Do You Road Bike?

[aram]

This reminds me I need new rear light for my road bike. Stupid thing fell of.

I watched someone's rear light disenegrate into pieces on a rough road the other day(there are a lot of those in Santa Cruz County). I got one for my helmet.

You doing any racing now? Any good flat/roller type courses for RR/crit somewhat close? I did the UCSC road race 4/5 field and decided that climbing is not my strong point in races.

Nothing more fun than looking forward, seeing no one, looking back, seeing no one and figuring I might as well at least finish just to get my money's worth.

Wed. Hellyer Races start in 2 weeks at least.

 

[UDRider]

I watched someone's rear light disenegrate into pieces on a rough road the other day(there are a lot of those in Santa Cruz County). I got one for my helmet.

You doing any racing now? Any good flat/roller type courses for RR/crit somewhat close? I did the UCSC road race 4/5 field and decided that climbing is not my strong point in races.

Nothing more fun than looking forward, seeing no one, looking back, seeing no one and figuring I might as well at least finish just to get my money's worth.

Wed. Hellyer Races start in 2 weeks at least.

Not yet. Being sick on/off most of January, and again recently has really set me back in terms of training. First race moved to end of April. :|

Also I am not going to Stonyford for some dirt biking because of it.

Well CCCX (Central Coast Road Series) is roller type terrain.
Red Kite crits are flat as pancakes.
Sadly those two series cover majority of races that are nearby.

The WCCC Championship crit at the end of April is not flat, but super duper fun, and it's later in a day.

Salinas crit first week of May is flat.

Modesto Crit, Memorial Crit and ICCC Dash for cash in May are flat.

Hmm, I might ping you about Hallyer races. It sounds like fun, and I will be starting higher zones (z4/5) training soon.

 

[bdobbe]

I just signed up for the Bike 4 Breathhttp://events.ggbreathe.org/site/TR?fr_id=1390&pg=entry race on July 11, for the 64-mile race. Looking to build up the distance on the weekends- anyone either looking for a riding partner or know about riding groups in the Rodeo/Martinez area?

Or, if any of you are interested in doing it yourself, there is a 10, 30, and 64-mile option.

 

[kelsodeez]

holy shit, long ass weekend at uc merced racing bicycles. shit is tough. i learned a TON this weekend and now i need to get better.

 

[UDRider]

I just signed up for the Bike 4 Breathhttp://events.ggbreathe.org/site/TR?fr_id=1390&pg=entry race on July 11, for the 64-mile race. Looking to build up the distance on the weekends- anyone either looking for a riding partner or know about riding groups in the Rodeo/Martinez area?

Or, if any of you are interested in doing it yourself, there is a 10, 30, and 64-mile option.

holy shit, long ass weekend at uc merced racing bicycles. shit is tough. i learned a TON this weekend and now i need to get better.

If you can do Berkeley Crit. It's stupid awesome. I might be there for 4/5 or 3/4 field.

 

[kelsodeez]

If you can do Berkeley Crit. It's stupid awesome. I might be there for 4/5 or 3/4 field.

when is it? i cant find it on the schedule. also, if its a national, ill have to buy another damn license haha. my collegiate license was 35 bucks. at least the school pays my entry fee and transportation to races.

i got my ass handed to me in the crit today made me realize how much i need to work on my cardio. legs were fine but i couldnt breathe. i put my head down for a second to watch the wheel of the UC santa cruz guy in front of me and when i looked up, the main pack was 5 bike lengths ahead. by the time i caught back up, i was gassed out. i worked with a guy from uc davis to catch back up but we never made it back to the main pack and he beat me on the sprint so the only guy i beat was the ucsc guy haha. fml.

yesterday's road race i did decent tho. so much going on and so many tactics involved with racing. i wouldve done better but one of the stanford guys yelled out "finish line is after that turn" to one of his teammates right before the biggest climb, so i attacked up the hill and then there was like 3 more miles after the turn, so i got dropped like a bad habit.

all in all it was super fun and its motivated me to bust my ass and get into better shape. i also have come to the conclusion that these races are just an excuse for a bunch of college students to get together from different schools, ride bicycles in the day and get drunk with each other at night.

 

[UDRider]

It's April 26th, also WCCC championship.
http://www.ncnca.org/sites/default/...WCCC Championships pb Cal Cycling OKED v4.pdf

all in all it was super fun and its motivated me to bust my ass and get into better shape. i also have come to the conclusion that these races are just an excuse for a bunch of college students to get together from different schools, ride bicycles in the day and get drunk with each other at night.

