Dominguez Hills off season crit race #2 race report

[Garrett Garcia]

Just got back from my first Crit race...def a fun experience!

Any one else do this race???

 

[DISCO]

How'd you place?

 

[vlad]

Great meeting you at the end Garrett. First crit too and it was totally great and fun. Finished 32nd but quite happy with the result as a first timer. Plus I was out at a wedding last night till 2:00 am. Plus did the 100km of Tour de Foothills yesterday in the front pack. 32 out of 53 is more than enough.

 

[Garrett Garcia]

How'd you place?

not sure 20 something i think. less than 2sec behind first, it was my first crit ever so just getting the feeling for it

Great meeting you at the end Garrett. First crit too and it was totally great and fun. Finished 32nd but quite happy with the result as a first timer. Plus I was out at a wedding last night till 2:00 am. Plus did the 100km of Tour de Foothills yesterday in the front pack. 32 out of 53 is more than enough.

I friended you on face book pm your phone number maybe we can ride together sometime:beer:

 

[GeorgiaOfTheJungle]

Great meeting you at the end Garrett. First crit too and it was totally great and fun. Finished 32nd but quite happy with the result as a first timer. Plus I was out at a wedding last night till 2:00 am. Plus did the 100km of Tour de Foothills yesterday in the front pack. 32 out of 53 is more than enough.

THAT explains why you were not at the ShoAir banquet. You were missed!

Congrats on your first crit. Are you hooked yet? I heard the fields were pretty calm, great race to start out on.

As for placing in the Cat 5s, I highly recommend that you heed Chris' advice and don't worry about it. You need 10 races to upgrade, period, and you need to finish those races. Not everyone in that field knows how to sprint safely, let alone ride in a group. Be careful out there guys. You don't want to end up like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLPyqJtKjGI (Cal State Championship, women's Cat 3/4)

 

[Byron B]

I'm curious what the avg speed was, can you share that with us?

 

[Garrett Garcia]

I'm curious what the avg speed, can you share that with us?

i currently dont have a computer of any sort on my bike sorry

 

[Byron B]

^ no worries...

 

[ubermensch]

Any one else do this race???

You might get more of a response if you visit socalbikeforums.com or the racing section on bikeforums.net.

The average speed doesn't really mean much unless you're the one in the front setting tempo, but I think they tend to be in the mid to upper 20s.

I lasted 3 or 4 laps before getting caught behind a couple of guys that touched wheels. I was hoping to do a couple of races that weekend and maybe bump my fitness a little for the xc race in Fontana this Saturday, but I don't think my wrist it up to it now. Still riding everyday, just not good enough to race this weekend. See you guys out there next month.

 

[vlad]

THAT explains why you were not at the ShoAir banquet. You were missed!

Congrats on your first crit. Are you hooked yet? I heard the fields were pretty calm, great race to start out on.

As for placing in the Cat 5s, I highly recommend that you heed Chris' advice and don't worry about it. You need 10 races to upgrade, period, and you need to finish those races. Not everyone in that field knows how to sprint safely, let alone ride in a group. Be careful out there guys. You don't want to end up like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLPyqJtKjGI (Cal State Championship, women's Cat 3/4)

Totally hooked, to the point that I'll spend the next race season primarily on the road. Will focus on the real road races with a splatter of crits to help me move out of cat 5. Thinking Poor College Kids and Boulevard to start off (did Boulevard last year in the snow). San Dimas Stage race for sure, the major crits, and lets see what else....

Of course, I'll still come to the more important MTB races, but most likely just the US CUP races.

Just hope that at the Otter the stars will align and I'll be able to do both the Cat 2 XC and Cat 5 road race (or at least the circuit race.

Agreed also that these crits are best used to learn and not to place. Even from just this one crit it was obvious that road racing is so much more about strategy than MTB (well not counting the pro MTBers who do actually use strategy). I need to move up on the learning curve of road strategy (read all you want about road strategy, but you'll gain nothing until you are actually there in the peloton. Did have the legs to endure though and if I was fresh I'd probably place good too.... Had a great out of the saddle sprint in the end that moved me up a good 5-6 spots. Doesn't matter though - had fun and want to do allot more of them)

Garrett - At the Off Season 2 average speed clocked in a 23.99 mph.

 

[synikalsoysauce]

ouch Boulevard was my first road race ever. kicked my butt pretty badly as i didnt train hard enough for it and the crosswinds/headwinds were killer. kind of a last minute from a buddy of mine that wanted to run it. but it began my thirst for more. did a lot of crit racing the following season, but stopped in cat4 due to school and not enough time to keep training. but man oh man it was fun! i remember the average speed was 25+.

 

[vlad]

Boulevard was a challenge against the lements and for all the pain and suffering it will remain one of the most memorable experienceds I've ever had on the bike. Got dropped about half way through the second lap in the pelting frozen rain. That soon turned into snow so that last third of the last lap was totally blizzard like conditions. At the finish line the timing official asked me to call out my number as my back and number whe covered in snow. Spent an hour later in the lodge deicing next to the fireplace. On the ride back to the lodge I couldn't brake at all cause my fingers froze in a position around the bars. I had to brake by sticking my frozen feet in the snow. (closest I ever came to frostbite)

Yes Boulevard 2009 - one of the besdt days on the bike ever.

 

[GeorgiaOfTheJungle]

I did Boulevard, too. Luckily, we finished before the snow. We did get rain, but only on the descent, on the hill the sun came out, then it rained again on the down side, and started to freeze on the next hill. Good times--thank goodness for that lodge! It took a couple hours for me to feel my fingers and toes.

FYI, you only need 10 mass starts and ElDo counts. You can get two races/wk to upgrade in less than 5 weeks (since you just did a couple of races). If you qualify for any Master's races, you can get 3 + races/wk. That's what John did-upgraded in less than a month.

I totally understand the love--you share my race plan for next year
The Tour of Murrieta is a nice warm-up for the San Dimas Stage Race, too.