Section head text.
Since I’m a Cat3 – the sluttiest category of them all – I can do races with 1s, 2s, 3s and 4s. I’ve found that fields with 4s in them to be the most likely to have people shouting at one another – by far.
Why is that? Is it because the more experienced racers are less likely to freak out when someone shifts their line or gets a little squirrely? Are cat 4s just more verbal? Or are they super smart and are able to cleverly get people to do their bidding when they scream, “Pull through!?”
if blake was a cat 3, he’d still be annoying. he yells all the time in a race for no reason. seems to have no understanding of race tactics etc. is always letting gaps open. crappy to have in your field all around.
You apparently do give good head, because you seem to be too ashamed to say who you are… if you don’t like talking, why not try a go for the multisport, eh?
period. Just makes it worse.
blake’s a great guy. he’s a strong rider too. much stronger than any anon idiot on these boards anyway
about others upgrades. They’ll have to prove their worth in whichever class they race with. Don’t concern yourself.
…ahhh, hitchhiking through an international 3,4 field…why can’t we get enough of it?
So he upgraded by knowing somebody, while other, way better racers, struggle to upgrade via following the rules and hard work. But if they say something it is poor sportsmanship. That is very logic. Who is cheating who here?
still think whining about someone else’s upgrade is poor sportsmanship. grow up.
Blake is un-boring.
That is why I don’t like Blake’s upgrade.
if someone is riding like a jagoff in fromt of you, you need to get in front of him…it’s too late for him, save yourself, he’ll never survive in that mode
don’t like the upgrade rules? organize a coup at USA cycling and change them.
don’t like your fellow racers? stfu.
being competitive on the bike doesn’t mean you have to be a dickhead off of it.
give Blake BJ when you see him, but he certainly did not get his upgrade by results
Blake is one of the nicest and funniest guys racing in NYC as far as Im concerned. Dont be a jerk. Slamming him for no reason says what kind of guy you are…
blake needs to be mentioned as the biggest annoyance in the 1 2 3 field. How did he ever get his 1?
Whats wrong with Blake? Nice guy in my book. And why do you care if he is a 1. I’ll answer that: Because you are not.
Oh snap!
So I guess it won’t hurt your feelings then if I tell you your grammar and spelling sucks.
So what do you do if some jackass does something very stupid that could have taken half the field down??I’m sorry but if you do something stupid infront of me I’m going to tell you and then we can discuss it later,The thing is most of us have jobs and people that depend on us.Bike racing is fun and can be healthy but it doesnt have to be dangerous to the extent that it is when some genius is at the front anf swerves in front of the entire field or some guy that trys tompull into a gap that isnt there.I dont want to crack my head or break my collar bone or even go down at all.As far as the “Jamaican” dude is concerned,I wouldnt care what you say as long as you can ride in a strait line and dont do nothing stupid.I got yelled at once in a race and deserved it,I thought about what I did and learned why I shouldnt do what I did,My feelings werent hurt.
BVF Kissena who cares! I mean really.
Probably because its easy to make it to cat4 so there is an abundance of racers with bad skills and even worse sense,this was evident in Harlems 4/5 race.I’m just glad it wasnt me,also I reconized some that I knew suck so I do my best to stay away from them.
Whats fake about upgrading and racing? The guy did what you are supposed to do.
4-3: 20 points in any 12-month period; or experience in 25 qualifying races with a minimum of 10 top ten finishes, or 20 pack finishes with fields over 50. 30 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade
Top 10’s…I thought you needed 21 points that 6th place or better. Upgrading any other way is fake.
I support Jonathan-bvf for Cat 3. And president.
who would have a problem with Jonathan? he’s one of the nicest guys around.
All the smack talk in the 4’s is a downer. Polite talk rules!
I upgraded from 5 to 4 as soon as possible (just started racing last year with a few good finishes) but we cat4 are just as bad as the cat5’s.
