I don't see any weeds growing out of the track. Not like the old days. We used to pull each other on our skateboards and then try to play rollerball and kill each other.
What kid's did for fun before video games. Good times.
Going Long and Hard.
- Thread starter Steve Vai
- Start date
What kid's did for fun before video games. Good times.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I was slightly disappointed in how clean it is, I was kinda hoping for a little more sketchy.
ChrisG
Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
I can’t specifically recall if it was Turn 3 or Turn 4, but there used to be a raised crack in the pavement that was good for catching some air at 25-30mph.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Coming around the bottom of 2 has like 3 or 4 cracks right at the exit. And there was a bunch of branches in the back straight. Just enough to keep you honest 🤣
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Black Watts AM Watts group ride. Finally had a free weekend to hit one of these. Black Watts always throws a huge party and this was no exception. Started with the A Group and somehow made it into a 6 man break with Eddie and Nick and some Colvita guys. Pace was definitely uncomfortable for a long distance jerk like myself but I managed to stay tucked in while Nick pulled us at 27+ mph, he’s a beast. Flatted right before the regroup at Trek in Summit. I ran into the shop and threw a tube in fast while everyone filled bottles down the street.
2nd half of the ride Nick got a flat and I stopped to help switch it out being I’ve been letting him pull me around. We were waaay off the back after that and spent the next 20 miles doing a team TT style pursuit back to the front, as in, I sat on Nick’s wheel as he TTd back to the front 😂
Finished at Coffee and Cornbread in Montclair where I had probably the best vegan sausage egg and cheese I’ve ever eaten in my life.
2nd half of the ride Nick got a flat and I stopped to help switch it out being I’ve been letting him pull me around. We were waaay off the back after that and spent the next 20 miles doing a team TT style pursuit back to the front, as in, I sat on Nick’s wheel as he TTd back to the front 😂
Finished at Coffee and Cornbread in Montclair where I had probably the best vegan sausage egg and cheese I’ve ever eaten in my life.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Dyson gave us the day off so I chanced the rain and headed to T-Town for the 8am Session. Track was wet when I got there but dried out super fast and I had the place to myself. Cobbled together a 50t front ring last night by running it on the inside position of a 2x to get the chainline usable. With no support in that position and only being held together with chainring bolts, I just rode laps to get comfortable and really couldn’t put out efforts. This was very much a learning the lines and getting on/off with enough confidence to not kill anyone with people around. I did roll my front tire off the rim coming off the banking out of turn 2 and luckily stayed upright. I have a real track crank and 53t ring coming for the next round and we’ll push it then to see if I might want to race just to check another discipline off the list. I definitely do not want to race before France but getting my ducks in a row could make for a fun Fall. Probably literally.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I’m not going to the Track tomorrow. I messaged about the next Ride The Track session and Dave said he would do a full day with me on Monday to knock out all of the requirements to get a Mass Start License. So I’m gonna do that even if I don’t do any races because it’s a good opportunity.
Besides I rode my bike into work today and realized I left my front wheel there yesterday so…I either have drive up tonight or in the morning and I’d rather not do that.
Aethos.
Besides I rode my bike into work today and realized I left my front wheel there yesterday so…I either have drive up tonight or in the morning and I’d rather not do that.
Aethos.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Shit day on Friday. Went out to 6-Mile and got a call from some whiner about their bike and was forced to give up my day off to go in and fix it. Sucks ass but this is what happens when you work for the man. At least I’ll get a day of overtime to pay for dumb bike shit 😂
Today I went to ride the Black Watts Princeton ride on the Langster. I put an 18t cog on the other side of the hub so a swap from road to track is super easy. The bars and stem and front brake are all together so it’s literally a 5 minute job.
Anywho, I left early and rode the route backwards to meet them on the road. I ended up riding all the way to the start in Orange without running into anyone. Turned around and figured it was too hot or was gonna rain so they canceled or whatever. I rode the route out to Princeton anyway and saw one of the guys heading back right before the stop so I turned around to catch him figuring he was solo. By the time I got around traffic he was gone. So I rode the whole ride alone. Turns out he left the group because they were going to slow and everyone was like a block away from where I turned around eating lunch 💁
Either way a good 90+ fixed miles with no bottles. Thank god it wasn’t like 100 degrees out!! (It basically was though)
Ran into MikeG after Franklin and he broke what was left of my poor legs.
Also decided to put a bigger carrot in my Track future. It’s $100 for the class on Monday to get my mass start upgrade so I need a USAC License to upgrade with? Balls deep.
Today I went to ride the Black Watts Princeton ride on the Langster. I put an 18t cog on the other side of the hub so a swap from road to track is super easy. The bars and stem and front brake are all together so it’s literally a 5 minute job.
