"Off your line" or simply moving in a different direction?

wallace_and_gromit

I made my seasonal debut in a Cat 4 crit on Saturday. As usual in such a frenetic race, there were frequent cries of "hold your line" and other references to differences in opinion as to what constitutes the racing line. I'm sure a few were directed at me as I was hanging on for grim death at many points, and if I'd have had any spare breath, I'd have commented a few times on people cutting me up as well.

My question is where is the line drawn between dangerous riding / "sudden movements off your line" (as the race briefing was worded) and there being more than 1 "arc" through which one can travel round a corner so that in a tight bunch, inevitably there will be incidents of riders interferring with each other simply because with differences in entry points to corners, speed into corner, timing of pedalling etc, there's not enough room for everyone to do their own thing unmolested?

The classic incident of this type is when an overtaking rider on the outside gets blocked by a rider taking a smooth but wide arc round a bend (e.g. to avoid having to brake to take a tighter line). The blocked rider generally seems to take umbrage, but should they be sufficiently savvy to spot that this might happen?

Our race seemed pretty good natured (in the conext of the "Hunger Games on 2 wheels" that is a Cat 4 crit!) - I apologised to anyone I thought I'd cut up and likewise I got a few apologies in return. Shame I didn't have the legs on the last lap, but at least I avoided crashing and returned home with all my backside, unlike one poor fellow.

DavidJB

I found that 4th cats are all so nervous they shouted at any little infraction. This doesn't happen at higher cats. You'll learn the difference through experience of what's simply moving and what's dangerous sudden movement. Just look where you're going and make sure there is space and don't swing wildly.

DeVlaeminck

If you are off the front take whatever line you like through a corner, in a bunch I'm afraid you don't have the option to choose whatever arc through a corner you want. You do get people shouting at nothing in races but as a rule if it's happening to you regularly you probably are doing something dangerous.

wallace_and_gromit

DeVlaeminck wrote:

If you are off the front take whatever line you like through a corner...

That's a bit elitest - The same applies when you're off the back as well!

ongej

I find that there are 2 situations where "hold your line" (usually with expletives inserted before, between, after) , and thats during sweeping corners and the last half of the final lap. I think where it is most valid is corners, where sometimes we are slightly unaware we are drifting left or right whilst turning (too tight or too wide), and have seen this take out riders (e.g. if you are in the middle of the road and then drift to one side to "catch" the apex, and everyone else is maintaining their position, someone is going to get squeezed).

Another time is when a rider unintentionally "dive bombs" through a corner, saw that happen a few times in cyclopark on Sat. Everyone is going wide, a rider or 2 decides, why go wide, I'll cut the apex, shorter path, and then finding the entire bunch converging towards them with nowhere to go.

In the final run towards a bunch sprint, lots of people shout "hold your line" but few people are actually "holding their lines", as everyone is trying to jump on a faster moving swarm/train and ditching the wheels they are following the moment it looks like slowing down.