I thought I would share this, especially since I sometime get stuff from Walmart...
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2009
Release # 10-081
Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 213-4651
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
CO2 Bicycle Tire Inflators Sold at Walmart Recalled by Todson Inc. Due to
Risk of Injury
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall
of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled
products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: CO2 bicycle tire inflators
Units: About 24,000
Importer: Todson Inc., of North Attleboro, Mass.
rest of article can be found here
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
How to Train/Ride in the dark
So lately I have been busy with the typical life of a college senior. Job interviews, midterms, tons of homework and projects have made may days very long and leave very little time for riding. I started my base about a week ago, as I typically like to start training in the early part of November. Considering that I have limited time to train, I have been for the most part training and riding in the early a.m. Meaning at the early hour of 5:30am spending majority of my ride in the dark. Luckily I have a great light, that lights up everything and makes sure cars can see me.
Over these last two weeks of predawn rides(which are solo as apparently my teammates think I am insane for being up that early to ride) I have really enjoyed myself. I can honestly say it is refreshing and liberating to be out before dawn. Riding out of Hoboken in the early a.m means that there is essentially no cars on the road. Other than the occasional runner, the area is basically deserted. Going out solo predawn has made for some great stress relief and overall good vibes, it has allowed some great alone time with my thoughts. The solitude really has been good for me, it has made me calmer and a little more focused which is important in my last year at school. But I have also learned some skills on riding in the dark which are listed below:
How To Train in the Dark
1. Buy a Commuter Light
a. commuter lights have many LEDs that light up the road and alert you to oncoming cars
2. Wake up crazy early, like 5am
3. Eat a light breakfast
a. if your in Base training like moi, then its safe to say you're going to be on the road for a few
hours, so its a given to eat something. Even cold pizza from the night before
4. Bring a camera, even a camera phone works
a. aside from getting to watch a pretty nice sunrise you never what you might see, being able
to document it is worthwhile
5. Be alert
a. if your not alert, you will hit something. I learned that when I hit a pothole going downhill
at 35mph and flatted in teh dark. Not fun
6. While your place for the said ride, make as much noise as possible to wake your roommate who is too lazy and undisciplined to ride w/ you predawn
a. just a cheapshot at my roommate who isn't a morning person
These are just some stuff I have seen while riding predawn. I will post some pics I've taken while on these rides in the coming days as well as some updates on the Stevens team. Until then I will continue riding in the training in the early a.m and enjoying life.
Over these last two weeks of predawn rides(which are solo as apparently my teammates think I am insane for being up that early to ride) I have really enjoyed myself. I can honestly say it is refreshing and liberating to be out before dawn. Riding out of Hoboken in the early a.m means that there is essentially no cars on the road. Other than the occasional runner, the area is basically deserted. Going out solo predawn has made for some great stress relief and overall good vibes, it has allowed some great alone time with my thoughts. The solitude really has been good for me, it has made me calmer and a little more focused which is important in my last year at school. But I have also learned some skills on riding in the dark which are listed below:
How To Train in the Dark
1. Buy a Commuter Light
a. commuter lights have many LEDs that light up the road and alert you to oncoming cars
2. Wake up crazy early, like 5am
3. Eat a light breakfast
a. if your in Base training like moi, then its safe to say you're going to be on the road for a few
hours, so its a given to eat something. Even cold pizza from the night before
4. Bring a camera, even a camera phone works
a. aside from getting to watch a pretty nice sunrise you never what you might see, being able
to document it is worthwhile
5. Be alert
a. if your not alert, you will hit something. I learned that when I hit a pothole going downhill
at 35mph and flatted in teh dark. Not fun
6. While your place for the said ride, make as much noise as possible to wake your roommate who is too lazy and undisciplined to ride w/ you predawn
a. just a cheapshot at my roommate who isn't a morning person
These are just some stuff I have seen while riding predawn. I will post some pics I've taken while on these rides in the coming days as well as some updates on the Stevens team. Until then I will continue riding in the training in the early a.m and enjoying life.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
ECCC Fall Meeting
The fall meeting is at Stevens this year. Information can be found below
http://collegiatecycling.org/eccc/wiki/index.php?n=Events.FallMeeting2009
http://collegiatecycling.org/eccc/wiki/index.php?n=Events.FallMeeting2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thoughts on Fall racing
With Fall and CX in full swing, I've been thinking about many things. How long Road season goes, why we race CX, when we start training, etc. Then on NYVelocity, I find this article. Here is an excerpt:
"Instead of starting races in late February, when the snow can threaten to fall from the sky, why not shift the early season to late March and race through September and October? Would you race now if there were a season ending race series?...Would you be afraid to sacrifice the early season fitness gained by racing in the cold, dark mornings of March? Is 55 degrees warmer in the fall or spring?"
I think this is a valid point, personally I feel 50degrees in the Fall is much better than 50 degress in March. I've always preferred rides in the Fall mainly because its always so low stress where in early Spring everyone is hammering all day. But there is always something to be said about the competitiveness about racing, after about 2 weeks off the bike I start to miss road racing and all the glory that goes along with it. My season ended back on Labor Day, since I've been hanging out, drinking beer, riding whenever the spirit moves me, and just enjoying life. But I can't help thinking about next season and winter training that is right around the corner.
Personally, I have never done a cross race but definitely want to. That probably won't happen this fall, but maybe one year I won't be so burned out and out of shape by October that I can actually merit jumping into a cross race. These are all just thought and ramblings that are a result of not racing or training seriously for several weeks. Base training is right around the corner for everyone, time to start thinking about next season.
"Instead of starting races in late February, when the snow can threaten to fall from the sky, why not shift the early season to late March and race through September and October? Would you race now if there were a season ending race series?...Would you be afraid to sacrifice the early season fitness gained by racing in the cold, dark mornings of March? Is 55 degrees warmer in the fall or spring?"
I think this is a valid point, personally I feel 50degrees in the Fall is much better than 50 degress in March. I've always preferred rides in the Fall mainly because its always so low stress where in early Spring everyone is hammering all day. But there is always something to be said about the competitiveness about racing, after about 2 weeks off the bike I start to miss road racing and all the glory that goes along with it. My season ended back on Labor Day, since I've been hanging out, drinking beer, riding whenever the spirit moves me, and just enjoying life. But I can't help thinking about next season and winter training that is right around the corner.
Personally, I have never done a cross race but definitely want to. That probably won't happen this fall, but maybe one year I won't be so burned out and out of shape by October that I can actually merit jumping into a cross race. These are all just thought and ramblings that are a result of not racing or training seriously for several weeks. Base training is right around the corner for everyone, time to start thinking about next season.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Which wheels should I get?
With my season over I'm looking to upgrade my wheelset. Raced mostly on Ksyrium SLs this summer, not my wheel of choice but its what I had. Those will be up on Ebay in the coming weeks in the meantime I will be on my bontrager training wheels.
I've basically narrowed down my choices to the American Classic 420s and the Neuvations R28 SL
I really don't see the need for deep dish carbon rims at this point, maybe in a season or two down the line. I like both sets of wheels, I prefer the American Classics but they are a bit pricier than the Neuvations. The Neuvations, from what I've seen and hear are very good for the price you pay. It really comes down to how much money I want to spend. I have time, the season doesn't start till March and base doesnt start for another month and half. So I'm content to ride on my training wheels for now...
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated
I've basically narrowed down my choices to the American Classic 420s and the Neuvations R28 SL
I really don't see the need for deep dish carbon rims at this point, maybe in a season or two down the line. I like both sets of wheels, I prefer the American Classics but they are a bit pricier than the Neuvations. The Neuvations, from what I've seen and hear are very good for the price you pay. It really comes down to how much money I want to spend. I have time, the season doesn't start till March and base doesnt start for another month and half. So I'm content to ride on my training wheels for now...
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated
Friday, August 14, 2009
Ramblings and other thoughts on racing....
We are officially half way through August, which mean most people are either done for the season or getting ready to wrap it up for year. Personally I only have 3 more races this summer, all being criteriums, all in the next 3 weeks. My latest race was at the final Cadence Cup this past Saturday. I felt really good during the race, I threw down a mean attack on the final climb of the day. The goal of that move was to soften up the lead out trains from BVF and Kissena. It seems to have worked as going into the sprint there was no organized leadout, with guys fighting tooth and nail for a wheel. I had legs to sprint in the end and was able to grab 11th, just being nipped at the line for the final pay out spot. This was my last race in Brooklyn for the season, and I have to say thank heavens I'm not coming back till next February.
During my tenure at Prospect Park I have noticed several things that are different than most other venues I have raced at:
1) On the downhill why the hell are the guys at the front killing themselves to sprint down the hill at 40mph when they can relax a bit at 37mph and not cause pile ups.
1.a) attacking at the bottleneck only causes carnage, so why do people constantly try it
2) No one attacks at the top of the hill in the cat 4 field, why??? Every time I have attacked there, I have stayed away for at least a lap before realize I can't Time Trial worth a damn
2.a)I should really work on my Time Trial ability
2.c)This means I should actually race a time trial every now again
3) The pace is always high, we seem to avg. around 25-26 every race. In other 4 races, the pace seems much slower
4) Getting up at 4am, for a 6:30am race is never much fun.
With only 3 crits remaining in my season, I hope to grab top 10 in each of them. The most important of them is the NJ Crit Championship. Luckily most of this seasons cat4 sandbaggers have moved up to cat.3, should make the race just a little easier if not more competitive. As I get ready to go back to Stevens, I am relieved I no longer have a Eboard position on the team. Myself and Ray Junkins who have worked tirelessly for two years to bring a collegiate team to Stevens leave the team in capable hands. I can actually focus on training and having some fun during my senior year.
Now this year, along w/ my own training I will be helping to develop our new riders and some of our old as well. I may not be a Pro or even a 3(yet anyway), but I do have two full seasons of racing under my belt. More than most the guys/girls on the team, which will hopefully go a long way. I do look forward to teaching/relating my experience to the younger guys, luckily I have a plan for this:
1.) Crash course on how to suck wheel
1.a) i.e pass/fail racing, which has helped me a few time when I wasn't in shape.
2.)How to drink beer and still race well...assuming I can learn that first so can teach it later
3.)How to sprint like a champ
3.a)How to not crash in sprint
3.b)How to actually sprint in a bunch sprint
4.)Recovery=good timesw/ beer(in moderation)
5.)Racing in the rain = why the hell am I racing in the rain?
Assuming this plan works(why wouldn't it?) we should have riders in D,C,B this coming road season and some women racers as well. Well it looks like I have to get back to work as the boss just asked why I'm blogging at 11am instead for actually working. For the meanwhile, I found this pretty funny(via bikeforums)
During my tenure at Prospect Park I have noticed several things that are different than most other venues I have raced at:
1) On the downhill why the hell are the guys at the front killing themselves to sprint down the hill at 40mph when they can relax a bit at 37mph and not cause pile ups.
1.a) attacking at the bottleneck only causes carnage, so why do people constantly try it
2) No one attacks at the top of the hill in the cat 4 field, why??? Every time I have attacked there, I have stayed away for at least a lap before realize I can't Time Trial worth a damn
2.a)I should really work on my Time Trial ability
2.c)This means I should actually race a time trial every now again
3) The pace is always high, we seem to avg. around 25-26 every race. In other 4 races, the pace seems much slower
4) Getting up at 4am, for a 6:30am race is never much fun.
With only 3 crits remaining in my season, I hope to grab top 10 in each of them. The most important of them is the NJ Crit Championship. Luckily most of this seasons cat4 sandbaggers have moved up to cat.3, should make the race just a little easier if not more competitive. As I get ready to go back to Stevens, I am relieved I no longer have a Eboard position on the team. Myself and Ray Junkins who have worked tirelessly for two years to bring a collegiate team to Stevens leave the team in capable hands. I can actually focus on training and having some fun during my senior year.
