Jshort’s bike thread

jShort said:
I didn’t actually see the crash, but heard it behind me.
Click to expand...

That's always fun.

Don't do these races to win so much as to get a workout. I always felt there were 2 safe places to be: Off the front or at the back. You don't really win a lot with this mindset but you can be sure it makes you stronger. And once in a while, you do win. But not usually. But you also crash less there.
 
Norm said:
That's always fun.

Don't do these races to win so much as to get a workout. I always felt there were 2 safe places to be: Off the front or at the back. You don't really win a lot with this mindset but you can be sure it makes you stronger. And once in a while, you do win. But not usually. But you also crash less there.
Click to expand...

That pretty much aligns with my approach going into this. Get a workout. Take as few risks as possible. Don’t worry about results.


Question to anyone that can answer:
Are all 4/5 races sketchy like this? Or is BB just super sketchy because it’s early and it’s everyone’s first race in months?
 
jShort said:
Are all 4/5 races sketchy like this? Or is BB just super sketchy because it’s early and it’s everyone’s first race in months?
Click to expand...

Yes, they are all a barrel of monkeys like this. Being early in the season makes it worse. But it's never "good" really.
 
jShort said:
Are all 4/5 races sketchy like this? Or is BB just super sketchy because it’s early and it’s everyone’s first race in months?
Click to expand...
Yes, and yes. I didn't know WTF I was doing my first few crits in 2018 and just stayed in the back so I don't cause any crashes. Learned pretty quick that those people are also pretty bad and brake too much, so you have to work REALLY hard to catch back up after the corners. If you start towards the front, it seems that you don't have to work quite as hard early, and hopefully they know better what they're doing since it's probably Cat 3 chasers. The few times I started towards the front, I had some good rides despite still being dropped and lapped twice by the freight train on my best race. Rockleigh is pretty short and flat though compared to the only other venue I did, Fort Lee.

Certainly doesn't help being an early race, but things get better as long as you don't notice too many newcomers. I only really did them for the same reason as you. It was a way to get out on the bike for a hard work out right after work on Thursdays in the summer (6pm for 1/2/3, 7pm for 4/5) to prep for cross. Last year this didn't really work out to well because back issues and only did one race after paying for the entire season.🙁
 
jShort said:
Question to anyone that can answer:
Are all 4/5 races sketchy like this? Or is BB just super sketchy because it’s early and it’s everyone’s first race in months?
Click to expand...

Yup, 4/5 crit races are pretty sketchy especially if its a bigger field, not to say other cat's are any better because most crits are like that (crashes are kind of normal). After a certain amount you learn how to flow in the field and what places and riders to stay away from.
 
With my short crit experience last year, the only place to be in a 4/5 crit is top 10 wheels. Any farther back and you’re at the mercy of everyone else.
I did do a 3/4 race as a team with a crew and it seemed way more predictable. Very aggressive, but felt safer. Not sure if that makes sense.
 
jShort said:
Race report!

After spending most of my winter mornings inside watching Netflix or cross races, i thought it would be a fun idea to sign up for the branchbrook park crits.

I've only done 1 crit before this, that was a 30 minute race that was over before i knew it. For this past weekend's races it was more of a training opportunity and a chance to try something new.
I know the reputation of these races is that they are super sketchy, so combining that with the fact that I have close to zero experience, i was mainly looking to keep the rubber side down, and not end my season before it even starts.

Race1:

The first race starts at 7:17. WTF. Way too early. In order to get there I had to wake up around 4 AM which is a little nutty. Second thoughts already.

Anyway, we start nice and casually which I am appreciative of. Its 24 degrees or so with a slight breeze (Insert "feels like x degrees" here), and yea..spending most of the winter rides in my basement in front of a fan does not really acclimate me to cold weather. So warming up took a few minutes.

The first thing I notice is that there's way too much movement in the pack. I don’t know anyone so i don’t know which wheel is a good one to follow. This usually leaves me unsheltered without a good draft. And that in turn equals me putting out way more watts than I would if I was on someone's wheel. To put it in perspective, we're talking like a ~120-150 watt difference, depending on where on the course we were. I recognize this right away and try to hide as much as possible, but when someone got squirrely, I got out of there.

We got though maybe half the race before the first crash. 15-20 minutes? This race was living up to expectations. I didn’t actually see the crash, but heard it behind me.

The next crash happened maybe 10 minutes later maybe a 1/2 mile before the start/finish line. I was in the back quarter of the pack this time. I still didn’t see what actually happened, but I had to jam on my brakes and swerve to miss the carnage. The front of the race didn't get impacted so I burned a few more watts on bridging back up.

I was able to latch back on and even recover a little. The heard had been thinned and it seemed to be a little more stable at this point in the race. I had been telling myself to be aggressive, attack, and not GAF about results. So when the bell rang on the next lap I felt obligated to make a move. On the back side I attacked and obviously nobody went with me. I'm not sure how much of a gap I had but i think it was pretty big. Unfortunately I am not able to keep up this effort for the next 5 or 6 minutes (or 2), and I am caught before the last 90 degree turn. I got swallowed up in the pack and was pretty spent so I just roll though the finish. The result didn’t matter as much as the workout, staying upright, and gaining a little experience. So I guess mission accomplished?

