2009 HH Track League

Its getting warmer and a bit of a breeze drys it surprisingly quickly.

funny about people's bluff being called. i went boozing in clapham.

Who is going tonight? Went to Crystal Palace last night and got my legs ripped off, but I'll be there.

Think I'm gonna head down. Still trying to shake my current cold, but I'll have a crack.

[Wonders whether to bring his new wheel]

I'm going - was also at CP last night so it'll be interesting to see how the legs hold up.

Guy - any chance you could pop that Miche chainring in your bag? Thanks.

I will be there. My new bike is finished but I don't think I can get it down there tonight. Unless I can strap it to my back!

Mike what about this!

1 Attachment

Will do
[Hope I remember]

Mike, you're dying to strap it to your back, I know you are.

It will be fine if you don't have to carry the wheels as well. I've ridden with a frame on my back loads of times. Bring it along mike.

Although it might be better to be tweaking your position on a practice session rather than race night.

Last night was great, but confusing! I miscounted all the laps on the points race, sprinting for nothing, and then the 42 lap 20km race turned into a 50-lap race. someone said it should always have been a 50 lap race ... so why have we always been racing 42?!

anyway, the race was done at a reasonable enough pace but I got confused (again) by people dropping in for a couple of laps. that's alright on a training ride but not so sure it's the done thing on a league race.

I think Mike sprinted for a non-counting lap in the points race too, if it's any consolation! The 50 laps in the scratch race was new for last night, normally it's 42 laps. I tend to agree about people dropping out of the bunch only to rejoin after a breather. I also think people who've been dropped need to ride with some awareness of what's going on at the head of the race. The leaders caught a group of 4 or 5 lapped riders just as they started the last lap and really they, the lapped riders, should have gotten out of the way.

Yep, I sprinted in the wrong lap. Managed to pick up 3 points on the final lap though so that was something.

I was one of the guilty ones concerning the dropping out the race and then back in. To be fair though, I had not had a proper warm up all evening as was faffing around with my bike for most of it. The pace picked up too quickly for me to get accustomed to so I rolled round for about 6 laps. Then I rejoined the pace once I felt good and kept with it until the end. Though I was aware of the impact this may have had on the others still battling for first place etc. So I pulled up to the top on the final lap and stayed out of the way. Not sure of the etiquette of doing this. But I wanted to get my monies worth.

It was a friggin nightmare at times. When we passed one fairly big group they seemed to pick up speed meaning we were on the blue line for ages trying to get past them.
I dont think its on at all to rejoin the group The whole point in building up the speed is to drop slower riders, its fucking hard (for me) to hang on to those big A boys, so when you do hang on And do your turn on the front to help keep the smaller lead going, its very anoying to turn around to see that suddenly the field is massive because lapped people re-joing, spreading the field out, so the dropped riders manage to get back on the pace.
This is a bit of a rant, and I know its just a bit of fun really on a Wednesday night, but it is what I train for on the Sundays and Monday nights. I think it needs to made clear at the start of the race that dropped riders that are aboutt to be lapped must move up the bank and stay back and not try and get back on.

End Rant.

Ps, Stelle needs to be moved up to the A group.

understand the need to rant tom, I was baffled that I ended up sprinting for second in the B cat race when a couple of laps before there seemed to be loads of Bs in front of me. and yes, it was stelle I was sprinting against, after 50 laps ...

So you are suggesting pursuit rules for the 50 lap? Once a rider is caught, they must drop out?
I think that is a bit unfair, riders can be doing the race at their own pace, and still be perfectly validly doing every lap.

Total agree about dropping in and out of the race though. That is not on. If you in, do it all, if your out, get out.

The approach taken previously at HH is that the lead group is left to do their own thing - if you drop out of it then form a different group.

By dropping out of the race, do you mean literally stopping for a few laps or rolling around with the slower group? If its rolling around with the slower group as I was doing. I don't see any reason why I can't speed up again when the group go past if I want to tag onto the end of them again? They need to make it clear what the rules are concerning this really. With that in mind, the last thing I would want to do is piss anyone off. Next week I should be able to keep the pace with the main group. Although it seems like these mass endurace starts are not really my thing. I will need to work harder

I am not so clear on the rules as well.. I got dropped and joined the slower group for a bit and found that that was to slow, then the fast group came past. The fast group had slowed since i had got droped,so followed mike and joined onto the back of that. What are you meant to do??

the lapped riders needs to stay out of main bunch, or stay at the very end of bunch by letting riders in before them.
It was quite windy last night and the pace slowed down considerably after 10-15 laps, and no one really making committed effort to break away, so was quite easy to stay together.

Stelle did really well, she's going from strength-to-strength!

I was in a dream position going into the final lap, but couldn't quite hold the wheel of the last A in front of me as they upped the pace, so ended up in the wind for half a lap.. then some Bs came past me on the line... I was disappointed.

I've decided my gear is a bit high, so I'm going to buy a 15t for the next one, which will take me from 92" to 86". Maybe I'll find that a bit spinny, what does everyone else think?

I dont mean in any way people should drop out of the race if they or I are dropped. I mean if you or your group is being lapped you shouldnt be able to latch onto the back. The reason I think this is because it means a very long line can form and people who are dropped off the back, but not lapped, can get back on easier because the distance to the last rider in the first group is now shorter. It means all the work done on the front to split the race is a waste of time.
I dont know the rules, I am new to this, its just an opinion. The whole point of the endurance races is to go as long and fast as you can, its not based on sprint. I could understand being able to drop out for a lap in the points race, for example.

The fast group had slowed since i had got droped,so followed mike and joined onto the back of that. What are you meant to do??

I would say move up and let the group lap you, or keep going in front (if you have been lapped, that is, if you have managed to work your way back to the front group thats different). I would have thought its more like time trial rules where you cant sit in the slipstream, of a passing rider.

Like I say, just my thoughts. I'm not having a go. But I would be interested in the *official *rules if anyone knows.

Stelle did really well, she's going from strength-to-strength!

I was in a dream position going into the final lap, but couldn't quite hold the wheel of the last A in front of me as they upped the pace, so ended up in the wind for half a lap.. then some Bs came past me on the line... I was disappointed.

I've decided my gear is a bit high, so I'm going to buy a 15t for the next one, which will take me from 92" to 86". Maybe I'll find that a bit spinny, what does everyone else think?

Depends how you are putting 92" together. If thats a 48x15 92 then I would recommend a 47x14 90. I find that gear seems to work for everything at HH. Think there are a couple of cheap 47t on ebay at the mo.

92 down to 86 you will feel like you are spinning your ass off.

Stelle did really well, she's going from strength-to-strength!

+1 Well done, you are getting a bit too good ;-)

Totally agree, if you have been lapped (and had a bit of a rest) it is pretty cheeky to grab on the coat tails of the people lapping you.