First race in 8 years.



J

jazmo

Guest
Rode my first race (criterium) in 8 years last night!!

I forgot how much hard work it is !!! Felt very ordinary after the rac
but managed to get second place in D grade

Joined up with Blackburn Cyling Club (Vic) and had a race at the METE
course last night. It's a pretty good course out there

Might have to shave my legs soon. :eek


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jazmo wrote:
> Rode my first race (criterium) in 8 years last night!!!
> I forgot how much hard work it is !!! Felt very ordinary after the race
> but managed to get second place in D grade.
> Joined up with Blackburn Cyling Club (Vic) and had a race at the METEC
> course last night. It's a pretty good course out there.
> Might have to shave my legs soon. :eek:



Ahhhaa, wait until someone tries to convince you waxing is better
ouch!!! 2nd in the crit is an excellent result, keep going & have fun
BTW, Hippy, were you there too


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"jazmo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Rode my first race (criterium) in 8 years last night!!!
>
> I forgot how much hard work it is !!! Felt very ordinary after the

race
> but managed to get second place in D grade.


Nice work!! Bunch sprint for the finish? Moving to C grade?

I've been told to try the Monday night track sessions, so if
I live through one I might actually be able to race METEC
again. I renewed my race license last night too.

> Joined up with Blackburn Cyling Club (Vic) and had a race at the METEC
> course last night. It's a pretty good course out there.


I reckon it's the best one I've ridden in Melbourne. It's the
trickiest for me at least with the "hill" and then the sharp left.
Do you race Glenvale on Sundays?

> Might have to shave my legs soon. :eek:


I'm of the shaved pegs clan at the moment...

hippy
 
"cfsmtb" <spam@spameggs&spam.com.vic> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ahhhaa, wait until someone tries to convince you waxing is better,
> ouch!!! 2nd in the crit is an excellent result, keep going & have fun.
> BTW, Hippy, were you there too?


Nah, I started missing METEC races before xmas
so I could do the Thursday night track sessions. The
plan was to get my track skills up enough to move to
the Monday track nights (non-novice) and then I'd be
free to race METEC again. I also let my race licence
slide (wanted to save money for my holiday) until I caved
in and renewed it last night (My desire to race has
increased recently for some reason).

Yeah, that's cool man.. first race in 8 years and 2nd place!
You obviously didn't let the bike gather dust for those 8
years :)

hippy
 
cfsmtb wrote:
> Ahhhaa, wait until someone tries to convince you waxing is better,
> ouch!!! 2nd in the crit is an excellent result, keep going & have fun.
> BTW, Hippy, were you there too?



Thanks cfsmtb! Yeah, I'll keep going with it and see how far I can go


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Hippy wrote:
> "jazmo" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:N6UWb.2-
> [email protected]:[email protected]
> rver.com...
> > Rode my first race (criterium) in 8 years last night!!!
> >
> > I forgot how much hard work it is !!! Felt very ordinary after the

> race
> > but managed to get second place in D grade.

> Nice work!! Bunch sprint for the finish? Moving to C grade?
> I've been told to try the Monday night track sessions, so if I live
> through one I might actually be able to race METEC again. I renewed my
> race license last night too.
> > Joined up with Blackburn Cyling Club (Vic) and had a race at the METEC
> > course last night. It's a pretty good course out there.

> I reckon it's the best one I've ridden in Melbourne. It's the trickiest
> for me at least with the "hill" and then the sharp left. Do you race
> Glenvale on Sundays?
> > Might have to shave my legs soon. :eek:

> I'm of the shaved pegs clan at the moment...
> hippy



Someone broke away with about 4 laps to go. I gave chase but could no
catch him, he finished about 70 m in front of me and the 3rd place
rider finished around 70 metres behind me

I also found the course a bit tricky to start with, I was a bi
tentative about the sharp left before the final straight (i.e peda
hitting the ground) but soon got used to it

I'll have to wait 'till next week to find out if I'm riding
grade I guess

Are you still doing the 1/20 on Wednesdays with the Croydon Cyclework
group? It's a bummer that I can't make it these days.:


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"jazmo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:D[email protected]...
> Someone broke away with about 4 laps to go. I gave chase but could not
> catch him, he finished about 70 m in front of me and the 3rd placed
> rider finished around 70 metres behind me.


