Aerodee80

Reporting From Long Beach Grand Bicycle Prix

CAT 4/5 30+: With few laps remaining a I heard a wheel pop at the last second corner and then a crash! Fortunately I was able to avoid the pile up but I had to make a full stop to avoid going down so I pulled out since the main pack is gone. I used this race to feel the field and get ready for CAT 4.

CAT 4: I started at the front and stayed mostly there while hearing crashes from behind. But then I got pushed to the center field, someone messed up and crashed. His bike flew and hit my right hand while Im about to get around. Fortunately again, it just nipped me. At the last lap in good position, someone crashed again before the last corner that I had to slow down to avoid the poor guy. Oh well at least Im upright and finished 14th. Based from what I heard and saw, I would say there's about six crashes.

I just feel more confident that I can better handle these corners where I would fear them before.

Yep

Highwood Omnium. Skipped the TT in the morning. We had a field that was comprised of 4s, 5s, and Master As and Bs. Racing with Master As seems strange. The course is rolling and windy and tough every year. Hung in for 4th in the 4s.

I know from asking that our regional official will give me points based on my placing in my cat which wouldn't technically be right with the combined field. I know this was a topic of discussion in another thread but I thought I'd bring it up again.

Flash

waterrockets 

I'm seeing the same thinking in your your padawan learner (J). He was telling me how he's forgotten how to ride in a pack, which puts him in the back of the pack if he ever stops attacking

NickDavid

Did the Somerset TT yesterday on my new bike, which was an upgrade from my road bike with aero clip-ons. Went out and thought I felt great. Thought I was doing real well, because I was catching and passing others. Ended up doing lousy. Only improved my time from last year by about 1:30 min. I need to spend more time on her and get used to new position. Placed 10th with a time of 25:22 over a hilly 10 mile course. Fastest time of the day was 21:24.

kensuf

cover or real disc?

Racer Ex 

1:30 is a huge improvement if the conditions were similar.

Cromulent

I raced. I bridged up to a solo breakaway guy. Stayed away for a lap and a half or so. Blew up. Went to the back of the pack. Finished at the back of the pack. I really suck at this. Fun race, though.

Racer Ex 

I ride in the pack fine. Then my ADHD kicks in and I forget I just attacked 5 minutes before.

NickDavid

Real. Made by RENN. It's a solid disc, honeycomb inside, carbon out. Sounds awesome.

Conditions were the same. Just felt like I should have done better. TT's aren't really my training focus, but I still like to do them.

waterrockets 

Yeah, he's getting his pack skills back, but still says things like "it's just easier when I'm off the front." Crazy people.

myclem

Saturday. Ravensdale RR ~40 miles. Master Men 30+ 4/5 & Men 50+.

Nice day for a ride.
No legs for anything special, but at least I stayed in front of the crashes (one within a few miles after the neutral start!).
Pack finish.

dmb2786

accidentally rode 50 miles to my first 1/2/3 race. it was a 60 minute crit. i got fifth (out of seven ). I signed up for the 3/4 race, but I obviously got lost and missed that one.

Three riders lapped the field early on. Soon I took a pretty easy pull and turned around to find a decent gap, so I ramped it up slowly. I got about a half lap on the field and then I saw another guy coming up to me. He had already lapped the field once. We start working together and once we get 100 feet from lapping the field, he attacks me, makes it up to the field quickly, and yells at his teammates to "GO! GO! GO!"

So I never lapped them haha. I just hung out until a guy that was two laps down bridged up to me and we stayed away. He attacked with one to go. I knew there was no use in trying, so I cruised in for fifth place.

I couldn't believe I had that in my legs after 50 miles. I honestly thought I would be dropped in less than ten minutes! amazing day. that was crazy fun.

now i'm signed up for the 74 mile Pro/1/2/3 race in Poolesville on Saturday. My longest ride of the year is 74.2 miles haha. this should be interesting.

CrimsonKarter21

I've now raced in 4 countries.
20 guys from my team took a big coach down 3 hours into France for a big invite-only road race. We were using it as a selection for a 4-day stage race this weekend in the Ardennes.
It was pretty cool having a convoy with a few team vans and cars, with us wreaking havoc in the coach.
We get to the place, get led into a large home where we all change and pin on our numbers. The race was 2 laps of 15km, then a big 72km loop, tons of hills, tons of pain, and all of the team cars behind us.
Very, very, very pro, in other words.

