RACING!! Finally....
The scramble for Cat2 upgrade points is on!
"About damn time," as Mr. Steele would say.
I haven't had anything interesting to post in a while. I mean really, who wants to hear another guy drone on about SST and FTP work?!
Good news is Saturday night was the Encino season opener - the Motor Tabs Mechanized Mayhem, and my first race of any type for the 2008 season. It had been so long since I'd been on the track bike that I was a little worried she would gently "remind" me that I can't stop pedaling. I never had to be reminded to keep pedaling as fortunately racing is a bicycle is just like riding one - you get on, pedal, and hope not to fall off. Usually that works, usually.
Say what you want about the track surface at Encino but those guys do a damn good job putting on a quality event. It runs about as late as any other bike race you go to but not any worse.
Racing was slated to start at 7pm but the Cat 3/4 event didn't go off until ~8pm after the Madison.
NOTE: STILL LOOKING FOR A SUFFICIENTLY Deranged PERSON TO MADISON WITH.
Since I have no partner to hurtle into a racing pack with a hand sling at 30+mph I had to miss the Madison.
First event was a 5km motorpaced scratch race. The moto was to steadily pace the field, then pull off at 6 to go. I sat at the back of the field the whole time the moto was on track. Mostly to make sure I still knew how to ride a fast paceline without brakes again. Check. Moto gone, 6 to go. I wonder "Who has legs?" So I go to the rail, then nail the gas and come over the top of the whole field, power down the banking to the front of the group, put my head down and don't look back. When I came through the start finish and see 5 to go, I look back, see half a lap of clear track, and two guys off the front chasing me. I lift, wait for them, then hop on - hoping to get a three man break working for the last 1km. They pull out of the effort instantly after catching me. We all lift and wait for the coming field. Settle back in for the last two laps, try to find a good position to launch a final attack from and get nowhere - finish 6th.
Second race was an "Unknown Distance" race. I hate this event. I can never figure out a strategy to race this event. The race is quite literally a bunch of guys lapping the track at full throttle, looking at each other, waiting for the bell to ring for one to go. I couple of guys took diggs early and people started popping off. I was stoked as I was moving up while they were moving back. Just as I'm getting happy and warm moving through the filed, the bell rings. The whole race was only 7 laps long - took less than four minutes. Finished - 5th
Last event of the night Keiren final!! I love keiren. It's just stupid and dangerous enough to be entertaining. I pulled P2 for the start - one behind the moto. This is the "ideal" place to race keiren. Keiren, for those that might not know, is eight laps long, 6.5 laps behind a moto that gets progressively faster. The moto starts at 12/15mph, and it pulls off at ~30mph. At that point eight guys race as hard as possible for the next 2.5 laps. My plan was go from the front. I hoped that the field would think I would fade before the finish given what happened in the scratch race and I could sneak away from them. Moto pulled off on the back straight, I waited until the start finish, and at 2 to go (500m) hit it hard, never looked back. I was still clear of the field at the bell. Exiting the last turn coming into the home straight I "feel" a rider trying to come over the top on my right. He moves down on me, trying to push me down the track and out of the sprinter's lane. I hold my ground, push back, we bump. We bump some more as I'm pushing him back up track defending "MY" lane. Then a really, REALLY, scary sound of a pedal getting into the spokes of my Hed front wheel. A couple thwopping sounds then the guy is rocketing backwards. I manged to keep it upright, he keeps it upright - the lane is open again. Hit it one more time for the last 100m. I lost all my momentum out of the turn so it's hard. Two guys nip me by less than a half a wheel at the line. Third. Still alive and with all my skin. Success!
After the race, the guy I made contact with (I like him so I'm not using his name) came over so we could laugh about almost killing each other. He shows me his big leather keiren toe straps that had been cut completely through on the left pedal. No damage to the Hed. I love that wheel. I want a clincher cassette rear for crit racing now.
We have a new camera so hopefully I can review them and post some good pics.
Jason.
"About damn time," as Mr. Steele would say.
I haven't had anything interesting to post in a while. I mean really, who wants to hear another guy drone on about SST and FTP work?!
