Track Race Report Thread

dalai47
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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby dalai47 » Mon Jan 19, 2015 3:49 pm

Or white BT, as I'll be riding a bit to adapt to the narrower bars. Definitely say g'day Gunlock!

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby dalai47 » Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:11 pm

Gunlock, if you plan on coming down this weekend, racing is on Monday afternoon this week. http://www.bbn.org.au/BookingRetrieve.aspx?ID=200924" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby Gunlock » Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:24 pm

dalai47 wrote:Gunlock, if you plan on coming down this weekend, racing is on Monday afternoon this week. http://www.bbn.org.au/BookingRetrieve.aspx?ID=200924" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Cheers Dalai.

I've never ridden on the track before though so i should probably do a couple of training sessions first :D

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby dalai47 » Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:07 pm

Good point Gunlock. But in case you are riding past... :wink:

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby dalai47 » Thu Jan 29, 2015 8:21 pm

Another week past, and another day at my clubs weekly afternoon track racing - was Australia day public holiday last Monday so we raced then instead of the usual Saturday.

Had a few more riders - my nerves were still there but a little less than last week. Had a Scratch, Handicap and Keirin this week. Didn't go as well this week but results aren't why I'm going at the moment, focus is to feel comfortable racing again!

Scratch finished third, Handicap I couldn't catch the front markers this time so was good pursuit training. Keirin was feeling okay and was coming past a couple of riders when one flicked up to try and go around the rider in front of him. That was enough for me to also swing up and switch off (no one behind so safe to do) and rolled over behind them... So looks like it will take a little more time to get comfortable rubbing shoulders again.

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby foo on patrol » Fri Jan 30, 2015 9:59 am

Just ride yourself back into form, gently Dalai! :wink:

I have decided that my return to Track Racing will be in December at the the Ipswich Carnival, that has my mates Memorial Wheel Race. A fitting return to racing I think' as I will be the only one of original group, to be racing on the Track. :)

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby Derny Driver » Fri Jan 30, 2015 11:01 am

foo on patrol wrote:
I have decided that my return to Track Racing will be in December ....

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby foo on patrol » Fri Jan 30, 2015 12:16 pm

Maybe a bit early, DD. It will depend on how good I can get myself going. :wink:

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby dalai47 » Thu Feb 12, 2015 10:33 pm

Last weekend I couldn't make our clubs regular Saturday afternoon track meet, so drove 1 1/4 hours east of Melbourne to a country track carnival held on the Sunday. We are blessed in Australia that nearly every country town has a velodrome of sorts, though the length and style can vary somewhat from the short and steep to the long and flat... The Bob Whitford track is one of the later; 500m of lightly bank ashphalt around the outside of an athletics track!

Image

Fortunately we had a cool change the day prior, so although windy it wasn't hot!

Not a huge field (in fact the organiser was close to having to pull the pin due to the lack of entries) so first race of the day was a scratch race with all the seniors. Given the abilities ranging from the slow to U19 National Team sprint champion, the field split relatively early. So my concerns about the different abilities in close proximity was unfounded and I could just focus on the race at hand...

Riding well I unfortunately got rolled right on the line into forth and just out of the money. Next race I qualified for the A Keirin final but didn't have enough kick at the end; well out of the places I shut down and rolled over in last. Just out of the money again in the 1000m handicap, boxed in during the elimination and just couldn't squeeze through so out early there! The main event - 2000m Bob Whitford Memorial Handicap Wheelrace paid down to forth and you guessed it I came 5th.

One last race chance to take home some money was my favourite event, a 10km motorpace. Only way I'd have a chance with my slowly improving fitness was to go the bigger gears, so with 51*14 fitted I rolled slowly off the line. The pace gradually picked up though fluctuated greatly on each lap as the scooter suffered into the strong headwind coming into the finishing straight. Pace was on for the final laps, a number of riders were shed and to be honest I was chewing my stem just to hold the wheel in front in the last few laps. I was sitting 3rd wheel on the U19 champs wheel as the bike pulled off. I tried to catch him off guard down the back straight but he wasn't having a bar of this and kicked as well. When he did I just couldn't hang on, and although I did pass the front rider I myself got rolled and crossed the line in 3rd and in the money finally! Only enough to cover my entry, so not retiring from work just yet. ;)

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby foo on patrol » Fri Feb 13, 2015 9:15 am

It's all good fun, Dalai. :mrgreen:

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby KGB » Sun Feb 22, 2015 5:50 pm

Haha, well done and good report. 51x14 is big on an outdoor track! Funny the pacer was struggling into the wind as well! Good times.