Now this year, along w/ my own training I will be helping to develop our new riders and some of our old as well. I may not be a Pro or even a 3(yet anyway), but I do have two full seasons of racing under my belt. More than most the guys/girls on the team, which will hopefully go a long way. I do look forward to teaching/relating my experience to the younger guys, luckily I have a plan for this:
1.) Crash course on how to suck wheel
1.a) i.e pass/fail racing, which has helped me a few time when I wasn't in shape.
2.)How to drink beer and still race well...assuming I can learn that first so can teach it later
3.)How to sprint like a champ
3.a)How to not crash in sprint
3.b)How to actually sprint in a bunch sprint
4.)Recovery=good timesw/ beer(in moderation)
5.)Racing in the rain = why the hell am I racing in the rain?
Assuming this plan works(why wouldn't it?) we should have riders in D,C,B this coming road season and some women racers as well. Well it looks like I have to get back to work as the boss just asked why I'm blogging at 11am instead for actually working. For the meanwhile, I found this pretty funny(via bikeforums)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
As the Toto Turns 147
I love this cartoon via NYVelocity...
I will be posting on my remaining races later this week, in the mean enjoy the above article and I hope everyone's summer racing is going welll....
I will be posting on my remaining races later this week, in the mean enjoy the above article and I hope everyone's summer racing is going welll....
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
So the racing continues.....
Since my last post, I have been rather busy training and racing. I completed the Giro del Cielo. I only did the first two stages as I couldn't get the car for Sundays Road Race. My TT went so so, I wasn't expecting anything great. I finished the 4.6 mile uphill course in the 19min range, which was very subpar on teh day. The crit went ok as well, I didn't have a good position and got stuck behind some cat 5s who kept braking through each turn causing huge gaps to open. Being a very short criterium course, this made it very hard to close gaps. This caused me to get pulled about halfway through the race. I wasn't happy w/ that and went home frustated, but determined to better the following weekend.
The following weekend, which was this past weekend I race twice. First on Saturday at the Cadence Cup in Brooklyn then again on Sunday for the Freedom Tour crit. Saturday went much better than my last outing in Brooklyn. Despite not eating or drinking enough, I was able to contest both green jersey sprints. Both times I just missed the points as I had jumped to early and got beat at the line. From that I learned that I need to time my jump better and find a better wheel to follow in the sprint. After those two sprints, I was pretty gassed and finished in the field for the race. I was happy w/ how my race went, as I learned that my sprint has improved enough to contest the sprint in a very tough race. Sunday's criterium went relatively well, first goal was to not get pulled like the previous week. Next goal was to try to contest a top ten. The race went pretty smoothly, I was able to stay up front always in the top 20-30 riders. I cornered well as each I either kept my position or gained a spot or two. I made a tactical mistake by not carrying water for the crit. By the last lap I was quickly running out of gas, w/ no way to refuel. Sprint time came, I just didn't have the gas to sprint and finished mid pack.
All in all, this weekend was clear improvement from last week and my collegiate stint this past spring. Form feels good, and I have some new toys on the way(sans powertap and rollers). I have plenty of races left this month before I wrap it up for the season at Denville. I will be racing again this weekend, will be working on the correcting the mistakes I've made so I can finally contest the sprint at the end of a race.
Here are some pics from this past weekend.....
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/9066083_KDDRH#603615740_nvVWJ
http://teamorganicnyc.org/gallery_090725.html
The following weekend, which was this past weekend I race twice. First on Saturday at the Cadence Cup in Brooklyn then again on Sunday for the Freedom Tour crit. Saturday went much better than my last outing in Brooklyn. Despite not eating or drinking enough, I was able to contest both green jersey sprints. Both times I just missed the points as I had jumped to early and got beat at the line. From that I learned that I need to time my jump better and find a better wheel to follow in the sprint. After those two sprints, I was pretty gassed and finished in the field for the race. I was happy w/ how my race went, as I learned that my sprint has improved enough to contest the sprint in a very tough race. Sunday's criterium went relatively well, first goal was to not get pulled like the previous week. Next goal was to try to contest a top ten. The race went pretty smoothly, I was able to stay up front always in the top 20-30 riders. I cornered well as each I either kept my position or gained a spot or two. I made a tactical mistake by not carrying water for the crit. By the last lap I was quickly running out of gas, w/ no way to refuel. Sprint time came, I just didn't have the gas to sprint and finished mid pack.
All in all, this weekend was clear improvement from last week and my collegiate stint this past spring. Form feels good, and I have some new toys on the way(sans powertap and rollers). I have plenty of races left this month before I wrap it up for the season at Denville. I will be racing again this weekend, will be working on the correcting the mistakes I've made so I can finally contest the sprint at the end of a race.
Here are some pics from this past weekend.....
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/9066083_KDDRH#603615740_nvVWJ
http://teamorganicnyc.org/gallery_090725.html
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Updates and other ramblings
So, its been a while since my last post. The last post was about my prep for the State TT, well sadly I was unable to attend due to a family situation that arose the night before. Nonetheless my teammates at Montclair represented well with two riders taking wins in their respective age groups. For June I was scheduled to race a few times at the watermelon crit and prospect park. That did not happen either due to not getting paid at work for a month, so instead I focused my efforts on my training. I basically spent the entire month of June training with my teammates most days of the week. The majority of the guys on my team are masters 35+ and higher, with our coach being a 45+ racer. The benefit of this is that our Tuesday night training race turns into a balls to the wall hammerfest and our Saturday ride into a 15mile free for all. In one month I figured why my collegiate season this year went less than stellar: lack of discipline in training(school work and beer are blame). As a cat.4 my teammates expect a little more from me than most of new members, so naturally I was to improve my fitness and race awareness during my training.
Now that July is here, I finally got paid which I can race again. My first race back was last Saturday at Prospect Park. The turn out was pretty good, with almost 20 additional racers showing up the day of for the cat.4 field. The race wasn't superfast, but their was a breakaway attempt on everylap. This made for constant speed changes on a course that can take its toll after 8 laps of racing. I got myself into the last breakaway, as their was about a lap and half to go. They were already out there for a lap and had a 30second gap on the field. I figured if this was going to be the one to stick, I better try to get into it. I bridged the gap to breakaway, but it seems that move caused a panick or something in the pack as we got caught on the last lap at the top of the hill. I burned a big match to bridge the breakaway, and didn't have much gas to sprint in the end. A few riders at the end of the race told me if had used that effort to bridge the breakaway in the sprint I would have had top 5, but oh well that;s bike racing.
Next on tap for me is the Giro del Cielo in sussex county, I can't climb as well I used to but at the least it will help my fitness for the remaining races on my schedule.
Now that July is here, I finally got paid which I can race again. My first race back was last Saturday at Prospect Park. The turn out was pretty good, with almost 20 additional racers showing up the day of for the cat.4 field. The race wasn't superfast, but their was a breakaway attempt on everylap. This made for constant speed changes on a course that can take its toll after 8 laps of racing. I got myself into the last breakaway, as their was about a lap and half to go. They were already out there for a lap and had a 30second gap on the field. I figured if this was going to be the one to stick, I better try to get into it. I bridged the gap to breakaway, but it seems that move caused a panick or something in the pack as we got caught on the last lap at the top of the hill. I burned a big match to bridge the breakaway, and didn't have much gas to sprint in the end. A few riders at the end of the race told me if had used that effort to bridge the breakaway in the sprint I would have had top 5, but oh well that;s bike racing.
Next on tap for me is the Giro del Cielo in sussex county, I can't climb as well I used to but at the least it will help my fitness for the remaining races on my schedule.
Friday, May 22, 2009
TT prep and other random stuff...
So I will be competing in the NJ Individual TT championships next Sunday. Since the end of my collegiate season I have been able to get in some very good training with my club team. I feel very good going into the race of truth as I finally have found the form I was lacking all spring. Last weekend, my clubs Saturday morning ride through the 'swamp' turned into a 35+ hammer fest led by Herb Jimenez of JVS. Even though our Saturday is usually Montclair only, we all consider Herb and his guys honarary team members as we often train and race together. I felt great the whole ride and was able to hang on as Herb and his boys cranked the paceline to well over 28mph; my form was even better the next day I trainined my coach Earn and road up the mean macopin rd(5 miles of fun) and was able to hold his wheel for the better part of 4 miles.
Going into next Sunday's race I'm feeling very good, I have gotten in some good workouts this week. Lucky for me I will be borrowing a team mates Orbea Ordu for the race; to add to my good fortune he's running an 808 rear and 404 front. I think I smell a sub hour 40km :)
Other than getting ready for my time trial, I have just been hanging out over the past two weeks. I finished up my finals and started working at school. My job isn't anything special, working in an office is pretty boring. On the upside it has given me a chance to catch up some reading(blogs, forums, tweets, and the like). I was looking forward to watching Terminator Salvation tonight but then was dissapointed to find the ending on wikipedia. Stuff like that really annoys me, I would like to see the movie and then be dissapointed. Not dissapointed before I even step foot in the theater. Maybe I'll go rent something like mama mia or the notebook instead...ehhh maybe not..
I have been watching sportcenter alot lately, mainly b/c I really like much on T.V. For me the two main sports highlight of the past two weeks are the Orlando Magic upsetting the Celtics and then two nights later upsetting the Cavs. Well to balance out this underdog winning, Rachel Alexandra won the preakness last weekend giving women more reason to get into sports. That's not really a bad thing, more women = more dates :) Also to please my current TT rival, if you haven't checked out velovanity radio, head over to their twitter site to check them. I personally haven't done so yet b/c I simply don't understand the point twitter, but that shouldn't deter you from checking them out anyway...
Well heres a clip of last weekend's preakness with Rachel Alexandrea winning, personally I'll be rooting for Mine that Bird at the Belmont Stakes. Maybe I can get some cash out of it...
Going into next Sunday's race I'm feeling very good, I have gotten in some good workouts this week. Lucky for me I will be borrowing a team mates Orbea Ordu for the race; to add to my good fortune he's running an 808 rear and 404 front. I think I smell a sub hour 40km :)
Other than getting ready for my time trial, I have just been hanging out over the past two weeks. I finished up my finals and started working at school. My job isn't anything special, working in an office is pretty boring. On the upside it has given me a chance to catch up some reading(blogs, forums, tweets, and the like). I was looking forward to watching Terminator Salvation tonight but then was dissapointed to find the ending on wikipedia. Stuff like that really annoys me, I would like to see the movie and then be dissapointed. Not dissapointed before I even step foot in the theater. Maybe I'll go rent something like mama mia or the notebook instead...ehhh maybe not..
I have been watching sportcenter alot lately, mainly b/c I really like much on T.V. For me the two main sports highlight of the past two weeks are the Orlando Magic upsetting the Celtics and then two nights later upsetting the Cavs. Well to balance out this underdog winning, Rachel Alexandra won the preakness last weekend giving women more reason to get into sports. That's not really a bad thing, more women = more dates :) Also to please my current TT rival, if you haven't checked out velovanity radio, head over to their twitter site to check them. I personally haven't done so yet b/c I simply don't understand the point twitter, but that shouldn't deter you from checking them out anyway...
Well heres a clip of last weekend's preakness with Rachel Alexandrea winning, personally I'll be rooting for Mine that Bird at the Belmont Stakes. Maybe I can get some cash out of it...
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Easterns Recap
Basically this weekend was a crashfest for us at Stevens. Saturday my teammates went down in the TT, resulting in a trip to the hospital(at least we got some vicodin out of it, more on that later) followed by another nasty crash by me on the so called chicane of carnage that resulted in me finishing my collegiate season in a sling. Other than that, I guess it went pretty well...
Saturday's TT saw our Stevens C1 team battling it out w/ RIT TT team. Our guys got caught on the later part of the course which was followed by a nasty crash on gravel. My teammate needed medical attention and could not do the road race, which was an A race for him. I feel bad as he trained hard for the soul crushing climb up Black Mo., on the upside he got some free vicodin. The rest of our team competed in the road race with less than steller results, basically we got pwnd on that climb. I am definitely not the climber I was last year, but that's what happens when you train for the crit central that is the NJBA.
