Jan 30, 2023 at 12:57 AM
We've done this in slightly different guises over the years.
For several, we'd ride over to the Rockleigh Crit Course, work on starts, cornering, pace lining in a crit, a mini race situation, then work on bumping and head butting and such.
Most recently, we went over to Englewood, did a bumping clinic, moved onto the local roads, did a pace line with cornering. Then went to another school and worked on cornering skills and panic-stopping.
I think there might be reason to bring this back sometime this year.
Actually, there's reason to do this every year. We can pretend that bike riding and racing don't have contact, but there is. One of the ways to be safe in a group ride or the peloton is to be able to have someone bump into you or vice versa, and not crash or freak out. Many such crashes are avoidable. Likewise, cornering is an essential skill, though most of our city races don't emphasize the skill. And panic stops again, the need should be self-evident.
For several, we'd ride over to the Rockleigh Crit Course, work on starts, cornering, pace lining in a crit, a mini race situation, then work on bumping and head butting and such.
Most recently, we went over to Englewood, did a bumping clinic, moved onto the local roads, did a pace line with cornering. Then went to another school and worked on cornering skills and panic-stopping.
I think there might be reason to bring this back sometime this year.
Actually, there's reason to do this every year. We can pretend that bike riding and racing don't have contact, but there is. One of the ways to be safe in a group ride or the peloton is to be able to have someone bump into you or vice versa, and not crash or freak out. Many such crashes are avoidable. Likewise, cornering is an essential skill, though most of our city races don't emphasize the skill. And panic stops again, the need should be self-evident.
