In parts of the Carolinas, tires are tores.

See if there's a local club that does bump drills. PenVelo used to do them here, but since I wasn't racing I never availed myself, but IIRC they'd practice on grass so when you fell it wouldn't hurt so much.

The youngest guys on my team live in newport news/ hampton area. I train with my coach who is 65+. and then some local willy burg crew. He has me focus on sprints and intervals he does talk strategy but the strategy he references I have not been able to apply really. The rest of my team was in the masters series race. I should have done that one too. They worked well together and dominated the podium.

He hasn’t really given me much information on how to deal with being stuck in a pack and whose wheel to grab and all of that. Experience is prolly more valuable.

All of the bumping talk reminded me of a Legion vid posted recently -

I pronounce "tyre" correctly.

It's very subtle. Not sure if you saw, but I try and stay first five six spots. At times I'll take a pull for the greater good. Meaning if we can drop someone caught unawares. But I don't bulldoze and neither does anyone else. Eventually, if they're used to seeing you up there, you get to remain up there. A good wheel to be on, not squirrely, stuff like that. Newly minted 60+ guys are quite fun, because they figure "I'm a fast TT'er, I can roll with these guys". Once in a pack, they aren't as thrilled, and a little elbow or shoulder to let them know you're there, is a good thing. Especially if it elicits an outburst of surprise, if not abject terror.

This why I never graduated beyond the weekday night club scene.

One of the 60+ guys was blown over in the wind as he warmed down from his TT. Scapula, sternum, fractured ribs. So many people pulled the plug, and my TT was so worthless, I should have too, but bike racing... Yay.

The adrenalin is like crack. It's a good substitute for the real thing, but it has it's downsides.

I was trying to stay in the front 5 or 6. That worked pretty well at the first race, but this one the teams would bunch up and push me to the outside. Once I was on the outside my options were pretty limited. Shoot to the front or drop back and try and pick my way up the middle. After shooting to the front twice I tried the latter. I was protecting me wheel at all cost which led to me having to slam on the brakes more than once to someone swerving right enfront of me. Next race I need to do better at picking a wheel and trying to stay with it. The wheel I wanted was surrounded and I didn’t see a way to get to it. He won the langley race and was also not letting anyone breakway.

He was referring to me saying facetiously how it would be "nice" to be scoffed at for enjoying riding in the dirt.

Who are the racers? Are they all 5s?

Suppose to be all 4/5.

wut

Looks more like telephone to me. Brings back unpleasant memories, there's always an unruly mess in there. :notamused:

Which means again no softball practice today. Competition officially begins next Monday. :notamused:

I wish I had a better memory of how some of people in coastal NC talked when I lived there BITD. Some of those coastal Carolinians and southern Chesapeake Bay folk had some interesting accents.

No indoor practice facility?

Weird one today...

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Everyone is different. I like dirt but I lose any semblance of rational thought for self preservation. I'd lose .5 the season to healing. And I can't afford to replace that much gear. Hech I'm border line on the road as it is.

Isn't playing softball like riding a bike?

I see. I started riding motorcycles in the dirt in around 1980 and sold my last dirt bike around 1991. Started riding fully rigid mountain bikes around 92, I think, but always mostly a road rider. I went to a front suspension, then a better suspension, then a full suspension bike in 1998. Broke that bike in 2008 and got a better full squish then in 2018 bought an enduro type bike which has more suspension than my first motorcycle.

Now thinking about a "gravel" bike seems like regressing. No suspension, smaller tires, and less capable than my mtb has me concerned. I have joined a gravel ride with my mtb and it's a disadvantage on smooth climbs and road sections, for sure. Around here there are dirt roads which can be linked with road sections. Group rides with no cars sounds pretty appealing.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...87d80397df.jpg

Some of the guys use the local Golds Gym, but I never cared for it, the lighting is too dim for my tastes.

Plus, I like to see my clouts fly free and unfettered. ;)

Is playing baseball like riding a bike? The major difference between baseball and softball is the speed of the pitching. The rest of the required skills need polishing after layoffs, even more so when you get as old as some of these guys.

Riding dirt and gravel holds no appeal for me. I'm a smooth surface guy, paved roads. MUPS and all it's hazards will do fine, I don't need to ride 25-30 mph.