Hey Folks:

For those of you who are not racing the killington stage race on Memorial Day weekend, there are lots of racing options in NJ that weekend. I haven't done any of them, but I'm sure others can chime in.

Friday:
Manville Madness - 20 mile 3/4 crit
https://www.bikereg.com/Net/15908


Saturday:

Super Saturday Circuit Race
https://www.bikereg.com/Net/16264

4/5, 3, 35+, 45+

I will race the Cat 3s here.


for our cat 2s:
Hills of Somerset County Pro1/2
https://www.bikereg.com/Net/15907

Sunday:
Bound Brook Cycling Classic
https://www.bikereg.com/Net/15906

3/4, 35+, 1/2

Monday:

Tour of Somerville
https://www.bikereg.com/Net/15905

Pro1, 2, 3, 50+


......

I'm in for Saturday / Sunday / Monday

I'm in for the 4/5 and the masters 35+ on Saturday.

I'm a possible for the 3/4 on Sunday.

I'd like to be in for the Friday evening race but the idea of trying to get to Jersey on the Friday evening of Memorial Day sounds daunting to say the least.

And I'm a hopeful for spectating on Monday. If you've never been to Somerville I highly encourage you to go. Truly a class event and watching the pros hit that course at speed is thrilling.

I'm doing the 4/5 saturday at branchbrook. I'd like to do manville friday, but i have to split work early on saturday already, and two days in a row is pushing it.

I'm glad there's some enthusiasm for the Jersey Crit weekend. I could go on and on about the ferocious beauty of true crit racing, but I'll save the long version of this email for those who show up to my crit workshop and leave the rest of you with dreams of podiuming at next year's Battenkill.

Quickly though, I've never done the Friday evening race (nothing for cat 2s), however, Bound Brook on Saturday is in a residential neighborhood and is a pretty good course. Not outrageously technical, but enough twists and turns that you it will take some savvy riding and smart choices to do well. I did the Master's race last year, and found it exceptionally frustrating. I'll be racing the pro 1-2 crit this year. It's kind of a sleepy affair and feels low-budget compared to Monday's big race. But very pleasant, nonetheless.

Saturday's road race is one you strong Cat 3s and 4s (who don't necessarily weigh 135lbs) should aspire to as you collect your upgrade points. It's a rolling New Jersey course, with a couple of stiff power climbs in the 3-6 minute range, and attracts a fair number of top amateurs and pros who are really in town for the big money Somerville Crit. This race got absolutely shredded last year. Gavi Epstein ended up in like the 5th group on the road. It's a good race to truly test your manliness.

Somerville...so much to say about this race. First, let me whole-heartedly agree with Jim here. Back in the midwest, back in the day with Superweek, national crit championships in Downer's Grove, I never had so much fun in bike racing as when I was racing the Cat 3s (superweek cat 3 crits, were, I kid you not, 1 hour 30-45 minutes long) day after day for 2-3 weeks, finish up, then sit on a curb, and watch guys like Chris Horner crush the Pro 1-2 fields. Later, when I upgraded, racing those guys was an entirely diff't matter, but still amazing.

My point is this, you just don't have that many opportunities to see real-deal pros race, and Somerville always ends up being a very tactical and team oriented race. It's not so technical of a course that guys will get dropped by attrition. I think you can learn a lot from watching this race.

Which is sort of one of the beauty and frustration of crit racing. Picking up on something Perlberg mentioned in an earlier thread, at some point, you will get to the point where you are absolutely strong enough to finish even the toughest of crits--in fact, you might be one of the top 10 strongest guys in the race. However, finishing and placing are two ENTIRELY diff't matters. Tour of Somerville is always one of those races for most categories.

For Cat IIIs here is a really nice opportunity to race amongst yourselves, challenge yourself to a chess-match of position and skill and earn some upgrade points. I'm going to do my best to go over a lot of the basic skills needed to succeed at crit racing at my workshop, but honestly, if you want to get better at it, you are just going to have to go out there and race more crits.

I tell you, when I first moved here from the midwest, I always thought, if I never did another crit in my entire life, I'd be a happy racer. But years later, I'm hunting down every crit I can find to race. I love New England road racing, with it's multiple races of attrition, climbing until you want to fall over and die. But there is something about high-adrenaline crit racing that is really special too.

That's it...I guess I rambled a bit more than I thought I would at the beginning of this email. Sorry.

