Thanks! I was slightly surprised that he was on such a short fuse. He had a nice advantage over the group, a couple of people to work with, and I was staying out of the way. But different people run at different temperatures, I guess.
@@pinkie7803 I have no idea why anyone would think you would help them catch your teammate up the road?! I thought you handled yourself exemplarily, and I hope he apologized after the race (doubtful)
@@nealm6764 He came and shook my hand afterwards, which you can catch at the end of the video. He's very nice! Clearly his temper was on the limit as well as his legs at times.
It’s gone from the “BPC Angry Rider” to the new “Mean Condor” rider in the space of a week 😂 Thanks for making the race entertaining, the way you did us over after the begging was 👌🤣 Good luck in Cat 2 🙌
@@michaelgraycycling Thanks! It'll be great to hear how you got into racing, like the things you've learnt in the first year etc. I'm from Stevenage so having a quick look, I think Hillingdon would be the local circuit for me
@@alexwhite3478 ah cool! I also race at Hillingdon. Is a great circuit! You’ll find quite a few videos on the channel at Hillingdon and will give you a idea of the course. As that’s what I always do to scope out circuits! I’ll do a video on that, as I’m trying to encourage people to race and people from my club.
Great video! Good footage and great commentary. I was thinking that if I ever did criterium racing, I would need to do a lot of mental training to block out riders like that Condor rider behind you. Sitting up there suffering while a guy is basically just sucking your wheel... That would become enraging after a while. 😂
This is great and something I’ve not really thought about yet. Thank you. I’ve kinda always tried to keep my front wheel safe from overlapping so working up the middle hasn’t really been switched on in my head
@@michaelgraycycling yeah it also doesnt ‘help’ that the track is insanely wide but trying to find your way through the pack greatly conserves energy. You’re doing great!
Hey yes they’re strict. You can apply with British Cycling. Let me find you a link www.britishcycling.org.uk/road/article/20221004-Home-Page-British-Cycling-announces-new-process-for-use-of-on-board-cameras-0#:~:text=Under%20the%20British%20Cycling%20Technical,event%20will%20not%20be%20processed.
You're WAY too far back in the first 5 minutes of the race in order to do something, no wonder your mate didn't get away, he attacked from the back of the peloton!!!! Great riding in the breakaway, there wasn't much more you could have done given the guys who got away from you were just too strong. That's a great course for a local crit ract.
Thanks! Yea it’s a good circuit. Open airfield so the wind really picks up when it wants to! I assume you race in Oz? Have you ever raced in the UK? Yea we were quite far back. We didn’t want to be right by the front for it as we wanted a slight element of surprise and speed difference to discourage those on the front. But it was more of a throw away attempt, as it wa so early in the race. We was expecting it to be chased down which it was and then countered. Except I was wheeeey out of position for when it countered 🤦♂️ But luckily I managed to get over to them and tidy up my mess I created for myself 😂
@@michaelgraycycling Yeah raced in AU when I was younger up to Cat 1, still ride now, don’t race anymore but not so seriously. Cat 1 Crits here normally average between 46-48ks/hr depending on who turns up, to give you some idea of a comparison.
@@AdventureCampingAustralia sweet. That’s about the speed of cat 1s over here too. I’d love to get to that level in the next couple of years. I did a Elite/Cat 1/2/3 race in the summer. And well it was eye opening and inspiring.
Yea he rode a class race 👌 and exactly that! That makes all the difference. Did yiu watch this video? I think included that here th-cam.com/video/oA0tvOqfOpc/w-d-xo.html
Yea BC. Got permission of BC to help promote the sport. As all the crits you find on TH-cam are in America. So I just said their race are what made me want to do them, would be great if we could encourage people through UK racing over here
You should not have sprinted at end. Nice job in the break. I love breaking away in races. Do the same in group rides and you will get fit and go for a win.
Depending on what point you refer too (maybe when the two riders were ahead and I leave the break after condor tells me to go round.) That’s definitely one thing I have learned to be doing. But at the moment time I think I had assumed the group was still on my wheel and ready to rotate as I was just trying to get round the condor rider in rotation 🤦♂️
You’re welcome John! Next race all edited and being uploaded as we speak. So keep a eye tomorrow evening UK 8pm for another great race! Feel free to subscribe, ride on ⚡️😀
very entertaining! I wouldn't have finished this way though; you would have made a good friend doing a hard pull after that last curve and letting him overtake in the last 100 meters. Now you stressed him out without any good reason, you probably didn't have a friendly reaction and even though you were just teasing, it's quite obvious that it's not a good moment when he's at max. heart rate at the end of such a hard race.
We was all good after the race. Chatted and smiled and had fun. And caught up with mean condor 😂 in fact last race we chatted before the race and stuff 😃 here’s the link to it if you’ve not watched it yet th-cam.com/video/-03fXxebrYM/w-d-xo.html
We was all good after the race. Chatted and smiled and had fun. And caught up with mean condor 😂 in fact last race we chatted before the race and stuff 😃 here’s the link to it if you’ve not watched it yet th-cam.com/video/-03fXxebrYM/w-d-xo.html
@@michaelgraycycling Nice to hear! All the best and looking forward to see more footage (this was the first of your races I came across, thanks to the YT algorithm :-)
Haha it was tempting. And I almost did. The temptation was real. But it was quite fun getting just close enough to wind him up 😂 Besides, I didn’t want to do that, we raced again last Saturday, and I didn’t want any cheeky stuff to bite me up last week in the bigger picture. I’ll post the next race tonight 😄
Is there a noticeable difference between power/ speed as you go up the categories? Thinking of racing at some point in the next year or so, so want to see how much I have to improve. Great content Michael! Not far away from there myself.