Damnit, don't give away the secrets. lol

Also pro-tip don't post pictures of above mentioned debachery online. CAL cycling club got suspended for a year few years back after UC Irvine sport admin, who apparently has a big stick up her ass and nothing better to do, saw photos of after season party and roller challenge and raised stink. Photos were posted in UC Irvine mailinglist which she invited herself to or I should say insisted to be part of because of the aforementioned stick up her ass. Just embodies UC Irvine in that whole incident.

 

[Sidewalk]

Commuting, commuting, etc.

I put some Planet Bike fenders on commuter. Pretty much full coverage and wrap the tires. Makes it easier to mount the rear rack too.

 

[aram]

Ok I did the Santa cruz criterium 4/5 race and it felt like the thunderdome. Most terrifying ride I've ever done.

 

[kelsodeez]

Ok I did the Santa cruz criterium 4/5 race and it felt like the thunderdome. Most terrifying ride I've ever done.

lololol i felt the same way. actually going around corners, i felt like an A pace rider doing a trackday in the C group. i like road races way more than crits, but crits are still fun.

fresno state road race i got top ten!! not bad for second race weekend ever. i sat out of the crit because my knee was feeling a little used and abused and it was hot as balls. i think i caught a bit of heat stroke. next weekend is ucsb but my team cant make it because the only person that has the cpr qualifications and the room for all of our bikes cant go. im kinda bummed about that.

 

[UDRider]

Ok I did the Santa cruz criterium 4/5 race and it felt like the thunderdome. Most terrifying ride I've ever done.

That course is a bit scary that is for sure. How did you do?
The MOST terrifying ride I ever did was across GGB with all the tourists. That's after racing Giro Di SF in 4/5s. Which makes SC tame.

lololol i felt the same way. actually going around corners, i felt like an A pace rider doing a trackday in the C group. i like road races way more than crits, but crits are still fun.

fresno state road race i got top ten!! not bad for second race weekend ever. i sat out of the crit because my knee was feeling a little used and abused and it was hot as balls. i think i caught a bit of heat stroke. next weekend is ucsb but my team cant make it because the only person that has the cpr qualifications and the room for all of our bikes cant go. im kinda bummed about that.

Hmm, you have knees issues? Might want to look in to fitting, it's harder but still possible to mess up your knees cycling. Specially when intensity/volume goes up.

Anyone up in here knows the German? I need to figure out if this race offers amateur fields C/B. http://www.sparkassen-giro.de/index.php/de/

Thanks

 

[kelsodeez]

Hmm, you have knees issues? Might want to look in to fitting, it's harder but still possible to mess up your knees cycling. Specially when intensity/volume goes up.

i did have a specialized BG fit done on my bmc. it did wonders for me, but doesnt shield you from standing up and sprinting and slightly hyper extending your knee just enough to be sore for a few days. oh well. actually, i probably couldve entered the crit but it was so damn hot on saturday that my head was pounding all night and i barely got any sleep. if i did race, i proabably wouldve done terrible.

 

[aram]

That course is a bit scary that is for sure. How did you do?
The MOST terrifying ride I ever did was across GGB with all the tourists. That's after racing Giro Di SF in 4/5s. Which makes SC tame.

Came in 27/75. :/ I felt like I was doing fine, keeping an ok spot and avoiding crashes. Then with about 10 laps to go some guy starts bumping my bars at the turn before the climb

. I'm thinking, ok cool, I've done this before, no biggie. I'm in my drops. Then he somehow manages to hook his bars on mine and go into my front wheel. And I hear all this crashing noises and I don't hit anyone (did a stoppie trying not to hit someone in front of me) but I lose my chain and the dude is on the ground behind me.

I get to the top and they give me a lap but the race only lets me into the back and i really just wanted to finish at that point so I just hang at the back of the main group. First lap back on there's another crash in the hairpin. I mean geez.

 

[UDRider]

i did have a specialized BG fit done on my bmc. it did wonders for me, but doesnt shield you from standing up and sprinting and slightly hyper extending your knee just enough to be sore for a few days. oh well. actually, i probably couldve entered the crit but it was so damn hot on saturday that my head was pounding all night and i barely got any sleep. if i did race, i proabably wouldve done terrible.

Probably shouldn't be locking your knees in a sprint...

Came in 27/75. :/ I felt like I was doing fine, keeping an ok spot and avoiding crashes. Then with about 10 laps to go some guy starts bumping my bars at the turn before the climb

. I'm thinking, ok cool, I've done this before, no biggie. I'm in my drops. Then he somehow manages to hook his bars on mine and go into my front wheel. And I hear all this crashing noises and I don't hit anyone (did a stoppie trying not to hit someone in front of me) but I lose my chain and the dude is on the ground behind me.

