You've perhaps played King of the Hill when you were a kid? This is similar, only on a bike. A lot of these things don't exist anymore because it seems that today's riders don't have as much fun as we did when we were competing and riding hard. The old timers on the outdoor tracks would do pace lines and then have sprints. Sometimes people watching or the riders themselves would put up an ice cream cone for a sprint on a certain lap. Because the pressure of "race" was not present the guys would ride as if the world championship was at stake. Displaced aggresivity. Once in a while on the track guys would ride harder and harder changing off in a paceline until only one rider was left, no prize, no ice cream cone.. They just did it, because the spirit moved them. Subtle old memory supremacy, like a bull or stag. It doesn't happen if too many people are spectating, kind of changes the ether of the air, and guys don't get uninhibited enough. It's more prevalent on the road. Guys will start rolling along , little chit-chat, etc. Then slowly as they wind up and get faster, talk dies down, as the talking pace is passed. It varies a little with ability levels, but usually guys will sort themselves out and similar talent will hang together. This is where it gets interesting and either the psyche of the group will stay contained and guys will work out hard for training. There will be a few sprints for some marker and group regroups after sprint and keeps on jamming. OR IT then occasionally gets VERY quiet in the line, and the internal motivation changes from workout to workover, and the guys will try to pull each other's cork. They will ride so hard, no witnesses, no prize, no finish line. Just change off, close gaps, and keep going until of the last two one will usually cry uncle and say that's enough or just drop off and when the front rider swings over and looks he's alone. Then the front guy(s) will turn around and pick the other guys up one way back. The pace picks up gradually and maybe a few sprints on the way home, but no where near the tempo. No one brings up who was last man out front. Everyone seems to feel the aura that day of who, where, when. Ergo a cork pulling contest. As hard, as long, as fast as one could for the biggest prize of all. You just did it to do it. It doesn't happen often, and if guys would race that hard we'd see even better international level riding by Americans. Too many guys want to sit in, beat you at the line and think they really raced. They haven't figured out what it really means, and don't want to suffer enough to hurt. So when you watch the racing on TV and see guys coming in seconds apart and not giving an inch, try to imagine how tough and how hard they really are. You know at that time, they aren't doing it for the prize, You have to love it to hurt like that. Ted Ernst Palos Verdes Estates, CA
> Anybody: Cork pulling contest? Answer on Sunday, 7th.
> Ted Ernst
> Palos Verdes Estates, CA