A nice indoor timer track is fantastic but outdoor "flat" tracks are where its at if we want to encourage kids and clubbies to have a go. I wish there was one near me so my club could actually run a track "season".
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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby ironhanglider » Tue Feb 24, 2015 9:43 pm

I had a report that was <...this...> long but I lost it.

After a small amount of begging John and I have been downgraded from A2 to B grade where the rest of those who race D grade in crits and road races ride.

We have had a couple of placings, and are now happy to be properly racing rather than merely hanging on until someone turns up the wick.

Two weeks ago we talked our way down to B grade for the final race of the night which is a 6 lap graded handicap, ie B grade gets about half a lap head start over A grade. We did our bit and no more for this first race and ended up second with 4 of the top 5 places going to the B grade bunch.

Last week our most notable result was in the opening scratch race. The race went over a slightly longer distance of 16 laps, and the opening laps went by fairly quietly. Finally with about 4 laps to go Phil had obviously got bored and went out on the attack. Liz followed from about three wheels back to join him. Although we were on her wheel when she went we lacked the punch to go with her. However we fired up the front of the bunch and at 2 to go it was obvious that the break was going to get caught so we swung up to look for a wheel. The first available wheel came in the form of Ally who I've raced with for years, and for all this time I've also complained that she punches too small a hole in the wind to get a decent sit behind. At the bell she made her move, and this time we followed, we were starting to come around her in the final bend but it was too late. We finished half a bike length down but in high spirits.

Cheers,

Cameron

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby foo on patrol » Wed Feb 25, 2015 8:08 am

[emoji106]

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby mikesbytes » Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:42 pm

This is what you look like when you miss the NSW bronze medal by one place...

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If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby dalai47 » Wed Feb 25, 2015 10:04 pm

Bad luck mikesbytes.

Question - was this the time trial or IP? If the later you could save some time getting your head lower...

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby mikesbytes » Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:39 pm

IP

I'm well aware of the height problems, the frame is too tall and even with a pista stem I'm still too high. Notice too in the picture that my arms are out, I got the pads a little lower by having them further out but I suspect the improvement was counteracted by the arms not being tucked in.

The next course of action is to see if I can route the clipon's underneath the base bar, which is not straight forward and/or use a hinged stem. failing that I need a new frame
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby dalai47 » Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:47 pm

I use an adjustable stem for that very reason.

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby KGB » Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:11 pm

Yep, try an adjustable stem. I was reasonably confident I could get the position I wanted so gambled slightly and just got a cinelli pista but I was strongly considering an adjustable stem.
I think it worked out ok:
Image

I feel your pain about missing the podium. Last year I was 0.4s away from bronze!
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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby mikesbytes » Fri Feb 27, 2015 8:32 am

How did you go this year?
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby dalai47 » Fri Feb 27, 2015 4:46 pm

KGB wrote:Yep, try an adjustable stem. I was reasonably confident I could get the position I wanted so gambled slightly and just got a cinelli pista but I was strongly considering an adjustable stem.
I think it worked out ok:
Image

I feel your pain about missing the podium. Last year I was 0.4s away from bronze!
Nice position! Could suggest shrugging / turtling to get your head a fraction lower but near ideal as is.

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby KGB » Fri Feb 27, 2015 5:49 pm

Thanks dalai. I felt completely comfortable during the race but in training, I notice its actually getting hard to get my head in a position to see far ahead, I didn't wear glasses since I was basically just looking over the top of them!
I hope to do more race style prep in the pursuit position next year so will try to "turtle" a bit and see how it goes. I've read about it and it makes sense.
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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby mikesbytes » Fri Feb 27, 2015 8:25 pm

Yeh basically you can only see just a few metres in front of you.

If you look at my pic, my head is way up, that's because I'd just crossed the rear track sensors and I've looked up to look at the board to see how far I was behind the other rider
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby mikesbytes » Fri Feb 27, 2015 11:01 pm

Here's a better angle and I can see that the elbows need to come down quite a bit. No point discussing the back position till I get those shoulders lower

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If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby foo on patrol » Sat Feb 28, 2015 6:06 am

To get your shoulders down there, Mike you will need to get a longer stem, from looking at that pic, as your elbows look to be as far forward on the pads as you can go. :idea:

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Re: Track Race Report Thread

Postby mikesbytes » Sat Feb 28, 2015 2:58 pm

The problem with the stem length is also passing scrutineering, if the clip-on's go any further forward they go into the into zone where you need to be bigger than a certain size. as it is at the moment my knees touch my arms, which would be solved by flattening the back moving the shoulders forward but that will also increase the shoulder height, once again needing the drops lower.

Currently I've got a 80mm Pista stem, I think I'll go to a 100mm hinged stem. If scrutineering rejects, then I can move the clips back. I'm also going to try to get the clips underneath the base bar
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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