I love this course.
8/29/2011 9am
Cat 4/5
1k circuit, 50' elevation gain per lap, 22 laps.
8th place of 49 riders
This was the last race of the NW road season, and given the prior day's race was a flop to say the least, we needed some serious redemption. I am a firm believer that every racer has a type of course that suits them perfectly, Seward Park is Ted and I's. The Thursday Night Crit Series takes place here from April - September as a non-sanctioned training race. It's perfect for keeping that "race confidence" everyone desires. It's also a fun weekly challenge because the experienced folk around here swear that a break will never stick on this course. At Seward, the direction can change depending on the weather or how the officials are feeling that day:
Clockwise = "The fast way" single 50' punch climb (dry)
Counter-Clockwise = "The safe way" two 25' steps (raining/wet)
To level the playing field, the last race of the season was to be ridden counter clockwise (so the sprinters would have a chance at victory). Also, after the 2nd lap, the winner of each of the remaining 20 laps would receive a vile of Nuun Electrolyte Tabs. Cool stuff. Since it was only Ted and I that would be racing, we decided to replay what we did at the Tacoma Crit so that I may pay him back for what he did for me. That being, sit in, maybe launch a few small attacks, then with 2 to go, Ted jumps on my wheel as I dump all my gears into the hardest of lead-outs, giving him a solid win. However, Ted and I have sort of a reputation up here for making a seemingly easy race really fast and difficult for everyone else. This was completely solidified when we were stretching by the staging area as we heard 2 passing racers chatting. I waved with a smile (I don't really know them, I was just being friendly) and after they passed, one says to the other "and those 2 aren't going to make things any easier..." Matter of fact, there were countless moments as we were perusing around the course when we'd catch people staring at us and start whispering and what not. Ted looked over at me and asked with a grin "do you think anyone has us pinned?"
Yes. Yes they did.
Whistle blows to start the race, we rock the first 160* hairpin w/o a crash, good, then fly down the hill. At the bottom were the surges usually begin, I'm feeling fresh and overly confident so I drop 5 gears (I have Campy now, it's dangerously fun) and throw the first attack down. Two guys start chasing and catch my wheel at the start/finish line. I pull until the bottom of the hill, then Ted goes. He strings it out big time for a couple laps, then at the same spot I go even harder. Then he goes after I'm caught. Then I let it rip after they catch him. The winner of the LWV #3 (day before) chases me, he catches me after a lap, then its just us. He pulls, and keeps flicking his elbow (that means, "please come around me and take a pull in the wind, I'm tired"). I don't. I just let him burn all his gas 5' in front of me. Then I attack him, he grunts and tries to catch me. We play cat and mouse for 1 more lap, now 13 to go, before the peloton catches us. Just as they swallow him and start to roll up on me, Ted comes blazing by me like I'm standing still and disappears up the hill. Nobody even tries to chase. I sit 3rd wheel and wait for a chase to form. I lead the hill climb, then slow it down big time b/c I can tell everyone is burnt (really, I'm blocking and they don't know it yet, they just think I'm tired.) Finally after 2 laps with no Ted in sight the official on the climb says he's 15 sec up so 4 guys attack, and I counter. For another 5 laps, I play this game where I make everyone go fast where they want to go slow, and go slow where they want to go fast. It works so perfectly because Ted gets to escape, they are tired by the time they get to the "fast" part and most of them don't know I'm doing it on purpose. with 5 to go, this dork on Byrne/Invent p/b MadFiber, informs the rest of the group that my teammate is soloing up the road and that I'm not actually going to do any work to bring him back. Good job, gold star. Ted is now 23 sec up the road. The teams, for the first time this season (in the Cat 4/5's) start to strategize a little team work and form a chase group. I can't have this happening so I bridge the chase group after a speedy recovery and then attack them. This really seemed to piss them off because they just started yelling at eachother not to let me keep doing this.
That made me smile. After the race, some of them even said they thought it was funny I was smiling during the shenanigans.
