# Racers, critique my race tactics (video)



## The Domestique (7 Jun 2013)

I'm interested to know what the members of the forum have to say about this race video. I have been using a different forum and have found that I am getting trolled more than would be reasonable to expect. So, I put it here in hopes of starting a dialogue about racing, cycling video production, tactics, fitness, etc. If your criticism is constructive, I look forward to it.

This is a race I did with a six camera shoot. I had three cameras on the bike and three off. It was actually quite easy to set up.



Let me know what you think.


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## Mr Haematocrit (7 Jun 2013)

I'm not so sure the people who are interested in racing are the same people interested in video production.
As a racer I felt the video offered very little other than the entertainment value, without the music we could have heard what your breathing was like yet we were excluded from this.
In terms of Video production as a racer I would have liked to see an overlay from your GPS or power meter data. Applications such as dashware can undertake this task.
I felt the footage was edited for artistic and entertainment value rather than a discussion regarding race craft.... Slow motion cornering to permit discussion on cornering techniques would have been nice.


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## montage (7 Jun 2013)

Firstly, please keep making these videos, no matter what anybody says, they are great!

I think the main reason you did not win is that you keep riding over those arrows which are pointing in the wrong direction. That is bound to slow you down. I think tactics wise, you should turn your race effort gurning face into the Mr Colgate smile present in your avatar. If I were racing such a gleaming white smile, I think I would be charmed into submission well before the bell lap and provide you and obligatory lead out.


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## Pedrosanchezo (7 Jun 2013)

montage said:


> If I were racing such a gleaming white smile, I think I would be charmed into submission well before the bell lap and provide you and obligatory lead out.


 
Can you join me in my next race? I can show you my gleamy whites for a lead out!! 

@ OP. Nice enough vid dude. Don't let haters put you or your vid down..........


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## themosquitoking (7 Jun 2013)

Clearly you got far to excited and went away too soon, take a lead from the Sky train death star and get Kiryienka
to lead you out.


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## Herzog (8 Jun 2013)

Thanks for posting the video, it's always interesting to see other riders POVs.

A couple of questions:
- What was the pace like when you did a couple of laps leading the field at the beginning of the race - i.e., hard enough for you to feel uncomfortable/knackered, or was it a fairly pedestrian start? Why were you working so early on?

- It was great to see you have a dig and attempt to get away (I'm all for adventurous racing), but it was a shame none of the strong competitors went with you! At what point in the race did you get away and how long did you stay away for? Was it an increase in chasing speed or a decrease in your speed that led to being caught? What effort was your breakaway attempt?

The course looked deathly dull - I couldn't ride that course for an hour or whatever it was...then I hate crits!


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## Noodley (8 Jun 2013)

I enjoyed it, but I am not sure if your on-screen dialogue is your reflections on what happened or what you were thinking at the time. Hindsight sometimes makes things slightly different to the reality at the time.

Anyway, if you decide to go for an attack next time make sure you speak to others and ask them beforehand if they'll join you and work together. Or make sure you time it so that you have a chance of it working, rather than knackering yourself. I was not sure if the race was a team format or individuals, so maybe if you have clubmates riding then work together towards achieving a result.

And use a fixed gear on a course like that...!!!


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## Rob3rt (8 Jun 2013)

The video was nice, obviously quite a bit of effort went into it. I have to be honest though, for me, the on screen commentary detracted more than it added. As for your race performance and tactics, I can't offer any critique as I don't do that kind of racing so would just be talking out of my backside.

The course looked lame though, seriously, racing around cones in a car park?


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## montage (8 Jun 2013)

Cycling is a lazy mans sport - he who does the least work often wins.
You spent the first portion of the race on the front, then attacked, then struggled with the attacks that followed.


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## The Domestique (9 Jun 2013)

Mr Haematocrit said:


> I'm not so sure the people who are interested in racing are the same people interested in video production.
> As a racer I felt the video offered very little other than the entertainment value, without the music we could have heard what your breathing was like yet we were excluded from this.
> In terms of Video production as a racer I would have liked to see an overlay from your GPS or power meter data. Applications such as dashware can undertake this task.
> I felt the footage was edited for artistic and entertainment value rather than a discussion regarding race craft.... Slow motion cornering to permit discussion on cornering techniques would have been nice.


 

Well, you're certainly right about entertainment value. I've noticed that there are thousands of helmet or barcam racing videos. Many of them add commentary as to what the writer is thinking or trying to do. I guess adding an element of entertainment is necessary, but that's all done in postproduction. When I'm on the bike, I am purely focused on the racing.

I added the commentary because often people will ask, “why didn't you close that gap”, “why are you hanging off to the left and not right behind his wheel?”, and things of that nature. It's much easier to add some of the character and thinking in postproduction than it is to continually right people in response to those basic questions.

