Sprints/Racing

[stevierooks]

There are some oportunities to sprint and race on our rides and I don't know what I'm doing. Are there some tips - especially regarding ettiquite - that people can share? Can I pass on the right? Is it cool to just draft some rider who is out in front? Please share your wisdom.

Rooks

[Lister Farrar]

Yes, that's half the fun isn't it?

I'd say yes it's ok to pass on either side as some riders pull over after a leadout and others don't. (They shouldn't pull over unless they know no-one is behind by shoulder checking.)

But best to say 'On your left' or 'on your right' before passing (ie overlapping wheels) anyone in the heat of a sprint who you think might not finish it.

And practice holding a swerving rider away from your handlebars with a hand on their hip. And say "On your left/right". No threat or risk to them, and much, much better than going down. Surprisingly easy and safe. Just don't grab a handful of lycra and pull.

[DavidB]

It's all about being safe and predictable. Other than that, as long as it's safe, pretty much anything is fair game.

1) Hop on a wheel (Follow Somebody pretty closely, get in the draft.)
2) Look around you. Is someone coming along on your right? Is there a faster wheel going by?
3) Announce your intentions. If you're feeling stealthy, you don't have to yell for the whole street to hear, just got the people near you.
4) Make your move. Back off a bit, accelerate towards the person in front of you, then pull out of the slipstream at the last possible moment.
5) Get on another wheel
6) Repeat until you have achieved riches and glory.

[Lister Farrar]

It's all about being safe and predictable. Other than that, as long as it's safe, pretty much anything is fair game.

1) Hop on a wheel (Follow Somebody pretty closely, get in the draft.)
2) Look around you. Is someone coming along on your right? Is there a faster wheel going by?
3) Announce your intentions. If you're feeling stealthy, you don't have to yell for the whole street to hear, just got the people near you.
4) Make your move. Back off a bit, accelerate towards the person in front of you, then pull out of the slipstream at the last possible moment.
5) Get on another wheel
6) Repeat until you have achieved riches and glory.

These are really good David. Especially like the "look around" (so many of us appear to have fused cervical vertebrae). And the "accelerate into the wheel, then move out". Classic track sprint coaching. Bravo.

[JohnT]

Edited after reading the post above

By 'looking around', I think Dave meant be aware of your surroundings (edit: or maybe not). Looking around often leads to (edit: might lead to) unintentional deviations from your line, or a failure to notice a slowing leader (see below). I wouldn't recommend that. Also, and this one isn't always easy to swallow, sometimes the rotation just doesn't work out and you end up being one of two or three lead out men/women. Accept that role. Trying to manage your position as the sprint comes up, e.g., an especially short pull, or bailing out of the third wheel position with 500 m to go is a little too competitive, at least as a regular strategy. One other suggestion. Even though it's best not to bail early, don't hang on the front too long either (that is, don't be a slowing lead out man/woman). As the speed and excitement (in the whole group) builds, a slowing lead out man/woman can screw things up. Lead out hard (or gently but with ever increasing pace) and then give up the lead before you start to slow down.

One way you can manage your position is to pull a little longer well before the sprint. If you are in front at the entrance to the golf course, stay there all the way to the right hander at Henderson. Similar strategies work at Beacon Hill. Little chance you'll be back in front before the sprint (but just enough time for recovery) and this way you haven't disrupted anything in the final Km.

JohnT

[DavidB]

By 'looking around', I think Dave meant be aware of your surroundings (edit: or maybe not). Looking around often leads to (edit: might lead to) unintentional deviations from your line, or a failure to notice a slowing leader (see below). I wouldn't recommend that.

Yep. Know who's around you, and if you're about to move left suddenly, take the time to shoulder check left before you move. And as John said, sometimes the sprint just doesn't work out. I find being in the wrong spot a really nice way out of doing work by the time beacon rolls around.

Is it cool to just draft some rider who is out in front?

YES. Letting someone else do a lot of work and then passing them is part of the game. If you mash away for 700m with me in your draft, I'm going to be a lot fresher than you in the last 200m. Drafting saves you ~20%, and it's a bigger deal than a lot of newer rider realize.

[stevierooks]

Thank you good people for your thoughts. This will help my put my confidence up for sprints. Hopefully my competence will come up to join it.

Rooks