Pikey Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 If you are able to casually chat to strangers in the bunch.......think I was blowing at that point I'm sure ....this was my 1st proper road race .
Skubarra Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 Perhaps loading 2 batches at a time (splitting current batch in 2) setting them off @ 1min intervals??? thus the "B" batch still leave 2 min after "A" but 1min after "AB" More or less the case at the Stellenbosch Cycle Tour, after a few kilometers groups start converging into massive bunches where it is actually physically impossible to move pass the masses to the front of the group. The groups rarely split as well, all break-aways are easily hauled in. Best riding imo is when there are smaller groups with big gaps.
Breezer Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 Its all about goals. Ive said this before, if you are racing open seeded, its is stupid to wheel suck and only wheels suck. Go do a few turns on the front and everybody's time will be faster. If you are strong enough to sprint at the end, you could have helped the bunch go faster. NOBODY cares if you win your open seeded bunch, get over it, but everybody cares about a better seeding, therefore a better a finishing time. In the racing categories where its about placing and not time, if you have a teamie in a break, nobody expects you to help real the break in. If you don't have teamie in the break, go and help on the front, else you won't place its simple. If you are in the break, do your fair share to try and stay away. Law of percentages. 10 guys in a break, share the work 10% each, 5 guys, 20% etc. Everybody must draft to recover and conserve energy, but if your face doesn't hit the wind at least once in a race, maybe a bit of introspection about what your goals are is needed.En daar is die antwoord. Almal in die laer groepe ry vir n beter seeding, help mekaar. Ek probeer altyd om meer as my deel te doen, want elke minuut nader aan die pro's gee my n beter seeding. Ek het ook al wel opgedaag by n race en net nie bene gehad om te help nie. Ander ding vir die fun racers om te onthou, die chasing bunch moet saam werk, dit help nie julle sit mekaar in die gutter nie!
mecheng89 Posted February 1, 2017 Author Posted February 1, 2017 My ride was like this thread. I flippen disaster.To the contrary - we've opened a dialogue, people are contributing and raising their opinion! Other people reading this might learn!
Gen Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 To the contrary - we've opened a dialogue, people are contributing and raising their opinion! Other people reading this might learn!Lol I needed a bit of [emoji6] in there. Yes it has.. One thing I saw on Saturday is that I need to learn how to judge the strength of those behind me when I am on the front..it is tricky being a noob in road cycling.. the little group I was in was going a fast on the downs and flats but when I kept the same tempo on the ups I kinda rode away..something I didn't mean to do.
s14phoenix Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 So my question is this - Why when guys are moving to the front and you are wheelsucking do you gutter someone trying to move to the front? Now taking into account you should not be crossing the centre line and people are sitting over the white line just wheelsucking I don't see how you can even get to the front. There is nowhere to move to in groups this big and eventually you are just stuck mid group or wherever you have been able to squeeze yourself up to. Small groups further apart is a pipe dream at these big events as the logistics of it is just a nightmare - maybe we need to but some sort of qualifying on registration and limit the events to lower numbers - But we all know its about generating numbers - whether the logistics can support it or not.
Pikey Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 Lol I needed a bit of [emoji6] in there.Yes it has..One thing I saw on Saturday is that I need to learn how to judge the strength of those behind me when I am on the front..it is tricky being a noob in road cycling.. the little group I was in was going a fast on the downs and flats but when I kept the same tempo on the ups I kinda rode away..something I didn't mean to do.it is hard being a noob and the only way to,learn is to do races. Nothing else teaches you as quickly .Everytime I do a race I am learning new things. This wkd especially was a big eye opener what with the big groups and how compact and tight it can get. Most other races have been split wide open early on. Lessons learnt again ???? But for a Mountie am enjoying the tactical side of it. This wkd was definetly wheel suckers unite and ashamedly I was one of them for a change ????
Gen Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 it is hard being a noob and the only way to,learn is to do races. Nothing else teaches you as quickly .Everytime I do a race I am learning new things. This wkd especially was a big eye opener what with the big groups and how compact and tight it can get. Most other races have been split wide open early on. Lessons learnt again ???? But for a Mountie am enjoying the tactical side of it. This wkd was definetly wheel suckers unite and ashamedly I was one of them for a change ????It's all very confusing.. but yeah the more I do it the more I will learn.. would also help if I actually trained with a group..but I don't..so I am very much a headless chicken at this stage.
Pikey Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 It's all very confusing.. but yeah the more I do it the more I will learn.. would also help if I actually trained with a group..but I don't..so I am very much a headless chicken at this stage.ditto my problem exactly. Lots of lone rides ,at least it makes you stronger ,when you wheel suck ???????????????? ooopppss sorry wrong emoji ????????????
Martin PJ Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 So my question is this - Why when guys are moving to the front and you are wheelsucking do you gutter someone trying to move to the front? Now taking into account you should not be crossing the centre line and people are sitting over the white line just wheelsucking I don't see how you can even get to the front. There is nowhere to move to in groups this big and eventually you are just stuck mid group or wherever you have been able to squeeze yourself up to. Small groups further apart is a pipe dream at these big events as the logistics of it is just a nightmare - maybe we need to but some sort of qualifying on registration and limit the events to lower numbers - But we all know its about generating numbers - whether the logistics can support it or not.In SA where we drive on the left of the rode, the left of the bunch (the gutter side) generally goes backwards and the right rolls forwards. So if you want to stay in the front and avoid punctures, then stick to the right. For very big bunches you need to be prepared to ride in the wind a bit, or you will find the right hand side guys who are always coming forward will eventually push you right to the back.
Frosty Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 In SA where we drive on the left of the rode, the left of the bunch (the gutter side) generally goes backwards and the right rolls forwards. So if you want to stay in the front and avoid punctures, then stick to the right. For very big bunches you need to be prepared to ride in the wind a bit, or you will find the right hand side guys who are always coming forward will eventually push you right to the back.I will pass on the left if it means I can get to the front, or as close to it as possible. But I won't do it unless I know I can safely pass the rider in front of me, and/or any other riders in front of him. FWIW - the gutter is not always on the left - it depends on the direction of the wind. Blowing from your left (to the right) means the gutter will be the right side of the road, which should be the white line, or the centre of the road if there is no line. The whole idea is to put someone behind you in a position where the effects of drafting are minimal - hence the word gutter. A wind from the right (to the left) will see riders hogging the left side of the road to prevent anyone from benefiting from the draft.
blondeonabike Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 we didn't chat during the race . If I recall correctly it was on the hub after the race ? I think?It was on the Tour of Durban thread. I mentioned my crash on the last turn before the finish and you said that we had ridden together. It was someone else then. (That I chatted to) Im just terrible when it comes to remembering names.
blondeonabike Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 If you are able to casually chat to strangers in the bunch.......Is it rude to chat if you have done your turns in front and are chillaxing at the back?
KaKa Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 u can casually chat with me over beers afterward
jimmycool Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 Is that the distant buzz of a 2 stroke engine I can hear........
Pure Savage Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 Some people are confusing bunch riding, pacelines and echelons. In a bunch the front guys are probably not rotating a lot. In a paceline on the front of a bunch then there will be a lot of rotating with the bunch sitting on the back. An echelon is a paceline with the end in the gutter not enabling the bunch to sit on.
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