Thanks for the advice. I'm gonna practice getting out of the saddle quickly on a few of my regular rides (well, commutes really, because that's pretty much the only time I ride, but I try to ride them hard where I can).
I actually really like the Campagnolo Powershift levers for this, because the button/lever is actually easier to reach from the hoods than the Ultrashift, and it just seems to click in easier because you can only do one gear at a time.
Originally Posted by
TimmyT
A couple of observations: It was slow. No one wanted to lead. There was definite disorganization at the front. They looked at me to lead, and I noped out of that. I was playing it conservatively unless someone jumped. The hardest attack to reel in early was by the guy who won. I got his wheel, but he was strong.
Hmmm, I was kinda worried that it was a slow race and I had it too easy my first time out. The first lap was probably the hardest for me, because I nearly fell off the back at the very start, and I rode the whole lap pretty upright on the hoods/tops (and on that bike my bars aren't set very far below my saddle). I had no idea what to expect so I just wanted to stay in the back (but in contact) and get a feel. I also didn't show up early enough to do even a single recon lap (or whatever you might call it), so the first lap of the race was my first lap of the course.
After that, though, I definitely didn't feel like the subsequent laps were super hard, up until the very end. I had no idea what was going on at the front, partly because I wasn't really concerned about that, partly because there were some seriously big dudes that were simply hard to see in front of, so it's interesting to hear that perspective. I guess that you can't really expect too much cooperation if there are no teams, but I don't know if it will be like that in other races.