Cape Cobra riders skills

[4u2nv]

After reading these posts and riding in all these races, here is my 2c:

1. During the journey for sight, I almost "bliksemed" one of the pres les riders that was riding all over the place - no skills

2. If STAR riders are only riding for podium and not speed/seeding , they should start after the F group. Lets face it, the really strong rider ride either league or in the seeded groups. Riding STAR will never improve your seeding. Do the seeded groups and come through the ranks like we all did. ONLY training will make you faster, not slip.

3. Yes, we are all guilty of crossing the white line, I had to as well, but because of some idiot that couldn't hold his line. If you ride gutter on the white line, and you cross to get slip. i would say warn the guy and if he doesn't listen , DQ him. That is the only way they will listen

4. i remember a marshal stopping the whole elite bunch some 2 odd years ago because of riders crossing the white line. We need more marshalls with balls like that.

5. The Think bike marshalls have a very k@k job, and we do not appreciate them enough. i would say that they save at least 10 lives every week.

6. RANT OFF

[Slowone]

To the motorbike marshals ... thankyou all for a really thankless job. I'd just like to highlight the fact, that these guys do the job out of the goodness of your hearts ... not to get rich! Over the years, I've accumulated good memories of the times these marshals have made the road safer for our bunches ... the recent Burger is a case in point. These guys were fantastic, specifically on the way back to Stellenbosch, when the wind became a factor. I no longer own a motorbike, but if I did, I don't know that I'd be prepared to sacrifice a perfect Sunday morning, to cruise along in 2nd or 3rd gear for a few hours!

 

Thanks again ...

 

+1

and at there own expense. they pay there own fuel and cell phone bill

 

Thanks Guys and Girls ............

Edited February 1, 2012 by Slow_one

[gyro]

It started with a league guy late breaking into the corner and loosing it landing himself in the gutter the group swelled and unfortunately the guys on the outside were forced over the white line they were not passing or anything like that they were just trying to avoid the 1st accident. The bike Marshall's are brilliant and in Olympic cycles race 2 weeks ago one of the cedar guys hit the bike marshall while doing an overtaking maneuver that got him ..... No where.PPA and the league organizers are to blame for this accident . Why should we endanger our lives to teach the development riders to ride.i hope everyone envolved in the crash is ok as I heard that some one got a broken neck who went down.

The first rider to come down was not a league rider - he posted here stating that. So at least get your facts straight. It seems there are a lot of people jumping on the "lets blame the development riders for everything" bandwagon. Who are these "development" riders anyway? do they wear easily identifiable kit or something?

[gyro]

mmm, my two cents now:

 

the "stars" concept, while great in theory, seems to be a bridge too far. Allowing seeded riders from D - I into one racing cat means grouping a bunch of riders with extreme variances in strengths, abilities and experience.

 

i support one of the suggestions here to make it compulsory that these riders first attend a set number of PPA killarney sessions as these are invaluable to learning bunch riding tips/ettiquette/abuse (verbal, physical and otherwise) in a safer and more controlled environment rather than out on the road during a race.

 

I thought the purpose of the STARS league was just that - for people who dont qualify for the other leagues to cut their teeth in racing?

['Dale]

The 'Rising Stars' league is a superb idea.

It is to promote, support and develop riders as they move forward into the other League categories, should the individual choose to.

 

What is missing or lacking is the bunch riding skills development component. This can be addressed by the introduction of Killarney training sessions.

I see competing-on-the-day as the racing skills development component.

 

***

 

Yeah, stigmatising 'development riders' as the risky group. Hmmm... slippery slope.

[MTB_Roadie]

The 'Rising Stars' league is a superb idea.

It is to promote, support and develop riders as they move forward into the other League categories, should the individual choose to.

 

What is missing or lacking is the bunch riding skills development component. This can be addressed by the introduction of Killarney training sessions.

I see competing-on-the-day as the racing skills development component.

 

***

 

Yeah, stigmatising 'development riders' as the risky group. Hmmm... slippery slope.

 

Agree 100%

[Lucky Luke.]

+1

and at there own expense. they pay there own feul and cell phone bill

 

Thanks Guys and Girls ............

 

Agree, it's largely a thankless task and they should be recognised for the job they are doing.