Hey James. So I started racing the year as a Cat 4 rider. My FTP was probably about 225-230 when I did my first races, and I was finishing about top 20% of riders. As much as it helps to be insanely fast, I find it's more about efficiency and how sneaky you are with your energy. Drafting, getting close to wheels, staying out of the wind, lines round corners to help you gain positions or gap people with little work. So I had ridden a lot with Reading Cycling Club prior so I was used to this. It took me 18 races to get out of cat 4, and that was only 12 points required. When I upgraded and got my first points in Cat 3, it was my easiest race I had ever done, I literally hid for the entirety of the race. You can check it out here th-cam.com/video/CeS94wAuiBw/w-d-xo.html In terms of speed and power between cat 4 to cat 3. I recorded my very first cat 3 race too which you can watch here where I cover this for other cat 4 racers who asked me th-cam.com/video/P1oaiCGn7ig/w-d-xo.html In terms of if you've never raced before and you're going from casual road riding, group riding, or workouts, the speed will be different, as the peloton travels faster, as there will be riders on the front constantly putting effort down, but if you're in the bunch hidden away, you'll be doing A LOT less work. I could never get the average speeds on races, in regular rides, purely because of that. So try not to use speed as a factor. In terms of speed of cat 4 to cat 3 though, maybe a 1-2mph different. Hope this helps, and the other two videos give you more info to your questions. If you have any more let me know! :)
A modest mid-drive e-bike puts out 250W...if the rider is in the right gear and pedaling hard. That’s less than most of these guys are averaging, and much less than their sprint output. Just saying as a reference to the uninitiated.
Sure it’ll be tonnes harder competition wise. But hey it’s the next level. Satisfaction of completing the level they’re on. New dynamics in races. Finding new things to try and make work. Think most peoples natural instinct is always to be levelling up.
There’s a couple of first cats in my local club in west Kent , there not a lot of cop , they just rack up loads of points at small circuit races at cyclopark , seen them in a regional level E/1/2 event there ass goes and they sit at the back until there dropped !
try taking turns attacking so if there was 3.. the person just infront of the condor guy just chill and let the 2 speed up, but try to dart to the side, so then he will have to speed up when you purposely make a gap, and just continue attacking him.
That’s a great idea. I’ve been thinking of ways how we could have tried to get rid of him early on. Late on in the race, me and Matthew was in a dark place so I don’t think we could do much. And maybe doing that tactic early in the race would have meant I or we get caught due to fatigue later in the race. But definitely that sounds like the thing to do. I think in the race at the start of the breakaway my friend Tom was trying to do this and ride him off the wheel. The condor riders name is Pinkie and he mentioned this in the comments somewhere below. Thanks for the tips it’s appreciated as I’m still learning 👍 The follow up race I’ll post tonight
@@michaelgraycycling It was the Verulam rider who tried @Elijahs' Dad's suggested tactic. The problem it creates is that the whole group suffers: a loss of cohesion means a loss of speed. As c.9.30 shows, the point I get back on, the group behind is shattered. If you take it in turns, the chances of being caught by the peloton increases, and each time risks the 'lagging' rider also being dropped. The better tactic in the longer run was perhaps to insist that we all work smoothly as a large group from the start! I was working happily when my team mate was there, and would have continued to do so. But as I've said elsewhere, I think you made a good call in a tricky situation.
@@pinkie7803 for sure. I'm sure at some point also, your team mate breaking away would have been the thing to do. Your team are great racers, I'm looking forward to following how you guys all do in cat 2. Do you all organise to race together through the season? Or is one of you enter, then hopefully the others enter?
@@michaelgraycycling Oh thank you, Michael! We certainly have fun. And we all get to be the nail as well as the hammer now and again, and I think Cat 2 will involve a lot of nail time... We organise in advance, and plan for each race, series, and year. We should have a social ride together at some point over winter and I can share more. Like Reading CC, we're a club not a team. So lots to share.
I don’t know about you guys - I’m a commuter rider, used to train 20y ago - but those bursts of >30mph bouts usually return in my sleep as nightmares. 😅
@@michaelgraycycling Yes, I know how much suffering it is to be in a break! Great to see your level head paid off with the angry guy helping you at the end.
Racing is great but I fucking hate it. It starts to be all I think about, and it gives me anxiety when I visualise the effort it takes to be competitive in a bunch or sprint. It stresses me out bigtime. I'm currently points leader in my local club racing, but I'm retiring after this season, if I can manage to win, which is also my rookie season. Two more races to go, I just have to place in one and I should win. Of course anything can happen.. I just want to win so I can retire.
I know the feeling! Start of the year I was cat 4, and I would do race reports for my club (written before I started doing these videos). And it took make ages to start getting points, and I’d over think it, drive me insane, as I’d be writing out another report on how I didn’t place or get points! 🤦♂️ However once I got to cat 3 which was my goal, I took the pressure of myself as I went up a cat.
@@michaelgraycycling It was a big part of that, and the stress did go down once I finally won a race (came second twice, which was great for points but very frustrating because I lost to experience of the other guys), but I think it's more of a physical thing, like I just get this surge of something when I think about the stress it takes during a big effort etc. Hard to put into words.
I'm a cyclist but there are a fair few absolute clowns you have to contend with wherever you ride. Even in Zwift, people complaining and arguing. Local bike track, people getting snotty about joining their group. I guess in a race it's even more intense!
Oh for sure. But sometimes, it either lightens you up a bit or makes you more tense. I’m quite light hearted so it tends to lighten me up a bit. Plus if you know someone is stressed out, it’s normally because things aren’t going their way, and means your probably winning, either mentally or physically imo, and you can use it your advantage.
