Do You Ride Like a Jackass?
10-16-06, 04:40 PM
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Do You Ride Like a Jackass?
Got knocked off my bike in the final quarter mile of a metric century this last weekend. Part of the problem was that the mileage on the route sheet was off by 10 miles. Instead of the indicated 61 miles it was about 71 miles. This meant that near the supposed end all of the Jackass Riders were giving it everything they had and then it turned out that every mile past that ending they were growing more and more fatigued but were still intent on setting their speed records. So instead of slowing to a pace they could handle they were getting progressively less reliable judgement because of the strain to set their own personal bests.
Part of it was my fault for trusting other riders around me whom I don't know. But the real problem was Jackass Riders. I saw about a half dozen crashes and this ride was nearly perfectly flat and there was hardly a breath of wind. People in pacelines were touching wheels and going down every ten miles or so.
But the real problem is the way riders ride these days. Speed is everything and riding the Century isn't. Everyone wants to be able to say that they've averaged 20 mph for a century even though that's completely meaningless in that they've taken 3 hours of breaks on the way in order to ride that fast between the rest stops.
So they ride as fast as they're capable and then in the last 20 miles they're getting progressively more tired and instead of slowing up and finishing in a decent condition, they push themselves ever harder until their condition, their enjoyment and their judgement is completely shot. And they make mistakes.
Are you the sort of person that's willing and ever ready to risk not just your own safety but someone else's as well in order to be able to say you finished 20 seconds faster than last time? If so perhaps you ought to take up bungy jumping or being shot out of a cannon so that you effect fewer people around you.
When I was racing I'd see this all the time - on the last lap everyone would be pushing and shoving trying for position even though they couldn't sprint to save their souls. People would be going tunnel visioned trying to get 34th place in the sprint! That's GOT to be the world's most accurate definition of loser isn't it?
I watched one guy in the class after mine sprinting head down as hard as he could even though he was 40th or so. A guy touched wheels and went down in front of him and was sitting feet forward and back upright with PLENTY of space around him and this clown on a Bridgestone RB-1 hit him absolutely square in the back at perhaps 35 mph! His frame was completely destroyed - the fork was broken and the main triangle was badly bent. Luckily the guy on the ground got up and walked away but MAN! he had to have some broken ribs out of that.
So think about the way you ride - are you a Jackass of a rider? If so stay the heck away from me and everyone else on the road. Maybe you can wear one of those safety triangles and a large sign that says - MY GOALS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR LIFE TO ME.
Part of it was my fault for trusting other riders around me whom I don't know. But the real problem was Jackass Riders. I saw about a half dozen crashes and this ride was nearly perfectly flat and there was hardly a breath of wind. People in pacelines were touching wheels and going down every ten miles or so.
But the real problem is the way riders ride these days. Speed is everything and riding the Century isn't. Everyone wants to be able to say that they've averaged 20 mph for a century even though that's completely meaningless in that they've taken 3 hours of breaks on the way in order to ride that fast between the rest stops.
So they ride as fast as they're capable and then in the last 20 miles they're getting progressively more tired and instead of slowing up and finishing in a decent condition, they push themselves ever harder until their condition, their enjoyment and their judgement is completely shot. And they make mistakes.
Are you the sort of person that's willing and ever ready to risk not just your own safety but someone else's as well in order to be able to say you finished 20 seconds faster than last time? If so perhaps you ought to take up bungy jumping or being shot out of a cannon so that you effect fewer people around you.
When I was racing I'd see this all the time - on the last lap everyone would be pushing and shoving trying for position even though they couldn't sprint to save their souls. People would be going tunnel visioned trying to get 34th place in the sprint! That's GOT to be the world's most accurate definition of loser isn't it?
I watched one guy in the class after mine sprinting head down as hard as he could even though he was 40th or so. A guy touched wheels and went down in front of him and was sitting feet forward and back upright with PLENTY of space around him and this clown on a Bridgestone RB-1 hit him absolutely square in the back at perhaps 35 mph! His frame was completely destroyed - the fork was broken and the main triangle was badly bent. Luckily the guy on the ground got up and walked away but MAN! he had to have some broken ribs out of that.