Sunday was the fast and furious Frat row crit, which the now infamous chicane of carnage. There were several crashes, including myself. I left the race in a sling from a banged up shoulder. Luckily my teammate gave me some of his vicodin, and yes it was awesome I felt nothing for several hours. On a side note, my teammate learned that beer and meds don't mix as he quickly felt the effects of the meds after his beer at dinner. The rest of our guys did well, including a 4th place finish for our Men's D team. I didn't have a great collegiate season, but I truly enjoyed myself. Between hosting a race, helping develop the new riders on our team, and recruiting more women I have been very busy. We have already picked up some new riders for next season, and we're already looking forward to our summer season of racing. I will be looking to redeem myself later this month at the NJ State TT, 40km of joy...as always here are some pics from the weekend(disclaimer, my teamate Orlando has informed that he will no longer allow my to 'borrow' his photos for my blog posts)
this last one is my favorite, as it basiclly sums up riding in Hoboken...
Saturday's TT saw our Stevens C1 team battling it out w/ RIT TT team. Our guys got caught on the later part of the course which was followed by a nasty crash on gravel. My teammate needed medical attention and could not do the road race, which was an A race for him. I feel bad as he trained hard for the soul crushing climb up Black Mo., on the upside he got some free vicodin. The rest of our team competed in the road race with less than steller results, basically we got pwnd on that climb. I am definitely not the climber I was last year, but that's what happens when you train for the crit central that is the NJBA.
Sunday was the fast and furious Frat row crit, which the now infamous chicane of carnage. There were several crashes, including myself. I left the race in a sling from a banged up shoulder. Luckily my teammate gave me some of his vicodin, and yes it was awesome I felt nothing for several hours. On a side note, my teammate learned that beer and meds don't mix as he quickly felt the effects of the meds after his beer at dinner. The rest of our guys did well, including a 4th place finish for our Men's D team. I didn't have a great collegiate season, but I truly enjoyed myself. Between hosting a race, helping develop the new riders on our team, and recruiting more women I have been very busy. We have already picked up some new riders for next season, and we're already looking forward to our summer season of racing. I will be looking to redeem myself later this month at the NJ State TT, 40km of joy...as always here are some pics from the weekend(disclaimer, my teamate Orlando has informed that he will no longer allow my to 'borrow' his photos for my blog posts)
this last one is my favorite, as it basiclly sums up riding in Hoboken...
Monday, April 27, 2009
MIT weekend pictures and such
Here are some pics from this past weekends X-Pot hosted by my so called engineering brethren MIT...
So the last picture was taken while stuck in traffic Friday night on the West Side highway, definitely my favorite picture of the weekend. I will give a recap sometime this week, mainly b/c I'm too lazy to write one up now...
So the last picture was taken while stuck in traffic Friday night on the West Side highway, definitely my favorite picture of the weekend. I will give a recap sometime this week, mainly b/c I'm too lazy to write one up now...
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Manhatten VeloDrome
So one of my teammates from Montclair sent me this link. Here is a bit of the article...
NEW YORK, NY (BRAIN)—Cadence Cycling & Multisport Centers co-founder and president Matt Heitmann will be stepping down in order to pursue a new position heading up an effort to build a world-class, 250-meter indoor velodrome and community events center in Manhattan.
"The new velodrome will be a fully green, 100 percent sustainable site. It will also serve as a community center to promote healthy lifestyles, leadership values, and positive life skills for youth through the sport of cycling. "
NEW YORK, NY (BRAIN)—Cadence Cycling & Multisport Centers co-founder and president Matt Heitmann will be stepping down in order to pursue a new position heading up an effort to build a world-class, 250-meter indoor velodrome and community events center in Manhattan.
"The new velodrome will be a fully green, 100 percent sustainable site. It will also serve as a community center to promote healthy lifestyles, leadership values, and positive life skills for youth through the sport of cycling. "
Monday, April 13, 2009
Yale Weekend pics and recap
Recap: we came, we saw, we got rained on...that's a quick summary of Saturday. We didn't stay for the circuit, mainly because we're allergic to rain. Sunday, I attack on lap 2. Big mistake, i hadn't really found a rhythm yet but said what the hell let's attack. Naturally I couldn't recover afterward and ended up finishing last. Oh well, such is bike racing. Our D team did well with podium finishes in the TT and Circuit races. Even though my season is not going that great, it makes me feel all warm and tingly inside to see my team mates develop into better riders as the season progresses. That's more important to me than results, helping and watching my teammates become stronger and smarter racers.
Well here are some pics of us moseying around the parking lot on Saturday.
My favorite picture is the one of the worm, that pretty much sums up our weekend. There are few more adventures that we had on Saturday, fortunately I'm not as crude as some other bloggers and won't be posting pictures of us boozing it up at the hotel. Long story short, some people ended up falling asleep with their shoes on :)
Most of us will not be at Dartmouth this coming weekend, the semester is winding down here at Stevens so we're all pretty swamped w/ schoolwork. We'll have a few people there, hopefully they can represent well and bring back some points.
Well here are some pics of us moseying around the parking lot on Saturday.
My favorite picture is the one of the worm, that pretty much sums up our weekend. There are few more adventures that we had on Saturday, fortunately I'm not as crude as some other bloggers and won't be posting pictures of us boozing it up at the hotel. Long story short, some people ended up falling asleep with their shoes on :)
Most of us will not be at Dartmouth this coming weekend, the semester is winding down here at Stevens so we're all pretty swamped w/ schoolwork. We'll have a few people there, hopefully they can represent well and bring back some points.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Army weekend recap and pics
This past weekend Stevens showed up to West Point for the much anticipated USMA race weekend. We stayed at Ray's house for the weekend, which was awesome. Free food and free housing, doesn't get better than that. We also hosted 4 riders from UMass, they were all great guests. Friday night we all arrived just in time for a big dinner courtesy of Raymond's mother. I must say its nice to have a home cooked meal after several weekends of eating out at and gross school cafeteria food. Later that night me and Uri from UMass had and epic battle of connect four. I was told by his teammates that he was undefeated. So naturally I said this finance major is not smarter than yours truly, a pretty savvy Mechanical Engineering major. Long story short after 2 hours of playing we ended 2-2 with about 7 consecutive draws. I must say finance majors are smarter than i thought.
So the next morning we woke up bright and early(5am) to make the TTT and circuit race. TTT went well, our top team finish less than half a second out of the points. Later in the day our D team grabs 2, 7,8 in the circuit race. In the C race, I felt like crap after not warming up properly. No warmup due to letting my teammate borrow my pedals after he broke his 10min prior to his race. No regrets though, that's what a good captain does. Help his teammates when they need it, I know he would have done the same for me. The next day was the HC and crit, our D guys tore it up again grabing top finished in both events. As for me, I had no legs on Sunday. I had a terrible time on the climb, where last year i posted one a great time of 12 minutes. In the crit, I grabbed a bad line through a turn. The wheel i followed was the one of a rider about to be dropped, I realized this way too late. I grabbed two other guys from McGill and Dartmouth and tried to bridge back to the field. One of these riders wasn't pulling through hard enough to get us back, he coughmcgillcough kinda hindered our attempts to get back to the field. Oh well, that's racing for you. You win some you lose some. As for our UMass guys, well you can read about their races here
As promised here are some pics from the weekend
So the next morning we woke up bright and early(5am) to make the TTT and circuit race. TTT went well, our top team finish less than half a second out of the points. Later in the day our D team grabs 2, 7,8 in the circuit race. In the C race, I felt like crap after not warming up properly. No warmup due to letting my teammate borrow my pedals after he broke his 10min prior to his race. No regrets though, that's what a good captain does. Help his teammates when they need it, I know he would have done the same for me. The next day was the HC and crit, our D guys tore it up again grabing top finished in both events. As for me, I had no legs on Sunday. I had a terrible time on the climb, where last year i posted one a great time of 12 minutes. In the crit, I grabbed a bad line through a turn. The wheel i followed was the one of a rider about to be dropped, I realized this way too late. I grabbed two other guys from McGill and Dartmouth and tried to bridge back to the field. One of these riders wasn't pulling through hard enough to get us back, he coughmcgillcough kinda hindered our attempts to get back to the field. Oh well, that's racing for you. You win some you lose some. As for our UMass guys, well you can read about their races here
As promised here are some pics from the weekend
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Which shades should I get?
So, I lost my pair of racing shades while on spring break in Florida two weeks ago. I have been using a regular pair of shades for racing and training. So, yeah they suck pretty bad. I like how they look, but training and racing they suck some big balls. They fog up and don't stay on my face on descents. So I have been looking for a new pair of shades. I have pretty much have narrowed my choices down to Oakley Pro M and Rudy Project Exowind. The general consensus from my team is the M frames as they are reliable and look pretty bad ass. But once I saw the exowind I was dazzles by the Euroness of it.
I don't know which one to pick, I will probably get the one that I can't get a better deal on. Either way I have to wait another two weeks to get the final choice, I need to pay some bills first. Here are pics of both shades, who knows which one I will pick.
I don't know which one to pick, I will probably get the one that I can't get a better deal on. Either way I have to wait another two weeks to get the final choice, I need to pay some bills first. Here are pics of both shades, who knows which one I will pick.
Update and some random thoughts...
So its been a while since my last post, time get things rolling again...
Since the Stevens race, we have been rather busy. Great news is we have picked up 3 women riders since then. At this rate we will have more women riders than men, by the end of the season. Its always good to have more women riders, you can never have too many female friends as my womanizing uncle puts it...
Our season is going pretty well, our D2 team is racking up points on a regular basis. Some are talking about moving up to C soon, which would help me out a whole lot. Personally, I have not really done as well as i thought. I really have just had a string of bad luck. My season started well on Feb. 28 in the cat. 4 race in Prospect Park. Felt strong the whole race, took a few pulls and even attacked the field. I ended up finished top 15 in a large 85 man field. Since then it has been downhill...
Week 1 at Rutgers I crashed out of the circuit race w/ 3 laps to go, The following week,I avoided a crash at Grants Tomb. Avoiding that crash caused me to end up in the back of the pack and wound up being spit out. I couldnt race at Stevens due to a lingering injury from the previous crash. Then at Delaware, I just didn't feel well and had no motivation to race, naturally I DNF'd twice and had a subpar TT. I had a family commitment on Saturday, so no Philly for me. I had my bike tuned up(it really needed it and was a big factor in my recent DNFs) and got to do some training. I feel much better now and ready to really let it rip at West Point.
All this training and racing has gotten me thinking about the whole training program idea. Mainly why most USAC racer i know follow Friels training bible to the letter. Many of my masters on my club team say, March races are C races. Or, I am trying to peak in June for the masters road race. The current trend is to do 'periodization' for some 'goal' later in the season. Everything else is 'training' or preparation. But aren't all races 'A' priority? If they weren't why would people show up? I personally want to do well in all my races, yes I do have long term goals for the season. But should one train to race, not race to train? I haven't seen much of this in the ECCC, but all the USAC racers I know seem to talk this way. I think I may use that as an excuse if I don't do well this weekend. (I got this idea from a fellow ECCCer, I will buy you a beer if you can figure out who ;))
Also, I have been racing on a borrowed frame. My old bike was a Trek Madone, who is now residing in my apartment. If you must now, the frame cracked after some a misunderstanding w/ an opening car door. It's ok though, I won the argument as the said door no longer functions properly. Either way, I am now borrowing my teammates old frame for racing. I got good news yesterday, I have a substantial refund check coming from Stevens. The exact number is not important, what is important is that I now have enough working capital to invest in a new machine. I've had my heart set on a Specialized Tarmac SL2 ever since I saw the commercial for it.
Well, I may not be able to afford that particular model but I am open to suggestions. Maybe a BMC like my teammated Ray or a another Trek. I don't know yet, maybe I should use my coming money to pay some bills or put money towards my first car...nah I think I should stick w/ a new bike. Priorities are priorities are priorities...
