Eatadonut

I've never ridden so hard or fast in my life. It was a great time, and I learned a lot about my (and my bike's) limits, dodging the guy who's being carted off in an ambulance, and of course how to yield to the right as the group laps me.

I wasn't even really ever on the back, so I'm not sure I can say I was thrown off it. I had trouble with my cleat, and by the time I had cranked it up to 26mph, I realized the group had notched it up above 30. I stayed within 20 feet or so for almost a lap, but just couldn't grab on. After that it was all downhill. I maintained a personal best solo speed for 30 minutes, but it wasn't anywhere near what the group was doing.

The announcer said I had "heart". Nice crowd. Next time, I'll be in better shape and they won't have to cheer so hard

botto 

rule number one when you start racing: Try again. Fail again. Fail better.

btw - many of us, including myself, were dropped and pulled off the course at our first crit.

DrPete 

Crits hurt. Sometimes, they hurt BAD. Sometimes mentally, sometimes physically, sometimes financially (as a result of crash-related physical pain), but they always hurt. There's something strangely fun about that, but I guess that's what makes racers a little weird.

It really is always faster than you think. Congrats on surviving and not getting pulled!

waterrockets 

I feel that pain too. One time I got to a crit late -- 5 minutes to start. Zero warm-up. The race started, and they dropped me on the first climb.

Good job fighting through it. Your next crit will certainly go better

GuitarWizard

I dislike crits....and I got spit out the back in the first 10 minutes on my first one. Given that it was a hellaciously windy day (20-25 mph winds on much of the course), made for a VERY painful 47 minutes. I'll take hills any day of the week over wind.

Keep at it though....the more hard group rides and races you do, you'll notice your fitness improve drastically. Granted, you have to be smart about it though...don't go out every day and try to kill yourself. A couple times a week is all it takes to get faster.

Ghostman

Just getting out there and doing it is huge. Good job.

patentcad

Botto has spoken.



The rest of this thread is superfluous.

Eatadonut

nice edit. The post is now complete

Thanks for the kind words, fellas. It's good to know I'm not the only one to fail horribly their first time out. It was better than it could have been, since my friends were in the crowd watching. Every time I went past they'd start cheering like they thought I was in front. Afterwards, it became clear that they didn't understand what had just happened, at all. But they liked watching people go fast. In any case, this won't be my last crit, for sure. Too much fun to be had!

EventServices

John Tomac finished DFL in his first Paris-Roubaix.

And you're 100% correct: DFL>DNF

Eatadonut

I'd be pleased as punch with myself if my OP had been, "Man guys, I just DFL'd Paris-Roubaix."

Something tells me I'll never get to say those words.

EventServices

You'll be forever a DNS.