PeaceGrabber

A racing bike is meant to be RACE and not for doing exercises only. Going to a formal races are also time consuming and you and I may don’t have the time for it. Therefore, I often do street racing.

The question is: How do we engage a race without the help of the " roam-roam " engine sound?

Here is how I do it:
I deliberately ride slowly on a road with the most racers to show up. My primary target is to race with someone who is young and dress up properly on a decent road bike. I will let the Pro pass first and I up shift my gears to pass him or her deliberately. I keep going fast for about 30 sec to 1 min and I check my back to make sure the guy is still there. I, again, let the Pro pass by and say stuff like “ nice bike ”. At the end, I pass the rider again and when we are side by side, I will say stuff like “ you gotta ride faster ” in a friendly tone.

This is the decisive moment whether the race begins or not. If I hear click-click for shifting, it means that the rider is in the game. If not, he or she maybe too tire for a short race.

You may wonder why don’t I just ask the person without all the hassle? Well, for most of the time, the Pro will decline because most roadies out there are NOT teenagers. It is not that simple to have someone race with you on a road bike.

Eatadonut

On the contrary (to your last statement), I find the best way to engage a race with someone is to issue a direct challenge, or pace them, give them "the look", and kick it up a few notches.

most roadies may not be teenagers, but most serious roadies have a major competitive streak.

DannoXYZ 

Hmmm.... not sure what you mean by "race"... are you applying for a knaveship position? When I think of "race", I think of winning by crossing a finish-line first. That usually requires an organized event with markers to the finish and a banner and photo-finish camera and all... Usually when I'm on a "training" ride, I have specific workouts pre-planned months in advance, with a pre-determined course. Some of these may involve some sort of a "race" type scenario, typically sprint and interval workouts.

I guess someone can "race" me to the top of a hill where I'm doing intervals. You'll be covering the hill in a fashion that gets you from the bottom to the top in the shortest amount of time possible. So you'll be going at a constant average speed, which is above your LT and your HR will steadily climb until it hits max at the top. Going faster or slower than this average speed will result in a time that's slower than the potential. So a stronger rider an pace themselves to go up at a higher average speed, a slower rider trying to keep up will blow up before the finish and end up crawling the remainder at an abysmal speed... Not sure if I can call this a "race".

We have a course in Hope Ranch that's a 2.5 mile loop with a 0.5-mile straightaway. There's a right-angle downhill corner that leads to the straight and coming down the hill, we'll maintain 20-25mph around the corner to set up the sprint. The end of the straight is a pedestrian crosswalk with a sign... that's the finish. Somewhere along this 0.5-mile straight, someone will take off for the finish. Usually it's one of the weaker guys trying to get a lead so that he won't be dropped. Or it'll be a lead-out guy for one of the others. To win this "race", I'll usually sit in and come around at the final 50m and pass them at 42-43mph to nip them at the finish to win the "race". Then we'll around the block, up and down the hill and end up at the start of the straightaway for the next "race".... However, this is a training session and I would benefit more by doing maximum-effort sprints from farther out, like 150-175m out so that I can reach max-speed by myself and try to hold it for as long and as far as possible for the most benefits. Typically I'll die 10-30m before the finish and someone will come around me. Sure, I didn't win the "race", but the training benefits are higher...

I'm just not really sure what you mean by "race"... where's the "finish line"? How do you determine who "wins"? I'm confused... without at least two components... I would think it's just an interval on a training ride, no? And if there is a finish-line, by "racing", I'm gonna go for the win.. I'm gonna draft off yo *ss for as long as possible and come around and nip you at the line by just inches to rub it in... But that's not really that good for my training... so why would I bother?

Geoff326

i think he just means a sprint?

DannoXYZ 

Alright, just re-read your message... I guess what you're talking about is a communications of some sort to initiate an interval for training purposes? Perhaps a little cat & mouse chess-game... There are tactics and strategies involved and coming right out and throwing the gloves down may not work very well. Just like in dating, coming out with the truth immediately like saying, "I think you're hot, we have a lot in common, I want to fall in love with you and get married, have kids and live happily ever after." just doesn't seem to work too well... I think more subtle knave-type behavior is needed... Practice going by someone just slightly faster, but not too fast... give a cursory, "Hey..."... then give them THE LOOK!... You know that "look"... a cross between a smirk and a sneer... Anyone with the slightest bit of balls has got to respond....

EURO

PeaceGrabber - your description of a 'race' is so far beyond a UCI-acredited race that it bares no comparison.