Since the Stevens race, we have been rather busy. Great news is we have picked up 3 women riders since then. At this rate we will have more women riders than men, by the end of the season. Its always good to have more women riders, you can never have too many female friends as my womanizing uncle puts it...
Our season is going pretty well, our D2 team is racking up points on a regular basis. Some are talking about moving up to C soon, which would help me out a whole lot. Personally, I have not really done as well as i thought. I really have just had a string of bad luck. My season started well on Feb. 28 in the cat. 4 race in Prospect Park. Felt strong the whole race, took a few pulls and even attacked the field. I ended up finished top 15 in a large 85 man field. Since then it has been downhill...
Week 1 at Rutgers I crashed out of the circuit race w/ 3 laps to go, The following week,I avoided a crash at Grants Tomb. Avoiding that crash caused me to end up in the back of the pack and wound up being spit out. I couldnt race at Stevens due to a lingering injury from the previous crash. Then at Delaware, I just didn't feel well and had no motivation to race, naturally I DNF'd twice and had a subpar TT. I had a family commitment on Saturday, so no Philly for me. I had my bike tuned up(it really needed it and was a big factor in my recent DNFs) and got to do some training. I feel much better now and ready to really let it rip at West Point.
All this training and racing has gotten me thinking about the whole training program idea. Mainly why most USAC racer i know follow Friels training bible to the letter. Many of my masters on my club team say, March races are C races. Or, I am trying to peak in June for the masters road race. The current trend is to do 'periodization' for some 'goal' later in the season. Everything else is 'training' or preparation. But aren't all races 'A' priority? If they weren't why would people show up? I personally want to do well in all my races, yes I do have long term goals for the season. But should one train to race, not race to train? I haven't seen much of this in the ECCC, but all the USAC racers I know seem to talk this way. I think I may use that as an excuse if I don't do well this weekend. (I got this idea from a fellow ECCCer, I will buy you a beer if you can figure out who ;))
Also, I have been racing on a borrowed frame. My old bike was a Trek Madone, who is now residing in my apartment. If you must now, the frame cracked after some a misunderstanding w/ an opening car door. It's ok though, I won the argument as the said door no longer functions properly. Either way, I am now borrowing my teammates old frame for racing. I got good news yesterday, I have a substantial refund check coming from Stevens. The exact number is not important, what is important is that I now have enough working capital to invest in a new machine. I've had my heart set on a Specialized Tarmac SL2 ever since I saw the commercial for it.
Well, I may not be able to afford that particular model but I am open to suggestions. Maybe a BMC like my teammated Ray or a another Trek. I don't know yet, maybe I should use my coming money to pay some bills or put money towards my first car...nah I think I should stick w/ a new bike. Priorities are priorities are priorities...
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Stevens Criterium
So now that our race is over, I can finally get a full night of sleep :)
Seriously, everyone involved in the race has been working hard over the past few months to make sure this race would go off with out a hitch. From what I saw today, everyone was satisfied with the course. Yes even the infamous Joe Kopena, who gave me and my teammates some well deserved praise. From what I heard from teams as they left, the race was fun and well run.
We started early this morning by re-sweeping the course and getting our marshals in place. We had plenty of volunteers from various organizations at Stevens and full support of the Hoboken Police Department. Several teams showed up early to preview the course that some said was dangerous. Before the first D1 field there were pre-jitters all around the parking lot. After the first few laps that all changed as the racing became fast and furious. I think the leaders in each field lapped the pack several times. It was definitely a memorable day of racing.
We were on schedule for most of the races, and I am very impressed with how well everyone on my team handled themselves. This was a difficult endeavor to undertake, and we were able to put on very successful race.
We had some problems early this year with blogging, permits, etc etc. In the end Stevens put on a good race and I am very excited to be able to put this race on again next year. All my teammates were very proud to say that they were part of such a good event. For the future we will try to get a longer course to avoid so many people being lapped. The potholes will hopefully be taken care of and will have a super smooth crit. Now I'm looking forward to next week and U Delaware. Hope to see everyone there
Seriously, everyone involved in the race has been working hard over the past few months to make sure this race would go off with out a hitch. From what I saw today, everyone was satisfied with the course. Yes even the infamous Joe Kopena, who gave me and my teammates some well deserved praise. From what I heard from teams as they left, the race was fun and well run.
We started early this morning by re-sweeping the course and getting our marshals in place. We had plenty of volunteers from various organizations at Stevens and full support of the Hoboken Police Department. Several teams showed up early to preview the course that some said was dangerous. Before the first D1 field there were pre-jitters all around the parking lot. After the first few laps that all changed as the racing became fast and furious. I think the leaders in each field lapped the pack several times. It was definitely a memorable day of racing.
We were on schedule for most of the races, and I am very impressed with how well everyone on my team handled themselves. This was a difficult endeavor to undertake, and we were able to put on very successful race.
We had some problems early this year with blogging, permits, etc etc. In the end Stevens put on a good race and I am very excited to be able to put this race on again next year. All my teammates were very proud to say that they were part of such a good event. For the future we will try to get a longer course to avoid so many people being lapped. The potholes will hopefully be taken care of and will have a super smooth crit. Now I'm looking forward to next week and U Delaware. Hope to see everyone there
Thursday, March 12, 2009
CALM DOWN
Over the past few days, several high ups in the ECCC have been tearing into my teammate Raymond over the Stevens course. I assure that the course is safe, the reason for the post was to make racers aware of it. Judging from what we saw in the D and C, it is highly recommended that racers preview the course.
Our course is technical and will make for excellent racing, however due to the inexperience of some riders crashes can be expected. In order to minimize the crashes, Raymond recommended for teams to preview the course. I feel that people are overreacting to all the logistics of our race. It seems that some people(you know who you are) are upset at the parking and speed bump issues(they are being fixed today). Obviously, you do not what planning a race in the middle of a city is like. There are certain obstacles know that we had to compromise with the city.
For you guys that have been tearing into Raymond, you need to calm down (yes he is a little obnoxious, but that is what gets everything done at the end of day). Seriously, calm down its not cool to be throwing garbage at my teammate. Some of your arguments are not valid as you have not been dealing w/ a corrupt city that is called Hoboken. Understand, that although we are a second year team we are striving to become better. We have had some pitfalls and minor problems but have been able to overcome them w/ the help of certain individuals(again you know who you are). Instead of criticizing and being negative, why don't you individuals give constructive criticism. Work with us not against us, we will put on an amazing race that everyone will remember for years. This course will make for some great racing, we simply ask that riders preview the course to avoid crashes. The course may have some bumps, some tight turns, and maybe some rough roads. That is bike racing for you, if you don't like it then don't race. If you want to see some epic racing, then show up and race at Stevens.
Instead of having a private discussion Joe has decided to inflate the situation on a public forum. This is not the Joe Kopena I met last year as an intro racer. Instead of being supportive and helpful as in the past, he has decided to give us the cold shoulder. The comments about us not being experienced enough racers are being made w/ no valid argument. Some of our racers have been racing in Prospect Park all year and have come out w/ scratches and some cases bite marks. Our racers compete in more USCF races than most teams combined. If you are going to make an argument, please get your facts straight. We may not have time to train as some people, but remember we are engineers and actually work in school.
I ask In the future, if you have a problem w/ us grow up and call or email us. There is no need to publicly scrutinize a second year team. You blog about how you love the intro coaching and how worked so hard for it, then show that same compassion for us who have only strived to put on a good race.
Our course is technical and will make for excellent racing, however due to the inexperience of some riders crashes can be expected. In order to minimize the crashes, Raymond recommended for teams to preview the course. I feel that people are overreacting to all the logistics of our race. It seems that some people(you know who you are) are upset at the parking and speed bump issues(they are being fixed today). Obviously, you do not what planning a race in the middle of a city is like. There are certain obstacles know that we had to compromise with the city.
For you guys that have been tearing into Raymond, you need to calm down (yes he is a little obnoxious, but that is what gets everything done at the end of day). Seriously, calm down its not cool to be throwing garbage at my teammate. Some of your arguments are not valid as you have not been dealing w/ a corrupt city that is called Hoboken. Understand, that although we are a second year team we are striving to become better. We have had some pitfalls and minor problems but have been able to overcome them w/ the help of certain individuals(again you know who you are). Instead of criticizing and being negative, why don't you individuals give constructive criticism. Work with us not against us, we will put on an amazing race that everyone will remember for years. This course will make for some great racing, we simply ask that riders preview the course to avoid crashes. The course may have some bumps, some tight turns, and maybe some rough roads. That is bike racing for you, if you don't like it then don't race. If you want to see some epic racing, then show up and race at Stevens.
Instead of having a private discussion Joe has decided to inflate the situation on a public forum. This is not the Joe Kopena I met last year as an intro racer. Instead of being supportive and helpful as in the past, he has decided to give us the cold shoulder. The comments about us not being experienced enough racers are being made w/ no valid argument. Some of our racers have been racing in Prospect Park all year and have come out w/ scratches and some cases bite marks. Our racers compete in more USCF races than most teams combined. If you are going to make an argument, please get your facts straight. We may not have time to train as some people, but remember we are engineers and actually work in school.
I ask In the future, if you have a problem w/ us grow up and call or email us. There is no need to publicly scrutinize a second year team. You blog about how you love the intro coaching and how worked so hard for it, then show that same compassion for us who have only strived to put on a good race.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Race Report
Well my start of the 2009 collegiate season has officially started. Didn't go to well to say the least...
In the ITT, I had mechanical issues and did the first portion of the course in my small ring which caused my to lose a minimum of 30 seconds. In the crit I did OK, but didn't finish where i wanted. I question the fitness level of some of these racers. They may be strong now, but come June will they be burnt out??? Well if they just race collegiate, then more power to you. But for USCF racers like me, there is no need to be that fit this early. The bulk of my season is in June anyway, so I if get wrecked now no big worries.
In the Circuit Race, I took a nasty spill in the C2 field w/ 3 laps to go. An out of true wheel is to blame as i went down on a slippery right hand turn. The most annoying part was that I felt really good during the race. Oh well, that bike racing for you. I hope to see everyone out at the Stevens Crit this coming weekend.
In the ITT, I had mechanical issues and did the first portion of the course in my small ring which caused my to lose a minimum of 30 seconds. In the crit I did OK, but didn't finish where i wanted. I question the fitness level of some of these racers. They may be strong now, but come June will they be burnt out??? Well if they just race collegiate, then more power to you. But for USCF racers like me, there is no need to be that fit this early. The bulk of my season is in June anyway, so I if get wrecked now no big worries.
In the Circuit Race, I took a nasty spill in the C2 field w/ 3 laps to go. An out of true wheel is to blame as i went down on a slippery right hand turn. The most annoying part was that I felt really good during the race. Oh well, that bike racing for you. I hope to see everyone out at the Stevens Crit this coming weekend.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Creative Borrowing
It has brought to my attention by some individuals that it seems like I like to plagiarize. I assure that none of my posts were meant to to seem that way. I will admit that an earlier post I copied and pasted from Bike Snob NYC, but I simply that was funny and meant no harm. My last post, I made it clear that I did not write the article. I copied the content to save people the time of clicking the link, mainly because sometime links do not work for whatever reason.
The nature of my posts is not to offend or take credit for something that is not original. But if do use an existing article, think of not as copying but as creative borrowing. The idea is to get the info out there, if that means copying and pasting then so be it. By recognize that credit was given to the original writer/author, and please calm down. Its not like I stole several billion dollars from investor or am using public funds to pay for lavish vacation. There is not need to try to tear me a new one, grow up please...
The nature of my posts is not to offend or take credit for something that is not original. But if do use an existing article, think of not as copying but as creative borrowing. The idea is to get the info out there, if that means copying and pasting then so be it. By recognize that credit was given to the original writer/author, and please calm down. Its not like I stole several billion dollars from investor or am using public funds to pay for lavish vacation. There is not need to try to tear me a new one, grow up please...