I’d say there’s slightly better bike handling skills at the low-end, i.e., the worst riders are not completely clueless like in the 5’s, but that’s it. I raced master’s 1-4 at battenkill this year and it was civilized.
I wouldn’t mind the carribean yeller so much if he would occasionally strike a semblance of conversation with people instead of always yelling at the pack. And I have no idea who he is because he is ALWAYS behind me. Also he seems to start his ranting about 2/3 of the way through every race probably because he is too tired and delirious.
I bumped a guys butt with my handlebars last night and got a little wobbly for a moment, of course the accusations came at me immediately: ‘I saw you mon, you swervin all of the road!’.
Yes, thank you very much kind sir, I knew that. It’s better than crashing.
Take it up with USCF if you don’t like it. Obviously I have had enough top 10s to upgrade.
and next time use your name.
Inner security and peace.
fake 3? what’s a fake 3?
the only ‘fake 3’ worth shouting about was in that flick total recall
Painful.
I know the punch thrown at the Prospect race two weeks ago was because one guy yelled at another during the race. I think that is enough of a reason to keep your mouth shut, generally. Some people misinterpret tone when riding (kinda like on the internet), and what is intended as a friendly “please stop swerving into my wheel because I want to keep my collarbone intact” gets interpreted as “You are an asshole for getting into my way”.
We even have some SHOUTING there below in this very discussion. Must be a Cat 4, eh? Why so upset about someone else’s upgrade?
at least it keeps people from zoning out or getting bored.
YOUR A FAKE 3.
WHAT POINTS OR PLACING HAVE YOU EVER HAD?
better to just drop the guys who are blowing up.
races are sketchiest, and yappiest, when they are slow. if a race is fast, it tends to be string out a bit. much better to have a long train 2 wide than a big blob.
eating lunch at 12:47
At Housatonic (I’m a 4), I guess at some point I might have swerved for any number of reasons, but I usually keep my line and like to keep my mouth shut. Some guy behind me yelled some shit like “watch out” to which I replied “chill out” in a somewhat annoyed tone. After we got over the climb, I turned around to him and excused myself for sounding impatient and he excused himself too and said something about not really digging road rage.
I think some of the chatter might just be less experienced riders thinking it’s normal to shout during the whole race.
with your mom…
what do you think it’s like in the pro peloton? i wonder what those guys say to each other during major races. the classics? during grand tours?
i think the most chatter comes from those that can’t speak with their legs. ’nuff said?
hahahaha
if I take the cut-off…at 72nd street
but I’d have to take the cut-off!
than in a 1-2-3 (three categories)? Or a p-1-2-3 (four)?
No, but clearly the most variation within a single cat. No question. Major differences within Cat4, from top Cat 3 fitness to pathetic fat dudes just up from Cat 5 after 10 races.
the cabbie’s horn. It doesn’t do much other than annoy the rest of us. Just shut up and race your bike.
Lap Times: 14:11, 13:21, 12:59, 13:09, 13:11
This was last Sat’s points race. I knew it felt fast (I was wheezing away pretty hard), but this has to be some kind of record? Ouch. Zmolick kicked serious ass too, winning 3 of 4 sprints…The Empire train had to help quite a bit, but I suspect that it really just put enough hurt on the traditional sprinters that the race went more to the all around strong guy rather than the power sprinters.
C
K
I got some of this variety of “yelling” at Housitonic. . . dropped and heading up the KOM alone, with a pick-up escort. Not easy on the morale, but riding up in Rockland is good preparation for this though. . .
By definition, a 4 field is always going to be a tad more tense given the collective inexperience of the field and the limited ability to anticipate things that happen in the normal flow of a race. So to compensate for the lack of advanced cycling skills (and perhaps other inadequacies), individuals resort to a verbal shield for at least the perception of enhanced safety. I know I tend to give yappers a wide berth.
prime example:
“If someone is about to hit my front wheel i will let him know i’m there by shouting or pushing, doesn’t matter if it is lance armstrong or a jamaican dude…”
NOBODY HAS ANY REPONSIBILITY TO YOUR FRONT WHEEL EXCEPT YOU..JUST STEER YOUR BIKE OR HIT YOUR BRAKES OR BOTH, BUT DON’T HIT ANYONE OR SAY ANYTHING
It is your job to protect your front wheel. Rule #1 never overlap the wheels.
