Your first race of the year ?

wheeler585

If everyone sat in and just pedaled at a steady pace, there wouldn't be much point on racing or watching a race would there. Winning a race however you can, is what alot of riders do, by riding like idiots and cutting everyone up. I'm only bitter as been brought down twice now by riders who just don't have a clue. Not only do I end up in A+E, but more importantly, my pride and joy gets mangled!

jonmack

Part of racing is tactics, if you wanna sit at the front all day doing short pulls and hiding from the wind to take them all on the sprint, then so be it, it might be frowned upon or seen as lazy but it's still racing. If other people don't like it, tough shit, they have the opportunity to do it if they want, but if they choose not to then more fool them.

jibberjim

wheeler585 wrote:

If everyone sat in and just pedaled at a steady pace, there wouldn't be much point on racing or watching a race would there.

No, but it's a perfectly valid strategy. Normally you'd want people who weren't interested in a field sprint working hard to drop those who were. If such people didn't turn up it would be a very boring race certainly, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a perfectly fine strategy.

wheeler585 wrote:

Winning a race however you can, is what alot of riders do, by riding like idiots and cutting everyone up. I'm only bitter as been brought down twice now by riders who just don't have a clue. Not only do I end up in A+E, but more importantly, my pride and joy gets mangled!

But that's unsafe idiots, they'd be unsafe idiots if they were attacking in the middle of the race too. The only way to earn the right to sprint without them around is to drop them.

Surfr

DELETED: that came out all wrong

What I meant to say was thanks for the tips.

gsk82

i've put in for Seacroft spring road race on 27th March and Sheffrec spring race on 19th April. Hopefully will get intoone of them. i only got into 2 of 4 events i applied for last year but hopefully the 6 points i picked up will help

Chip \'oyler

I haven't seen the CTT Handbook yet but I'll probably do the YCF 10m TT in late Feb just to see how my training is going. First big race after that is the Circuit of Ingleborough in March. A right classic!

Pross

3Pears wrote:

Pross
Can I ask have you got all 3 dates for your Abergavenny Handicap RR's, can't find them on your site or BC race calendar !

Any help much appreciated

All 3 events now confirmed see here http://www.abergavennyrc.org.uk/events/handicaps2011.pdf

Worth noting for women in particular.

Zachariah

wheeler585 wrote:

Yeah I'm doing the velo29 series, I race for the team, so will be rude not to! Should be good as long as the weather is kind to us, don't fancy coming down, as got a training camp end of feb. Be good to get some speed work in, after that will be the neil White stokesley, which always hurts ;-)

The deed is done - I've sent my entry form off to Daniel for the Jan 29th Series 1! I'll be the noob MAMIL with the shiny red Planet X. Be gentle.

wheeler585

Nice one zach, you will be fine mate, take it your doing the cat 4 only race? It's not a bad circuit, wide smooth with a good 200 metre sprint finish! Just watch out for the chicane before the finish, always get the odd nutter who gets a sudden rush of blood to the head! Cakes coffee and good banter afterwards, which is always a result.

paddlemyowncanoe

I'm with tester for two reasons. First, as he says, if you're not strong enough to be up in the leading nose cone for a chunk of the race you probably aren't strong enough to have a go, so get out of the way please.

The next is a personal observation Some races I would pootle along, mid or back part of the pack, feeling a bit bored and just waiting for the last lap or two. I'm fresh and feel fine, but for some reason the get up an go bit is just not enough to get round the rest then sprint. On the other hand, if I've spent an hour having a scrap and working hard up at the front, I really want to hang onto what I've earned and will fight for it. It feels like I need an hour's worth of warm up and build up to get in shape for a gallop.

So now, if I find I've spent the first 30+ minutes in the pack I know I'm wasting my time points-wise and enjoy the ride instead.

Zachariah

wheeler585 wrote:

Nice one zach, you will be fine mate, take it your doing the cat 4 only race? It's not a bad circuit, wide smooth with a good 200 metre sprint finish! Just watch out for the chicane before the finish, always get the odd nutter who gets a sudden rush of blood to the head! Cakes coffee and good banter afterwards, which is always a result.

Thanks! Looking forward to it. Yes, it's the 4th Cat race. Do you know if it's the full circuit or do the bike racers only do part of it? I've been watching a few POV videos on youtube (all from cars) and it does look like a good circuit wth only a couple of tight bends.

hammerite

My first is the Oxonian Cross race on Sunday. Should tell me how much work I need to do and how much fitness I've lost!

wheeler585

Yeah it's the full circuit, 1.8 mile circuit me thinks. We race the opposite way to what the cars and motorbikes go round. If it's a windy day, be prepared to hang on as it's a very open circuit, handlebar chomping time ;-)

Pokerface

March 11: Track World Championships

Pokerface

wheeler585 wrote:

If everyone sat in and just pedaled at a steady pace, there wouldn't be much point on racing or watching a race would there. Winning a race however you can, is what alot of riders do, by riding like idiots and cutting everyone up. I'm only bitter as been brought down twice now by riders who just don't have a clue. Not only do I end up in A+E, but more importantly, my pride and joy gets mangled!

