Cleave, see you at Dana Point? Delivering the tandem to SoCal for a test ride and finish the setup. Figured I'd go race while I was there.

@Cleave Will be in SoCal starting Thursday next week for 10 days.

@Racer Ex, I was thinking of riding there on Sunday but definitely not racing. Were you thinking of hanging around a bit after the 55+/60+ race?

@Hermes, I am home next week and through the weekend. I am planning to race the Santiago Canyon TT. Are you planning to be there?

Yes, I will be there and at the 4PM racer session.

Beat the Clock Individual Time Trial, Canada Road, Woodside CA

The Beat the Clock TT is a non-sanctioned no points "training race" held on Canada Road in the foothills of the Coastal Range south of San Francisco. It is 10 mile out and back race on good pavement. The road is not closed to traffic, so the bike line must be exercised, and it is also not closed to other cyclists, and there are many of them in evidence from one end of the course to the other.

I have wanted to do this event for some time, and I was able to finally get to participate today. My start time was 0758. I arrived very early, got the bike on the trainer, got my number pinned on, said my hellos to Hermes and MEA, as well as my teammates, and started my warmup on the trainer with 45 minutes on the clock prior to my start. My plan, as it always is, was to arrive at the start house (line) with little time to spare as to not loose my warmup.

I did not pre ride the course, although I did get some detailed instructions from Ex on what to expect, and where to conserve. We had a target power outbound, and then a higher target inbound. The outbound leg was downhill with a "lump" in the middle, and uphill with rollers on the inbound leg. Challenging. Ex figured on 34 to 35 minutes, and I agreed. Not fast, but not terrible, either.

I rolled off behind a teammate (I think we were doing 30 second gaps), and got a good acceleration. I settled into a pace, and then immediately started downhill. I tried to hold the power target or close to it on the descent, thinking I could build some time on this segment. I arrived at the hill in the middle of the outbound leg and worked to climb it as smoothly as I could. I was a little off, not as relaxed as I wanted to be, and my breathing wasn't as rhythmic as it should have been. So, I built quite a lot of lactic in my legs during little climb and it slowed me down.

Just prior to the turnaround I was passed by another rider, a women, and she went by me rather smartly. I did a better turnaround than she did, and I closed back up on her. The course started up a false flat then, and she started to pull away. I was less than smooth on the return leg, I wasn't sure how long the climbs were, what the pitches were, and where they were. So, my pacing left some to be desired. I closed up to and passed two recreational riders just prior to a fairly steep pitch, and then they repassed me on the way up. Hmmm. I got around them again on the flats, only to be passed by the woman rider (young and strong) on the next climb. That sort of ticked me off, but I focused hard and kept to my pacing. I caught another rec rider on that climb and as I swung around him he came off the saddle and started to challenge me. I looked over at him and yelled "REALLY????" and he sat down and dropped back. I had to laugh at that one.

Before I expected it, I saw the finish one hundred yards in front of me on top of a roller. I ramped up as much as I could, but it wasn't the charge I like to do from a much further out point (like 1K to go). Still, when I hit the line, my GPS reported that I had covered the course in 32:08. That was better than I expected, but there is lot to be said for knowing a course. I'm confident, as I told @Heathpack, than I can do a sub 30 minute out there.

I'm looking forward to trying!

Nice time, @sarals. Two minutes faster than expected. Ya gotta like that. :)

I do. However, I put down one of the slowest times for the day. Part of that was due to not knowing the course and my pacing being off, and the other part was just riding it harder and smarter. To be competitive, I need to be sub 30. To be really there, I need to turn in a 28 minute time. The younger folks were doing 26 - 27, the elites 21 or so. Something to work towards!

Well now you have the data file & you've experienced the course, so you will go into the next one with a more finely tuned gameplan.

@Cleave, racing 55 & 45 then working on the tandem with the big man. Make sure to say "hey". G3 kit for the day.

Well done @sarals!!! As always, I enjoyed reading your report. You will really take that course next time now that you've experienced it.

Salinas Criterium, M45+ 4 men, M45+/55+ 1/2/3/4 field, Salinas Airport

This was fun. A 60+ Cat 3 woman in a field with 1/2/3/4 men. You can't get much more mismatched than that! How much actual racing I did amounted to four laps. The rest of the race was a solo effort in some gusty winds.

The course is five corners, flat, good pavement, some botts dots. It's usually windy, but not in the morning, which was why I chose to do the men's race. Last year I did a few laps with Ex in the 55+ field and had a great time. I expected much the same this time around.