The other thing to consider is that Cat 4s are going to have the largest disparity of fitness. When I was a 4, I won 2 Prospect Park races, placed in a few others, and I was in a rush to be a 3 so I upgraded quickly. I was a cat 4 for less than 4 months. The guys who linger in the 4s to win a race or series, or don’t want to upgrade leaving teammates behind, or for whatever other reason do not upgrade when they should, make racing harder for the intermediate category Cat 4 is suppose to be. When racing is harder, you get tired novices who have a hard time controlling their bikes. I’m not saying it’s the only reason but definitely contributes to the sketchiness in the cat 4 field.
I’ve noticed a similar effect in the triathletes who train in the mornings in Central Park – they go way too fast for their skill level and you hear them coming, shouting “on your left!” They have more speed and fitness than bike skills. When they come in packs at speed, their coaches are doing them a dis-service. I almost took out an entire pack of Tri-lifers for yelling at me and telling me how to ride my bike. One clown told me that when you ride slow, you ride on the left side of the road.
I did a beginner mountain bike race last year, and the guy next to me said he had done every race in the Campmor series (I think there are 8-10 races) and was leading the series. By that point, he should have not been a beginner.
to be very aggressive. In CAT 4 we are sometimes too anxious to get to the front and in so doing we are sometimes a little too aggressive. It is also reflected in non-cyclist, drivers, pedestrians etc. Having said that, I remember the dude at GMSR last year that passed the field in his pickup and with his body halfway out the window, he shouted “You f**ing assholes”. So, we might have to include dudes in pickup trucks also even if they’re from Vermont. He might have been from NJ though.
i think i’ve said about 4 or 5 words in all the cat 4 races i’ve done this year. i’ve never been in a crash and seem to have no problem moving around the field. it’s simply not necessary to be yelling and shouting.
guy blowing up is not the one yelling. he’s usually gasping and wobbling out of the saddle, guy directly behind him changes line abrubtly, which cause chain reaction of guys behind him to panic, lock brakes, yell “watch-it!” etc. etc. very common.
Is that considered yapping? I get bored and start singing or just start chatting with folks. I’ll let somebody know when I am moving up on their right or left but other than that I don’t really talk.
Don’t try it.
That Foundation guy is the undisputed king of talking smack from the rear of the lowly B field. What’s funny is his observations are always wrong! When a break was away for a lap “they’re gone guys, you blew it!” Of course the break was caught – and he’s always instructing people incorrectly as well.
I heard Paul McCormack (Irish international, rode pro worlds, etc, though was mainly based in the US) yell that in a race once.
so someone blows up? Why does that promote them or anyone yelling?
This weekend at housatonic:
Hard to yell when one is suffering
often shouting starts up when someone blows and starts to wobble and move in reverse. this is very typical in 4 racing. this often happens on harlem hill or coming out of turn 1 at FBF
On the other hand you have a different brand of yelling in the Cat 5’s. I’ve overheard, “Papi!, Papi! slow down, you riding too fast man, what are you trying to do to me, Papi!
it’s a cat 4 thang
…does that actually mean anything?
The last thing we need here is namby-pamby, disney racing. You want that, move to a flyover state.
New York City’s a loudmouth, pushy place — hold it down, keep it real! I want more of the cat 4 greek chorus, more Floyd peanut gallery.
There is definitely a thug element in some of the NYC races (speaking from a 4’s perspective). It almost seems like the smack talk/bullying is all part of the race for some of the usual offenders. Don’t know whether the thugs ever upgrade….I’ll find out when I manage to pull myself from the fray.
