racing

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Frankie29

Squid
i have noticed that most road bike racers are done on circuts these days insted of the roads. whats your oppinion on both? what do you like better

i hate the idea of circut and would prefer a road styled race
 
I am definately more of a fan of touring style racing on the open road (with long climbs, down hills etc.) however, i think safety is a real problem with this sort of organised race (the organiser of the event would have to hike the entry prices too high and no 1 would attend).

Hence the reason for the more controlled environment provided in the criterium circuit. Most crits have races every weekend (the one I go to is $3 per race on saturdays; without insurance), i tend to go to 1 or 2 per month, as I'd much rather be out in the hinterland doing a 4hr+ ride on the weekend then ride round a track for an hour. But, in saying that both are fun, I just prefer 1 over the other!!!
 
i do see your point but i think its time some racing clubs provide another option of racing coz this circut racing for a hour just dosnt cut if for me, so insted of that i do the long rides

thanks for you point of view though
 
If you are referring to races like the recent World's that Cadel won, then the media and organising committee have profit at the top of the list of priorities. Lots of cheering fans and minimal need for helicopters and rolling infrastructure. A self-contained race venue as it were. Let alone reduced road closures and safety issues etc
 
In NSW I think the big problem is getting police approval for road based events. Thats why we have seen the disappearance of many classic club events and most club road circuits being pretty bloody average at best!

It would be good to see the situation improve, all comes back to supporting your club and being an activist to bring back some decent road courses!
 
Personally I prefer purpose-built crit circuits than street crits - but are we talking for spectating or for actually riding yourself?
 
This is what is done in tokyo, and if it can be done in tokyo it can be done in any city in the world.

A 10-15km circut is blocked off from the public for a day, sometimes a weekend, and you get to ride long crit style laps. The roads are nearly always in good condition, are wide, and there are races ranging from U15 to 60+ masters.

Usually it is held in the port districts, which are not in use on the weekends anyway. This is basically where people do their training too.

I like the idea of long stages better, but the logistics are a bit crap: getting back 100km or so, road closures/support cars, safety, unknown hazards and all that.

To quote the Jens "When you are pushing that hard that you get that little taste of blood in the back of your mouth, you know?" that is all I ask for in a road race.
 
I like Dunlops idea, thatd be very cool...

Im sure if a crowded city like Tokyo can do it, any city in Australia (if u can comparably call that a city) could do it!!!

More road riding on the open road, yes please!
 
There are a few regular road races in the winter in NSW just check the cycling NSW web site for details. Some clubs run races on road circuits but summer tends to be more for track and crits.

In and around Sydney
  • Manly Warringah run races on West Head Road. This is a 20 km circuit on beautifully smooth hot mix with a quite a few nasty little climbs.
  • Central Coast hold races at Calga on a 25 km road circuit but in the winter only.
Neither of these are closed to cars but there's not much traffic around.
 
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