Did winter happen? Cat 4's spring racing this weekend:
https://www.bikereg.com/Net/15282
https://www.bikereg.com/NET/15330/2012-New-York-City-Spring-Bicycle-Racing-Series

Probably doing both:
Saturday Charlie I's Floyd Bennett 27 miles, 9.30am start
Sunday AVD's Sunday Central Park 3/4 race, 4 laps, 6.30am start

Good opportunity to practice breakaways/team train before Grant's Tomb. High's in the early 50's, possible rain Saturday, who's in?

I'm in for Sunday, not Saturday. Too much choice for races out there at the moment for me to need to resort to FBF just right now!

John,
Skip FBF this weekend. Come to the track. Work on teamwork. Much easier at the track than FBF. Pacelines, leadouts, attacking, the works.

The Track.

Cat 3/4's riding Central Park Sunday, let's take Marc up on his offer of post-race roll around Grant's tomb. The feisty can then ride out 9W.

I thinking of the 3/4 Central Park race on Sunday then out for a ride after. Anyone leaving from Brooklyn?

Branchbrook justgot canceled for this weekend, I may have to do sunday.

@Mattie, that will be great if you do... gives us the opportunity to size up the competition and dry run "tomb raider".

So. I'm considering doing this. Part of the reason, as John pointed out, there's an Evil Racing Cult team, which sounds awesome, the jogger lane riding Jacobs brothers, AND the annual 9 cat 3 Scottos sandbaggers in attendance. PLUS, apparently some CRCA Rapha dudes. I didnt know they allowed cat 3's and 4's. I vowed never to join a CRCA "subteam", but am willing to make an exception for the almighty Rapha gods. Ye of the overpriced, but nice, and often incorrect cycling history worshipping marketing majors. I love them.

Who all is in? John, condon, Mattie?

There's an unattached David Gardiner reg'd—is that our David Gardiner?
Also, a fast Frias Bro, a Sid's lead-out train and a quit-smoking Misha.

I'm game. Who else?

Im in Sunday can't wait!!!

Cat 5 closed out - it had 3 left, I reg-ed, and it then showed as closed. right on time !

3/4 has 54 riders right now.

John's link brings me to the series registration page - this is the link for this Sunday only:

https://www.bikereg.com/NET/15330/2012-New-York-City-Spring-Bicycle-Racing-Series

@Nosson - your registered as "Nosson Spielbeg Spielbeg" - fix your name / make life easier on Ragot for when you turn your results in and ask for an upgrade.

Reg'ed.

Who's our leader?

Ryan. He's racing this, he just doesn't know it yet.

Bummer. It's still forecast to rain Friday 10pm, then possible thunderstorms, then rain into Saturday afternoon. That would mean no track and submerged FBF.
That means y'all should race the 3/4 Sunday... Jules tractor-trailer, Ryan-hillbusterer and all you others come fight the sandbaggers!

I'll come. We're strong in the 4's right now. Let's slug it out with those fuckers.

Happy to captain but perhaps let's have some co-leadership. John is the sprint captain and we'll dedicate at least a couple to shepherding him. Let's talk about who we want in the break and when.

I think I'm gonna race. I don't know how much help I'll be but let's see!

I'm in for Sunday's race. Looking forward to hammering with you guys.

Ok. Here's the plan. I'm gonna rocket off from the gun and see what happens. Genius, right? A few strong knuckleheads will always try to join and then we'll explode in fine fashion across the horizon. Then, Ryan/Ally/whomever can jump in a break with the Jacobs brothers or John will sprint. Genius. The end.

I'm in Sunday, reg'ed just now. would like to jump in the breakaway if I can make it.

Reg'd for sunday. Looking forward to see how I measure up to the 3s. Breakaway dudes, look for that Anthony Fatuzzo from Team Cosmic, he's probably unknown to nyc teams, but he will diesel allllllll day long.

Posted By: Ryan J
Happy to captain but perhaps let's have some co-leadership.

Remember, the team captain, doesn't necessarily have to be the protected rider. You want the road captain to be a good guy with good vision, knows what's going on and just a little bit bossy.

Posted By: Jeff OwensOk. Here's the plan. I'm gonna rocket off from the gun and see what happens. Genius, right?

