IRC/Lucan/Orwell/Tiernans/UCD league race 24/5/12

buffalo

Max HR 190bpm. Wasn't really going for it, was moving up to the front to try stay out of the hairyness involved in the mass sprint, but found I had a little gap when I got there and TT'ed it for a bit. Nobody chased, gap got bigger, pushed myself like a steam train. I'm typing this while lying on the floor, srsly.

Usher were doing great work in the SS getting things moving, I think they've taken over from Lucan as the shouty club. Hairy moment also when we caught SL/L with that car on the right. Can we enforce yielding to overtaking cats?


Also, fkn Garmin. I rode up Seskin on the way out, back down, and up Embankment. Does it record anything? Noooo. Going to re-attach my manual speedo.

joker77

Well done on the result - you powered up the last stretch!

Nearly 42kms / hr for SS tonight. Painful.

joker77

buffalo wrote: »

Usher were doing great work in the SS getting things moving, I think they've taken over from Lucan as the shouty club.

Yea they were doing the right kind of shouting, not like the other toolbox

velo.2010

Well done Buffalo. You were certaintly heaving up the last stretch! Off to scratch now so.;)

42kph you say joker77! The corresponding race last year (same date/course) was 43+kph in Semi-scratch.

First night back for me this year. Didn't expect much - I didn't get lapped anyhow! That speed shocked me something going down the N81. 55kph all the way! Held on but my position and the lack of explosiveness put me in trouble getting out of the corners. Soloed round thereafter. I'll keep at it as its the best possible training.

amjon.

velo.2010 wrote: »

42kph you say joker77! The corresponding race last year (same date/course) was 43+kph in Semi-scratch.

Think it was a lap longer tonight?

lalorm

Had a good race tonight even though I just finished a course of antibiotics at lunchtime. Thought it was only 3 laps and was giving it loads coming up to the finish on the 3rd lap only to hear the bell so hung in at the back of the field until we got to the main road and moved back up to the front. As we got close to the big bridge an Usher guy went off the front and I managed to get across to his wheel, but started to get a stitch just as I got to him and HR was 191 so had to ease up and waited for the scratch group to come over the line.

velo.2010

amjon. wrote: »

Think it was a lap longer tonight?

Your right! Though last year we had to navigate round a herd of cows if I remember right.:rolleyes:

Mr. Grieves

Well done Buffalo. You'd better be in Scratch next week!

If I'd known I was going to be bumped up to Scratch tonight for a 4 lap race I mightn't have ridden out. Or done such a hard spin yesterday...

So, pace was very high. Briefly thought I was going to be dropped at one point. We didn't catch SS, but came v. close.

Bonked in a big way very soon after the race ended. Luckily I was able to roll down the N81 to the Topaz for some sugary snacks and 5 mins later felt great! Next time I'll have the sugary stuff before the race!

doozerie

Well done buffalo, great result!

I didn't get to race at all tonight. I got to sign-on with my Garmin and speedo clocks both having just turned 18h48 to be told that sign-on was closed. Fair enough, I missed the closing time by under 3 minutes but yer man saying that he'd been flexible by "holding it open for 4 or 5 minutes already" annoyed me I'd have to say. There was a Lucan guy ahead of me who got told no too and he can't have been much outside the time at all. This sign-on closing time of 18h45 will make it very difficult, and perhaps impossible, for me to make it to any more of the races on time - I finished work at 17h00 today (30 minutes early) and I still couldn't make it. My 3 minutes outside the allowed time could be accounted for by the stupid number of traffic lights I got delayed at this evening but they are just as likely to delay me next time too. Many other people must be in the same boat I'd imagine as regards having a hard time making it for 18h45.

I decided to head for a spin instead of hanging around or marshaling - I'm doing the Tour de Connemara on Sunday so could do with the exercise. I followed the race circuit as far as Manor Kildbride and headed home via Sallygap. Lovely evening for a (sweaty) ride up there. I passed a smashed glass bottle on the drag up to the finish line of the race, right in the centre of the left lane. I went back and cleared it away - turns out that cow parsley makes for a rubbish sweeping brush, but it beats picking up lots of glass with your bare hands. Oh, and Speedplay cleats absolutely suck at clearing glass too. I suspect I did nothing for the reputation of cyclists generally by being seen kicking at (seemingly) nothing in my silly shoes, and then grabbing handfuls of weeds from the side of the road and swiping the road with them. The expressions on the faces of passing motorists faces fell somewhere between "Ah, the poor demented fella" and "Lock the doors! Drive Gertrude, DRIVE!".

