Round 3

Round 3 was better than ever. We had a new guy sandbagging in the B’s again. He’ll move up next week. Four people total in the B’s. 15 in the A’s. Same turnout as last week. Julie almost won the B’s but ended up coming in last. Kind of hard to explain how that worked. A’s stayed together as a group. Ben got spanked by a girl. Lander tried to break away all of a half mile into the race. We were all like “Oh, he's new” No one crashed. Someone that saw the race when he was down at his boat last week came out to race A’s this week and kicked ass. Tim took the PBR prime to become our top prime winner of the night. Anthony walked away with the first sprint and then promptly dropped out to heckle the riders with the megaphone. Marissa moved up to As this week and gave Ryan a beat down. Dave showed up just in time to be our lap card girl. Thanks Dave! Katie made some amazing lasagna for everyone after the race. The only guy to have a beer before the race also won it. Proof that beer is good for you. And once again, everyone loved it.

Results are posted.

Atlas Shrugged (1957), Ayn Rand

"I Like cigarettes, Miss Taggart. I like to think of the fire held in a man's hand. Fire, a dangerous force, tamed at his finger tips. I often wonder about the hours when a man sits alone, watching the smoke of a cigarette, thinking. I wonder what great things have come from such hours. When a man thinks, there is a spot of fire alive in his mind-and it is proper that he should have the burning point of a cigarette as his one expression."

Thanks Lander

Track Fights Strategy

This is a very basic run down on only some of the strategy that you may use in an average Track Fights. There is so much more that I could fill a book so take the time to pick the brain of the oldest, savviest riders you know if you want more.

Points:
You tend to win points in one of two ways. Either you win sprints outright or you break away for a couple laps. Maybe even lap the field. Attacks that stick almost always occur immediately following a sprint. Usually it's the two or three guys that won the sprint happen to end up with a gap on the field and they quickly get it together and punch it. When you are in a breakaway you are winning points for every sprint that you are out until the field gobbles you back up or until you gain shelter behind the back of the field. If you gain shelter behind the field just before a bell lap then that whole field can now sprint for points even though you've only been hanging on the back.

Sprints:
If you want to win a sprint you'll need to be one of the top three or four riders coming out of the last corner and you'll need to crack open a decent sprint to boot, assuming you have one to crack open in the first place. If you can't figure out the wheel to be on or you find yourself with bad position before the last corner like say, the front of the field, then as the saying goes, When in doubt, lead it out. You won't win by leading out a sprint but if you can keep sprinting to the line without leaving char marks on the road from your explosion you're almost guaranteed a good place and you'll be with the leaders if that sprint turns out to be one that forms a breakaway.

Getting Dropped:
First of all, don't get dropped. Burn whatever matches you have to to stay with the field. If you're getting gapped then figure out why your getting gapped and put a bandaid over it. If you're getting gapped after all the sprints then start leading them out or fight for top position going into them so you have more field to drift back through. Keep your line and sprint hard so you don't cause a crash.

However sooner or later you may find yourself staring across a gap the size of the Grand Canyon. Figure out what you did that squirted you out the back like you drank the water in Mexico and don't do it again. Most likely it was thinking you could sit back for a sprint or sucking the wheel of someone that popped. Toss any idea you may have about pacing yourself out the window cuz you're in for some hurt. If you have any matches left, light em. Once you hit the back of the field, don't wait around punching tickets, keep going right to the front. You're gonna need some slack when the next sprint comes around and also by being at the front you may be able to secretly slow the field down a little to give yourself a chance to recover.

If you know you're never going to make it back up to the field. Just sit up and soft pedal. You're not learning anything by time trialing behind the field and you're not getting a single point back there. Drop back to the field and try to get some points to start digging yourself out of that hole. Lots of people are going to get dropped and you're now racing against them.

For example, take two riders that both get dropped early in the race. Neither are strong enough to make it back on. One sits up, takes a breather, and drops back to the field. Once he is in the field again he manages to squeak out fourth in one sprint. The other rider keeps pushing in no man's land for most of the race before getting lapped and never gets a single point. At the end of the race both are one lap down but the rider that dropped back and got the single point beat the other and got a better workout and tactical experience. The one that dropped back will do better next week. The one that dangled for twenty laps got better at time trialing.

There is one caveat to this. If you get dropped near the end of the race then fight like hell to stay on the lead lap. Staying on the lead lap will probably keep you in the top half or two thirds of the results list.

The take away from this is if you get dropped and can catch back up then absolutely do it and do it fast. If you can't then drop back and start racing again. When you're in the pack learn how to stay in the pack and if you're surrounded be people that can sprint faster than you learn how to win points in spite of them.

Good Luck!

P.S. Results from Round 2 are up.

DING DING DING

Round 2. Put the vaseline on your brow, tighten your belt, and get ready to pound the pedals. Tonight, and every Wednesday night till October. We'll have post race libations for all the revelers and participants.

spreading the word

from one of the best cycling blogs out there- for its general entertainment value and superb writing- cause you won't find that here.

Sonoma, Filtered

They're crap. Smoked three and tossed the pack. To be fair, this was the first pack after the Winstons so I'm spoiled.

