[Event] Medallion Tour De Stellenbosch

[Zac.A]

I only check my HR post race. Cadence is what I look at during the race. Time and distance is just to glance at. If I keep my cadence in a good zone, I have a great race.

 

I just look at speed and distance, and then cadence on the downhills for fun.

Although up vissershoek on our recce ride I had to look, just to be sure I wouldn't fall over at the top.

[avatar]

Yeah - and boy did I regret it. 6 of us from Fruit Sellers all the way to Spier before the tandems caught us. Was a good work out though - the kind where you ask yourself what the hell you were thinking and where you are "recovering" at 170bpm...

 

Couldnt agree more! After every turn in front you fall back and wonder if you will be able to take the next again... pity those tandems caught us, would have been very interesting towards the end!

[Velouria]

Couldnt agree more! After every turn in front you fall back and wonder if you will be able to take the next again... pity those tandems caught us, would have been very interesting towards the end!

 

I did miss a turn every now and then - it was either that or wave good bye. And each turn came so quickly. I made sure not to ride behind the C rider int he pink - it always looked like a massive effort go through after his turn

[Tiny K]

Couldnt agree more! After every turn in front you fall back and wonder if you will be able to take the next again... pity those tandems caught us, would have been very interesting towards the end!

I did miss a turn every now and then - it was either that or wave good bye. And each turn came so quickly. I made sure not to ride behind the C rider in the pink - it always looked like a massive effort go through after his turn

 

That is something that frustrates me always with some riders - the guys don't know how to pace line. The idea is that you do your turn on the front and when you peel off, you slow down a fraction for the riders behind to roll through at the same speed you were doing before you peeled off.

 

I have on too many occasions had the guy behind me accelerate past me and end up dropping the guys behind him because of it. This also increases the pace and, most of the time, causes excessive unnecessary fatigue.

[Wannabe]

To ride a proper paceline is a fine art, and takes a lot of training to get used to doing it properly.

 

The first time I ever did a ride longer than 120km, a group of us (about 15 guys, various strenth / fitness) got a decent paceline going for a ride of 196 km, We did it with a decent avg, and one of the chaps who stuck with us all the way never even did a ride longer than 100km before. He ended up with a big smile on his face (but tired). That day my eyes got opened as to why a paceline really works.

[avatar]

I did miss a turn every now and then - it was either that or wave good bye. And each turn came so quickly. I made sure not to ride behind the C rider int he pink - it always looked like a massive effort go through after his turn

 

haha, ya I was the other pink rider and happened to always land on his wheel, I kept on shouting steady and stuff like that but no change

[Velouria]

You're the pink guy I almost switched going up Fisantekraal hill after realising that I wasn't going to hook on to Fourie's wheel.... sorry

[D-Mike]

I tried to organise a couple of guys to get a paceline going on Sunday but its like people just don't get it. I am by no means an experienced rider, but pacelining just makes sense and it's really not that difficult.

 

Everyone benefits, you get to go faster and conserve energy. It should be a no brainer.

[ti guy]

You're the pink guy I almost switched going up Fisantekraal hill after realising that I wasn't going to hook on to Fourie's wheel.... sorry

 

Ha ha - sorry if I almost caused a crash going up Fisantekraal ...

[avatar]

You're the pink guy I almost switched going up Fisantekraal hill after realising that I wasn't going to hook on to Fourie's wheel.... sorry

 

haha, was close, but no sweat that guy is like a diesel engine, just keeps going!

['Dale]

Pacelining requires buy-in from the bunch.

 

If you buy in, you gotta do some work and take your turn.

 

So, I believe, many riders play "dumb" to reserve their strength.

 

I refer to the groups $ through to, let's say G, at the least.

Edited February 21, 2012 by ' Dale

[ti guy]

haha, was close, but no sweat that guy is like a diesel engine, just keeps going!

 

I've never been compared to a diesel engine, but I'll take it as a compliment ...

[D-Mike]

Pacelining requires buy-in from the bunch.

 

If you buy in, you gotta do some work and take your turn.

 

So, I believe, many riders play "dumb" to reserve their strength.

 

I refer to the groups $ through to, let's say G, at the least.

I understand why guys can play "dumb" when they ride league as position becomes more important than time and there is a completely different riding strategy.

 

However, for the rest it doesn't make sense. I suspect that guys just don't want to go to the front in fear of being left stranded there, which leads to as you say, the group not buying in.

 

Now the million dollar question. How do you get buy in from the group?

[splat]

I understand why guys can play "dumb" when they ride league as position becomes more important than time and there is a completely different riding strategy.

 

However, for the rest it doesn't make sense. I suspect that guys just don't want to go to the front in fear of being left stranded there, which leads to as you say, the group not buying in.

 

Now the million dollar question. How do you get buy in from the group?

 

Do your turn, pull over and slow down

and then its the next guy's turn

[_C50_]

Do your turn, pull over and slow down

and then its the next guy's turn

If only it was as easy as that....

You always get the guys riding 2nd/3rd/4th wheel and they never pull through to the front. It's obviously much better winning the group than working together for a better time which would relate to a better seeding. That concept is pretty foreign in the lower alphabet groups it seems. And it's much better sitting close to the front of the bunch doing nothing, than in the middle of the bunch. Quite amusing i have to say.

[SeaBee]

Yeah, that's the theory - if only it was that simple... Again, from my mid-pack madness this weekend: Pace-lining simply did not exist. The whole bloody group just sat behind a couple of guys taking turns.

 

And then... try to give over once you have done a stint... gooood luck there. You can slow down, you can show with your hand... I once came to a point where I physically sat up and said "F this!" and free'd till somebody passed me. Other times the dreaded jump happens, where you take your turn, ride your lungs out and as you pull over (or at times just before you pull over at the crest of a roller ) some eeedjit pops out and starts his sprint... Of course, now you, completely stuffed, have to pack out a sprint so as not to get dropped from the group you just merrily pulled along.

 

Sorry, this most likely should be in R&R section, but this is my rant for the day. I just stripped somewhere along Sunday and waited for some others to do the work. And then those are the bugger that (along with the girls in the bunch) pulls out over the last two bultjies and obviously make you stand still. Ahh, I've already ranted, I should shut it, eh...