Harlem Skyscraper Classic

May 29, 2013 at 10:08 AM

Saturday: watermelon crit

Sunday: FBF

Tuesday: FBF

Thursday: Rocklegih

Boom - Cat 4 before next weekend.

FWIW - I think you can change your category on bikereg and sign up for the cat 4 race now. The thing is, if you try to race it without the official upgrade, you will be DQ'd. so you'd need to make sure you actually get the upgrade before racing. Eric can probably comment whether or not this is kosher.

eragot

May 29, 2013 at 11:10 AM

You can register on Bikereg as a Cat 1. You just can't race it. I can upgrade you in no time flat once you have the 10 races. So, register away.

Jules

Jun 03, 2013 at 12:55 AM

Bump

Brendan Rigby

Jun 03, 2013 at 02:06 AM

ok fine jules, i reg'd. jeez

Brendan Rigby

Jun 12, 2013 at 09:55 PM

wtf. i got myself all worked up about upgrading in time for this race because there was no cat5. now there is? and i could do it against only one other person? cmaaaaaaaaaaaahn. https://www.bikereg.com/NET/Confirmed/19544

mperlberg

Jun 12, 2013 at 10:44 PM

whhha hhahahha. No downgrade to CAT 5. EVER!

mperlberg

Jun 12, 2013 at 10:44 PM

Hey Folks - we need you all to be ready to volunteer before and after your races. Keep that in mind. It's a big deal for Charlie and the club. Charlie is taking a huge risk putting this race on - let's support him.

I'll post more details shortly.

Mike

Marc Bertucco

Jun 13, 2013 at 10:25 AM

mperlberg said:

Hey Folks - we need you all to be ready to volunteer before and after your races. Keep that in mind. It's a big deal for Charlie and the club. Charlie is taking a huge risk putting this race on - let's support him.

I'll post more details shortly.

Mike

Unfortunately, just me getting to be able to race has required coordination with a rare friend who is going to ignore her own father for a few hours on Father's Day, in order that she can watch Peter (and me) while I race. There's a small chance I might be able to help after my race, depending on when Sarah can get away from her commitment...

Jules

Jun 13, 2013 at 11:22 AM

I am (sadly) out for this one. Lisa had to trade a shift at the last minute so I'll be (likely) headed to the Museum of Natural History with the kids - trust me though, I'll be thinking inside-inside-inside-OUTSIDE!

alyoshas

Jun 13, 2013 at 03:47 PM

I'll be BBQuing in Macus Garvey park, its a small tripod weber grill and people are welcome to join in on the fun and although I'll have some food you are welcome to bring whatever you'd like. I'll prob setup shop right behind turn 3 right off madison ave and at the 123rd street level. I'll eventually walk to the line to watch the finishes. By the time the cat 1/2 field races (around 4:30pm) I'll prob go up to my apt located on the 3rd corner where I have a full view down Madison ave and beginning of 124th street, anyone who is interested may join and partake in the festivities- The goal is to also go to the line in time for the finish and volunteer at the end of the race.

Adam

Jun 13, 2013 at 06:43 PM

@Marc

How, what, where are you warming up for this? I'm considering getting my little butt down to NYC for some Manhattan critting.

Also, any chance we can have our AnitAnti video played a few times? Last year There was a big screen, no?

vlad

Jun 13, 2013 at 06:55 PM

@Adam, since Charlie has taken over the race and the purse is now $2000 for the premiere race, I imagine a substantially different look to this race (including the accoutrements). Hopefully the feel remains the same though sadly, the speed won't.

Marc Bertucco

Jun 13, 2013 at 07:06 PM

Adam and all, there's a really nice warm-up routine that I like to follow for this race. Just make sure you have a wristwatch on, because it takes you away from the course.

Just a block away, there's a north-south street, Lenox Avenue that will take you straight to the north end of Central Park. There, you'll be at the base of "110 Berg" where your warm-up can commence or continue, depending on how much riding you have done before this point.

As with any warm-up routine, you want to give yourself time to somewhat gradually work your way through your zones, until eventually, you are doing a few balls-to-the-wall efforts to really open up your legs. This is where the hill in CP comes in. It's a 1 minute effort from bottom to top, spin down the backside, hang a left on the transverse there around 101st street, go down the hill, repeat a few times, then spin easy back to your start to get the junk out of your legs.

Alternatively, there's tons of sidewalk space around the course and folks have been known to set up trainers to get their legs going.

Marc Bertucco

Jun 14, 2013 at 02:54 PM

Just looked at Harlem pre-reg...

12 Kissenas will be racing. Really, 12? Sigh.

Marc Bertucco

Jun 14, 2013 at 02:56 PM

Well I guess, I can't really complain...I won't do Battenkill or any of the thousand FBF races a season so...to each their own.