Thanks. I always think it was the best way in the situation I was in, and in the end it worked out for the both of us 😃 Part 2 is out tomorrow with the next race
Thanks for the feedback! And totally. Actually I don’t know why I didn’t, as it’s normally my gripe if I only see a video in KPH 🤣 The next video is out this evening, but it’s already edited etc so I can’t add it in now (it’s a painful tedious process 😆), but after the one I do tonight I will. Thanks for reminding me!
I had a similar once, the guy sate on my wheel for four laps, then went in front for literally 200ms then flicked he arm out ! last 500ms of the race I was so fuming, I basically jumped on the brakes let the chasing group catch and deliberately boxed him in even though it cost me about 8 places! We had serious words at the end !
@@nickw6175 Why? No one owes you pulls in a race. IF you don't like it, drop him. If you can't do that get stronger. Or do what you did and stop working for him. no need to get rage filled about it. That is a sign of something else in your life being unresolved.
Not sure is it just me, but I got so much anxiety whenever the sound effect (heavy thud sound) of the arrow come up. As a cyclist, Maybe I’m just a very sensitive cyclist 😂
Oh no sorry man! 😆 Funnily enough my daughter Somalis she hated that sound, so in the next video I’ve used a much more friendly chime 😂 It’s out at 8pm this evening so let me know what you think 😃
@@michaelgraycycling I’m too chicken to race but I’ve done a a few practice crits and painful group rides so I sorta get what you went through, although I’m sure you experince is on another level 😝 Excited for the upcoming vid!
May look slower than it is because it’s a super wide circuit. It’s a airfield, so not that technical and narrow, which sometimes gives the feeling of a faster ride. Do you ride or race too? 🙂
@@bazh7834 Ah awesome. There's loads of races around London. you can find races on the circuit racing section of the British Cycling website. There's a few races left, however it it's off season now. Here's the link www.britishcycling.org.uk/events?search_type=upcomingevents&keywords=&resultsperpage=30&series_id=&fromdate=&todate=&zuv_bc_event_filter_item_id[]=23&series_only=0&online_entry_only=0&distance=&postcode=
@@michaelgraycycling oh dear it appears I misunderstood. I thought you nearly received fellatio in a lavatory! So you nearly got sucked off the bog not sucked off in the bog!
If you enjoyed this video please subscribe for a free watt 😆 You can also binge the race commentary videos here 👉 th-cam.com/play/PLMvDmUYjMK_grpHjO-UtjutkRgfvYTVAR.html
Is a cat 3 race with his team mates trying to get to cat 2 (one of them needed 1 point). They were also top team in the central region. When you’re racing with 5 people on your team, and you’re the one that drags up other riders to your team mate(s) who have guaranteed points bagged, then that’s a bit of a idiot move. For me if he joined in and dragged me up the road to his team mates fantastic, but yea he was doing the right thing unfortunately for me.
@@michaelgraycycling i know what your saying, but its a 3rd cat race.... I mean just race(him not you). All these team tactic bits are just stupid lol.
@@michaelgraycycling I usually go cycling very early mornings when there is usually little to no wind. I went out today late morning, and wind was 12 mph with 15-17 mph gusts. It was fun on the flats with the tailwind though, going 30 mph!
@@michaelgraycyclingno not yet, this was the first time on your channel. I really enjoyed your commentary and the game play which is so interesting and fun. Thank you
So, main part of the video I'm in a breakaway (breakaway is when some riders leave the bunch) to try and get to the finish first. The team called Condor, have 3 riders in the bunch, and a rider in my breakaway, and then another rider that has broke away from our breakaway. They have riders everywhere. So chances are they will have a rider win. In the video it's tell the story of the race, where me and Matthew are having to put up with a condor rider, and we're trying to stay away from the bunch so they don't beat us to the line :)
Loved the perspective but I will say regarding the finish line stunt and general manipulation you shouldn't fuck with people like that. It's impossible to tell whether you were joking or not - even watching the video and listening to you I can't tell if you meant what you said. Not gonna make friends with that method but nice video otherwise.
@@AdventureCampingAustralia he was getting his ass kicked anyway. If someone is being a dick and refuse to pull fuck them I will screw them over. You obviously don’t have the balls to do that. That’s why you are a loser
@@AdventureCampingAustralia I'm not sure about never, but it was a very difficult situation for the break here. When I disappeared around 9.30, it was because another rider had just tried to ride me off the group as @braggland describes. But I was stronger, so all that did was fracture the larger group, and I got back to the front group while they didn't. If I'd have been forced to the front I would have stopped riding, because my teammate was gaining time ahead, and I had more in the bunch behind ready to counter. Probably the single best thing that they could have done was to ignore me, as Michael suggested at the time. While Matthew is indeed a nice guy, the conflict in the moment probably dissuaded me from helping.
@@pinkie7803 team had all their areas covers. One in the first break. Pinkie in our break. And three riders in the peloton. Statistically it makes more sense for us three to pretend he’s not there as if we fall back to the peloton we’re fighting with 20 odd people for the same positions we’ve already achieved by being in the break. We just had to accept him. To be fair, even though I was victim to it, I could appreciate the master stroke they had achieved. Tip my hat for that one!
Haha I hate them too! I’ve only done them so I could get to the 1,000 sub milestone as everytime I did one I’d get a fair few subscribers 😂 they’ll be a lot less now! 😆
@@uraceforme2 thanks James. What would you have done? The thing is if I had sat up allowed the peloton to catch us, then I’m now competing with the peloton for the position I’ve already guaranteed myself. I guess the other option was to try to attack him off the wheels, or try and go like GS Mossa lad when there was the 4 of us. But my fitness is still developing in this category so didn’t quite have the power to achieve that level of power yet!
![[UNCUT] บอสพอล แผลงฤทธิ์ บอสพระ-นักร้อง ก. โดนแฉยับ! I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 21 ต.ค. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XKf6HeftoPI/mqdefault.jpg)
The Condor guy executed text book race strategy with a teammate up the road scenario, and he was nice about it to boot.