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Back to Basics
With Steve's post in mind I figured it was best to post this now. I posted a link last month on proper paceline skills, but I will put those up here in this post.The full article can be found here.
Pace lines are those neat single file lines you see in the Tour de France and it's a great way to cover a lot of distance fast, with much less energy expended by everyone in the group. The concept is that wind resistance is your enemy (as much as 40% of your energy is spent overcoming wind resistance) and by following someone close behind you can use less energy. Of course the person in front will be doing most of the work so you trade off turns at the front so that every one gets a break.
A word about risk. The efficiency of riding in a pace line comes at the cost of added risk. Riding in a pace line is not as safe as riding by yourself. If the rider ahead of you (or behind you or on either side for that matter) does something unexpected, you could find yourself on the pavement in an instant. Don't ride in a pace line unless you're willing to assume these risks!
There are three basic rules to Pace line riding:
1) Don't do anything suddenly!
2) Don't do anything suddenly!
3) DO NOT DO ANYTHING SUDDENLY!!
This may sound obvious but it is the key to a good pace line. The best way to start out pace line riding is with a partner you trust who is a smooth rider (i.e. as smooth or smoother than you). Start out following him or her with about 2 feet of space between your bikes (or greater if your not comfortable that close). Gradually close the distance to whatever your nerves can stand. Ideally you want to be 6"-12" away, although as you can see from Fig 1, you can get a good draft a wheel's length away, so getting too close is not absolutely essential. It is also important that you do not ride up along the side the rear wheel of the person in the pace line ahead of you, this is called "overlapping wheels" and can cause a fall if the person ahead of you swerves to avoid an object in the road.
The Effect of Drafting
Wheel Gap in Feet decrease in resistance
.5 44%
1.0 42%
2.0 38%
3.0 34%
Start out riding a pace line with just two riders and do it on flat ground. It is a good idea to split your attention between watching the rear wheel of the rider ahead of you and glancing over his or her shoulder to see what's ahead. The lead person should be watching ahead and giving verbal cues along with GRADUALLY moving over for the ever annoying... er.. present, runners in the bike lanes (we don't ride on the sidewalks, why do they run in the bike lanes?). Later, as you develop more confidence in your (and the rider in front's) ability you can begin to reduce the distance between you. Be sure to "guard your front wheel" as it is the key to stability. If you do bump another rider, don't panic or make a sudden swerve, just move away from the interfering rider. One of the drills practiced at bike clinics is bumping and riding arminarm on a grassy field. It's fun and teaches you that just because you bump or are bumped, doesn't mean you're going down.
There are other rules just as important:
Pedaling
Don't stop pedaling (see rule 1). if the speed of the pace line slows just pedal around slower ("soft pedaling" -- pedaling without applying a lot of force to the pedals), this keeps your pedaling motion going and prevents you from unintended acceleration when you go from motionless to pedaling again. It also prevents the person behind you from being startled. You can also reduce your speed without braking by raising your body to create more air resistance or moving over slightly out of the draft of the person ahead of you, but don't raise up off the saddle!
Braking
Basically, DO NOT (see rule 3). The person ahead of you must let you know about upcoming obstacles and if you are at the front you should give plenty of warning if you are going to stop for a signal. If you have a problem (flat, chain came off, etc.) just yell "chain, flat, stopping, etc." and pull out of the pace line and coast until you are clear and can stop without endangering other riders.
Gear Changing
Try and stay in a gear that you can spin around at 80-100 RPM. The brake lever shifters (STI, Ergopower) are nice because they allow you keep your hands on the bars and shift which doesn't cause wobbles like the down tube shifters do. If you have down tube shifters you may have to refrain from changing gears as often as you would when riding alone.
Hills
Generally pace line and hill should not be used in the same sentence. Everyone has a different climbing style and unless you are familiar with the rider ahead of you may end up in a ditch from an overlapped wheel. Gradual hills are fine, just increase the distance between you and the bike in front of you and try not to accelerate up the grade (it's OK for your pace line speed to drop 2-3 MPH or more on an uphill drag). Oh yeah one more thing NEVER GET OUT OF THE SADDLE IN A PACE LINE!!! When you get out of the saddle you tend to throw you bike back 6-12" which will definitely cause a crash!
If you must stand up to make it up the hill and someone is close behind you, an advanced technique is to push down hard on the pedal as you raise up off the saddle. This compensates for the tendency of the bike to move back as you raise up. Practice this riding alongside someone going uphill before trying it out in a pace line. Likewise give an extra hard stroke as you sit down to avoid slowing during the transition to seated climbing.
Unintended Acceleration
Another thing to watch for is unintended acceleration. First made popular by Audi in the late 70's, it was actually first used to describe the phenomena of being "off the front" of a pace line which generally irritates everyone in the pace line. It happens when you get to the front and subconsciously you feel that you are not moving fast enough so you pick up the pace without realizing it. At some point you look back either to see no one, or a bunch of really annoyed riders.
Everyone has done this accidentally at some point (yes, even our editor) [That's a lie, I do it intentionally. -ed.] and you can avoid it by looking at your computer (yes Brandon, they are useful) and noting the speed before taking a pull at the front. Stay within 1.5 MPH or less of that speed and avoid looking like a wanker!!
Multiple Riders
Once you feel comfortable riding with another person in a pace line you can graduate to multiple riders. This gets a bit trickier since you are dealing with more than just two people. Everyone has a different comfort speed and this really shows up in multiple rider pace lines. Again, watch your computer and try to keep with 1/2 MPH of the last leader's pace. If you find the pace too fast, take a shorter pull at the front, or better yet "pull through and off which means when you get to the front just pull off without
taking a pull at the front. When pulling off the front of the pace line ease up on your pedaling but don't stop, the idea is to get to the back of the pace line as fast as possible in order to get a break from the wind. As you get toward the back of the pace line, gradually increase your pedaling speed to match the pace line speed and pull in behind the last rider. Be careful to make sure that the rider you pull in behind is the last rider, More than one crash has been caused by someone pulling into another rider thinking they were at the end. (Another reason to keep the gap between you and the next rider at 6-12"). Even good riders have trouble in multiple rider pace lines, the best remedy is practice.
Echelons
Echelons are used extensively in team time trials and you may have unconsciously used them in your daily riding. Usually the wind is not head on to the riders in the pace line and may come from one side or the other to the direction of the pace line. In this case you will see the riders following to the side of the rider in front of them. The technical explanation is termed "relative wind" but is best explained by experimenting with a friend the next time you are in a crosswind. If you notice you are still feeling a headwind when following another rider pull off slightly to
one side (away from the wind) and see if this helps block the wind. Remember to stay out of traffic and don't overlap the wheel in front of you, even if you are off to the side the front rider can still swerve over and take you out.
Dual Pace Lines
Dual pace lines are used with larger groups (8-15 riders) as a way of keeping the group from stringing out too far behind. It also has a pleasant side effect of enhancing communication within the group. It is really just two single file pace lines put side by side. The rotation can be done two ways. Normally the lead rider pulls over to the side away from the wind, and the rider at the end of this line moves over into the end of line on the wind side. This has the effect of creating a continuously rotating pace line.
Where there is lots of road and no traffic, this can also be done by having both the riders at the front come off the front to the outside of the dual pace line and drift to the back. Note that the California Vehicle Code requires riders to stay to the right unless they are passing another vehicle (bike or car), or avoiding debris in the roadway.
Duties of the Lead Rider
In a smooth running pace line riders do not have time to see and avoid obstacles, such as rocks, holes, cracks in the pavement, old muffler pipes, cans of Bud, etc. The riders depend on the lead rider to be the eyes of the pace line and to either point out or shout out a warning, (rock right, runner right, car up, etc.) These warnings should be passed down the pace line by each rider. If you don't feel comfortable taking your hands off the bars to point out a rock, just shout "rock right (left)".
If the pace line needs to slow down because of a stop sign, car turning ahead, or whatever reason, the leader must shout out a warning, "light up" [meaning a stoplight, not time for a Marlboro -ed], "car up", etc., and the following riders must pass the word.
Drinking and Foreign Substances
It's probably best to get a drink when you're at the back of the line, so you won't mess someone else up if you swerve while swigging you favorite tonic. The same goes for spitting, this is best done when you're the last rider. Projectile vomiting and expectoration in the pace line is discouraged by the CVC.
Problem Riders
Occasionally you may be troubled by other riders who don't hold their line, stop unexpectedly, etc. Don't ignore this, often it's just a matter of education. Please talk to the offending rider in a polite way, asking him or her to refrain from the problem behavior. If you are reluctant to do this, ask one of the ride leaders to handle the problem. Safety is every one's concern!
Being Smooth
The best pace lines have the smoothest riders and the smoothest riders got that way in one of two ways. either by riding the track or by riding rollers. I do not recommend riding the track right off because it is just downright scary, they won't fit in you living room, and they are rather expensive.
This leaves rollers. (Not the same thing as a wind or mag trainer!) Rollers are three drums 6 inches in diameter, Your rear wheel sits between the two rear rollers and you front wheel sits on the front roller. The middle and front roller are connected with a belt. There is nothing to physically attached to your bike to hold it up, therein lies the secret to being smooth. When you ride your bike on rollers the wheels spin and it is this action that accelerates the wheels and creates a gyroscopic effect that gives your bike (and you) stability to stay upright.
The reason rollers are good at making smooth riders is that they amplify any movement or steering on the bike. Subtle shifts of body weight while riding rollers will cause wobbling, likewise steering input to the handlebars. It takes about three or four hours for a reasonably coordinated person to ride the rollers without assistance from crash pads, pillows and friends, and you will fall down (at least once). The best advice is not to try this on a hard surface. Once you have mastered riding rollers on your own you will be amazed at how much smoother you are on the road. This will translate into a much more enjoyable and confident pace line rider.
We will be trying out pace lines with the Saturday sport ride as conditions warrant (i.e. wind, interested riders ride length) and everything will make a lot more sense once you have experienced them on the bike.
I ask all team captains to send this out to their rookie racers and some of your more experienced ones as well. It's always good to refresh yourself on proper riding skills.
Pace lines are those neat single file lines you see in the Tour de France and it's a great way to cover a lot of distance fast, with much less energy expended by everyone in the group. The concept is that wind resistance is your enemy (as much as 40% of your energy is spent overcoming wind resistance) and by following someone close behind you can use less energy. Of course the person in front will be doing most of the work so you trade off turns at the front so that every one gets a break.
A word about risk. The efficiency of riding in a pace line comes at the cost of added risk. Riding in a pace line is not as safe as riding by yourself. If the rider ahead of you (or behind you or on either side for that matter) does something unexpected, you could find yourself on the pavement in an instant. Don't ride in a pace line unless you're willing to assume these risks!
There are three basic rules to Pace line riding:
1) Don't do anything suddenly!
2) Don't do anything suddenly!
3) DO NOT DO ANYTHING SUDDENLY!!
This may sound obvious but it is the key to a good pace line. The best way to start out pace line riding is with a partner you trust who is a smooth rider (i.e. as smooth or smoother than you). Start out following him or her with about 2 feet of space between your bikes (or greater if your not comfortable that close). Gradually close the distance to whatever your nerves can stand. Ideally you want to be 6"-12" away, although as you can see from Fig 1, you can get a good draft a wheel's length away, so getting too close is not absolutely essential. It is also important that you do not ride up along the side the rear wheel of the person in the pace line ahead of you, this is called "overlapping wheels" and can cause a fall if the person ahead of you swerves to avoid an object in the road.
The Effect of Drafting
Wheel Gap in Feet decrease in resistance
.5 44%
1.0 42%
2.0 38%
3.0 34%
Start out riding a pace line with just two riders and do it on flat ground. It is a good idea to split your attention between watching the rear wheel of the rider ahead of you and glancing over his or her shoulder to see what's ahead. The lead person should be watching ahead and giving verbal cues along with GRADUALLY moving over for the ever annoying... er.. present, runners in the bike lanes (we don't ride on the sidewalks, why do they run in the bike lanes?). Later, as you develop more confidence in your (and the rider in front's) ability you can begin to reduce the distance between you. Be sure to "guard your front wheel" as it is the key to stability. If you do bump another rider, don't panic or make a sudden swerve, just move away from the interfering rider. One of the drills practiced at bike clinics is bumping and riding arminarm on a grassy field. It's fun and teaches you that just because you bump or are bumped, doesn't mean you're going down.
