Jonathan C. Puskas

Errr...Ummm...BEER SPONSOR!!!

Half-Fast Velo

--- mszwaya@comcast.net wrote:

> This is a pretty general and wide-open question but
> -- what exactly is a cycling team? I've played many
> team sports before but in a relatively
> individual-based sport like amateur cycling, I'd
> just like to understand how they work and if there
> are pros and cons to joining one. Based on the Team
> link page on the website, some memberships are open
> and others, understandably, seem invite only.
>
> At my current level, Cat 5, it looks like maybe
> 30-40% of the racers are on a team but this
> percentage goes way up as you go from Cat 5 to Cat 3
> and above. From the limited racing I've done up
> until now, I've seen very few 'team' strategies at
> the 4/5 level. Most everyone appears to be on their
> own. Does this change as you move up?
>
> I'm just curious to know if trying to join a team is
> something to consider and what is involved with
> being on one.
>
> I have no doubt this has been raised before but I
> wasn't able to easily find any reference in the list
> archives. I'd be happy to compile answers and set
> it up as a faq link for the OBRA web page if there
> isn't one already (I didn't see one). It could be
> helpful for other new riders.
>
> Thanks.
> ----
> Mike Szwaya
> Cat 5 #2088
> Email: mszwaya@comcast.net>
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>

Jonathan C. Puskas
159 Fifth Street
Lake Oswego, OR 97034
impuskas@yahoo.com

"If you're gonna charge...charge hard!"

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Erik Voldengen

You'll get a ton of replies, I'm sure.

Racing as a team can lend several advantages in a race. As you get more
experienced with racing, more such advantages can be utilized. There's a
lot of out of race advantages, but as far as in-race, here's a quick few:

- Teams can dedicate their efforts to winning a sprint by forming a
train to get to the finish line. Each guy in line goes 100% until he's
dead, then peels off. This keeps their sprinter out of the wind and keeps
the peleton strung out instead of bunched up.

- Teams can share resources - wheels, equipment, food, whatever

- Team members can share the responsibility for chasing down breaks
so you don't have to chase down each one alone

- When a team member goes out on a breakaway attempt, their teammates
can hinder the chase from the pack. They get in the pace line and slow
things down and through the rhythm off.

- Sometimes little things like someone letting you in the paceline
help a lot, too.

-Erik

___

Erik Voldengen
Fusium, Inc.

2037 NW Lovejoy
Portland, OR 97209

503-226-7099
www.fusium.com

Fusium

_____

From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
Behalf Of mszwaya@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 11:48 AM
To: OBRA List
Subject: [OBRA Chat] General team questions

This is a pretty general and wide-open question but -- what exactly is a
cycling team? I've played many team sports before but in a relatively
individual-based sport like amateur cycling, I'd just like to understand how
they work and if there are pros and cons to joining one. Based on the Team
link page on the website, some memberships are open and others,
understandably, seem invite only.

At my current level, Cat 5, it looks like maybe 30-40% of the racers are on
a team but this percentage goes way up as you go from Cat 5 to Cat 3 and
above. From the limited racing I've done up until now, I've seen very few
'team' strategies at the 4/5 level. Most everyone appears to be on their
own. Does this change as you move up?

I'm just curious to know if trying to join a team is something to consider
and what is involved with being on one.

I have no doubt this has been raised before but I wasn't able to easily find
any reference in the list archives. I'd be happy to compile answers and set
it up as a faq link for the OBRA web page if there isn't one already (I
didn't see one). It could be helpful for other new riders.

Thanks.

----
Mike Szwaya

Cat 5 #2088
Email: mszwaya@comcast.net

Geri Bossen

Reasons to join a cycling team:
..To have guys to train with.
..To have someone to carpool with.
..So you can go on team rides.
..To have more experienced racers to guide you.
..To have someone to explain race tactics to you.
..To have someone to explain race etiquette to you.
..To have someone who can pin your number on for you.
..To have someone you can borrow a pump from before the race.
..To have someone who will help you chase back on after a wheel change.
..To have teammates to help you during a race.
..To have teammates you can help during a race.
..To have someone to share carbo loading with after the race.
..To have someone to learn to do a paceline with.
..Because the team jerseys look cooler than plain jerseys.
..To get team discounts on items.
..To have someone who shares your enthusiasm for racing (besides your wife?).
..So your wife has some other teammate's wife to talk to during the race.
..To see how your team does in the BAR.
..So you can volunteer at the races your team puts on.
..So you can someday share your race wisdom with a novice racer.

I think those are the basic reason.

Some teams like Team Oregon have open team rides where you can go a meet team members and learn the flavor of the team.

Geri Bossen

----- Original Message -----
From: mszwaya@comcast.net
To: OBRA List
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 11:47 AM
Subject: [OBRA Chat] General team questions

This is a pretty general and wide-open question but -- what exactly is a cycling team? I've played many team sports before but in a relatively individual-based sport like amateur cycling, I'd just like to understand how they work and if there are pros and cons to joining one. Based on the Team link page on the website, some memberships are open and others, understandably, seem invite only.

At my current level, Cat 5, it looks like maybe 30-40% of the racers are on a team but this percentage goes way up as you go from Cat 5 to Cat 3 and above. From the limited racing I've done up until now, I've seen very few 'team' strategies at the 4/5 level. Most everyone appears to be on their own. Does this change as you move up?

I'm just curious to know if trying to join a team is something to consider and what is involved with being on one.

I have no doubt this has been raised before but I wasn't able to easily find any reference in the list archives. I'd be happy to compile answers and set it up as a faq link for the OBRA web page if there isn't one already (I didn't see one). It could be helpful for other new riders.

Thanks.
----
Mike Szwaya
Cat 5 #2088
Email: mszwaya@comcast.net

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mszwaya@comcast.net

This is a pretty general and wide-open question but -- what exactly is a cycling team? I've played many team sports before but in a relatively individual-based sport like amateur cycling, I'd just like to understand how they work and if there are pros and cons to joining one. Based on the Team link page on the website, some memberships are open and others, understandably, seem invite only.

At my current level, Cat 5, it looks like maybe 30-40% of the racers are on a team but this percentage goes way up as you go from Cat 5 to Cat 3 and above. From the limited racing I've done up until now, I've seen very few 'team' strategies at the 4/5 level. Most everyone appears to be on their own. Does this change as you move up?

I'm just curious to know if trying to join a team is something to consider and what is involved with being on one.

I have no doubt this has been raised before but I wasn't able to easily find any reference in the list archives. I'd be happy to compile answers and set it up as a faq link for the OBRA web page if there isn't one already (I didn't see one). It could be helpful for other new riders.

Thanks.
----
Mike Szwaya
Cat 5 #2088
Email: mszwaya@comcast.net