Great post. I was sure you were going to tell a crash story. Criteriums are pure mayhem. I may have to seek out a masters race. I miss that.
A few close calls, one of the young 15yo was all over the place, almost cleaning a few of us up on a couple of occasions. What's interesting about crits, at least from this race, is that not necessarily the fittest/fastest wins. Not sure how it works up the higher grades.
Find the local douchebag ride, typically populated with cat 3 & 4 riders and angry masters. The guys that race each other every day, disregard traffic laws, and have anger issues. Riding with them will prepare you for riding in a racing pack where everyone is angry and just looking out for themselves.
Don't find the higher category riders or more experienced masters who have bike racing in perspective, thinking that since those are "better" riders you'll learn more. They'll treat you with civility. There's no civility in a crit. Ride with these people once you've figured out what you're doing, and when you don't want every ride to be a fight.
PROTECTING YOUR FRONT WHEEL IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, NO ONE ELSE'S.
Wear reasonable length shorts & socks, and a jersey with sleeves. God forbid anyone tag you as a triathlete.
To be honest it doesn't sound like you have the experience to be giving OP advice. Seems like you're bitter towards roadies because you showed up in a sleeveless jersey, didn't know how to ride in a group and maybe got dropped. If you're putting others in danger during a group ride, there may be some people who get upset because they've experienced the crashes that come from this. You may have gotten comments about your tri attire because triathletes are commonly the most dangerous on a group ride. They generally don't have the specific fitness or the skills to ride fast in a tight pack but think their endurance will transfer. Its a recipe for disaster so unless someone has proven themselves you may get some comments. To say there is no civility/people are angry and unwilling to be helpful is just incorrect.
Great post. I was sure you were going to tell a crash story. Criteriums are pure mayhem. I may have to seek out a masters race. I miss that.
What's interesting about crits, at least from this race, is that not necessarily the fittest/fastest wins. Not sure how it works up the higher grades.
As I wrote back on page 2, crits (and racing in general) are often about doing the LEAST amount of work possible for the highest placing possible. If I have my way when racing, you won't see or hear from me until 200m to go. If you're going to go to the front and do work, you better make sure that you are making others do just as much work or more, otherwise you won't be a factor at the end. If you want a pure show of fitness go race TT's. Otherwise tactics are as important as fitness.
Great post. I was sure you were going to tell a crash story. Criteriums are pure mayhem. I may have to seek out a masters race. I miss that.
A few close calls, one of the young 15yo was all over the place, almost cleaning a few of us up on a couple of occasions. What's interesting about crits, at least from this race, is that not necessarily the fittest/fastest wins. Not sure how it works up the higher grades.
Congrats on the race. Seeing how the "strongest" person rarely wins can be maddening and happens in every race and in every category. It's also super motivating and makes you want to try again and again and again until you're the one winning. It almost feels like you've pulled a fast one on the rest of the pack. And it also feels awesome.
Great post. I was sure you were going to tell a crash story. Criteriums are pure mayhem. I may have to seek out a masters race. I miss that.
What's interesting about crits, at least from this race, is that not necessarily the fittest/fastest wins. Not sure how it works up the higher grades.
As I wrote back on page 2, crits (and racing in general) are often about doing the LEAST amount of work possible for the highest placing possible. If I have my way when racing, you won't see or hear from me until 200m to go. If you're going to go to the front and do work, you better make sure that you are making others do just as much work or more, otherwise you won't be a factor at the end. If you want a pure show of fitness go race TT's. Otherwise tactics are as important as fitness.
Yup for sure. I'm keen to race again. Might do one more D race, then go to C. I think B would be too quick for me.
Great post. I was sure you were going to tell a crash story. Criteriums are pure mayhem. I may have to seek out a masters race. I miss that.
A few close calls, one of the young 15yo was all over the place, almost cleaning a few of us up on a couple of occasions. What's interesting about crits, at least from this race, is that not necessarily the fittest/fastest wins. Not sure how it works up the higher grades.
Gets even more extreme the higher up you get. Timing and tactics become much more important.
Great post. I was sure you were going to tell a crash story. Criteriums are pure mayhem. I may have to seek out a masters race. I miss that.
A few close calls, one of the young 15yo was all over the place, almost cleaning a few of us up on a couple of occasions. What's interesting about crits, at least from this race, is that not necessarily the fittest/fastest wins. Not sure how it works up the higher grades.
Gets even more extreme the higher up you get. Timing and tactics become much more important.
