TheBikeRacer

Andy Good and I headed up to the 'Shootout on Angler's Ridge' on March 13th.  Andy raced in the Sport 50+ class and I raced in the Sport 40+ class.

My race had about 25 people in the class and it was good to see some familiar faces in the lineup.  I was on the front row of our group which seemed like a good place to be until the Race Director called 'role'. By the time my name was called, I was on the 3rd row for the start of the race.

Thankfully there was about a 1/4 mile dirt road to start the race so I was confident I could move up before we hit the singletrack.  Thankfully I was correct.  At the end of the road we made a U-turn and started a climb.  I was in about 7th or 8th when we started the climb and made it up to 5th place when we hit the singletrack.

The rider (Josh) on the front one the previous weeks race so we were content to follow his wheel.  The pace was easy and the trail was about as twisty as it could be.  Total fun. If you get a chance to get to Danville and ride, I recommend it.

We followed Josh for almost half the lap when we hit graveyard hill.  It was about an 8th of a mile long and very steep.  Two guys in front of me attacked and I went with them.  The pace was significantly higher from then on. I stayed with them until we hit some lapped traffic.  I lost a little time to the racer in 2nd place.

Keirin (ケイリン?) is a track cycling event in which racing cyclists sprint for victory. Keirin originated in Japan in 1948; the first Olympic competitions in the sport occurred in 2000.

A keirin race is a mass-start race with 6-9[citation needed] sprinters riders and a paced start. Riders draw lots to determine starting positions and start as the pacer (usually a motorcycle, a derny, or a tandem bicycle) approaches. The riders are required to remain behind the pacer, which starts at the deliberately slow speed of about 25 km/h, gradually increases in speed and leaves the track approximately 600–700 meters before the end, at a speed of about 50 km/h. The first cyclist to finish the race is the winner (sometimes finishing at 70 km/h). Keirin races are about 2 kilometers in length (eight laps on a 250m track, six laps on a 333m track, and five laps on a 400m track).

Sunday was the first race of the Winter Short Track Series hosted by Charlotte Sports Cycling. Everyone was fearing cold weather but somehow Neal ordered a beautiful January day.

My race was at 12 but I arrived early to set up the Cool Breeze/Trek Bike Store Team tent with Sarah. My first race of the day was the Sport 40+ class. I lined up on the 2nd row feeling confident that I could get a good start. I was joking with my buddy Wayne when the race started. I usually don't have a problem getting clicked in but missed my pedal but managed to keep my momentum and eventually get clicked in before the first turn.

I entered the turn 1 and used some of my road experience to pass 4 or 5 guys. I took a small risk and entered the woods in about 5th place. The first lap was uneventful and I did my best to keep my heart rate under control.

Nothing like sleeping in late.  I was up about 10 minutes after I wanted to get up but still thought I had enough time to get to the NCCX Race number 9.  Unfortunately, I underestimated the trip time by about 10 minutes, didn't expect to miss a turn, and ultimately miss my race. 

I did find the course about 10 minutes after my race started so I watched my friends race.  The course looked brutal with a lot of climbing.  Not too many riders looked as though they were having fun.   I'm almost glad I missed the race.  I had a hard ride on Saturday, much harder than I wanted.  I did the Solstice ride out of the Cycle Path in Davidson and it was 'game on' for some reason.  I probably would have suffered bigtime in the race.

I will be there on time for the race in Winston Salem and hope to be competitive for the first time all year.

North Meck Cyclocross Series #4

Race #4- November 29 2011

Huntersville NC - By Jon Clark

Proper cyclocross weather finally came to the Carolinas for the last round of the North Meck Cyclocross Series on Tuesday night. Racers were challenged with a wet, windy course and temperatures in the high 30’s.  Afternoon rain tapered off before registration opened, but the course got slick and muddy as the night went on.  Promoter Neal Boyd setup a slightly less technical course for the conditions, and DeFeet provided some nice prizes for the final round podium finishers.

November 8 2011

Huntersville NC - By Jon Clark

Charlotte area racers were treated to a tight, technical course for round 2 of the North Meck Cyclocross Series on Tuesday night.  The race management crew from Charlotte Sports Cycling added a spiral section, several off-camber turns, and reversed the course direction from last week- providing a good challenge and a much different feel from last week’s course. 

Race #1- November 1 2011

Huntersville NC.  Written by Jon Clark

The North Meck Cyclocross Series kicked off Tuesday night in Huntersville with great weather and a fast dry course for the opening round.  For the fourth year of this USAC sanctioned training series, promoter Neal Boyd used a similar course setup from previous years- featuring traditional barriers, wooden stair- step run-ups, and a short gravel section near one of the softball fields.  The course winds through several flat grassy areas, but takes advantage of some sidehills and off-camber sections as well.  North Meck Park has lights for the softball and soccer fields, and the course is well-lit for night racing.