Before I delve any further, 5 of my friends were hit by a car on Friday and I've been very stressed over that, and we spent 10 hours shooting a commercial on Saturday. By Sunday, I had absolutely no desire to even be on my bike. My only goal was to finish.
-----
The 2 laps were chaos. Guys were getting shot out very fast, weith each hill being a hill closer to death. At one point a split occurs ahead of me. I've got two teammates in my group. Whatever came over me was amazing. I sink down into my drops, tuck myself down as aero as I can get and yell out their names as I'm coming up on them.
I look back; they're on my wheel.
I look down; 980w.
I look ahead; the group is closing.
1:43 later, we're on the tail of the main group, I shoot a gap on the left side of the road and insert me and my group in the middle of the leading group.
The laps are now done, and we begins a 1km climb with a max of 16% that was leg-breaking. A fast, shaky descent, and then we're on the foot of a 3km long 6% climb.
Disaster strikes, I lose it. I can't do anymore and I begin riding backwards. Team cars are honking to let me know they're coming past. By the second car, I regianed a little strength and latch onto the back. Nothing.
Car #6 comes by, with my DS, Luc yelling at me. "Monica, Monica, get up! Hold on, Monica!"
By now I'm desperate to get back on. Luc lets a gap open between his car and the one in front. I put my left hand on the passenger-side door, and the passenger in the car holds onto my hand. Luc speed up to some rediculous speed, the passenger lets go on my hand and I fly past the cars ahead. I'm now climbing in my 53x14 (ish) and I start thinking that I might actually pull off the bridge. With 500m to go, i start cracking, bu tthere is a fast descent coming up.
The descent is full of cross-winds and very fast and very sketchy, and I'm losing ground on a rediculously fast peloton. I'm considered a very fast descender, but I can't make up enough ground. The team cars are coming back by me, and this time they're obviously angry that I got a slingshot and I'm getting in their way. A French team car gives me the cold shoulder and slaps my shoulder with it's mirror. Luc comes by me and starts yelling. I shake my head in disgust in myself and continue my backwards ride.

-----
Basically I ride by myself for a few minutes, still drilling it. I start coming up on other dropped riders. All the cars are gone. I've still got 65km left to ride. Eventually my straggler group gets to 10-12 riders. After all of the hills and descents, we finish with 4 guys. I finished in the 150's.
-----

Needless to say, this was by far the most crazy racing experience of my life. It was basically a pro race; there were several feeder teams for Pro-Conti and ProTour team out, and the racing was fast. After racing on flat roads for months now, the climbing was so foreign to me, and the French can climb so much faster than the Belgians. In France, the climbs are 11 in intensity, while in Belgium, the climbs are a recovery for the flats.

Anyways, i didn't make the team for the races in liege (needless to say), but I'll be going Thursday-Sunday with the team, staying in a chateau as their team mechanic. Either way, it's experience.

MDcatV

say hi

MDcatV

ck21 - i'm loving reading your experiences. keep up the hard work, sounds like great stories to tell you grandchildren someday.

hope your friends who were hit by a car are OK.

CrimsonKarter21

They're all much better, the one girl who broke her leg went through surgey and has been able to walk a few times. They came off very, very lucky.

waterrockets 

+1, thanks for the updates. Sounds like a great time, and it's good to read your experiences.

Apus^2

+1 - Your stories are awesome.

I think I read about your friends that got hit on cyclingnews. I hope things turn out well for them.

save10

this puts me being off the back in a 'hilly' 35+4 road race into perspective....

saratoga

FL State Crit: Someone's pedal through my front wheel probably 10 minutes into a 60 min race, two broken spokes, no crashes. Drop by wheel pit; support dude insists on using neutral wheel, I get back in and the big bright yellow front wheel proceeds to slide around corner 1. I nearly **** myself and proceed to call it a day. DNF. Note to self: do not use neutral wheels.

Polk Cycling Classic/Water Ridge: 60 min circuit, blocked for my teammate in a 5 man break; one guy sits up and the break comes back(???) Still can't figure that out. Pack finish otherwise.

kudude

I've been to races where SRAM runs the neutral and passes out zipps

tombailey

It was tough. Only my fourth ride on aerobars. I think I probably rode about 23km for the 18km course. Despite the wind I managed to nail my target wattage. 6th of 26 in the 5's. Which was quite pleasing until I looked at the times from the other cat's and realized how sucky my effort was. Not a bad day, but need to improve.

Apus^2

I got a ZIPP 404 from SRAM neutral support once.

Of course, I traded in a cracked 404 to get SRAM one. They wanted it back after the race. I tried to convince them that one 404 was as good as another, but they wouldn't listen.

dmb2786

will do. how do i tell you apart from the other ABRT guys? i'll be the guy crying at the back with a blue bike stop kit.