I get to the top and they give me a lap but the race only lets me into the back and i really just wanted to finish at that point so I just hang at the back of the main group. First lap back on there's another crash in the hairpin. I mean geez.

Bummer. That takes some skill to hook the bars even when other person is in the drops. Next time stick your elbows out a bit. Good work on keeping upright.

Just a side note sometimes officials can be strict and won't give you free lap if you didn't go down.

Damn that is a big field too!

 

[kelsodeez]

Probably shouldn't be locking your knees in a sprint...

haha thank you for your sage-like advice. i was just getting a little too vigorous and my legs were beyond tired. i also notice that sometimes my upstroke will lift my rear wheel when im really pushing. i do need to work on the mechanics of sprinting. i spend too much time trying to perfect my circular pedal motion on normal riding that i never even think about sprinting properly.

 

[UDRider]

haha thank you for your sage-like advice. i was just getting a little too vigorous and my legs were beyond tired. i also notice that sometimes my upstroke will lift my rear wheel when im really pushing. i do need to work on the mechanics of sprinting. i spend too much time trying to perfect my circular pedal motion on normal riding that i never even think about sprinting properly.

Rear wheel? I am not even sure how that works. I lifted my front wheel, few times, but don't think ever the rear. Unless I was running over something. Last year I did San Rafael crit and on final sprint went over a man cover. It felt like rear wheel went flying up. Although I am sure it was just a little bit. So yeah don't do that.

 

[aram]

Probably shouldn't be locking your knees in a sprint...



Bummer. That takes some skill to hook the bars even when other person is in the drops. Next time stick your elbows out a bit. Good work on keeping upright.

Just a side note sometimes officials can be strict and won't give you free lap if you didn't go down.

Damn that is a big field too!

Yeah the official said that and he said he'd just let me in late on the back and since it was just a 4/5 race I think he let it slide. I told him I just wanted a finish for my upgrade and he was pretty cool about it.

I don't know how that crashing guy did it. He came from behind sort of. I should have pushed him off but I didn't react as well as I should have. He rubbed of some of the decals pretty well on my front wheel too.

You still not racing for a while? You going to upgrade? I would think the 1/2/3 fields would be safer. Do they ever do just 3 fields or is it always 1/2/3?

 

[kelsodeez]

Rear wheel? I am not even sure how that works. I lifted my front wheel, few times, but don't think ever the rear. Unless I was running over something. Last year I did San Rafael crit and on final sprint went over a man cover. It felt like rear wheel went flying up. Although I am sure it was just a little bit. So yeah don't do that.

there is like a split second where the upstroke of my pedal is creating more force than the downstroke and the rear wheel pops up for a split second and then slams down. its never felt dangerous, but im sure its not super efficient.

i actually had your advice in the back of my head all weekend at my first race at merced. not crashing was my main goal haha. at the house party after the road race and the night before the crits, everyone was talking about how brutal the group D crits are and how there are always tons of crashers. there wasnt one single crash all weekend. all that hype for nothing

 

[UDRider]

Yeah the official said that and he said he'd just let me in late on the back and since it was just a 4/5 race I think he let it slide. I told him I just wanted a finish for my upgrade and he was pretty cool about it.

I don't know how that crashing guy did it. He came from behind sort of. I should have pushed him off but I didn't react as well as I should have. He rubbed of some of the decals pretty well on my front wheel too.

You still not racing for a while? You going to upgrade? I would think the 1/2/3 fields would be safer. Do they ever do just 3 fields or is it always 1/2/3?

Not yet, trying to get back my fitness. I have been sick on/off since January. :| I am aiming for end of April Wente and Bekreley crits

Yeah there are few races that are just 3s. This is not middle of America, we have choices! Although with Red Kite seemingly taking over all the races more and more have 3/4 and 2/3 fields. :| The 3's hate racing with 4's and I am sure 2s hate racing with 3s.

I need 6 more points. I don't want to do it on top ten finishes in fields with 30+. Good thing points don't expire anymore.

 

[UDRider]

there is like a split second where the upstroke of my pedal is creating more force than the downstroke and the rear wheel pops up for a split second and then slams down. its never felt dangerous, but im sure its not super efficient.

i actually had your advice in the back of my head all weekend at my first race at merced. not crashing was my main goal haha. at the house party after the road race and the night before the crits, everyone was talking about how brutal the group D crits are and how there are always tons of crashers. there wasnt one single crash all weekend. all that hype for nothing

Don't jinks it. There is D group now? When I did it, it started with C.