Conference noted::bicycle

    
    (Moved from 1396.4)
    
    What's the difference between a road race, criterium, and time trial? 
    I've heard the terms but don't know what the difference is.
    
    Thanks,
    Mark

>    What's the difference between a road race, criterium, and time trial? 

Very briefly (there's also some overlap possible in these categories)

Time trial - individual or team (eg 4-man). Race is against the clock, 
riders are started at intervals (usu. 1 min - team goes together, of 
course). No drafting allowed (except within a team). Course is almost 
always an out-and-back to eliminate bias due to wind, hills. Best time 
wins. Many riders ride these as a competition against themselves from 
week to week ("I improved my time in the 25 mi TT by 44 sec. this 
week!"). Distances are commonly 10 miles and 25 miles, but longer and 
shorter are seen as well.

Road race - mass start, drafting OK. Course may be point to point, 
circuit back to starting point, or LONG laps on a course (e.g. 10 mile 
laps). Pack riding, drafting and tactics very important. Frequently ends 
up with mass sprint at end. Distances typically range from 20 miles to 
120 miles or more.

Criterium - As Road Race, but on short course (usu. no > 2 miles). Many 
laps, lots of corners, lots of sprinting (accel. out of corners 
important) - bikes usu. very stiff to get max. acceleration. Lapped 
riders common and are usually DQ'ed. Distances often in the 20-50 mile 
range.
                                    ken

    	Here are two I've always wondered about:
    
    	What's a keirin?
    
    	What does SAG mean (as in sag wagon)?
    
    	Scott

>    	What does SAG mean (as in sag wagon)?
    
Not generally related to bike racing, except as DNF (Did Not Finish). 
Sag, as in, your spirits/muscles/will-to-live sag in the middle of a 
ride, then the wagon (can really be van/car/whatever) comes along, you 
jump in, ride back to start/finish/ice cream shop.
                                                     ken

     Sag Wagon - Also known as Broom Car which sweeps up the remains of
    crashs, broken down and dropped out racers.
    
                                                         Wayne

    Could someone give a short description of a 6-DAY RACE?

    I read about them in Winning each winter and have never really been
    able to figure them out.

        Do they really run for 6 days?
        How long do they go per night?
        How are points scored?
        They seem to have 2 man teams, how does this work?

    (.3) > What's a keirin?
    
    It's a Japanese race where the contestants start as a single
    pack and race to the finish line along a straight course.
    It seemed to be sort of a drag race for bicyclists.
    
    Anyway, the above paragraph was the explanation I heard at
    the demonstration keirin at a Coors Classic several years ago.

    > What's a keirin?
    
    Let me add some more trivial info. to -.1

	Original ( Japanese style ) Keirin is competed by 8 racers each of whom
	wears numbered jersey and helmet ( HUGE ! ) over football style 
	protecters.  They need those protections.  Imagine track sprint with
	8 people !  The race is individual based though most of racers make
	friends ( training partners ) and play like a team.  A pacer leads
	the racers for several laps and with 1 or 2 laps to go he let the 
	racers go themselves.  The pace is very slow except for last 1 or 2 
	laps.  The last 1 or 2 laps are very fast and brutal.  I'd say that's
	a boxing on bicycles.   The most important part of Keirin is betting.
	That is one thing that Keirin racers are never respected in Japan.
	They are never considered as athletes.  That's what it's like to be a 
	bike racer in Japan. ( People don't know the difference between road
	racers and Keirin racers )

	Bettors can make $100 from $1 while a racer can make up to $2 milion
	or more a year.  Interested ?  You can go to "Keirin School" to be a
	Keirin racer.  It's a half year ( I think ) in the Hell.  If you want an
	application form, let me know. :-)


Tak

    Japanese Keirin is different from Keirin as done in the World
    Championships.  One of the Japanese Champion Keirin Racers went to the
    World's every year for 10 year and won a gold [almost?] every year but
    I don't think it was in the Keirin -- does anyone recall who it was and
    what his event was?  The interesting things here were that he
    sacrificed earned income to race in the worlds and his medals were not
    particularly appreciated in Japan -- as Tak said, he wassn't an athlete
    he was a bike racer.
    
    ed

>    Japanese Keirin is different from Keirin as done in the World
>    Championships.  One of the Japanese Champion Keirin Racers went to the
>    World's every year for 10 year and won a gold [almost?] every year but
>    I don't think it was in the Keirin -- does anyone recall who it was and
>    what his event was?  The interesting things here were that he
>    sacrificed earned income to race in the worlds and his medals were not
>    particularly appreciated in Japan -- as Tak said, he wassn't an athlete

Yes, the format of Keirin race is very different according to Japanese Keirin 
racers.  I think that's very good for them to have this sort of execuse for
not winning a Keirin in any World's ( Maybe once before ? ).  Otherwise, they
HAVE TO win and dominate in Keirin in every World's because they are racing
Keirin races up to 5 races a week.  

The guy you mentioned is Kohichi Nakano.  I thought everybody who follows 
bike racing knew the man.  I have seen quit few articles on Winning mag. and
other bike mags.  He is a 10 time world SPRINT champion.  He dominated pro
sprint event in the Wolrd's for 10 years !  ( Though I think his time never 
was better than the amatures from Eastern bloc countries ( dead word ? :-)) 
He spent his own money to go to every world's to win the Rainbow jersey 
which very few Japanese know the meaning of it.  I recall him saying he is 
losing money to win the jersey because he has to give up about an week of 
Keirin races which he can earn millions of Yen from.


Tak

    Thanks, Tak, for filling in the details.  Kohichi Nakano was, in my
    opinionm, a man who did something for love of the sport instead of the
    money.  Most who have the chance for the money go for it instead.
    
    ed