Idleater

I had a great evening chatting with AstraMonti at the turn off the n81.
It was obviously the weather to stop and chat as we had a local commuter stop and watch you lot pass and then a very nice man in a jeep.
The latter chap abandoned his vehicle towards the side of the road and came over to ask me why I was stopping traffic.
One of the you're in my way crowd that failed to see the both the irony of having to pass all the vehicles streaming past while he stopped and stopping to give out about being held up.
Lovely weather for the cycle anyway.

buffalo

Mr. Grieves wrote: »

Well done Buffalo. You'd better be in Scratch next week

Yeah, I have a feeling I may get a "promotion". My second ever placing of the league, but first ever race win! \o/

doozerie wrote: »

I passed a smashed glass bottle on the drag up to the finish line of the race, right in the centre of the left lane. I went back and cleared it away - turns out that cow parsley makes for a rubbish sweeping brush, but it beats picking up lots of glass with your bare hands. Oh, and Speedplay cleats absolutely suck at clearing glass too. I suspect I did nothing for the reputation of cyclists generally by being seen kicking at (seemingly) nothing in my silly shoes, and then grabbing handfuls of weeds from the side of the road and swiping the road with them. The expressions on the faces of passing motorists faces fell somewhere between "Ah, the poor demented fella" and "Lock the doors! Drive Gertrude, DRIVE!".

Funny, I did the same thing coming down Seskin - went around a rock in the middle of the lane, thought better of it, and went back to kick it to one side. Turned out to be a clod of earth, so when I kicked it it disintegrated. Instead of one block in the middle, there were now several little blocks. Sweep, sweep with the foot. And then just as I'm getting back on the saddle, a car pulls out of a nearby driveway. So all they saw was a guy standing on the side of the road, who hopped on his bike and cycled off when they appeared. Could I look any guiltier?

AstraMonti

Well done buffalo! Now go shave your legs The hair force was very strong yesterday.

It was a nice evening to marshall (apart from that royal @ss that stopped to have a go at us because we are "delaying" people and have no right) and even greater to race. I am surprised that were not many more people racing, i dont think we ll get another perfect day like this.

Dowee

Only my 2nd race last night and my first Handicap (the other was a DMS). Thoroughly enjoyed it but was a bit confused at the end. I thought it was two races (i) Scratch and Semi Scratch and (ii) Limit and Semi Limit but it seems that it was just one race, is this right? How do you know when if it is going to be one or two races? I didn't read it anywhere or hear it mentioned at the start.

Was in the Limit group, we worked well at times but was a bit pedestrian at times too. We were caught by S/L on lap 3 I think and then soon after the Semi Scratch came through. This proved a fairly hairy few minutes especially as there was oncoming traffic when they all went on the wrong side of the road. Was pretty dangerous IMHO. Have no idea what happened up the front after that, I assume the Semi Scratch went through and took the places?

Not knowing it was one race (nor what happened after Semi Scratch went through) I moved up on Lap 4 and finished 9th or 10th at the top of our group.

Maybe someone with some more experience can fill in the blanks for me

Chips Lovell

Dowee wrote: »

Only my 2nd race last night and my first Handicap (the other was a DMS). Thoroughly enjoyed it but was a bit confused at the end. I thought it was two races (i) Scratch and Semi Scratch and (ii) Limit and Semi Limit but it seems that it was just one race, is this right? How do you know when if it is going to be one or two races? I didn't read it anywhere or hear it mentioned at the start.

All races listed as a handicap on the calendar are meant to be run as one race. It is only broken into two or four races if there are large numbers signing on, AFAIK, more than 100. Then it will be announced at the start. So unless you hear otherwise, assume it's one race.

buffalo

Dowee wrote: »

OI assume the Semi Scratch went through and took the places?

But of a mix of SS and S, no Limit:

1 SS
2 S
3 S
4 SS
5 S
6 SL
7 SS
8 SS

Chips Lovell

buffalo wrote: »

Good mix, but mostly SS, no Limit:

1 SS
2 S
3 SL
4 SS
5 S
6 SL
7 SS
8 SS

Davy Byrne (3rd) is in scratch, not SL.

buffalo

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

Davy Byrne (3rd) is in scratch, not SL.

