A4 Racing

killalanerr

harringtonp wrote: »

Did the National Vets Championship this year, first time ever racing with guys roughly my own age.

Biggest impression the race made on me was how polite competitors were compared to what I have been used to.

The guy next to me in the carpark remarked that at our stage injury is usually costlier that when younger. I guess nobody in that race had world champ aspirations and all bar probably 10-15 were just along for the ride and happy to hang in the main bunch.

Speak for your self . But ya I take your point

easygoing39

I raced 4 A4 races this year,and unless your a strong rider who stays near the front,getting involved in a crash is a very likely event.If fact in one race in Navan,there was 2 crashes in 2km about 5km from the finish line,and I missed them both as I was at the back of the pack,and the crashes where at the front!!So maybe nowhere is safe in a A4 race? Its a lottery,riding at the front generally keeps you out of crashes,but it uses more energy,so youre chance of winning the usual A4 bunch sprint is decreased lots.

wirelessdude01

easygoing39 wrote: »

I raced 4 A4 races this year,and unless your a strong rider who stays near the front,getting involved in a crash is a very likely event.If fact in one race in Navan,there was 2 crashes in 2km about 5km from the finish line,and I missed them both as I was at the back of the pack,and the crashes where at the front!!So maybe nowhere is safe in a A4 race? Its a lottery,riding at the front generally keeps you out of crashes,but it uses more energy,so youre chance of winning the usual A4 bunch sprint is decreased lots.

That course in Navan that day was an accident waiting to happen. Surface was a disgrace coming into the finish plus idiotic cycling in both A4 and A3 races meant a crash in both races at more or less the same spot. Our group had more or less called the spot where a crash was likely to happen just by going on a small warm up spin.

dermabrasion

I have often thought that an A4 sprint is like the landing craft scene out of Saving Private Ryan. You get used to riders falling around you as you focus on the road ahead of you. My luck ran out for a period of about six weeks; I got hit from the right side by the domino effect when lads on the wrong side of the road veered into me as they met an oncoming car. I got hit from behind by a guy sprinting for 40th. I hit a guy who breaked to a halt as soon as he crossed the line, and I bounced off a pile up caused by a sprinter that pulled up 20meters out when he ran out of gas.
But, it was to crash that Doozerie came down bothered me the most. I had pulled up the previous lap (having a bad day), and watch the randomness of the crash from the finish. There were 5 lads injured, one fairly badly. I thought this was nuts.
That said, I likely will race A4 next year. I think I am better at sensing bad stuff about to happen, and hang back. I think the A4 bunch needs to have experienced riders to set the tone and perhaps mentor the new guys with big engines. A3 guys should be able to drop back too if they find the pace set by the Eddie Dunbars too much.

G rock

Anybody racing on steel?

I know at a4 level it's more about the rider than the marginal gains of a top end race bike, but still, I don't fancy being out of the running from the get go.

That and the risk of crashing my pride and joy (mercian reynolds 853) are holding me back somewhat!

Harrybelafonte

G rock wrote: »

Anybody racing on steel?

I know at a4 level it's more about the rider than the marginal gains of a top end race bike, but still, I don't fancy being out of the running from the get go.

That and the risk of crashing my pride and joy (mercian reynolds 853) are holding me back somewhat!

A few ride steel, I've seen Benottos in A4 and Tommassini in A3

outfox

Do any of the crashes result in complete write off of carbon frames? Apparently the house insurance wont cover the bike in a race situation. I'm hoping to race A4 next season.

wav1

outfox wrote: »

Do any of the crashes result in complete write off of carbon frames? Apparently the house insurance wont cover the bike in a race situation. I'm hoping to race A4 next season.

Apparently..Thats the best one I heard in a while....
Carbon scrap is quite regular...but its all in the game

killalanerr

You have to love boards,lads the best way to test yourself against your piers is to race, so you have 2 choices TTs or road races,if you choose road races you may fall off even if you choose TTs you may still fall off but admittedly the chances are greatly reduced if you don't want to fall off don't race, but even then their is no guarantee you won't fall off.....

JUST do it,

Harrybelafonte

No one likes to see crashes or to crash, no-one likes to see others injured or be injured... But if the fear of it is stopping you from racing, then you either never understood what racing was about or you just didn't want to do it.

Go out and race and ride safe... Otherwise stick to whatever you already do and enjoy it.

Hi Ho

When fellas crash in the Rás or Tour they are warriors.
When they crash in A4 they are idiots.