Marc,

I've never done a real crit unless Grant's Tomb counts; I had fun there till my handlebars came loose. I'd always thought crits were all about agressive turning and crashiness; on the ride back from Hunter the guys were telling me crits were more like cross in the hammer-hammer-hammer some more then hammer again fashion.

For those of us un-initiated, I'd love to hear what "crits" are all about from an expert.

Marc

Unless I am mistaken Saturday is pro12 only. There is a race in branch brook for us lower cat cats.

Marc,
The road race is pro/1/2 only. It's hard enough getting full road closure for one race, can't imagine them doing it on the same crowded Jersey roads for a second a little while later.

Jules,
Marc is right about criterium racing. It's hard, it's complicated, it's a blast. Four-corner crits are fine, but six- and eight-corners, especially if the circuit is less than a mile around, can be incredible.

I started doing crits as a junior. Way back in that ancient time before handlebar-mounted shifters, Jersey had a pretty steady diet of downtown crits. Flemington, Rahway, Nutley, Red Bank were all staples. There were plenty of others I did as well. Even Englewood and Hackensack had regular crits. On long island, Great Neck and Oyster Bay were around. Enough memory lane.

My point in mentioning it is that they seemed really hard. I was doing them all the time, didn't see them as "real" racing,yet when I first started doing them I couldn't finish. They started faster than road races, you constantly had to work on position, and you had to be good at shifting, turning, accelerating, and doing it again and again, just to finish. Riders rode closer to each other, so you had to be a btter bike handler, too. Looking back, I think it's a faster learning experience than doing circuit and road races because you always have to be attentive. It's like a road race, just compressed. So small things, like the difference between positioning well and poorly, choosing the right gear to use standing out of a corner, can really add up fast. Also, because the racing is faster, things like choosing the right time to attack, going into a corner a bit slower to help your teammate's move get established, a second or two here and there can result in big differences at the end.

I'll go with the comparison to CX. Yes, it's go hard, relax, go hard, relax, and so on. Some say cyclocross is like criterium racing but the sprint is at the beginning. At one time, it seemed like most of the best 'crossers used to come from crit racing. The McCormack brothers, Paul Curley, Adam Myerson was a super crit racer.

Sorry, yeah, my enthusiasm confused my tired brain....

Friday Manville Madness (cat III/IV only)
Saturday Hills of Somerset (pro 1-2) or Branch Brook circuit race (cat III and master cats)
Sunday Bound Brook
Monday Somerville (no cat IVs....major weak sauce...as a cat IV, I loved going to races to aspire to race with the higher categories...but if there's no race for me, why am I going to go and just watch? that's a hard sell.)

Posted By: Marc Bertucco
Saturday's road race is one you strong Cat 3s and 4s (who don't necessarily weigh 135lbs) should aspire to as you collect your upgrade points.

What I was saying here is that this is a great road race. And it's one that cat 5, 4, and 3 guys should aspire to race once you get your upgrade to cat 2. In a region dominated by climbing-heavy road races, t's a worthy A-priority race--even if it's mostly flat. Could be one of the hardest races of the year. I remember, my love affair with Fitchburg started when I was collegiate teammates with a National Team member who would show us pictures, racing with the pros, regaling us with battle stories.

The only reason I want to upgrade is to do the hills of Somerset race
I've done it twice before when they let threes in. Did well too.

But for the most part, I am turning into an old crit racer, and Cx.

If your race the crits, you might see some of this action.

http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cycling/Orchard-Beach-Criterium-51212/OrchardBeachCriterium5121234/i-2bcqmCT/0/M/8O2T0993-copy-M.jpg

I get my money's worth.

Finally Whitey turns a pedal in anger!

OK,
So who is racing and when?
Friday - Manville 3/4 Race
Saturday - Branch Brook, Newark - 4/5, Masters and Cat 3 Race
Sunday - Bound Brook - 3/4
Monday - Somerville - Cat 3

Doodle it up at:
http://www.doodle.com/d3eigw9u5csnwskc

To follow up. I'd like to gather the troops who will be racing together to actually ride hard together this weekend or next week. I think it will be very valuable. After we know who's racing, lets schedule a workout - even if its early as dawn.

I'm up for Friday and Saturday's race.

Have car with 2 racks and can fit a 3rd in the trunk. Happy to schlep a few over there.

I'm in:

Friday - Manville 3/4 Race
Saturday - Branch Brook, Newark - 4/5, Masters 35+
Sunday - Bound Brook - 3/4

I just upgraded to 4 - will ride for the team.