I know i worked too hard for most of the race, and i obviously attacked at the wrong time. If I had stayed hidden and made that same move later, maybe things would have been different? No idea.

There's also so many other things I did wrong that weren't putting me in a position to be successful, but i wont bore anyone with those details.



Race 2:

I don’t feel like recapping the second race right now. I'll just leave these bullets:

* There were no crashed that I saw

*I got lazy with paying attention and a gap opened.

*I let it get away and never bridged back up

*I kind of mailed it in after that.

*somehow I placed higher in the second race



I can’t make next Saturday’s races because of kids sports stuff. But I did have fun and got a great workout so I’ll probably be back. Maybe just for the second races though, the 7:17 start requires such an early wake up it really kills the rest of the day.
Click to expand...

I saw you in the results and wondered if this is a regular thing. I guess not. I have done a few BB crits and yes staying near the front is less sketchy. Being able to quickly maneuver and bunny hop curbs is a necessary skill. These are pretty entertaining. I thought about dropping in on one.
 
xc62701 said:
I saw you in the results and wondered if this is a regular thing. I guess not. I have done a few BB crits and yes staying near the front is less sketchy. Being able to quickly maneuver and bunny hop curbs is a necessary skill. These are pretty entertaining. I thought about dropping in on one.
Click to expand...
Can we use an mtb? Not about to bring my nice, new Tarmac to get all f’d up
 
Pearl said:
I did do a 3/4 race as a team with a crew and it seemed way more predictable. Very aggressive, but felt safer. Not sure if that makes sense
Click to expand...

That makes a ton of sense actually. I’d rather a more aggressive race working with a team where you can concentrate on taking turns instead of worrying about everyone else. It’s hard to be aggressive when every wheel is floating side to side and you hear lots of brake squealing in the pack.

xc62701 said:
I saw you in the results and wondered if this is a regular thing. I guess not. I have done a few BB crits and yes staying near the front is less sketchy. Being able to quickly maneuver and bunny hop curbs is a necessary skill. These are pretty entertaining. I thought about dropping in on one.
Click to expand...

Do it. The 7:17 start is still kinda ridiculous tho. I have to skip this week but plan on being there the week after
 
You mentioned this event in the "What's Happening This Weekend" thread, and I saw your name when I went to look at the results for the Masters races.

As others have said, learn how to stay at the front, period, if you have any ambitions of doing well, not to mention staying upright.

Branch Brook requires a particular kind of "pack surfing" technique on the back side, through that twisty section. Knowing where the undulations are, and how much they change the shape of the road, really helps. If you can anticipate the spots where the curbs push everyone over, it's easier to be assertive and put yourself where you need to be, before the rest of the pack encounters it and reacts.

Man, I miss road racing.
 
The Rapha bibs. You have my attention. More info on your experience?

- Do you think the side pockets are going to wear out? From the pictures online they seem like a thin mesh.
- It looks like the top of the bibs are a bit odd with a built in base layer. Thoughts on that?
 
ChrisG said:
You mentioned this event in the "What's Happening This Weekend" thread, and I saw your name when I went to look at the results for the Masters races.

As others have said, learn how to stay at the front, period, if you have any ambitions of doing well, not to mention staying upright.

Branch Brook requires a particular kind of "pack surfing" technique on the back side, through that twisty section. Knowing where the undulations are, and how much they change the shape of the road, really helps. If you can anticipate the spots where the curbs push everyone over, it's easier to be assertive and put yourself where you need to be, before the rest of the pack encounters it and reacts.

Man, I miss road racing.
Click to expand...

I feel like I need you in my ear during my race. 🙂
Like I said, the main goal is to get a workout. But the more I do the more I’m going try to finish near the pointy end.
 
Santapez said:
The Rapha bibs. You have my attention. More info on your experience?

- Do you think the side pockets are going to wear out? From the pictures online they seem like a thin mesh.
- It looks like the top of the bibs are a bit odd with a built in base layer. Thoughts on that?
Click to expand...

They’re awesome. I don’t see the thin mesh pockets wearing out. I wouldn’t put heavy stuff in there, I’d limit to nutrition, keys, cash, ID, etc. There also 2 pockets in the back where some other bibs have storage. Enough for bottles, tools, etc.
No built in base layer though. Not sure why you think that. Post a pic and make sure you’re looking at what I’m wearing.
I really like them for wearing under baggies on the MTB. It opens up possibilities for shirts without having to worry about pockets or a camelbak. Between the side and back pockets (plus a bottle on the bike and other bike storage) you have everything you need.
 
I was confused on the base layer thing. Looking at the site now, doesn't seem to be what I was looking at last night. They seem like regular bib straps.

Did you go with the "Core Cargo Bib Shorts" or "Cargo Bib Shorts"? Core seems like almost half the price.

I pretty much went full bib shorts for racing, but it's nice to have the easy to access pockets and I'm not a huge fan of the rear pockets on jerseys. The rear pockets do open up options though.

One thing I do like about Rapha is they have a store where you can actually check sizing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom