It doesn't get any better than this
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LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
I don't have a report yet for Neon (we lost our power guy to drop-outs) but still came in at 1:03 I think.
We had Cliff with us too for awhile, but lost him as well. I think we finished strong with 6
For now, here is the stream: - yours truly finally managed to take the sprint at the end.
that was fun to watch - (Hard to do 400+ watts like that for 30 secs after riding at your max power for over an hour.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/709503...VMf2TOmW1yMzHUEMDX4HmUnfH_-T5dWfEFddZwOhneHTw
We had Cliff with us too for awhile, but lost him as well. I think we finished strong with 6
For now, here is the stream: - yours truly finally managed to take the sprint at the end.
that was fun to watch - (Hard to do 400+ watts like that for 30 secs after riding at your max power for over an hour.https://www.twitch.tv/videos/709503...VMf2TOmW1yMzHUEMDX4HmUnfH_-T5dWfEFddZwOhneHTw
trplay
Zen MBB Master
Well boys and girls we have hit a major turning point in the recumbent virtual world. I think it's safe to say that Team High Speed and Team Low Drag are here to stay. Can't wait to get race reports from all the teams. We all know the players in this fast and furious extravaganza. We have Jason at the top of the food chain with his ATP team. Then there's Cruzbike superstar Larry (crazy legs) Oslund and Captain Falcon -- another ATP Neon hotshot. Did I mention that those ATP folks put together some seriously fast teams? However, "Top Watt" Chris Cooper with side kick Benphyr and the Bee's kept those ATP boys honest with some impressive stats of their own. Our own High Speed/Low Drag ensemble also has cause to celebrate. We mustered 11 fearless souls who gave it their all. Low Drag even managed to have a nice chit chat session during the process. Lest we forget, Maria and Connie represented Cruzbikers well with their performance won the ladies' Unicorns and Flamingos teams. They finished strong and the Flamingos even broke their long standing "Out and Back" record.
So start spreading the confetti and do the happy dance. Cruzbikers are rolling and rolling strong. It is with some serious humility during this brag session that I have to confess that Low Drag finished just a bit down the rankings from the Flamingos and Unicorns. But come on! Those girls are really fast! Don't forget the "after race party" -- and what a party it was! Everybody waited for the teams to finish, catch their breath, and then the whoppers started to flow. Everyone had a story to tell. No place for the fact checkers here. Heck, next week I'm skipping the race and going straight to the party.
So start spreading the confetti and do the happy dance. Cruzbikers are rolling and rolling strong. It is with some serious humility during this brag session that I have to confess that Low Drag finished just a bit down the rankings from the Flamingos and Unicorns. But come on! Those girls are really fast! Don't forget the "after race party" -- and what a party it was! Everybody waited for the teams to finish, catch their breath, and then the whoppers started to flow. Everyone had a story to tell. No place for the fact checkers here. Heck, next week I'm skipping the race and going straight to the party.
trplay
Zen MBB Master
Wendy Lin
10h
Herd of Flamingos Set New Record!!
We knew we had a challenge set out for us with a challenging course (a trip up the AND hilly KOM? oh my!). Captain Janice alerted us that the Flamingo record set in May was 1:13:32, but that it was set by a very strong Flamingo team. Well, we're a super-strong flamboyance of flamingos- 6 riders set out and 6 came back (see what I did there? Out and Back?) with a new record of 1:12:44 and 21st in Vienna! (Cue the confetti!!)
The universe threw a bunch of challenges our way this week as several Flamingos faced real world challenges- we hope Janice feels better and that Jill gets some well-deserved sleep after an incredibly tough week at work. Flamingo stalwart Connie was concerned we'd end up without enough riders, but luckily, we last minute recruited veteran Flamingo Lauren to pick her towrope back up and pull us around (and the weather / her electricity worked out!) and Giuliana was able to leave work early this week!
After a *short* 13- minute wait in the pen, the 6 of us were off! Lauren true to form, led us in a tight group through the desert at a brisk pace. There wasn't a lot of chatter on discord as we were all focused on the task at hand, but we got a big boost from waving hi to our Unicorn and Fox sisters! Herd Party!!
