now) and I think the current group is eager to make changes that will increase attendance at the non-Central Park races.

The Mother's Day date has been mainly the result of inertia. Getting race dates changed from the status quo requires a lot more foresight and effort than keeping things the way they have been. Hopefully we can get the date changed next year so it's not a problem going forward.

If the date is just moved up a day to the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend, would that be enough to get people who are not currently signing up because of Mother's Day to do it? Or do people think it needs to be a completely different weekend. NYS parks won't let CRCA hold the race between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, so there's only limited flexibility to move to a different weekend.

globecanvas

Saturday would make all the difference IMO.