A3 Riders are Terrible!

07Lapierre

At least thats what Brian Taffe - Dublin wheelers thinks..but does he have a point? Are A3 cyclists that bad?

http://www.irishcycling.com/publish/news/art_4694.shtml

Bikerbhoy

07Lapierre wrote: »

At least thats what Brian Taffe - Dublin wheelers thinks..but does he have a point? Are A3 cyclists that bad?

http://www.irishcycling.com/publish/news/art_4694.shtml

Very experienced guy ,with many years of racing under his belt... so from someone who knows what they are talking about with regard to cycling etiquette I would say YES of course he has a point.

RobFowl

He does know what he's talking about . Was on the road racing commission for a while as well and is a qualified coach.

Slideshowbob

Lapierre you should be working for the Sun with sensational headlines like that ;-)

Good article but if I can play devils advocate (not like me at all):

Doesn't / didnt he have a role in CI!?!?

I heard a rumour someone involved in a recent crash was thinking of taking a case against the race organisers.

Could BT's comment be a pre-emptive strike?!?

blorg

I am only new to open racing but his description of the A3 bunch rings pretty true to me.

I have certainly heard from A2/A1s that the quality of riding is far better in their races. Everything is far more predictable and riders don't do stupid things.

I started in A4 but got upgraded to A3. I would say the riding seems worse in A3 if anything. In A4 riders are perhaps less experienced but they are also more timid and careful and you don't generally see them taking as many crazy risks. The A4 bunches also seem smaller which is probably an important factor.

Again I am only a beginner and would certainly defer to Brian and more experienced riders on their views. Anyone who was riding S3 the last few years have an opinion?

Chips Lovell

Niceonetom made a good point in a previous thread that contrary to the perception that it was all the new riders behaving badly in the A4 bunch, it often was the guys who ought to know better or at least looked like they ought to know better. I'd tend to agree with him and the fact that things appear worse in A3 bears that out a bit?

What's going on? I'm not sure if I've been on the scene long enough to know for sure. I suspect though that it might be down to bigger fields and there is a section of riders out there who never honed their skills over the years but feel justified in using whatever tactic they see necessary to get up near the front.

Velo Bro

I raced back in the late eighties and also early and late ninetiea and there is nothing new in this view from riders who are/ were used to racing in higher level bunches.

A couple of things to keep in mind are that riders tend to progress through these groups so you have a greater mix of abilities in the middle S3 group.

Another factor is the fact that the season has just started and riders are only getting used to racing in a bunch again which after a couple of months should settle down until it all starts again next season:(

sunshinyday

I think there is alot of what he says rings through. I know from my own racing that if you do something wreckless in an A1 Bunch particularly you will be told straight off what it was and why you shouldnt do it. Ive seen it happen and its proper order. I think A1's especially carry that "older brother authority" that makes a telling off more credible.

Im currently racing A3 and i see that if someone does something nuts, either nothing is said or if something is said they get abuse from the offender as if who were they to know anything about cycling.

I think whats needed is for lads too loose their egos about being proficent bike riders, most people make mistakes from time to time, but when you do, shut up/ listen and learn from the mistake.

As noted in BTs letter most people have a job the next day and i think that has to be the underlying thought for most people racing.

smithslist

blorg wrote: »

I have certainly heard from A2/A1s that the quality of riding is far better in their races. Everything is far more predictable and riders don't do stupid things.

Most certainly true, even though the race is tougher (faster, longer etc) it is still safer to me, as you have more experienced riders who don't do stupid things, don't panic etc I much prefer A1\A2 bunches for races compared to A3. Look at Bohermeen there where alot of cagey moments in the A1\A2 race but not a crash, in A3\A4 your most likely to have crashes within these moments.

blorg wrote: »

Again I am only a beginner and would certainly defer to Brian and more experienced riders on their views. Anyone who was riding S3 the last few years have an opinion?

Ive ridden the A3 last few years (upgraded last yr to A2) and most certainly support Brian's comment but this year seems to be much worse than any, I got dropped from the A1\A2 last Sunday and jumped into the A3 bunch for a while but I jumped out soon after cos for me it was too dangerous.

Velo Bro wrote: »

Another factor is the fact that the season has just started and riders are only getting used to racing in a bunch again which after a couple of months should settle down until it all starts again next season:(

Yes it is true, but this year I do not see it happening as much as last few years, or it will take longer this year to happen compared to previous years..

blorg

Well done on your upgrade smithslist. I rode two open races at the start of last year on S3 day licenses as well of course as the same club league as yourself but I'm finding the open racing this year much more hairy. Seems there are multiple crashes in almost every race.

beans

sunshinyday wrote:

...you do something wreckless...

Nice Freudian slip

smithslist

blorg wrote: »

I rode two open races at the start of last year on S3 day licenses as well of course as the same club league as yourself but I'm finding the open racing this year much more hairy.

Yeah the league races are much safer (or should be this year) than open races, but yes the racing so far this year has been hairy esp. within A3\A4 bunches, luckly I aint in that bunch no more.

blorg wrote: »

I'm finding the open racing this year much more hairy. Seems there are multiple crashes in almost every race.

Thats why I jumped out of the A3 bunch last Sunday, in my short time there I seen too many potential accidents that where bound to happen in places where u wouldn't think of happening. Safe place is at front of bunch or side where u have a place to move if anything happens.

LeoD

Do Cycling Ireland have any racing guidelines that we could all make ourselves aware of? I rode club races last year and they were a pleasure compared to my 2 open races this year which I'd liken to the Grand National - lap one consists mainly of trying to stay upright, lap two you can start to think about position but always on the look out for stray horses/bikes/riders. My pet hate is when the pace goes up and the bunch gets strung out slightly, those that couldn't keep up trying to regain their position by travelling up the right side of the road when the pace drops again. If you can't keep up, tough luck. The riders cutting across from the right side of the road I find cause the most panic in the bunch.

Get up the road

Few interesting points made. The bottom line is there are too many in A3 races. We do have jobs to get up for but we also race to win and not to finish in the bunch therefore in the heat of the moment riders will take risks not for 20 euro but for the buzz of winning. What else gets you through your winter training "cant wait to sit up in the gallop not worth it".

I think CI may have miscalculated their regrading there are too few a4s and far too many a3s. The a2 bunch also seems to have fewer riders than last year. I raced s3 the last couple of years and didn't see half as many crashes the bunches tended to be a lot smaller and the riding was of a similar average to poor standard. Take the Gorey and the corkman everyone talks about the amount of crashes after all its the same riders racing each week the bunch is just twice the size as normal (not this year be close enough to average a3 bunch). The a3 bunch is like riding the Gorey each week.

Rather than naming and shaming as suggested in the article its up to the senior members of each club to make sure there riders are behaving in the bunch.

The final point is there have been a few badly organised races of recent cars either side of the road at the finish in Bohermeen was pathetic thats basic stuff.

sunshinyday

beans wrote: »

Nice Freudian slip

nahh not guilty! Freuds overated too:)