The Flamingos are amazing at teamwork. I was nominated substitute road capt this week but my tech issues (apparently new laptops don't come with hdmi ports anymore? so I had to squint to see the small screen from 5ft away) made it hard to see if everyone was together, but the group was quick to point out whenever there were any gaps in our paceline and we were quick to *close the gap*.
When the smoke of the came into sight, someone asked, "Are we going up the volcano today?" Why yes, yes we are. Resident climbing enthusiast Chantal led the way up as we passed not one, but TWO teams. We all had to dig deep for this one, but the promise of tacos at the top was more than enough motivation. Notice that the sun created an angelic halo around the taco stand...
After a mid-race feast, it was time to zoom back down! Rachel led the way down and we regrouped as the terrain flattened out for a sec before battling the hilly KOM. As we crested the hilly KOM, we realized that the course record was in reach! Amid shouts of "spin, spin, spin", "go, go, go", we picked up the pace heading into the desert... and then all of a sudden, the arch/finish line was in view!! Confetti for everyone!!!!
This was not an easy course (arguably the toughest), and I'm so proud of how well we stuck together. Can't wait to ride together again!
+4
10h
Herd of Flamingos Set New Record!!
We knew we had a challenge set out for us with a challenging course (a trip up the AND hilly KOM? oh my!). Captain Janice alerted us that the Flamingo record set in May was 1:13:32, but that it was set by a very strong Flamingo team. Well, we're a super-strong flamboyance of flamingos- 6 riders set out and 6 came back (see what I did there? Out and Back?) with a new record of 1:12:44 and 21st in Vienna! (Cue the confetti!!)
The universe threw a bunch of challenges our way this week as several Flamingos faced real world challenges- we hope Janice feels better and that Jill gets some well-deserved sleep after an incredibly tough week at work. Flamingo stalwart Connie was concerned we'd end up without enough riders, but luckily, we last minute recruited veteran Flamingo Lauren to pick her towrope back up and pull us around (and the weather / her electricity worked out!) and Giuliana was able to leave work early this week!
After a *short* 13- minute wait in the pen, the 6 of us were off! Lauren true to form, led us in a tight group through the desert at a brisk pace. There wasn't a lot of chatter on discord as we were all focused on the task at hand, but we got a big boost from waving hi to our Unicorn and Fox sisters! Herd Party!!
The Flamingos are amazing at teamwork. I was nominated substitute road capt this week but my tech issues (apparently new laptops don't come with hdmi ports anymore? so I had to squint to see the small screen from 5ft away) made it hard to see if everyone was together, but the group was quick to point out whenever there were any gaps in our paceline and we were quick to *close the gap*.
When the smoke of the came into sight, someone asked, "Are we going up the volcano today?" Why yes, yes we are. Resident climbing enthusiast Chantal led the way up as we passed not one, but TWO teams. We all had to dig deep for this one, but the promise of tacos at the top was more than enough motivation. Notice that the sun created an angelic halo around the taco stand...
After a mid-race feast, it was time to zoom back down! Rachel led the way down and we regrouped as the terrain flattened out for a sec before battling the hilly KOM. As we crested the hilly KOM, we realized that the course record was in reach! Amid shouts of "spin, spin, spin", "go, go, go", we picked up the pace heading into the desert... and then all of a sudden, the arch/finish line was in view!! Confetti for everyone!!!!
This was not an easy course (arguably the toughest), and I'm so proud of how well we stuck together. Can't wait to ride together again!
+4
trplay
Zen MBB Master
Chris Cooper
12h
Herd of Killer Bees Ride Report, August 13, 2020
Out and Back Again, 1 lap, 42km
I didn't think that hill would be a big deal. And for some of the Bees, it wasn't. But they waited for me, and we finished with 6 out of the starting 8, in a pretty good time.
We had really good teamwork and great communication throughout the whole race. Benphyr Knou and Carolyn Defoore, as the only lightweights, volunteered to lead us up the first climb and it worked out pretty well. Dan Pedroza stepped up a couple of times to sweep, and those of us falling back needed his help.
