tombeej

Have a blast

The I-Team got way bigger than we could have imagined. Way too big now to have any hope of keeping things together, let's be honest. I think common sense says this group Will spilt into smaller groups - it's unavoidable. But then when the smaller groups do form, those I-Teamers still stay together and work together for their PB. Still have the attitude of not leaving others behind. And the V8's in the team can still ride for their teammates who are going for a sub 3. Wait for the group on the climbs - that mustn't change - try and keep as many together as possible. Fast guys must share going back and pace teammates back to the bunch. But the splits will be unavoidable - we just need to try and delay them as long as possible. Next time we do this, we'll probably look at having a few road captains with whistles who will be designated A, B, C group captains. That way, there's still someone tasked with organising each off-split as they happen.

Have a brilliant day tomorrow, everyone. Hope everyone stays safe and admin-free. I'll be waiting expectantly for the post race reports!

For sweeping I don't think that pushing is necessary. The idea is really to have 1 or 2 riders at the back to collect the stragglers behind them after each hill and pace them back to the group. Because the quicker this is done (and the whistle is blown), the quicker the front guys can start motoring again.

Sportsmans Warehouse will have

I was bringing the name tags and a whistle. Scott was coming with the yellow tags and spare cable ties, I think. Suggest someone volunteer being the designated sweep at the back and maybe buy a cheap whistle today.

Unfortunately I'm worse than yesterday. I'm down with a proper bug and no chance of riding a bike any time soon. I'm so sorry for dropping you guys. I'm totally depressed and hating the world right now. Good luck to everyone for tomorrow. Have a jol .

I'm back from the doc. Thankfully not tonsillitis - just a bacterial throat infection. But still feels like I swallowed a porcupine backwards. Anyway, one double-dose antibiotics and we'll see how things feel tomorrow morning .

Sorry to hear about the setback. But then again that's what happens with Cadre deployment

Echelons in the final 20 km. Going to be a tough section for the top racing bunches.

Yip, agreed. But also, here's a golden opportunity for people who have not had the opportunity to be in a proper pace line before, rolling turns on the front, in a race situation. They've got this great chance to learn from the experienced racers in the bunch, watch how they ride and emulate their actions. They have a great opportunity to roll turns, make mistakes and get some advice - without being yelled at or at the risk of being attacked and spat out. If I was one of these folks, I would be so up for the idea of getting involved and learning stacks along the way. Even if you go to the front just a few times in the whole race, just the feeling of going up and rolling a few turns will be such a buzz. Racing in a rolling pace line that's motoring is exhilarating & nerve-wracking at the same time, and will make you want to come back for more. Oh, and it will make you sooo much better as a bike racer going forward.

I'm going to see the doc this morning. I think I've got tonsillitis - not feeling great. Based on what the doc says, and how I feel early tomorrow morning when I wake up, I'll make a call then as to whether I make the drive to JHB or not. Will be absolutely gutted if I don't make this thing.

Yes you're right, in an echelon you'll inevitably be off at an angle, and the stronger the wind the more "up alongside" you'll have to be to the rider in front. Then, if it's really gusty, you will find that you're being buffeted by the wind as it tries to blow you into the front wheel of the guy tucked in diagonally behind you. Echelons are higher grade stuff. The really good racers know how to smash up fields at will due to their skill at riding in the wind. It's why the Belgians and the Dutch are so dominant in the horrible weather of the early spring classics.

I don't really know either. But from this recent article on Velonews: "Pushing a road bike at 40 km/h on a flat road demands power output in the range of 270–350 watts for most cyclists". In this GCN video, the front guy is holding 300 watts at 32 km/h in a relatively un-aero position. Amazing how much the guy behind saves (over 40% or 130 watts). Shows how much our I-team guys can save in this race by sticking to the back wheel of the good guys like limpets. If you're already red lining in a pace line, lose the wheel and you're gone. (And tells me how many watts I'll be pushing when dragging people back across the gap ).

Here's a nice summary of some of the things we've talked about re. riding in a pace line. Scroll further down the page to "Ten Common Errors That Disrupt Pacelines". https://sites.google.com/site/gfcycling/pacelines

I'm sure he'll be very happy on the front, and I'll be happy for his help there. Just need some help at the back (Patch, Wes-O, Talus?). To anyone in the I-Team who doesn't really know what a 'dead wheel' is, all we have to remember is that the moment we lose our cohesion and tight formation, we lose our effectiveness. Make every effort never to let gaps form in the line or in the bunch. Even if you're seeing stars and you're earning your Sufferlandrian stripes while chewing on your stem, please please don't lose that wheel in front of you. The folks behind are counting on you!

Lots of space there next to the 'I' to write in 'team'

Ja, I'll have to accept there will be some attrition along the way. Actually, with the size of the group now it might be a good thing if we've whittled down a bit to say 20 riders heading towards Hyde Park/Randburg. So I'll do my best in the beginning to help pace people back on, but if it gets too much I'll have to let folks go until we've got a group that's comfortable going at the team pace.

I'm also going to buy a whistle. Once everyone is back on over the top of a hill, I'll blow my whistle so the guys in front know they can start pacing again.

Guys, this group has become way bigger than I could ever have imagined. I'm scratching my head a bit re. how I'm going to try keep everyone together and not lose anyone off the back in the first 70 km. Can I ask for 1 or 2 decent riders join me at the back to help keep things together and pull people back onto the bunch after each hill?

You're in

I've bought a large sheet of white vinyl with self adhesive backing. I'll make a name tag for everyone with black koki. Will bring them on Sunday morning to the meeting point.

Added

MEETING POINT AND START TIME: Going back many pages, a reminder of what the plan is... We're meeting up a Point 'D' on the map, in front of the JOC (Joint Ops Centre) TIME: 06h00 (we leave for the start at 06h15).