They have a “fairly big” guy at the moment but last year?
If someone is about to hit my front wheel i will let him know i’m there by shouting or pushing, doesn’t matter if it is lance armstrong or a jamaican dude…
a fellow racer commented after the race that he thinks that the away races are much more civilyzed and that the closer you get to NY, the more you hear bad language and both verbal and physical abuse. This is kinda true and might not have so much to do with the Category and more to do with the nature of the riders in the race.
0
Not a word.
wat about the big guy on organic who was always screaming at guys during the b races last year?
I hear way too much yelling in the 3-4 pack at FBF compared with other mostly 3 races. I attribute it to a bunch of local racers who I think dont get out of town as much and dont understand racing etiquette generally. That and there are a few thugs in the group to be sure. Annoying though.
this is why I upgraded to 3 as soon as i could, even though I’d be way more competitive in the 4’s…It’s MUCH safer in the 1/2/3 or masters races. riders just flow around hazards without panicking, and if there’s incidental contact they just deal with it and keep riding.
when I was a 4, if an argument broke out I’d make sure to get as far away from it as possible, because 50-50 there would be a crash soon after.
this past weekend. I missed the start of the B race and jumped into the back of the A race when it came through. The one thing that really struck me was how quiet it was. It was just quiet and smooth and people just gave a quick tap on the hip for an intruding rider. And there definitely wasn’t any verbal abuse (that I heard) to the surrounding community. During the 4/5 race at Harlem, a NY Velocity shouted “F*** You!!” to one of the people on the sidelines who shouted something undiscernable as the pack rode by. Next lap, the finger to the spectator (now turned ny velocity heckler, granted). Chris Price quickly admonished the rider, but it was sort of embarrassing.
Related to the Jamaican guy at FBF, I overheard an exchange 2 weeks ago that really made me pause. The Team United rider was really laying into an unattached rider about holiding it straight or whatever and the guy finally snapped and shouted “Go to Hell man!! F*** You!!!” His voice was full of that primal fear that you can hear just before a fight breaks out.
Having offered up my own “Keep pedalling!” in the past, I can definitely say, smooth and quiet is the way the forward. (excuse the pun)
My favorites are the guys that sit on the back race after race and yell at the guys up front to “pick up the pace” or “stop hittin’ the brakes”. Nothing wrong with sittin’ in if you simply aren’t strong enough(I do it more times than not); just shut up and ride.
Riders yell when they’re insecure. The most insecure are the ones with the least experience (though there are some in every group). Strength and ability, in my opinion, have nothing to do with it. It’s all about what’s inside.
I yelled at Glenroy Griffith at Harlem and I think it was justified…. there are no right turns on the Harlem course
Wish I was strong enough to consistently be in front of that guy
I know I do.
My first ever CAT3 only race this past weekend (Housatonic) and mostly towards the back of the main pack. The pack was very smooth. I was able to ride with my hands on the tops going up most of the climbs and this was a pack of say 40-50 guys. On the other hand, the balloon festival race of last weekend was so sketchy at times and as we all know by now there was the promise of a fist fight.
Certain riders never learn though and one of my previous teamates who has not raced at all this year due to an incident involving a car was a strong cat 3 but as sketchy as it gets, moving through the pack like a mad man.
how about Pauli from Foundation. Yells like a army DS in every race he enters – which is like 2 per year these days, even though he doesnt ride well himself – esp always standing on Harlem hill and swerving around with crazy over-effort.
that guy yells constantly at FBF, and is the same guy who rode like a freak with his dreads on fire all last year, scaring the crap out of the whole field. Far as I can tell, he just sits largely on back this year.
Is it because the more experienced racers are less likely to freak out when someone shifts their line or gets a little squirrely?
Yes.
The jamaican dude who yells that is a cat 4.
…..same Cat 4 Jamaican guy while right at the back of the field
…..same Cat 4 Jamaican guy while right at the back of the field