The field was more than 20, I don't know the actual number. SJBC had a big presence, Morgan Stanley had four or five riders, Mikes Bikes was represented, as was Specialized. Heavy hitters, them. There were other teams and solo riders in there as well. I was the only Pen Velo racer. As things would have it, there were only two 55+ guys, and if I'd entered that I'd have had a podium. However, I entered 45+ 4 as a favor to a friend to help with the payout.

The wind was blowing out of the southeast at close to 20 mph at the whistle. The backside of the course was exposed to the wind and staying attached was essential for survival. A breath of wind in my face with all of this power around me would be a sure ticket to Offthebackistan. I rolled off second row at the whistle and slotted in in the back 1/3. I was on the inside, not ideal, because I didn't know these racers, and I didn't want to get curbed. However, the bike skills for the first couple of laps were solid, nothing to worry about. I made sure people knew where I was, and I was very careful not to half wheel.

I stayed in for two laps. On the third lap, the attacks started on that back straight - as expected. That was the ideal place for attacks. Men race differently than women do, there are a lot of punches thrown, and I was on/off on/off on/off a lot trying to stay on and covered. There was also a lot of juking, and all of this happening on the back chute. Towards the end of the straight, I got gapped and I was off the saddle trying hard to get back on, and that wind pushed me OTB. The effort to stay attached was just too much, I was full gas while those guys were cruising. I'm pretty strong, but not THAT strong!

I rode around the rest of the race solo. I was lapped, what, six times? The peloton had split, there were six or so riders off the front. I tried once to attach myself to them, but oh hell no! I couldn't match their speed. I did jump back on the rear group, twice, and managed a couple of sheltered laps, which I appreciated. I couldn't manage that back chute, though. Tailgunning was not ideal, and that's what I was doing.

I did finish, I wanted the intensity and I have raced so little this season that I wasn't going to bail on an opportunity, no matter how seemingly futile.

After the race, I got a lot - a lot - of appreciation from the guys for being out there. The RD gave me a T-shirt, too. Those little things are oh so cool, and they're part of my love for racing and the community.

Nice weekend of racing for you, @sarals. Glad you finally got a chance to get out there!

+1!

It was a great weekend! A podium would have been nice, but you know, just racing and finishing is a success!

Good racing Sara. Just remember if you are OTB, unless specifically instructed, you can't work with the lead group, only the field.

Sounds like a great time sarals!

Yeah, I was aware of that. It was more a test to see how fast they really were (fast). I spent most of the time on the outside of the course, staying out of the way.

Well done, @sarals! As was said, it's good you were able to get out and race.

Thanks! It was great to get out there. Finally!!

Raced the famous Dana Point GP Sunday. Had to be in SoCal to deliver and set up our tandem for Nats, so figured I'd get some race miles. Reg was screwed up so spent 20 minutes getting that sorted out.

Got back to the car 30 minutes before the 55's. Switched wheels and started to pedal. Locked up. Found the RD cage had broken (likely tweaked when the hanger snapped a few months back).

Pulled the one off the tandem, sliced my thumb, bled all over my new helmet and shoes. Paper towel and electrical tape. Got everything working, no warm up or hydration, rolled up to the line 30s before they blew the whistle. Did get my guy off in a break with that 84 Olympics guy, countered off my flyer. Back in the field rode tempo on the front for several laps, then dropped back to prep for the finish. Caught behind a 10 rider crash with 3 to go. Chased for a lap. Ended up 17th of a whole bunch. Our guy won.

Helped my tandem partner to 3rd in the 45's. Sort of. Race was stupid fast, several crashes, typical Dana. 4 to go I was top ten and started to cramp. See what happened earlier. No hydration. Then I lost my makeshift bandage and started blowing red stuff out again. We shall call it a day.

Saw Cleve after. Nice chat. He got to see the tandem. We talked prefab walls.

Shorter Racer Ex:

2 races. 2 bikes. 3 wheels. 1 derailleur cage. 9 fingers.

Tough on equipment. Good thing he's not a jockey, hmmm?

Way to go, Ex! Great racing!!

@Racer Ex - I'd like to see a pic of your tandem. Also more race pictures in general on this thread!!!

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=519705Picture taken from last months Tampa Crit Series. This was from Friday's downtown St Pete race Pro/Cat 1 race.

Welcome

Which racer are you in the pic?