There are other rules just as important:
Pedaling
Don't stop pedaling (see rule 1). if the speed of the pace line slows just pedal around slower ("soft pedaling" -- pedaling without applying a lot of force to the pedals), this keeps your pedaling motion going and prevents you from unintended acceleration when you go from motionless to pedaling again. It also prevents the person behind you from being startled. You can also reduce your speed without braking by raising your body to create more air resistance or moving over slightly out of the draft of the person ahead of you, but don't raise up off the saddle!
Braking
Basically, DO NOT (see rule 3). The person ahead of you must let you know about upcoming obstacles and if you are at the front you should give plenty of warning if you are going to stop for a signal. If you have a problem (flat, chain came off, etc.) just yell "chain, flat, stopping, etc." and pull out of the pace line and coast until you are clear and can stop without endangering other riders.
Gear Changing
Try and stay in a gear that you can spin around at 80-100 RPM. The brake lever shifters (STI, Ergopower) are nice because they allow you keep your hands on the bars and shift which doesn't cause wobbles like the down tube shifters do. If you have down tube shifters you may have to refrain from changing gears as often as you would when riding alone.
Hills
Generally pace line and hill should not be used in the same sentence. Everyone has a different climbing style and unless you are familiar with the rider ahead of you may end up in a ditch from an overlapped wheel. Gradual hills are fine, just increase the distance between you and the bike in front of you and try not to accelerate up the grade (it's OK for your pace line speed to drop 2-3 MPH or more on an uphill drag). Oh yeah one more thing NEVER GET OUT OF THE SADDLE IN A PACE LINE!!! When you get out of the saddle you tend to throw you bike back 6-12" which will definitely cause a crash!
If you must stand up to make it up the hill and someone is close behind you, an advanced technique is to push down hard on the pedal as you raise up off the saddle. This compensates for the tendency of the bike to move back as you raise up. Practice this riding alongside someone going uphill before trying it out in a pace line. Likewise give an extra hard stroke as you sit down to avoid slowing during the transition to seated climbing.
Unintended Acceleration
Another thing to watch for is unintended acceleration. First made popular by Audi in the late 70's, it was actually first used to describe the phenomena of being "off the front" of a pace line which generally irritates everyone in the pace line. It happens when you get to the front and subconsciously you feel that you are not moving fast enough so you pick up the pace without realizing it. At some point you look back either to see no one, or a bunch of really annoyed riders.
Everyone has done this accidentally at some point (yes, even our editor) [That's a lie, I do it intentionally. -ed.] and you can avoid it by looking at your computer (yes Brandon, they are useful) and noting the speed before taking a pull at the front. Stay within 1.5 MPH or less of that speed and avoid looking like a wanker!!
Multiple Riders
Once you feel comfortable riding with another person in a pace line you can graduate to multiple riders. This gets a bit trickier since you are dealing with more than just two people. Everyone has a different comfort speed and this really shows up in multiple rider pace lines. Again, watch your computer and try to keep with 1/2 MPH of the last leader's pace. If you find the pace too fast, take a shorter pull at the front, or better yet "pull through and off which means when you get to the front just pull off without
taking a pull at the front. When pulling off the front of the pace line ease up on your pedaling but don't stop, the idea is to get to the back of the pace line as fast as possible in order to get a break from the wind. As you get toward the back of the pace line, gradually increase your pedaling speed to match the pace line speed and pull in behind the last rider. Be careful to make sure that the rider you pull in behind is the last rider, More than one crash has been caused by someone pulling into another rider thinking they were at the end. (Another reason to keep the gap between you and the next rider at 6-12"). Even good riders have trouble in multiple rider pace lines, the best remedy is practice.
Echelons
Echelons are used extensively in team time trials and you may have unconsciously used them in your daily riding. Usually the wind is not head on to the riders in the pace line and may come from one side or the other to the direction of the pace line. In this case you will see the riders following to the side of the rider in front of them. The technical explanation is termed "relative wind" but is best explained by experimenting with a friend the next time you are in a crosswind. If you notice you are still feeling a headwind when following another rider pull off slightly to
one side (away from the wind) and see if this helps block the wind. Remember to stay out of traffic and don't overlap the wheel in front of you, even if you are off to the side the front rider can still swerve over and take you out.
Dual Pace Lines
Dual pace lines are used with larger groups (8-15 riders) as a way of keeping the group from stringing out too far behind. It also has a pleasant side effect of enhancing communication within the group. It is really just two single file pace lines put side by side. The rotation can be done two ways. Normally the lead rider pulls over to the side away from the wind, and the rider at the end of this line moves over into the end of line on the wind side. This has the effect of creating a continuously rotating pace line.
Where there is lots of road and no traffic, this can also be done by having both the riders at the front come off the front to the outside of the dual pace line and drift to the back. Note that the California Vehicle Code requires riders to stay to the right unless they are passing another vehicle (bike or car), or avoiding debris in the roadway.
Duties of the Lead Rider
In a smooth running pace line riders do not have time to see and avoid obstacles, such as rocks, holes, cracks in the pavement, old muffler pipes, cans of Bud, etc. The riders depend on the lead rider to be the eyes of the pace line and to either point out or shout out a warning, (rock right, runner right, car up, etc.) These warnings should be passed down the pace line by each rider. If you don't feel comfortable taking your hands off the bars to point out a rock, just shout "rock right (left)".
If the pace line needs to slow down because of a stop sign, car turning ahead, or whatever reason, the leader must shout out a warning, "light up" [meaning a stoplight, not time for a Marlboro -ed], "car up", etc., and the following riders must pass the word.
Drinking and Foreign Substances
It's probably best to get a drink when you're at the back of the line, so you won't mess someone else up if you swerve while swigging you favorite tonic. The same goes for spitting, this is best done when you're the last rider. Projectile vomiting and expectoration in the pace line is discouraged by the CVC.
Problem Riders
Occasionally you may be troubled by other riders who don't hold their line, stop unexpectedly, etc. Don't ignore this, often it's just a matter of education. Please talk to the offending rider in a polite way, asking him or her to refrain from the problem behavior. If you are reluctant to do this, ask one of the ride leaders to handle the problem. Safety is every one's concern!
Being Smooth
The best pace lines have the smoothest riders and the smoothest riders got that way in one of two ways. either by riding the track or by riding rollers. I do not recommend riding the track right off because it is just downright scary, they won't fit in you living room, and they are rather expensive.
This leaves rollers. (Not the same thing as a wind or mag trainer!) Rollers are three drums 6 inches in diameter, Your rear wheel sits between the two rear rollers and you front wheel sits on the front roller. The middle and front roller are connected with a belt. There is nothing to physically attached to your bike to hold it up, therein lies the secret to being smooth. When you ride your bike on rollers the wheels spin and it is this action that accelerates the wheels and creates a gyroscopic effect that gives your bike (and you) stability to stay upright.
The reason rollers are good at making smooth riders is that they amplify any movement or steering on the bike. Subtle shifts of body weight while riding rollers will cause wobbling, likewise steering input to the handlebars. It takes about three or four hours for a reasonably coordinated person to ride the rollers without assistance from crash pads, pillows and friends, and you will fall down (at least once). The best advice is not to try this on a hard surface. Once you have mastered riding rollers on your own you will be amazed at how much smoother you are on the road. This will translate into a much more enjoyable and confident pace line rider.
We will be trying out pace lines with the Saturday sport ride as conditions warrant (i.e. wind, interested riders ride length) and everything will make a lot more sense once you have experienced them on the bike.
I ask all team captains to send this out to their rookie racers and some of your more experienced ones as well. It's always good to refresh yourself on proper riding skills.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Good Start to the season
So now that my racing season has officially started, I will be regularly writing race and training reports w/ some ramblings here and there. Today was a good start for my first race of 2009. I showed up to Prospect Park on two hours of sleep after a night out. Nonetheless I still felt ready to race.
This year the race director has added KOM and Sprint points during the race. This may sound like a good idea, but during the race no one really new which lap was a sprint. Naturally the 4 field assumed every lap was a sprint and KOM lap. At least this kept the pace high. My goals for this race were to attack the field at least once, take one pull at the front and be in position to contest the sprint. I have to say that I completed all of them.
Two laps in I attacked about a mile before the start/finish as I thought it was a sprint lap. WRONG, it was not and I went for nothing. But my first goal was complete, and right before I took the front to help reel in a break but I turned that into my planned attack. I stayed up front most of the race, working w/ the two Rutgers who also raced the 4 field today. Coincidentally we ended up working together in the final lap going into the sprint. Here I used the pack position skills I learned last year to get in prime position to contest the sprint. I got a clear view of the winning move and reacted. Unfortunately I did not have the legs to really gun the sprint. I guess that's what happens when you race on two hours of sleep.
I learned today that the 4's are much smoother than the 5's in Prospect and that 4's don't like to work at the front. It seemed today that only 2 teams were working at the front today: Brooklyn Velo Force(won the final sprint in a squirely leadout train) and Kissena. I also learned that there are some cat 4's who should have their licenses ripped up. There were a few wankers who attacked on the downhill and nearly caused crashes. In the final sprint, a few more very small minded racer took creative lines. Causing several near misses at 35mph and totally disrupting the leadout. Finally I saw that I am ready for next week when it really counts at the season opener. Legs feel good, form is good, all is good...
This year the race director has added KOM and Sprint points during the race. This may sound like a good idea, but during the race no one really new which lap was a sprint. Naturally the 4 field assumed every lap was a sprint and KOM lap. At least this kept the pace high. My goals for this race were to attack the field at least once, take one pull at the front and be in position to contest the sprint. I have to say that I completed all of them.
Two laps in I attacked about a mile before the start/finish as I thought it was a sprint lap. WRONG, it was not and I went for nothing. But my first goal was complete, and right before I took the front to help reel in a break but I turned that into my planned attack. I stayed up front most of the race, working w/ the two Rutgers who also raced the 4 field today. Coincidentally we ended up working together in the final lap going into the sprint. Here I used the pack position skills I learned last year to get in prime position to contest the sprint. I got a clear view of the winning move and reacted. Unfortunately I did not have the legs to really gun the sprint. I guess that's what happens when you race on two hours of sleep.
I learned today that the 4's are much smoother than the 5's in Prospect and that 4's don't like to work at the front. It seemed today that only 2 teams were working at the front today: Brooklyn Velo Force(won the final sprint in a squirely leadout train) and Kissena. I also learned that there are some cat 4's who should have their licenses ripped up. There were a few wankers who attacked on the downhill and nearly caused crashes. In the final sprint, a few more very small minded racer took creative lines. Causing several near misses at 35mph and totally disrupting the leadout. Finally I saw that I am ready for next week when it really counts at the season opener. Legs feel good, form is good, all is good...
Friday, February 27, 2009
So it begins again...
Tomorrow will be my first race of the seaon, Prospect Park.
I did the bulk of my season there last summer and had a blast. Yes; there were crashes, arguments, breakaways, and late starts. But that's Brooklyn for you...
The vibe there is pretty good, post race everyone is pretty friendly and happy to have finished unscathed(most of the time). However, during the race is a whole another story. You got bumping, elbows, yelling arguing and nervousness and that's just while you're lining up. During the race it's an every man for himself hammerfest that doesn't ease up till the end. I did I mention the screaming downhill that always sees a nasty crash..
I missed only two races of last year's cadence cup, and with the addition of KOM points this season I will be there for all of them. Last year my sprint wasn't enough to contest the win, but after a good period of base training that will definitely change.
