Humble Pie

[CouchingTiger]

OK, so PK and I have been practicing and pretending to be roadies lately, shaved legs and all. Fast rides, big miles, the works. So last night we go to a real roadie ride out of the Hanscom Civil Air field. The ride breaks into three groups based on milage/speed.

We joined the "A" group on a 32 mile loop. There were maybe 15 riders in the pack. After a short 1/4 mile entry we ramp up to speed. That's where we stayed all night, basically at redline.

I'd forgotten how hard the pack dynamics are w/ a big group. Doing more than your share is a certain death kiss (knew that one). Cycling back to the end of the pack after a pull is another one (hadn't realized that one) as the the folks you're behing are the ones most likely to get droopped, leaving you stranded off the back and having to chase.

I think that I got dropped off the back like 5 times and spent probably 10 miles trying to catch. My final catch was at the base of the biggest climb on the loop, which I knew was coming. There was where I feel off for good. Fortunately PK waited for me and another guy had also gotten shelled there as well.

In hindsight I learned the following, all of which I pretty much knew anyhow;

* Never find yourself at the back of the pack
* Avoid pulling or at least getting stuck up front
* Fast means different things to different people
* You can turn in a 22 mph/avg and still be dropped
* 50 miles of hill sprints before a hammerfest is bad
* 50 miles of road hammerfest before hill sprint is bad
* 25 mile moderate spins in between still take a toll

So at present I've got in 200 miles this week w/ 150 miles of hammerfest and a tandem weekend coming up starting this evening. I'm beat. Hopefully my wife can drag my arse around this weekend ;)

-Couch

[AA]

Yes the real roadie ride can be humbling. I'm glad I missed the ride you were on. I havent been on a fast club ride in about 5 years. I did get passed by a really fast group of 20+ riders on Tue night in Lancaster MA. I was riding alone going about 17 MPH and whooooshhhh they went by me like I was standing still. :o

[I Are Baboon]

Man, stories like that just depress newbie roadies like myself. I did 23 miles the other day and averaged 15.7 MPH, and I thought that made me king turd on **** mountain. ::)

;D I've got a lot of work ahead of me until I am ready to join a group road ride of any sort.

Couch, the important thing is, did you have fun? :)

[CouchingTiger]

Fun? There's no fun in rode riding. It's about pain and suffering and yep, I got lots of that.

We continued the week long pain and suffering fest w/ back to back torture fests this weekend. Only these rides were all on the tandems. I am so tired right now.

-Couch

[jaime]

Couch, what do you mean there's no fun road riding? Tell me you didn't feel like MetroWest's own Virenque after the hill ride? :D

[EVIL BOTA]

Couch , I have to agree. Today I was doing my usual rode ride on my hard rock with road tires.(35 lbs of hell) When this young whipper snapper comes up to me @ a set of lights. Well we take off on this 6 mile stretch . Well my ego doesn't want this youngster to out ride me So I cruise @ 20 + for the six miles. All I ended up doing was dragging this kid for 6 miles. This kid(21 @ best) wasn't
excactly fresh,but I certainly made it easy for him. Riding in the front takes its toll on you. Next time I will be the wiser and let someone else ride in front.

[CouchingTiger]

Agreed, there is no prize for the person who pulled everyone else around and got dropped at the end.

Fun on a hill climb ride? It was "fun" to finally get the puke taste outta my mouth ;)

We're gonna have another shot at the Thurs ride tonight. Target is simply to hang on. No pulls to speak of and play it smart. We'll see. I'm still tired from last week.

-Couch

[pk]

I don't know about no pulls, but we did manage to hang on!

It was actually as epic as a road ride could get. Torrential downpours, flooded roads (complete with rocks rolling down the streams), ZERO visibility while we pacelined at 28 mph. The rain was so hard and the droplets were so large that it was physically painful and impossible to even squint for long periods of time!

Still, we ended up with a 22.4 average after 34miles... and two flats from unseen potholes!

More lessons learned:

After the bulk of the riders were shelled, we found ourselves in a group of four, hammering along. This meant that the paceline rotation was fairly well established and you always drafted the same guy. The savvy riders made sure they were drafting behind bigger guys, while the knuckleheads (like me) ended up behind scrawny short guys! Big difference. Near the end, I ended up behind Couch and it made the world of difference. Couch is a barn door on wheels! ;)

pk

[CouchingTiger]

Barn door, huh >:(

PK, compared to you and me, all roadies are skinny little midgets.

Last night was interesting for sure. Glad we were part of the few that stuck it out, I guess. I've still got sand in the crack of my a$$ though, from all the streams we rode through.

-Couch

[Dino Sore]

More lessons learned:

After the bulk of the riders were shelled, we found ourselves in a group of four, hammering along. This meant that the paceline rotation was fairly well established and you always drafted the same guy. The savvy riders made sure they were drafting behind bigger guys, while the knuckleheads (like me) ended up behind scrawny short guys! Big difference.
pk



Paceline question: I tag along on a weekly ride with the local hammerheads. I can hang with the group if I'm in the middle of the line. However, if I'm the last in line, it's like throwing out an anchor and I quickly lose the draft.

Is it my imagination, or do you have to work harder as the last guy in line? My theory is that since there is no one behind you, the air is slamming shut and creating more drag. Anyone know if this is true?

[CouchingTiger]

Yes, you are correct. The 1st guy works hardest but the last guy is working harder than the folks in the middle (though marginally).

The wind gets pushed over and around by the lead rider and flows by the rest of the group (assuming they are all in tight and roughly the same surface area as the lead rider). The pocket of little/no wind extends to the back of the group but slams shut after the final rider in the pack. That creates some drag as the wind flows over your back.

-Couch

[C.P.]

Here's some paceline humor...I always seem to be leading the "caseyjones" style pacelines...

http://www.cibaride.org/features/Paceline.html

Dino-sore - this is probably obvious - your comment regarding being last can also be amplified if the paceline is never in good "harmony" or as couch put it - a fairly well established paceline - you may know the type I'm speaking of - it's when a paceline leader (or even others within the paceline) can't ever seem to keep a steady pace, and the rest of the paceline pays for it...all while getting squirly; ...before you know it the pace line is goin' down the road like a big slinky...and the last rider in line has the most work b/c they are doin the largest "swing" in the slinky...its a repetitive grabin a handful of brake, then having to accelerate to get back on then...repeat...that sux.