Orwell-Lucan-Usher-Terians-UCD club league 2/6/2011

fat bloke

Question there for the regular leaguers and leaguerettes.

There were a couple of snappers at different points of the circuit yesterday evening taking some photo's of the action. Any idea who they might have been and where those photos might be posted up?

doozerie

There is video footage of the finish too, which was being used to identify final placings immediately afterwards. It'd be a bit more of a chore to put that up online but it would be interesting to see. From a purely selfish point of view I'd like to see where I finished, but of course I'd be in favour of the clip being made available purely for the greater good

joker77

Will PM you fat bloke

joker77

Really enjoyed last night - was dreading it a bit before heading out, last week wasn't great training wise. I hadn't been on the bike since the previous Thursday, had a heavy night on Friday, then spent Saturday evening in Holles st with the other half. She's due the baby today (our first), and was having some trouble last weekend, in overnight Saturday, out Sunday evening, back in 2am Tues till Wednesday afternoon. Everything is fine again now, but was a bit worrying and missed out on a lot of sleep.

So, was bumped up from Limit two weeks ago in Batterstown, and this was my first ride in Semi-Limit. As I say - really enjoyed it, was tough at times but not as hard as I thought it was going to be. Was great to be able to stay away from the Scratch and Semi-Scratch (we did stay away didn't we?), and I felt strong enough to be up around the front for most of the race.

We caught the Limit group on the first lap, so I knew we were fairly moving. From chatting afterwards oflahero reckoned we were pushing nearly 41kms/hr over the course. Was a nice evening for it, no wind. A couple of hairy moments with cars and trucks, and I was a little concerned on the last lap as the bike was making some strange noises, will have to get it checked out before the next race.

All in all, very enjoyable night. Little disappointed I just didn't have enough at the end to contest the sprint, but with a bit more training who knows for next time.

fat bloke

Yeah it was a pleasant evening. Great weather. Was surprised we caught limit so quickly and equally surprised we weren't caught by semi-scratch/scratch. The group pace was good in the first lap but it definitely slowed for lap 2. I was tired and hungry before we set off at all, but I warmed up a bit as the race went on.

DirkVoodoo

joker77 wrote: »

Really enjoyed last night - was dreading it a bit before heading out, last week wasn't great training wise. I hadn't been on the bike since the previous Thursday, had a heavy night on Friday, then spent Saturday evening in Holles st with the other half. She's due the baby today (our first), and was having some trouble last weekend, in overnight Saturday, out Sunday evening, back in 2am Tues till Wednesday afternoon. Everything is fine again now, but was a bit worrying and missed out on a lot of sleep.

So, was bumped up from Limit two weeks ago in Batterstown, and this was my first ride in Semi-Limit. As I say - really enjoyed it, was tough at times but not as hard as I thought it was going to be. Was great to be able to stay away from the Scratch and Semi-Scratch (we did stay away didn't we?), and I felt strong enough to be up around the front for most of the race.

We caught the Limit group on the first lap, so I knew we were fairly moving. From chatting afterwards oflahero reckoned we were pushing nearly 41kms/hr over the course. Was a nice evening for it, no wind. A couple of hairy moments with cars and trucks, and I was a little concerned on the last lap as the bike was making some strange noises, will have to get it checked out before the next race.

All in all, very enjoyable night. Little disappointed I just didn't have enough at the end to contest the sprint, but with a bit more training who knows for next time.

Nice one! Yeah your bike was making an awful racket, would have made a sprint impossible as everyone would have heard you coming

Oh and congrats on the baby!

joker77

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Nice one! Yeah your bike was making an awful racket, would have made a sprint impossible as everyone would have heard you coming

Oh and congrats on the baby!

Cheers!

Yes was sh*tting it about the bike, thought the front wheel was going to come off. Will be leaving it in to Joe Daly's later...

doozerie

@joker77: Congratulations on the baby!

'Twas my first ride with Semi-Limit too. Much bigger group than the Limit races I'd been in and probably as a result of that it was a lot more disorganised too. I was prepared to do my bit but between the general chaos and concerns over the ability of my legs I ended up doing less work in this race than in my Limit races. I did turn off my brain on the last lap though - coming through Manor Kilbride someone (DirkVoodoo?) rode off the front. It seemed too casual to be an attack but I thought a few more bodies might turn it into something so I went too only to find myself alone with a small gap back to the bunch and my legs screaming at me to leave them the hell out of such hair-brained efforts. I was resigned to being swept up very quickly but I was joined by a guy from Usher who thankfully went straight to the front. He was stronger than me and although I tried to do my bit I think I was actually holding him back. I lost his wheel shortly after we were back on the main road - my legs actually started to cramp which rarely happens to me so I really had been pushing myself beyond my limit. I was quickly swept up by the bunch at that stage and the Usher guy was caught shortly afterwards. Good effort by him though, pity I couldn't contribute more.