Good news is Saturday night was the Encino season opener - the Motor Tabs Mechanized Mayhem, and my first race of any type for the 2008 season. It had been so long since I'd been on the track bike that I was a little worried she would gently "remind" me that I can't stop pedaling. I never had to be reminded to keep pedaling as fortunately racing is a bicycle is just like riding one - you get on, pedal, and hope not to fall off. Usually that works, usually.
Say what you want about the track surface at Encino but those guys do a damn good job putting on a quality event. It runs about as late as any other bike race you go to but not any worse.
Racing was slated to start at 7pm but the Cat 3/4 event didn't go off until ~8pm after the Madison.
NOTE: STILL LOOKING FOR A SUFFICIENTLY Deranged PERSON TO MADISON WITH.
Since I have no partner to hurtle into a racing pack with a hand sling at 30+mph I had to miss the Madison.
First event was a 5km motorpaced scratch race. The moto was to steadily pace the field, then pull off at 6 to go. I sat at the back of the field the whole time the moto was on track. Mostly to make sure I still knew how to ride a fast paceline without brakes again. Check. Moto gone, 6 to go. I wonder "Who has legs?" So I go to the rail, then nail the gas and come over the top of the whole field, power down the banking to the front of the group, put my head down and don't look back. When I came through the start finish and see 5 to go, I look back, see half a lap of clear track, and two guys off the front chasing me. I lift, wait for them, then hop on - hoping to get a three man break working for the last 1km. They pull out of the effort instantly after catching me. We all lift and wait for the coming field. Settle back in for the last two laps, try to find a good position to launch a final attack from and get nowhere - finish 6th.
Second race was an "Unknown Distance" race. I hate this event. I can never figure out a strategy to race this event. The race is quite literally a bunch of guys lapping the track at full throttle, looking at each other, waiting for the bell to ring for one to go. I couple of guys took diggs early and people started popping off. I was stoked as I was moving up while they were moving back. Just as I'm getting happy and warm moving through the filed, the bell rings. The whole race was only 7 laps long - took less than four minutes. Finished - 5th
Last event of the night Keiren final!! I love keiren. It's just stupid and dangerous enough to be entertaining. I pulled P2 for the start - one behind the moto. This is the "ideal" place to race keiren. Keiren, for those that might not know, is eight laps long, 6.5 laps behind a moto that gets progressively faster. The moto starts at 12/15mph, and it pulls off at ~30mph. At that point eight guys race as hard as possible for the next 2.5 laps. My plan was go from the front. I hoped that the field would think I would fade before the finish given what happened in the scratch race and I could sneak away from them. Moto pulled off on the back straight, I waited until the start finish, and at 2 to go (500m) hit it hard, never looked back. I was still clear of the field at the bell. Exiting the last turn coming into the home straight I "feel" a rider trying to come over the top on my right. He moves down on me, trying to push me down the track and out of the sprinter's lane. I hold my ground, push back, we bump. We bump some more as I'm pushing him back up track defending "MY" lane.
Then a really, REALLY, scary sound of a pedal getting into the spokes of my Hed front wheel. A couple thwopping sounds then the guy is rocketing backwards. I manged to keep it upright, he keeps it upright - the lane is open again. Hit it one more time for the last 100m. I lost all my momentum out of the turn so it's hard. Two guys nip me by less than a half a wheel at the line. Third. Still alive and with all my skin. Success!After the race, the guy I made contact with (I like him so I'm not using his name
) came over so we could laugh about almost killing each other. He shows me his big leather keiren toe straps that had been cut completely through on the left pedal. No damage to the Hed. I love that wheel. I want a clincher cassette rear for crit racing now.We have a new camera so hopefully I can review them and post some good pics.
Jason.
Congratulations on becoming the "most aggressive" racer in your category. We'll see you wearing your honorary purple number next week at the Long Rider omnium and madison (we'll find you a partner) on May 3rd at the Encino Velodrome.
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Of course I'll be there! Have to show some respect to the purple number.
Excellent about the Madison partner, the more mental patients racing the better.
Jason
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