So think about the way you ride - are you a Jackass of a rider? If so stay the heck away from me and everyone else on the road. Maybe you can wear one of those safety triangles and a large sign that says - MY GOALS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR LIFE TO ME.
10-16-06, 05:09 PM
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Nah, if I'm hitting a wall I dial it down a bit and stay hydriated and safe. On a recent century, I was averaging near 20 for 85-90 miles and closer to 15 for the last leg.
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10-16-06, 05:11 PM
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You got Madoned!
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Yup. Just without all those breaks. I refill my water, grab a power bar and keep going.
10-16-06, 05:15 PM
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If I were racing, I would ride like a jackass, but I ain't, so I don't. I'm way past the point of having to prove anything to myself, I just enjoy the ride and the scenery. 
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
10-16-06, 05:38 PM
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Getting back in one piece is my primary goal. Hopefully completing the distance, but I won't risk my safety or yours to do that, and I am really not worried about fast.
I do like pushing myself, but it isn't some magical number, it is about doing the best ride I can for that day. Major elements that make it the best possible ride for that day are safety and enjoyment... and a good pace is nice too.
I do like pushing myself, but it isn't some magical number, it is about doing the best ride I can for that day. Major elements that make it the best possible ride for that day are safety and enjoyment... and a good pace is nice too.
10-16-06, 06:34 PM
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Originally Posted by cyclintom
Got knocked off my bike in the final quarter mile of a metric century this last weekend. Part of the problem was that the mileage on the route sheet was off by 10 miles. Instead of the indicated 61 miles it was about 71 miles. This meant that near the supposed end all of the Jackass Riders were giving it everything they had and then it turned out that every mile past that ending they were growing more and more fatigued but were still intent on setting their speed records. So instead of slowing to a pace they could handle they were getting progressively less reliable judgement because of the strain to set their own personal bests.
Part of it was my fault for trusting other riders around me whom I don't know. But the real problem was Jackass Riders. I saw about a half dozen crashes and this ride was nearly perfectly flat and there was hardly a breath of wind. People in pacelines were touching wheels and going down every ten miles or so.
But the real problem is the way riders ride these days. Speed is everything and riding the Century isn't. Everyone wants to be able to say that they've averaged 20 mph for a century even though that's completely meaningless in that they've taken 3 hours of breaks on the way in order to ride that fast between the rest stops.
So they ride as fast as they're capable and then in the last 20 miles they're getting progressively more tired and instead of slowing up and finishing in a decent condition, they push themselves ever harder until their condition, their enjoyment and their judgement is completely shot. And they make mistakes.
Are you the sort of person that's willing and ever ready to risk not just your own safety but someone else's as well in order to be able to say you finished 20 seconds faster than last time? If so perhaps you ought to take up bungy jumping or being shot out of a cannon so that you effect fewer people around you.
When I was racing I'd see this all the time - on the last lap everyone would be pushing and shoving trying for position even though they couldn't sprint to save their souls. People would be going tunnel visioned trying to get 34th place in the sprint! That's GOT to be the world's most accurate definition of loser isn't it?
I watched one guy in the class after mine sprinting head down as hard as he could even though he was 40th or so. A guy touched wheels and went down in front of him and was sitting feet forward and back upright with PLENTY of space around him and this clown on a Bridgestone RB-1 hit him absolutely square in the back at perhaps 35 mph! His frame was completely destroyed - the fork was broken and the main triangle was badly bent. Luckily the guy on the ground got up and walked away but MAN! he had to have some broken ribs out of that.
So think about the way you ride - are you a Jackass of a rider? If so stay the heck away from me and everyone else on the road. Maybe you can wear one of those safety triangles and a large sign that says - MY GOALS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR LIFE TO ME.
Part of it was my fault for trusting other riders around me whom I don't know. But the real problem was Jackass Riders. I saw about a half dozen crashes and this ride was nearly perfectly flat and there was hardly a breath of wind. People in pacelines were touching wheels and going down every ten miles or so.
But the real problem is the way riders ride these days. Speed is everything and riding the Century isn't. Everyone wants to be able to say that they've averaged 20 mph for a century even though that's completely meaningless in that they've taken 3 hours of breaks on the way in order to ride that fast between the rest stops.