By then I was resigned to a fate of being spat out the back but my legs surprisingly recovered quite quickly and having been at the back of the bunch when turning off the main road I had worked my way back up to the middle by the time things started to break up in the last couple of kilometres. In the midst of legs seeming to blow apart all around me the guy to my left put on a sprint to go with some others that were going up the road. He pulled across in front of me and for a moment I thought I was gone. His back wheel was overlapping my front and remained within a centimetre of it for what were a *very* long few seconds but thankfully they didn't connect. Handily though it gave me a burst of energy to go after him for a bit of a moan (must be the father in me coming to the surface!). I caught up with him and he apologised, which was fair enough. 'Twas one of those mistakes you make in the heat of the moment and I just hope that I didn't do the same myself to anyone else.

I then realised that the bunch just ahead of me were largely intact and that I was feeling good so I worked my way up through the group during the last kilometre or so. In the last 50m or so I found myself weaving through a lot of people going backwards, which was a surprise. So much of a surprise in fact that I didn't bury myself in the way that I've done at the end of previous races. I think I came over the line about 7th or 8th of that group (I believe there were one or two riders already up the road who took the top places though), and without the hammering in my head and legs that I associate with finishes. I felt pretty good, surprisingly. Until the cycle home though, then reality caught up with my legs again!

fat bloke

doozerie wrote: »

....I was joined by a guy from Usher who thankfully went straight to the front....

That was me . Sorry if I barked at you, and fair play to you for doing a couple of turns at the front, I was glad of the respite! I jumped again going over the bridge with an Orwellian but we were reeled in again sharpish. I didn't have much left for the sprint at the end. Maybe I should have tooled around kept my powder dry, but sure there's no fun in that:D

oflahero

Great craic as always. The group was too large to really break apart though. I tried getting away 2 or 3 times, but lack of interval training put paid to that. A pattern in semi-limit seems to be: a few riders get up the front, put the hammer down and the pace goes up. Riders come through on the right, and after a few up'n'overs some slower riders end up at the front and the pace goes right down again, frustratingly, and worse, riders just don't go through at all, until a minute or so later when more impatient riders peg it up on the outside, and the cycle repeats.

I've identified the winning strategy though; halfway up the drag at the end, go through en masse, and block the entire road, including the opposite lane. Then you can slow down as much as you like approaching the line so that no people who might have a bit of sprint left in 'em can get through. That's my excuse for not placing anyway...

As joker77 says, 40.8kph average for the race, not half bad. First time the scratchers have been held at bay this season.

ontheditch2

I have to say, i enjoy reading the reports from the various racers on these weekly races. The way some people have difficulties, others go great etc, and the tactics that some use. I am only new to the whole cycling, but find these race reports intriguing.. I look forward to getting out some time to watch one and see how it actually happens, and maybe in time get involved.
The thought of an average speed of 41km/h is serious speed, in my eyes. Nowhere near hitting 30km/h myself yet, so will keep working away..
Keep up the good work..

doozerie

fat bloke wrote: »

That was me . Sorry if I barked at you, and fair play to you for doing a couple of turns at the front, I was glad of the respite! I jumped again going over the bridge with an Orwellian but we were reeled in again sharpish. I didn't have much left for the sprint at the end. Maybe I should have tooled around kept my powder dry, but sure there's no fun in that:D

I'd never have guessed it was you based on your boards name, must be the slimming effect of the Usher kit And fair play on having a go a second time. I did see a couple of people shoot up the road while I was still on the bridge, hadn't realised you were one of them. That looked like a strong effort too and definitely worth a try as there seemed little coordination amongst the group from where I was sitting.

Chips Lovell

First race in about two months for me. Was a bit surprised to see SL do the first lap at 43kph.:eek: It was never that fast. Great fun nonetheless.

niceonetom

Who won? Were all the placings taken by SL or what? I didn't even know that there were more people to catch until we were nearly at the bottom of the drag and by then it's too late - everyone knows that putting in an effort to make the catch at that stage means you'll be overhauled on the drag so a lot of those who'd been jockeying for position just sat up. Some clearly still thought there was something to race for though, and I'm never comfortable when that happens. Having a mix of riders sitting up and others winding up to sprint for 42nd place just feels a little sketchy.

The pace for scratch was 42.8kph which just wasn't enough in the end. We were down a few bodies thanks in part to Rás DnG at the weekend, and the line was breaking down too often even on the first lap because of some reluctance to ride through (cough *lucan* cough). That said, similar speeds have been enough to bring it all together with a lap to spare in the past, so clearly the groups are working better than they have been.

Still, a good workout and a lovely evening for riding a bike.

Chips Lovell

Barry Sheridan from Lucan won. All the placings were taken by SL riders.

