Athens Twighlight Crit Grid Qualifier question...

Donald Munro

Off The Back wrote:
> But seriously, this compu-trainer qualifying-heat concept is weird. Do any
> other major races do this? It's kind of a flawed idea anyway... why is a 3
> km stationary-bike TT is a good measure of who should get into the crit,
> or where you should line up if you get in? Is it really just a side-show
> for crowd entertainment?

And it doesn't take power to weight ratio into account (unless they
normalize for weight afterwards ?).

joseph.santaniello@gmail.com

On Apr 27, 8:32*am, Donald Munro <fat-dumb...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Off The Back wrote:
> > But seriously, this compu-trainer qualifying-heat concept is weird. Do any
> > other major races do this? It's kind of a flawed idea anyway... why is a3
> > km stationary-bike TT is a good measure of who should get into the crit,
> > or where you should line up if you get in? Is it really just a side-show
> > for crowd entertainment?
>
> And it doesn't take power to weight ratio into account (unless they
> normalize for weight afterwards ?).

Reminds me of an episode of a "the biggest loser" type show I saw.
(Yes I admit that I have watched portions of such drivel!) and there
was one guy who was about 2.10m tall and weighed 300kg or so. He was
monster big and strong in addition to being fat as hell. Anyway, one
of the "challenges" was who could ride farthest on a stationary bike.
He won, beating all of the miniature fat ladies. He was ecstatic. Duh.

Joseph

joseph.santaniello@gmail.com

On Apr 27, 12:45*am, "b...@mambo.ucolick.org" <b...@mambo.ucolick.org>
wrote:
> On Apr 26, 2:45*pm, "joseph.santanie...@gmail.com"
>
>
>
> <joseph.santanie...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Apr 26, 10:15*pm, "derFah...@gmail.com" <derFah...@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
>
> > > > Fredliness has nothing to do w/ ability.
>
> > > ok, I will concede that point. *Like today ... racing with some very
> > > good riders who insist on wearing those socks that seems to go as high
> > > as my grandfather's support hose.
>
> > > ... but having the balls to line up at Athens does offset quite a lot
> > > of fredliness in my book.
>
> > I think somebody needs to come up with a comprehensive fredness rating
> > system. I mean, how do things like helmet visors and baggy day-glow
> > rain gear fit in?
>
> It depends. *Maybe there is a cycling activity that requires
> helmet visors, or baggy day-glo vests, or Primal Wear jerseys.
> I can't think of one, but maybe the people with those jerseys
> know. *The key point of fredliness is (in)appropriateness for
> the task at hand. *RBR explains it:
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/rec....fd0e321f4181faa
>
> Ben
> I am now and have always been a Fred.

That's way to relativistic for me. Some things are just wrong. Like
visors.

Joseph

zzfranklin@mac.com

On Apr 26, 2:45 pm, "joseph.santanie...@gmail.com"
<joseph.santanie...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I think somebody needs to come up with a comprehensive fredness rating
> system. I mean, how do things like helmet visors and baggy day-glow
> rain gear fit in?
>
> Joseph

How about carrying all your water for a hilly 63 mile RR?

Kyle Legate

zzfranklin@mac.com wrote:
> On Apr 26, 2:45 pm, "joseph.santanie...@gmail.com"
> <joseph.santanie...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I think somebody needs to come up with a comprehensive fredness rating
>> system. I mean, how do things like helmet visors and baggy day-glow
>> rain gear fit in?
>>
>> Joseph
>
> How about carrying all your water for a hilly 63 mile RR?

That depends, what was the temperature?

Obtaining all of your hydration from rainwater dripping down your face:
hardcore.

Obtaining all of your hydration from sweat wicking off your competitors
in front of you: hardcore.

2 bottles in their cages, 3 bottles in your jersey pockets, two more
over the shoulder blades, 3 down the front of the jersey, 2 down the
shorts, and 1 between the teeth: hardcore.

Pretty much everything else: Fred.