Most of the race was flat, of course, and we benefitted from some really powerful pulls by Derek Armer-Derner, Paul Vance, and Scott Power. David Hofmayer was really strong up until the mixup with another team, and then we lost him.
It was a pleasure to race with the Killer Bees this week, as everybody is fairly experienced now, and we seem to have all of the technical issues sorted out. I think we were quite a bit faster than the last time we did this route.
12h
Herd of Killer Bees Ride Report, August 13, 2020
Out and Back Again, 1 lap, 42km
I didn't think that hill would be a big deal. And for some of the Bees, it wasn't. But they waited for me, and we finished with 6 out of the starting 8, in a pretty good time.
We had really good teamwork and great communication throughout the whole race. Benphyr Knou and Carolyn Defoore, as the only lightweights, volunteered to lead us up the first climb and it worked out pretty well. Dan Pedroza stepped up a couple of times to sweep, and those of us falling back needed his help.
Most of the race was flat, of course, and we benefitted from some really powerful pulls by Derek Armer-Derner, Paul Vance, and Scott Power. David Hofmayer was really strong up until the mixup with another team, and then we lost him.
It was a pleasure to race with the Killer Bees this week, as everybody is fairly experienced now, and we seem to have all of the technical issues sorted out. I think we were quite a bit faster than the last time we did this route.
trplay
Zen MBB Master
Wendy Lin
10h
Herd of Flamingos Set New Record!!
We knew we had a challenge set out for us with a challenging course (a trip up the AND hilly KOM? oh my!). Captain Janice alerted us that the Flamingo record set in May was 1:13:32, but that it was set by a very strong Flamingo team. Well, we're a super-strong flamboyance of flamingos- 6 riders set out and 6 came back (see what I did there? Out and Back?) with a new record of 1:12:44 and 21st in Vienna! (Cue the confetti!!)
The universe threw a bunch of challenges our way this week as several Flamingos faced real world challenges- we hope Janice feels better and that Jill gets some well-deserved sleep after an incredibly tough week at work. Flamingo stalwart Connie was concerned we'd end up without enough riders, but luckily, we last minute recruited veteran Flamingo Lauren to pick her towrope back up and pull us around (and the weather / her electricity worked out!) and Giuliana was able to leave work early this week!
After a *short* 13- minute wait in the pen, the 6 of us were off! Lauren true to form, led us in a tight group through the desert at a brisk pace. There wasn't a lot of chatter on discord as we were all focused on the task at hand, but we got a big boost from waving hi to our Unicorn and Fox sisters! Herd Party!!
The Flamingos are amazing at teamwork. I was nominated substitute road capt this week but my tech issues (apparently new laptops don't come with hdmi ports anymore? so I had to squint to see the small screen from 5ft away) made it hard to see if everyone was together, but the group was quick to point out whenever there were any gaps in our paceline and we were quick to *close the gap*.
When the smoke of the came into sight, someone asked, "Are we going up the volcano today?" Why yes, yes we are. Resident climbing enthusiast Chantal led the way up as we passed not one, but TWO teams. We all had to dig deep for this one, but the promise of tacos at the top was more than enough motivation. Notice that the sun created an angelic halo around the taco stand...
After a mid-race feast, it was time to zoom back down! Rachel led the way down and we regrouped as the terrain flattened out for a sec before battling the hilly KOM. As we crested the hilly KOM, we realized that the course record was in reach! Amid shouts of "spin, spin, spin", "go, go, go", we picked up the pace heading into the desert... and then all of a sudden, the arch/finish line was in view!! Confetti for everyone!!!!
This was not an easy course (arguably the toughest), and I'm so proud of how well we stuck together. Can't wait to ride together again!
+4
10h
Herd of Flamingos Set New Record!!
