Motorpacing training

Monty Dog

You'd need an experienced 'pilot' and the law authorities might not take kindly to such riding. Riding behind a moped is quite commonly used on the continent to develop top-end speed. There was a famous incident a few years ago where Mario Cippollini and a teamate were stopped on the autostrata drafting a Smart car at 80kph. It takes a lot of skill to be safe riding at those kind speeds because the margin of error is so small.

jibberjim

Motor pacing is only relevant when you don't have faster other people to ride with, if you're new, then just ride with other people they'll be able to get you to the speeds and inertias you'll experience in races without the risk of motorpacing.

Once you're faster than all the groups in your area, then start thinking about it.

fnb1

most car and motorbike insurance policies specifically exclude cover for motor pacing, so unless there is specific cover requested the pace vehicle would be un-insured.

Pseudonym

never heard of 'cat 5'...?

jgsi

OP is not UK based by sound of it.
To the OP, best race prep is the full on chain gang to learn the disciplines and speeds and then race.

nakita222

cat 5 is an American category. Equivalent to Cat 4. motorpacing isn't really needed, if you can ride with a group of people who can push you hard.

Monty Dog

Ah, but those unexpected occassions where you get the chance to draft a moped at 50kph is a joy as the unwitting moped rider usually does the following:
1. Tries to accelerate away, winding the throttle full-on but doesn't relaise that the big hole in the air is making it quite easy for you to hang-on.
2. Gets down into tank-slapping position in a attempt to improve his aerodynamics but he's already reached his terminal velocity dictated by the restricted engine.
3. Sits-up and feigns ignorance of the cyclist hanging-on

Finding said moped rider at the end of a chaingang as a means to draft them for the final sprint is the ultimate training tactic. I also recount dropping back to pick-up the draft of an over-taking bus as the rest of the training group were positioning themselves for a group sprint - I breezed past at 60kph on the other side of the road and they never had a chance!

cougie

LOL - motorpacing.

Look up the photo of Davis Phinney and his team car and it may put you off.

winterdancer

I got drafted by a scooter coming into work one day - me on steel frame 'mtb' with panniers going into a headwind. Felt strong that day!

oldwelshman

This is a useful training method and maybe easier in USA than in UK.
I know a couple of top ridrs who have been stopped doing this.
I am looking to get a moped to do this also as I know a couple of places where I can do this safely and hopefully without police catching me :-)
If your pilot is inexperienced you have to find somehwehere safe and preferably flat and straight to do this and set out speeds you wish to do before hand.
Oh and try to find a route with no potholes
Another good thing to do is use two way raidios so you can talk to each other.
If you do get stopped by police, just make sure you both don't stop you just cycle on, and if later stopped deny all knowledge of arranging to draft
Motor pacing is different to chaingang training, it is more similar to derny training on the track.

P_Tucker

oldwelshman wrote:

This is a useful training method and maybe easier in USA than in UK.
I know a couple of top ridrs who have been stopped doing this.
I am looking to get a moped to do this also as I know a couple of places where I can do this safely and hopefully without police catching me :-)
If your pilot is inexperienced you have to find somehwehere safe and preferably flat and straight to do this and set out speeds you wish to do before hand.
Oh and try to find a route with no potholes
Another good thing to do is use two way raidios so you can talk to each other.
If you do get stopped by police, just make sure you both don't stop you just cycle on, and if later stopped deny all knowledge of arranging to draft
Motor pacing is different to chaingang training, it is more similar to derny training on the track.

Jesus. Ride with someone better than you. It's not fu*king rocket science.

thesoupdragon182

would you not be better off training with someone on a tandum than chasing a car

oldwelshman

P_Tucker wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

This is a useful training method and maybe easier in USA than in UK.
I know a couple of top ridrs who have been stopped doing this.
I am looking to get a moped to do this also as I know a couple of places where I can do this safely and hopefully without police catching me :-)
If your pilot is inexperienced you have to find somehwehere safe and preferably flat and straight to do this and set out speeds you wish to do before hand.
Oh and try to find a route with no potholes
Another good thing to do is use two way raidios so you can talk to each other.
If you do get stopped by police, just make sure you both don't stop you just cycle on, and if later stopped deny all knowledge of arranging to draft
Motor pacing is different to chaingang training, it is more similar to derny training on the track.

Jesus. Ride with someone better than you. It's not fu*king rocket science.

Ah great advice, so I just need to find some one who can ride constant pace at 35 to 40 mph, maybe you will volunteer?
Motor paced training is totally different to chain gang training.

Also not always easy to find a chain gang, where I am there is no chain gang training.

oldwelshman

Anyway as usual when some one answer the OP you hijack the thread with your usual crap posts which are of no use.

cougie

Oldwelshman - if you are doing constant speeds of 35mph - then you should train behind your team car ?

Motorpacing - especially for a relative novice is wreckless, illegal and unneccessary.

petemadoc

I do a bit of motorpacing every day on my way to work

jocksyboy

If you are fortunate enough to have a track nearby then try derny pacing. We do it with track bikes and occasionally with road bikes.

Slimbods

To be PRO, you need two things for effective and safe motorpacing::



1. A roller on the back of your Vespa
2. A desirable Zipp wheel as a carrot

P_Tucker

oldwelshman wrote:

Anyway as usual when some one answer the OP you hijack the thread with your usual crap posts which are of no use.

Well, better than encouraging someone to do something dangerous, unnecessary and illegal innit?

oldwelshman

P_Tucker wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

Anyway as usual when some one answer the OP you hijack the thread with your usual crap posts which are of no use.

Well, better than encouraging someone to do something dangerous, unnecessary and illegal innit?

I did not encourage the OP just answered his question.
We are all adults on here ( I think) and able to decide what to do or notso he can make his own mind up.

Cougie, I do not have a team car but I would not feel safe doing it with a car.
So far I have only done derny sessions and would only do the ped pacing on a quiet safe and smooth road. I am not in London so can find a few suitable places.

I like the clip with the bike and zipp wheel they stopped using the rollers on back of derny's for saftey as too many riders were riding into the roller and falling off