So they ride as fast as they're capable and then in the last 20 miles they're getting progressively more tired and instead of slowing up and finishing in a decent condition, they push themselves ever harder until their condition, their enjoyment and their judgement is completely shot. And they make mistakes.
Are you the sort of person that's willing and ever ready to risk not just your own safety but someone else's as well in order to be able to say you finished 20 seconds faster than last time? If so perhaps you ought to take up bungy jumping or being shot out of a cannon so that you effect fewer people around you.
When I was racing I'd see this all the time - on the last lap everyone would be pushing and shoving trying for position even though they couldn't sprint to save their souls. People would be going tunnel visioned trying to get 34th place in the sprint! That's GOT to be the world's most accurate definition of loser isn't it?
I watched one guy in the class after mine sprinting head down as hard as he could even though he was 40th or so. A guy touched wheels and went down in front of him and was sitting feet forward and back upright with PLENTY of space around him and this clown on a Bridgestone RB-1 hit him absolutely square in the back at perhaps 35 mph! His frame was completely destroyed - the fork was broken and the main triangle was badly bent. Luckily the guy on the ground got up and walked away but MAN! he had to have some broken ribs out of that.
So think about the way you ride - are you a Jackass of a rider? If so stay the heck away from me and everyone else on the road. Maybe you can wear one of those safety triangles and a large sign that says - MY GOALS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR LIFE TO ME.
And this is why those stand alone trainers in the basement are bad.......
10-16-06, 06:44 PM
#9
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I was signed up for Foxy's but had an emergency appendectomy Thursday morning and wasn't quite up to it yet. Should be back on the bike tomorrow for some easy riding.
I like riding in fast groups on centuries but I'm careful who I get in with. If there's someone who looks the least out of his element anywhere near me I pull out. And I'm picky - I want to see smooth spinning, relaxed arms, focus. I can tell if the guy in front of me is the kind of guy who stalls a half rev getting out of the saddle way before he has any reason to get out of the saddle. I can tell how tired he is by looking at his feet.
You noticed that these guys were getting "progressively less reliable" and you stayed with them anyway - blame the crash on yourself for ignoring the signs.
I like riding in fast groups on centuries but I'm careful who I get in with. If there's someone who looks the least out of his element anywhere near me I pull out. And I'm picky - I want to see smooth spinning, relaxed arms, focus. I can tell if the guy in front of me is the kind of guy who stalls a half rev getting out of the saddle way before he has any reason to get out of the saddle. I can tell how tired he is by looking at his feet.
You noticed that these guys were getting "progressively less reliable" and you stayed with them anyway - blame the crash on yourself for ignoring the signs.
10-16-06, 06:52 PM
#10
Senior Member
Since when do people time themselves to exclude the rests in a century? I know my computer auto-stops, but when I compute my avg speed I always take total elapsed time. My fastest century, 20 years ago, was 4:15, no stops, 10 hours total for the double including the stop. If I did that today they'd be picking me up off the ground in a hearse.
10-16-06, 07:02 PM
#11
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Originally Posted by zacster
Since when do people time themselves to exclude the rests in a century?
Over a long enough period of time I could have an outstanding century time just by taking my max speeds out of interval training over the course of a couple of months.
10-16-06, 07:10 PM
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I'm not a jackass (to use your words). I rarely draft someone that I don't know. When I draft somebody I want to always know that they are experienced and know how to give consistant reliable hand signals. On that rare occasion when I do draft a stranger, I pull away immediately when I notice inexperience. (Did I mention that i'm not a jackass).
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10-16-06, 07:21 PM
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I almost always ride alone, even when riding like a jackass.
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10-16-06, 08:25 PM
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fatigued at 60 miles?? WTH is that LoL - thats right around when my legs start getting warmed up...
stats on a double century 206 miles (Lotoja 2006)
Gender X Total Time 09:48:54.952 Class Place 1
Class/Division Name CAT V 5500s Net Time 09:42:37.952 Pace 21.0
dont worry i will stay away, far far away or in front rather
stats on a double century 206 miles (Lotoja 2006)
Gender X Total Time 09:48:54.952 Class Place 1
Class/Division Name CAT V 5500s Net Time 09:42:37.952 Pace 21.0
dont worry i will stay away, far far away or in front rather
10-16-06, 08:57 PM
#16
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Originally Posted by cyclintom
That's GOT to be the world's most accurate definition of loser isn't it?
