Herne Hill Saturday Training

Sorry out tomorrow lads, being a trainer for my cousin in the morning have fun! Might be a lmnh later to chill and watch the tour if anyone is interested! :)

Good inters session on Saturday. Very hot, but thankfully there were a couple of breaks to recover (plus my usual drift off track to recover when I find the going a bit too tough).

I was concerned about the fact that there were at least two guys who hadn't even done a basic session just joining in. Luckily a coach got them two to leave and told them to join in with the basics afterwards.

SPAM ALERT:

A reminder that we would like people to sign up for the forum track day (https://www.lfgss.com/thread109832.html). We could do with a few more ladies showing an interest too please.

I am totally unimpressed at how easy it can be for just anyone to join intermediates and cause chaos, danger or even accidents.
Yes, those two had been noticed by many quite easily and not long after the first drill, but a few others clearly did not possess neither the track skills nor the fitness to join the intermediate session at the peak of the season. One particularly obstinate with a red jersey even joined the experienced riders group in the backstraight for the 30 mins fast rotation after he had been reported as "dangerous" to the coaches..:(

I'd agree that the gap between experience levels in inters is too large now. Saw people struggling with the concept of the 4up/6ups. Good call by the coaches to split the group at that point.

Definitely enough people to have another category between basic and intermediate, if the coaches were willing!

basetermediates?

interasics?

they should probably be called:
intermediates
whinyintermediatesforpeoplewhothinkthey'rebetterthaneveryooneelse

catchy!

I am totally unimpressed at how easy it can be for just anyone to join intermediates and cause chaos, danger or even accidents.
Yes, those two had been noticed by many quite easily and not long after the first drill, but a few others clearly did not possess neither the track skills nor the fitness to join the intermediate session at the peak of the season. One particularly obstinate with a red jersey even joined the experienced riders group in the backstraight for the 30 mins fast rotation after he had been reported as "dangerous" to the coaches..:(

It's the same at Monday nights - I called two or three people out last week for not being able to pedal in a straight line.

they should probably be called:
intermediates
whinyintermediatesforpeoplewhothinkthey'rebetterthaneveryooneelse

catchy!

Do you get a badge?

My fitness is not great (but getting better) but there were people with no spacial awareness. One guy nearly took me out dropping down without looking (and got shouted at) and then there was a girl who seemed not to grasp "single file" as prime suspects.

I went into the "beginners" group for the middle rotation but the gaps and speeding up/slowing down was ridiculous.
The coaches I think had a tough day with the different levels(and did a great job with what they had to work with) but are people doing the 3 x beginners sessions

I'm going along tonight to see how that goes

The thing is that you can technically turn up to three basics sessions and just ride slowly/dick about for them and then roll straight up the session pathway. Likewise - you can get dropped in every drill for 3 weeks of Monday nights and then technically be able to move up to Wednesday night league.

Other than introducing a testing system and a database of riders and their level of ability (which would involve soo much admin), it's hard to see what the coaches can do, other than pull people out for doing obviously stupid stuff.

Anyone that can't pop a wheelie over the finish line gets demoted

@PQR I think you were in that rotation behind me. During the break I asked the coach, Sarah, if she was shouting at me, but her ire was directed at the VCL rider behind me. That rotation was well sketchy, there were people in there who shouldn't have been there.

@PQR I think you were in that rotation behind me. During the break I asked the coach, Sarah, if she was shouting at me, but her ire was directed at the VCL rider behind me. That rotation was well sketchy, there were people in there who shouldn't have been there.

If you are on the Mather then yup, I was behind you until that little wobble. Apparently the guy rides there quite a lot which seemed odd

Yes that's me.

Ah Hello - I've been calling you Robin Mather

Thought the coaches marshalled the whole session excellently. Was the most "mixed" inters I've been to.

Enjoyed the in/out groups-of-five drill in the intermediates today. More of that please! :)

does anyone know how I can get in touch with Rudy from 5th floor?

Pm him? http://www.lfgss.com/member7306.html

Looks like he was active a week ago.

thanks!

Or his Facebook: facebook.com/rudymelo

Off to the induction, never ridden a track bike so this could be interesting.

Bit of a tumble on the intermediates today. I managed to avoid it with a sick whip skid. That's the last time I sandbag rotations, I feel much safer in the faster group with more experienced riders.

I accept crashes in racing sometimes happen, but it's worryingly when people are acting stupidly enough to cause a crash in training sessions.