I can not leave out the crit paradise that is NJ racing. Every other weekend you can race several crits with some squirelly racers and either get shelled or get some cool prizes on the prime laps. As much as I enjoy Prospect, there is nothing like a NJ crit. You got tight turns, potholes, 60 man fields, and super fast master's races. Racing crits every weekend with some hardened racers will make you much more aggressive and squirelly, which will help me next week at Rutgers.If you ever want to learn how to be a better crit racer than there is no place better than NJ.
As you can tell, I am definitely ready to start my season off on the right foot. I have been training hard and working on all my weak areas. I feel good and my form is progressing along nicely. I think I will end this rant here as I tend to ramble on and on. One final thought, Prospect Park means I need to leave at 4:30 am. I guess that means no partying tonight :(
I did the bulk of my season there last summer and had a blast. Yes; there were crashes, arguments, breakaways, and late starts. But that's Brooklyn for you...
The vibe there is pretty good, post race everyone is pretty friendly and happy to have finished unscathed(most of the time). However, during the race is a whole another story. You got bumping, elbows, yelling arguing and nervousness and that's just while you're lining up. During the race it's an every man for himself hammerfest that doesn't ease up till the end. I did I mention the screaming downhill that always sees a nasty crash..
I missed only two races of last year's cadence cup, and with the addition of KOM points this season I will be there for all of them. Last year my sprint wasn't enough to contest the win, but after a good period of base training that will definitely change.
I can not leave out the crit paradise that is NJ racing. Every other weekend you can race several crits with some squirelly racers and either get shelled or get some cool prizes on the prime laps. As much as I enjoy Prospect, there is nothing like a NJ crit. You got tight turns, potholes, 60 man fields, and super fast master's races. Racing crits every weekend with some hardened racers will make you much more aggressive and squirelly, which will help me next week at Rutgers.If you ever want to learn how to be a better crit racer than there is no place better than NJ.
As you can tell, I am definitely ready to start my season off on the right foot. I have been training hard and working on all my weak areas. I feel good and my form is progressing along nicely. I think I will end this rant here as I tend to ramble on and on. One final thought, Prospect Park means I need to leave at 4:30 am. I guess that means no partying tonight :(
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The art of Pass/Fail Racing
Cycling should be an enjoyable endeavor. However, sometimes despite our best efforts we wind up in situations on the bike that are simply no fun. Such situations include: having accidents; getting caught in severe weather; and, perhaps worst of all, becoming involved in an amateur road race. Of course, the first two circumstances can be avoided or mitigated with caution and preparation. As for the third one, though, chances are that if you find yourself in an amateur road race in the first place you’re the sort of person who seeks suffering rather than avoids it. If you simply must participate in amateur road racing, here are some tips to help ameliorate the adverse effects:
Know Your Limits
There is a fine line between ambition and delusion. The former is the fuel for success, and the latter is the way to ruin. I believe it was either Sheldon Brown or Ben Franklin who said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” This is especially true when it comes to road racing. Basically, if you’ve never won a race before, you’re not suddenly going to start winning them now. So settle down, pick a wheel to follow, and stay out of trouble.
Unfortunately, though, too many people fail to realize this, especially in the lower categories, where everybody stupidly sees him-or herself as a potential winner. When everyone’s going for the podium the result is a pile-up. It becomes like some moronic slapstick routine where eight people bend down to pick up the same $100 bill and just end up bashing their heads together as a gentle breeze carries the money down the street.
The reason the higher categories generally see fewer crashes is not because they’ve acquired better riding skills over the years; rather, it’s because higher-category riders have been psychically beaten into submission. Their wills have been broken, they’ve admitted to themselves that they don’t have a chance, and they ride accordingly. In real life, if more than like 50% of the country believes it should be running it, you’re going to have a civil war. In a race, if more than half the field thinks it can win you can expect carnage on wheels. So don't be part of the problem.
Race Pass/Fail
So you’ve admitted you’re a loser. Congratulations, and welcome to mediocrity! Please come in and make yourself comfortable. Would you like a Shasta? Believe it or not, embracing your inner “meh” is one of the most positive things you can do as a cyclist. And now that you’re coming to terms with this, it’s time to re-evaluate your goals. Clearly, winning is out of the question for you, so the next best thing is helping someone else win. Well, that’s all very nice, but what’s in it for you? More importantly, once your job is done and the winning break is up the road what’s your motivation for staying in the race?
In this case we can look to the halls of academe for an answer, and that answer is to race “Pass/Fail.” This simply means finishing=passing and getting dropped=failing. Over the years, I’ve learned that riding for a place is discouraging. However, if you treat simply finishing the race as success you can strive for—and attain—something close to perfection. Remember: success is how you define it. And when it comes to defining things in a manner that suits my own purposes, I’m like Robert Cawdrey with an Erasermate.
Employ Tactics
Road racing is all about tactics. Unfortunately, the tactical advice you get from books and magazines is intended for winners or for people who aspire to be winners. As such, it doesn't apply to you. Using that stuff for pass/fail racing is like trying to assemble a piece of Ikea furniture by following Mapquest directions to Chuck E. Cheese. You’re not interested in winning, you’re interested in surviving. Here are three key pieces of advice for the survival of the pass/fail racer:
Go Where The Most People Are
If you see a group of people go up the road that has less people in it than the group you’re in, stay where you are! What’s happening is that a selection is being made, and trust me when I tell you don’t want to be a part of it. The first rule of pass/fail racing is to avoid breakaways. Being in a breakaway is like going from a cushy job at a big company with a regular paycheck to a really hard job at a tiny company where you have to work 16 hour days on commission only and people are always yelling at you. And trust me—someone will yell at you. Every break has a self-appointed driver who is really mean and constantly shouts stuff like, “Short pulls!” and “Rotate!” and “Pull off into the wind!” and then gets indignant when you say “But I don’t wanna rotate!” since just want to sit on the back crying because you miss those fun cubicle days when all your friends were around and you didn’t have to do any real work. I mean, seriously, if you want to suffer do a cyclocross race.
Conversely, if you’re in one group and you suddenly realize the group up the road has much more people than the one you’re in, that means you’re probably being dropped. If possible, get back to the group with more people in it. (Shouting at someone else to “Close the gap!” can be helpful here.)
Savor the Slowness
There are times in the race when the pace will slow for no apparent reason. This is a good thing for the pass/fail racer, as it is an opportunity to relax and enjoy. Occasionally though, you may be tempted to try to lift the pace or “make a move.” But it is absolutely essential to always remember the first rule of pass/fail racing and stay where the people are. Because if you do go off the front, nobody’s going to follow you since you’re a pass/fail racer and they are too and they know better than to get mixed up in some fool’s errand with you. Then you wind up alone in no-man’s land. If you don’t know what no-man’s land is, it’s kind of like that period after you learned what the cycling-related jokes on the Primal jerseys meant, but before you figured out that it was totally uncool to wear them, so you just rode around alone wearing a Primal jersey and looking ridiculous. And that’s what will happen if you go off the front. You’ll wind up alone, between the field and the break, looking ridiculous.
Work Only Out of Craven Self-Preservation
There is only one situation in which it is acceptable for the pass/fail racer to accelerate or attempt to move up through the field, and that’s at the beginning of any sort of incline. This is a widely-known rule, but it’s one of the few that’s actually designed for the pass/fail racer and so it bears repeating here. What you want to do is move to the front of the group at the start of the climb so that as you continue up it you can slowly drift back through the group instead of struggling to stay on. Hopefully, by the time you get to the top of the incline you haven’t already been spit out the back. This is the equivalent of periodically selling something you own for quick cash so you can enjoy a few months of easy living instead of simply working hard all the time.
Premature Withdrawal
Road racing isn’t like other types of racing. In a cyclocross race, you stay in the race until you finish or until you’re pulled, even if nobody’s near you. In a mountain bike race, you keep racing regardless of your position as well, unless you’ve got an irreparable mechanical problem, or unless you’re me and you just wanna go home. But in road racing, if you find yourself dropped and alone, you stop racing. This is perfectly acceptable, and it’s because, unlike other activities, road racing is not done for fun. It’s done out of obligation. So once your race is over there’s simply no point in carrying on.
Of course, there are times you may want to leave the race even before you’ve gotten dropped. Technically, this is unacceptable. However, there are a few ways to do it while saving face. They are:
Get a Flat
Be honest: who hasn’t prayed for a puncture during periods of extreme physical duress? If you simply want out, try to steer towards gravel or bits of broken glass. If possible, ride in the gutter, where these sorts of things accumulate. Also, if there’s any kind of neutral wheel service, be sure to start the race on a bicycle that is incompatible with modern-day drivetrains. There’s no way the mechanic’s going to be able to cram a 10-speed wheel with 130mm spacing into your 120mm-spaced frame quick enough for you to get back in the race. And even if he does, it's not going to work with your Huret rear derailleur. Best of all, you can blame not only bad luck but also bicycle marketing and gimmickry for your failure to finish.
Unfortunately, getting a flat on purpose isn’t always easy, but you’ll just have to try your best until I start selling my Deflat-O-Mat 3000, which will instantly induce double-flats via a discreet handlebar-mounted trigger disguised as a cycle computer.
Have a Mechanical
There are innumerable ways to feign component failure. My personal favorite is the Hincapie ‘06. Remember the moment his steerer tube broke in Paris-Roubaix and he sat there for a moment studying his disembodied handlebars in disbelief before he crashed spectacularly? You can easily replicate this yourself by simply carrying a multi-tool in your jersey and subtly unbolting your stem. When it’s time to throw in the towel, simply slide the stem off the steerer tube and you’ll be out of the race in no time. (You can also do a Hincapie ’08—wheel failures can be induced by opening a skewer with your foot.)
And of course this all leads to the best but most dangerous way to leave a race:
Have a Crash
A good crash requires no explanation. Of course, it might require hospitalization, so this method should be used sparingly. If possible, steer towards grass or haybales.
Know Your Limits
There is a fine line between ambition and delusion. The former is the fuel for success, and the latter is the way to ruin. I believe it was either Sheldon Brown or Ben Franklin who said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” This is especially true when it comes to road racing. Basically, if you’ve never won a race before, you’re not suddenly going to start winning them now. So settle down, pick a wheel to follow, and stay out of trouble.
Unfortunately, though, too many people fail to realize this, especially in the lower categories, where everybody stupidly sees him-or herself as a potential winner. When everyone’s going for the podium the result is a pile-up. It becomes like some moronic slapstick routine where eight people bend down to pick up the same $100 bill and just end up bashing their heads together as a gentle breeze carries the money down the street.
The reason the higher categories generally see fewer crashes is not because they’ve acquired better riding skills over the years; rather, it’s because higher-category riders have been psychically beaten into submission. Their wills have been broken, they’ve admitted to themselves that they don’t have a chance, and they ride accordingly. In real life, if more than like 50% of the country believes it should be running it, you’re going to have a civil war. In a race, if more than half the field thinks it can win you can expect carnage on wheels. So don't be part of the problem.
Race Pass/Fail
So you’ve admitted you’re a loser. Congratulations, and welcome to mediocrity! Please come in and make yourself comfortable. Would you like a Shasta? Believe it or not, embracing your inner “meh” is one of the most positive things you can do as a cyclist. And now that you’re coming to terms with this, it’s time to re-evaluate your goals. Clearly, winning is out of the question for you, so the next best thing is helping someone else win. Well, that’s all very nice, but what’s in it for you? More importantly, once your job is done and the winning break is up the road what’s your motivation for staying in the race?
In this case we can look to the halls of academe for an answer, and that answer is to race “Pass/Fail.” This simply means finishing=passing and getting dropped=failing. Over the years, I’ve learned that riding for a place is discouraging. However, if you treat simply finishing the race as success you can strive for—and attain—something close to perfection. Remember: success is how you define it. And when it comes to defining things in a manner that suits my own purposes, I’m like Robert Cawdrey with an Erasermate.