If you are so hot - turn up to a local crit.

duckliondog

He just said he'd rather not bother. Besides, it's the spontaneity that makes this kind of stuff fun.

cs1

Peace grabber:

You remind me of youth back in the seventies when we raced big boy toys, cars and motorcycles for money or if your balls were big enough pinks. You definitley got the spirit. Have you ever heard the term "sleeper"?

Tim

EURO

Chi-ken.


Doesn't really beat the fun of sitting in a 50 man group in a fully organised road race though, does it?

nitropowered

You ask "Are you going to sprint for that sign up ahead?"

or you just take off up a hill.

slvoid

Were you brain damaged at birth?

R600DuraAce

There is the problem. Unless you have been training to race and racing regularly, these sidewalk/bike path races are silly and childish. I bet I can pass you on my recovery ride while you were "sprinting." I was like WTF this dude is doing.

TCR

When do the new phone books arrive?

same time

It's a good thing your hobby is bicycling, and not boxing.

pedex 

want to really street race, enter an alleycat race, anybody can enter one, you will likely get more street racing than your willing to deal with

timmhaan

the only non-organized street racing i've been involved with has been a bit more subtle. usually happens on hill when one person marks the other and they are both game for it. no talking, no formal agreement. just a mutual understanding not to get dropped or passed. usually over in less than a few mintues.

mscycler

Holy crap...your back. How was the hiatus? I havent seen you here in a while. You probably could pass him on a recovery ride...especially if you are pumping out 600 watts ()

mscycler

slvoid

Just make sure you wind up enough momentum when passing someone that it's over the moment the pass is made.

puddin' legs

That's funny!

To the OP, find your local club and go out on their weekly hammer fest. Thought you were fast? Probably not quite as you imagined. These rides usually have points along the way that people sprint/climb for etc, and doing it in a bigger group is a much better simulation of the real thing but it still won't be quite as hard. Note those last to words. If it ain't real, it just ain't. A gym pick-up half court game isn't 5 on 5 full court. Backyard touch football isn't 11 on 11 full contact. Riding up next to some guy and giving him the eye isn't a race...matter of fact it's just stupid. The strongest folks, the ones you seem to think can't challenge you because they don't, ride with a daily program. Your mouthing off isn't going to change their routine. Next time, find that especially strong looking rider and ask when their weekly hard ride is, then join it.

Eatadonut

You must have had a boring childhood. I happen to love a good pick-up game, and I've been known to engage in the occasional bout of touch football.

Racing may be the real thing, but the little battles have their place, too.

merlinextraligh

There's got to be a Tuesday night world championship in your town. Go out and ride the local fast training ride, and you'll get all the competition you need.

As You Like It

^^ What he said! I went to an alleykat drag-race this past Friday and had a hella good time. It was mad, crazy funtimes, with about 200 bike nuts, 50 people registered to race, and more high spirits and cool bikes than you can get your mind around in one go.

puddin' legs

Oh man, if I could count the hours of my life involved in pick up games of all sorts...Believe me, I wasn't putting participation in them down, it's just theres' a big difference between fun and practice, and the real thing.

And of course they have their place. My childhood was anything but boring

AtlAllez

will someone kindly explain the term "alleycat race." where do u find these?

jschen

I ride purely for fun. I don't race. I don't train. Nonetheless, chasing down someone or trying to stay away from someone chasing me down is fun. But it's not exactly racing. I don't think much of when I do manage to chase down someone. That person may be taking it easy or at the end of a grueling ride. But having someone to chase down does generally raise my speed, sometimes significantly so.

I remember my first time ever getting out of the saddle on a climb. I had been cycling for two months, and I went one Sunday for a 49 mile ride (previous longest being 29 miles). At about mile 44, I was going up a modest hill (Torrey Pines). I recall seeing someone in the distance who looked to be about my speed. So I marked that person as the person I'd try to get caught up to by the top of the hill. This resulted in my climbing at a faster pace than usual, and near the top, with the person now tantalizingly close and someone on a tri bike closing rapidly, my climbing out of the saddle to finish the climb strong, passing the person in front and holding the tri person at bay. Was this a real race? Of course not. The person in front wasn't trying to beat me to the top, and the tri person was clearly much faster than me. But the situation they presented to me helped me push myself all that much harder. I climbed significantly faster than I normally did, even finding it within myself to climb out of the saddle. I still have yet to climb out of the saddle as much as on that occassion. And though the results don't mean a thing, it was fun.

Plus, the time it takes to pass or be passed is a nice time to exchange a few seconds' worth of pleasantries to help make my rides a bit more social since otherwise, I ride alone.