Brendan Rigby

Jun 14, 2013 at 03:16 PM

i'm terrified. it will be my first race as a 4. also i'm up in MA without a bike until the day before.

SCURRRRED

Marc Bertucco

Jun 14, 2013 at 03:19 PM

Brendan Rigby said:

i'm terrified. it will be my first race as a 4. also i'm up in MA without a bike until the day before.

SCURRRRED

Stay in the top 15 guys all day and you'll be fine. You've got the motor. You'll be better than fine. You'll probably place.

Jeff Condon

Jun 14, 2013 at 03:20 PM

I'm a game-day decision. My daughter starts her softball playoffs this weekend. Single elimination, so if they win Friday and Saturday the final is on Sunday...and a father can't miss that. But if they lose I should be in for the race. I may just opt to do the Masters instead as it's later in the day and I may be able to make it. We'll see.

David Yang

Jun 14, 2013 at 03:25 PM

If my wife is working on a project all day I may also show up game day. Otherwise I might not even be able to spectate.

kieranleahy

Jun 14, 2013 at 03:29 PM

I won't be racing as it's over my 10km limit (joking...although I am a cat 5 on the road! Need to bust that out some point soon.) but am happy to help out for some of it as was planning on coming to watch at some point. Like Clive Owen's character in the Bourne Identity, I await further instructions...

Adam

Jun 14, 2013 at 03:33 PM

I'm pretty sure I'm down for this.

@Marc-It's $40 to sign up now +$3 bikereg fee. Day-of is $45 (of course, no Bikereg fee). Hence Charlie made a little mistake in not making more of an incentive to sign up before the day. Should have put it up $10 bucks to get people to commit. That's my take anyway, especially as the weather has been so to and fro that until today it wasn't really clear if it was going to be a tropical storm or whatever on Sunday or not!

But I do agree with you. Seems a shame that we have ~25 racing in Prospect but half that for this, which is definitely one of the year's marquee races.

Brendan Rigby

Jun 14, 2013 at 04:06 PM

OR maybe the riders of kissena are just too scared to race in a crowded city crit instead of the wide-open dustbowl plains of prospect park

yeah, i said it.

Marc Bertucco

Jun 14, 2013 at 04:09 PM

Hey everyone, didn't mean to lay on the guilt trip. I do absolutely realize that everyone has lives, and not every type of race is for everyone. And that's totally cool with me.

I'm personally just super pumped about racing this venue with the Pros for a full 35 miles (or however long I last!), instead of the previous year's 28-minute cat 2/3 disaster shows. So I let my own enthusiasm get in front of my head when I posted that last comment.

Jeff I totally hope your daughter kicks softball butt this weekend! No way you can miss that action!

David Yang

Jun 14, 2013 at 04:11 PM

Whatever, Rigby. Two hits, me hitting you, you hitting the floor. Just like this guy.

Jeffrey White

Jun 14, 2013 at 04:13 PM

After getting caught behind two crashes (involving our very own Alyosha) and watching Condon get final-cornered into the barriers in last year's Fiasco in the Fours, and then witnessing the pinball game that was the three race (DingDingDing .... Ding .... DingDing .... DingDingDing), I swore last year I wouldn't race it again. Legend has it they're still finding Misha's teeth in the gutters.

Maybe the fact that it's no longer big-money will calm people down.

Brendan Rigby

Jun 14, 2013 at 04:21 PM

i just wanted to post a "come at me bro" image. i don't actually intend to pressure anyone into racing

my primary goal is to avoid being guttered into a barrier or chopped like pork

dstokes

Jun 14, 2013 at 05:23 PM

I'm planning on same-day registration in the 3's

Bruce van-Schalkwyk

Jun 14, 2013 at 05:31 PM

I almost won last year, except the photo shows me in last place! Wacha gonna do. I got caught behind a Siggi's crash on the 3rd corner towards the end of the race, unclipped, pushed around downed riders, sprinted for 2 full laps before I realized I just couldn't get back on. I kept passing dropped riders, I'd get to a corner, see the group, smoke it as hard as I could, realize I couldn't do it, slow, hit another corner, see the group, get excited and push hard again. I had nothing left by the time I pulled myself out of the race.

Was really looking forward to it this year, but I'm still getting over this cold.

winning.jpg

Jules

Jun 14, 2013 at 05:40 PM

David Yang said:

Whatever, Rigby. Two hits, me hitting you, you hitting the floor. Just like this guy.

This is too good to be true. How is it possible to have caught so much awesome on camera?

Brendan Rigby

Jun 14, 2013 at 05:43 PM

yeah that picture is amazing. http://imgur.com/AfEUbUl explains that the cue is two pieces, he put his weight on it, it snapped, and he fell into the table.