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First Race in 2 Weeks. Seeking Advice.



 
 
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  #31  
Old September 10th 04, 03:14 PM
Keith Alexander
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ospam (Tom Paterson) wrote:

Relax, there will be more races.


*** Sure.
But there is only one first.

Thanks for the rest, too.

KA
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  #32  
Old September 10th 04, 03:37 PM
Donald Munro
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Tom Paterson wrote:
Relax, there will be more races.


Keith Alexander wrote:
*** Sure.
But there is only one first.


Enjoy losing your virginity, just remember not to go on the attack to
early or you might be a feeling a bit flaccid at the end :-)

  #33  
Old September 11th 04, 01:26 AM
Keith Alexander®
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On Thu, 09 Sep 2004 12:02:06 -0400, Alex Rodriguez
wrote:

Have you practiced riding in a group?


*** I have not.

Looking to join a club soonest.


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  #34  
Old September 11th 04, 01:51 AM
Benjamin Weiner
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(TritonRider) wrote:

http://bikerace.ahc.umn.edu/firstrace.html

Ben thanks for the link.
This is an ongoing discussion here in the NE officiating arena.
The number of Cat5s that show up with absolutely no clue isn't huge, but it's
still scary when you have to pick up and shovel what's left of them and the
people they take with them into ambulances.
One of the ideas that has been kicked around a little bit was try to get USCF
or Ne-bra to put a guide to bike racing basics on their websites along with, in
the case of Ne-bra, postings of beginner clinics that clubs run here.
Maybe for next spring.


Thank David LaPorte, who used to be active in rbr and whose site
hosts the link.

Maybe it would be a good idea if USAC and all the regional organizations
had a little squib on their homepages that said something like "Want to
start racing? Here's how" and had links to a primer like that one and
a list of area clubs. (USAC does have a search-for-a-club feature.)

Bike racing is unlike running, for example, where you can just sign up
for a 5K or 10K with no prior knowledge and there's little risk, beyond
hurting your knees. For cycling it helps to have the prior experience,
club etc, but a newbie isn't gonna know this. And in a busy world, it
isn't always easy to get people to participate in voluntary organizations
like cycling clubs. People sometimes blame this on roadie elitism,
but I bet it happens everywhere - somewhere, a bunch of runners, sailors,
kite-flyers, etc are pondering the same questions about how to get new
recruits.
  #35  
Old September 11th 04, 02:08 AM
Badger_South
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On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 20:26:30 -0400, Keith Alexander®
wrote:

On Thu, 09 Sep 2004 12:02:06 -0400, Alex Rodriguez
wrote:

Have you practiced riding in a group?


*** I have not.

Looking to join a club soonest.


Riding in a group is something that you have to practice and a skill you
have to learn. In fact if you don't do it regularly, you'll lose some of
your ability. The main thing is to tell the group you haven't, to not cross
their rear wheel (overlap), and to learn the basics of pulling and then
coming off the front safetly.

A good way is to practice with one other experienced person and have them
show you, then integrate into the group once you have some confidence and
knowledge of drafting techniques. Takes about half a dozen rides to start
getting it down.

I'm not sure how you'd handle things like drafting in your first race if
you've never done it before - some things not to do are obvious. But it's
hard to do well in a race if you don't do some drafting.

-B




---
k e i t h a l e x a n d e r
http://www.nootrope.net
http://www.modernamerican.com
aim: nootrope9 tailwind

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  #36  
Old September 11th 04, 02:35 AM
h squared
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Badger_South wrote:


A good way is to practice with one other experienced person and have them
show you, then integrate into the group once you have some confidence and
knowledge of drafting techniques. Takes about half a dozen rides to start
getting it down.

I'm not sure how you'd handle things like drafting in your first race if
you've never done it before - some things not to do are obvious. But it's
hard to do well in a race if you don't do some drafting.


i've never drafted while cycling, but even on skates it can be
terrifying (for the wussies like me)- hard to see what's coming, loud,
no room to bail, the person in front of you could take you out, the
person behind you could grab you and take down if they trip. the person
behind you keeps yelling at you to get even closer to the ****er in
front of you... plus, at race speed there's not a lot of time to react.
i like to go to crits just to marvel that the cyclists can get around
the corners without wimpering in fear.

heather, not helping things
  #37  
Old September 11th 04, 02:43 AM
Mark Fennell
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Benjamin Weiner wrote:

snip

Bike racing is unlike running, for example, where you can just sign up
for a 5K or 10K with no prior knowledge and there's little risk, beyond
hurting your knees.


Sometimes the first K of a 5K feels an awful lot like a crit, at least as
far as bumping, fighting for position, and closing gaps. But your point is
right on--the difference between running racing and bike racing is huge, and
almost everyone doesn't get that until they've raced a bike.


  #38  
Old September 11th 04, 03:20 AM
Badger_South
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On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 01:35:15 GMT, h squared
wrote:



Badger_South wrote:


A good way is to practice with one other experienced person and have them
show you, then integrate into the group once you have some confidence and
knowledge of drafting techniques. Takes about half a dozen rides to start
getting it down.