Wow, you don't often get finishes like that in crits. It's
usually a bunch sprint. METEC gets lower numbers
than, say, Glenvale, so strange things happen :)

> I also found the course a bit tricky to start with, I was a bit
> tentative about the sharp left before the final straight (i.e pedal
> hitting the ground) but soon got used to it.


Sharp left? Do you mean the long, banking turn?
I prefer that part of the circuit to the hill and left
hander at the back of the circuit.

> I'll have to wait 'till next week to find out if I'm riding C
> grade I guess.


Do you ride Glenvale at all? I might be there on Sunday.

> Are you still doing the 1/20 on Wednesdays with the Croydon
> Cycleworks group? It's a bummer that I can't make it these days.:(


Yeah, got myself a new PB the other night, took another
10 seconds off my time. I don't know if it was the cold
weather, carrying only 1 bidon or riding in the next higher
gear that did it. Won the final sprint too ;-)

hippy
 
Hey, this sounds all good

I been thinking about going down and checking out the crit rides bu
dont know how to go about it or even where to g

My cousin rides Agrade down at (i think he said) cnr of springvale an
Wellington Rds. Is this the METEC course you refer to

How do you get graded/started/etc

wots the 1/20 ride? I have heard of a group going from cycleworks i
boxhill (they just put chorus04 on my steed for me - oooo-weeee!) and a
'Alpine in the suburbs' which sounds like fun (if thats youre idea o
fun. burgundy st hill in 'friendly' rivalry just sounds naaasteh!

can i play? huh,huh,huh??


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"flyingdutch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I been thinking about going down and checking out the crit rides but
> dont know how to go about it or even where to go


http://www.blackburncycling.org.au/racing/weekly_crits.html
http://www.blackburncycling.org.au/circuits/metec.html

> My cousin rides Agrade down at (i think he said) cnr of springvale and
> Wellington Rds. Is this the METEC course you refer to?


Nope. METEC is in Kilsyth which is out east. Not sure about
the Springvale and Wellington Rd. thing, but Glenvale Crescent
criteriums on Sunday morning are popular. These are in Mulgrave
I think, which is near cnr Springvale/Princes Hwy.
Okay, I just checked www.whereis.com.au and Glenvale IS the
circuit near Wellington Rd. in Mulgrave.

> How do you get graded/started/etc?


Turn up at a race, early! and tell them that this is your first
race. You will need a race license which most people have
by way of joining a club, but you might still be able to get
single race licenses? I can't remember now. It will cost $5
per race at METEC and $10 at Glenvale + whatever your
license costs ($22 for a day lic?).

> wots the 1/20 ride? I have heard of a group going from cycleworks in
> boxhill (they just put chorus04 on my steed for me - oooo-weeee!) and

an
> 'Alpine in the suburbs' which sounds like fun (if thats youre idea of
> fun. burgundy st hill in 'friendly' rivalry just sounds naaasteh!)


http://www.blackburncycling.org.au/circuits/120.html

I don't know about cycleworks in Box Hill. The only 1:20 ride
I've done is the Croydon Cycle Works ride which leaves Wed
nights at 6pm from the shop.

http://www.thehippy.net/Cycling/TrainingRides.asp

Basically:
6:15pm-8:15pm
Croydon Cycleworks Road Ride (HILLS)
where: Croydon Cycleworks, 182 Mount Dandenong Rd,
Croydon. Parking is available at shop
when: every wed night leaves at 6.15pm sharp!
duration: varies around 2-2.5 hours aprox 50-60km via Sassafras
and Olinda returning to Croydon
don't forget: lights, spares and pump, water, food

hth
hippy
 
wanting to do this too. My closest and most convenient raceclub appear
to be HawthornCC and their racing at Yarra/Kew boulevar

Anyone raced this course? rode around it last night briefly on m
commute home. All closed off and with a nasty little hill takin
up about a quarter of the course, looks like it could be quit
hard at racepac


-
 
"flyingdutch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> wanting to do this too. My closest and most convenient raceclub

appears
> to be HawthornCC and their racing at Yarra/Kew boulevard
>
> Anyone raced this course? rode around it last night briefly on my
> commute home. All closed off and with a nasty little hill taking
> up about a quarter of the course, looks like it could be quite
> hard at racepace


I've heard the course is tough due to the hill. Never raced there
myself though.