Yea fair play to him! Have you watched the next race? Yea
Thanks! I was slightly surprised that he was on such a short fuse. He had a nice advantage over the group, a couple of people to work with, and I was staying out of the way. But different people run at different temperatures, I guess.
@@pinkie7803 I have no idea why anyone would think you would help them catch your teammate up the road?!
I thought you handled yourself exemplarily, and I hope he apologized after the race (doubtful)
@@nealm6764 He came and shook my hand afterwards, which you can catch at the end of the video. He's very nice! Clearly his temper was on the limit as well as his legs at times.
Matthew, stepping into the HERO'S shoes with a HUGE effort. What a guy!
Not all hero’s where capes! Some wear skinsuits no cape! Seriiously strong rider!
Such a great race! Well done.
“Everyone wants to be in the break until they get in the break” 😅
That finale was absolutely thrilling.
Brilliant vid 😎
Hahaha that saying is so true. 😅 You’ll love part 2 to this story!
That was as fun to watch as it was to ride.
- Mean Condor.
It’s gone from the “BPC Angry Rider” to the new “Mean Condor” rider in the space of a week 😂 Thanks for making the race entertaining, the way you did us over after the begging was 👌🤣 Good luck in Cat 2 🙌
Great video! Felt every watt of that! Started cycling this year and this is great motivation to get some training in and try racing next year!
That’s what I like to hear 🙌 If you have any questions let me know, as I only started this year with racing. Where are you from?
@@michaelgraycycling Thanks! It'll be great to hear how you got into racing, like the things you've learnt in the first year etc. I'm from Stevenage so having a quick look, I think Hillingdon would be the local circuit for me
@@alexwhite3478 ah cool! I also race at Hillingdon. Is a great circuit! You’ll find quite a few videos on the channel at Hillingdon and will give you a idea of the course. As that’s what I always do to scope out circuits! I’ll do a video on that, as I’m trying to encourage people to race and people from my club.
Crit Drama brought me here.
🙌 Welcome to some more drama on the channel 🤣 I’ll be posting the continuation (next race) of this story today/tomo 😃
Great video! Good footage and great commentary. I was thinking that if I ever did criterium racing, I would need to do a lot of mental training to block out riders like that Condor rider behind you. Sitting up there suffering while a guy is basically just sucking your wheel... That would become enraging after a while. 😂
Haha will have to remain you from Brian to Matthew 😅 It’s to be expected and he was just doing his job for his team.
If he has a teammate up the road you just know he won't pull. Remove the emotion from it. If you were in his shoes would you take a pull?
Just came across your channel and really enjoyed binge watching.
Hope you enjoyed. Should have the follow up race to this video coming out tonight 👊
I really enjoyed watching this with the commentary, thanks for sharing.
Thanks! 🙌 the follow up race is out tonight at 8pm, if you haven’t subscribed feel free, and you’ll get a notification 😃 thanks again!
Great race, and great effort. Well done for digging in and staying away!
Thanks Jack. It was hell but I got there. I'll post up the next race this evening :)
Great race! Thing to work on might be to not move up along the sides but through the peloton, the gaps were quite big between riders
This is great and something I’ve not really thought about yet. Thank you. I’ve kinda always tried to keep my front wheel safe from overlapping so working up the middle hasn’t really been switched on in my head
@@michaelgraycycling yeah it also doesnt ‘help’ that the track is insanely wide but trying to find your way through the pack greatly conserves energy. You’re doing great!
I take it you are racing in the UK, how did you get a camera on your bike as I know they are very strict on it?
Hey yes they’re strict. You can apply with British Cycling. Let me find you a link www.britishcycling.org.uk/road/article/20221004-Home-Page-British-Cycling-announces-new-process-for-use-of-on-board-cameras-0#:~:text=Under%20the%20British%20Cycling%20Technical,event%20will%20not%20be%20processed.
You're WAY too far back in the first 5 minutes of the race in order to do something, no wonder your mate didn't get away, he attacked from the back of the peloton!!!! Great riding in the breakaway, there wasn't much more you could have done given the guys who got away from you were just too strong. That's a great course for a local crit ract.
Thanks! Yea it’s a good circuit. Open airfield so the wind really picks up when it wants to! I assume you race in Oz? Have you ever raced in the UK?
Yea we were quite far back. We didn’t want to be right by the front for it as we wanted a slight element of surprise and speed difference to discourage those on the front. But it was more of a throw away attempt, as it wa so early in the race. We was expecting it to be chased down which it was and then countered. Except I was wheeeey out of position for when it countered 🤦♂️ But luckily I managed to get over to them and tidy up my mess I created for myself 😂
@@michaelgraycycling Yeah raced in AU when I was younger up to Cat 1, still ride now, don’t race anymore but not so seriously.
Cat 1 Crits here normally average between 46-48ks/hr depending on who turns up, to give you some idea of a comparison.
@@AdventureCampingAustralia sweet. That’s about the speed of cat 1s over here too. I’d love to get to that level in the next couple of years. I did a Elite/Cat 1/2/3 race in the summer. And well it was eye opening and inspiring.
Cool vid, remember, when you are tired everyone is tired and that's when you attack :-). Condor guy rode a class race; did just what he should.
Yea he rode a class race 👌 and exactly that! That makes all the difference. Did yiu watch this video? I think included that here
th-cam.com/video/oA0tvOqfOpc/w-d-xo.html
How did you get to ride with cameras? Is this a BC race???
Yea BC. Got permission of BC to help promote the sport. As all the crits you find on TH-cam are in America. So I just said their race are what made me want to do them, would be great if we could encourage people through UK racing over here
Im trying to get into Crit racing, id like to come and see a race in person! Where do i find details and schedule etc?