We knew we had a challenge set out for us with a challenging course (a trip up the AND hilly KOM? oh my!). Captain Janice alerted us that the Flamingo record set in May was 1:13:32, but that it was set by a very strong Flamingo team. Well, we're a super-strong flamboyance of flamingos- 6 riders set out and 6 came back (see what I did there? Out and Back?) with a new record of 1:12:44 and 21st in Vienna! (Cue the confetti!!)
The universe threw a bunch of challenges our way this week as several Flamingos faced real world challenges- we hope Janice feels better and that Jill gets some well-deserved sleep after an incredibly tough week at work. Flamingo stalwart Connie was concerned we'd end up without enough riders, but luckily, we last minute recruited veteran Flamingo Lauren to pick her towrope back up and pull us around (and the weather / her electricity worked out!) and Giuliana was able to leave work early this week!
After a *short* 13- minute wait in the pen, the 6 of us were off! Lauren true to form, led us in a tight group through the desert at a brisk pace. There wasn't a lot of chatter on discord as we were all focused on the task at hand, but we got a big boost from waving hi to our Unicorn and Fox sisters! Herd Party!!
The Flamingos are amazing at teamwork. I was nominated substitute road capt this week but my tech issues (apparently new laptops don't come with hdmi ports anymore? so I had to squint to see the small screen from 5ft away) made it hard to see if everyone was together, but the group was quick to point out whenever there were any gaps in our paceline and we were quick to *close the gap*.
When the smoke of the came into sight, someone asked, "Are we going up the volcano today?" Why yes, yes we are. Resident climbing enthusiast Chantal led the way up as we passed not one, but TWO teams. We all had to dig deep for this one, but the promise of tacos at the top was more than enough motivation. Notice that the sun created an angelic halo around the taco stand...
After a mid-race feast, it was time to zoom back down! Rachel led the way down and we regrouped as the terrain flattened out for a sec before battling the hilly KOM. As we crested the hilly KOM, we realized that the course record was in reach! Amid shouts of "spin, spin, spin", "go, go, go", we picked up the pace heading into the desert... and then all of a sudden, the arch/finish line was in view!! Confetti for everyone!!!!
This was not an easy course (arguably the toughest), and I'm so proud of how well we stuck together. Can't wait to ride together again!
+4
trplay
Zen MBB Master
Vicky Su
8h
Herd of Unicorns ride report —- Out and Back Again (39.8km, 303m)
The Herd of Unicorns had a fantastic time in Watopia today, despite the fact that 6 of us went Out and 4 came Back. (Not sure that incorporation of the route name really worked but, hey, that ride took a lot out of me! )
Captain Claire got our strategy sorted out quickly which left us plenty of time to do things like bathroom break, make a salad, get stupid fiddly HRM to connect, ponder how much fu...
See More
+5
8h
Herd of Unicorns ride report —- Out and Back Again (39.8km, 303m)
The Herd of Unicorns had a fantastic time in Watopia today, despite the fact that 6 of us went Out and 4 came Back. (Not sure that incorporation of the route name really worked but, hey, that ride took a lot out of me! )
Captain Claire got our strategy sorted out quickly which left us plenty of time to do things like bathroom break, make a salad, get stupid fiddly HRM to connect, ponder how much fu...
See More
+5
CruzLike
Guru
I found your link interesting. This is a good example of teamwork, communication and leadership. I have not ridden with a group like this.
trplay
Zen MBB Master
Well you will next Thursday when you ride with High Speed as they go for a Premier League invite.
LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
ATP Neon Race Report: by Lloyd Jones
Goals: Stay tight. 4.2 w/kg on the front with a tight group > 4.5+ stretched out. Get 8 to the top of the volcano together. Work together, leaning on our strengths and covering our weaknesses. Get the new guys integrated and up to speed.
My expectation (which I don't share ahead of time): anything sub 1:04 would be really good. When we added KB, I thought high 1:02s might be possible, but we'd probably lose some people along the way. Top 50% going in was 1:04:23. I told the team more than an hour, 26 miles, really tough course, staying tight is the theme.
