Going “up” at 27??

Mm hm...

Going “up” at 27??

Mm hm...

Going “up” at 27??

Mm hm...

He meant KPH. (not MPH) :)

Going “up” at 27??

Mm hm...

..........'it's not a true ironman if there is not mass start'.......

This particular race wasn't a true Ironman because it was a 70.3..............

I am not sure why people come on here at cry about all the issues on the bike course. If you have raced more than 1 race you will know that; 1. people will draft and not get caught, 2. people will block you (either on accident or on purpose, 3. there will be packs out on the bike course, 4. all kinds of other crazy stuff will happen.

I do get the fact that people go on here to bitch but it will change nothing. If you really want to do something... talk to the race directors, talk to the race officials, talk to Ironman, talk to USAT (or the governing body where the race took place).

Or...

You can know that this stuff is going to happen and just deal with it. I know that it is frustrating when you try to 'race clean' but now it is part of racing in crowded races. RD's need to have a lot of people race to make the race worth while. So that means that a lot of people are going to be on the course. They have tried going to wave starts to help but people complain about this ('it's not a true ironman if there is not mass start'). So if you are a RD there is no winning.

Just my two cents.

Flame On

I'll bet the Wanda Group would disagree with you both.

Who's Wanda?

I am not sure why people come on here at cry about all the issues on the bike course. If you have raced more than 1 race you will know that; 1. people will draft and not get caught, 2. people will block you (either on accident or on purpose, 3. there will be packs out on the bike course, 4. all kinds of other crazy stuff will happen.

I do get the fact that people go on here to bitch but it will change nothing. If you really want to do something... talk to the race directors, talk to the race officials, talk to Ironman, talk to USAT (or the governing body where the race took place).

Or...

You can know that this stuff is going to happen and just deal with it. I know that it is frustrating when you try to 'race clean' but now it is part of racing in crowded races. RD's need to have a lot of people race to make the race worth while. So that means that a lot of people are going to be on the course. They have tried going to wave starts to help but people complain about this ('it's not a true ironman if there is not mass start'). So if you are a RD there is no winning.

Just my two cents.

Flame On

Who's Wanda?

She's the fast girl mentioned in post #9. The one the mens wouldn't let pass.

Lol. You guys kill me. Wish I hadn’t even posted a speed. OP has been derailed...

Ten miles in I’m powering up a roller around 27 mph. .

Ten miles in I’m powering up a roller around 27 mph. I come up on a pack of about 6-8 riders from the white to yellow line wide all out of the saddle. None of them moved. At the last second I brake and move right. The guy in front of me finally moves over right and spits up in the air in my face. Before I passed I told him he spit in my face. He told me I was drafting...lol.

Later another group refused to move right. The guy forces me onto the center rumble strip.

What a cluster! Should have been ahead but suffered a swimming injury that sidelined me out of the pool the 3 months previous.

I refuse to have a half assed swim again. Way too dangerous on the bike.

Ten miles in I’m powering up a roller around 27 mph. I come up on a pack of about 6-8 riders from the white to yellow line wide all out of the saddle. None of them moved. At the last second I brake and move right. The guy in front of me finally moves over right and spits up in the air in my face. Before I passed I told him he spit in my face. He told me I was drafting...lol.

Later another group refused to move right. The guy forces me onto the center rumble strip.

What a cluster! Should have been ahead but suffered a swimming injury that sidelined me out of the pool the 3 months previous.

I refuse to have a half assed swim again. Way too dangerous on the bike.

This is very frustrating and I've had it happen in a lot of races recently. People riding side by side having a conversation during the race. ....

I kinda grumbled to my wife after a recent local race that it seemed there was a lot of this, and people riding right down the middle of the lane, or the meandering cyclists. More than usual in this race.
And then, I remembered, I'm a MOPer (although, if I could run and wasn't in my 40s racing against some fierce competitors with more time and more money, I'd be an upper MOPer) and if it weren't for all these people, this race in my own town wouldn't cost $100. It would probably cost $500. Which, in reality, means it wouldn't exist.

So yeah. I get it. Those people are frustrating. That's why I personally do everything I can to make everyone else's race (no matter the race) as good as mine. Meaning, you won't catch me doing that stuff, unless I space out for a minute and outright "lose track". Not going to deny that it hasn't happened on rare occasions.

But, without "us", there'd be no Chattanooga 70.3 and there'd be exactly one IM distance race. And you probably wouldn't have to qualify to race in it. They'd be begging you to race in it. It would likely cost about $4000 to enter it. Any actual prize money would be a pittance. The bikes would cost 5x as much as they do and would probably still look very much like road bikes.

That all being said, it's not a justification. I'm trying to think of a way not to say "it is what it is". I think "poor riding" is the most common gripe (outside of breast strokers) people have about racing and encompasses bunching, drafting, packs, unsafe and inconsiderate riding. It's generally the only thing I'll grumble about. Not sure what more they could do, but I hope RDs at the "local levels" are constantly looking for ways to address it.

Heck, we don't even generally bitch about parking. We just know it's not easy and likely going to be a hassle and accept. And sometimes it never is. I just parked for a race of 700+ racers and my car was 100 feet from my rack? And I arrived fairly late.

Unfortunately, I believe RDs are doing what they can to address this...

Who's Wanda?
—-

Since when did you people get so far behind on modern culture? Wanda is the country that the Black Panther is from

Thats Wakanda. Wanda is the Scarlett Witch...

She's hot, but I'll bet that cape isn't too aero (might even get caught in the spokes or cassette). I'd draft off her though - totally.

I thought she was a fish, kkkkkkken.

Aside from obvious blocking, the thing I didn’t like is that he looked back and then spit up in the air in my face. When I said something he said I shouldn’t be drafting. That’s a pretty shit move.

wow, Kevin Kline is so young in that photo I barely recognized him. Never saw the movie. Any good?

Your busting of the op's balls is neither funny nor clever. He tried to pass, they blocked him. That is their penalty, not the op's. Quit being that person.

Did you try yelling "on your left" super loud at them? I found that helpful when people block like that.

I may not actually be on their left, but in saying "on your left", it helps to get the point across.

Wow, Sally, do we have to put everything in pink?

There is clearly more to it than OP has said. You don't get spat on and called out for drafting if you tried to pass, get blocked and then take some action to ensure you are riding within the rules.

Speaking of lousy riders and drafting, there is a great thread on the Facebook Chatty 70.3 group. A guy basically has race photos of some woman drafting him for 15 miles. Others recognized her and found photos of her drafting them at other races. Cheated her way to a top AG bike split.

This is very frustrating and I've had it happen in a lot of races recently. People riding side by side having a conversation during the race. Usually sitting up and wearing an aero helmet. As I tell my wife, there are some people who should NEVER be on the left, but they will ride there (very slowly) and then block the entire time. I guess they think if they stay there, people will just go around them and they don't have to do much weaving in and out of traffic.......though. most of the time, they are going so slow that they are not passing anyone where they would have to weave in and out.

I did it in 2016 with the headwind on 421. Lots of things went wrong on that bike, but I was on my roadie and pushed a little too hard on the "out" into the wind that my legs were pretty toasted. I ran well, slowly, but consistent until about 11-12 miles in when things really started to hurt.

I hope at some point they bring back the full. It was better when Setup did it, smaller more manageable, but that ship has sailed.