Winston, Filtered

These have got to be laced with crack. I said I would chain smoke some other brands but I actually do chain smoke Winstons. To the bar, outside the bar, from bar to bar, walking home from the bar. If I weren't worried that I may never be able to stop smoking these fantastic cigarettes I would have new brand.

Results are in.

Mr. Job did up a little post on his first Track Fights. Results from Round 1 are here.

USA Gold, Filtered

I started taking cigarette recommendations from the homeless. I struck up a conversation about cigarettes with a guy that was trying to hawk a Starbucks gift card and got the line on all the best cheap butts. At least that what he says. He told me USA Gold was the best cheap cigarette and I have to say, he's wrong. These are a heavy smoke. At least you know you're smoking with 'em. Maverick is still the best cheap cigarette.

Update: these have joined the elite group of smokes that I threw out before finishing the pack. My mouth still feels coated with yuckiness.

Benson & Hedges, Light, Filtered

Reviewing all theses joyless cigarettes almost makes me want to quit smoking. I had to switch back to Camels for a few packs just to remember how much I enjoy smoking. First of all I can't stand 100's. I feel like a thirteen year old that stole the pack from his aunt. And they're bland and offer almost no buzz. Do these even have nicotine? On top of that a third of the cigarette is filter. The only good thing about them is they're smooth, which in cigarette speak means they're not awful. So they don't have anything good about them and they don't have anything bad about them. Kind of like peeing on your leg in the shower.

Track Fights Rules

This is a training race. No sketchy stuff. If you find yourself looking at a tight hole wondering whether you can dive through it or not the answer is you can’t. Among other things we are here to learn how to win sprints WITHOUT ENDANGERING OTHER RIDERS.

You must keep you number for the entire series. You must also sign a waiver and pay an entry fee for each night in the series.

Points Race Rules:

• Points Sprints are signaled by the bell and take place every three laps.
• Final place is determined in the following order:

1. Laps Down
2. Total Points
3. Placing in Final Sprint

• Points go four deep and are awarded as such: 4, 3, 2, 1 for 1st through 4th respectively.
• The middle and final points sprints count double and are awarded based on the following schedule: 8, 6, 4, 2 for 1st through 4th respectively.
• Riders are not pulled, only lapped.
• The leaders of a lap are always awarded the points regardless of how many laps down they may be overall.
• All riders finish on the lead lap regardless of how many laps down they may be.
• In the event of a breakaway, the break will sprint for points and the field is left to sprint for any remaining points if the break is less than four riders.
• A breakaway will continue to accumulate points until it makes contact with the back of the field or until the field reels them back in.
• Once a break makes contact with the field everyone in the field may sprint for points again on equal footing.
• A rider may not intentionally drop off the back of the field to assist a teammate in a break. In the event that this happens the rider must drop all the way back to the field again or be disqualified and pulled.

Primes:

• Primes are announced by the megaphone. No bell.
• Primes are just prizes and count for nothing.
• If a break stays away for a significant number of laps the race official may decide to issue "Field Primes" as he/she sees fit.

Pall Mall, Light, Filtered

Pall Mall smells like you found the pack under an inch of dust in your grandparents attic. The cigarette looks great with a huge Pall Mall label in grey above the filter. They have a slow burn which is great for my long walk home. They're a little hard on the lungs especially for such dull flavor. Bottom line, the cigarette looks great burns slow and has a dull yet unique flavor.

Delivery....

Kimmel already called dibs on #69, sorry folks.

The word is out!

We got some publicity in NorCal Cycling News. Pretty boy Michael Hernandez was gracious enough to give us some room on the site, and in doing so, questioned our sexual compass. You don't question a Camel's sexuality and get away with it. But thanks for the publicity all the same.

Sports Basement mans up

Sponsorship support isn't a given you know? You have to go out and find it, or, in the case of Sports Basement, it finds you. We just received word from John at the Bryant Street store that Sports Basement will be throwing down $120 in gift certificates every night for primes. That means 12 racers, or a couple really fast ones, will at least cover their entry fee every night. Thank you Sports Basement!

Let's get ready to RRRUMMMBBBLE!

Wednesday Night Track Fights are ON!!
Come one, come all.

With some solid work from our handicapped, chain-smoking superstar, we've secured all the necessary approvals, licenses, and insurance and we will be holding an eight (8) week points race series in preparation for cyclocross season. Races will be Wednesday nights. We're still putting together primes and final logistics. This is going to be an intense series and its training value will be immeasurable. Check out the flyer and if you have any questions, speak up.

Nat Sherman Naturals, Light, Filtered

"Buffy, Could you pass the caviar? Thank you dear." Heavy on the lungs with that Nat Sherman detergent flavor. If you work out at all this is not a good choice. Very smooth and long burning but clogs your lungs up fast. Buy them if you live in the Marina.

Maverick, Filtered

Yesterday I walked down to the corner store under my apartment building to buy some smokes. I only had four dollars in my wallet so I asked the cashier if he had anything for four bucks. I figured I would be SOL because that store is insanely overpriced. He tosses this pack of Mavericks on the counter and says "three." geezus these are going to be bad.

However, they're pretty good. Not too harsh, decent burn, I might even call them smooth. Not much flavor though and they burn evere so slightly faster than I would like. Bottom line, if you're broke, buy these.