Anywho, I left early and rode the route backwards to meet them on the road. I ended up riding all the way to the start in Orange without running into anyone. Turned around and figured it was too hot or was gonna rain so they canceled or whatever. I rode the route out to Princeton anyway and saw one of the guys heading back right before the stop so I turned around to catch him figuring he was solo. By the time I got around traffic he was gone. So I rode the whole ride alone. Turns out he left the group because they were going to slow and everyone was like a block away from where I turned around eating lunch 💁
Either way a good 90+ fixed miles with no bottles. Thank god it wasn’t like 100 degrees out!! (It basically was though)
Ran into MikeG after Franklin and he broke what was left of my poor legs.
Also decided to put a bigger carrot in my Track future. It’s $100 for the class on Monday to get my mass start upgrade so I need a USAC License to upgrade with? Balls deep.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Did all of my upgrade requirements today. Was super fun and I feel a lot less nervous about actually racing. I’m not good at the efforts we did but I wasn’t ever last. Obviously the longer events and the Pursuit is where I’ll have the best results. I did OK during the Elimination by going to the front and pushing the pace way up for a bunch of laps before I got passed at the line. Might sign up for Saturday and see what happens.
This is Aiden from NJCX in the photo. Punk beat me in every event 😂
This is Aiden from NJCX in the photo. Punk beat me in every event 😂
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Aero Position work at the track this morning.
Took quite a while to feel somewhat comfortable riding in the aero bars pushing a 53x14 and trying to stay on the black line. Did 5x4k Intervals but only 2 of them were somewhat pushing. Was only able to muster up a 27.7mph 4k which is 2mph off the mark.
I’m going to pickup a rear disc wheel over the weekend and I have some smaller cogs coming so hopefully I can get a little closer before I actually race, but I feel like this is obviously my best shot at seeing a podium on the Track.
Either way this is a lot of fun and I’m now looking forward to post PBP when I can do some wheel to wheel and bump elbows and suck.
Took quite a while to feel somewhat comfortable riding in the aero bars pushing a 53x14 and trying to stay on the black line. Did 5x4k Intervals but only 2 of them were somewhat pushing. Was only able to muster up a 27.7mph 4k which is 2mph off the mark.
I’m going to pickup a rear disc wheel over the weekend and I have some smaller cogs coming so hopefully I can get a little closer before I actually race, but I feel like this is obviously my best shot at seeing a podium on the Track.
Either way this is a lot of fun and I’m now looking forward to post PBP when I can do some wheel to wheel and bump elbows and suck.
ChrisG
Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
Here was my TT setup the last time I was at T-Town. 2018 NJ Masters State Championship. The wheels were on loan from a very trusting friend, given that I also rode them in the mass start events.
This bike has been unridden since the end of that season. I get sad every time I look at it.
This bike has been unridden since the end of that season. I get sad every time I look at it.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
If you want to dust it off, you know who to call 😍
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
And, we’re 90% in. Signed up for the 4 and 2k events so I can hopefully get one of them right. Not expecting anything other than checking off my first Track Event. The only metrics I have that are within my grasp, are gear inches and Cadence. Maths says 90RPM with a 53x13 will net me 30MPH. Being we’re not allowed to have any computers and there’s no clock and I can’t afford to have someone stand on the sidelines with a Stopwatch, this is my Solution. I’ve asked everyone I know how to pace and I got nowhere. It’s a secret? Anywho…seriously, check this off and then after PBP get my shit together for a proper showing. Not like an Ashton Lambie showing, but you know, a showing.
Skinsuit? Funky helmet?
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I have an Evade helmet, not full TT, but it's aero. No skinsuit, but I do have cool TT socks with ripples.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Not dead!!
Rode a VERY conservative 4k just to through the process and make sure I didn’t do anything sketchy. I got caught at the 1/2 way point and then used my Pursuer as a Pacer for the rest of the race. Didn’t crash, check the box, go fast after PBP.
The 2k was too far away from the end of the 4 so I was hoping to have a faster time but had a hard time turning the gear over. Which, I also went down to a 15 because everyone said to.
Then we cobbled together a Team for the Sprint and I got a 3rd event in. Because it was just for fun I hit the Start with every fiber of my being and ended up doing my lap without the Team because they never latched on. We came in last 😂
Rode a VERY conservative 4k just to through the process and make sure I didn’t do anything sketchy. I got caught at the 1/2 way point and then used my Pursuer as a Pacer for the rest of the race. Didn’t crash, check the box, go fast after PBP.
The 2k was too far away from the end of the 4 so I was hoping to have a faster time but had a hard time turning the gear over. Which, I also went down to a 15 because everyone said to.
Then we cobbled together a Team for the Sprint and I got a 3rd event in. Because it was just for fun I hit the Start with every fiber of my being and ended up doing my lap without the Team because they never latched on. We came in last 😂