Take the OCR to the local tuesday night B ride, ride hard, get dropped or not.
Repeat as needed

You'd be surprised at how much respect you get for just showing up.

Oh god, I just realized, I'm part of it! This thread is like a black hole. I tried to avoid it, but I got sucked in anyway.
One post closer to 2000 -

BTW - I posted my post before I saw your's. That's a fine looking ride son.
Giant > Cervelo

Geting closer to 2000.

Thanks, I like it. Don't like the tape or seat but I got a deal for the seat and had to match. 17.2 as it sits.

The Giants are great race bikes. Here's Uncle Pcad's #1 Paceline Survival Tip: GUARD YOUR FRONT WHEEL. If you touch the wheel in front of you, 95% of the time YOU will crash, not the guy ahead of you. And he can't see where you are, so you have to focus on NEVER TOUCHING WHEELS. I've been doing this for 20+ years, never touched wheels in a race or fast group ride, I know other guys (some very experienced) who seem to have a penchant for doing this. It never ends well.

If you just remember this and practice it (FOCUS) you reduce your chances of causing a crash tremendously. But it is 100% your responsibility to guard that front wheel. Drill that into your brain kid.

Which Giant model is that? Looks like D.A. 7800 components. Nice bike.

I'll do my best not to touch wheels, I figured knowing not to was rather obvious but I guess some people don't realize this. I have two friends who bike: one who has ridiculous expensive stuff but won't go for rides or even consider racing, and the other has a broken foot. The first I mentioned I got to draft me a bit (on his fixie), and he was exhausted after 5 miles. Friggin weenie.

Thanks, It's a defy advanced. Ultegra derailleurs, 7800 crank, 105 shifters. It's not as nice as it looks haha. It won't hold me back anyway. Second frame I've gone through, thanks UPS.

Not as nice as it looks?
That bike friggin' rocks.
You've fallen under the influence of Bike Forums..... take a step back and appreciate what you have before you bite on the TCR Advanced SL.

All in good time.

And I'm quittin' this thread.
Cold turkey.
Tomorrow

You're not listening. Don't 'do your best' not to touch wheels. GUARD YOUR FRONT WHEEL. Don't touch wheels and if you're not a complete friggin idiot, you should be able to manage this. Here's one tip: if you start getting too close, TEMPORARILY float your wheel over a few inches to the RIGHT, that way if the guy in front of you slows down you might over lap wheels, but you won't ride right up his rear wheel. Don't ride like that for too long, only if you get too close and you can't back off immediately. But until you're comfortable, try to give yourself enough space to be safe and relaxed. As you gain more experience you will get more comfortable drafting at tighter distances.

'I'll do my best'. You guys kill me. Look, I'm less worried about you than the guys behind you who may also crash into your silly ass. Please keep this concept foremost in your mind at first, it will eventually become second nature. I still focus on that thought when the pace line or pack gets fast and road surface conditions get dicey, and sometimes they do.

I know I know, but I like bike schwag. I feel it needs more carbon. :) you can't tell in the photo (maybe I've raised the seat, I forget) but there's a hair over 4 inches of saddle to bar drop.

I can't wait till july for the 24 hour mountain race.

Okay fine, I won't. I don't want to go down as much as the next guy. I can't afford to replace this bike.

Relatedly, what would you do if I showed up at the Nyack Ride? Rue your advanced age?

Now you're talkin'. Be careful out there.

I will. It took way too long to buy this.. many months in debt (I took it after about half was paid). I earned it though which is cool..

Oh god, here we go.

Why the right rather than the left?

Hey Pcad, how do you like those zero g brakes? I may be getting a set.

Let me clarify: overlapping wheels in a pace line is a potentially bad idea, it's just a tip to avoid riding up somebody's ass in a tight pace line situation, you should NEVER do this for very long, and you should know what the F you're doing, I do, I employ this technique judiciously and attentively, but I back off when the line opens up a little. I usually cheat to the right because the pace line generally rotates off in front to the LEFT.

I've done this for a long time, I've never touched wheels. Much of this you'll learn as you ride and race, you'll get a feel for it on your own.

They're fine, they work, they're not as good as the D.A. 7900 or Ultegra 6700 brakes. But good enough. They're bicycle brake calipers, which don't work worth a damn even when they're good, the Zero G's are OK. Overall, worth it to save 110 grams, but it's a pretty stupid weight weenie move. I consider it my final descent into 41 Weight Weenie Damnation. The good news is you stop one floor above 33 Weight Weenie Damnation, where all the whackos with the Lightweight Wheels will reside for All Eternity, drinking flat non alcoholic beers with botto (he's the bartender).

We have a 14 y.o. kid show up (when he is not winning juniors track) who can take some monster pulls; he scares me sometimes...

Great championship game. It blows that Duke won.

Oh there's a shock.

Had Butler's last two shots been a couple inches different, they might have won.

Nobody cares.