You do realise that you don't have to be a member of a particular
club to race in their races? i.e. you could be a Blackburn member
and race at Carnegie-Caulfield's Glenvale Cres. crits on Sundays or
you could be a SKCC (St. Kilda) member and race at Blackburn's
METEC crits on Thursday nights.

Let us know how you fare with whichever club and circuit you
decide to try... local race reports would be very cool!!!

hippy
 
no i didnt realise that (but if i had thought about it a bit I probabl
would have nutted it out!

looks like a course that you could get dropped on very easily Reall
sharp hairpin turns left and up the hill and I guess if youre not on
wheel or ready to get out of that corne

you mentioned I must be fast cos of all the k's I d

Probably not, sadly I do alota K's but probably not fast enough an
rarely any kind of sprinting (apart from to make the occasional light!

I can stick with pretty much any group along Beach Rd and have done
few audaxes (including the Alpine Classic in Jan- ouch. that one hurt

From what I can gather the constant acceleration and change of pace i
probably going to be my downfall (now if I could be leadout man fo
someone else; that would suit me

Anyway, shall wander out there tomorrow night and see wha
happens. might go out to Medway on Sunday if Danny(and Mel) i
racing out there to


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On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 23:34:03 GMT, flyingdutch
<[email protected]> wrote:

>wanting to do this too. My closest and most convenient raceclub appears
>to be HawthornCC and their racing at Yarra/Kew boulevard
>
>Anyone raced this course? rode around it last night briefly on my
>commute home. All closed off and with a nasty little hill taking
>up about a quarter of the course, looks like it could be quite
>hard at racepace


I haven't raced there myself, but I know people who do. It's a tough
little course. Ride round it a few times at close to race speed before
getting serious. There are a couple of corners where the camber is a
bit tricky. And if you fall, it's a non-skid surface. Abrasive :)


--
Regards.
Richard.
 
"flyingdutch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:bDiYb.72983
> Probably not, sadly I do alota K's but probably not fast enough and
> rarely any kind of sprinting (apart from to make the occasional light!)
> From what I can gather the constant acceleration and change of pace is
> probably going to be my downfall (now if I could be leadout man for
> someone else; that would suit me)


Yeah, if you are doing lots of k's but no fast k's, you'll be good at
long distance, slow k's... who woulda thunk it?! :)
That means that your first crit could be a very rude surprise. The
more you do though, the faster you get (though no less painful).
I'm a sprinter.. you can lead out for me anytime! :)

> Anyway, shall wander out there tomorrow night and see what
> happens. might go out to Medway on Sunday if Danny(and Mel) is
> racing out there too


Medway?

hippy
 
doooh, Glenvale!

just realised that boroondara travel meeting is on tonight. Oh, well.
next week...

need to get the 13-29 cluster off my bike anyway. was handy on the
Alpine Classic but i guess that would spin out on a crit course

hey, hippy. wots wit de bar end shifters on your peugot roadbike? does
this mean you ride on the drops all the time?

im not too worried re cornering. got some great lessons in counter-
steering from a pal in the Adelaide hills over the xmas break which came
in real handy coming down FallsCreek and Buffalo. makes a huge
difference. the flying elbows might be another thing tho...



--
 
"flyingdutch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> need to get the 13-29 cluster off my bike anyway. was handy on the
> Alpine Classic but i guess that would spin out on a crit course


Not necessarily. I generally ride in the big ring (and so do most
other riders I think) when racing in crits. I'm sure it plays havoc
with cluster/chain life, but you'll often see racers in the big->small
combination. This gives you the smallish gears needed to spin
and the larger gears for chasing breaks and sprinting without the
risk of dropping a chain when shifting with the front derr.
You would be pretty fast if you were spinning out the big ring
and 13T combo :)
Still, if you have a 23-11 or something, that's what most people
would be using I think.