SLAVE of THE STATE

On Apr 29, 10:22*am, Kyle Legate <lega...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> zzfrank...@mac.com wrote:
> > On Apr 26, 2:45 pm, "joseph.santanie...@gmail.com"
> > <joseph.santanie...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> I think somebody needs to come up with a comprehensive fredness rating
> >> system. I mean, how do things like helmet visors and baggy day-glow
> >> rain gear fit in?
>
> >> Joseph
>
> > How about carrying all your water for a hilly 63 mile RR?
>
> That depends, what was the temperature?
>
> Obtaining all of your hydration from rainwater dripping down your face:
> hardcore.
>
> Obtaining all of your hydration from sweat wicking off your competitors
> in front of you: hardcore.
>
> 2 bottles in their cages, 3 bottles in your jersey pockets, two more
> over the shoulder blades, 3 down the front of the jersey, 2 down the
> shorts, and 1 between the teeth: hardcore.
>
> Pretty much everything else: Fred.

Leesville Gap can be a death march and I would risk Fredifying there.
If you took 5 big bottles it would not be too much, even with the free
handup late in the race. It is strange riding along the rice fields
at the later stage of the race, as fields drive up humidity where it
would otherwise be very dry. It is racing in a furnace.


Funny Leesville Gap excerpts:
-------------------

http://www.fremontfreewheelers.org/...apRoadRace.html
"I headed up to the race a day before to recon the major climb. It was
horrible. Both the conditions on the ground and the heat. It was a 100
+ the local paper reported. ... We headed out and once the rode became
rough, I was able to hold my position but once we hit the climb I had
to ease off, I was simply overheating and felt dehydrated. Once over
the climb I struggled a bit and worked a few other riders. I soon
realized I would not make it to the feed zone with the amount of water
I had. So, I make a quick pit stop at the local bar." [I stopped at
that same bar for water. --gw]

"Deathville, now why would I call this race just that? Cause I felt
like I was gonna die! This was by far the hardest race I have ever
done and I did nothing but suffer every minute of it...

[FOR B. ASHER:]... I could just feel my nuts starting to hurt a mile
into that crap with alternating bad asphalt and dirt roads...

Its funny to see at this point how many water bottles were left on the
side of the road from riders with crappy cages and riders fixing
flats, I was glad to have my camelback with 80 oz. of our sponsors
products and my trusty training tires...

Thank god they had neutral water support cause my camelback was
running empty and I didn't know if I was going to make the distance
with what I had left, I took advantage and loaded my bike with two
bottles, finish one on the spot and pored one over my head to try to
cool off and boy did that feel great. At this point the last 20 miles
was just pure desperation to finish, I was fighting cramps and I felt
getting weaker and weaker. I saw my average speed go from 20 to maybe
around 15 at the finish. I tried to eat as much gels and bars and
drink as much as I could but nothing was helping anymore, I just
started to cramp really bad and fatigue started to set in, I felt
really desperate to finish and felt like hitching a ride with one of
the farmers to town.

My computer which was working sporadically final quit on me and I had
no way on telling how long I had to go, the road was dead flat with
nothing but rice fields around me churning up the humidity and I keep
looking at the horizon ahead hoping to see a glimpse of town....

If you want to see what you're made of then this is the race to do it
on, if suffering scares you then don't. "


-------------------
http://www.teamoakland.com/forums/v....php?f=11&t=149
"By the end I was really dehydrated, in spite of the extra water I
brought - just too much work alone at high HR in very hot weather."

"This is truly a fun epic course. There is a long, steep, and bumpy
climb; stretches of sand and gravel; broken pavements that rival and
exceed Copperopolis; big ring power climbs that make legs hurt; and
long flats run-in to the finish line in triple digit heat! ... After
the finish, a little dizzy from the lack of water for the last 10
miles, the relentless beating of the sun, the stifling heat, and the
meager effort that I called sprint, I felt a little wasted but
content."
-------------------

Amusing:
http://www.bike4funandhealth.com/leesville06.html
http://www.cyclefolsom.com/pdf/long..._jay_dillon.pdf

Tom Kunich

"SLAVE of THE STATE" <gwhite@ti.com> wrote in message
news:96a87060-d701-4cbc-853a-3f87db4bf5d7@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
>
> Leesville Gap can be a death march and I would risk Fredifying there.
> If you took 5 big bottles it would not be too much, even with the free
> handup late in the race. It is strange riding along the rice fields
> at the later stage of the race, as fields drive up humidity where it
> would otherwise be very dry. It is racing in a furnace.

You also have to realize that many rice fields become stagnant ponds early
in the year with mosquitoes breeding by the billions. The California farmers
fight them by releasing dragon flies in the millions which in turn attract
Swifts by the hundreds of thousands. Man can you be in the nasties at the
end of such a race.