Apr 17, 2015 at 01:36 PM
Always have a fin ($5) in your pocket for the post-race chocolate milk.
Battenkill
Apr 17, 2015 at 02:25 PM
And that chocolate milk goes down really fast!!
Apr 17, 2015 at 03:23 PM
Good luck to all you brave souls racing Battenkill!
Apr 17, 2015 at 10:21 PM
@Jay trying to organize dinner. See my number above if you want in
Apr 18, 2015 at 01:51 AM
I prefer to carry a twompmugwump said:Always have a fin ($5) in your pocket for the post-race chocolate milk.
Apr 18, 2015 at 04:26 AM
I am so jelly. I wish I was doing this race in 8 hours like you peeps 
This, and Purgatory Road Race are things I miss.
This, and Purgatory Road Race are things I miss.
Apr 18, 2015 at 11:17 AM
@Adam I was just thinking that rereading about your great result last year.
In other news...
In other news...
Apr 18, 2015 at 01:17 PM
If anyone is looking for me, I'm parked in the lot near the entrance under the electrical tower. Grey VW Jetta.
Edit: at start line with food drink and tools.
Edit: at start line with food drink and tools.
Apr 18, 2015 at 01:59 PM
Yang you are the cat's pajamas
Apr 18, 2015 at 07:42 PM
Apr 18, 2015 at 07:43 PM
Apr 19, 2015 at 12:32 AM
Apr 19, 2015 at 12:36 AM
Full results out anywhere?
Apr 19, 2015 at 12:39 AM
Apr 19, 2015 at 12:41 AM
Apr 19, 2015 at 12:43 AM
Apr 19, 2015 at 12:49 AM
Apr 19, 2015 at 01:41 AM
Oh, hai guyz
http://poststar.com/news/local/sweet-taste-of-victory-at-tour-of-the-battenkill/article_4a807785-9df5-5876-858a-58a406a668fc.html
Think full results are on USA Cycling and Road Results: http://www.road-results.com/race/5863
I'll write up a report tomorrow once I finally stop eating and get some sleep.
http://poststar.com/news/local/sweet-taste-of-victory-at-tour-of-the-battenkill/article_4a807785-9df5-5876-858a-58a406a668fc.html
Think full results are on USA Cycling and Road Results: http://www.road-results.com/race/5863
I'll write up a report tomorrow once I finally stop eating and get some sleep.
Apr 19, 2015 at 02:25 AM
http://www.shopbulmerphoto.com/2015-Tour-of-the-Battenkill/i-jZKSx6V
Shortly before that picture was taken, I had a flat, and the neutral wheel was not working and I'm pissed off. However, I had a great time. That's it for my race report.
Shortly before that picture was taken, I had a flat, and the neutral wheel was not working and I'm pissed off. However, I had a great time. That's it for my race report.
Apr 19, 2015 at 02:29 AM
Race report. 0 fitness on my end left me with a shity race. Although it was nice and fun my result was 77 out ? I was doing good for the first 15-20 miles and then got pooped out the back of the pack. I thought about quiting by the time I reached the first feed zone but all the cheering made me think otherwise. So I kept going pushing all the way to the finish line. I hope all the other KCC riders had a better race
Apr 19, 2015 at 03:21 AM
A big thank you for David Yang for all his support! He did a fantastic job.
Apr 19, 2015 at 11:43 AM
A good race in the Master's Cat 4. Thierry, Peter and I got a warmup before the start and then got to the start as they were lining up, which meant we spent the next few miles trying to work our way further up into the pack.
There was some nervousness with the riders, and a couple who were on the line who looked, to be kind, completely out of shape. And quite a few who didn't.
The yellow line rule was being inforced by our chase motorcycle, and on narrow country roads, that meant 3 across and little movement. Once we hit the rollers, riders started drifting back, and after the first couple of hills, the main group was whittled down.
On mile 14, we were making a 90 degree left turn when I felt the gravel on the road more than I should. I hoped it was just the grade of the asphalt and didn't want to look down. I had a flat on my rear wheel. I got off my bike, watching the peloton ride away, waited for the wheel car which they had announced at the start would have neutral wheels.
I grabbed a Mavic 10 speed, locked it down, and began the chase which lasted the next 54 miles.