What happened in D grade, is people seemed very happy just cruising along, obviously saving their energy for the final lap. So at times it was really pedestrian, didn't feel like a race. I reckon without 4 or 5 guys back breaks/mini breaks the pace would have been even slower. Is that how it works higher up the grades?
Great post. I was sure you were going to tell a crash story. Criteriums are pure mayhem. I may have to seek out a masters race. I miss that.
A few close calls, one of the young 15yo was all over the place, almost cleaning a few of us up on a couple of occasions. What's interesting about crits, at least from this race, is that not necessarily the fittest/fastest wins. Not sure how it works up the higher grades.
Gets even more extreme the higher up you get. Timing and tactics become much more important.
What happened in D grade, is people seemed very happy just cruising along, obviously saving their energy for the final lap. So at times it was really pedestrian, didn't feel like a race. I reckon without 4 or 5 guys back breaks/mini breaks the pace would have been even slower. Is that how it works higher up the grades?
Sometimes. Especially in road races when the break goes. Can get downright boring at times. Crits tend to stay pretty fast for the majority, but still can have their lulls when a move goes that everyone's happy with.
Biggest difference is how much harder and longer the hard sections are. When it's on, it's really on.
Prime laps hurt, it's amazing how nuts a group of middle age men will go over a bag of Cheetos. Generally there is a small sit-up after the sprint, but sometimes gaps will open and it can create some interesting changes in the race.
I also got an official warning and told I was lucky not to get banned for 1 month... some guy started abusing me because I freewheeled round a corner, I was gassed after making a break and he was with the chasing pack, so when he went past me, I whacked the back of his helmet. Apparently you can't do that. Almost ended in fisticuffs after the race, but we got it sorted out in the end.
There seemed to be a lot of aggression coming from people who were doing nothing but sit behind others..
Yeah, don't hit people.
Thats just a good guideline for life in general, no matter what the USAC rulebook says.
"some guy started abusing me because I freewheeled round a corner, I was gassed after making a break and he was with the chasing pack, when he went past me, I whacked the back of his helmet."
"There seemed to be a lot of aggression coming from people who were doing nothing but sit behind others.." ===============================================
Seems like maybe there was a lot of aggression in general.
"some guy started abusing me because I freewheeled round a corner, I was gassed after making a break and he was with the chasing pack, when he went past me, I whacked the back of his helmet."
"There seemed to be a lot of aggression coming from people who were doing nothing but sit behind others.." ===============================================
Seems like maybe there was a lot of aggression in general.
Yeah I over-reacted. Ended up apologising to him afterwards.
Prime laps hurt, it's amazing how nuts a group of middle age men will go over a bag of Cheetos. Generally there is a small sit-up after the sprint, but sometimes gaps will open and it can create some interesting changes in the race.
So at times it was really pedestrian, didn't feel like a race. I reckon without 4 or 5 guys back breaks/mini breaks the pace would have been even slower. Is that how it works higher up the grades?
Nice job! What you describe is typical for a lower-level crit where no one really knows anyone else.
Once everyone gets to know most of the other people (which tends to happen at higher levels because there's less turnover), two things start to happen.
1) The strong TT-types learn who the other strong TT-types are, and they conspire to drop the field. Breaks become more likely.
2) Team tactics start to play out more effectively, which can completely change the complexion of a race.
A problem when no one knows anyone else is a strong TT-type guy (like you) will attack up the road, and all the other strong TT guys will panic and work to shut it down, bringing the whole field with him. After a while the strong guys throw their hands in the air and give up, and the everything slows down. This is referred to as "negative racing." But if you race a few more times a light bulb will go off in the heads of the other TT guys, "Oh, zedzed is going up the road. I will go *help* him, rather than shut him down." Then you get say 4 TT guys up the road, and suddenly all those guys who were hoping to sit in until the last lap are all racing for 5th. The key to this is being able to jump from the field without anyone being able (or wanting to) grab your wheel. It's a hard, explosive effort. And then you still have to go at a hard, consistent pace after that effort.
In my area the higher-level masters races are often sorted out in the first 5-10 minutes because all the strong guys work *together* to drop the field. At first your competitors are friends. Then, when the break is solidified, they become your enemies again. Or rather you try to appear to them like you're still they're friend, but really you're plotting when to sneak up on them and shank them 20 times in the the back (figuratively speaking).
