Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Lots of gas bagging recently about C graders, power, race craft, etc.

OK, a poll of sorts for C graders. How many seconds can you ride at 45kph - no drafting, no wind, no sharp corners, flat course.

I am just wondering what this is relevant to?

I'd probably jump in C grade if I came back to Oz .
I reckon I could hold it for an hour on a flat course no wind no corners etc... but only on a TT bike.
2nd thoughts maybe not... so half an hour ( 1800 seconds ).

winstonw wrote:Lots of gas bagging recently about C graders, power, race craft, etc.

OK, a poll of sorts for C graders. How many seconds can you ride at 45kph - no drafting, no wind, no sharp corners, flat course.

If you can hold 45km/hr for any longer than 60-90 seconds you shouldn't be in C grade. imo

Don't tell anyone when I sign on with my day license then .

No idea. There are no flat roads here long enough to find out.

Also not sure what is the point of the question? Are you interested in how C graders TT? Are we talking road bikes or TT bikes?

Not that any of this matters, I race B now.[1 race veteran]

So my answer is: As long as they are being towed by B grade

My understanding is all C grades are not equal... But only the third best group in a particular area.

ozdavo wrote:My understanding is all C grades are not equal... But only the third best group in a particular area.

Got it in one. Then even within those courses there is probably atleast a few km/h difference between what the people in that group can put out.

In my c grade flat course experience, 45+ is required to create a gap in an attack on a pack with an average speed of 39-41.
After creating a gap, you then have to at least maintain the same speed as the pack.
Attacks in C grade ime are much less common than higher grades, thus more races end with large dangerous bunch sprints.
I rarely see C graders train solo or in small groups to emulate attacking.

If "anyone can become an A grader", then why don't C graders attack as regularly as higher grades?

in my first race two weeks ago, there were at least 5 attacks is that a lot or a little?
i could hold 45 km/h for id say 10 minutes before i blow up.I was in C grade i have been bumped up to B!

ni78ck wrote:in my first race two weeks ago, there were at least 5 attacks is that a lot or a little?
i could hold 45 km/h for id say 10 minutes before i blow up.I was in C grade i have been bumped up to B!

Yeah but some of that is down to that beautiful S5 you have
I should shutup, we dont want everyone getting hold of one
Only joking, nice work you've still got to pedal it

This thread is on drugs

It all depends if you're talking about a heffron tuesday night C grader or a normal C grader

ni78ck wrote:in my first race two weeks ago, there were at least 5 attacks is that a lot or a little?
i could hold 45 km/h for id say 10 minutes before i blow up.I was in C grade i have been bumped up to B!

Should be in A by the sounds of it.

vander wrote:

ni78ck wrote:in my first race two weeks ago, there were at least 5 attacks is that a lot or a little?
i could hold 45 km/h for id say 10 minutes before i blow up.I was in C grade i have been bumped up to B!

Should be in A by the sounds of it.

time will tell, ill give B grade a go next week.
i doubt ill be A grade standard as the surging can blow me up.
im hoping to not get dropped from B grade atm

warthog1 wrote:

ni78ck wrote:in my first race two weeks ago, there were at least 5 attacks is that a lot or a little?
i could hold 45 km/h for id say 10 minutes before i blow up.I was in C grade i have been bumped up to B!

Yeah but some of that is down to that beautiful S5 you have
I should shutup, we dont want everyone getting hold of one
Only joking, nice work you've still got to pedal it

true
true and
true

winstonw wrote:In my c grade flat course experience

Haven't you only raced twice in total?

As a pure C grader with a distinct lack of power, I could probably hold it for about 30 seconds, but then I dream

ft_critical wrote:

winstonw wrote:In my c grade flat course experience

Haven't you only raced twice in total?

Nope, I've never been to total.

Alex Simmons/RST wrote:This thread is on drugs

control the roid rage Alex.

How long is a piece of string is the relevant question here......

mjd wrote:How long is a piece of string is the relevant question here......

That's a question relevant to C graders who do not train for, plan, and execute breaks.

winstonw wrote:

mjd wrote:How long is a piece of string is the relevant question here......

That's a question relevant to C graders who do not train for, plan, and execute breaks.

Free tip. Getting in the winning break is not about how strong you are necessarily its about having the right timing the right composition of a group and enough friends in the peleton to let you get away. If you can just break off the front and stay away no worries you should not be in C grade especially if you can do it by yourself and you definitely wont be there the week after. So you are much better of asking for tactics about how to get in a break rather then how long cna you hold 45km/h for.

If you can hold it for 2min and a peleton of 20 all can hold it for 20-30seconds you will be caught (even this is someone in the wrong grade but will still get caught) if they want to catch you. Add in that you have to jump even harder to create the gap (or you will have people on your wheel) and you have to hold 38-40 after that for a certain amount of time (and before that) your 2min fresh might be down to 1minute. Now its even more up to whether they will let you go. As you race more you will learn there is a lot more tactics to it all and even when you think you know what you are doing you will get schooled.

winstonw wrote:Attacks in C grade ime are much less common than higher grades, thus more races end with large dangerous bunch sprints.

So this is the real question, rather than how long can you hold 45kph on a flat circuit. (my answer less than 30 seconds but I am only D grade).

Because attacks should not just be on the flat, elevation and weather should factor into when to attack.

So why don't attacks succeed in C or even D grade?

Lack of training?

winstonw wrote:I rarely see C graders train solo or in small groups to emulate attacking.

Lack of confidence in the pack? The pack chases down each and every breakaway, instead of allowing one to escape to be chased down later.

Bad choices by riders? Such as only attacking of the flat bits at 45kph.

Lack of confidence by the rider? Previous attacks failed, so why bother attacking.

I would say all four are factors in why C & D graders do not attack as often as other grades.

In my grade IMHO the major factor it is lack of confidence in the pack? The group will almost always chases down each and every breakaway from most riders. A few of us are lucky and don't get chased down, but that is because their chance of actually escaping and winning is very very small. The group will let me dangle at the front for a km after I instigate an attack, but as soon as somebody tries to bridge the attack is closed down. Same if somebody who has a small chance of staying away is chased down as soon as they put the nose outside the peleton.

IME the difference between C grade (where rarely attacks survive) and A grade (where attacks often survive) is that in the higher grade it is just constant attacks until 1 gets away where as C grade its just an attack every now and then.