FLCC> tues ayes

[Nick Robertson]

My impression of the corner was that it wasn't handled very well, but  
I tend to be a bit of a safety freak and am nervous in packs to begin  
with.  I don't think this was anyone's fault, I think the rules for  
neutralization are a bit fuzzy and need to be defined more clearly.

My suggestion (and this may be too cautious, but I'd rather be over  
cautious than attend someone's funeral) is to treat it like a group  
ride.  If we were out on a weekend group ride and we were approaching  
that corner with a car coming from the left, we'd all stop and wait  
for it to go by.  I think since it is difficult to define how to  
corner safely with an oncoming car, I'd vote to see everyone stop at  
a corner when a car is spotted.

Glenn mentioned a fear of riders piling up from behind if he hit the  
brakes for the car.  This was my fear last night too, and the reason  
that I didn't slam on mine.  But if we have to slam on our brakes, I  
think we are arguably going into a corner too fast to be safe.  Even  
if we go single file, and take the inside line, I still don't believe  
this is safe.  One rider can hit a patch of sand or flat through the  
corner and slide right into the car's path.  This is a problem at the  
Midline intersections too.  Riders tend to take the inside line to  
end up on the white line, out of the path of the car, but all it  
takes is a slip.  And it is a lot to ask of any inexperienced riders  
that are in the group to follow a line like that in the presence of a  
car.

So, my question to everyone is this:  Can we neutralize corners where  
we run a stop sign (White Church - Coddington, Midline - Irish  
Settlement, Midline -79) to the point where everyone slows to a speed  
that is conducive to a COMPLETE stop without riders crashing into  
each other if a car is spotted?  That speed would be slow, something  
in the ballpark of 10 or 15 mph and it would be up to the first rider  
to slow the pack and the other riders not to speed around that first  
rider upon slowing.  If we're chasing a break and a car forces the  
pack to stop, too bad, the break gets an advantage (Paris-Roubaix a  
couple years ago with the train crossing).

Is this reasonable, or overly cautious?  It is after all a group ride  
and not a race.  If the consensus is that this is too cautious,  
that's fine.  But I think we need clear cut rules for what is to be  
done at a corner when a car is spotted.

My 2 cents.

On Jun 25, 2008, at 3:47 PM, <mgarcia at borgwarner.com> wrote:

>
> I did not mean any offense by my post or to point fingers, so I
> hope it was not perceived that way.
>
> Yes, Glenn and Andy are right.  I did attack at the climb and I should
> have brought that up, because it no doubt seems hypocritical in  
> light of
> my original post.  But here is my explanation.
>
> What happened was that I turned the corner in maybe 3rd position, saw
> the car and called back. I then slowed up to wait for people to  
> regroup,
>
> assuming everyone would do the same.  Instead, the two riders ahead of
> me seemed to push the pace and a bunch of people passed me and it  
> seemed
>
> the race was not stopping or slowing.  So I got a little irritated and
> took a flyer to work off my adrenaline.
>
> I feel bad knowing now that Don and Noel? stopped and didn't catch on
> and for my part in that I apologize.  I know I would be annoyed if I
> was in their shoes.
>
> Thinking back over the situation was what motivated me to post,  
> because
> I wanted to know if people saw that situation as being well-dealt with
> or poorly-dealt with.  For my part, I admit that attacking before
> everyone was back on was probably poor judgement.
>
> It seems like Glenn and Andy thought it was dealt with OK, so maybe
> I am making an issue out of nothing?  Not sure.  It is easy to be
> a Wednesday-morning quarterback.  Any other thoughts?
>
> -Ano
>
>
>
>> Interesting to me that it was Ano,
>> somewhat further up the hill who went flying off the front while some
> of us
>> were still either holding back, or just being lazy....was he  
>> fueled by
>> adrenaline after the car-interaction ?
>
>
>
> Mariano Garcia
> BorgWarner Morse TEC Inc.
> Ithaca Technical Center
> 770 Warren Rd.    Ithaca NY 14850
> Ph: 607-266-2136 (desk) 607-266-2243 (recep)
> FAX: 607-257-5033
> email: mgarcia at borgwarner.com
>
>
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