[gyro]

Agree 100%

 

You two joined at the hip?

[gyro]

Agree, it's largely a thankless task and they should be recognised for the job they are doing.

 

Thank you Thinkbike Marshalls! Really appreciate your presence at the races.

[milky4130]

The first rider to come down was not a league rider - he posted here stating that. So at least get your facts straight. It seems there are a lot of people jumping on the "lets blame the development riders for everything" bandwagon. Who are these "development" riders anyway? do they wear easily identifiable kit or something?

Yes they are easily identifiable they have a frame number plate & 2 x purple'ish race jersey numbers in the 800 region.

[milky4130]

After reading these posts and riding in all these races, here is my 2c:

1. During the journey for sight, I almost "bliksemed" one of the pres les riders that was riding all over the place - no skills

2. If STAR riders are only riding for podium and not speed/seeding , they should start after the F group. Lets face it, the really strong rider ride either league or in the seeded groups. Riding STAR will never improve your seeding. Do the seeded groups and come through the ranks like we all did. ONLY training will make you faster, not slip.

3. Yes, we are all guilty of crossing the white line, I had to as well, but because of some idiot that couldn't hold his line. If you ride gutter on the white line, and you cross to get slip. i would say warn the guy and if he doesn't listen , DQ him. That is the only way they will listen

4. i remember a marshal stopping the whole elite bunch some 2 odd years ago because of riders crossing the white line. We need more marshalls with balls like that.

5. The Think bike marshalls have a very k@k job, and we do not appreciate them enough. i would say that they save at least 10 lives every week.

6. RANT OFF

Actually slip does make you faster, is that not the reason why during training the homemade coaches would let their cyclist pace behind their vehicles..of course this is on a deserted road out of traffic.

[Tiny K]

Actually slip does make you faster, is that not the reason why during training the homemade coaches would let their cyclist pace behind their vehicles..of course this is on a deserted road out of traffic.

 

Motor pacing, as it is know, is to allow you to push harder for longer without the wind resistance and increase your lactate threshold by riding red zone for extended periods of time.

[Tiny K]

You two joined at the hip?

 

MTB_Roadie is one of the STARS league riders - he was one of the guys who tried to break away on the Tour de PPA race but had a whole lot of wheel suckers hanging on.

 

Edit: not associated to either of the two clubs in question.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Tiny K

[milky4130]

Motor pacing, as it is know, is to allow you to push harder for longer without the wind resistance and increase your lactate threshold by riding red zone for extended periods of time.

I stand to be corrected but I'd like to believe that the same objective could be achived whether it's intentionally or unintentionally?

[Tiny K]

I stand to be corrected but I'd like to believe that the same objective could be achived whether it's intentionally or unintentionally?

 

All that slip in a race does is allows you to recover. It doesn't make you faster. If you race this coming weekend, take note of the resistance of the wind when in front and when in the bunch.

 

The bunch will move at the speed of the front rider, all the rest are either exerting 60% effort or free'ing. The front rider has only so much power to exert to ride faster whereas the vehicle is definitely more powerful than the cyclist. That is where the difference comes in. in the bunch you will never get to the point of red zoning unless it is in the league bunch and you are hanging on for dear life.

 

The only way you will get faster is riding harder, either solo or off the front of your training group - it's the way I got from Z to B in two and a bit years. Solo is pretty *** though, I must add, but the results speak for themselves.

[milky4130]

All that slip in a race does is allows you to recover. It doesn't make you faster. If you race this coming weekend, take note of the resistance of the wind when in front and when in the bunch.

 

The bunch will move at the speed of the front rider, all the rest are either exerting 60% effort or free'ing. The front rider has only so much power to exert to ride faster whereas the vehicle is definitely more powerful than the cyclist. That is where the difference comes in. in the bunch you will never get to the point of red zoning unless it is in the league bunch and you are hanging on for dear life.

 

The only way you will get faster is riding harder, either solo or off the front of your training group - it's the way I got from Z to B in two and a bit years. Solo is pretty *** though, I must add, but the results speak for themselves.

Ah! there is the problem Sorryyy I should've stated that the slower, unfit & weaker riders in the bunch will benefit by becoming faster when sitting in the slip.