There's rarely team tactics in a cat 5 crit... Our local series just has A and B races... B tends to be your cat 3/4 types, and most women (cadets, and slow juniors)... But I remember soloing off the front in one of the races... only to look back and see one of my "teammates" on the front trying to gun me back... Ironically, one of the pro women was sitting in his wheel and rode up beside him and smacked him and told him to get off the front while I was solo (I wish i had seen it, I only hear about this after the race)... Unfortunately by the time he was no longer on the front, my gap had dropped from 30s down to under 10, so the writing was on the wall... some of the guys from our team had a talk with him after the race to kind of explain the dos and donts (he was super strong, but super inexperienced...). You would get the odd tactical race, but generally they would end in bunch sprints...
In terms of when crashes happen, aside from the flagrant errors like half-wheeling and swinging without shoulder checks... you can generally predict risk by the shape of the pack, the more the pace is high and things are strung out, the safer it tends to be (most crashes in these cases are guys over leaning or clipping pedals in a corner, and tend to only involve 1-2 guys going down)... When the pack is bunched up and many guys wide, and moving slower, you tend to get way more funny business in the pack, and it is prone to bigger pile-ups...
Congrats on your first race and experimenting with certain tactics.
Some of my thoughts based on your comments.
1. If you feel like the pace is way too easy, rest assured, so does everyone else. So if you choose to up the pace or start a break, don't be surprised if you can't get much of a gap.
2. Who actually wins is sometimes all about fitness, and sometimes it's just about playing the cards the cards you have dealt to you. I've won 3 open road races, and my front wheel has never saw the wind for more than 30 seconds in any of those races. I've also tried going out into the break...it doesn't end up well for me.
3. Nobody should feel they have to verbally abuse you, but playing devil's advocate here, you should never suddenly change your speed, especially coming out of a corner. That's how crashes happen. In a crit, you are relying on everyone around you to be predictable, and coming out of a corner is usually when the gas gets turned on...not off. ETA: There are ways to fall back in the pack when you're gassed, slowing (or not keeping the speed of the pack) in a corner is not one of them. Lesson learned though...I'm glad cooler heads prevailed in the end.
The tips on clothing were somewhat tongue in cheek, but the rest has a basis in reality.
Really though, you've missed the mark by a large margin in trying to infer my credentials from that one post. I've been a road racer since 1986, I was a cat 1 from 1992 - 2015, and I'm still a 2. I'm a 2-time state criterium champion, of the >1000 races I've started, nearly half were crits , and I won more than a few of those. I've ridden some of the biggest pro-am crits in the country: Revco Cleveland, Somerville, Point Pleasant, Freehold, and I've raced in nearly every region of the US, plus Ontario and Quebec. I've been a coach since 2001, and have coached numerous riders to national championships and other top results.
I've never competed in a triathlon. Lots of my friends have though.
By all means disagree with the content of what I posted, and provide a basis for your disagreement.
So at times it was really pedestrian, didn't feel like a race. I reckon without 4 or 5 guys back breaks/mini breaks the pace would have been even slower. Is that how it works higher up the grades?
Nice job! What you describe is typical for a lower-level crit where no one really knows anyone else.
Once everyone gets to know most of the other people (which tends to happen at higher levels because there's less turnover), two things start to happen.
1) The strong TT-types learn who the other strong TT-types are, and they conspire to drop the field. Breaks become more likely.
2) Team tactics start to play out more effectively, which can completely change the complexion of a race.
A problem when no one knows anyone else is a strong TT-type guy (like you) will attack up the road, and all the other strong TT guys will panic and work to shut it down, bringing the whole field with him. After a while the strong guys throw their hands in the air and give up, and the everything slows down. This is referred to as "negative racing." But if you race a few more times a light bulb will go off in the heads of the other TT guys, "Oh, zedzed is going up the road. I will go *help* him, rather than shut him down." Then you get say 4 TT guys up the road, and suddenly all those guys who were hoping to sit in until the last lap are all racing for 5th. The key to this is being able to jump from the field without anyone being able (or wanting to) grab your wheel. It's a hard, explosive effort. And then you still have to go at a hard, consistent pace after that effort.
In my area the higher-level masters races are often sorted out in the first 5-10 minutes because all the strong guys work *together* to drop the field. At first your competitors are friends. Then, when the break is solidified, they become your enemies again. Or rather you try to appear to them like you're still they're friend, but really you're plotting when to sneak up on them and shank them 20 times in the the back (figuratively speaking).
Team tactics is a whole other thread.
