39 posts tagged “bicycling”
Yesterday our shop hosted the Ronde von Mullica road race. I need to vent a bit about it. Knowing the three people who will read this in its entirety, thanks in advance. The rest of you are excused till next post.
Ronde von Mullica
Near the Pro Pedals shop in Hammonton, we have a lot of lightly-trafficked roads, and can put on races on courses such as the 10-mile loop we used for the Ronde. Jason, our fearless leader, puts on some great races in the area, and this one was a success overall.
There are some funny things going on lately in New Jersey bicycle racing. Turnout for races is fairly low. Normally our races are well-attended, because we put on most of the road races in South Jersey... Some folks don't like criteriums (don't know why!). There were some conflicting events yesterday (e.g., the American Cancer Society had its charity ride), and apparently people are balking at the price of gas and the general cost of getting to races nowadays. Honestly, I don't quite get it -- gas looks expensive, yes, but what is it? Maybe a third more than last year? It might total an exta $10. Looks worse than it is, I think.
Anyway, six races yesterday. The first set of three was the Category 3 race, then the Masters 35+ age group, then the Category 5 race. I marshalled a corner for the first set of races, and got to hang out with Otto, one of my esteemed teammates. Good time, and a decent morning to be outside. These races did 5, 5, and 3 laps respectively, for 50, 50, and 30 miles. Our team had some decent results, including a third place in the Cat 5 after a crash on the last lap. Keith from Mambos had a nice win in the 35+ I believe.
After a 20-minute or so break, the next set of races was on. Pro 1/2/3, the 45+, and the Cat 4. Six, 5, and 4 laps. I raced the Cat 4.
Legs, Location, & Luck
This morning I'm developing an algorithm to determine race winningabilityness. It's going to revolve around the following: {Legs, Location, Luck}. I don't know what the exact mix is yet, but yesterday definitely did not have it for me.
I started the race pretty strong, and tried to keep things moving for the first few laps. Often in the Cat 4 and Cat 5 races, racers hit it really hard coming up to corners, and then get around the corner and sit up. This drives me nuts (not that I haven't done it!). I tried to keep things moving throughout the race, including winding it up a little bit after the corners. With some help from some strong riders, like one guy from PBR and the eventual race winner from Setanta, the race was generally fast and fluid throughout. Until it wasn't. More on that later...
The Pro Pedals squad tries very hard to race as a team, and to keep our teammates in mind. So we had a couple of times when we had teammates off the front of the race. At these points, we tried to slow things down a bit in the group so our guy could get away. I spent a fair amount of time patrolling the front of the group while one of my teammates, Ryan, was really far ahead. He spent about 2/3rds of a lap off the front, but eventually the group came around my fat ass and pulled back up to him. It was a good effort though.
Otto, Richie, James -- nearly every one of our riders in the Cat 4 put in a few digs at the front at one point or another.
On the last lap, I tried to get the front of the group moving again. Had a lot of help from other teams, including Westwood and Basecamp riders. Things did move nicely for a while, and we were strung out single-file for a good time. Moving really fast. Then we got on the back side of the course, and things got bunchy again. Unfortunately, I was about four or five rows back in this bunchiness. The last segment of the course, coming up to the finish line, is about a 3-mile stretch. It seemed like everyone on the front of the group did not want to work or move, and was just holding the rest of us back. It seemed like the ones not holding the group back were out over the yellow road line, violating the center-line rule instead. Sort of nerve-wracking.
The slightly-uphilll finish on this course suits me well, but I was way too far back to help any of my teammates or to get a decent placing for myself. I ended up 20th in a field of about 55. Otto gave Jonathan a great lead-out, helping Jon get 3rd place. I was proud of Jonathan for sitting in during this race. It's hard to resist being more active, but sometimes we need to have someone fresh at the end.
Like most weeks, I have the Legs component down. Just can't figure out the right Location to get a win. Someday hopefully the Luck component will come along and it will all work out.
We'll Get 'Em Next Week
And so I'm singing the same song this week that I've been singing nearly all season .... we'll get 'em next week. I didn't do my best yesterday, but next week I may have a better opportunity in the Mount Holly race. I believe it's a closed course, which would mean plenty of room to get around the group when I need to. It would also mean I'll have to come up with a new excuse for next week if I place 20th again!
Still not a bad day for bike riding. Forty miles, 24 mph average. I guess in the end, I'm happy that I can keep up in these races, and I enjoy being out there with my teammates. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.
Aha! Finally, I am vindicated in an international, almost-widely-read venue:
Carbon Wheels. Carbon wheels are for racing! Never under any circumstances should they be brought out on a training ride. Training wheels should be strong and heavy with lots and lots of spokes. Carbon wheels say to the group, I’m not strong enough to do this ride without my $2,000 feather weight wheels. If you have the money to tear up a carbon wheel set on the road, then you’d be better off spending it on a coach who will get you fit enough to keep up with the group ride on regular training wheels.
I've always been scared to ride any wheel with fewer than 28 spokes. At my weight, you don't want to be 20 miles from your car on a pair of race wheels. Our team does have some guys that will run a $2000 set of wheels, even through the winter... My first reaction sometimes is I wish I was that rich. But I don't.