> hey, hippy. wots wit de bar end shifters on your peugot roadbike? does
> this mean you ride on the drops all the time?


Barcons? Which pix did you see them on? That's actually the
bike as it was 'before' I owned it. I bought the frame/fork used
and added a new groupset (with "standard" STI shifters), new
wheels, seat, post, bars, stem, etc.
I only rode the bike for a weekend with the barcons, testing
it before I bought it and I'd generally be on the tops until a
shift was needed and I moved to the ends of the drops.

> im not too worried re cornering. got some great lessons in counter-
> steering from a pal in the Adelaide hills over the xmas break which

came
> in real handy coming down FallsCreek and Buffalo. makes a huge
> difference. the flying elbows might be another thing tho...


Wish I had the same training! :)
Corner? What corner? No body told me about corners.. smack!

hippy
 
Hippy wrote:
> [ Not necessarily. I generally ride in the big ring (and so do most
> other riders I think) when racing in crits. I'm sure it plays havoc with
> cluster/chain life, but you'll often see racers in the big-
> >small combination. This gives you the smallish gears needed to spin and
> >the larger gears for

> chasing breaks and sprinting without the risk of dropping a chain when
> shifting with the front derr. You would be pretty fast if you were
> spinning out the big ring and 13T combo :) Still, if you have a 23-11
> or something, that's what most people would be using I think. hippy



If you're riding C or D, a 12-21 with a 53 or 52 is probably standar
issue for crits, although you'll probably never use the 12 because it'
way too big to accelerate out of the corners. It's a different story fo
road race type sprints, which tend to wind up from a long way out


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ok, that sounds good. was figuring it would just all be 53/13-14-15-16
17 anyways (altho my new 10spd chorus does seem to be a bit less likin
the more extreme angles...

the barend shifters were on your site (my bikes - i think

if you have ever ridden a motorbike, that is the best way to lear
counter steering. Its all about: outside leg straight, inside kne
hugging the top tube (not pointed into the corner!), hips/shoulder
pointed OUTWARDS, inside shoulder forward, **** back. Sound slike a lo
but once you get the hang of it, its amazing! the first time i naile
it, i almost hit the inside of the corner !!


-
 
ok, that sounds good. was figuring it would just all be 53/13-14-15-16
17 anyways (altho my new 10spd chorus does seem to be a bit less likin
the more extreme angles...

the barend shifters were on your site (my bikes - i think

if you have ever ridden a motorbike, that is the best way to lear
counter steering. Its all about: outside leg straight, inside kne
hugging the top tube (not pointed into the corner!), hips/shoulder
pointed OUTWARDS, inside shoulder forward, **** back. Sound slike a lo
but once you get the hang of it, its amazing! the first time i naile
it, i almost hit the inside of the corner !!


-
 
"flyingdutch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> ok, that sounds good. was figuring it would just all be

53/13-14-15-16-
> 17 anyways (altho my new 10spd chorus does seem to be a bit less

liking
> the more extreme angles...)


Alas, I only know the feeling of 9spd.

> the barend shifters were on your site (my bikes - i think)


Fair enough. They are just old photos. I don't bother updating
the pics much. I thought I had put pictures of "my" bike up
though, that's all.

> if you have ever ridden a motorbike, that is the best way to learn
> counter steering. Its all about: outside leg straight, inside knee
> hugging the top tube (not pointed into the corner!), hips/shoulders
> pointed OUTWARDS, inside shoulder forward, **** back. Sound slike a

lot
> but once you get the hang of it, its amazing! the first time i nailed
> it, i almost hit the inside of the corner !!!


I've been gaining some confidence on the 1in20 ride on Wed's
(tonight actually). I still hang right back because if I come off
I don't want people watching! :)
But if I'm in touch with the bunch on the final downhill, I might
try and keep up just to have a go at the sprint. It's strange for
me - left hand turns are not such an issue, but right hand turns
seem much slower and less confident??
I'll never be a great descender but I'll get better...

hippy