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Floyd Bennett Field

2440 comments · 19290 views
JohnOlsson
Jun 05, 2019 at 02:36 PM
Don't know what caused the mineola rider to crash, but I do know that said mineola rider's rear wheel exploded during the crash since I lifted his bike off of him. His rear skewer appeared to have come completely  loose and was using the type of Uber light/speedy wheels that Charlie specifically advised that we NOT race on at Floyd.
AndrewJohnson
Jun 05, 2019 at 03:18 PM
When I raced Floyd I always used my aluminum training wheels on my Giant Propel. I figure it's cheaper to replace a $250/$300 wheel then $2000 of wheel...
RobertMullen
Jun 05, 2019 at 03:51 PM
Yeah, hard feelings towards the mineola guy. His crash wouldnt have happened if the initial one didn’t happen and maybe he had no other options. But I don’t really know what caused the initial crash that eventually made the Mineola guy go down, so I can’t say. No one really stood out to me as particularly sketchy though. 
RobertMullen
Jun 05, 2019 at 04:37 PM
RobertMullen said:
Yeah, hard feelings towards the mineola guy. His crash wouldnt have happened if the initial one didn’t happen and maybe he had no other options. But I don’t really know what caused the initial crash that eventually made the Mineola guy go down, so I can’t say. No one really stood out to me as particularly sketchy though. 
Whoops, no**** hard feelings lol
mugwump
Jun 05, 2019 at 05:03 PM
TL/DR: 38th.

As family life makes it hard for me to get out to FBF, whenever I seen an opportunity to go, I try to take it.  Yesterday was one such day.  Only my wife was late to meeting me and the kids and I didn't get home til 5:25.  Out the door at 5:32, I got to FBF in 1:17, 21 miles, which is on the brisk side for me.  Luckily, I had assumed the race started at not at 7, which I was expecting, but 7:10.

I tried bridging to an attack the first lap, and made it only halfway across the gap.  Not a good sign.  Like to blame it on the speedy ride out, but that's probably not fair.  Still I was able to bridge some gaps later, and generally ride with decent position.  

one interesting thing was riding near Constantin Schreiber of Veselka.  He was yelling (the road noise makes the race really loud) at a teammate fairly frequently.  Not discouraging, but encouraging.  I'd hear 'watch for the counter,' 'now is the time to go,' and then, on the bell, 'if you have anything left, now is the time for a flyer.'

Meanwhile Mangoseed/United was trying to organize their own train.  With Horace Burrowes yelling at his guys to stay on the right side of the road between turns one and two.

Constantin himself tried to surprise the sprinters by attacking just  out of turn two on the last lap.  Seeing a few others go after him, I decided they were onto something--if I could hold on, I'd be in the mix for a top five.  But everyone got the memo.  Alas.  

And Blue Ribbon, themselves set up as a train, were the people who brought the race back together and then took out the win.

Distance 26.7mi
average speed, 27.2mph.

bummed my Quarq seemed imperfectly calibrated at the start. 
JohnOlsson
Jun 05, 2019 at 05:14 PM
Here are some photos that I feel capture the emotions and the fierceness of last nights race @ Floyd (photo credits to Paolo Verzani, one of our prospects) 


mugwump
Jun 05, 2019 at 05:57 PM
@JohnOlsson  thanks to Paolo.

The pic of me in the middle of things.  The guy in front of me and I went to the same high school, though he's gotta be at least three years my junior.  I'm pretty sure I took him on his first group rides.  I guess there's a moral in there somewhere.  
Mark Taylor
Jun 05, 2019 at 06:38 PM
JohnOlsson said:
Don't know what caused the mineola rider to crash, but I do know that said mineola rider's rear wheel exploded during the crash since I lifted his bike off of him. His rear skewer appeared to have come completely  loose and was using the type of Uber light/speedy wheels that Charlie specifically advised that we NOT race on at Floyd.
Looking through the pics , doesn't seem like anybody is paying attention to Charlies advice on wheels
RobertMullen
Jun 05, 2019 at 07:07 PM
Mark Taylor said:
JohnOlsson said:
Don't know what caused the mineola rider to crash, but I do know that said mineola rider's rear wheel exploded during the crash since I lifted his bike off of him. His rear skewer appeared to have come completely  loose and was using the type of Uber light/speedy wheels that Charlie specifically advised that we NOT race on at Floyd.
Looking through the pics , doesn't seem like anybody is paying attention to Charlies advice on wheels
Definitely true but I think to an extent, carbon wheels are pretty robust now. Like, my Rovals with 28s on em are way wider and more comfy than my older alloy Vision wheels. If they can handle Roubaix, they can probably handle FBF. 
JohnOlsson
Jun 05, 2019 at 07:09 PM
i agree @RobertMullen, the type of wheel i am referring to are of the <25mm, boutique-carbon type of variety.
RichFreeman
Jun 05, 2019 at 07:45 PM
Boutique = Meilenstein (Lightweight)? or Boutique = AliExpress? Many types of boutique out there...
JohnMalcolmson
Jun 05, 2019 at 07:50 PM
Sees 28 new comments on FBF thread, clicks through for victorious race report :'( 
Heal up quick Robert et al!
Btw, Floyd used to be way way worse, most of the wheel-killer potholes of yor have been filled with ready mix thanks to Mineola guys. Double flat spotted my new Ksyriums on one. 
RobertMullen
Jun 05, 2019 at 07:56 PM
@RichFreeman inadvertently came up with a new Marie Kondo-style way of shopping. Basically, you hold the bike part and say out loud "I will race FBF with this." and if it doesn't spark joy, you don't buy that item.
Mark Taylor
Jun 05, 2019 at 07:57 PM
Bring em back !

Image result for ambrosio wheels roubaix
mugwump
Jun 06, 2019 at 03:13 PM
RobertMullen said:
Mark Taylor said:

Looking through the pics , doesn't seem like anybody is paying attention to Charlies advice on wheels
Definitely true but I think to an extent, carbon wheels are pretty robust now. Like, my Rovals with 28s on em are way wider and more comfy than my older alloy Vision wheels. If they can handle Roubaix, they can probably handle FBF. 
FWIW, Zipp designed their clincher rims to fail from a force well beyond what would ding, bend, or crack an aluminum rim beyond use.  

But, having written that, the question with carbon wheels of today really isn't so much about withstanding the rigors of the FBF surface, but of being run over in a crash or flipping over and receiving a side impact.  

AndrewJohnson
Jun 06, 2019 at 06:38 PM
Regarding carbon rims on rough bad surfaces, some have suggested that should you get a fast flat, and then hit one of them expanded expansion joints you risk some heavy damage to the rim. How true is it? No clue. Do I want to find out? Not really...
eloy
Jun 06, 2019 at 07:18 PM
yes, but that has little to do with Floyd, if you flat and then hard hit something, well, duh, yeah, anywhere, you risk damaging the rim and your shoulder. That said, as mentioned, generally rims today are build to withstand hardcore vertical forces.  
Kevin Man
Jun 06, 2019 at 09:25 PM
I dont think it's the wheel IMO. (I was not there too to see what happen)

Its most likely people are freaking out when shit hits the fan.
I think we as a team need to do some shoulder bumping and ride techniques drills. 

The more confident you have in your bike handling skills the less chances of you causing an accident during moments that seems dicey, specially when you touch wheels, shoulders, or exploding tubes... People tend to over steers, or jolt on the brakes when all that can be avoided just by being more calm and collected.  
RichFreeman
Jun 06, 2019 at 10:23 PM
So wise. 
RobertMullen
Jun 07, 2019 at 12:24 AM
Agreed, I’m pretty sure that’s how the fella that took me out went down. 
Joe Matunis
Jun 09, 2019 at 08:39 PM
I'd love to try my luck again at FBF. The crash was messy, but otherwise the racing was a blast. Anyone racing this Tuesday?
Phil Maronilla
Jun 09, 2019 at 08:39 PM
I'll be there.
RichFreeman
Jun 10, 2019 at 12:47 PM
Planning on being there. 
JohnOlsson
Jun 10, 2019 at 01:03 PM
same, racing every Tues night

keen to get into KCC breaks & attack for no reason on non-sprint laps
Jules
Jun 10, 2019 at 02:17 PM
I feel like this might be the moment to reshare the FBF save where I had to ride over a teamates helmet to stay upright.

Practice those #skillz guys!

(no Kissenas were harmed in the making of this gif but the crash on the next corner was ugly)


Jules
Jun 10, 2019 at 02:28 PM
RobertMullen said:

 There was a lot of surges and accordian-ing but overall pretty high tempo. I found myself drifting a little in the surges and then moving up during the slower sections. 
This is exactly the scenario where a lot of FBF crashes happen - when the field gets slow/wide before the final sprint - people are going to crash.  Nobody wins Floyd from a track-start.

A strung out and fast last lap is a safe last lap. 

IMHO if you find yourself behind a slow section in the last lap you need to

a) reconcile yourself that you're not going to place today
b) get your ass to RED ALERT DEFCON 666

#ymmv
Kevin Man
Jun 10, 2019 at 09:48 PM
Planning to be there too... Gotta keep attacking whenever it bunches up 💪
Bruce van-Schalkwyk
Jun 11, 2019 at 02:43 PM
Charlie just posted he's leaving the FBF races to Tom Mains.
Will he keep running the Prospect Races?
Phil Maronilla
Jun 11, 2019 at 11:14 PM
Bruce van-Schalkwyk said:
Charlie just posted he's leaving the FBF races to Tom Mains.
Will he keep running the Prospect Races?

I spoke to Charlie who said this is really related to his full time work and that he sometimes has to travel last minute during the week. (Which means cancelling Floyd last minute too). For the foreseeable future, this doesn't affect his Prospect Park races.
Kevin Man
Jun 12, 2019 at 04:33 AM
This will be full off cuss words! 

WHAT THE FUCK! I crashed because of an idiot that don't know how to ride a bike!!!
What is wrong with dumb people and their dumb bike handling skills! 
Goes back to what I was saying about Rob race crash is probly caused by people who never practiced shoulder bumping, cornering and ride techniques drills.

2 Dave Jordans guys was part of the crash, the fucking guy that I crashed on to could've avoid the whole fucking thing! 
Take a look at the guy infront of the guy I crashed on to, he completely made it easily (on the last frame of the image)! 
Simply he panicked braked hard, and twisted his handle bar! 

Full video of just the crash! (its unlisted but not private)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48R3puPKoK8&feature=youtu.be

By image 2 I thought I was completely in the clear, I was even thinking I was gonna hammer it after I passed the crash. By the time I see him brake really hard it was too late I had to do the same and brake really hard until I smack into him!