Wheel sucking debate

[Breezer]

I too was in the chase group and all of us worked together really nicley keeping that echolon very efficient.

 

I rode the De Rosa Protos with 60mm FFWD's. Wearing the Cyclopaths kit.

I remember you, specialy your bike. Beautiful machine. I was in purple Namaqua kit with a black Cervelo.

['Dale]

You forgot "Its that time of the month...I'm feeling a little faint"

This excuse is for all you guys that ride like girls anyway

Ooooohhh

Great chirp ????????????????????

[Thor Buttox]

You forgot "Its that time of the month...I'm feeling a little faint"

This excuse is for all you guys that ride like girls anyway

Payday should never be that traumatic, but I suppose housewives have their worries, too...

 

*runs away in fear if flying baking trays*

[devocean]

I think I met the next Chris Froome yesterday.

 

Was going up little Suikerbossie just past the Spar, sitting at over 400w (over 6w/kg for me) and the funniest little kid on a 26er mtb (which looked too big for him) and flip flops sees me coming and shouts 'let's race' and gets up to speed and starts riding next to me, keeping up with me while shouting 'Eeeeasy! Eeeeasy!'. I had such a laugh

[Bankie99]

I remember you, specialy your bike. Beautiful machine. I was in purple Namaqua kit with a black Cervelo.

 

Ah yes I remember that Namaqua kit. I wanted to ask whether you had any namaqua in your bottles to help take away the pain of the head/crosswind   

[Bankie99]

@Breezer - I actually caught you in 1 of the pics that I took at the start whilst taking a pic of my team mate.

[Breezer]

Ah yes I remember that Namaqua kit. I wanted to ask whether you had any namaqua in your bottles to help take away the pain of the head/crosswind

You'll never know!

[Fat Boab]

You'll never know!

 

 

Ah yes I remember that Namaqua kit. I wanted to ask whether you had any namaqua in your bottles to help take away the pain of the head/crosswind   

 

You'll never know!

 

....or even Bacardi?

[Maila]

I think I met the next Chris Froome yesterday.

 

Was going up little Suikerbossie just past the Spar, sitting at over 400w (over 6w/kg for me) and the funniest little kid on a 26er mtb (which looked too big for him) and flip flops sees me coming and shouts 'let's race' and gets up to speed and starts riding next to me, keeping up with me while shouting 'Eeeeasy! Eeeeasy!'. I had such a laugh

400W you say...

Who won?

[SwissVan]

Whahahahhaha.

 

Mooi storie.

 

Especially the part where you (supposedly) did 450w

 

It's like those guys who have done that wild African mtb stage race down on the southern tip..... they just can't help mentioning it

 

???? Wink wink

 

Edit: [insert peace sign]

[Mamil]

So I've had a few appointments cancel and instead of getting on with some admin work - of which there is a good deal I've been sitting on strava playing with the flyby feature.

 

I see on it where I caught up with the faster group having decided to leave the one I was with but what I didn't realise and the flybys show clearly is that at about halfway a smaller group broke away from the one I was in and finished a good 8 or 10 minutes ahead. 

 

I didn't even see them leave and I wonder if I just had my head down at the time or if it happened when I was working my way up through the group and I wonder if they had gone if I'd have been able to keep up.

 

It got me thinking about this weekend and the 99er and the advice above and confirmed by Thor who reiterated how tough the last  8 or so k's of the 99er are, to ride conservatively for the first 80% of the race.

 

I suppose it's just experience that tells you whether or not to go with a group that leaves the bunch. I'm pretty sure if I'd seen the break from the bunch on Sunday I would have tried to keep up with them and although I was tired at the end I still felt good.  I have ridden for that amount of time quite a few times in training so I knew more or less that I could do it. The 99er is longer I- likely to take me closer to 4 hours or more and while I routinely ride for 3 or 4 hours on the mountain bike, that's a different sort of riding I think.

 

How do more experienced riders decide on what to do? Do you have an idea of your relative strength and guage your ability to try join a group that leaves based on how fast you're going at the time and how far there is still to go. Do you just go regardless and back yourself to keep up and have enough for the climbs you know are ahead?

 

Maybe personality and temperament are involved?

