FLCC> racing "rules"? plus Tuesday A's

[Daniel Kidney]

I generally find that mocking the riders behind me enhances the "animosity"
and hence also the "fun" of the race.
If you choose to pull over instead though, remember as you drift back that:
A) If there are gaps in the line, even if they are not a full bike length,
it is often not only acceptable, but even appreciated if you indicate you
want to fill that gap (pointing works with experienced riders, a quick
explanation might be more in line for new riders). This way you don't have
to go all the way to the back where you are liable to be in a group that
gets dropped, but you also are making yourself work more by spending more
time at the front.
B) If the pace is not particularly quick, and particularly if the next rider
in line unknowingly stays at the front a long time, wearing themselves out,
you are in a great position to attack the group. New riders usually balk
when such phrasing comes up, but the truth is, if you are not struggling to
stay with the group you probably could get away from it. It's unlikely
you'll win by taking off alone in the middle of a race, and it's not
unlikely that you'll be dropped by the group when they catch you again, but
people attacking is what makes racing fun.

As far as the finish goes, conventional wisdom would say that it's the
yellow diamond, but if you win the town line or any other sign, land mark,
or distinctive branch, I see no reason not to hotly contest the validity of
the yellow diamond as the finish to such a prestigious race.

Speaking of fun racing, there seems to be a dearth of reports from this
Tuesday. I thought it was a good race, although my perspective on it may be
one of the less exciting. I was planning to go with the B's but I buckled
under the unspoken peer pressure of seeing most of my competition going out
with the A's. I had a feeling it would be fast; it was. After lollygagging
my way to the tail of the line and reattaching my computer, I found that we
were over 35 mph a good portion of the way down Coddington. There were
several breaks which were not really a primary concern of mine as I was
riding under the so called "super saver plan." I managed to at least catch
the chasers, generally, finishing up at the back of the lead pack (and
things were somewhat split up at that point).
Going into the second round the group seemed to shrink considerably. I
noticed that a blue jersey fellow of mine from the back of the line in the
first round (sorry, what was your name?) and I happened to be near the front
together this time. Matt, a young cookie I had just met, took off early on.
I wasn't particularly interested in chasing, but I did it anyway. The spoils
of the super saver plan were paying off; at not nearly the speeds of the
first round, we were keeping the group at bay. Matt, however, is honestly
strong, and not just cocky like me; although we shrank the gap, I eventually
chose to wait up for the group rather than continue the chase. Back in the
group Mike and I spent some time driving the bus down to the corner where I
found myself second in line behind some black frame. Being the only wheel I
had in front of me, I chose to stick to black frame for a bit as he powered
away from the group. The folly of this choice quickly became evident as I
barely held on, and subsequently found myself passed by the entire group and
making a half hearted (and failed) attempt to catch on to the last wheel.
Once the gap grew nearly hopeless I put my head down and kept the distance
from growing too much, even deluding myself into thinking that I was
gaining, perhaps had a chance to catch back on, a few times. This effort
didn't last long though, after a few minutes I hit the wall feeling the
hours since my most recent carbohydrates weighing down on me like bricks and
my speed dropped from 26 to 13. I presume someone won.
Myself I was in for a new sort of experience. I didn't feel completely
bonked, as my legs kept turning, but after waiting for the B finish with
Mike I went from warm and tired to freezing and vaguely unaware of the
surrounding world. It felt more like I was in bed with a fever and having
delusions about riding back to the parking lot, than actually doing so.
Despite plenty of warm clothing I continued to freeze, but also started to
sweat considerably. Back at the parking lot caffeine didn't really seem like
the wisest thing, but in my desperation for warmth and carbs I grabbed a
muffin and a coffee at the gas station which I ate/drank/spilled on myself
with shaking hands.
I got a better night's sleep than I have in a long time.

Perhaps I'll see some of you at the Tburg Library tonight (7:30)

Cheers

Daniel

On Thu, May 29, 2008 at 10:06 AM, LiLynn Graves <lg75 at cornell.edu> wrote:

> Unfortunately the C group takes a while to get up to speed as far as
> riders working together. It is always new riders each year so no one
> really takes charge. You guys need to communicate before you head out
> and while you are riding as a group. If you are doing all the work then
> the other riders are not moving through the pack and getting the
> experience they could be getting and you are expending more energy than
> everyone else even if you aren't riding really hard. When you are
> rotating through, you will be at the back of the pack momentarily , but
> if you are paying attention and anticipating what is happening around
> you, you will not get dropped.
> If anyone at any time feels they are the only one pulling then move over
> and yell to the group to work together. More than likely, the other
> riders are taking advantage of you or so nervous trying to hang on that
> they forgot all about pack etiquette. On the other hand, some riders are
> not strong enough to take leads so they will just move through the pack
> without ever going to the front and try to hang on for dear life. This
> is how we all got started and this is a very good way for beginners to
> learn as long as they stay relaxed and pay attention to the other riders.
> If you want to see how a nice pack works, try to hang on to the B group
> for as long as you can. They are very good at pace lining. If you get
> dropped you can then pick up the C's behind you.
> As far as the finish on the Brooktondale course, it is indeed the yellow
> diamond just before the intersection.
> > So, in my lifetime of experience so far with Tuesday nights (i.e., two
> > trainings with Guru Don and backup Daniel, and two Brooktondale
> > evenings), I have stumbled upon two mysteries, which I'm hoping someone
> > can clear up for me.
> >
> > In a Tuesday race, when you are first in a group, but are either
> > ambivalent about being so or are not setting a race-like pace, should
> you:
> > a) move left as in a paceline? (seems sensible, except that puts you in
> > the back if you don't muscle in.)
> > b) hold your course and hope someone passes you?
> > c) mock the people behind you?
> >
> > Where is the finish line in the Brooktondale loop?
> > a) the street crossing yellow diamond
> > b) the town line
> > c) self-proclaimed winners hash it out
> > d) all of the above
> >
> > The sun came out just in time to warm Tuesday racers. We had a nice
> > little group of Cs the other day - which became so small that by the
> > second loop that I was even occasionally in a position to ponder these
> > questions.
> >
> > Christine
> >
> >
>
>
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