Go read all about Cycling Style Etiquette at Pez . And look for me with my 20-pound wheels.
I'm really looking forward to the Philly races this week. There's a good press release/article on the men's race lineup here. The Philly races -- Corestates, US Pro championship, Wachovia, Commerce Bank... is it called TD Waterhouse yet? Who can keep track of the name? It's an important week in North American racing, one way or the other. The big one, on Sunday the 8th, is very fan-friendly, and induces a huge party atmosphere from the Ben Franklin Parkway through to the other end of the course in the city's Manayunk section.
The big Philly event is a circuit race from Center City out to the western reaches of the city and back. Lather, rinse, repeat. Riders tackle a handful of long laps from the Ben Franklin Parkway around through Manayunk, including scaling the infamous Manayunk Wall. After ten times around that grueling circuit, it's three times around the smaller circuit in the closer reaches of Fairmount Park.
The highlight for me will likely be seeing the Slipstream team. My ~wife and I both love the team. I'm especially fond of Magnus Backstedt. If nothing else, it's nice to know I'm not the only rider in the world who won't be confused for a horse jockey. There's a great blog entry over at Slipstream's website, about Maggy's most aggressive rider award at the recent CSC invitational crit. See also the Cyclingnews.com link, and their photo gallery. The pic of Maggy on the podium is great.
Well, I finally got my stones together and rode my bike all the way to work today. You may recall I rode to the train station a couple of times over the winter. I hadn't made it all the way to the office until this morning.
They say the first one is the hardest, and that was definitely true. It's getting over all the mental obstacles I set up for myself that was such a big deal. Today, all the stars aligned, and I just went ahead and did it.
It was really nice. I got to work in about 1.10, about 20 mins longer than it would normally take driving and taking the train. I left home a little earlier than I normally would -- didn't have to iron my cycling jersey! I got in around the same time I normally would.
While my train commute is quite nice, riding the bike was very cool. I really enjoyed the sights, smells, the time by myself. And of course the workout was nice too. About 20 miles, leisurely pace. Got some pedaling practice in, but didn't kill myself. So much so that I only went one way. Will ride it home some other day. And I'm looking forward to it!
The judges have returned their verdict...it's official. Yesterday's ride with Mr. Mambo & Co. was the best ever.
The Mambos were nice enough to invite me and my teammates on their annual hill-laden slugfest, where they ride a hilly loop from Cherry Hill NJ to Valley Forge. I live near Cherry Hill. I don't drive to Valley Forge for fun, let alone trying to ride a bike there.
The route is chockablock full of hills. I don't know how big those Pennsylvania hills are...all I know is for somebody like myself, who never rides hills, they looked huge. Surprisingly, the hills didn't give me that much trouble. One at the end stuck it to me, but I was pretty well worn out by that point. I was really surprised at my ability to haul my 200-pound carcass up those hills.
The distance was colossal as well. 97 miles altogether, including my ride to and from the start point. Averaged about 18 mph (thank God for the downhill sections...).
The weather was beautiful, and I really enjoyed the route. My chances for 5-hour rides are few and far between (i.e., never), so it was a great opportunity.
Best of all, I got to ride with a couple of my favorite cyclists, Richie and Captain Ed.
I've got a total of 188.5 miles in my legs this weekend, much more than I've ever done in a three-day stretch. Probably more than I've done in a week. As I told Ed this morning, whatever part of me isn't broken by now should last the rest of the season.
Somewhere, sometime, on the internet (aha! found it!) I read that you've really got it bad if...
At some point you caught yourself wondering if your bike might look good if you added fenders
Well, whatever sickness that is must be at full steam if you don't just wonder, but you actually put the fenders on.
Anytime I'm not racing, I run fairly heavy, non-aero wheels. I use a seat bag to tote around a pump and -- gasp! a spare tube! I've got a great set of SKS fenders that I just love when it's rainy out. I run an extra water bottle on almost every ride.
Now, your mileage will almost certainly vary, but here's what I figure:
- Be comfortable. Why should I have to worry if I flat or hit a pothole? I want to finish my rides, thank you. I've been stuck on the far side of my local loops once, and I'm not looking to repeat.
- Do what works for you. The longer I race and hang out with really good riders, the more I realize the ones I really admire don't give a crap. They run the equipment that works well for them. And in a lot of cases, they run less equipment, and put more effort in. That's where I want to be.
- Know when to leave the stuff behind. If you do choose to race, but you train with all that gear on the bike... wow. Put race wheels on, take the extra gear off, and that bike feels like a rocket. You just dropped a few pounds.
More than anything else, biking should be fun. You just can't fret about that new wheelset that's 20g lighter than your current one. Work harder, enjoy yourself more, worry less.
Slipstream / Chipotle chief Jonathan Vaughters posted recently about the risk in racing on the team's blog.
To suffer is the currency of racing. To risk life over and over is just a simple rule of the game. Ever think about jumping out of a car at 55 mph in your underwear? That’s what a crash in professional cycling is. The young riders I’ve seen grow up over the last five years all take this elemental part of racing and accept it over and over again: Crashes are a part of the “game.”
