Sherman Park Crit - Mini Race Report
To those of you that think racing CRITs are scary; you're right
To those of you that think racing CRITs sitting in the group is easy; you're wrong
Last weekend, had the itch to race my bike. Signed up for the Sherman Park Crit and was able to secure a slot in the 5B race. The 5B slot is the minor leagues of Cat 5 racing or in a lot of cases the second race of the day for those in 5A. Didn't really know what to expect, but lined up and gave it a shot.
Spend the first three laps or so on the outside of the peloton, not really enjoying a lot of the drafting benefits, but I wasn't ready to sit in the pack. After a few laps move towards the middle of the pack but towards the back half. The accordian effect was crazy at the back. Lots of pops to get back on. So the easiest of the fields, I was sitting at NP of 242 and we were clipping around at 24.8 MPH, when the first of several crashes happened. A few rows up, their was a touch of wheels and the sound of metal on the pavement and lots of F bombs. I locked up the brakes and skidded into the crash and got twisted up in the downed bikes. Got free and the peloton was gone. I was too far from neutral support to get a free lap, so just hit the drops and TT'd until the bell lap. The second half of the race, I was either solo moving through dropped riders or working with one or two guys trying to find the group. Second half of the race was NP 258 but only average 21.8 mph. I was LAPPED but was given credit for a field finish. Lots of DNF's, I would NOT run any race equipment in these things. Stayed around for other races and saw some narely crashes.
Takeaways:
- If you lose the wheels ahead of you; you're done.
- Protect your position with your elbows
- Riding in a group at 25 mph, you have to be on high alert and hold your line
- Riding in a group at 25 mph vs 15mph like in CX races is another world.
Two ambulances were called after my race, luckily they were not reserved for me!
Total IF was .948
Comments
Nice race!
"when the first of several crashes happened."
You lost me right there
. There's a stage race out here in mid-March that I've always considered doing.
Awesome work. Where else can you get .95 and see that kind of action? And way to stay healthy. Cat 5 is like bumpo cars and lots of guys don't hold their lines in the turns which just ain't right. You were smart to stay clear and be safe.
cm
Crashes happen in road races too. Crits have a bad rap but that's the races guys "try" out for the first time.
Rich - you got to get yourself out of 5 so you race maters. Masters races are the best. Speed & Experience. It's a blast to rock through corners at 28+ with guys on your shoulders and you feel completely at ease knowing that the guy next to you knows exactly what the hell he's doing. Plus high speed makes for clean racing. The weak get spit out and the faster the race you generally ride in a long line of pain so no bunching of riders (no overlapping rules, bad lines)
I have to say, I use to love racing crits and the track because there is nothing faster. But as you get older common sense does start to intrude sometimes. As far as staying safe in a road race, crit or on the track, the secret is to stay within the firt 5 positions of the front. You get the draft, but most of the squirrels are behind you.