Keith A. Prior
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_000F_01C4997F.F276E130
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Hello:
I just wanted to clarify a post I made last week regarding the concept of
working together in a rotating pace line during a race.
In my post (see below) I mentioned that when in a race this technique is
lost on most people and unless you actually practice it
in training rarely does it come together in a race. I did not think much of
this post until this wonderful chap who I ride with at the track mentioned
that some may have taken my comment as an insult to Team O. I did not mean
to imply that Team Oregon was lost on this aspect of racing but quite
the opposite. When I first got the idea that I wanted to race a bicycle I
hooked up with Team Oregon and they got me out there and
got me well drilled in pack riding and riding the rotating pace line.
I really am glad that I rode with a learned a great deal from the wonderful
Team O people!
-Keith
============================================================================
==================
" It's so funny no matter how many times you explain this concept once the
racing starts everyone goes HUH?!
Unless you have done it in training it rarely comes together in a race. No
one is better at this technique than Team Oregon.
Want to learn this skill the right way...drop in on one of their rides."
-K
-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Mullen [mailto:scmu-@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 3:30 PM
To: ob-@topica.com
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Handicap races
It is extremely helpful, if you are NOT pulling through, to let the
rider coming back in rotation know that he is the "last one", so he can move
over without having to close a gap. Also, if you don't intend to take ANY
pulls, move all the way to the back. A lot of riders will take occasional
pulls, but if a few riders are clogging the lines, it becomes difficult to
get into the rotation. You may find it is easier to hang on a little
further back, just because there can be a lot of gaps that form between the
last rotating rider and the first non-rotating rider.
-Steven Mullen.
In a message dated 9/7/2004 2:54:53 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
mike.m-@obra.org writes:
You are correct. Pull off into the wind. I had windward and leeward
transposed. You should see what my notes look like before spell
checking
;->
Mike Murray
-----Original Message-----
From: Steve-@clark.wa.gov [mailto:Steve-@clark.wa.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 13:49 PM
To: mike.m-@obra.org; ob-@topica.com
Subject: RE: [OBRA Chat] Handicap races
That sounds excellent Mike. However, the riders that are moving to the
back
after pulling should do so on the windward side instead of the lee
side to
protect the other riders from the wind. Isn't that how it's supposed
to
work?
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Murray [mailto:mike.m-@obra.org]
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 1:40 PM
To: OBRA Remailer
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Handicap races
This month at PIR will be conducted as a handicap format. Candi asked
me to
post something about how to ride a handicap.
In a handicap race the riders are started at different times according
to
some pre-set handicapping criteria. The times are estimated to make
it
probable that all the riders will come together in a single group just
before the finish. Obviously this is not what always happens.
Sometimes
the groups come together earlier and sometimes not at all. The winner
is
the first person across the line, regardless of which group they
started
with. Handicaps change the dynamics of bike racing. They encourage
more
cooperative riding before the finish and they, obviously, make it
easier
slower rider to win.
When you ride a handicap it is essential that the group works together
as
efficiently as possible before all the groups combine. This is just
as
important for the slower handicapped groups as it is for the faster
groups.
The slower groups want to keep moving and stay away from the faster
groups
so that they will not need to sprint against them. The faster groups
want
to catch the slower groups as quickly as possible. To work together
it is
best if as many people participate in pulling as possible. Ideally
there
will be a long 2 abreast rotating pace line. The windward side will
be
riders moving forward to take a pull at the front and the leeward side
will
be riders who have pulled and are rotating to the back. When you
reach the
back you switch back to the other line and move forward. Inevitably
there
will be people that will not pull, either because they can't or
because they
won't. Those people need to stay at the back and out of the way so
that the
rest of the group will work efficiently. They should never enter the
rotating group, go to the front and then not pull as this will slow
the
entire group. Riders coming back in the line need to be aware of the
riders
that are not pulling and make sure that they get in back into the
forward
moving line without allowing a gap to open. If there are too many
people at
the back or if the people not pulling are obvious contenders for the
finish
it will make the group move less efficiently. Jumping off the front
of the
group should also be discouraged as this will also tend to slow the
net
speed of the entire group. In fact, when going to the front it is
important
to avoid going to fast, creating a gap behind you that will need to be
closed. Ideally the rider in the lead will slow by virtue of being in
the
lead and the second person takes over the lead smoothly. As the
groups all
come together OR as the race approaches the finish the cooperative
effect
diminishes and regular bike racing dynamics apply.
Mike Murray
To respond to the whole group send to ob-@topica.com.
To respond to the list manager send to cmur-@obra.org
To unsubscribe send to obra-uns-@topica.comTo respond to the whole
group send to ob-@topica.com.