Is anyone driving out to Somerville on Monday that would have room for me?

W

I could use a ride on Sunday and Monday.

I should have some room.

I will have room for one on Monday and two on Sunday.

I'm going to do the 4/5 and Masters 35+ on Saturday. I'll be driving out from Brooklyn and can fit 3 more.

I'm probably the same. I have room for 2 and their bikes Saturday (it will be a tight squeeze, wheels off) but I'm probably not going to get there very early since I'll be at a wedding the night before. So that offer is for cat 3s.

Sunday I'm flexible, I can take 2 and their bikes.

Monday I think I'm going to drag Bo along, so I'll have room for one and their bike.

I'll have room for 2 on Saturday also, I just don't plan on being there that early. Certainly if someone is doing 35+ and 3's and wants a ride back, that's cool.

I am looking for a ride to the Saturday race. Probably will do 4/5 and a be packfill for a 35+ race.

Dan, that's my schedule so you're welcome to seat in my car.

Does anyone know what time the Pro event usually runs on Monday. Trying to figure out if I can make it to spectate.

Jim,

Hard to know for sure...but it looks like if you got there around 2 you'd be set to see the pros and maybe even the pro women too. Figure most fields will average around 23-26 mph. First race starts at 10:45.

I think id be looking for a ride for the 4/5s for Saturday if there is still room.

Monday's Cat III race is about to fill up:

https://www.bikereg.com/Net/15905

The cat III race has 109 people. That's a lot of people for a crit. If you haven't already, hop on over to the crit workshop thread for some course-specific advice. Here's some more:

Neutral support at this race, save room in your car, if previous years are any indication, there are actually TWO wheel pits. Mavic on one side and SRAM on the other. NOT so for the other races this weekend (don't ask, I'll start ranting).

Somerville, for all of you is going to be easy to finish, but hard to place. Welcome to one the most maddening aspects of crit racing!

The straightaways can handle that many folks, the turns cannot. If you start too far back, it will take you 10 minutes just to work your way to the front to be in the action. You've only got 20 miles to race. That's way too short for most cat 3s fitness levels and this relatively non-technical course. (20 miles at Fitchburg or Burlington is a diff't story)

Shoot the gaps, move up through the field if you can, it will be much easier. In general, the back stretch is easier for pushes to the front. Wind and momentum usually pushes the field to the right side of the wide street coming out of turn two, leaving many lanes on the left side of the road. If you find yourself too far back early in the race and you see room in these lanes, consider burning a match to get yourself in better position by taking the wind on the left.

Same goes for the home-stretch. I find that it's single or double-file here most laps, but if you have a burst in you and you're in 80th place, and there's a lull in the action, this might be a place to get to where you should have started the race.

The field is going to hug tight right again setting up for turn 3 and 4. There's not much room here and guys like to crash here too. So like in CP crossing through the esses into the Tavern stretch, be safe, slot in, don't push too hard. UNLESS you want to consider making an attack here. Will be hard for the field to react.

However, this is not exactly a breakaway-friendly course. I've seen good moves that looked golden in the pro race stay away for 80% of the race, then get brought back by a motivated team who missed out on the move. JP likes to breakaway on this course, and I think maybe the longest he's stayed away was 1 or 2 laps. Long fast straightaways, plus a short race pretty much guarantees doom to the breakaway.

So, if you've taken your stab off the front, but it's coming down to a group sprint, how do you play it? You're going to be disappointed with yourself if you don't try something at the end. Long bomb attacks will definitely not work here. Be prepared for a lot of stress and argy-bargy in the last 5 laps. If it feels like 60% of your energy is spent here, I wouldn't be surprised. You probably won't have to deal with RIcky-Lowe-Assholes pushing you around with their hands off their bars, but there's going to be contact. Good grip on the bars, but keep the arms and upper body loose and fluid. You don't want more than 20 people in front of you at anytime during this stage of the race. One second you'll be in ideal position, the next the field will swarm around you pushing you back to 60th position.

IF YOU ARE NOT MOVING FORWARD YOU ARE MOVING BACKWARDS

Keep swimming forward. It's a nice long straight sprint, but you can be sure the field will be strung out for at least the last 1/2 lap and probably the last lap and a half. So you are going to need good position once that action starts. Top 20. Top 10 in the last lap. You are going to be mentally and physically exhausted from those last laps if you do it right.

I'd rather not read race reports where you talk about how much energy you had at the end of the race. Remember, this race is easy to finish, hard to place. Good luck!