Hanging on for dear life at my very first CRIT RACE!

[@Mizko]

This was one of my fav videos! Love the constant go pro footage because it captures the entire story. 4th place was impressive!

[@joshkwan]

Thanks mate! Keen to make more videos like this

[@adambuttenshaw]

Nice race for your first dig mate. The guy that went around you in the corner in the white and orange jersey name is “Crafty”, he has done about a billion races so if you need some advice hit him up next time you’re there. The one thing I would say is that to win, you also need to be willing to come last, so if you commit to a move then go all in. 🤙🏻

[@joshkwan]

Hahaha he sure is crafty. As soon as I saw him make that move I knew I should have followed it immediately. Thats a really good tip. Gotta be in it to win it 🤝

[@oddomelette]

Quite often in the lower grades the pack perceive someone that looks strong and stick on their wheel rather than pulling through even when you sit up. Its negative racing and ruins your avg speed haha. The higher grades obviously still have the attacks but at least the pace is more constant and consistent. Props for pinning a number on and trying it

[@joshkwan]

Yea I think this is exactly it. Doesn’t help that I rocked up at the very last race of the year. I think everyone would be familiar with each other and I was seen as a bit of a wild card. Thanks for the comment and watching the video!

[@daveirvine]

Great job on your first crit! Would great to see a series with you progressing and sharing learnings along the way.

[@joshkwan]

Thanks Dave! I had a blast and can’t wait to do more races next year

[@julcerin]

SOP is a excellent training for Crits… you did well !!! Congratulations!!! Hope watching more crit videos

[@joshkwan]

Thanks! Will defs make more videos :)

[@nickireed796]

Josh! That was so ace! Compelling as! Great commentary and the filming was awesome too. Great result as well!

[@joshkwan]

Thank you mate! I had heaps of fun doing the race as well as making the video

[@eltonlin5747]

great footage and commentary. Looking forward to seeing more of this type of content!

[@joshkwan]

Better have you in it next year ;)

[@OttersCarpentry]

Yeww, keen to see some more Crit content soon!

[@cyanomical]

Love the crit content! Looking forward to seeing more in the future. I've done a few myself and the strategy aspect is so interesting to me. You're 100% right on the lack of teamwork though, you have to go embarrassingly slow for ppl to actually decide to take a turn. My fav move is to stick with the breakaway and just sit in the draft until they give up and drop back to the pack. But that's just bc I like the positioning and hate dragging a pack up for the bridge. Excellent work out there on your first race though. C grade isn't easy and you can see how tactics plays such a bigger part than just being stronger than your competition.

[@joshkwan]

Maybe I was naive but I expected more cooperation from the group when there was a small break up the road. I’ll have to give your move a go ;) Thanks for commenting and stay tuned for future crit videos!

[@stylgen]

This was really inspiring to watch. Thanks for creating this video.

[@joshkwan]

Thanks forthe kind words, planning to do another crit next week! stay tuned

[@jessewhite2226]

That was a quick C grade Crit! Keep up the race vids

[@joshkwan]

It was spicy for sure, crazy that it only gets even faster with the hgiher grades.

[@jessewhite2226]

@@joshkwan back when I did my last crit race C grade had an average speed of 30-35 on flat terrain. That race was wild. I guess my first race back will have to be in the E grade unless I make drastic improvements by April... Guess I'll need to come down to the SOP CHOP to get some practice in some time soon!

[@joshkwan]

I think the speed of C Grade really depends on who turns up and people are willing to put work in. I'm sure you will be fine because youd ride smarter than me and sit in the draft haha@@jessewhite2226

[@nickobec]

Well done for your first race. As others have said you must be willing to lose the race to win it. So if you don't want to be on the front, you don't do 180 watts, you do 0 watts and even feather the brakes. My early racing philosophy was "What would Marianne (Vos) do?" which lead to lots of atttacking. Now older, a little slower and most riders around me faster, it is now "what would Rui (Costa) do?" which is a lot more sitting in and making others do the work.

