finally did it and iot was worse than expected

[scotto]

"Say What's he talking about" i hear you say.
well it all started last week, when a fortuitous day off for father and youngest (11)son meant he could finally have a try at dunc gray during the day.
all went well. my legs still ache - i think from the surging, slowing etc trying to keep up with an 11yr old novice. he didnt like the 48-18, but managed better with 48-15, though i suspect a 16 might be best. i have never been a supporter of the drastic roll out limits for younger riders.

anyways, i diverge. with the track to myself, it was time to try something i had often wondered about ( no, not the nude track thing..) going the wrong way...
never has anything felt so awkward and wrong. i felt the anxiety that my youngest born was going through. in my head i knew it shouldn't be different. but it just was. a lap above the sprinters line has never felt so jittery. even on the straights it was just odd. if you ever get the chance, try it....

[toppity]

did at at my local track last season. Very strange feeling indeed.

[high_tea]

Does it make the letters on your jersey morph into Satanic messages or anything? Because if it does, I'll totally give it a go

[bigfriendlyvegan]

I have always wondered why we all race anti-clockwise, but haven't found or thought out a good answer yet.

[DavidI]

I have always wondered why we all race anti-clockwise, but haven't found or thought out a good answer yet.

Because if half the field raced the other way there'd be a big crash, duh
But seriously, I suspect it's because the first "track" races were on running/athletic tracks and they just kept the same direction for bicycles. As to why athletic tracks are counterclockwise......

[find_bruce]

History suggests that if there are two ways of doing things then people will do both ways, think horse tracks, which side of the road to drive on etc.

While it is not unheard of for there to be a world standard, as you say athletics is another, it is unusual

[bigfriendlyvegan]

TRADITION

[r2160]

Hey scotto

One of the reasons I was told for the small junior gearing is that their knees are not as well developed as an adults. By using the restricted gearing, it actually protects the kids from injury and teaches them to spin rather than push power.

Good to see him having a go!!


cheers
Glenn

[thomashouseman]

TRADITION

Don't make me get "No Fiddler on the Roof singing" quotes added to the forum rules!

[bychosis]

I guess it's like when roller (or ice) skating (many moons passed since I have, and wasn't very good) and the DJ said 'righto time to go the other way': it just doesn't work.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

TRADITION

Don't make me get "No Fiddler on the Roof singing" quotes added to the forum rules!

If I were a forum mod, yabadiba yabadiba yabadiba dabadie...

What have you got against the fiddler?

Re: junior gearing. Glen is exactly right. We wouldn't want to end up like Irish dancers or netballers who have notoriously bad knees.

[ZepinAtor]

We wouldn't want to end up like Irish dancers or netballers who have notoriously bad knees.

I thought Irish dancers were just x-rowers with buggered shoulders cause their arms don't appear to work.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

We wouldn't want to end up like Irish dancers or netballers who have notoriously bad knees.

I thought Irish dancers were just x-rowers with buggered shoulders cause their arms don't appear to work.

My aunt was an Irish dancing instructor and I helped her out a lot with her eisteddfods. Those girls and boys are real athletes, but they do their knees in something awful. You can hear the bone grinding on bone in the later teen categories.

I've never understood the arm thing.

[scotto]

Hey scotto

One of the reasons I was told for the small junior gearing is that their knees are not as well developed as an adults. By using the restricted gearing, it actually protects the kids from injury and teaches them to spin rather than push power.

Good to see him having a go!!


cheers
Glenn

i did know that, though some have also said its to even out the playing field !
with my >20yr background in musculoskeletal physio i do wonder though about the possible risks of sustained cadences of the 150-160 that some of those fast little kids can pull. think like nick edwards managing 45km/h laps with 80inches.
i bet there's no real evidence or empiral data for "saving their legs". the body stresses arent much different then what teenagers go through in other sports.
swim slower, your shoulders arent developed, any gymnastics would be out. no tackle football till youre 18, all first person shooter games to be played at easy level until your thumbs are stronger. etc etc

i think dave hit the nail on the head earlier...



and on a similar topic, timmy came along to track last night, did some juniors training with peter harvey, did a good 40 laps non stop loitering around the blue line. when the 40km group started, he was sad when i told him to stay low !! So we formed a slow pace line for another 20min.

track bike for son $400 ( glen - its your old bike that nick bought)
replacing the once great but now worn and slippery tyres that even had me sliding off the track - $80
paceline with your 11yr old at respectable speed - AWESOME

[r2160]

Has Nick given up? That would be a shame.

