racing - being in the bunch

evsy
evsy Posts: 111
edited April 2011 in Road beginners
hey everyone

so this is only a hypothetical question as i am no where near ready for racing, but i spotted something when watching the paris roubaix highlights, so thought i would ask on here.

say you are in the bunch and you are at the front of the bunch. you are speeding along and then suddenly you notice a massive pot hole directly in your path. what would you do? would you serve or slow down knowing that you would likely collide with another rider?
or would you have to risk continuing along your path and hit the hole, hoping that it doesnt break a spoke?

also, if you did break a spoke in a race would that be the end of your race or do you get support cars which carry spares?

sorry if these are dumb questions, just thought i would ask.

Comments

  • lfcquin
    lfcquin Posts: 470
    If you are at the front of the bunch you move out of the way of the pothole and call it out for the riders behind you.
    If you are in the bunch and it has been called out then the riders will move round it and you follow.
    If you are in the bunch and no-one calls it out then you don't see it and when you hit it, it hurts.

    There is normally enough room in the group to move round.

    There are no following cars in the lower category races. If you puncture or the wheel becomes un-rideable then your race is over and you make your way back to your car. Sometimes in circuit races you are allowed a lap out to change a wheel, but you still need to be fortunate enough to be near your spare wheel whel your problem occurs.

    Hope that helps.
  • jibberjim
    jibberjim Posts: 2,810
    Generally you should not do anything that's unpredictable or dangerous - if you are on the front, call out the pothole - you don't need to signal with your hands as you would on a club run just shout "HOLE" and be prepared to hit it if you can't take any avoiding action - there should be no potholes of any serious depth on a road race though without quite a lot of warnings so it shouldn't be that unknown. But no you don't swerve erratically to avoid a pothole - see it a long way ahead and gentley avoid it calling out.

    In a short circuit race, then you can often have a lap out to get a spare wheel - and then rejoin the bunch if it's not in the last 5 laps.

    In road races, there are sometimes service cars, but generally unless you're very, very good - and lucky - 'cos there's only one service car and if the people behind have punctured he'll be off dealing with them. Then you've not got a chance of making it back to the bunch and the service car really just gets you back to where you can ride home.
    Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/
  • evsy
    evsy Posts: 111
    thanks for the advice fellas. like i say its going to be next year when i look to race as i have only been cycling a few months, but was curious about what would happen in that situation.
  • evsy
    evsy Posts: 111
    just one more thing regarding racing. i understand that most in this country tend to be flatter courses. i would be entering in at the lowest level so can someone give me some insight in to what type of distances these races would be over, and a rough average speed they are contested at?

    thanks
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    About 50 miles and 25mph.
    More problems but still living....
  • kettrinboy
    kettrinboy Posts: 613
    evsy wrote:
    just one more thing regarding racing. i understand that most in this country tend to be flatter courses. i would be entering in at the lowest level so can someone give me some insight in to what type of distances these races would be over, and a rough average speed they are contested at?

    thanks
    Round my area in the spring and summer the NCRA run handicap races so that newbies to racing can have a go, the organisers will give the slowest riders known as longmarkers say 5-10 minutes head start , the intermediates 2-5 minutes,and the fastest or scratch riders start last and try to catch them all before the end, the races are 30 miles usually 5-6 laps of a short circuit,the winners average around 22-23 mph and the last finishers may be 5-10 minutes behind the winner but they would still probably break 20 mph, mostly the scratch riders manage to catch the longmarkers, but on a couple of races this spring the longmarkers have managed to stay in front for the win, also been some spectacular crashes in the dash for the line, but if you want to race theres always the risk of a prang.
  • Lillywhite
    Lillywhite Posts: 742
    kettrinboy wrote:
    Round my area in the spring and summer the NCRA run handicap races so that newbies to racing can have a go,