2 to go. I sit 3rd wheel just incase Ted starts to pop so I can go save him. Nobody attacks, on the hill I ask the official how far up my boy is "20 sec, you guys gonna let him get away?" Nobody responds. But I smile again. Final lap, I'm 3rd wheel then some insanely dangerous/wreckless leadout blows by everyone scatters but doesn't crash, and I chase the field sprint for 8th place. Ted wins. Mission complete. Although, we strayed quite far from the plan ;)
Team B+R takes all primes, Top 10 and a 1st place.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Race Report: LWV #3 Carnation Farms Circuit Race
Sorry yall for the delay, but here I am to fill you in with some exciting news: The (North Western) road season is over, and Team B+ Radsport went out with a BANG!
To start things off, I give you my Lake Washington Velo Circuit Race Series report:
LWV #3 - Carnation Farms 8/27/2011 9am
Cat 4/5
6 laps, 30 miles
22nd of 59 riders
Jake picked up Ted and I and drove us through a foggy, cool morning out in the beautiful forests of Carnation, WA. Pretty rad conditions for a "Kermesse" style race if I do say so myself. Of course, like many of the other races the Rain City squad of Team B+R has attended this season, we barely made it on time. Don't ask me why, but no matter what time we plan on leaving, we usually have enough time to register and roll up to the start line, no warm up, just attack until we feel fresh enough to breakaway. Not very PRO, but we're young and it works for now.
The course was flat, and technical so the plan was to breakaway after the first lap and get Ted a win. We were unfamiliar with the reality of the course, so it turned out to be easier said than done, especially racing in the amateur category (4/5). It just so turned out that the roads were incredibly narrow and janky (which is cool, but not when your opponents cant handle their bikes very well and aren't nearly as fit/fast as you). There was really only one section of the course to move up on and that was a sketchy two-lane country road with no real visible painted lines, so naturally everyone launched attacks/ or surged to move up in the pack thus taking up both "lanes." Let me get a little more specific with this particular road: pot-holes, dirt, windy, foggy, 2-way, looks like a 1-way country drive way. Badass, right? Well, it was until the 2nd lap when the "plan" was to take place. We were all stuck in the back of the pack (b/c we showed up late, thus lining up in the back), so we started moving up on said road, Ted comes around the outside pretty hard and Jake and I slither our way through everyone else. Just as Ted disappears into the front of the pack I see a huge grey Chevy Silverado driving half on the road and half on the grass trying to slowdown as they realize there really is a bike race going on just like the lead car's sign says. Before I know it, a racer on the outside (oncoming traffic) smashes into the front of the truck at 25+ mph, his bike snaps into pieces, blood, then his body ricochets off the grill and lands 5 in front of the truck. Two or three other riders that were right behind him laid their bikes down to avoid collision. This all happened in a matter of seconds and no more than 10 feet to the left of me, I was certain I just witnessed my first death. As Jake and I slammed on the brakes and turned around to analyze what we just saw, the official in the follow car assured us we didn't want to see it and they had it under control. The race stopped and we rolled back to the staging area a couple miles out.
Once we got there, everyone was already lined up to continue racing after we waited for the ambulance to take care of the situation. I can't speak for Jake and Ted, but as we waited off to the side, I really was sick to my stomach and didn't want to race at all. We probably waited 45 minutes or so before the official told us he was alive and lectured us about the yellow line rule. At that point, I had been distracted enough with conversations not regarding the accident that I accepted the fact we paid money to get here and race, so we agreed to sit in and see what we could do. The race restarted, and as I suspected, we were pretty much stuck in the position we started the race in. With all these slow-pokes doing the "yo-yo" deal on narrow roads, where could we possibly move up? I waited for the open road at 200m to see how far I could move up but couldn't cover enough ground to top 10 from the back. This was the first race that I literally couldn't move up in, and I fancy myself a skilled pack rider. Pretty frustrating, not to mention having the image of a racer colliding with a truck permanently seared into my skull. Bummer race. I honestly think if the pace was hotter, then having the pack strung out would provide ample room to move up if you were fit enough, which we are.
To start things off, I give you my Lake Washington Velo Circuit Race Series report:
LWV #3 - Carnation Farms 8/27/2011 9am
Cat 4/5
6 laps, 30 miles
22nd of 59 riders
Jake picked up Ted and I and drove us through a foggy, cool morning out in the beautiful forests of Carnation, WA. Pretty rad conditions for a "Kermesse" style race if I do say so myself. Of course, like many of the other races the Rain City squad of Team B+R has attended this season, we barely made it on time. Don't ask me why, but no matter what time we plan on leaving, we usually have enough time to register and roll up to the start line, no warm up, just attack until we feel fresh enough to breakaway. Not very PRO, but we're young and it works for now.