I passed two guys from my group and yelled at them to get on my wheel. Actually, I yelled, come with me if you want to live! Not sure the culturally up-to-date film allusion was received as well as I had hoped. One had had a flat, and the other a dropped chain. The 3 of us did a rotating paceline for about 6 miles when we picked up 2 more riders who pulled once and then swept the back.
Funny, how you can come up on riders who, because they are off the back, mostly due to mechanical issues, seem to be out of the race, but as soon as you give them your wheel, they ride just fine. Are they not judging their effort correctly? Are they mentally checked out?
So I had a train of 5 others with me when we hit a major hill dirt section when I lost them all. They were good drafts but I had to keep pushing on.
At one point, I heard odd shuffling on my right and turned to star at. . . an Emu farm. Really? Funny birds. I realized I was only looking at the road ahead of me and hoped there was beautiful scenery because I hadn't looked at any of it. I saw two wonderful man-made waterfalls and an Emu farm. Those, and my front tire made for pretty memorable experiences.
One of the dirt hills was wet from a passing shower and I found out of my saddle sent my wheel spinning so I had to stay seated and it will probably be the only time this season I was happy to have a fat ass, putting all my weight down onto that borrowed rear wheel. Road races from here on, so I can now try working off the tucus weight.
I kept seeing other riders ahead and when I got to them, they weren't in my group (300s on their numbers) and were done racing. 2 guys were chasing me and finally caught up. One was the chain guy from HRRT who was a strong rider, and another who had gotten a flat on mile 7 and was chasing. The 3 of us kept up a rotating paceline down through the dirt sections where bottles were strewn all over the road. My new companion only had one bottle so at mile 50 he picked up another at the feed station and we kept going.
HRRT got yet another dropped chain and disappeared behind us. I kept at it with this other guy and he pipped me on the next hill. And then, closing on the finish, is when the other groups passed me. The lead group for the Bs, and then the open Cat 4s, with a nice nod from Adam as he went screaming by in the group.
Their group slowed and I was riding just behind them, careful not to mix with them, when their chase car pulled up and rode alongside me, which I thought was both pro and totally asanine. She rolled her window down and I was staring at the blunt end of a megaphone. Shit was about to get loud.
You can't ride with that group, she said. I gave the only reasonable response: What if I go around them? Ok to that.
Then I watched a Cat 4 in the back get out of his saddle and attack. The group took off. The last couple of miles passed quickly - always seems to be a higher energy towards any finish line.
I crossed and saw people scattered around the line, sitting with their bodies slumped, walking in a daze, dehydrated, hungry riders who would be proud of their work once they were fully conscious again.
I got a flat on mile 14. I finished 46 out of 71. 3:28:30 where 1st place was 3:11:30. 17 minutes behind, riding more than half of it by myself.
Nice Job to Peter for 33rd and to Thierry for cranking from even further back than me after you flatted. Racing luck is a fickle thing.
David, thanks for the support. It's great to see team kit and have a shout out, especially at mile 50.
Next year - brand new tires. Colnago C60, Enve wheels, two weeks in Florida for super base miles and then a week of climbing in California. Or, maybe just 2 new tires, especially considering this race comes after tax day.
Apr 19, 2015 at 12:00 PM
Great report Bruce, and good on you for enjoying the show. Flats are cruel indeed on a race like this.
However, if the above picture is "fat" Bruce I'm a little concerned about what "thin" Bruce might look like...
However, if the above picture is "fat" Bruce I'm a little concerned about what "thin" Bruce might look like...
Apr 19, 2015 at 12:26 PM
Bruce, great job staying that close to the field. When I used to get dropped from P 1/2 road races (with some regularity--hangs head in shame), I routinely would lose about 40 minutes to the leaders in races of such distances.
What were the road conditions? Were people on 25c all season flack-jacketed heavy rubber, or are folks back to supple 23c choices?
Apr 19, 2015 at 02:13 PM
The roads were good, especially in comparison to what we ride on in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and certainly Prospect. There were sections missing the top surface that made them bumpy and sharp, which is where many of the flats came from, I'm sure. But no major potholes to speak of. Now and again there was a hole, but nothing to take out wheels (only tires).
Also, because I was by myself a lot, or with a small rotating group, I had the advantage to pick my line so didn't have to endure any of the bad sections, which seemed to concentrate along the right side of the road.
The flat dirt sections were reasonable, but the downhills were strewn with potholes and moguls, as they always are. I talked with Konrad after the race who showed me his cool retro metal bottle cages and not only did he lose all his bottles, but the one Osmo bottle he grabbed from David went flying out of his cage two minutes later.
