Orwell/IRC/Lucan/Tiernans/UCD Leauge, Race 1, Black Bull, 27 February 2011

levitronix

Once theres no ringers in limit, think its semi limit for the sprint deffo mmmmm:rolleyes:
But last year limit stayed away in brittas and all we heard was excuses from scratch

Chips Lovell

Unless the handicaps are very generous I can see the groups coming together. All the scratch and semi-scratch riders will be gunning for a race after the winter and the Mick Lally and Cycleways Cup coming up next weekend.

buffalo

niceonetom wrote: »

There have to a few here for whom this will be their very first race. Don't worry folks, it'll be grand. Probably.

This is me. And I've been stuck in semi-scratch. I'm doomed.

niceonetom

buffalo wrote: »

This is me. And I've been stuck in semi-scratch. I'm doomed.

Whoa, I've never heard of them throwing anyone who hasn't raced before into the SS straight away - you must have really impressed someone or royally pissed them off on the Sunday spins. I've seen you ride so I'm guessing it's the former. You're more than capable both in terms of speed and handling so I would try to take skipping L and SL as a compliment.

kenmc

I is have first race also. am a bit Wtf did I sign up for. hmmm

kenmc

on a side note though, training has been going well. 2 pints in Belfast and a couple on the train down too.

buffalo

niceonetom wrote: »

Whoa, I've never heard of them throwing anyone who hasn't raced before into the SS straight away - you must have really impressed someone or royally pissed them off on the Sunday spins. I've seen you ride so I'm guessing it's the former. You're more than capable both in terms of speed and handling so I would try to take skipping L and SL as a compliment.

It was the basis of that ride! I'll see how I get on, it's not the speed so much as the handling that I'm worried about. Never been in a big bunch before, so here's hoping I don't bring down the peloton!

niceonetom

buffalo wrote: »

It was the basis of that ride! I'll see how I get on, it's not the speed so much as the handling that I'm worried about. Never been in a big bunch before, so here's hoping I don't bring down the peloton!

You'll be grand - the league races are fairly civilised and you know the course now.

Will you be racing A4 in open races?

buffalo

niceonetom wrote: »

You'll be grand - the league races are fairly civilised and you know the course now.

Will you be racing A4 in open races?

That's the plan. I've no idea how these things work though - if I feel I'm up to it, can I upgrade after the season starts?

blorg

buffalo wrote: »

That's the plan. I've no idea how these things work though - if I feel I'm up to it, can I upgrade after the season starts?

You can upgrade at any point but you are probably best off staying in A4 until you are promoted based on results.

buffalo

blorg wrote: »

You can upgrade at any point but you are probably best off staying in A4 until you are promoted based on results.

Don't want to get too ahead of myself! Thanks lads.

montac

Good luck to one and all on Sunday. I won't be racing until April (when I'll be grimacing and redfaced in Semi-Limit) - really looking forward to getting back racing again. It's just such a rush for those 45 mins or so, even if you are struggling to keep up!

dave.obrien

I'm looking forward to it, although this cold I've been carrying for the last week will probably prevent me from playing too great a part... And before anyone asks, the cold is entirely to blame, not form/training/fitness, just the cold.

godihatedehills

I feel sick just thinking about Sunday......

LCRC_BAX

Bring it on, great finish on the new road; nice & wide and very very fast! My prediction is the groups will come together half way round the 2nd lap, although the L & SL group will be huge so if they work it could be a very late catch!

fat bloke

I'm thinking of going along Sunday meself... but I'm half afraid it'll be a frickin demolition derby. A long winter of pent up frustration mixed with a whole load of never-ridden-in-a-bunch newbies, at maximum attack, on those narrow roads??? :eek:

I really really really don't want to spend the next 3 months sitting on my couch, watching tv, getting fat, arm in a sling, bike in two pieces, wallowing in my own misery :rolleyes:


I suppose I could cycle over, do the race in total self-preservation mode, and cycle home. It'll be a decent total distance if nothing else.

levitronix

The league is always civilized:D

levitronix

I thought there was a limit on numbers as well for the club league

Anyone know anything about this ?

fat bloke

levitronix wrote: »

The league is always civilized:D

It is in me brown! A rougher bunch of diamonds I've never encountered.

levitronix wrote: »

I thought there was a limit on numbers as well for the club league

Anyone know anything about this ?

I've never seen that implemented on the start line anyway. If you turn up, you're in.

levitronix

I could be wrong but it thought there was a limit to the number on the night allowed to race , think the number was hit last year but everyone was still allowed to race

fat bloke

Well it definitely sounds like the kind of thing that would be proposed and seconded at an agm, but you know yourself. On the day, if a fella rocks up on his bike and says "me too", I'd be astonished if he was told to turn around and pedal home for himself - "computer says no".

I did a quick search for last year's debut club race with the massive pile up, the broken jaws, and that lovely brand new splintered specialised s-works.... :eek:



(nothing like undermining the competiton eh??? )

LCRC_BAX

fat bloke wrote: »

I'm thinking of going along Sunday meself... but I'm half afraid it'll be a frickin demolition derby. A long winter of pent up frustration mixed with a whole load of never-ridden-in-a-bunch newbies, at maximum attack, on those narrow roads??? :eek:

I really really really don't want to spend the next 3 months sitting on my couch, watching tv, getting fat, arm in a sling, bike in two pieces, wallowing in my own misery :rolleyes:


I suppose I could cycle over, do the race in total self-preservation mode, and cycle home. It'll be a decent total distance if nothing else.

That's a pretty depressing view of the upcoming 1st league race. If we all thought like that then nobody would ever race - live a little, the weather should be good too & club league racing is relatively safe. There will always be a few jitters with guys riding their first race but we all had to start somewhere. BTW the pile up you refer to was an open race at Bohermeen and was few races into the season. Guy who owned the Specialized was very badly injured and lucky not to be dead but that crash was not caused by a newbie...

Chips Lovell

Yup, it was at Bohermeen. In the A3 race too, so not a bunch of newbies. The 1st race in the club league was cancelled last year actually because of snow.

BTW, the rule is that if more than a certain amount of riders show up, it reverts to a DMS. I think it's 100. Don't think it'll be enforced on Sunday since there's cars arranged for each group.

Diarmuid

fat bloke wrote: »

I really really really don't want to spend the next 3 months sitting on my couch, watching tv, getting fat, arm in a sling, bike in two pieces, wallowing in my own misery :rolleyes:.

Well, attack from the line, ride yourself into the ground for a few k then shoot out the back. At least you'll go down in a blaze of glory

levitronix wrote: »

I thought there was a limit on numbers as well for the club league

On mid week races there's a rule if 100 sign on they have to run the races as a DMS not handicap. For some reason that rule doesn't apply on Sunday. I checked this out.

buffalo

el tonto wrote: »

Yup, it was at Bohermeen. In the A3 race too, so not a bunch of newbies. The 1st race in the club league was cancelled last year actually because of snow.

BTW, the rule is that if more than a certain amount of riders show up, it reverts to a DMS. I think it's 100. Don't think it'll be enforced on Sunday since there's cars arranged for each group.

What's a DMS?

</n00b>

Raam

buffalo wrote: »

What's a DMS?

</n00b>

Divided mass start. You race against your own group.

buffalo

Ah, I thought all the races started like that - L, then SL, and so on. But if there's only so many riders, everyone starts together and splits naturally?

Raam

In a dms you only compete against your own group which you start with. With a chase-pursuit you are racing against all the other groups too.

buffalo

Gotcha, cheers.

Chips Lovell

A DMS is essentially four separate races.