No longer slumming it

ritcho said:

Well, I never called it "slumming", but I managed to have a go in C-
grade today and finished 4th. There is clearly a lot to learn in this
racing game.
why don't the "non-sprinters" make the most of their skills and try
to make a break? Some chance is surely better than no chance? Oh
well, it was a good day out and I'll hopefully grow a few brain cells
for next time.
Ritch

I was being cheeky referring to your D-grade experience a few weeks
ago Ritch😄

Re the sprinting thing (and Im sure the wheelsucking brigade led by
hippy can say better than i...) going on what I have seen/read, the non-
sprinters may not have made a brake bcos:
a) the pace was too high and thus couldnt get off the front. This seems
to be the primary reason that sprinter's teams in organised races
(refer Patacchis Fasso train in the recent Giro or what McGee does
for 'Cooky'😉 wind up the approach to the start at a long way out (ie
up o 25k out:eek: ) so its impossible for someone to do as you
suggest and break away
b) you managed to simply pull 3 sprinters to the line and they all
individually thought the were up for a shot in the last 100m! (the
fact that all 4 of you crossed within the one bike length makes this
a likely scenario)
c) maybe next time if you fancy your chances at TTing for a stretch have
a go after he halfway mark and see if you can get clear. If you start
to wain(?) you can just jump onto the chasing group and sit on and
have a go at the end again if you have anything left
d) sounds like once you get your head around the tactics you might be up
for Bgrade!

Kew Dgrade for this little black duck tomorrow morning! excited but also
a bit scared as the last couple of months have been more about carbo-
loading than expenditure😄

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ritcho said:

Well, I never called it "slumming", but I managed to have a go in C-
grade today and finished 4th. There is clearly a lot to learn in this
racing game.

You've gotta go a lot earlier. Nobody will let you off the front in the
last lap, and usually not in the one before, either. When I'm feeling
good, I'll often have a dig a little after half way, when the sprinters
are thinking about bludging for the rest of the race. It rarely works,
especially in a crit, but is often worth a try.

On one of my more enjoyable rides I went like a maniac straight from the
starting line. Two guys bridged after the first lap, and it was on for
young and old after that. I didn't have the endurance to keep it up
though, and ended up back in the main bunch at the end, but the two guys
that bridged came 1, 2 by a comfortable margin.

Good to see you're up in a grade that can challenge you.

Suzy

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suzyj said:

You've gotta go a lot earlier. Nobody will let you off the front in the
last lap, and usually not in the one before, either. When I'm feeling
good, I'll often have a dig a little after half way, when the sprinters
are thinking about bludging for the rest of the race. It rarely works,
especially in a crit, but is often worth a try.
On one of my more enjoyable rides I went like a maniac straight from the
starting line. Two guys bridged after the first lap, and it was on for
young and old after that. I didn't have the endurance to keep it up
though, and ended up back in the main bunch at the end, but the two guys
that bridged came 1, 2 by a comfortable margin.
Good to see you're up in a grade that can challenge you.
Suzy

Ta muchly... I'll freely admit that the older and wiser heads got the
better of me. Next time, I'll try to remember the words from an old
motorcycle magazine - racing isn't about being the fastest, it's about
getting in front of other people. I guess this will take a bit of
thinking, planning and finally, execution in the race.

C'est la vie...

Ritch

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Quoted message said:

Originally posted by ritcho Ta muchly... I'll freely admit that the
older and wiser heads got >the better of me. Next time, I'll try to
remember the words from >an old motorcycle magazine - racing isn't
about being the >fastest, it's about getting in front of other people.
I guess this >will take a bit of thinking, planning and finally,
execution in the >race.

Let me clarify this for you...

It's about "getting in front of other people ON THE LINE" :-)

There's no point being in front of anyone during most of the race unless
you want to try for a breakaway (even wheelsucker me tries breaks all
the time.. usually to no success.. but I prefer not to be in the bunch..
contrary to popular belief :P).

So, next race, find a guy who looks fast - maybe he won last week? Try
your best to stick to his back wheel like glue. Leave his back wheel if
1) the final sprint is on and you are going around him, 2)he is slow
this week 3)he's in a bad position 4) a break is going away that you
should be in.

Make sure you are always in the front bunch. Don't lose sight of the
first 4 or 5 riders. If you do, you run the risk of not seeing a break.
You'll come screaming past who you _think_ is the leading rider, only to
find that 3 guys got away while you were at the back of the bunch and
have already claimed top three places.

Have FUN!

hth hippy

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Rolled down to Kew crit on Sunday morning.

After having ridden for an hour to loosen/warm up and achieving only an
'ice cream headache' i decided to go for a couple of laps without the
long gloves on. BIG Mistake! On the line i realised everyone else still
had theirs on. oh, well. it'll warm up, me thinks. Musta been about 2-3
degrees at best

Went round for the first 10 minutes and started getting numb toes. Then
my hands started aching. and aching and then getting so bad it felt like
i had them in boiling water. It was a really wierd sensation. I was
never up for doing anything major, just wanting toblow off some cobwebs
and guage where i was at after quite a few weeks of lower riding
Eventually pulled up after 15 minutes and it took the rest of the race
for my hands tostop aching. Is that a 'cold' burn???

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flyingdutch said:

Rolled down to Kew crit on Sunday morning.
[snip freezer burn story]
Eventually pulled up after 15 minutes and it took the rest of the race
for my hands to stop aching. Is that a 'cold' burn???

Brrr. You made me feel cold just thinking about it. I have lived in
Melbourne on-and-off for about 12 years, but I wasn't really into riding
back then - it was all about motorbikes. My wife comes from Melbourne,
which means that I visit reasonably often. Perhaps I should bring the
bike and some ski-gloves 🙂 down and come have a go at Kew. Is it flat
or hilly? tight or open? bumpy or smooth?

Ritch

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ritcho said:

Brrr. You made me feel cold just thinking about it. I have lived in
Melbourne on-and-off for about 12 years, but I wasn't really into riding
back then - it was all about motorbikes. My wife comes from Melbourne,
which means that I visit reasonably often. Perhaps I should bring the
bike and some ski-gloves 🙂 down and come have a go at Kew. Is it flat
or hilly? tight or open? bumpy or smooth?
Ritch

1-1.5km loop

hairpin(-ish) corner at bottom/start leading up 300-400m hill to top
where finish line is. fairly smooth but they really could do with re-
surfacing that corner! Fairly open Was just 'D' and 'C' grade on Sunday
and lots riding 'down' as nobody registered for B/A grades Amazes me
that the same 3/4 faces who regularly place in 'D' arent shoved up to
'C'. Still, maybe i'll be the same when/if i finally snag one!

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