To respond to the list manager send to cmur-@obra.org
To unsubscribe send to
------=_NextPart_000_000F_01C4997F.F276E130
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type
content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff">
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004>Hello:</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004>I just wanted to clarify a post I made last
week regarding the concept of working together in a rotating pace line during a
race.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004>In my post (see below) I mentioned that when
in a race this technique is lost on most people and unless you actually practice
it</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004>in training rarely does it come together in
a race. I did not think much of this post until this wonderful chap who I ride
with at the track mentioned </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004>that some may have taken my comment as
an insult to Team O. </SPAN><SPAN class=878410016-13092004>I did not mean
to imply that Team Oregon was lost on this aspect of racing but quite
</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004>the opposite. When I first got the idea
</SPAN><SPAN class=878410016-13092004>that I wanted to race a bicycle I hooked
up with Team Oregon and they got me out there and </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004><SPAN class=228435117-13092004>got me
</SPAN>well drilled in pack riding and </SPAN><SPAN
class=878410016-13092004>riding the rotating pace line. </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004>I really am glad that I rode with a learned
a great deal from the wonderful Team O people!</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004>-Keith</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=878410016-13092004></SPAN><SPAN
class=228435117-13092004></SPAN>=<SPAN
class=228435117-13092004>============================================================================================= </SPAN><BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV><SPAN class=398153922-07092004><SPAN
class=878410016-13092004>" </SPAN>It's so funny no matter how many times
you explain this concept once the racing starts everyone goes
HUH?!</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=398153922-07092004>Unless you have done it in training it
rarely comes together in a race. No one is better at this technique than Team
Oregon.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=398153922-07092004>Want to learn this skill the right
way...drop in on one of their rides.<SPAN
class=878410016-13092004>" </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=398153922-07092004></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=398153922-07092004>-K</SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Steven Mullen
[mailto:scmu-@aol.com]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, September 07, 2004 3:30
PM<BR><B>To:</B> ob-@topica.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [OBRA Chat] Handicap
races<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>It is extremely helpful, if you are NOT pulling through, to let the
rider coming back in rotation know that he is the "last one", so he can move
over without having to close a gap. Also, if you don't intend to take
ANY pulls, move all the way to the back. A lot of riders will take
occasional pulls, but if a few riders are clogging the lines, it becomes
difficult to get into the rotation. You may find it is easier to hang
on a little further back, just because there can be a lot of gaps that form
between the last rotating rider and the first non-rotating rider.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>-Steven Mullen.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 9/7/2004 2:54:53 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
mike.m-@obra.org writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT
face=Arial>You are correct. Pull off into the wind. I had
windward and leeward<BR>transposed. You should see what my notes
look like before spell checking<BR>;-><BR><BR>Mike
Murray<BR><BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: Steve-@clark.wa.gov
[mailto:Steve-@clark.wa.gov]<BR>Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004
13:49 PM<BR>To: mike.m-@obra.org; ob-@topica.com<BR>Subject: RE:
[OBRA Chat] Handicap races<BR><BR><BR>That sounds excellent Mike. However,
the riders that are moving to the back<BR>after pulling should do so on
the windward side instead of the lee side to<BR>protect the other riders
from the wind. Isn't that how it's supposed
to<BR>work?<BR><BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: Mike Murray
[mailto:mike.m-@obra.org]<BR>Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 1:40
PM<BR>To: OBRA Remailer<BR>Subject: [OBRA Chat] Handicap
races<BR><BR><BR>This month at PIR will be conducted as a handicap
format. Candi asked me to<BR>post something about how to ride a
handicap.<BR><BR>In a handicap race the riders are started at different
times according to<BR>some pre-set handicapping criteria. The times
are estimated to make it<BR>probable that all the riders will come
together in a single group just<BR>before the finish. Obviously this
is not what always happens. Sometimes<BR>the groups come together
earlier and sometimes not at all. The winner is<BR>the first person
across the line, regardless of which group they started<BR>with.
Handicaps change the dynamics of bike racing. They encourage
more<BR>cooperative riding before the finish and they, obviously, make it
easier<BR>slower rider to win.<BR><BR>When you ride a handicap it is
essential that the group works together as<BR>efficiently as possible
before all the groups combine. This is just as<BR>important for the
slower handicapped groups as it is for the faster groups.<BR>The slower
groups want to keep moving and stay away from the faster groups<BR>so that
they will not need to sprint against them. The faster groups
want<BR>to catch the slower groups as quickly as possible. To work
together it is<BR>best if as many people participate in pulling as
possible. Ideally there<BR>will be a long 2 abreast rotating
pace line. The windward side will be<BR>riders moving forward to
take a pull at the front and the leeward side will<BR>be riders who have
pulled and are rotating to the back. When you reach the<BR>back you
switch back to the other line and move forward. Inevitably
there<BR>will be people that will not pull, either because they can't or
because they<BR>won't. Those people need to stay at the back and out
of the way so that the<BR>rest of the group will work efficiently.
They should never enter the<BR>rotating group, go to the front and then
not pull as this will slow the<BR>entire group. Riders coming back
in the line need to be aware of the riders<BR>that are not pulling and
make sure that they get in back into the forward<BR>moving line without
allowing a gap to open. If there are too many people at<BR>the back
or if the people not pulling are obvious contenders for the finish<BR>it
will make the group move less efficiently. Jumping off the front of
the<BR>group should also be discouraged as this will also tend to slow the
net<BR>speed of the entire group. In fact, when going to the front
it is important<BR>to avoid going to fast, creating a gap behind you that
will need to be<BR>closed. Ideally the rider in the lead will slow
by virtue of being in the<BR>lead and the second person takes over the
lead smoothly. As the groups all<BR>come together OR as the race
approaches the finish the cooperative effect<BR>diminishes and regular
bike racing dynamics apply.<BR><BR>Mike Murray</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV></DIV><PRE>To respond to the whole group send to ob-@topica.com.
To respond to the list manager send to cmur-@obra.org
To unsubscribe send to obra-uns-@topica.com</PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE>To respond to the whole group send to ob-@topica.com.
To respond to the list manager send to cmur-@obra.org
To unsubscribe send to obra-uns-@topica.com</PRE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_000F_01C4997F.F276E130--