Finish time: 1:03:20, 47/125, top 37.6% in Frappe. 2 1/2 new guys (Danny had done 2 races with ATP but none with us), no A's, but we added Kevin Barker to our team late. KB is a very high B, but even more than that, he's a great teammate who knows how to use his power within the context of the team. He was a huge part of our plan for the entire course, but especially the climbs. Unfortunately, less than halfway into the race, KB started having power drops. Twice he dropped, regained power, and got back to the group, but the third time his power stayed at zero for too long, he dropped way back, and we had to move on without him. Crushing blow to our team, but we had to adapt and move on. We also lost Cliff somewhere in that same stretch through the Esses I think, we got caught up with another team and got stretched out trying to pass thru the rollers. Edgar tried to pull him back, but he gave all he had and had nothing left, so he sent us on our way. We pushed on together. Originally the plan for the climbs was for KB and Al to set the pace on the front, with Edgar and I watching the back and sweeping. Without KB, everybody helped Al on the front, and Edgar and I would take turns sweeping from back to front, pull a little on the front, then trade off and ease to the back and repeat. Again, the focus was on staying tight and not splitting the group. I think that went pretty well, we got 6 to the top of the volcano together, 6 to the top of the reverse KOM together, and 6 to the finish together.
I'm not going to do good/bad/ugly this week because there was so much good, but we also checked pretty much all the boxes in ugly. Lost our strongest rider to power drops? Check. People disappearing at the start ? Check (never a good sign when somebody says "Am I in the wrong place, I don't see anybody"). Multiple Discord issues? Check. Stretched out by a team that refused to be passed? Check. Yet we overcame, as a group, together: everybody with a unique role, everybody playing that role to the best of their ability and emptying the bucket.
If we didn't lose KB: oh, what might have been. . .
SO STINKIN PROUD OF THIS GROUP! HECK YEAH!!!!!
Goals: Stay tight. 4.2 w/kg on the front with a tight group > 4.5+ stretched out. Get 8 to the top of the volcano together. Work together, leaning on our strengths and covering our weaknesses. Get the new guys integrated and up to speed.
My expectation (which I don't share ahead of time): anything sub 1:04 would be really good. When we added KB, I thought high 1:02s might be possible, but we'd probably lose some people along the way. Top 50% going in was 1:04:23. I told the team more than an hour, 26 miles, really tough course, staying tight is the theme.
Finish time: 1:03:20, 47/125, top 37.6% in Frappe. 2 1/2 new guys (Danny had done 2 races with ATP but none with us), no A's, but we added Kevin Barker to our team late. KB is a very high B, but even more than that, he's a great teammate who knows how to use his power within the context of the team. He was a huge part of our plan for the entire course, but especially the climbs. Unfortunately, less than halfway into the race, KB started having power drops. Twice he dropped, regained power, and got back to the group, but the third time his power stayed at zero for too long, he dropped way back, and we had to move on without him. Crushing blow to our team, but we had to adapt and move on. We also lost Cliff somewhere in that same stretch through the Esses I think, we got caught up with another team and got stretched out trying to pass thru the rollers. Edgar tried to pull him back, but he gave all he had and had nothing left, so he sent us on our way. We pushed on together. Originally the plan for the climbs was for KB and Al to set the pace on the front, with Edgar and I watching the back and sweeping. Without KB, everybody helped Al on the front, and Edgar and I would take turns sweeping from back to front, pull a little on the front, then trade off and ease to the back and repeat. Again, the focus was on staying tight and not splitting the group. I think that went pretty well, we got 6 to the top of the volcano together, 6 to the top of the reverse KOM together, and 6 to the finish together.
I'm not going to do good/bad/ugly this week because there was so much good, but we also checked pretty much all the boxes in ugly. Lost our strongest rider to power drops? Check. People disappearing at the start ? Check (never a good sign when somebody says "Am I in the wrong place, I don't see anybody"). Multiple Discord issues? Check. Stretched out by a team that refused to be passed? Check. Yet we overcame, as a group, together: everybody with a unique role, everybody playing that role to the best of their ability and emptying the bucket.
If we didn't lose KB: oh, what might have been. . .
SO STINKIN PROUD OF THIS GROUP! HECK YEAH!!!!!