Any time I felt a bump, I pushed mine back into the cages.
All kinds of tires and bikes at this race. I was on 25 gatorskins and I saw a lot of those as well as other thick winter tires, and 23s, and CX bikes on 28s and some with knobby mud tires - I'm guessing they were there to have fun and not win, which seems contradictory.
It's too bad there's never a discussion about tire choices on this site for this race.
It's too bad there's never a discussion about tire choices on this site for this race.
Apr 19, 2015 at 04:32 PM
4C/Open...Started out OK, some sketchy riders in the field. Massive crash around 5(!?) miles in. Guys were breaking the center line rule, at some sort of intersection there were suddenly traffic cones down the center of the road, people swerved back in to avoid them, screeching of brakes, skidding of tires, crunching of bikes, etc. I was able to get up and walk away relatively alright-some scrapes and bruises, mangled bottle cages. 3 or 4 other guys not so lucky. Support vehicle was there and had EMT's on the way, so once I got myself together I continued on my way. Caught up with a few stragglers here and there, but rode the rest of the race pretty much solo. On the bright side, I was able to put some miles on my new Neugent alloy tubulars...smooth sailing.
Apr 19, 2015 at 05:14 PM
^that's outrageous
Apr 19, 2015 at 07:49 PM
@Bruce van-Schalkwyk Congrats on sticking with it and finishing, that's a heinous ITT to take on as Jeff White can attest.
Plenty of tire discussion if you search this thread. What PSI were you running? Surprised a Gatorskin 25 didn't stand up, sounds like crap luck.
On the uneven surfaces, Zip's Roubaix research says you will go faster and be less likely to flat switching to something like a Conti GP 4000 SII 28 at a lower pressure, the equivalent 28" tubular even better because pinch flats less likely.
More here:http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Things_that_Roll/Tires/28mm_Tire_Shootout_4059.html
Plenty of tire discussion if you search this thread. What PSI were you running? Surprised a Gatorskin 25 didn't stand up, sounds like crap luck.
On the uneven surfaces, Zip's Roubaix research says you will go faster and be less likely to flat switching to something like a Conti GP 4000 SII 28 at a lower pressure, the equivalent 28" tubular even better because pinch flats less likely.
More here:http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Things_that_Roll/Tires/28mm_Tire_Shootout_4059.html
Apr 20, 2015 at 02:32 PM
Finally a chance to sit down and post up a few notes:
1. Kissena still has one of the best looking kits anywhere.
2. When people don't usually have secondary race support, they come fully prepared on their own. Speaks volumes about how disciplined amateur racers are. By the time the last KCC rider passed me in the feed zone, I still had many bottles of Osmo left. I didn't have to crack open my tool bag once.
3. Still, the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes - organizers, volunteers, the local cops, the friends/spouses/children - to support the racers is holy shit massive. It was enlightening to see that the same set of faces at the start line cheering on the racers were also the same ones rushing over with bags of bottles and food to the feed zones and then back at the finish line. I made friends with racer's spouses, significant others, friends, kids, family along the way.
4. It is absolutely thrilling to see your teammates and friends fly by on the course, even for a brief second.
Congrats and kudos to all you guys. Here's hoping I'll be in shape enough to race with you all next year.
1. Kissena still has one of the best looking kits anywhere.
2. When people don't usually have secondary race support, they come fully prepared on their own. Speaks volumes about how disciplined amateur racers are. By the time the last KCC rider passed me in the feed zone, I still had many bottles of Osmo left. I didn't have to crack open my tool bag once.
3. Still, the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes - organizers, volunteers, the local cops, the friends/spouses/children - to support the racers is holy shit massive. It was enlightening to see that the same set of faces at the start line cheering on the racers were also the same ones rushing over with bags of bottles and food to the feed zones and then back at the finish line. I made friends with racer's spouses, significant others, friends, kids, family along the way.
4. It is absolutely thrilling to see your teammates and friends fly by on the course, even for a brief second.
Congrats and kudos to all you guys. Here's hoping I'll be in shape enough to race with you all next year.
Apr 20, 2015 at 02:50 PM
May in 2016? That's a bit of a shame.
Hey, question for the repeat attendees - how did the course and fields compare to past years?
Hey, question for the repeat attendees - how did the course and fields compare to past years?