I'm not sure how you'd handle things like drafting in your first race if
you've never done it before - some things not to do are obvious. But it's
hard to do well in a race if you don't do some drafting.


i've never drafted while cycling, but even on skates it can be
terrifying (for the wussies like me)- hard to see what's coming, loud,
no room to bail, the person in front of you could take you out, the
person behind you could grab you and take down if they trip. the person
behind you keeps yelling at you to get even closer to the ****er in
front of you... plus, at race speed there's not a lot of time to react.
i like to go to crits just to marvel that the cyclists can get around
the corners without wimpering in fear.

heather, not helping things


It can be a lot of fun learning to draft, finding where you're out of the
wind, and having that teamwork going on. It's just like anything else -
when you haven't done it you can't dissect the ability, and you can't
fathom how to get there (remember watching skiing on TV before you
learned?)

But once you've done it a little, then you're actually excited to practice
it. You don't really have to get as close to the other person as you'd
think, and you can be several inches to the side and back 6-8 inches and
still be in the drafting spot. It's a matter of control. Once you
experience the control you're eager to do it more.

One way to get into the drafting position, I've found (and I could be
wrong), is to be going a little faster than the person, but be well to the
side. Then you coast a little and drop back into the 'slot' behind them,
(but still a little to the side of his wheel) and seek the spot where the
wind is less. From there it's just a matter of pedalling every several
seconds to keep in the slot. IOW, you don't try and pedal into the slot
directly from behind - that can be a bit risky. You come up on the rider
just a little faster, but to the side, and then drop back. That, to me
seems safer. If you significantly lose the position, then you start over,
speed up well to the side and slip back. Of course the person knows you're
doing this and concentrates on keeping a steady speed and stable course.
You pre-arrange which side you're going to go to set up - usually to his
left. I find it's best if you're wearing mirrors, so you can check now and
then, but YMMV.

Then, once you have that down, you can get into drafting position in any
number of ways.

Obviously you want to practice on the flat and straight, and where there's
no traffic - maybe a large parking lot or low traffic dead end street.

Again, I'm no expert. I'm just sharing some methods I use. Maybe others
have a better way.

-B


  #39  
Old September 11th 04, 04:24 AM
Keith Alexander®
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On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 21:08:12 -0400, Badger_South
wrote:

A good way is to practice with one other experienced person and have them
show you, then integrate into the group once you have some confidence and
knowledge of drafting techniques.


*** May sound silly, but after reading about and watching
pacelines, I asked my girlfriend to work with me on a
mini version.

We took turns pulling and then veering left while the other
took over and the leader fell back and in. Did it for a while
at about 17MPH. Definitely a skill.

Thanks for the advice.

Here is a related journal entry I posted.

---
"I am so not ready to race.

I'm working from home today, but decided to get as many miles in as
possible during a long lunch. Geared up, hopped on and took off. It's
way hot in NYC. Anyway, I do the usual route today but I see this guy
..25 mile ahead, obviously a racer. I decide to try to close the gap
but I just can't. We're at about 26MPH and despite my best effort, no
luck. When I get to the finish and turn around for another 10 miles,
he's rested a second and takes off after me. He gets right into my
draft and "sucks my wheel" for at least a mile. At that point he takes
the lead and I drop into his draft. "Cool" I think, a mini paceline.
We'll take turns pulling.

At about the 3 mile mark I figure it's my turn to pull and I take the
lead. Well ****, this guy was having none of it this time and he took
off. Tore my god damned legs right off. I gave chase and did ok for 2
minutes. Problem is, my heart rate hit 189. That's theoretically
impossible for me to keep up for more than 20-30 seconds without
needing to recover, but I did and I paid the price. I dropped to 14MPH
and realized my ass was firmly kicked. He passed me on the way back
with not even a nod. Damn."
---
k e i t h a l e x a n d e r
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aim: nootrope9 gogogo

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  #40  
Old September 11th 04, 07:52 AM
Stan Cox
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Keith Alexander® wrote:
On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 21:08:12 -0400, Badger_South
wrote:


A good way is to practice with one other experienced person and have them
show you, then integrate into the group once you have some confidence and
knowledge of drafting techniques.



*** May sound silly, but after reading about and watching
pacelines, I asked my girlfriend to work with me on a
mini version.

We took turns pulling and then veering left while the other
took over and the leader fell back and in. Did it for a while
at about 17MPH. Definitely a skill.

Thanks for the advice.

Here is a related journal entry I posted.

---
"I am so not ready to race.
snip


I dont know if this has already been covered but the most important
thing is DO NOT GET DISHEARTENED. You are probably in for a kicking but
this is not unusual in your first race. I once nearly got dropped in the
neutralised zone before the official start. If the bunch does manage to
get away from you let it go. Here (UK) you can rejoin the bunch when
they lap you as long as you dont contest for sprints or the finish. Oh
and remember that when you think your lungs are about to burst this is
unlikely to happen Have fun.

Stan Cox
 




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