Hey Enzzo, great to hear. Are you in the uk? If so let me know and I’ll tell you where to look 🙂
@@michaelgraycycling yes uk
Wow! So smooth and level. Is this an airport?
It’s a army barracks airfield. So yea pretty much! 😊
Nice one! Hi from Oxford. Motivating me to get back on the bike!
Oxford, US or Oxford UK? 😃
Yellow bike/ condor 1 is sitting up pumping out lots of watts rather than making a bit of an aero effort.
He was a amazing draft if you could be on his wheel!
Enjoyed this. Thanks. Well raced.
Thanks Kevin! 👊
You should not have sprinted at end. Nice job in the break. I love breaking away in races. Do the same in group rides and you will get fit and go for a win.
It was tough going! Refused to look at my headunit!
How many GoPros are involved here? Also, is this a disused airport? WW2?
I have one on the front one on the back 😃
should close the gap with big sprint instead of slowly doing it. Just whack it across then it hurts everyone the same amount
Depending on what point you refer too (maybe when the two riders were ahead and I leave the break after condor tells me to go round.) That’s definitely one thing I have learned to be doing. But at the moment time I think I had assumed the group was still on my wheel and ready to rotate as I was just trying to get round the condor rider in rotation 🤦♂️
Superb effort from Matt!!
Strong rider!
Nice race :-) thank you for these great video
You’re welcome! There’s quite a few others on the channel now to keep you entertained 😃
What's with all the locked out arms in the drops??
🤷♂️ not sure. But maybe the aggressive bike set ups?
Good job on the commentary and captions!
Thanks! Hopefully I can get quicker at doing them 😃
Great to watch. Thanks.
You’re welcome Craig! Next race is out tomo 8pm. Keep a eye out and feel free to subscribe. Ride on 🚴🏼♂️⚡️
Enjoyed your commentary 👍
Thanks Enda! ⚡️ Just uploaded my next race. You can check it out here 😃👉 th-cam.com/video/-03fXxebrYM/w-d-xo.html
So glad to see bicycle races NOT ON THE STREETS...
Are you referring to the type of crits that take place in America where they don’t have dedicated tracks etc?
Loved this ! Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome John! Next race all edited and being uploaded as we speak. So keep a eye tomorrow evening UK 8pm for another great race! Feel free to subscribe, ride on ⚡️😀
very entertaining!
I wouldn't have finished this way though; you would have made a good friend doing a hard pull after that last curve and letting him overtake in the last 100 meters.
Now you stressed him out without any good reason, you probably didn't have a friendly reaction and even though you were just teasing, it's quite obvious that it's not a good moment when he's at max. heart rate at the end of such a hard race.
We was all good after the race. Chatted and smiled and had fun. And caught up with mean condor 😂 in fact last race we chatted before the race and stuff 😃 here’s the link to it if you’ve not watched it yet th-cam.com/video/-03fXxebrYM/w-d-xo.html
We was all good after the race. Chatted and smiled and had fun. And caught up with mean condor 😂 in fact last race we chatted before the race and stuff 😃 here’s the link to it if you’ve not watched it yet th-cam.com/video/-03fXxebrYM/w-d-xo.html
@@michaelgraycycling Nice to hear! All the best and looking forward to see more footage (this was the first of your races I came across, thanks to the YT algorithm :-)
@@l.d.t.6327 ah great! Yea there’s a few more on the channel 😁
Enjoyed that . Think ld have squeezed Matt out at the end though , just for the reaction.
Haha it was tempting. And I almost did. The temptation was real. But it was quite fun getting just close enough to wind him up 😂 Besides, I didn’t want to do that, we raced again last Saturday, and I didn’t want any cheeky stuff to bite me up last week in the bigger picture. I’ll post the next race tonight 😄
This is just amazing to watch very entertaining 😲
Thanks. I just raced today, so there a pretty cool part 2 to this story coming up!
Is there a noticeable difference between power/ speed as you go up the categories? Thinking of racing at some point in the next year or so, so want to see how much I have to improve.
Great content Michael! Not far away from there myself.
Hey James. So I started racing the year as a Cat 4 rider. My FTP was probably about 225-230 when I did my first races, and I was finishing about top 20% of riders. As much as it helps to be insanely fast, I find it's more about efficiency and how sneaky you are with your energy. Drafting, getting close to wheels, staying out of the wind, lines round corners to help you gain positions or gap people with little work. So I had ridden a lot with Reading Cycling Club prior so I was used to this. It took me 18 races to get out of cat 4, and that was only 12 points required. When I upgraded and got my first points in Cat 3, it was my easiest race I had ever done, I literally hid for the entirety of the race. You can check it out here th-cam.com/video/CeS94wAuiBw/w-d-xo.html
In terms of speed and power between cat 4 to cat 3. I recorded my very first cat 3 race too which you can watch here where I cover this for other cat 4 racers who asked me th-cam.com/video/P1oaiCGn7ig/w-d-xo.html
In terms of if you've never raced before and you're going from casual road riding, group riding, or workouts, the speed will be different, as the peloton travels faster, as there will be riders on the front constantly putting effort down, but if you're in the bunch hidden away, you'll be doing A LOT less work. I could never get the average speeds on races, in regular rides, purely because of that. So try not to use speed as a factor. In terms of speed of cat 4 to cat 3 though, maybe a 1-2mph different.
Hope this helps, and the other two videos give you more info to your questions. If you have any more let me know! :)
Thanks @@michaelgraycycling, I'll check them out when I get home.
A modest mid-drive e-bike puts out 250W...if the rider is in the right gear and pedaling hard. That’s less than most of these guys are averaging, and much less than their sprint output. Just saying as a reference to the uninitiated.
