Breakaway and Chase Practice, Friday 15th

[Josh.E]

Thanks to the tripleshot A group. All the feedback from the Pro City Team guys that showed up has been really good, and we got some great practice riding as a group, which was exactly what we were hoping for. We really had to work our butts off to chase as a team, especially on the 2nd chase into beacon when we were largely outnumbered by the break.
Thanks to Bob for stepping up and leading. That was a good pick, and made a big difference to getting the A group organized. He is well known and has the respect of all the "A" racers in town, so people will do what he says.

[barton bourassa]

You guys were flying! Darn near airborne as you went zipping by us at Beacon Hill. Might I make a suggestion? When you go by slower riders could you give us a foot or two more space? The A's went by 3 or 4 of us at high speed within elbow reach. We were practically in the gutter when someone yelled out "Stay Right!". Any righter and we would have smashed into the curb. Thank you!

[Josh.E]

Good feedback Barton. Probably has a lot to do with the relative comfort levels the two groups have when it comes to riding in close proximity. Definitely something for the A's to keep in mind when passing slower groups.

[shawnc]

Hey Barton,

I was the one who yelled “stay right.” Someone yelled back “we already are,” but my intended meaning was exactly that: remain on the right side. I saw that your group was already as far over as you could safely get and that’s great. I simply wanted to let your group know there were more riders coming up.

I’m not saying you would do this, but I’ve seen situations where slower riders have veered over to the left without shoulder-checking when faster riders are approaching and I wanted to avoid that possibility. Sorry if there was any confusion.

As for passing closely, I agree it’s been a little hairy at Beacon Hill lately with so many riders doing laps at the same time. It’s a good problem to have in one sense because it means our club is growing, but it does require everyone to be extra alert, which can be hard to do at that point in the ride!

One thing I’d also like to add: I cringed at Telegraph Bay when some riders blew through the stop sign when a car was turning left onto Cadboro Bay Road. From my perspective the car had the right of way and we don’t need any more drivers pissed off at cyclists (that driver was definitely pissed off). Please respect the stop signs when there are cars around.

[katew]

...and thanks to the Cs who welcomed my daughter Liz and showed her a good time in Gordon Head

She came home very upbeat, very happy.

[steve]

I saw all the zebras and canadian team jersey and thought going with the A group wasn't a good idea - I have trouble hanging on at the best of times. The B ride breakaway and chase was a fantastic workout and I enjoyed the challenge of working together to catch the break. I have to say it became demoralizing, as every time we caught four or five riders, another group went off the front again and we had to ramp things up again. I guess this is part of the challenge of this type of training - to keep your focus mentally!

I'm finding these drills great for working on communication, organization and fitness along with keeping things interesting. Thanks again to all who are responsible!

Steve

[Jimmy]

From the B1 group, I also enjoyed the drills. A couple of things I noticed was that both the attack and chase groups benefit immensely from tight coordinated pace lines. Both groups looked a bit ragtag in places and lost momentum. For the larger chase group with multiple attacks, it's important to catch the break quickly and effectively or risk getting worn down and breaking apart. There were a few that took the lead and were reluctant to give up the lead. The long pulls resulted in gradual slower speeds and eventually caused additional fracturing with back riders passing ineffectively. Short deliberate and strong pulls - then get out and back will improve our performance. As it was, the end of the Beacon laps resulted in a group sprint of the chase group. That dimished or advantage over the smaller attack group and the race is lost.
Otherwise, great fun!!
How about 4 riders that feel they can get organized enough to make for a strong break group put your team together and challenge the chasers? Any chase teams that feel they can't be beaten????