Sprinting for 34th is, well not exactly smart, just getting into the spirit of competition. That's why UCI awards the same times to a group, so they don't have to fight for low places. All that counts is the stage win and retaining the GC.
10-16-06, 09:11 PM
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Originally Posted by munkyv22
Actually, I think the guy sitting at home eating Doritos and watching cops while his girlfriend works two jobs to try to make enough money to buy him beer so he won't beat her, while collecting wellfare to feed their 10 kids is a better definition.
Sprinting for 34th is, well not exactly smart, just getting into the spirit of competition. That's why UCI awards the same times to a group, so they don't have to fight for low places. All that counts is the stage win and retaining the GC.
Sprinting for 34th is, well not exactly smart, just getting into the spirit of competition. That's why UCI awards the same times to a group, so they don't have to fight for low places. All that counts is the stage win and retaining the GC.
I prefer cheese puffs to Doritos.
10-16-06, 09:12 PM
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I was hit by a JaR on the GW Bridge once. Dude was going too fast down the ramp into Manhattan as I was going up, locked out his rear wheel... you get the picture (posted it about it here somewhere). I don't get riders who think of the GWB as part of their training course. It's narrow, hundreds of feet in the air with two-way bike and ped traffic: is it really wise to ride there at 20+mph, to heck with everyone else there? (hint: no)
Less of a JaR but more of a clown was this guy rubberbanding (or is it yo-yoing?) me and my two friends during our finish stretch back to Manhattan yesterday. We were nearing the end of a 200km ride, with me pulling at the front the whole way (long story) when we pass a guy on a road bike. He jumps on the back of our little group, rests then takes off. Repeat this a good 6-7 or more times, with Mr. Clown doing his little surges at the worst possible places (on the inside of turns? moron). I wasn't about to slow down because it was a timed event (brevet) we were doing and I wasn't going to put the hammer down to lose him for good either. Not quite a JaR, I guess, but close, no?
Less of a JaR but more of a clown was this guy rubberbanding (or is it yo-yoing?) me and my two friends during our finish stretch back to Manhattan yesterday. We were nearing the end of a 200km ride, with me pulling at the front the whole way (long story) when we pass a guy on a road bike. He jumps on the back of our little group, rests then takes off. Repeat this a good 6-7 or more times, with Mr. Clown doing his little surges at the worst possible places (on the inside of turns? moron). I wasn't about to slow down because it was a timed event (brevet) we were doing and I wasn't going to put the hammer down to lose him for good either. Not quite a JaR, I guess, but close, no?
10-16-06, 09:27 PM
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Originally Posted by zacster
Since when do people time themselves to exclude the rests in a century? I know my computer auto-stops, but when I compute my avg speed I always take total elapsed time. My fastest century, 20 years ago, was 4:15, no stops, 10 hours total for the double including the stop. If I did that today they'd be picking me up off the ground in a hearse.
10-16-06, 10:32 PM
#21
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Since when do people time themselves to exclude the rests in a century?
10-17-06, 05:45 AM
#22
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Originally Posted by Hammer02
I prefer cheese puffs to Doritos.
10-17-06, 06:18 AM
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Once I reach 400 watts, the heat sensitive letters J A become visible on the back of my jersey and I don't stop till I cross the finish line.
10-17-06, 06:56 AM
#24
Announcer
Paying an entry fee to ride a organized/supported ride, but blowing past the rest stops in order to set a P.R.?
If you're doing that, send ME the money, go out and ride your own 100 mile loop, and I'll give the bagels and bananas to the homeless. Everybody wins.
And how does a 4:21 century on Course A compare to Course B?
Geez, even a kilo on one velodrome doesn't fully compare to a kilo on another.
If you're doing that, send ME the money, go out and ride your own 100 mile loop, and I'll give the bagels and bananas to the homeless. Everybody wins.
And how does a 4:21 century on Course A compare to Course B?
Geez, even a kilo on one velodrome doesn't fully compare to a kilo on another.
10-17-06, 07:00 AM
#25
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Originally Posted by cyclintom
People would be going tunnel visioned trying to get 34th place in the sprint! That's GOT to be the world's most accurate definition of loser isn't it?