Employ Tactics
Road racing is all about tactics. Unfortunately, the tactical advice you get from books and magazines is intended for winners or for people who aspire to be winners. As such, it doesn't apply to you. Using that stuff for pass/fail racing is like trying to assemble a piece of Ikea furniture by following Mapquest directions to Chuck E. Cheese. You’re not interested in winning, you’re interested in surviving. Here are three key pieces of advice for the survival of the pass/fail racer:
Go Where The Most People Are
If you see a group of people go up the road that has less people in it than the group you’re in, stay where you are! What’s happening is that a selection is being made, and trust me when I tell you don’t want to be a part of it. The first rule of pass/fail racing is to avoid breakaways. Being in a breakaway is like going from a cushy job at a big company with a regular paycheck to a really hard job at a tiny company where you have to work 16 hour days on commission only and people are always yelling at you. And trust me—someone will yell at you. Every break has a self-appointed driver who is really mean and constantly shouts stuff like, “Short pulls!” and “Rotate!” and “Pull off into the wind!” and then gets indignant when you say “But I don’t wanna rotate!” since just want to sit on the back crying because you miss those fun cubicle days when all your friends were around and you didn’t have to do any real work. I mean, seriously, if you want to suffer do a cyclocross race.
Conversely, if you’re in one group and you suddenly realize the group up the road has much more people than the one you’re in, that means you’re probably being dropped. If possible, get back to the group with more people in it. (Shouting at someone else to “Close the gap!” can be helpful here.)
Savor the Slowness
There are times in the race when the pace will slow for no apparent reason. This is a good thing for the pass/fail racer, as it is an opportunity to relax and enjoy. Occasionally though, you may be tempted to try to lift the pace or “make a move.” But it is absolutely essential to always remember the first rule of pass/fail racing and stay where the people are. Because if you do go off the front, nobody’s going to follow you since you’re a pass/fail racer and they are too and they know better than to get mixed up in some fool’s errand with you. Then you wind up alone in no-man’s land. If you don’t know what no-man’s land is, it’s kind of like that period after you learned what the cycling-related jokes on the Primal jerseys meant, but before you figured out that it was totally uncool to wear them, so you just rode around alone wearing a Primal jersey and looking ridiculous. And that’s what will happen if you go off the front. You’ll wind up alone, between the field and the break, looking ridiculous.
Work Only Out of Craven Self-Preservation
There is only one situation in which it is acceptable for the pass/fail racer to accelerate or attempt to move up through the field, and that’s at the beginning of any sort of incline. This is a widely-known rule, but it’s one of the few that’s actually designed for the pass/fail racer and so it bears repeating here. What you want to do is move to the front of the group at the start of the climb so that as you continue up it you can slowly drift back through the group instead of struggling to stay on. Hopefully, by the time you get to the top of the incline you haven’t already been spit out the back. This is the equivalent of periodically selling something you own for quick cash so you can enjoy a few months of easy living instead of simply working hard all the time.
Premature Withdrawal
Road racing isn’t like other types of racing. In a cyclocross race, you stay in the race until you finish or until you’re pulled, even if nobody’s near you. In a mountain bike race, you keep racing regardless of your position as well, unless you’ve got an irreparable mechanical problem, or unless you’re me and you just wanna go home. But in road racing, if you find yourself dropped and alone, you stop racing. This is perfectly acceptable, and it’s because, unlike other activities, road racing is not done for fun. It’s done out of obligation. So once your race is over there’s simply no point in carrying on.
Of course, there are times you may want to leave the race even before you’ve gotten dropped. Technically, this is unacceptable. However, there are a few ways to do it while saving face. They are:
Get a Flat
Be honest: who hasn’t prayed for a puncture during periods of extreme physical duress? If you simply want out, try to steer towards gravel or bits of broken glass. If possible, ride in the gutter, where these sorts of things accumulate. Also, if there’s any kind of neutral wheel service, be sure to start the race on a bicycle that is incompatible with modern-day drivetrains. There’s no way the mechanic’s going to be able to cram a 10-speed wheel with 130mm spacing into your 120mm-spaced frame quick enough for you to get back in the race. And even if he does, it's not going to work with your Huret rear derailleur. Best of all, you can blame not only bad luck but also bicycle marketing and gimmickry for your failure to finish.
Unfortunately, getting a flat on purpose isn’t always easy, but you’ll just have to try your best until I start selling my Deflat-O-Mat 3000, which will instantly induce double-flats via a discreet handlebar-mounted trigger disguised as a cycle computer.
Have a Mechanical
There are innumerable ways to feign component failure. My personal favorite is the Hincapie ‘06. Remember the moment his steerer tube broke in Paris-Roubaix and he sat there for a moment studying his disembodied handlebars in disbelief before he crashed spectacularly? You can easily replicate this yourself by simply carrying a multi-tool in your jersey and subtly unbolting your stem. When it’s time to throw in the towel, simply slide the stem off the steerer tube and you’ll be out of the race in no time. (You can also do a Hincapie ’08—wheel failures can be induced by opening a skewer with your foot.)
And of course this all leads to the best but most dangerous way to leave a race:
Have a Crash
A good crash requires no explanation. Of course, it might require hospitalization, so this method should be used sparingly. If possible, steer towards grass or haybales.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Time Trial Excitement
With today's TT in Solvang and the first race of the ECCC being a time trial, it is only fitting that we watch the following:
If anyone pulls a Rasmussen at Rutgers, you will be mocked the rest of the season...
If anyone pulls a Rasmussen at Rutgers, you will be mocked the rest of the season...
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Excited for start of season
We're in the middle of February which mean the first race of the season is only 2.5 weeks away. To get racers more excited the Tour of California is going on now. Yesterday we saw Levi put in a superhuman effort to catch a break that was 3 minutes and then blew the legs off everyone on a long descent. What an athlete...
Anyway, with the season so close and so many new riders I figured this link will clear up any questions on pacelining and group riding. It also good for some of you older racers who have become very squirrely over the years(ahem Joe ahem). Now only if I could get the CRCA racers to read this, then maybe Prospect Park wouldn't be such a crashfest ;)
I almost, forgot our SGA at Stevens approved our astronomical budget request. So we may roll up to the Rutgers TT rocking BMC's w/ full campy record, or maybe some other badass euro bike. Well everyone is just going to have to wait....
Anyway, with the season so close and so many new riders I figured this link will clear up any questions on pacelining and group riding. It also good for some of you older racers who have become very squirrely over the years(ahem Joe ahem). Now only if I could get the CRCA racers to read this, then maybe Prospect Park wouldn't be such a crashfest ;)
I almost, forgot our SGA at Stevens approved our astronomical budget request. So we may roll up to the Rutgers TT rocking BMC's w/ full campy record, or maybe some other badass euro bike. Well everyone is just going to have to wait....
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Feeling good
I just returned from my training ride today, 50 miles of tempo/sprinting/climbing/etc etc. I felt good, starting to regain some form after many weeks on the trainer. Throughout the ride I kept a high pace(no computer, that's how i roll) and rode hard up every roller and hill on 9w. It feels good to be on the bike after so many mindless hours on the trainer. As long as I can get in a few more rides like this before March 7 I should be in race condition.
Hopefully everyone else in the ECCC has been logging up miles and improving their fitness, we've been working hard at Stevens and look to do well again this season. Oh yea, I'm watching the ToC today which should be interesting. I'm betting on Cavendish to take the sprint in today's flat stage, but the best part about today's stage is that the Astana is riding on training bikes as thier race rigs were stolen last night. You don't believe me then check this link and have a laugh like I did.
Hopefully everyone else in the ECCC has been logging up miles and improving their fitness, we've been working hard at Stevens and look to do well again this season. Oh yea, I'm watching the ToC today which should be interesting. I'm betting on Cavendish to take the sprint in today's flat stage, but the best part about today's stage is that the Astana is riding on training bikes as thier race rigs were stolen last night. You don't believe me then check this link and have a laugh like I did.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Oh boy, cracked frame
So I found yesterday that I cracked my Trek Madone....yeah it sucks. It was creaking on my training ride in the morning, so I took to my bike shop and had the mechanic look at it. Long story short, the frame is shot.
On the bright side, this means I'm getting a new frame. Well first I need to come up with the money for it, so we'll see how the search goes. As far as my training ride goes, it went well. We did 45 miles of race drills and honestly it felt good. Mainly b/c I've been on the trainer for several weeks and was starting pull my hair out.
At Stevens we are in the midst of planning our race and so far so good. We still need some sponsors and several other things, but we should be able to get everything ready for it. Also as far as the Intro category goes, my coach from Montcliar my make an appearance do some coaching that day for the new ECCC racers.
As promised, here are some pics of the 2009 stevens jersey.
On the bright side, this means I'm getting a new frame. Well first I need to come up with the money for it, so we'll see how the search goes. As far as my training ride goes, it went well. We did 45 miles of race drills and honestly it felt good. Mainly b/c I've been on the trainer for several weeks and was starting pull my hair out.
At Stevens we are in the midst of planning our race and so far so good. We still need some sponsors and several other things, but we should be able to get everything ready for it. Also as far as the Intro category goes, my coach from Montcliar my make an appearance do some coaching that day for the new ECCC racers.
As promised, here are some pics of the 2009 stevens jersey.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Team bike building
So my team mate Ray Junkins just bought a BMC Road Racer, yeah it's pretty bad ass. We spend the afternoon building it up, it only took about 5 trips to the city to get parts.
I have to say this bike is pretty sick, we may even get a fleet them for our entire team. Well, everyone is just going to have to wait till Rutgers to see what bikes we're riding.
I have to say this bike is pretty sick, we may even get a fleet them for our entire team. Well, everyone is just going to have to wait till Rutgers to see what bikes we're riding.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Spoiler Alert: Stevens Jersey
There has been a lot of buzz about our 2009 team kit, well here's a taste.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Training Status
I just got back from a very tough trainer workout. I led my my fellow Stevens riders through a very intense TT pyramid. We did a 1-2-3-5-3-2-1 min session one day after a tough power workout. Everyone was hurting, but no one complained about having tired legs.
We are progressing well as a team, and I'm getting stronger with each interval session. I'm looking forward to the first race weekend of the ECCC road season, but I may jump the gun and race in Prospect Park on Feb 28. I know the cat 4 there is very squirley, but at this point I think everyone just about wants to get February over with and start the hammerfest that is March.
I will soon be posting the status of the Stevens Crit as well as some pics of my fellow teammates. In the meantime, I'm going to get some hw done. Thanks for reading.
We are progressing well as a team, and I'm getting stronger with each interval session. I'm looking forward to the first race weekend of the ECCC road season, but I may jump the gun and race in Prospect Park on Feb 28. I know the cat 4 there is very squirley, but at this point I think everyone just about wants to get February over with and start the hammerfest that is March.
I will soon be posting the status of the Stevens Crit as well as some pics of my fellow teammates. In the meantime, I'm going to get some hw done. Thanks for reading.
My first post
So this is my first post; I've never really been into blogs as I'm more of a forum type of person. Either way, I'll be writing about my training and racing for this year. So naturally expect to hear several rants about rides, racers, traffic, etc...
I'm currently in the middle of a micro cycle in my training plan. Working on time trialing and climbing as they both use similar muscle groups. So far so good, I'm about 6lbs off my target weight and my power and fitness are steadily improving. By the end of the cycle I should be right where I need to be for the start of my season on March 7 at Rutgers.
So for the time being I am going to work on bringing the weight down and getting stronger, the only limiters I have now are class, beer, homework, and women. Oh wait, some of those limiters may not be conducive to a good racing season :)
I'm currently in the middle of a micro cycle in my training plan. Working on time trialing and climbing as they both use similar muscle groups. So far so good, I'm about 6lbs off my target weight and my power and fitness are steadily improving. By the end of the cycle I should be right where I need to be for the start of my season on March 7 at Rutgers.
So for the time being I am going to work on bringing the weight down and getting stronger, the only limiters I have now are class, beer, homework, and women. Oh wait, some of those limiters may not be conducive to a good racing season :)
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