Your attitude in your post and your sig line are somewhat contradictory - no!? 8)

wheeler585

Don't know what your trying to get at pokerface, please explain?

wheeler585

Oh ha I get what your saying now, when I first started racing, I always stuck my nose out on the front. Obviously not very experienced then, as all I wanted to do was show ppl how strong, I thought I was!

maryka

paddlemyowncanoe wrote:

The next is a personal observation Some races I would pootle along, mid or back part of the pack, feeling a bit bored and just waiting for the last lap or two. I'm fresh and feel fine, but for some reason the get up an go bit is just not enough to get round the rest then sprint. On the other hand, if I've spent an hour having a scrap and working hard up at the front, I really want to hang onto what I've earned and will fight for it. It feels like I need an hour's worth of warm up and build up to get in shape for a gallop.

So now, if I find I've spent the first 30+ minutes in the pack I know I'm wasting my time points-wise and enjoy the ride instead.

Erm, what? Sorry but that's a weird strategy, mate, and sounds like it's more in your head than your legs. Why give up 30 min into the race? Why even race at all? How about attack off the front on your fresh legs and see where it goes?

As for sprinting, it is indeed all about safety. If you're a natural sprinter who doesn't need a lead-out, then as long as you're near the front you'll get a result. If you're a half-decent sprinter, buy a few teammates some pints to wind it up for you with 3-4 laps to go and drop all the deadwood (or catch them out if possible) and make sure you're in a good position. If you're not a sprinter, either race on different circuits suiting your strengths, attack hard and often to try and get away, or be one of the aforementioned teammates who helps another win.

Frankly, if more people realised that they are either b) or c) but probably not a), we'd have a lot more interesting races with attacks, breakaways and teamwork. And less of this sitting in "I''m Cav watch me go" kind of train wrecks.

ozzzyosborn206

maryka wrote:

paddlemyowncanoe wrote:

The next is a personal observation Some races I would pootle along, mid or back part of the pack, feeling a bit bored and just waiting for the last lap or two. I'm fresh and feel fine, but for some reason the get up an go bit is just not enough to get round the rest then sprint. On the other hand, if I've spent an hour having a scrap and working hard up at the front, I really want to hang onto what I've earned and will fight for it. It feels like I need an hour's worth of warm up and build up to get in shape for a gallop.

So now, if I find I've spent the first 30+ minutes in the pack I know I'm wasting my time points-wise and enjoy the ride instead.

Erm, what? Sorry but that's a weird strategy, mate, and sounds like it's more in your head than your legs. Why give up 30 min into the race? Why even race at all? How about attack off the front on your fresh legs and see where it goes?

As for sprinting, it is indeed all about safety. If you're a natural sprinter who doesn't need a lead-out, then as long as you're near the front you'll get a result. If you're a half-decent sprinter, buy a few teammates some pints to wind it up for you with 3-4 laps to go and drop all the deadwood (or catch them out if possible) and make sure you're in a good position. If you're not a sprinter, either race on different circuits suiting your strengths, attack hard and often to try and get away, or be one of the aforementioned teammates who helps another win.

Frankly, if more people realised that they are either b) or c) but probably not a), we'd have a lot more interesting races with attacks, breakaways and teamwork. And less of this sitting in "I''m Cav watch me go" kind of train wrecks.

i am definatly a c
,

SteveR_100Milers

1st road event is the Port Talbot Whlrs 2 up 25 - hoping to get nicely under the hour on that. 1st RR is likely to be the Auchterlonie H/caps. Hopefully a winter of track racing means I wont get dumped after 10 minutes like this time last year....

ozzzyosborn206

anyone else the the Peter Young Memorial race 20th March?

MikeWW

Eddie Soens Memorial March 5th for me

oldwelshman

Probably may or june when it is warmer

masterchef

doing my first race this season on the 5th of march in garstang its a 10m tt its an interclub 10 i think:).

ju5t1n

Spring Chicken Road Race – 12th March

Hibbs

ju5t1n wrote:

Spring Chicken Road Race – 12th March

Mine too.

(subject to entry being accepted, of course.)

Zachariah

Anyone done the Tockwith Autodrome on a bike before?

dave milne

Hog Hill 3rds on Saturday.

Feel strong but still at least 2 kilos overweight. Should be a good indicator of where I really am