Message #2953

[Gai M]

re Crits and Track bikes

DW, I have just acquired a "new" track bike and will be selling my first one very soon.



Crits.  I love doing crits.  Even more than track.


But,
It is not much fun if I am racing against D or C graders.  Much better if my opposition are F graders rather than E.
Also not very satisfying if one has to withdraw when lapped, particularly if it is a small field, and particularly if one is lapped after the first half.  (One is not likely to be lapped a second time).


In summer, I often race the Central Coast crits at Wyong.  All the grades race at the same time with staggered starts and staggered finishes.  It doesn't matter if you get lapped.
Of course, their loop is roughly twice the Steel River distance.

Unfortunately the third Sunday of the month seems to often clash with CNSW  or Masters events.  This weekend, being a trackie, and an award recipient, I was in Sydney for most of Saturday
for the Sydney Winter Track Champs, and the Cyclist of the Year Awards. (for 2009!!)
I got to race against women, but unfortunately the field was not large enough to be split into age divisions. 

Also, our family business requires two deliverers and a shop person on Sunday mornings (can't afford shop staff on Sundays/public hols) and our youngest is doing her HSC very soon.  With the additional travelling time from out here in the West, early Sunday mornings are not often very feasible for me to attend my favourite race.

In order to encourage more lower grade riders to attend, why not have them compete last, i.e. after A grade?  If I was the only one left at this point, I would be quite happy to do the event as a TT.
And in the warmer weather, E grade would be racing for a much shorter tiime than the A's.  So the heat would't be much of a concern for us. 


Granny aged but granny not
- my kids know I am having too much fun on my bikes to be baby-sitting etc.