It was supposed to be the last Tuesday night ride of the season. We would do pace line once more, retire the structured workouts for the winter slumber, and begin again late next spring.
Dan and I rode Sunday, and we mulled over the best way to finish the season. "Why not try a different pacing technique? We could rotate constantly, like the Tour de France. We haven't tried it before... let's!" And so it was settled, inasmuch as we resolved to broach the topic during the Tuesday ride.
Very little resistance was met, so we proceeded with the plan. What plan? Easy. The leader would pull for 10 seconds (enough time to overtake the person who had just pulled off the lead). Then the leader would pull out to the left (no tap necessary), and the next person would immediately come through. The idea was to have a constant rotation of riders on the front, keeping everyone fresher.
Of course there were the minor misunderstandings and some rough edges to work out, but all in all it was a resounding success. We kept the group intact for most of the way, and even had a large cluster going for the sprint finish. We averaged 24.2 mph, which included a wait to allow riders to regain. It's easy to see that, given a little practice, this would be the way to best any team time previously posted, perhaps even surpassing the Holy Grail of Pace Lines (30+ mph average).
Okay, okay, you're probably wondering who won the sprint. In brief:
We were nearing the end. Strunk was still on, but it was a real push to hang in there. All credit is due here, because Tim was on the hairy edge a few times. It was a gutsy ride.
Anyway, we were rotating quickly, enough so I couldn't be sure where I'd be at the break point. In the last 100 yards it was clear I might come on exactly on the break. Quick mental calculation had me on the front (fresh), Strunk right behind me (tired), and everyone else behind him. It was the best possible scenario for me, because I only need a few bikes lengths separation to to win.
So my turn came up at the line, and I jumped, right away. This caught the group by surprise like I hoped. By the time folks had sorted out what happened, I was too far gone to catch. I carried 30-31 mph smoothly through the half-mile stretch, not really going quite all-out, and listened for the approaching wheels. None came.
Okay, I'll be the first to admit, it was a cheap win. It fell into my lap and I couldn't resist. John T. was way out of position because he helped Allen get back to the group, Jimmy had just come off the front, and everyone else parked directly behind poor Strunk. It was punching down.
But I did it anyway. I looked at my "WWJD" bracelet (What Would Jimmy Do) and knew what I had to do. A win is a win!
Dan and I rode Sunday, and we mulled over the best way to finish the season. "Why not try a different pacing technique? We could rotate constantly, like the Tour de France. We haven't tried it before... let's!" And so it was settled, inasmuch as we resolved to broach the topic during the Tuesday ride.
Very little resistance was met, so we proceeded with the plan. What plan? Easy. The leader would pull for 10 seconds (enough time to overtake the person who had just pulled off the lead). Then the leader would pull out to the left (no tap necessary), and the next person would immediately come through. The idea was to have a constant rotation of riders on the front, keeping everyone fresher.
Of course there were the minor misunderstandings and some rough edges to work out, but all in all it was a resounding success. We kept the group intact for most of the way, and even had a large cluster going for the sprint finish. We averaged 24.2 mph, which included a wait to allow riders to regain. It's easy to see that, given a little practice, this would be the way to best any team time previously posted, perhaps even surpassing the Holy Grail of Pace Lines (30+ mph average).
Okay, okay, you're probably wondering who won the sprint. In brief:
We were nearing the end. Strunk was still on, but it was a real push to hang in there. All credit is due here, because Tim was on the hairy edge a few times. It was a gutsy ride.
Anyway, we were rotating quickly, enough so I couldn't be sure where I'd be at the break point. In the last 100 yards it was clear I might come on exactly on the break. Quick mental calculation had me on the front (fresh), Strunk right behind me (tired), and everyone else behind him. It was the best possible scenario for me, because I only need a few bikes lengths separation to to win.
So my turn came up at the line, and I jumped, right away. This caught the group by surprise like I hoped. By the time folks had sorted out what happened, I was too far gone to catch. I carried 30-31 mph smoothly through the half-mile stretch, not really going quite all-out, and listened for the approaching wheels. None came.
Okay, I'll be the first to admit, it was a cheap win. It fell into my lap and I couldn't resist. John T. was way out of position because he helped Allen get back to the group, Jimmy had just come off the front, and everyone else parked directly behind poor Strunk. It was punching down.
But I did it anyway. I looked at my "WWJD" bracelet (What Would Jimmy Do) and knew what I had to do. A win is a win!
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