Advice for riding in packs (in preparation for hopeful racing next season)



ryanspeer said:
I don't see myself really wanting to do time trials. I want endurance races with the pack. Mano-el-mano. In 2 or 3 years I'd love to be racing cat 4 or cat 3. You can't get there by playing safe and hoping someone will wave you on through to the lead pack. I just don't see how avoiding a learning situation will help you learn. It doesn't sound rational to me at all.
I've got a few good things you can do and I can be specific since you are local -

1. Meet the team rides start in September - the exact times and teams will be posted on the WSBA web site soon www.wsbaracing.com
They all leave from Perts Deli in Leshi (thats on Lake Washington in Seattle) I know its a little far for you to come, but there are plenty of guys from your area who are on Seattle teams, but mostly train up north. Not only will you get to ride with teams and meet experienced racers, but people will give you tips for safe riding too.

2. Take a skills clinic at Cycle U http://www.cycleu.com/Services/Road.aspx

There are several road skills clinics coming up and they run racing specific clinics that can earn you your CAT 5 to 4 upgrade. (5 to 4 can be earned through experience or clinic work - you don't have to win anything to get this upgrade)

3. Go on more group rides - you could try some of the Cascade CTS rides. Though I really don't think that these will prepare you for racing, they will however get you started with safe pacelining. www.cascade.org
 
Hey Eden - thanks A LOT for that link in Leshi. I wonder if by showing up to something like this, that I'd find myself in the midst of a bunch of cat 4, cat 3 and better? In other words, would a race-inexperienced guy like myself be able to hang with them well? I'm imagine it's not a terribly competative atmosphere, but hey - guys have testosterone and a need to experience triumph, and I wonder if at that point I'd realize I'm the High School Junior Varsity football player who suddenly discovers that he's trying to play with guys who are up for the NFL draft? Am I incorrect there?

My big fear in joining a ride like that is that I'd be the hapless boat anchor who inevitably slows everybody else down or eventually gets left in the dust and hopefully joins up with the rest of the group before they all get in their cars to head back home.

Nonetheless I'm definitely going to check out that link and - hopefully - get involved in something like that.

The touring atmosphere would be fun, but I am a competative person and might get easily tired of the non-competative atmosphere. Maybe. Either way I want to do a few of those as well.

Thanks for the tips Eden and RapDaddyo.
 
What about cornering - especially towards the start of a race when the pack has yet to really spread out much? I'd hope that in my first race next year the organizers wouldn't have the course take a quick turn or two in the first several hundred yards, but I also imagine that's not terribly uncommon either. I could see myself and many others potentially getting tangled during something like that - something that I obviously want to avoid completely - although I imagine it's not entirely avoidable either.
 
ryanspeer said:
Hey Eden - thanks A LOT for that link in Leshi. I wonder if by showing up to something like this, that I'd find myself in the midst of a bunch of cat 4, cat 3 and better? In other words, would a race-inexperienced guy like myself be able to hang with them well? I'm imagine it's not a terribly competative atmosphere, but hey - guys have testosterone and a need to experience triumph, and I wonder if at that point I'd realize I'm the High School Junior Varsity football player who suddenly discovers that he's trying to play with guys who are up for the NFL draft? Am I incorrect there?

My big fear in joining a ride like that is that I'd be the hapless boat anchor who inevitably slows everybody else down or eventually gets left in the dust and hopefully joins up with the rest of the group before they all get in their cars to head back home.

Nonetheless I'm definitely going to check out that link and - hopefully - get involved in something like that.


The touring atmosphere would be fun, but I am a competative person and might get easily tired of the non-competative atmosphere. Maybe. Either way I want to do a few of those as well.

Thanks for the tips Eden and RapDaddyo.
Meet the team rides are specifically for those who are not on a team, but want to join - some teams are selective, but others are open enrollment. The rides are at least supposed to be conversational pace and are generally the south loop (Lake Washington Blvd - up to Ranier Ave- down Rainier to the Renton Airport- up the other side of Lk Washington - across I-90 back to Leschi. Its about 30 miles) There will be plenty of newbies there along with experienced riders from the teams who are hosting that weekends ride. The point of these rides isn't to hurt the new guys, but to get to know the people who are interested in joining so you'll usually see the team guys circulating around and talking to all of the new people - they are usually pretty low key. I made a pest:cool: of my self and went on the one for my husbands team last year and did not have any problems keeping up with them. I'm pretty sure they aren't up yet, but keep looking back at WSBA - the schedule is coming soon. You'll get bonus points if its raining and you already have fenders and a buddy flap on.
 
ryanspeer said:
My big fear in joining a ride like that is that I'd be the hapless boat anchor who inevitably slows everybody else down or eventually gets left in the dust and hopefully joins up with the rest of the group before they all get in their cars to head back home.
Every group has its own "ride ethics." I lead most of the "A" rides in my club and we regroup at the tops of major climbs. This is because climbs are where power differentials among the riders really come into play. With a 30+% drafting advantage on the flat, anybody who really belongs on the ride can keep up while drafting. But, the drafting advantage goes to near zero on a climb and the more powerful riders will smoke the other riders. The downhill segments aren't the place to get a good workout anyway, so I follow the practice of regrouping at the tops of climbs, even if it means waiting several minutes. Other clubs aren't so considerate. If you don't get to the top of the climb with the group, it's sayonara. And, recognize that going to the front and taking a long pull is something you do for yourself, as a mini-interval. Initially, when you find yourself on front, just keep the pace for a few strokes and pull off. Unless you're in a TTT or in an organized chase group in a race, when you're on front pulling, you're not actually working for the benefit of the group. You're working for your own benefit, for training adaptation purposes.
 
Bobby Lex said:
Not necessarily. I guess you didn't watch the TDF last year when Rasmussen crashed 3 times in the ITT.

Bob
Sure I did. I've already said that riding a bike carries a certain degree of risk, riding within reach of cars raises the risk significantly, and riding in packs adds another level of risk. I'm not trying to dictate what level of risk each person should assume. My personal opinion is that the added level of risk introduced by pacelines is not worth it for the average fitness rider. I've seen too many of them get "seduced" into pacelines on group rides, and eventually regret it when they get laid up for months with a broken something or other. For someone intent on road racing, the equation changes and getting hurt is a price they are willing to pay to the opportunity to do it.