"Cycling is a lazy mans sport - he who does the least work often wins." -Montage I agree with this. The exception is when the aggressive guy gets up the road and the lazy man misses his chance. The back story to these races is that at some point in the first third of the race over the last several weeks someone has gotten away and the chase came too little too late. I was hoping to get in one of these breakaways.

It's not an exciting course but let me answer a couple of your questions...
Total distance: 40 Minutes
Lap size: .4 Miles / 1/2K
Where: Boise, Idaho USA The fairgrounds parking lot
"_course didn't look great but you use what's available.."_ Agreed. I would rather have this than nothing.
_"the video was pretty cool and nicely put together.."_ Thanks.
"_On-screen dialogue is your reflections on what happened or what you were thinking at the time._" I try to make it what I was thinking at the time but it's hard to keep out what you know in hindsight. Good point.

Thanks for all the thoughts.


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## The Domestique (9 Jun 2013)

montage said:


> Firstly, please keep making these videos, no matter what anybody says, they are great!


 Thanks.


montage said:


> I think I would be charmed into submission well before the bell lap and provide you and obligatory lead out.


 Well, get over here and leave me out then!


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## montage (9 Jun 2013)

The Domestique said:


> Well, get over here and leave me out then!


 

I actually spent all of last year over there, raced with the Vandals!


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## HovR (9 Jun 2013)

As a complete non-racer, but avid cyclist, I really enjoyed the video. I really felt like I could 'get in to the race' whilst watching it. In contrast to Rob3rt I actually found the on-screen dialogue quite useful as it allowed me to have some sort of clue what was going on. 

I guess you just have to pick your audience - It'll be hard to produce a video that entertains both non-racers like me, and also acts as a race report for people who actually know what's going on like Rob3rt and Mr Haematocrit!


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## ayceejay (9 Jun 2013)

I enjoyed it more with the mute button on, in the movies the pace of the music is dictated by the action although if the relentless beat was meant to underline your intention to ride a solo metronomic race you should make sure that you have the ability to sustain you ambition.


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## rich p (9 Jun 2013)

The scenery was better than the Tour of Qatar


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## Milzy (9 Jun 2013)

Horrible music assaulted my ears!

The best thing to do is pretend you're tired so the front attack, Then when they burn out attack & stare back into their eyes as you fly off to glory!


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## zizou (9 Jun 2013)

The Domestique said:


> "Cycling is a lazy mans sport - he who does the least work often wins." -Montage I agree with this. The exception is when the aggressive guy gets up the road and the lazy man misses his chance. The back story to these races is that at some point in the first third of the race over the last several weeks someone has gotten away and the chase came too little too late. I was hoping to get in one of these breakaways.


 
It is easier to get in a breakaway by bridging after certain riders attack than trying to initiate it yourself (unless you have a quiet word with someone before doing so!) If you have been racing regularly you should get to know the guys you are up against and who is strong (and also who is not going to be able to sustain any attack). Always try and be aware of where these riders are around about you in the bunch. A road race is a bit different but in a regular crit held on the same course or on the track you'll eventually be able tell when certain riders are getting ready to go in terms of the positioning etc. When they do make their move you'll want to try and bridge inside the first 50 metres of gap and preferably earlier - but obviously you dont want to just pull everyone else back up either.

I think in your video it mentioned the race was cat 2,3 and 4. If you are a cat 4 going up against a cat 2 then its going to be difficult whatever tactics you use. But those are the wheels you should be following and be most aware of.


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## oldroadman (10 Jun 2013)

The early move was a pointless waste of energy if it pushed anywhere near a maximal effort, and no-one joined. In this situation ease up on the energy input and keep rolling along. If someone comes then maybe a bit more effort might pay of. but generally early moves are low chance of success.
rejoining the peloton it's not good to drop back too far, which is why I think you may have overdone the earlier effort, and didn't recover well. This cost further on in having to move forward even if getting a little shelter. The whole field was far to spaced to get any proper shelter anyway, so more energy cost.
Lessons: In the first half of the race watch and work out who is strong, what is happening and ignore solo efforts, a small group or organised peloton chase later will nearly always work. Conserve energy, otherwise you spend it and the bill arrives later! Learn to ride much closer (is this what the references to "sphere" mean?) and get decent shelter.
Remember that the business end of a race is the last 25-30% of the distance, and it's not good going into this with too much energy used if you want a result. Only domestiques are cooked by then, for very good reasons, working for a team leader. In an individual smaller race then you have to look out for yourself, so stay in the wheels, ride first 15 in the peloton, and if you have to go through to the front early, keep the turns very short and steady.
Finally, don't get over excited - nervous energy will push your body and as I said the bill is paid later, so try and stay calm, think through the race, and conserve the big effort for when it counts.
Best of luck..!

