Well spring racing in the Fort has started. More specifically the three week series of Tune Up races held in Auburn. Having gone through another winter of hibernation I had forgot how different the Masters races are compared to any other race. Foolishly I signed up for the Masters crit that kicked off the day of racing.

I say foolishly because Masters racing is so different than the regular experience category races 1-5.  Basically if you are old (over 35) you are eligible to sign up for a Masters race. Often times someone new to bike racing will sign up in the Masters group because they expect a bunch of old guys to be slow and the chances of hanging in the pack are perceived to be better. Nothing could be further from the truth as many times the Masters race is the fastest one of the day.

 

In addition to using their legs to crush the spirit of a newer Masters participant these old guys are way smart. They will let a new guy pull them around for a few laps and then when they have used him up simply shell him out the back. Each of them knows how to hide from the wind behind even the skinniest guy in the field. Like chess masters they can read a race as it unfolds knowing which break will stick and contain the winners. Those who have anticipated the break and jumped in rely on equally cunning teammates to block the others in the field so subtly that the rest of the pack does not know it has happened until it is too late. Finally these old smart guys train smart and have the legs of steel and the will of steel to be sure no one finishes at the front without hurting a bit.

The other stark contrast between a Masters race and your typical Cat 3 event is the equipment. While those rolling up to the line in an open age event will appear to have stocked their bikes by sneaking in an unlocked back gate at NASA with carbon fiber, titanium and other unobtanium components most of the Masters racers will have at least one component as old as the orange Tang that stains the inside of their water bottle. While these guys have the checkbooks to buy what they want they purchase tools rather than trying to buy speed or trying to look fast. This is not to say they don’t have high zoot parts and frames, rather the component choices they have made have nothing to do with appearance and everything to do with performance. A pair of carbon wheels is not going to make a balding forty year old guy with tufts of gray hair growing out his ears look fast. Oh yeah, the other thing is when these guys find a component that works for them they buy spares and backups for their spares. Look in the cabinet at the back of any Masters garage and you will find enough parts to open a small local bike shop, and this doesn’t count the stuff he has hidden from his wife.

Oh yeah, the race. You will have to pardon me as I am old and my mind drifts. It was a cold and cloudy spring day with the threat of rain every lap. The pavement was a bit rough from a winter of freezing and thawing. But as soon as the starting whistle blew you could not have distinguished it from a mid-August office park crit. As with any Masters race there were attacks on a regular basis. Eventually a small group got away and the field settled in. Having eaten like an anorexic teenage girl all winter and racking up a few hundred miles in the mountains at training camp I was pleased with my performance in this group of Masters riders. I felt comfortable in the field, managed to hide well in the pack and had the legs I needed to be there at the end. Unfortunately I missed out on the last couple of laps with a late race flat. The good news is I was well warmed up for the next race.

Probably the best part is the cheerleaders for the Masters events. Hot wives and angelic kids all cheer for ME every lap shouting GO DADDY!

Squirrel Hunter

P.S. A big thank you to the race organizers and the host for the venue. The Kruse Auction Park and adjacent World War II museum were a perfect setting for this race. There was a big indoor area to warm up before slipping into that familiar winter gear to race on this dreary spring day. But the sun was out for Tune Up #2 and I got a start on this seasons biker tan.