Yudah perlowitz= the new cycling captured

I think that may be Carlos of the FDNY kit. He lives near me and is a nice guy. I hope he wasn't the one who crashed after hitting my rear wheel in the 4s.

carlos didn't crash on Sunday. He was at fbf this evening and he was his usual jovial self.

Oh and that was his buddy who did crash on that Jamis bike (but Carlos rides a similar Jamis).

Okay good.  I do love that FDNY kit with the neon stripes!

@Aaron you got dropped because you didn't eat enough pizzas.

Reg is open for the 2015 edition, May 9:

I'll be up for the cat 4, maybe the 3/4 too. Thanks for posting.

Jeff & Eloy, I'm most likely in for both as well.  The 3/4 field was pretty brutal especially when closing gaps on the last corner facing the strong winds.

Really fun, fast course.

last corner?

Last very-wide-curve-towards-the-finishing-stretch?

Nah, Vlad, that's Turn 4.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to race this and not the L&C thats the same day. I'd do the 4s……maybe double up and do the 4/5s first. Right now i think I'd be in over my head  if I did the 3/4s, Does anybody else have aspirations re the 4/5s and 4s, and want to share a car etc?

Bump. Anyone from Manhattan ever ride to the course? JP?

FYI registration closes at 5 PM on Wednesday and there is NO day of reg
https://www.bikereg.com/crca-orchard-beach-crit-2015

Marc Bertucco said:

Bump. Anyone from Manhattan ever ride to the course? JP?

yes.

I'm planning to sign up... if anyone is riding over from Manhattan let me know, I'm on the UWS.  Thinking that the ride over may be a good warm-up...

@Julie, I'm definitely in for both the 4 field and the 3/4. I'm hoping to get a ride from BK though. It'll be good racing with you again!

JulieJones said:

I'm planning to sign up... if anyone is riding over from Manhattan let me know, I'm on the UWS.  Thinking that the ride over may be a good warm-up...

Maybe me...I have much to work out between my legs, my wallet, my son's schools party and his subsequent nap time, my wife's schedule and blurg....life.

Orchard Beach could be a family-friendly race.  The beach was designed as a mini-Riviera.  It's worth checking out, though the Long Island Sound might be a bit chilly this time of year.  

For those looking for an away trip, this part of The Bronx is remote.  There's a games center near the course, and if you're into seafood, City Island, about a mile away, has lots of choices.  Amazingly, it was started as it's own city in the 19th century.

In terms of riding there, lots of choices.  It's about 11mi from central Harlem.  The easiest to describe is get yourself to Grand Concourse (on-street bike path).  Take it north to Fordham Road (busy and messy).  Then right on Fordham until Pelham Parkway.  It's not far.  There's a bike path on the inbound side of the parkway just north of the road.  At the end of the path, get back on Pelham Pkway.  Take it to Orchard Beach Road, a right at Bartow Circle.  Then you're basically there.  

Anyone driving up from BK?

^ I'm interested in a ride from Brooklyn, too, if anyone is planning on driving up.

I could use a ride too from Greenpoint. I'm doing the 4/5s and 4s….8:40 and 10:10 start
I have a saris bones rack which holds 3 bikes

Edit: I'd rent a zip car but the only ones that are available near me are both tiny and costly e.g. Mini Coopers

Reminder, if you haven't already, consider reserving your car for memorial day weekend. Most city locations sell out.

General crit question:

In a pace line which side do you pull off to? Outside would seem to make more sense in the turns . Or do you only pull off on the straightaways?

you pull off to the side where there is less wind. Else, whatever feels best, and allows for Rhythm.

Rick Perner said:

General crit question:

In a pace line which side do you pull off to? Outside would seem to make more sense in the turns . Or do you only pull off on the straightaways?

The answer is, as always, "it depends." Generally, when riding a pace line, you are in a coordinated, cooperative effort and by pulling off INTO THE WIND, you make it easier for the rider behind you to pull through.

But in a crit, where the course direction, hence wind direction can change in a flash, you might end up pulling off into the vacuum. This will force the guy following your wheel to bust through some wind to get to the front. And you might do this just because everyone is already in a smoothly rotating paceline, and in a few more pedal strokes you're changing directions again and you'd rather keep the flow of the group going.

I'd be careful with the corners. It's not that you can't pull off the front in a corner, but it's WAY MORE IMPORTANT to focus on getting through that turn quickly. In a recent crit with several back to back tricky combo turns/chicanes, I made sure I was first in line because I knew I was taking those turns significantly faster than my "chase group" lackeys.

And really, for the most part, if you are in a crit breakaway you guys are going to want to just single file it up through those turns. Otherwise you are going the same speed as a chasing pack of police officers.

Ultimately you position approaching, through and exiting any turn is all about getting the most exit speed out of key corners. So that means if you "have to" take a crappy line through one turn, because you know the very next turn you'll have set yourself up for a better entry/exit that will benefit you.

I'M GOING TO WRITE THIS IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE I AM SHOUTING — YOU WIN THIS RACE VIA:
- ATTACKING TO ENSURE YOU'RE FIRST THRU THE BIG SWEEPING CORNER LEADING INTO THE FINISH LINE. THE ORDER YOU ENTER THAT CORNER = THE ORDER OF THE PODIUM
- A TWO TO GO COUNTER ATTACK (IF YOU HAVE THE ENGINE).
- KEEPING A GOOD EYE ON THE LAP BOARD AND HEARING THE BELL FOR THE BELL LAP.
- STAYING IN THE FRONT 10, YOU ARE THROWING AWAY STACKS OF WATTS ANYWHERE ELSE.
- PEDALLING THRU THE CORNERS (ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE TO ACE YOUR LINE ON THE BIG SWEEPER INTO SF OR IT'S POSSIBLE TO PLANT A PEDAL... SPEEDPLAY'S A PLUS... Y AND PRACTICE THIS). 

Good luck.

"chasing pack of police officers." WTF? I just re-read this this morning. I was literally falling asleep after a long day at the hospital when I typed that response. Man oh man. I stand by everything else though...