Interesting that the officials let you start with cameras, as devices not essential for racing they are a no-no here in UK and europe, especially the helmet ones which can be the cause of all kinds of problems (gfalling off, injury to others, etc.).


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## Rob3rt (10 Jun 2013)

oldroadman said:


> Interesting that the officials let you start with cameras, as devices not essential for racing they are a no-no here in UK and europe, especially the helmet ones which can be the cause of all kinds of problems (gfalling off, injury to others, etc.).


 

It appears to happen fairly often in the US. Robbie McEwen has a youtube channel with lots of race footage from crits on it.


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## zizou (10 Jun 2013)

They were allowed here up until this season.

Although when i say 'allowed' i mean they were actually banned but the ban wasnt enforced (a bit like cycle computers were for years despite most people having one!). Got to love the rule book


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## VamP (10 Jun 2013)

I was gonna say, there's loads of vids on youtube from UK circuits.


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## Rob3rt (10 Jun 2013)

zizou said:


> They were allowed here up until this season.
> 
> Although when i say 'allowed' i mean they were actually banned but the ban wasnt enforced (a bit like cycle computers were for years despite most people having one!). Got to love the rule book


 

It is just like the 3cm rule in TT's, the number of people breaking that rule appears very large.


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## Archie_tect (10 Jun 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> The video was nice, obviously quite a bit of effort went into it. I have to be honest though, for me, the on screen commentary detracted more than it added. As for your race performance and tactics, I can't offer any critique as I don't do that kind of racing so would just be talking out of my backside.
> 
> The course looked lame though, seriously, racing around cones in a car park?


That's a huge car park mind!


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## The Domestique (11 Jun 2013)

montage said:


> I actually spent all of last year over there, raced with the Vandals!


Then we have raced together. I was a collegiate bronco while finishing my Ph.D. Small world. I have great video of when JT passed out on the bike.


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## The Domestique (11 Jun 2013)

HovR said:


> As a complete non-racer, but avid cyclist, I really enjoyed the video. I really felt like I could 'get in to the race' whilst watching it. In contrast to Rob3rt I actually found the on-screen dialogue quite useful as it allowed me to have some sort of clue what was going on.
> 
> I guess you just have to pick your audience - It'll be hard to produce a video that entertains both non-racers like me, and also acts as a race report for people who actually know what's going on like Rob3rt and Mr Haematocrit!


 
Well said. That's the balance isn't it?


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## The Couch (11 Jun 2013)

Milzy said:


> Then when they burn out attack & stare back into their eyes as you fly off to glory!


 
Of course, we would all like to play Armstrong vs. Ullrich... but I don't know if it's as easy as that 



oldroadman said:


> The early move was a pointless waste of energy if it pushed anywhere near a maximal effort, and no-one joined. In this situation ease up on the energy input and keep rolling along. If someone comes then maybe a bit more effort might pay of. but generally early moves are low chance of success.


I agree here, with such an early escape attempt, if you don't quickly (1.5 tour max.) get someone in your wheel, sit up and let yourself get wheeled back. You really need a couple of people to survive something like that (even Jensie does), but then again I do like people who dare to take a (thought-out) whack at it.


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## oldroadman (12 Jun 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> It is just like the 3cm rule in TT's, the number of people breaking that rule appears very large.


 
Do you mean the 3:1 ratio rules for tubes, handlebars, etc.?
In CTT events, they don't have to comply with the rules as defined by UCI and BC for TTs. Hence some interesting positions and adaptions can be seen at times. It all comes unstuck when the TT championship comes around, people show up with their CTT time trial bikes and quite a few get rejected, despite organisers showing them links to the BC website with all the specifications. I once observed a rider attacing his bike with a hacksaw to get it through the checks. A bit of reading and measuring could have saved an expensive day!


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## Rob3rt (13 Jun 2013)

oldroadman said:


> Do you mean the 3:1 ratio rules for tubes, handlebars, etc.?
> In CTT events, they don't have to comply with the rules as defined by UCI and BC for TTs. Hence some interesting positions and adaptions can be seen at times. It all comes unstuck when the TT championship comes around, people show up with their CTT time trial bikes and quite a few get rejected, despite organisers showing them links to the BC website with all the specifications. I once observed a rider attacing his bike with a hacksaw to get it through the checks. A bit of reading and measuring could have saved an expensive day!


 

No I do not mean the 3:1 rule, that is with regards component aspect ratio's (which as you correctly state does not apply to riders who ride only in CTT events), the 3cm rule is a CTT rule that relates to rider position. It is rarely if ever enforced but the regulations stipulate that your elbow must not be more than 3cm forward of a line extended through the centre of the steerer tube. There are very few limitations on ride position in CTT events, you have limits on saddle to bar drop and how far your elbows are in front of the steerer and that is about it.

People hacksaw a part off of one of the Specialized frames to make it UCI legal IIRC. Possibly the transition?


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