The course was flat, and technical so the plan was to breakaway after the first lap and get Ted a win. We were unfamiliar with the reality of the course, so it turned out to be easier said than done, especially racing in the amateur category (4/5). It just so turned out that the roads were incredibly narrow and janky (which is cool, but not when your opponents cant handle their bikes very well and aren't nearly as fit/fast as you). There was really only one section of the course to move up on and that was a sketchy two-lane country road with no real visible painted lines, so naturally everyone launched attacks/ or surged to move up in the pack thus taking up both "lanes." Let me get a little more specific with this particular road: pot-holes, dirt, windy, foggy, 2-way, looks like a 1-way country drive way. Badass, right? Well, it was until the 2nd lap when the "plan" was to take place. We were all stuck in the back of the pack (b/c we showed up late, thus lining up in the back), so we started moving up on said road, Ted comes around the outside pretty hard and Jake and I slither our way through everyone else. Just as Ted disappears into the front of the pack I see a huge grey Chevy Silverado driving half on the road and half on the grass trying to slowdown as they realize there really is a bike race going on just like the lead car's sign says. Before I know it, a racer on the outside (oncoming traffic) smashes into the front of the truck at 25+ mph, his bike snaps into pieces, blood, then his body ricochets off the grill and lands 5 in front of the truck. Two or three other riders that were right behind him laid their bikes down to avoid collision. This all happened in a matter of seconds and no more than 10 feet to the left of me, I was certain I just witnessed my first death. As Jake and I slammed on the brakes and turned around to analyze what we just saw, the official in the follow car assured us we didn't want to see it and they had it under control. The race stopped and we rolled back to the staging area a couple miles out.
Once we got there, everyone was already lined up to continue racing after we waited for the ambulance to take care of the situation. I can't speak for Jake and Ted, but as we waited off to the side, I really was sick to my stomach and didn't want to race at all. We probably waited 45 minutes or so before the official told us he was alive and lectured us about the yellow line rule. At that point, I had been distracted enough with conversations not regarding the accident that I accepted the fact we paid money to get here and race, so we agreed to sit in and see what we could do. The race restarted, and as I suspected, we were pretty much stuck in the position we started the race in. With all these slow-pokes doing the "yo-yo" deal on narrow roads, where could we possibly move up? I waited for the open road at 200m to see how far I could move up but couldn't cover enough ground to top 10 from the back. This was the first race that I literally couldn't move up in, and I fancy myself a skilled pack rider. Pretty frustrating, not to mention having the image of a racer colliding with a truck permanently seared into my skull. Bummer race. I honestly think if the pace was hotter, then having the pack strung out would provide ample room to move up if you were fit enough, which we are.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Support Your Local Scene (whatever that may be)
It's been a while since I've been to a show, or even took any time to check out some new bands. Sometimes I get caught up in bike racing and forget the rest of the world is doing cool things too. Luckily, for my social life, the season is winding down and it's time to be a homie and support my friends in what their doing, just as I have asked that of them. For example, my boys Kusha Karimi , Joseph Wolfe, and Joe have started a new "death metal/ grind" project (it's about time, they're talented in this field) called THEORIES check out some face-melting tracks HERE. They will be playing a show at 8pm tonight at El Corazon in Seattle. Very fun and promising line up if you ask me: Landmine Marathon, Owen Hart, Numb and Theories.
I'll be making an appearance at Cross Club (Genasee Park) for some heckling and beer then up over the ridge to get my metal on.
I'll be making an appearance at Cross Club (Genasee Park) for some heckling and beer then up over the ridge to get my metal on.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
'Cross Club, So Good
Last night was my first 'Cross Club race, and I must say, it's well worth the $2, bruised knee, sore legs, and filthy bike. I recently discovered this "not-so-underground" pirate cyclocross racing event through the likes of Robert Higdon (whom I believe to be the fearless leader of Team Soft like Kitten). My first encounter with 'Cross Club was just a few weeks ago, when I learned (via twitter; @cross_club) that their ever-changing location was just down the way from my house. I finished my training ride after work, went home to grab my bag (for beer, of course), got a 12-pk of Rainier, and meandered my way to the meeting spot in the park.