Yeah I spent the last 24 hours puzzling over how we could have won that. Most races, swim, run or whatever, its generally fastest wins, not so in this race. I suppose that adds to the excitement and intrigue. Tactics being so important really adds another dimension. The aim before the race was to work as a 4, that never happened, it requires more planning and coordination I guess. 2 of us were near the front, 2 near the back. I think if we'd had a plan on say lap 5 we all go for it, it could have worked. As it was 2 of us quickly ran out of gas. That crit was just going to be a once off, but I don't have training this Saturday and I see there's another one one .... It's a different course (see below), but I will be doing this by myself, my mates are doing other stuff. I definitely want to try and initiate a break, rather than just sit at the back then go for it last lap. More of a case of me wanting to try different things, push myself and make sure everyone else gets worked :) I guess try and see if there are 2 or 3 others before the race and have a chat, or do you just have a word with a few guys mid-race and say lets go for it?
Technology Park Bentley provides a near perfect venue for criterium racing. Spectators are able to get an excellent view of the racing from the shady grassed banked area on the home straight and it is ideally situated close to the CBD. The riders get to enjoy a circuit that has a bit of everything. The finish straight on Brodie Hall Driver has a slight incline that is guaranteed to break the race up as the pace goes on. After the start / finish straight the circuit drops significantly into a fast, slightly off camber 90 degree left hander. For the more skilled rider, this corner can be taken without any braking. For the less brave rider they can quickly find themselves losing the wheel in front and having to sprint hard to get back on. This combined with the incline on the home straight can lead to a high attrition rate. The bottom straight leads into a sweeping left hander back onto Brodie Hall Drive. Riders then accelerate back up the hill to the start / finish line. The circuit provides a true test for all riders, it rewards the strong and skilled bike rider. It is not uncommon to see a win from a breakaway on this course.
Congrats on your first race and experimenting with certain tactics.
Some of my thoughts based on your comments.
1. If you feel like the pace is way too easy, rest assured, so does everyone else. So if you choose to up the pace or start a break, don't be surprised if you can't get much of a gap.
2. Who actually wins is sometimes all about fitness, and sometimes it's just about playing the cards the cards you have dealt to you. I've won 3 open road races, and my front wheel has never saw the wind for more than 30 seconds in any of those races. I've also tried going out into the break...it doesn't end up well for me.
3. Nobody should feel they have to verbally abuse you, but playing devil's advocate here, you should never suddenly change your speed, especially coming out of a corner. That's how crashes happen. In a crit, you are relying on everyone around you to be predictable, and coming out of a corner is usually when the gas gets turned on...not off. ETA: There are ways to fall back in the pack when you're gassed, slowing (or not keeping the speed of the pack) in a corner is not one of them. Lesson learned though...I'm glad cooler heads prevailed in the end.
Yeah I figured that the guy was probably right, I just took exception to the way in which he spoke to me. But I guess thats part of racing crits. I'll know what to expect next time.
Some really great advice given in this thread, wow, incredible experience and knowledge. Wish I'd have gotten such good advice when I started a few years ago. My first races were real learning experiences, I was so ignorant of so much. Went into it with eyes and ears open, though, and while it was a little frustrating to be a beginner in some ways, being a student is quite fun. You get to take in so many fundamentals, and come back to apply what you learned and see if they were lessons learned, or works in progress.
One of the things I learned was that I needed some rationale for when to start a sprint or other hard effort, regardless of what other people were doing, just based on my own capabilities. I needed to have some strategy, not just ride reacting to what everyone else was doing and letting others dictate my race. This is where training with power became a very useful learning tool and the info fueled race strategy. If you can train with power, you'll learn a lot about yourself, and it can provide some very helpful foundation for your race plan.
The aim before the race was to work as a 4, that never happened, it requires more planning and coordination I guess. 2 of us were near the front, 2 near the back.
In the history of crit racing no Cat 5 (or E or whatever) race plan has ever worked. Ever. No "leadout train." No planned break. Nothing.
I'm being a little facetious, but it's pretty true.
It's more commonly successful at higher categories, but even then you have to be ready for the military truism that no plan survives first contact with the enemy. If you're going to start working on teamwork, work on 2-man tactics among teammates nearly equally fit. And even then, just modest goals, like successfully linking up near the front with 5 to go. If you can do that, you're doing really well. After you get a few guys who are both fit and skilled enough to move anywhere in the field they want to go at any time, then you can start to put together more complex teamwork.