That was a great track bike, and obviously still is.

Its great to see him giving it a go!!! Maybe we can even get him into the junior raw track in July!!

cheers
Glenn

[nickj_d]

Has Nick given up?

Why does everyone keep saying that?! No, haven't given up Glen. I had an offer last year on another bike that I couldn't refuse, and yes, that avanti was, and still is a great bike to get anyone started (it was always just a touch too small for me).

Was out there last night back at the track for the first time in a bit. A bold ambition to do the 160laps. Missed a warm up, lasted about 15laps with the main group, dropped down to join Scott and Timmy, then had a strategic puncture that gave me an excuse to get off the track. Jumped back on for the laps 60 laps below the line.

Riding with timmy last night, i was impressed with how he went. Hope we get to see him racing at RAW in a few months.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

Has Nick given up?

Why does everyone keep saying that?! No, haven't given up Glen. I had an offer last year on another bike that I couldn't refuse, and yes, that avanti was, and still is a great bike to get anyone started (it was always just a touch too small for me).

Was out there last night back at the track for the first time in a bit. A bold ambition to do the 160laps. Missed a warm up, lasted about 15laps with the main group, dropped down to join Scott and Timmy, then had a strategic puncture that gave me an excuse to get off the track. Jumped back on for the laps 60 laps below the line.

Riding with timmy last night, i was impressed with how he went. Hope we get to see him racing at RAW in a few months.

Good to know, Nick. I heard you'd given up.

[r2160]

hehe

Great to hear nick, just havent seen or heard from you in a while.

cheers
Glenn

[bigfriendlyvegan]

Scotto, if your son comes along to RAW, he'll have to be Spack-Boy. Reserve his personalised race number now.

[r2160]

BFV

Are you sure we should call him spack-boy? that might put him off cycling for ever!

cheers
Glenn

[bigfriendlyvegan]

BFV

Are you sure we should call him spack-boy? that might put him off cycling for ever!

cheers
Glenn

His dad is Spack-man, what else would you call him? Spack Junior? Little Spack?

[nickj_d]

Scotto, if your son comes along to RAW, he'll have to be Spack-Boy. Reserve his personalised race number now.

I like it

[scotto]

Scotto, if your son comes along to RAW, he'll have to be Spack-Boy. Reserve his personalised race number now.

i cant see a big need to get in with the early reservation.
time for another spack attack.

and do they have junior raw? how have i not noticed this before

and what about the red bull girls last night. i think jack taught one at tara. PT in a girls school - playing with fire...

[r2160]

Generally, Paul runs a junior thing every second week in RAW

cheers
Glenn

[bigfriendlyvegan]

If you can prove he's got the legs, Crafty will allow him into the adults, but you'll have to push for it. One of our guys, Alex M, son of Brian M, is in the 11s, but he did some novice grade riding last year at the end of RAW. Alex has raced with Tom Cornish over the summer, has raced regularly at Hurstville and can sit in at the back of D grade at Lidcombe. As LACC track VP, I'd speak up for Alex and Crafty would likely let him race in Div 5 with the kids.

How much has your kid done? He might need to race novice for a few weeks, but even to get him up to that stage he'd need someone to speak up for him. Can you get a Buckingham or one of the other Bankstowners to pay attention to him over the next few months? Or possibly Brian Sprouster if he's around.

The Junior development at RAW has really just been a TT or two before the racing started. It's not a time consuming exercise. If the junior has had some race experience, they'll put them in Novice or Div 5.

Lidcombe track is over now, but Tempe is still on Wednesday nights with specific junior training and Lizanne does a lot with them. She's someone who could vouch for Spack-boy if she saw him training.