I think I get psyched out by the tall guy in blue. I've seen him in action and he can kill the field at will. We probably could have caught him on the first descent but someone kept saying "let him go."CAMPYBOB said:
My second cat 4 race - another video for you guys to watch.
- Thread starter collin2985
- Start date
He's the guy that you want to follow closely. Watch, learn and when he so much as intimates that he's going to push on the pedals harder, get ready to jump - doesn't matter if he's adjusting the wedding tackle, farting or really getting ready to jump, be ready. Watch when he relaxes, when he eats, drinks and whatnot.
On the descent it's the fast lads you want to be behind. Learn the braking points and when things get a little too quick for you, trust that they're going to make it around the corner. It's a leap of faith you're going to have to take at somepoint. If they're fast on descents and they don't have legs and arms covered in scar tissue, chances are they're a bit handy on the downhill.
You know it didn't feel as cold as it was.
Next up: Race Highlights with narration: (I'll have full vids up eventually)
Next up: Race Highlights with narration: (I'll have full vids up eventually)
Colin,
What are you best at in relation to your peers? Climbing, sprinting, time trials? Are you looking to race for "fun" or do you want to progress?
Just curious.
What are you best at in relation to your peers? Climbing, sprinting, time trials? Are you looking to race for "fun" or do you want to progress?
Just curious.
Here's the full video. Thanks Bob! Swampy, I'm mostly in it for the fun and progressing makes it enjoyable too. I know I'm not a rockstar moving through the ranks at lightning speed. I'm your average amateur: I've got a job, I'm taking classes, I'm married... I've got a lot on my plate. I'd like to eventually make it to Cat 1 but I'm not a professional in the making. It's tough to make choices like that but I'm 28, not especially gifted genetically-speaking, and I have a lot of other commitments.
Maybe if entry-level pros got paid the same as entry level professional baseball, football, or basketball players there would be a higher incentive to try but I think domestiques get paid less than 50k a year.
It's kind of funny how these videos garner me way more attention than I would ever get if you were just looking at pure performance in the amateur ranks. Few people hear about the guy who wins the local Cat 4 race, yet I have hundreds to thousands of people watching me as I roll in mid-pack. A lot of the views are from riders trying to get a glimpse of themselves but inevitably I've gotten way more attention than I deserve, ha.
Maybe if entry-level pros got paid the same as entry level professional baseball, football, or basketball players there would be a higher incentive to try but I think domestiques get paid less than 50k a year.
It's kind of funny how these videos garner me way more attention than I would ever get if you were just looking at pure performance in the amateur ranks. Few people hear about the guy who wins the local Cat 4 race, yet I have hundreds to thousands of people watching me as I roll in mid-pack. A lot of the views are from riders trying to get a glimpse of themselves but inevitably I've gotten way more attention than I deserve, ha.
Collin, all I have are a bunch of still photos from my days in the sun and a nice VCR tape (I GOT to get it converted to DVD) from when I raced in the para-Olympics.
You and every guy you captured in your training and racing videos will rejoice when they re-watch the footage from their rocking chairs in the retirement homes we'll all end up in. Your name will be praised by team mates and competitors alike for having the foresight and ambition to do what you are doing today.
Trust me on this...all the Cat. 4 glory in the world is not worth getting to re-live the fun you are currently having.
No, no one remembers 'who' won the local crit or road race on that sunny Saturday morning in June, but you and your local crew WILL be able brag about the moves you made, wince at the skin you lost and most importantly, smile at all the fun you had.
Stay safe and keep posting them!
You and every guy you captured in your training and racing videos will rejoice when they re-watch the footage from their rocking chairs in the retirement homes we'll all end up in. Your name will be praised by team mates and competitors alike for having the foresight and ambition to do what you are doing today.
Trust me on this...all the Cat. 4 glory in the world is not worth getting to re-live the fun you are currently having.
No, no one remembers 'who' won the local crit or road race on that sunny Saturday morning in June, but you and your local crew WILL be able brag about the moves you made, wince at the skin you lost and most importantly, smile at all the fun you had.
Stay safe and keep posting them!
Colin, Entry level pros in cycling get peanuts. You almost have to do it for the love of the sport. The biggest jump in required performance you'll likely see here in the US is between Cat 2 and 3. A lot of 3's are guys that rode a million races to scramble for upgrade points. You can't really fudge the extra distance for the much longer and slight faster Cat 1 and 2 races - even if you're a tactical genius on the bike it's a big ask when moving up. You either have the legs or you don't. Clever riding and persistence will get a lot of guys up from 4 to 3. If you're "gifted" just riding the harder events will allow you to win by Darwism. I hear you on the thing about other commitments at home. If you get the rest of the family their own hobby, it frees up a bunch of time for riding 
If you really want to maximize training time - structure your training more and get a powermeter. The goon ride looks like fun and the scenery is nice but it's probably not the best way for you to get quick, quickly. Too much stress isn't always the best approach. Fun, yes. Effective, not always.
If you really want to maximize training time - structure your training more and get a powermeter. The goon ride looks like fun and the scenery is nice but it's probably not the best way for you to get quick, quickly. Too much stress isn't always the best approach. Fun, yes. Effective, not always.
Well said Bob. I'm only 28 and life still seems like it'll go on forever but it won't and I'm sure I'll appreciate these clips when I'm old. Sometimes I sit back and think about what it'll be like when I'm near the end of my life and I know I'll be thinking about all the beautiful moments I've had on the bike.
Swampy, I'm definitely fitting into the category of men that scramble for upgrade points but we'll see how things play out over the years. I'm mixing in some slower rides during the week when I'm not mixing it up with the cat 1s on the goon ride. I think it'll help.
That said, here's some more Goon riding with a different route than usual thanks to all the flooding recently.
Swampy, I'm definitely fitting into the category of men that scramble for upgrade points but we'll see how things play out over the years. I'm mixing in some slower rides during the week when I'm not mixing it up with the cat 1s on the goon ride. I think it'll help.
That said, here's some more Goon riding with a different route than usual thanks to all the flooding recently.
Short crit. Not much action for most of the race. A few attacks that went no where. A crash between 2 riders and a 3rd rider who decides to take a nap in the grass. Then the final sprint where I felt good but got a bit boxed in and landed 7th.
Thanks Bob. I felt strong. I think I'm in good condition right now but I've got some finals to think about in school the next 2 weeks. Here's the full rear vid. Hopefully I'll have the front up soon.
I think my form is improving. I managed to do some pulls on this ride and although I got dropped on the first hill, it was because a gap formed a few riders ahead of me. On the second climb, I managed to get back on with the cat 1s on the descent which I've never done before. On the way home, I even had enough legs to do a couple of 20-30 second pulls at 28 mph.