Epic comment. I didn’t know this. But sure
Does make me feel good 😆
You guys all hung up in watts etc , just em of your wheel
I just dont understand why would anyone get mad in that situation you are liberated its a race so a person can ride in any position they desire.
For sure. Either way, made me smirk 😆
You were clear to go with the two guys from the break and you were well rested in the paceline. Why didn’t you go?
It’s a split second thought process, and it didn’t process in the moment 😅
Why does people want to CAT up? Competition is so much harder...
Sure it’ll be tonnes harder competition wise. But hey it’s the next level. Satisfaction of completing the level they’re on. New dynamics in races. Finding new things to try and make work. Think most peoples natural instinct is always to be levelling up.
There’s a couple of first cats in my local club in west Kent , there not a lot of cop , they just rack up loads of points at small circuit races at cyclopark , seen them in a regional level E/1/2 event there ass goes and they sit at the back until there dropped !
#4, aka "Socks", aka "Dad bod" had some good pulls...good for him!!!
Strong rider 💪
Oof that looked hard in that wind
Man it was tough in that wind!!! Next race is worse. Check it out here th-cam.com/video/-03fXxebrYM/w-d-xo.html
try taking turns attacking so if there was 3.. the person just infront of the condor guy just chill and let the 2 speed up, but try to dart to the side, so then he will have to speed up when you purposely make a gap, and just continue attacking him.
That’s a great idea. I’ve been thinking of ways how we could have tried to get rid of him early on. Late on in the race, me and Matthew was in a dark place so I don’t think we could do much. And maybe doing that tactic early in the race would have meant I or we get caught due to fatigue later in the race. But definitely that sounds like the thing to do. I think in the race at the start of the breakaway my friend Tom was trying to do this and ride him off the wheel. The condor riders name is Pinkie and he mentioned this in the comments somewhere below.
Thanks for the tips it’s appreciated as I’m still learning 👍 The follow up race I’ll post tonight
@@michaelgraycycling It was the Verulam rider who tried @Elijahs' Dad's suggested tactic. The problem it creates is that the whole group suffers: a loss of cohesion means a loss of speed. As c.9.30 shows, the point I get back on, the group behind is shattered. If you take it in turns, the chances of being caught by the peloton increases, and each time risks the 'lagging' rider also being dropped.
The better tactic in the longer run was perhaps to insist that we all work smoothly as a large group from the start! I was working happily when my team mate was there, and would have continued to do so.
But as I've said elsewhere, I think you made a good call in a tricky situation.
@@pinkie7803 for sure. I'm sure at some point also, your team mate breaking away would have been the thing to do. Your team are great racers, I'm looking forward to following how you guys all do in cat 2. Do you all organise to race together through the season? Or is one of you enter, then hopefully the others enter?
@@michaelgraycycling Oh thank you, Michael! We certainly have fun. And we all get to be the nail as well as the hammer now and again, and I think Cat 2 will involve a lot of nail time...
We organise in advance, and plan for each race, series, and year. We should have a social ride together at some point over winter and I can share more. Like Reading CC, we're a club not a team. So lots to share.
When dudes start “ you are this, you are that” then it is time to get them to change their nappies. Grow up a little, out of your ego.
It’s def a positive for the other rider
Amazing video ! Keep doing it =)
Thank you! Lots of other races on the channel for you to check out if you enjoyed it :):)
I don’t know about you guys - I’m a commuter rider, used to train 20y ago - but those bursts of >30mph bouts usually return in my sleep as nightmares. 😅
Haha yea fair bit of effort in them!
Flat circuit , modern equipment and a whole pack of riders , no big deal
10:20 is why we are all here. Beef with a side of drama
You raced the break very smart, even if you didn't have the legs that day.
Thanks bro 👊 Was hard work! I’ll be posting up the next race tomorrow now. Do you race too?
@@michaelgraycycling Yes, I know how much suffering it is to be in a break! Great to see your level head paid off with the angry guy helping you at the end.
Good race, nice to watch.
Thanks dude. Do you race?
Racing is great but I fucking hate it. It starts to be all I think about, and it gives me anxiety when I visualise the effort it takes to be competitive in a bunch or sprint. It stresses me out bigtime. I'm currently points leader in my local club racing, but I'm retiring after this season, if I can manage to win, which is also my rookie season. Two more races to go, I just have to place in one and I should win. Of course anything can happen.. I just want to win so I can retire.
I know the feeling! Start of the year I was cat 4, and I would do race reports for my club (written before I started doing these videos). And it took make ages to start getting points, and I’d over think it, drive me insane, as I’d be writing out another report on how I didn’t place or get points! 🤦♂️ However once I got to cat 3 which was my goal, I took the pressure of myself as I went up a cat.
Also why do you think it’s stressed you out when you think about it? Expections you put on yourself too?
@@michaelgraycycling It was a big part of that, and the stress did go down once I finally won a race (came second twice, which was great for points but very frustrating because I lost to experience of the other guys), but I think it's more of a physical thing, like I just get this surge of something when I think about the stress it takes during a big effort etc. Hard to put into words.
You dont say "please" in a bike race 😄
Better than “f**** wan^*^” 😂
never give up Michael
Thanks Matt! Although the next race Ive posted in the channel have a lot to answer for in that respect! 😆🤒 th-cam.com/video/-03fXxebrYM/w-d-xo.html
The begging for help.. amazing!
And then bam 😂 Bye! Do you race?
@@michaelgraycycling first race in march for me.. scared and been told I need to shave my legs otherwise I'll be marked for destruction
@@syrus3k sweet. Where abouts? Yea hold out them hairs for now!
@@michaelgraycycling brownlee centre North Leeds
@@syrus3k epic. Let me know how you get on 😀
I'm a cyclist but there are a fair few absolute clowns you have to contend with wherever you ride. Even in Zwift, people complaining and arguing. Local bike track, people getting snotty about joining their group. I guess in a race it's even more intense!