Now, let the record show 1) I don't own a cyclocross bike, yet. 2) I hardly know anyone that might be there, so I brought my own beer... I mean, this is 'cross right? 3) I've only done 2 cross rides before, 1 race and 1 practice ride. With that being said, upon my arrival I was greeted with kindness and beer from the 13 people that were there to race. I merely came to spectate, heckle and meet some new friends. I received plenty of guff for not racing, although they were understanding of my situation. However, I was told that I need to get a bike and race next time because standing around couldn't possibly be as fun. Truth.
Last night I decided that my current "race" bike could undergo a small transformation to make the cut for a 'cross ride, given that it was dry out. With the waterbottle cages removed, the quick installation of some spd mountain bike pedals I had lying around and a pair of Vittoria Randonneur tires... she was ready. Well, as ready as a road bike can be for terrain its not made for.
Next step, go to the park and practice mount/dismounting before Cross Club to avoid looking like a rookie. As everyone should know, it's okay to be a rookie at something, but for all that is sacred, please don't be so obvious about it. I felt pretty confident in my technique, so now all I had to do was show up and not crash. After riding the course with Matt, one of the Hodala Raleigh dudes, I noticed the collection of racers had more than doubled from what I noticed last time. I think everyone was a little shocked. Being that there were 30 of us, the field was split into new people and the experienced. I raced with the newbies and managed to hold top 10 after the longest 4 laps of my life. I'm sure my ego had a little to do with that, since I couldn't show up as a known roadie and not place decently. My fitness is respectable, but it was no match for the kind of fitness required to kick ass in a 'cross ride. I only "almost" went down once at the finish line with 1 lap to go IN FRONT OF EVERYONE, but because I didn't eat dirt, I was applauded and kept going. I can't wait to get a real bike rolling for this season, riding in the grass and dirt will make me a lot better at racing road, and I'm already making more friends. All good things here. If you live in Seattle and are interested, sign up at crossclubseattle.com for Tuesday night pain, beer, and really good company. No attitudes here :)
These were snapped before the mob showed up.
Now, let the record show 1) I don't own a cyclocross bike, yet. 2) I hardly know anyone that might be there, so I brought my own beer... I mean, this is 'cross right? 3) I've only done 2 cross rides before, 1 race and 1 practice ride. With that being said, upon my arrival I was greeted with kindness and beer from the 13 people that were there to race. I merely came to spectate, heckle and meet some new friends. I received plenty of guff for not racing, although they were understanding of my situation. However, I was told that I need to get a bike and race next time because standing around couldn't possibly be as fun. Truth.
Last night I decided that my current "race" bike could undergo a small transformation to make the cut for a 'cross ride, given that it was dry out. With the waterbottle cages removed, the quick installation of some spd mountain bike pedals I had lying around and a pair of Vittoria Randonneur tires... she was ready. Well, as ready as a road bike can be for terrain its not made for.
Next step, go to the park and practice mount/dismounting before Cross Club to avoid looking like a rookie. As everyone should know, it's okay to be a rookie at something, but for all that is sacred, please don't be so obvious about it. I felt pretty confident in my technique, so now all I had to do was show up and not crash. After riding the course with Matt, one of the Hodala Raleigh dudes, I noticed the collection of racers had more than doubled from what I noticed last time. I think everyone was a little shocked. Being that there were 30 of us, the field was split into new people and the experienced. I raced with the newbies and managed to hold top 10 after the longest 4 laps of my life. I'm sure my ego had a little to do with that, since I couldn't show up as a known roadie and not place decently. My fitness is respectable, but it was no match for the kind of fitness required to kick ass in a 'cross ride. I only "almost" went down once at the finish line with 1 lap to go IN FRONT OF EVERYONE, but because I didn't eat dirt, I was applauded and kept going. I can't wait to get a real bike rolling for this season, riding in the grass and dirt will make me a lot better at racing road, and I'm already making more friends. All good things here. If you live in Seattle and are interested, sign up at crossclubseattle.com for Tuesday night pain, beer, and really good company. No attitudes here :)
These were snapped before the mob showed up.
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