[carbon29er]

SNIP

I suppose it's just experience that tells you whether or not to go with a group that leaves the bunch. I'm pretty sure if I'd seen the break from the bunch on Sunday I would have tried to keep up with them

SNIP

 

How do more experienced riders decide on what to do? Do you have an idea of your relative strength and guage your ability to try join a group that leaves based on how fast you're going at the time and how far there is still to go. Do you just go regardless and back yourself to keep up and have enough for the climbs you know are ahead?

 

Maybe personality and temperament are involved?

Personally I think if 4 or more riders go you are obliged to go with them. If 3 or less go they are either very very strong and will ride away to the end or they are not very very strong and will be caught in a while by your group. Either way I don't waste energy on a 3 rider break. But I'll work hard to get across to a 4 or more rider break.

 

In a funny way only the Argus really matters, in all other rides I'd rather leave everything on the road and if I'm poked at the end then I'm poked at the end, I'll always get home somehow. But I hate getting to the end feeling I could have gone harder earlier.

[Bloukrans]

@Mamil - interesting discussion you have here. I'm waiting for the more experienced guys to share their views. On Sunday's 72 km, I decided at the start just to ride in my big blade until the finish. As a slow rider, I'm just riding to get thirsty(and the cold one at the end ).

[Mamil]

Thanks Carbon29 - this sounds like good advice. Interesting that it's not how you feel that makes you decide (unless one is already taking strain) - it's the size of the breakaway group.

 

I'm looking forward to Saturday a lot but I think it's going to be a different ball game to Sunday's 72, Stronger riders for one thing, longer for another, and there were no proper hills on the 72 whereas there apparently are some monsters,

 

Apparently we will need to small blade Bloukrans,

 

 

 

Personally I think if 4 or more riders go you are obliged to go with them. If 3 or less go they are either very very strong and will ride away to the end or they are not very very strong and will be caught in a while by your group. Either way I don't waste energy on a 3 rider break. But I'll work hard to get across to a 4 or more rider break.

 

In a funny way only the Argus really matters, in all other rides I'd rather leave everything on the road and if I'm poked at the end then I'm poked at the end, I'll always get home somehow. But I hate getting to the end feeling I could have gone harder earlier.

[Frosty]

I know I'm not a strong enough rider to go away with the break, so I have to bide my time in the bunch and wait for opportunities closer to the finish. Opportunities could be if the bunch is shown the wrong way, and I know the correct route is another way. I'll make sure I position myself on the correct side of the bunch in case they end up turning wrong - it doesn't happen often, but you have to be ready for when it does. It's not my problem if some guys follow like sheep and end up the wrong way, the rules clearly state that it's the rider's responsibility to know the route. Different story if the organiser doesn't communicate the route before the time.

 

I'm more than happy to be one of the numbers in the bunch, do my share of the work to (try) catch the break if required, but get to finish upright at the end (live to ride another day).

 

If you get to ride with the same bunch of guys week in and week out, you should get an idea of who's who - and then mark the stronger guys, go when they go. Sometimes it works, other times not - it all depends on the weather, my form (or lack of) or the route.

 

So I guess that makes me a wheel sucker when racing vets, and I'm more than happy to sit up at the end and let the others fight for the minor placings - top 10, top 20, top 50 doesn't really make a difference at the end of the day, to me.

 

Occasionally I'll drop back to ride/race with club mates in the open groups, and then I'll usually work for them to get a better time, and/or place. It's been like this for the last 10 years - it's called life, and cycling is not the be-all-and-end-all despite the wife thinking it is.

['Dale]

SNIP

How do more experienced riders decide on what to do? Do you have an idea of your relative strength and guage your ability to try join a group that leaves based on how fast you're going at the time and how far there is still to go. Do you just go regardless and back yourself to keep up and have enough for the climbs you know are ahead?

 

Maybe personality and temperament are involved?

 

Mostly it is about knowing the racing styles of certain guys over time.

 

Sometimes it's just luck in making those decisions that can lead to the best result of the day.

That's the beauty of sport. A bit like throwing dice.

 

Generally, get youself in the best position FIRST to make the best decision.

The first 10-15 wheels.

And be prepared to mix in a turn or few as well when you're about to face the wind.

 

Which bunch are you seeded in again?

The higher your ranking, the less fragmented bunches are.