1, Barry Sheridan (LCRC);
2, Paul Tansey (Orwell);
3, Rodney Joyce (Orwell);
4, John Marron (Orwell);
5, Darragh Long (Orwell);
6, Romano Morelli (Orwell).

Women:
1, Anne Dalton (Orwell);
2, Róisín Kennedy (LCRC);
3, Caroline Conway (IRC);
4, Charlotte MacDonald (Orwell);
5, Sandra Telford (Orwell);
6, Heather Boyle (UCD).

niceonetom

Semi-Limit is clearly packed with ringers. Upgrades for everyone!

DirkVoodoo

doozerie wrote: »

I did turn off my brain on the last lap though - coming through Manor Kilbride someone (DirkVoodoo?) rode off the front. It seemed too casual to be an attack but I thought a few more bodies might turn it into something so I went too only to find myself alone with a small gap back to the bunch and my legs screaming at me to leave them the hell out of such hair-brained efforts.

Yeah that was me. Plan was to ride at the front and just keep pace high up the drag, ha! I got a few hundred metres up the road and my legs just went *POP*. I wheeled over the line.

Hoping to get the first downgrade of the season, I think that should get me a mention in the official race report.

kenmc

fat bloke wrote: »

Yeah it was a pleasant evening. Great weather. Was surprised we caught limit so quickly and equally surprised we weren't caught by semi-scratch/scratch. The group pace was good in the first lap but it definitely slowed for lap 2. I was tired and hungry before we set off at all, but I warmed up a bit as the race went on.

To be fair, we in Limit were doing nothing at all for the first lap. Don't think there was a single up and over the entire time. We picked it up noticably though when we were caught and I think we shelled out some of the lazy ones. I managed to get up into the front of the L/SL group and do a bit of work up there (orwell, green tyres and bartape) and was happy enough to cross the line in around the first 15-20 I guess, although it's impossible to know.

Was a stonking evening for biking, think I even managed to get a bit of sun on the legs, they were warm when I got home an hour later (not cycling!).

doozerie

kenmc wrote:

Was a stonking evening for biking, think I even managed to get a bit of sun on the legs

Just remember that this season's tan lines are, like, all about the mid to high calf. I was modelling a particularly progressive look myself last night, having gotten burnt at the weekend when wearing 3/4 length shorts. I was ahead of the fashion curve with my white knees and angry red high sock look - it'll be all the rage before long, and won't look at all ridiculous. At all...

moch

What was the distance of this race?

levitronix

Was on marshalling duties and semi limit did seem to be motoring, fair play to them for staying away would of been nice to be back in semi limit for the race haha

velo.2010

The cows stopped the semi-scratchers! Seriously we were balked on the N81, sort of. Bunch of Friesian bastards.:D

The Lucan guys are clearly well drilled with each knowing their own place. 6 or so were doing their bit on the front with a couple of 'muscle' men trying to 'manage' the bunch. Meanwhile their sprinters sat at the back doing nothing along with the Tiernan guys. Same old story there then. Orwell riders have no cohesion in the bunch.

@joker 77, hope things go well with the baby. Time flies- I remember you mentioning it way back when that the OH was expecting.

dave.obrien

My first race back after exams, and holy crap, did I struggle! Out with SL, and my lack of race fitness became evident very early. The first lap was brutal for me, felt a stomach cramp coming on, but stayed with it, and settled reasonably in the second lap, as long as I didn't look at the clock for speed updates, cause I nearly had to do a double take every time (46km/h on this part of the course, really?!). Third lap started well, and I started getting hopeful of being able to push it on, or at least push myself on, until we got to the bridge. After we turned that corner, the usual deceleration-acceleration thing signaled my end. Hung on to the group as long as possible, but couldn't stay with it till the end.

The fitness endurance wise is ok, but endurance at that level of effort needs work! Same time next week...

Beasty

velo.2010 wrote: »

The cows stopped the semi-scratchers! Seriously we were balked on the N81, sort of. Bunch of Friesian bastards.:D

Pull the udder one, as I think you're talking bullocks:D

Idleater

Enjoyed that race, I had poor preparation as I only had a sandwich for lunch and only had water with me. I reckoned I'd try my best up front (semi limit) so I would prolong getting dropped.

Anyway, I hope my helpful encouragement to try to keep the structure of the up and overs going was useful to some I.e. slow a fraction when pulling over to allow the stream to continue around. Some get it more than others, and I've no problem with them tiring themselves out off the front in a line.

The look back wondering why no one is coming around is funny and it's a bit annoying when they rely on someone else to start the up and overs again. Only for the fact that I need practice at it I wouldn't bother.

I had a brief chat with the clubmate and helped from the bridge on the last lap, told him to go just before the red door, sat in front of the bunch for long enough of a gap to happen and rolled over the line outside the top 6. Result!

doozerie

moch wrote: »

What was the distance of this race?

About 44.4km according to my Garmin.