Voodoo76

No matter the Category, Type of Race, Sprint or Breakaway. Is there any better feeling than first across the line, arms raised! Everyone who races a Bike should experience this at least once.

2Rodies

I hired a coach this summer for that very reason....I WILL WIN A RACE THIS YEAR. It's the last thing I say to myself before I go to sleep and the first thing I say to myself when I wake up. So far in just 3 weeks I've raised my max sustainable wattage 150w....and I'm riding less hours per week. I want to feel that arms raised and screaming before this season ends!!!!

TheKillerPenguin

Did you install hydraulics in your legs?

2Rodies

Hmmm I wonder if that's against UCI rules........I do know a really good orthapedic surgon

TheKillerPenguin

That's an amazing increase in wattage. How much is the coach costing you?

skydive69

I've experienced it, but didn't have the energy to raise my arms - it was all left back on the road! I have on ocassion not been able to resist doing it after winning a club sprint!

2Rodies

The first 3 months is 600 bucks, but that included my LT/Vo2max test, which was 220 bucks. The rest of the year will be $125 a month which includes one day a week (for 90mins) of personal coaching, a gym membership and unlimited email and phone calls. The pesonal coaching has been mainly in the gym working on strength training and core work. There will be a couple times when he will ride with me to check my form, especially on the TT bike.

As for the wattage increase I should mention that I was off the bike for over a month before the first test due to a calf injury. That increase would probably not have been so dramatic if I hadn't had the lay off.

lemurhouse

Well, yes, actually I can think of at least one better feeling.....

my58vw

I keep on visualizing it everytime I go and race, it gets me in the mood to go and kick some butt!

BikeInMN

Most who actually train with power will be extremely skeptical of a 150 watt increase sustainable at any level over only 3 weeks. I'd say something is amiss if your coach is telling you that.



OnTopic - Voodoo76, you're correct!! Nothing is better than having a large enough gap that you can actually sit up and do some cheesy salute when you cross the line.

My last solo win was in a 4th of July crit last year where I got into a 3 man break and nearly lapped the field. It ended up being a 2 up sprint that I took by probably 5 bike lengths giving me enough time to do a Petacchi like 2 hand salute. Freaking awesome it was... hoping to possibly pull a rabbit out of my a$$ again this year.

Voodoo76

MN, Ill bet just being back warming up on that same course will give you goosebumps. There are a couple of Towns that I can't even drive through w/o getting a flashback.

my58vw

I get flashbacks from racing even when I do not win... always thinking posistive is they key... racing is painful but the feeling you get at the end is all worth it!

2Rodies

Well my coach doesn't have to tell me that my PowerTap tells me that. Again read my reply to Penquin, I was off the bike for 5.5 weeks due to a calf injury. I did my testing after that long layoff. After training for 3 solid weeks I was up 150w. I stated that if I hadn't been off the bike for so long I doubt that the increase would have been so dramatic. The other possibility is that the day I did the test I was tired and when I did the test the second time I wasn't. All I can do is go by what the PowerTap tells us and those numbers are what we got.

ZackJones

I won the first bike race I ever entered and I still keep the $2.50 trophy I got for it proudly displayed on the shelf. It is a wonderful feeling, indeed!

EventServices

The best thing is the realization that you will be the first one across the line and that it's YOU that gets to celebrate instead of explaining why you finished 2nd, 4th, or whatever.

And I think the next best thing is giving a lead-out to someone who knows how to finish it off.

jit2

I think that you actually have to win once before you can get a flashback. I believe what you have is wishful thinking.

my58vw

I said, I get flashbacks from races that I DID NOT win, usually moments like when I did something like breakaway at the front or was in the final 1 or 2 laps with the pack... Racing is not always about winning, sometimes it is about accomplishing a goal... and for me knowing that I will most likely NOT win a race this season is accomplishing my goals... like staying with the pack!

And yes winning is the most awsome feeling... I can still remember when I stood up on stage infront of 4000 people after winning the state parlimentary procudure contest 5 years ago...

Right now I am sycing up myself for my race on Sunday... I can still see the vision of looking back and realizing that the peloton is no where in sight... and having 50+ plus people screaming on the side of the road as I move by at over 25 MPH solo! \

Oh ya, and I have been first across the line... 1. at the start and 2. for a prime.

socalrider

It is the best feeling.. The last race I won was about 10 years ago.. I moderately hilly road race in Calimesa, CA.. It was very windy and the field was riding in echelons for a lot of the race.. A small break formed, I joined in.. There were 3 of us riding pretty well and before we know it we have a minute on the field.. After about 10 miles of working pretty hard, we cross a set of railroad tracks.. As soon as we hit the tracks the the arms come down and a train is coming.. We all look at each other like, there never going to catch us know.. Sure enough it was a pretty long freight train and gave us an extra 5 minutes on the field.. We never saw the field again..

The finish had a short tough little climb with a slight downhill finish, which favored me.. I figured if I can hang on during the climb I would take the sprint.. 1 rider attacked hard on the climb and started to blow up at the top.. I countered and the other rider stayed with me.. I took off with about 400 meters to go and there was no way my breakaway partner had enough speed.. Hands in the air for my final victory

My prize was a 3 day all expenses paid trip to Catalina Island.. It was a nice feeling of accomplsihment when I was relaxing on the beach soaking up the rays..

The good ole days...

DinoShepherd

Not sure about current USCF rules, but if you take both hands off the bars to celebrate victory in a collegiate race, you will find the officials will bump you to second place.

I learned that one the hard way.

Also, if you scream at another rider "Get the f*ck out of my way!" in a group sprint the officials will also drop you place.

Who knew?

-Z

Gustaf

When I won my first race i just rolled across, primarily because i was so gassed from the sprint, but honestly I didnt realize what i had just done.

skydive69

Sounds like rather arbitrary, needless rules. If I was relegated to 2nd place because of that, I would ultimately be relegated to last place after I told the officials to go f*ck themselves!

cedo

When you finally cross the finish line in first, act like you've been there before. Too much fist pumping and screaming WOO-HOO and eveyone knows you're a noob.

DinoShepherd

You must mean like this guy...


Obviously a noob.

-Z

Keith99

Well first across the line, throwing the bike forward at the line, knowing you won but having to wait for the phote before it is official might be just a little better.

EventServices

zZipping up your jersey as you cross the line is better than waiting for the film.

Gibby Hatton comes to mind.