Placating the cycling gods

[rgmerk]

I have two races a year that I'd particularly like to do well in - one's in April and one's in November.

Last November, in the best form of my life, a mechanical with a rear derailleur jamming sent me over the handlebars and ended the race about a tenth of the way in.

Now, today, in not quite the same form but close to it, somebody falls down in front of me and takes me down too. I wasn't injured, but the crash...bent my RD enough to end my race.

So...what or whom should I sacrifice to rid myself of the fiendish curse on my drivetrain?

Do all my road races on a fixie? Pray to his Jensness? I'll do anything...except fit Campy (thumbs are for gripping, not shifting gears...)

 

[Kiara is a rational girl]

Take EPO, so you're strong enough to be at the front when **** goes down. And if you're so strong, you might as well go for the fixie too - then you'll be covered! You could be a regular Lance Armstrong, or any other super-doping superstar you might like to emulate. I don't imagine anyone's after the **** of Baw Baw winners, so no problems there.

In any case, **** Jens. I never understood his appeal.

 

[Master50]

I'll do anything...except fit Campy (thumbs are for gripping, not shifting gears...)

You ask how to placate the Cycling Gods and post this? I think it is just this simple. The Gods of Cycling raced Campy. Shimano is only 30 years or so. All those guys are not yet gods. Eddy raced Campy and when he passes he will be god 1. Armstrong is years away from adding a Shimano god.

 

[SirLes]

I believe many pros believe in a ritual blood letting during the off season.

They then store it an reinfuse it later.

Not sure which bit brings them good luck but it seems to work.

Warning: If it is not done according the correct ancient way; full moon, silver needle, holy plasma etc the cycling Gods will be displeased and you will be caught or hospitalized

 

[Giuseppe Magnetico]

I have two races a year that I'd particularly like to do well in - one's in April and one's in November.

Last November, in the best form of my life, a mechanical with a rear derailleur jamming sent me over the handlebars and ended the race about a tenth of the way in.

Now, today, in not quite the same form but close to it, somebody falls down in front of me and takes me down too. I wasn't injured, but the crash...bent my RD enough to end my race.

So...what or whom should I sacrifice to rid myself of the fiendish curse on my drivetrain?

Do all my road races on a fixie? Pray to his Jensness? I'll do anything...except fit Campy (thumbs are for gripping, not shifting gears...)

Well you only had one mechanical, the other was caused by someone else. If you're having mechanical issues besides this maybe you should change mechanics, or if you're doing the work yourself learn how to do it better.

Maybe you would benefit from Campy more than you know. In 20+ years of riding Campy I've had two mechanicals, broke chain (9s) on a training run up Chilkoot hill for the Nature Vally GP, during the race I dropped my chain at the top. That's it in all those years.

Naw, maybe you shouldn't run Campy. Don't want to wear those thumbs out for hitchhiking when your "S" brand grouppo fails.......

 

[MR_Sarcastic]

It sounds like your problem, last year, was your own fault. (misadjusted limit screws). Your crash, this year, was because you were riding behind the wrong person. It took me more than a few years to learn this lesson. It's better to hurt yourself to position yourself behind competent riders, than to ride behind people who fall down when someone bumps into them.

 

[rgmerk]

Cheers, if it wasn't clear this was meant to be taken tongue-in-cheek.

As for positioning, I agree...but I'd already gotten myself from behind a shaky rider to somebody who was riding more competently.

Bloodletting sounds promising

 

[elapid]

The cycling gods struck me down twice today. My first race for the season - a combination of rough paved and dirt roads (late racing season compared to many of you because we are usually still clearing snow off the decks at this time of year). I punctured within the first kilometre, so was way, way off the pace early on. I made it back to the back of the race, and then was called into work for an emergency. So I abandon the race and as I was cycling back into 30-40 kmh headwinds work called back to say the emergency was cancelled.

Hopefully better luck in 2 weeks for the next race!

 

[ElChingon]

Hire eight riders with the same size bike and pedal system, ride in between then. The moment you have any issues minus injuring yourself where you can't rde swap bikes with one of the eight riders you hired. The eight is just a suggestion, you can increase or decrease per your liking or budget.

 

[greenedge]

My suggestion is train for your next race ( try have the same level of form as you wanted for the main April one ) and show who is boss by attacking savagely on a hill or descending like crazy- then churning a huge gear to the finish line to put the fear of ( you ) into your opponents. You may not win but do it on the 2nd/ last lap ( assuming you do laps )- so you can still place highly.

In your race in November everyone else will be suitably cowed and you will ride away with the win.

If only it could be THAT simple.

Sacrifice a member of One Direction.

 

[rgmerk]

Sacrifice a member of One Direction.

That might be worth doing regardless of the effect on my or anyone else's cycling

 

[LongSprint]

That might be worth doing regardless of the effect on my or anyone else's cycling

One member of OD wouldn't be enough. It would have to be at least three to have any positive effect.