Northern California Bicycle Racing Community
The Bump Circuit Race
My first race after state championships in May came two months later, an unusually long time to go without competing.
What's more, it wasn't even on my mountain bike, but my first road race ever, in the famed Cat 5 category.
I lined up with 25 other riders, 20 of whom didn't have to go through the travails of junior gearing- I had to race without my four hardest gears, making it tough on the descents to keep up with the massively geared masters and middle aged Cat 5 pros.
The course was a 7 mile loop, in which we did 3.5 laps. The first half lap was a long run up to a climb that peaked on a sharp 15 second 'bump' that acted as the finish line.
From there, a half mile of tough rolling terrain was topped off with a long descent, and a long straight road with a minute long climb in the middle of it. After completing the loop, we made a sharp right hand turn and began the climb once again.
All told, we climbed four times and descended three times.
We rolled out to a wonderful road race start- quite the opposite to what I am used to, a mountain bike whole-shot that rips apart your legs before the main events of the race even begin.
The nonsensical sprint to a single track was replaced with a neutral rollout and a slow run up to the first climb.
Up the first climb, I comfortably held my spot in the front half of the peloton. There was minimal separation as we crested the finish line to start lap one. We hit the descent slow, before reaching the drag before the start line.
I followed another rider as he moved up the left side of the group, and before long I found myself in second. After the hill, I pulled through and lead into the second climb.
I pulled off to let someone else take the lead, but the next few guys started looking at each other, so I thought, 'what the hell.' I increased my pace and opened up a little gap, nothing special, not an attack, just a little opening I saw.
I got five seconds of a lead, but I could tell it wasn't going to amount to much. Not wanting to go solo for two tough laps, I pulled over and allowed myself to be reabsorbed by the base of the climb.
That sprung two riders, who got a 10 to 15 second lead up the hill. We reeled them back at the top of the bump, and hit two laps to go all together, save for a handful of riders already joining Mark Cavendish in the gruppetto.
After another uneventful descent, except for a nervy moment over the top where I had to chase down a few riders in front of me, fatigued from the effort I just put in, we hit the one minute drag for the second time.
Once again, I followed anyone who went, this time three teammates (Cognition Racing), older guys who had calves the size of my torso. It looked like a promising move right over the top, so I latched on, fourth wheel.
This was the only point where my junior gearing really affected me. Basically spinning out on the descent, I managed to keep my position as these guys hammered into the next climb. Nothing came of it, but the pace was hard enough to narrow the group down further as the bell lap appeared.
The same formula once again happened on this lap: slow descent, before I rode to the front on the little climb, nearing the lead going into the final summit.
The last climb was fast, with everyone looking to get in position to win. With a half mile or less to go, I decided to have more fun, because why not? It was my first road race, there was no pressure. It was much more fun to be active than sit in and hope to contest the sprint.
Of course, when I hit out for the fourth or fifth time, I would be way more tired than anyone in the front group of now just 14.
I was reabsorbed in a futile effort to win solo, and funneled to the back, getting gapped before the decisive turn to the finish. I passed a few guys on the way to the line, ending in 9th place. Not a result I would take going in to the race, but respectable considering how active I was.
Looking forward, I might choose a different tactic for Dunningan Hills in a few weeks, and hopefully try to get a result towards the end.
I'll see you guys in Downieville!
Otis
What's more, it wasn't even on my mountain bike, but my first road race ever, in the famed Cat 5 category.
I lined up with 25 other riders, 20 of whom didn't have to go through the travails of junior gearing- I had to race without my four hardest gears, making it tough on the descents to keep up with the massively geared masters and middle aged Cat 5 pros.
The course was a 7 mile loop, in which we did 3.5 laps. The first half lap was a long run up to a climb that peaked on a sharp 15 second 'bump' that acted as the finish line.
From there, a half mile of tough rolling terrain was topped off with a long descent, and a long straight road with a minute long climb in the middle of it. After completing the loop, we made a sharp right hand turn and began the climb once again.
All told, we climbed four times and descended three times.
We rolled out to a wonderful road race start- quite the opposite to what I am used to, a mountain bike whole-shot that rips apart your legs before the main events of the race even begin.
The nonsensical sprint to a single track was replaced with a neutral rollout and a slow run up to the first climb.
Up the first climb, I comfortably held my spot in the front half of the peloton. There was minimal separation as we crested the finish line to start lap one. We hit the descent slow, before reaching the drag before the start line.
I followed another rider as he moved up the left side of the group, and before long I found myself in second. After the hill, I pulled through and lead into the second climb.
I pulled off to let someone else take the lead, but the next few guys started looking at each other, so I thought, 'what the hell.' I increased my pace and opened up a little gap, nothing special, not an attack, just a little opening I saw.
I got five seconds of a lead, but I could tell it wasn't going to amount to much. Not wanting to go solo for two tough laps, I pulled over and allowed myself to be reabsorbed by the base of the climb.
That sprung two riders, who got a 10 to 15 second lead up the hill. We reeled them back at the top of the bump, and hit two laps to go all together, save for a handful of riders already joining Mark Cavendish in the gruppetto.
After another uneventful descent, except for a nervy moment over the top where I had to chase down a few riders in front of me, fatigued from the effort I just put in, we hit the one minute drag for the second time.
Once again, I followed anyone who went, this time three teammates (Cognition Racing), older guys who had calves the size of my torso. It looked like a promising move right over the top, so I latched on, fourth wheel.
This was the only point where my junior gearing really affected me. Basically spinning out on the descent, I managed to keep my position as these guys hammered into the next climb. Nothing came of it, but the pace was hard enough to narrow the group down further as the bell lap appeared.
The same formula once again happened on this lap: slow descent, before I rode to the front on the little climb, nearing the lead going into the final summit.
The last climb was fast, with everyone looking to get in position to win. With a half mile or less to go, I decided to have more fun, because why not? It was my first road race, there was no pressure. It was much more fun to be active than sit in and hope to contest the sprint.
Of course, when I hit out for the fourth or fifth time, I would be way more tired than anyone in the front group of now just 14.
I was reabsorbed in a futile effort to win solo, and funneled to the back, getting gapped before the decisive turn to the finish. I passed a few guys on the way to the line, ending in 9th place. Not a result I would take going in to the race, but respectable considering how active I was.
Looking forward, I might choose a different tactic for Dunningan Hills in a few weeks, and hopefully try to get a result towards the end.
I'll see you guys in Downieville!
Otis
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