Oh for sure. But sometimes, it either lightens you up a bit or makes you more tense. I’m quite light hearted so it tends to lighten me up a bit. Plus if you know someone is stressed out, it’s normally because things aren’t going their way, and means your probably winning, either mentally or physically imo, and you can use it your advantage.
@@michaelgraycycling thank you for sharing, very valuable insight. I will be sure to watch more of your work. Thank you.
Enjoyed the transparency
Thanks. I always think it was the best way in the situation I was in, and in the end it worked out for the both of us 😃 Part 2 is out tomorrow with the next race
Has the BPC guy got a 3pm Kick-Off? The length on those socks 🤦♂️
To be fair I’m also guilt as charged 😂 every watts a prisoner, and I need um!
Get Matt to join on your plans!
Totally. I’ll post up the next race tomo 👍
Can anyone explain why BPC guy got mad on condor rider?
He didn’t like the fact that the condor rider wasn’t pulling on the front
The politics of the Tricky Triangle.
Bloody politics 😂
Loved your vids but could you include kmph on your vids?
Thanks for the feedback! And totally. Actually I don’t know why I didn’t, as it’s normally my gripe if I only see a video in KPH 🤣 The next video is out this evening, but it’s already edited etc so I can’t add it in now (it’s a painful tedious process 😆), but after the one I do tonight I will. Thanks for reminding me!
If that Condor rider "sat in" then sprinted at the end, he should have been shot...its hardly the worlds
I had a similar once, the guy sate on my wheel for four laps, then went in front for literally 200ms then flicked he arm out ! last 500ms of the race I was so fuming, I basically jumped on the brakes let the chasing group catch and deliberately boxed him in even though it cost me about 8 places! We had serious words at the end !
😂😂 was it worth the 8 places? Or was you then fuming at yourself as well? 😆
@@michaelgraycycling it was worth it ! dont think I have been that angry on a bike !
@@nickw6175 Why? No one owes you pulls in a race. IF you don't like it, drop him. If you can't do that get stronger. Or do what you did and stop working for him. no need to get rage filled about it.
That is a sign of something else in your life being unresolved.
@@nealm6764 you are one of life free loaders I presume !
@@nickw6175 So much hostility, and over basic bike racing tactics.
Seriously, seek help.
Not sure is it just me, but I got so much anxiety whenever the sound effect (heavy thud sound) of the arrow come up. As a cyclist, Maybe I’m just a very sensitive cyclist 😂
Oh no sorry man! 😆 Funnily enough my daughter Somalis she hated that sound, so in the next video I’ve used a much more friendly chime 😂 It’s out at 8pm this evening so let me know what you think 😃
@@michaelgraycycling looking forward to that!
This was super fun to watch haha! Oh man the well of pain…
So painful 😅 do you race too? Part 2 (next race) which I’ll post up tomo is more painful 😢
@@michaelgraycycling I’m too chicken to race but I’ve done a a few practice crits and painful group rides so I sorta get what you went through, although I’m sure you experince is on another level 😝 Excited for the upcoming vid!
@@kv8824 if you've done a fast chaingang, it felt like that add 20% plus a sprinkle of hell.
Break from the breakaway -Chente, Movistar
👌
Is this a cat 5?
Hey Deron! This a cat 3 race in the uk. Do you race too?
Why does it look so slow? Maybe because it's on a track?
May look slower than it is because it’s a super wide circuit. It’s a airfield, so not that technical and narrow, which sometimes gives the feeling of a faster ride. Do you ride or race too? 🙂
Nice job.. Way to dig in.
Thanks Dustin 👊 Was pretty brutal!
How do I get involved in crit racing
Hey Baz, it depends where you’re from, are you in the UK? If so I’ll send you where to look 🙂
@@michaelgraycycling hey Yh from west Essex area close to London
@@bazh7834 Ah awesome. There's loads of races around London. you can find races on the circuit racing section of the British Cycling website. There's a few races left, however it it's off season now. Here's the link www.britishcycling.org.uk/events?search_type=upcomingevents&keywords=&resultsperpage=30&series_id=&fromdate=&todate=&zuv_bc_event_filter_item_id[]=23&series_only=0&online_entry_only=0&distance=&postcode=
@@michaelgraycycling legend 👍🏽
Almost got blown away in the toilet.
Lucky fella
You seen the film twister? That’s how I thought I was going to die…. Blown away in a tornado, in Abingdon, covered in 💩
@@michaelgraycycling oh dear it appears I misunderstood.
I thought you nearly received fellatio in a lavatory!
So you nearly got sucked off the bog not sucked off in the bog!
@@duckpk10 🤣
The follow up race to this has been uploaded 😃 You can watch it here th-cam.com/video/-03fXxebrYM/w-d-xo.html
If you enjoyed this video please subscribe for a free watt 😆 You can also binge the race commentary videos here 👉 th-cam.com/play/PLMvDmUYjMK_grpHjO-UtjutkRgfvYTVAR.html
I got a team mate up the road.
Mate its a 4th cat crit, not the strade bianchi
Is a cat 3 race with his team mates trying to get to cat 2 (one of them needed 1 point). They were also top team in the central region. When you’re racing with 5 people on your team, and you’re the one that drags up other riders to your team mate(s) who have guaranteed points bagged, then that’s a bit of a idiot move. For me if he joined in and dragged me up the road to his team mates fantastic, but yea he was doing the right thing unfortunately for me.
@@michaelgraycycling i know what your saying, but its a 3rd cat race....
I mean just race(him not you).
All these team tactic bits are just stupid lol.
@@karl8805 This is like saying to someone playing football, 'don't bother passing the ball; you're not in the premier league!'
@@pinkie7803 totally different....