Harrybelafonte

Oversimplification and you know it. Pros know how to hold their lines, Pros know not to f'kin slam on the brakes when they see a shadow, start munching on food in the middle of the bunch going up a drag, half wheel, panic cos someone's arm touched theirs. And in saying all that do you think Hayden Roulston didn't get a bollocking after Paris-Roubaix?

Raam

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Oversimplification and you know it. Pros know how to hold their lines, Pros know not to f'kin slam on the brakes when they see a shadow, start munching on food in the middle of the bunch going up a drag, half wheel, panic cos someone's arm touched theirs. And in saying all that do you think Hayden Roulston didn't get a bollocking after Paris-Roubaix?

That crash wasn't his fault really. His wheel got caught in mud.

Lusk_Doyle

Raam wrote: »

That crash wasn't his fault really. His wheel got caught in mud.

Was he not the trek lad who decided that it would be a great idea to jump up and grind a kerb while at the front of the peleton?

Raam

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Was he not the trek lad who decided that it would be a great idea to jump up and grind a kerb while at the front of the peleton?

That's what it looked like from one angle but not actually what happened...

Time embed not working, go to 9.40

RobFowl

Falling off is part and parcel of the sport, avoid if at all possible but will happen if you do it for long enough.
Once you get your head around that it's less of a worry.....

Harrybelafonte

Raam wrote: »

That's what it looked like from one angle but not actually what happened...

Time embed not working, go to 9.40

Looks completely different now, like he slips, as you say. That little effort to bunny hop is as he slips rather than before?

Beasty

RobFowl wrote: »

Once you get your head around that it's less of a worry.....

Not sure if "looking forward to my next race" is the right expression, but actually getting through it will be a big hurdle for me. Thereafter I'm hoping I will have "my head around it" and not some lampost somewhere ....:pac:

daragh_

I spent all of last winter stressing about how I would react when I did my first post-crash race. 30 seconds in I was fine. Still brutal mind

Lusk_Doyle

I have not raced an open race since mid 2013. I plan on getting up the road when I get back next year! I hate sitting in the bunch. Not the greatest from a race craft POV and it's not due to fear of crashing either. I just get bored sitting in the bunch and like to make others work to catch me!

whacker00

Great reading, hoping to get into racing myself next season. Looking forward to it and getting the winter base in.

Not gonna think too much about it and probably will struggle for the first few races but sure that's how to learn

Stevieg2009

whacker00 wrote: »

Great reading, hoping to get into racing myself next season. Looking forward to it and getting the winter base in.

Not gonna think too much about it and probably will struggle for the first few races but sure that's how to learn

Have to agree super thread going to give it a lash next year myself have the club lge under the belt this year so should help no doubt will get **** out the back early doors but sure if your not in and all that as for crashes sure can't b any worse then risking driving on the roads most days a lot of idiots on 4 wheels

dermabrasion

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

I hate sitting in the bunch. Not the greatest from a race craft POV and it's not due to fear of crashing either. I just get bored sitting in the bunch and like to make others work to catch me!

Totally agree! I enjoyed randomly going off the front more than sitting-in playing the waiting game. I don't have the horsepower to sustain attacks, and it is not going to get me points, but it is fun. No one is going to help you, they just drag the bunch back. But burying myself on a Saturday/Sunday morning and getting into the car having totally left it all on the road is satisfying.

Lusk_Doyle

dermabrasion wrote: »

Totally agree! I enjoyed randomly going off the front more than sitting-in playing the waiting game. I don't have the horsepower to sustain attacks, and it is not going to get me points, but it is fun. No one is going to help you, they just drag the bunch back. But burying myself on a Saturday/Sunday morning and getting into the car having totally left it all on the road is satisfying.

That's the thing. I have the hp to keep going and going repeatedly and I'm sure it wrecks heads in the pack but it's how I have my fun! One day it will work I'm sure!

outfox

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

That's the thing. I have the hp to keep going and going repeatedly and I'm sure it wrecks heads in the pack but it's how I have my fun! One day it will work I'm sure!

If I get to race next year, I'm gonna hate you guys!

Harrybelafonte

outfox wrote: »

If I get to race next year, I'm gonna hate you guys!

I'm still not sure about upgrading myself to A3 next year so this may be my approach in A4 if ifind myself there again.

Beasty

Well I certainly will be sticking in A4, but have absolutely no intention of doing any A4 races next year....

surripere

Will there be an upgrade option this year?

Beasty

surripere wrote: »

Will there be an upgrade option this year?

A proposal has been put to the AGM that would allow this. Clearly though it still needs to be voted on.

Daroxtar

Is A4 really that bad? This thread has put me right off. Might look into the Vets, although that makes me feel old. Thanks Boards.ie.