bpohl

Well, I have an offer to be on a race team again next year. I really want to do it, but I'm only driving for about one trip per week right now. If I started racing, it could be many, many more. I somehow couldn't see myself riding 20 miles to get to a race and then expect any decent results. Has anyone else tried? Do you think they're mutually exclusive? I really want to be car-free in a few months, but it seems like I'd bbe taking a step away from achieving that if I started racing again. Yet, it's something that I'd really enjoy doing.

bmclaughlin807

The best I can offer is to check out the option of carpooling with fellow team members.

This is my biggest hurdle right now... I don't race, but I do ride brevets and enjoy group rides.

I ride anywhere from 10 to 20 miles to the start, then when I get there (Already having gotten up anywhere from 1-3 hours earlier than everyone else) I'm usually on the heaviest bike there. (By far) On some of the really early rides I have to wake up at midnight in order to make the buses to get there before the start of the ride.

Now, add a 40 hour ride to that... Yeah.. I end up at a huge disadvantage.

flats

I'm in the same boat, except with running. The two most important things in my life are running and avoiding consumption/protecting the environment. I want to train at a very high level, and biking everywhere detracts from my recovery. Its something I struggle with everyday. I try to look at the larger scope. What is more important: my racing, or my contribution to reducing environmental pollution?

Mr. Jim

It has been a struggle for me also. Tried riding to some little dinky 5k running races and it definitely affected my race performance. Also I find my training for running or triathlon suffers due to my commuting miles.

DataJunkie

I have the same issue. Mainly with group rides and the fact that I live 30 miles from most rides. Due to the timing of the rides mass transit is not an option.
I'm getting tired of being a leach and for this reason I will reverse my car lite status before I start riding brevets next year. Maybe I will eventually start riding a race or two.

bmclaughlin807

I make up for my 'leech' status with the fact that if anyone needs anything on a ride, I've almost certainly got it with me.

• Masterlink for the guy who broke his chain
• Extra water when others run out
• carried TWO large bottles of frozen goodness to the top of one ride... we sat at the top and had slushies
• Ibuprofen for riders with aches
• chewable Pepto for riders with tummy problems
• My asthma inhaler for one rider who suffered her first ever asthma attack in the middle of a long ride... WELL outside of town and outside of cell phone service as well
• Patches & pump for the guy that forgot his seatbag
• Pump for the guy that ran out of CO2

I also tend to ride sweep position on the longer rides... I'll stay back with the slowest rider and make sure they're ok... And provide motivation if necessary. Also point out if they don't appear to be eating or drinking enough to sustain them (And provide food or water if they didn't bring enough!)

Oh... and with those panniers, half the time I end up carrying people's stuff!

DataJunkie

You aren't a leech. Like you said you bring plenty of other things to the table. That and are a blast to ride with. Me... I just ride and then throw my chain on steep hills. Bad DJ!

The leech thing is just me. To be honest, I have additional desires for a vehicle besides races and group rides that make me want to reverse being car lite.
I feel that being car free or car lite is perfectly possible with races and group rides if you should choose to take the good with the bad...as you have proven.

Just consider me an eventual transportation source.

Now I must slowly back out of this forum before they start throwing poo at me.

bmclaughlin807

Of course, another option (depending on ride frequency) is to rent a car for a trip or two...

Right now, that's just not in my finances (I'll admit it... I blew all my savings from not driving on a nicer place to live and a better lifestyle when I should have put more money into the bank)

DataJunkie

Renting a car helps. I used one when I ran the half colfax marathon last spring. Though it does get expensive if you need one every or every other weekend.

silent1

I had the same problem but I learned to pace myself. You don't always have to be at race pace when commuting around town. Stay in the small ring and work on your spin instead of trying to get somewhere as fast as you can. Or restore a cruiser, which is what I did, and just kind of get there when you get there.

bmclaughlin807

Doesn't really help when the ride you need to make starts at 8 AM and is 20 miles (Or more!) away. The day to day stuff I could handle no problem... it was the getting to/from rides. It's tough. Having to be up at midnight in order to make a ride start HURTS.

Roody

I wish there was a bike club that started rides--even races--in the city where most of the members live. That would save a lot of driving. How come every ride has to start at some junior high school in Bumblebuck or a Burger biggie outside Nowheresville?

DataJunkie

Pacing yourself 30 miles to a ride still leaves one at a nice disadvantage.

bmclaughlin807

Well... faced with a choice of 40 miles of urban traffic to get to the rural bliss of the mountains around here, or starting someplace along the foothills and getting to ride your entire ride in the scenery and gorgeousness of the mountains... yeah, I can understand why.

I live on the edge of the Metro area, so I can get to the mountains pretty quick... but there's 80 miles of mountains North and South of here that people like to ride in... so even there, a lot of the rides are too far.

Yeah, urban rides are nice, but they can't replace getting out and just getting AWAY from it all from time to time.

silent1

How long to you normally warm up for before a race? Thirty miles is a long way to start a race, I was just asking. Carpool with the teammates, they asked you to be on the team again and they know you don't have a car, I don't see why they would have a problem with it. Just bring along some sandwiches, tubes, some drinks, etc.