@@karl8805 Basic skills for maximising results in team sports. So not totally different.
Well made video!
Thanks! I’ll be posting up the next race hopefully today. Keep a eye out or subscribe for a free watt! 😃⚡️
That BPC cyclist is pretty good considering he can probably shed 15 lbs!
Think I could have done with them 10lbs so I could handle the wind on this circuit. Plus with it being pretty flat. Guy is a total beast
@@michaelgraycycling Good point. I weigh 175 lbs and have 80mm carbon wheels and a 15 mph wind gust will be very noticeable!
@@marks4471 them 80mm carbon wheels will have you flying 😂
@@michaelgraycycling I usually go cycling very early mornings when there is usually little to no wind. I went out today late morning, and wind was 12 mph with 15-17 mph gusts. It was fun on the flats with the tailwind though, going 30 mph!
unlike the pros... many high saddle heights.
As long as it slows everyone else down I’m happy ha
Does Matthew know how road bike handlebars work? Next time show him how to grab them in the drops ;)
Firearms parallel to the ground is most lowest drag. Doesn’t matter where your hands are placed.
Haven’t noticed how he had his position. But if his arms are parallel, then what Bob said :)
"whilst we're his slaves" I'm dead m8
Slave driving!
great race, awesome rider mathew
He’s a beast ✊ Hope you enjoy the other races on the channel 😀
this is great
Thanks man! Have you watched the next race?
@@michaelgraycyclingno not yet, this was the first time on your channel. I really enjoyed your commentary and the game play which is so interesting and fun. Thank you
Can someone educate me of what's happening I'm not fumier of this type of sport.
So, main part of the video I'm in a breakaway (breakaway is when some riders leave the bunch) to try and get to the finish first. The team called Condor, have 3 riders in the bunch, and a rider in my breakaway, and then another rider that has broke away from our breakaway. They have riders everywhere. So chances are they will have a rider win. In the video it's tell the story of the race, where me and Matthew are having to put up with a condor rider, and we're trying to stay away from the bunch so they don't beat us to the line :)
I hate the fact that I caught myself staring at something at 22:40
😂😂😂😂😂
😘
Loved the perspective but I will say regarding the finish line stunt and general manipulation you shouldn't fuck with people like that. It's impossible to tell whether you were joking or not - even watching the video and listening to you I can't tell if you meant what you said. Not gonna make friends with that method but nice video otherwise.
Thanks for the comment and viewpoint 😊
If he dropped 10 or 15 he’d make cat easy
It's a flat course. Weight is making no difference here.
As Pinkie said. I could do with some of them lbs too as the wind there is nasty, I was getting blown about like a rag doll! 😂
Just stop pedaling and force him to pass and then ride his wheel. I can always be the bigger dick head when forced.
Negative racing never works, the other rider loses, but so do you. Condor was just stronger than the rest, there's nothing else they could have done.
@@AdventureCampingAustralia he was getting his ass kicked anyway. If someone is being a dick and refuse to pull fuck them I will screw them over. You obviously don’t have the balls to do that. That’s why you are a loser
@@AdventureCampingAustralia I'm not sure about never, but it was a very difficult situation for the break here.
When I disappeared around 9.30, it was because another rider had just tried to ride me off the group as @braggland describes. But I was stronger, so all that did was fracture the larger group, and I got back to the front group while they didn't. If I'd have been forced to the front I would have stopped riding, because my teammate was gaining time ahead, and I had more in the bunch behind ready to counter.
Probably the single best thing that they could have done was to ignore me, as Michael suggested at the time. While Matthew is indeed a nice guy, the conflict in the moment probably dissuaded me from helping.
@@pinkie7803 team had all their areas covers.
One in the first break. Pinkie in our break. And three riders in the peloton. Statistically it makes more sense for us three to pretend he’s not there as if we fall back to the peloton we’re fighting with 20 odd people for the same positions we’ve already achieved by being in the break. We just had to accept him.
To be fair, even though I was victim to it, I could appreciate the master stroke they had achieved. Tip my hat for that one!
Bike racing is measured in km/h
Hey Richard, sorry for the recording in MPH. Next time I edit, it will also have the KM on the screen 😃
@@michaelgraycycling Some bike snobs care, I can do the conversion in my head.
5:41 is that @veganCyclist?
I don’t think it’s him… but clearly has a bro in the uk!
U ran outta sugar at 13:30
Yea. That was a tough bit of the race!
Listening to this is to much , your overthinking it all mate ! All this talking ? Is thIs what it’s like nowadays ?
Cool
😅😂
Stay tuned for the next one 🤘
To many shorts for me mate! Video or nothin imo. Just being polite as would usually unfollow by now 👍
Haha I hate them too! I’ve only done them so I could get to the 1,000 sub milestone as everytime I did one I’d get a fair few subscribers 😂 they’ll be a lot less now! 😆
@@michaelgraycycling keep up with the good videos mate you will soon pass the thousand 👍
You bikers are some angry people
That’s what happens when you drink to much wd40 😆
That was nauseating watching you stupidly carry around a rider.
Not much choice though to be fair. Just had to accept they had all bases covered
First time in the break, he wanted to keep it away. It's what developing riders do. Give him another 20 races, he'll be a shark too.
@@uraceforme2 thanks James. What would you have done? The thing is if I had sat up allowed the peloton to catch us, then I’m now competing with the peloton for the position I’ve already guaranteed myself.
I guess the other option was to try to attack him off the wheels, or try and go like GS Mossa lad when there was the 4 of us. But my fitness is still developing in this category so didn’t quite have the power to achieve that level of power yet!
muscle guy = ahole
😂
Cyclists…lol 😂
🤣
Boring.
Thanks for the comment anyway :) you race?
Middle aged men in lycra. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Mamils everywhere!