Well, my bike will never see 55mph, but the comparison is apt. Why bother? I can almost understand it for the pros. They do get paid (a little) after all. But what about us dopes who go careening around the office parks of South Jersey at speeds of 35 mph? All while closer to our competitors than we would ever get to the same guys in any other setting.
After my crash a couple of weeks ago, I had some time to think about all this. I got rocked pretty hard on April 6th; easily the worst crash that I've ever had (though mine was better than some teammates). After that, it took a little effort to get back into racing. Not so much because I was afraid to crash, more because I was afraid to hit the same hip again! Even one week later, I was pretty much 75% or so there, mentally. Thing is, I don't know why. I have very little competitive inclination. I'm not the fastest bike rider in the world. I'm not the smartest person in the world, but I do know I could really hurt myself doing this. For all the time and effort, I may never win a race. And that will be just fine. But still... I love to race.
Today I completed a survey the USA Cycling Federation had on its website. Two or three questions asked, in a nutshell, why do you ride? They had a few choices -- competition, commuting, fitness, environment, etc. -- and the perennial "other." Fun? What about fun?
Turns out the primary reason that I ride is because I love it. It really is that simple. The biggest reason I race is because I love it. I really enjoy bicycling, and always have, since I was a wee little momo. I hope to ride till I die. [Not to ride to my death, mind you...] Some day the racing won't be worth the risk to my then-osteoporitic bones. I'll still take the risk of riding on the road, just as fast as my old man legs will take me.
Yesterday my schedule lined up so that I could go to the Greentree executive park for the Thursday night ride. The group there is really incredible... it's everything from category 1 and 2 racers, to the occasional pro, to cat 4s and 5s, and guys who have probably never raced.
Last night was probably my fifth or sixth time at Greentree on a Thursday. Often I take a lot of crap from some of the people who take the whole thing way too seriously... as if it were the world championships. You're going too fast, you're pulling too strong, hold your line, all this stuff. And indeed, I need some work in a lot of these areas.
Last night I got through relatively unscathed, even though I did manage to screw a few people up, I'm sure. Last night was really one of my worst nights, though. I was all over the place on the course, didn't corner well, didn't really hold a steady speed.
Still, I don't despair. I was thinking about it afterward, and chatting with one of my friends about it... In a way, it's actually rather nice that I have so much to learn. I'm still fascinated by bicycling in general and racing in particular. I have some really good friends and teammates, and I feel lucky that I can learn from them. Hopefully I can avoid knocking anybody over while I'm learning...
This past sunday, at least one person I know, and possibly myself, had lives saved by bicycle helmets (see previous post). Now, I'll give you that we take an extra risk because we race. We were going 30+ mph. But if you ride a bike outdoors, you too run the risk of hitting your head on something hard. If you ride on or near a road, an encounter with a car or truck could mean your head, and the rest of your body, hurtling through the air at 30 miles per hour or better. If you ever had any doubt that you should be wearing a helmet, you should have a look at my helmet. Here it is.
The first picture is what a new helmet looks like, from the back, and then on my head.
Based on my recollection of the crash, I think that my head was the last thing to hit the ground. I was pretty well slowed down by the time my head hit. Still, my helmet is TOAST. It is totally spent... it did its job, and did it well. If you look carefully -- click to enlarge the pictures if you like -- you'll see about five cracks through the helmet, all in the back where my head hit the ground.
Here, note the crack between the two black plastic bits:
Note the huge crack down the bottom of this picture:
This one you may have to enlarge to fully appreciate... multiple cracks, horizontal relative to this picture. Note how they go across both sides of the center yoke area (that looks like an arrow):
Another view of the inside cracks. Chewed to bits:
The shots of the inside of the helmet are the real winners. All of those cracks, inside and out, go all the way through the helmet. I shudder to think the state I'd be in had I not been wearing that helmet. I really get chills thinking about my friend who cracked her head twenty times harder than I did.
Now, explain to me how dad's going to ride down the street next to their kid, kid's required by law to wear a helmet, and dad can't be bothered. Or even better, here's the would-be professionals having a go at it (remind me how many professional cyclists have been killed in training rides, versus in races in recent years?):
Don't even get me started on the idiots who don't wear motorcycle helmets...
I had been scheduled to start at the Branch Brook Park series this past saturday, but chickened out with the snow. So better late than never, my race season is set to start this sunday with a team time trial in Fairmount Park. It's part of the Philly Phlyer mini-series. I'm really looking forward to it.
In a time trial, cyclists are sent out at regular intervals, and ranked on their total time over a course, rather than the mass-start events where 50 or 100 racers duke it out to be first over the finish line. I've never done a time trial before, unless you count the (numerous) times I've been unceremoniously dropped from our training ride and had to go it alone.
Team time trials -- in this case as many as four riders working together -- have always been particularly interesting to me. I'm lucky to be part of a very accomplished team and a group of really nice people. We have two teams of four competing in this event. Should be a lot of fun.
Unfortunately yours truly has no time trial gear. No TT bike, no TT helmet, no idea what to do in a time trial either. Oh well. We'll stick it out there and see how it goes...
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