He's down as SL in the league spreadsheet, will edit my post.

Dowee

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

All races listed as a handicap on the calendar are meant to be run as one race. It is only broken into two or four races if there are large numbers signing on, AFAIK, more than 100. Then it will be announced at the start. So unless you hear otherwise, assume it's one race.

Thanks for clearing that up. Wasn't aware of that.

Seemed like fairly large numbers last night but maybe the Scratch and Semi Scratch weren't as big as the Limit and Semi Limit.

Dowee

buffalo wrote: »

Good mix, but mostly SS, no Limit:

1 SS
2 S
3 S
4 SS
5 S
6 SL
7 SS
8 SS

When the SS caught the Limit / Semi Limit group, did they then cycle through or just to the top of the group?

Chips Lovell

buffalo wrote: »

He's down as SL in the league spreadsheet, will edit my post.

Actually, you were right. There's two David Byrne's in Usher and the SL one got the result last night. I thought it was the one in Scratch.

Dowee wrote: »

Thanks for clearing that up. Wasn't aware of that.

Seemed like fairly large numbers last night but maybe the Scratch and Semi Scratch weren't as big as the Limit and Semi Limit.

Not as many as some earlier rounds as far as I could see. There's a lot of people away at the Rás this week.

Dowee wrote: »

When the SS caught the Limit / Semi Limit group, did they then cycle through or just to the top of the group?

Groups stayed together largely. Certainly there was a fair few SL in the bunch at the finish.

capnsantini

AstraMonti wrote: »

Well done buffalo! Now go shave your legs The hair force was very strong yesterday.

You can't be called Buffalo and have smooth legs. Well done on a very deserved win. Now just keep it up and there should be a few more like that for you. You are unstoppable right now - Go Tonka Go!

fat bloke

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

Actually, you were right. There's two David Byrne's in Usher and the SL one got the result last night. I thought it was the one in Scratch.

Other way around, you were right

Davey Byrne Scratch was there last night. The other Davey Byrne is his Da! He's in semi limit. He wasn't there last night.

Really enjoyed last night. Semi scratch is where all the craic is. Super fast and super clean and smooth. If the semi limiters could be pursuaded the same that it's actually safer and faster and easier to just ride through a bit and pull over and let the next guy through, and so on and so on and so on, it'd would make for such an improvement. As it is, it's a disaster. Lads go half way up or up to 2nd place and then stop pedaling, won't go around, then other lads go through too hard and lads behind them can't keep the wheel or can't go around and the pace surges and slows and there's no rhythm or coherence.

Anyway, fcuk it no point in giving out about it, I just tried to have my own craic with the race given the lovely weather, rode as hard as I could, and then when when we got caught by semi scratch I rode in with them which was immensely enjoyable I have to say. At the end we were all spread out rather dangerously across the road and I found myself pushed out on the wrong side of the road and couldn't get back in so I just put the boot down and jumped past and out off the front if only to get myself some safe clear road. I was swallowed up and passed going up the hill, and rolled in with the scratchers tired and happy.

The sign on rule is a bit harsh alright but everyone knows now that the time limits are serious and are being enforced. We had to peg it up the embankment to get there in time ourselves. I don't think I've ever gone up there so hard or so fast:eek:

buffalo

Mr. Grieves wrote: »

So, pace was very high. Briefly thought I was going to be dropped at one point. We didn't catch SS, but came v. close.

Did the Scratch group split then, or how are three of the placed riders from Scratch?

Chips Lovell

fat bloke wrote: »

Other way around, you were right

Davey Byrne Scratch was there last night. The other Davey Byrne is his Da! He's in semi limit. He wasn't there last night.

I better drop the organisers a line so. His aul lad was given the points.

Mr. Grieves

buffalo wrote: »

Did the Scratch group split then, or how are three of the placed riders from Scratch?

I think a few people must have got away, I wasn't really aware of it. There were groups of ones and twos up the road on the last section, mainly stragglers from the slower groups, but maybe some Scratch riders too. I, and I think some others in Scratch, sat up with about 1km to go, knowing we wouldn't get any placings.

Chips Lovell

A few from scratch got away alright and made contact with the main bunch.