LarrySellerz

I want to win spectrum, don't really want to race yet because there are tons of strong but inexperienced cat 5s and 6s out here, the practice crit was sketchy.

CAT7RDR

Zero. Closest group rides are 12 miles away.
Figured I would need to ride an hour there and back plus the ride itself makes for a long day.
Too much living life that gets in the way of cycling.

Koyote

Larry, a group ride is not a race, no matter how fast they're going. And you can't seriously be talking about Cat 6 racing...?

big john

I don't know the back story, if you're an alcoholic or just want to stop for training, but when I quit drinking the hardest thing to think about was that I could never drink again. I actually kept going to the bar and hung out with the same people so it wouldn't be such a shock.
I was very sick and knew I had to quit so that was an incentive. It's been more than 30 years since I had a drop.

LarrySellerz

By cat 6 I meant there were lots of strong people where this was their first race, so not even cat 5s. I don't want to ride in the 4/5 field when I could just ride with the cat 1s in the local group rides. Winning sprint points on said rides would require at least a cat 2 level of fitness though

genejockey 

Last weeks ride - you kept up with them for, what, 6 or 7 miles? But isn't the whole ride more like 30 or 40? I mean, kudos on keeping up with them, but to "win" would mean keeping up with them the whole way and then still having a crapload of watts left to throw down at the end. You won't get that just from riding with them.

The guys who "win Spectrum" do a lot of other training besides group rides. Structured training, base miles, etc. Spectrum isn't that hard for them.

genejockey 

Dude. It's not just fitness. It's bikehandling, tactics, SPECIFIC fitness, etc. If you can't beat Cat 4/5s, you're not any better than they are. This is why I don't race IRL - I don't trust MY bikehandling in a crowd, let alone everyone else's. I'm too old to break bones because somebody else crashes and I go down as a result.

LarrySellerz

Ooh I know, I'm not saying I'm any better or suggesting that I'm close to winning spectrum. I just don't want to race in cat 4/5 right now because I really don't want to crash. I can learn tactics and skills on the group rides. Need to wheelsuck harder.
I think spectrum is 60 miles

genejockey 

Yeah, that's a far piece! I can ride 60 miles. I can't ride 60 miles at that speed, even with all that draft. But I don't like riding in groups, anyhow, and I actually LOVE the kind of riding you say is too boring!

You might look into any workshops on bikehandling for racing that local clubs sponsor. Things like practicing bumping without falling, or cornering, or pack riding tactics. Things like the bump drills, they do on soft, grassy areas, so that WHEN you fall it doesn't hurt.

Siu Blue Wind

Not sure if this is about group rides, racing or recovery from substances. Let me know and I'll move this to the right area.

LarrySellerz

yeah I'm doing the early bird practice crit series. People are paying for me to do it because I'm poor, such nice people.

Koyote

There is no Cat 6, actually. I mean that is literally not a racing category. Are we clear on that?

ThermionicScott 

The "Addiction" thread?

LarrySellerz

Sure, but there are still plenty of super strong cat 6s. Heck, on the waver I signed to enter a practice crit I put "cat 6" when it asked what category of racing I was entering.

genejockey 

When you say, "Cat 6" you're basically saying non-racers, right? Which is everyone else.

LarrySellerz

yeah there were tons of strong young dudes who don't race. Was cool to see, but kind of sketchy, I can't crash right now because of my neck. Also can't stay in my drops for more than 10 minutes which kind of sucks. Damn neck.

MoAlpha

nononononono!

GhostRider62

You've never had someone pull a Cat 6 on you? Tell me you didn't slide the lever forward and rise on the saddle just a little.

Ghazmh

I’ve got nothing to add but just wanted to get in on this thread somehow.

Koyote

There is no Cat 6.

LarrySellerz

Ooh nobody wrecked, I meant I quickly found myself near the back and a group of us got pulled early (we hopped back in next lap.) my group skills are actually better than my fitness right now because of how much group riding I do.

veganbikes

1. No poofters.
2. No member of the faculty is to maltreat the Abos in any way whatsoever—if there's anyone watching.
3. No poofters.
4. I don't want to catch anyone not drinking in their room after lights out.
5. No poofters.
6. There is no rule six.
7. No poofters.

Those guys who were engaged in the practice of racing are not racers some how they were just random people who got swept up in the moment and happened to be on their bikes and happened to be registered for the race they were racing in but they aren't racers.

Trakhak

Larry apparently does understand that there is no official "Category 6" and that that's a joke term used by licensed racers to smear unskilled new would-be racers. Hard to tell from his ambiguous replies to Koyote's and genejockey's requests for clarification, though.

That said, much as I hate to think I'm encouraging anyone's participating in outlaw we-own-the-road jackass behavior like the Spectrum ride, if Larry truly has learned how to handle himself safely in the pack, he might be able to hang longer by riding smarter. In particular, since he's probably one of the heavier riders there, he should move toward the front of the pack on flat and downhill terrain and then slowly filter back toward the tail end of the group on the climbs.

LarrySellerz

ive been going to crit race clinics the past 2 weeks, went today and got destroyed again but I'm blaming my legs for being tired. Did 345 miles this week which is a ton for me. Still a long ways away from keeping up with the A riders.

tomato coupe

My guess is your legs are blaming you.