This is a popular move. I wouldn't be surprised if someone else beats Jeff to the punch here. I'm only a fan of it if you've got guys ready to counter-attack immediately. In the 1/2/3 field the first attack dude, if not caught by the middle of Museum Mile, is always caught about 1/2 way up 110berg. And if you aren't careful, the first effort, off the front explosion will cause enough lactic acid build up in your legs to give you a moment or two of concern as the field flies by you on the climb. At least that's what's happened to me when I've done this move (on bad weather days, when I have no interest in taking the first descent with the field).

The best place to get away and make it stick is on the West side after you've humped it over the climb and start the false-flat winding-bits. Another good place to get your gap is coming into Cat's Paw. It's much harder to make that move stick because of the long fast slightly descending bits that come during and after Museum Mile, but it's a good place to get away if you think you have what it takes.

If you find yourself in crap position, remember that if you are patient through the swooping right handed rising pinch before Tavern on the Green, you'll have plenty of room to move up as the road really opens up. You may have to suck some wind, but it will be worth it to get back in racing position.

As a team, you'll want to take advantage of your numbers and the quality of your power, however, it's important to remember that Central Park is by far the easiest course to sit-in.

@ Mark B: Marc have other teams drilled from just before to top of Harlem to launch a break? Like you say, in the 4's last season the only place I saw a winning break or one that works for any length of time, was from attacks near top/at top/just over top of Harlem hill.
I think the reason is, on the rest of the course a break will just dangle there like a carrot. A good attack on the top of Harlem can get you out of sight of the main field on a few stretches, and will take a while for teams to organize a chase after the chaos of that climb.

@John. Good question. Breaks can be successful with a good-timed attack 3/4 of the way up 110berg. What makes it hard, is the staying away. Because the pace is always going to be tougher going up the climb, it's going to take proportionately more energy to separate yourself from the field, energy that you will need to stay away on the descent, then more importantly the false flat west side winders.

BUT...if you have a motivated front end of the peloton, it's a spot where you could "slip away" and with a few other guys keep it rolling on the west side. OR, if there is a break up the road, and you are feeling strong, it's a good place to get away and go for the bridge-up. You are probably going to be extra toasty crispy from the combined effort of escaping on the climb and the ensuing chase, but if you can make contact with a small to medium sized breakaway group, sit in an recover, then help the group roll for the rest of the race, kill them in the sprint, then that would be the stuff of Kissena Forum Legends.

I have no particular goals in this race, just want to test the legs. So feel free to yell at me, etc. I'm also down to roll around grants after, assuming I have time to drive up to piermont by 9 for work.

From last year's experience NYVelocity loves this race and will use it as a forum to put 10 guys on the front and keep anything from getting away till the end. I think it's a safe bet that their guys will show up fit, if not smart.

What time are people planning on leaving GAP to get there in time to reg?

J

How many spots they allow? I signed up this morning and there were like 90 already. What's the over/under on the # of crashes?

John,
When it comes to attacking 110berg, if you have a team, you'd want to be at the front going down to Harlem Meer, string it out from the sharp right hand bend all the way into the hill, and then have two or three jump after the left-hand bend on the hill. You'd also want one or two people behind the attackers to ride a steady pace and effectively "break the chain" of the group.

But as Marc wrote, people who can't go uphill well, but are fit can lose time on the uphill, drill the downhill, and possibly chase back on.

The thing to know is the next rise is where people really hurt. So, you could send an attacker or two over 110berg to soften up the field and then launch when they're caught.

In prospect, there is that "last prayer" attack at the top of the hill where you hope the pack slows down for the sprint or whatever. Is there an equivalent in CP?

or, in other words, if I dont want to sprint, what is the best way to contribute at the end of the race?

@Chris. Many won't agree with me here, but I'm not a big fan of the last lap, kamikaze solo flyer as a good way to contribute to the team effort. In theory if you've got your teammates crowding the front of the field, and they are in position to respond to the 1 million twitchy responses that come to the long-bomb solo flyer, then maybe it's okay. But I just find it adds to the chaos, and I'd rather see control.

If you've still got legs in CP and you want to contribute. Get to the front by Tavern on the Green, and power up your best 500 meter to 1 kilometer TT effort. You should be able to keep control of the field at least a few pedal strokes past the narrow, left handed sweeper into Horse Shit Alley. Things might get messy there again, but that's where your teammates take over.