Posted By: Ryan JI too, will be at the B muhfuggin B at 9

8!

That's 8...

aaaand I lied

Timing isn't working, I gotta be back earlier than this will allow. Heading to FBF with the TT crew

Don't wait for me

That was awesome thanks Marc.

good times. thank you marc.

That was good fun. Thanks, Marc.

Thanks Marc, great ride

Thanks everyone who made it out to the workshop. All told, we had 20 riders (including one "plus 1" not on Kissena) and I hope that each one of you found something valuable about the experience.

We could have spent an hour (or more) on each one of the modules we covered, and so I think we packed a lot in the roughly 1 hour we had on the actual course itself.

For those of you racing in New Jersey this coming holiday weekend, I'll be at Bound Brook, racing the pro 1-2 event at the end of the day, but anyone racing the 3/4 and or Master's 35+ race who want a little moral support or coaching, let me know and I'll make my travel plans accordingly.

I'll also be at Monday's Tour of Somerville racing the Cat 2 event. I see that there are a number of our cat 3s racing that day too. Let me re-emphasize a point made in the clinic, that might help. Unless the city or the township or whatever finally got their act together, while the backside of the course is wonderfully smooth and paved, the homestretch is an absolute shit-show pavement wise. However, like the grate and the gravel in turn 1 at Rockleigh, you'll be surprised at what you can ride through. You'll take a pounding (reminding you that you should do more core body strength in the off season), but last year most of the crap you could ride through.

Naturally there will be flats, and guys swerving unnecessarily, but you don't want to be that guy. Ride over that crap, keep control and feel like a stud. This is a fast course, a ridiculously short race, and a good warm-up will be essential. There's a nice road out of town that turns to New Jersey country side where you can really open up the legs before your event. Or, bring a turbo trainer.

Remember what I said about the start. Don't start at the back. The opening stretch of road is wide, wide, wide, but turn one, narrows significantly. It's going to be a cluster fuck the first couple of laps. Don't worry about hitting the ideal racing line (unless you are at the very pointy end of the peloton), you may find your self going wide into turn 1 and if that means you can avoid hammering on the breaks, good! Leave those "inside line suckers" to enjoy their first painful interval of the day.

Same thing going from the wide back stretch into turn 3. Lots of crashes, yelling here. Keep your heads up, and take it a little easier here. You are coming down off of a fast smooth stretch that is wide and actually a bit of a descent, into a narrower desending left turn, through lefty sweeper onto the home stretch. It's fast here and the accordion effect will be brutal on the guys who thought it was okay to start at the back.

And I can't believe I forgot to give my favorite advice that was told to me by my host in Belgium years ago:

"If you aren't moving forward, you are moving backwards."

Let that thought haunt you every lap this coming weekend, okay? It does me.

You must constantly, actively be moving forward in a criterium or before you know it, you'll be on the tail end of that nasty snake.

Thanks for the workshop Marc. Was good to see DC and Vollbach taking the lead-out training to heart—I think DC can attest to the effectiveness of yelling at the rider in front of you to chase.

Show of hands for a lead-outs workshop/practice session at Floyd? I'd be pumped if we could get a scooter out there and do some motor pacing.

I am in for leadout practice anytime, anywhere. You'll have to look elsewhere for someone to drive the derny, though. I have scars from the last time. Misha from Hudson claims they have a guy.

I'd also participate...but, I gotta say...FBF is probably only 2nd to Times Square in my least favorite places in the world.

Amen to Times Square

I was just thinking Floyd so we could entertain moto idea.

PP early morning could be alternative—actual finish helps.

Posted By: John MalcolmsonI was just thinking Floyd so we could entertain moto idea.

PP early morning could be alternative—actual finish helps.

Kissena track could be a place too. they have a moto there

How does the moto thing work Joe?

I think Prospect Park would be the best place given that so many races are there. Actually figuring out where to line up and how far to pull would be really valuable. Unfortunately, that means early morning. The track would be nice, but the translation to a leadout in PP could be difficult.

The Third Annual Criterium Workshop is just around the corner. So set up for the turn, put your inside leg up, nail the apex and put SUNDAY MAY 19 on your calendar.

In addition to previous year's favorites, this year features new bike handling skills and drills, meant to exaggerate the bike handling demands of criterium racing.  I've also been promised prizes to hand out!

We'll meet on the Jersey side of the GWB, talk for about 15 minutes, ride to the Rockleigh criterium course, drill for about 1 hour, then riders are free to head back home or further north for more riding. It's a 3 hour day, bridge to bridge.

Something to consider as far as Jersey side cyclist traffic/potential chaos .......the Gran Fondo NY is being held on that day too ie May 19th.

Rick, thanks for the heads-up. It's something to consider, but I don't think I can move the date. This weekend is the track mentoring event, May 11 is a L&C cup race, May 12 is Mother's Day (cannot miss my wife's first official Mother's Day).

I guess Saturday May 18th could be a possibility.

What's the interest out there folks? Anyone planning on attending the crit workshop?

I'd like to go on this.  May 18th or 19th works for me.

I would actually like to do this if it was on the 18th. im doing the gran fondo the 19th

Rick,

Ok. Sounds like my GF concern is no big deal. 

Okay folks, seeing as how folks are either "the date doesn't matter" or I could do it on the 18th, but not the 19th, lets change the date of the crit racing workshop to Saturday May 18th. Jersey side of the GWB at 9am.

Scroll up on this thread to read more about what I have planned, but I want to encourage riders to come out, even if they don't think they will ever race a crit. We're going to be working on a lot of bike handling basics, drilling tough corners over and over and over again. There will be a short intramural crit at the end of the session for bragging rights and hopefully some Ride Brooklyn gift cards.

For those of you who have come to my crit workshop in the past, I promise a couple of new drills that should spice things up, including my super-mini criterium of death (It's going to be sort of like the bike version of those circus motorcycle globes of death).

Can I get a general head-count of who thinks they will come?

@Marc - you mean Saturday May 18th, right? I'll be there.

I'll be there for this. 

Phillip Maronilla said:

@Marc - you mean Saturday May 18th, right? I'll be there.

Yes, sorry! Saturday the 18th!

P.S. For those of you doing the Fitchburg SR, I've got a drill to specifically address the 180 degree turn at the top of the course on the final day.