    Northamptonshire's version of the World Championships. :D

    A good introduction to road racing for newbies :wink: .
  • P_Tucker
    P_Tucker Posts: 1,878
    You could always jump it
  • fish156
    fish156 Posts: 496
    jibberjim wrote:
    if you are on the front, call out the pothole - you don't need to signal with your hands as you would on a club run just shout "HOLE".
    I'd rather the signal than the shout when in the bunch.
  • evsy
    evsy Posts: 111
    amaferanga wrote:
    About 50 miles and 25mph.

    really? ok then...dont think i will ever be able to do that :cry: the best average i have had is 18.4mph over a 25 mile course - and that was pretty flat.

    thanks for all the responses though
  • petemadoc
    petemadoc Posts: 2,331
    evsy wrote:
    amaferanga wrote:
    About 50 miles and 25mph.

    really? ok then...dont think i will ever be able to do that :cry: the best average i have had is 18.4mph over a 25 mile course - and that was pretty flat.

    thanks for all the responses though

    Bear in mind that A) people exaggerate and B) speeds will be much faster in a group
  • emx
    emx Posts: 164
    evsy wrote:
    amaferanga wrote:
    About 50 miles and 25mph.

    really? ok then...dont think i will ever be able to do that :cry: the best average i have had is 18.4mph over a 25 mile course - and that was pretty flat.

    thanks for all the responses though

    individual average speed bears no relevance to speed in a group - they can't be compared.
  • furrag
    furrag Posts: 481
    evsy wrote:
    amaferanga wrote:
    About 50 miles and 25mph.

    really? ok then...dont think i will ever be able to do that :cry: the best average i have had is 18.4mph over a 25 mile course - and that was pretty flat.

    thanks for all the responses though
    I'm sure you will if you train. I've never averaged anywhere near 25mph on one of my solo rides, and realistically should be moving up a category this summer. The bunch do pull you along and create a huge draft though - don't underestimate that. You feel it as soon as you get on the front or try to break though! :lol:

    Plus, if you bunnyhop the pothole and listen to 2nd wheel taking the rest of the bunch down, that's your time to attack and collect points. :wink:
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    evsy wrote:
    amaferanga wrote:
    About 50 miles and 25mph.

    really? ok then...dont think i will ever be able to do that :cry: the best average i have had is 18.4mph over a 25 mile course - and that was pretty flat.

    thanks for all the responses though

    Bear in mind that A) people exaggerate and B) speeds will be much faster in a group

    People do exaggerate, but I'm not. Unless the race is on either a particularly hilly circuit or one with lots of slow corners the average speed IME from 3rd/4th Cat races is usually in the range 24-26mph.

    Of course I never average anywhere near that riding solo.

    Only way to find out if you're up to racing is to try racing or try riding with the fast guys in a club and see if you can stick with them.
    More problems but still living....
  • lochindaal
    lochindaal Posts: 475
    I did my first race last week. It was around a 2km circuit. The format was ride for 30mins then + 5 laps.

    If you imagine the course as an oval then half of it was on a hill. I averaged 37km/hr for the race. My normal ride average is about 30km/hr on a comparitive course.

    Can't wait to go back back this week. You should definately give it a try.

    PS A short write up is in my blog in the sig below
  • Peddle Up!
    Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    Furrag wrote:
    The bunch do pull you along and create a huge draft though - don't underestimate that.

    Indeed! Although I don't ride in a group routinely I saw one ahead of me last summer and peddled like the wind to catch up. Once I got got close it was as if they had a tractor beam on me pulling me in. :shock: I swear I felt the bike accelerate as I closed in.
    Purveyor of "up" :)
  • sheffsimon
    sheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    PeteMadoc wrote:
    evsy wrote:
    amaferanga wrote:
    About 50 miles and 25mph.

    really? ok then...dont think i will ever be able to do that :cry: the best average i have had is 18.4mph over a 25 mile course - and that was pretty flat.

    thanks for all the responses though

    Bear in mind that A) people exaggerate and B) speeds will be much faster in a group

    Pretty typical numbers for a road race IMO.