[@joshkwan]

Thanks for the tips, I’ve got a lot to learn in this space. End of the day we have to ride to our strengths right?

[@jmunyard]

well done mate. Been to watch my friends ride that course, not easy.

[@joshkwan]

Yea it’s actually quite technical and positioning is so important.

[@RichardLi-vf2xo]

Well done on your first race Josh. I would be happy to take the 4th in C grade any day of the week :)

[@joshkwan]

You should come along ;)

[@cassettecycling]

Congrats on your first crit! Nice work out there. Course looks very cool too!

[@joshkwan]

Thank you! Keen to get back into it in 2024

[@R.T_Go_Your_Own_Way]

Was a good race man , subscribed for more.

[@joshkwan]

Thanks!

[@VeloGrapher]

You definitely did well for a first race 🎉 improve on your cornering and use the corners to attack. For that uphill stretch, that’s the best place to attack at the final lap or close to the final lap. If a good break can be established you’d want to be in it :)

[@joshkwan]

That S bend corner will need a bit more practise before I can take it confidently and consistently. I agree that I need to time my attacks better to make the most out of my effort. Thanks for the tips!

[@MagicalCurrent]

HART is very technical! Should do some Lansdowne or SMSP (Waratahs Racing) or even Marconi Tuesday Night or Penrith Monday Nights is great for newer racers :) When Toby flicked you through you should of went through on the side he flicked you on, but also yes Crafty is someone great to chat to about all things racing!

[@joshkwan]

I’m keen to hone my skills and fitness and come back even stronger. You’re 100% right about when Toby flicked me through, I also should have just committed harder. Better to go 1v1 with Toby than 1v10 with the bunch.

[@nigelmcclean4166]

Well done!!! If you know youre not a sprinter, you gotta get off the early on that last lap. The one race I won i started my final effort with 400m to go...it was hard for me, but was harder for everyone else coz they dont practice it

[@joshkwan]

That’s it. I think I need to just go all in on a long distance attack.

[@timrose82]

Great effort for your first race!

[@joshkwan]

Thanks Tim! I’m keen to do more in 2024

[@jelly_milktea]

Great race for first criterium👏🏽 I'm yet to pop my crit 🍒 😂 Crazy intervals with that 20% 😱

[@joshkwan]

You should come along some time, maybe we do a crit out your way!

[@jelly_milktea]

@@joshkwan let me get my legs ready first 🙃

[@veryboringname.]

First time with no specific training and you come fourth. That's pretty good isn't it! It's definitely too tactical for me but it's certainly interesting to watch. Nice to see the full overlays are back too!

[@joshkwan]

Would love to land on the podium next time! The overlay was an absolute pain in the ass to get working. I won't do it for all videos since its alot of effort.

[@Secretlyanothername]

Loved it. Hope to see more of these, and maybe you can bring some buddies along so you've got someone to help with the drags.

[@joshkwan]

I will defs be trying to lure some mates into doing crits with me, selfishly for the draft ;)

[@suhdud4646]

When people dont want to come through to help, the best thing to do is ride the gutter and give them zero space to hide from the wind. So if the wind is coming your left - right then ride as for right of the course as possible and the same for wind coming right to left. IF they dont want to work, then force them into a position where they have no choice.

[@joshkwan]

Thanks the tip. I defs should have been a bit more assertive with getting others to pull through.

[@Ih8GoogleandApple]

The guy racing c grade crits on those $5k lightweight wheels 😮

[@joshkwan]

Bit of bling 🤣

[@madrx2]

Who cares?

[@lukewalker1051]

I'm 70 y.o. and could have held your wheel the first lap. 😉 This appeared to be a much 'safer' crit than North Cal crash fests on youtube where people donate their skin to charity. To me, crit racing, though fun to test skill and strength against others, is too big of risk because always one guy who doesn't know how to ride that take others with him. This C level Crit by constrant appeared to be 'relatively' safe. Great road course. Ride safe in 2024 everybody.

[@joshkwan]

Safe rides to you too :)

[@jamespham888]

Well done on fourth!

[@joshkwan]

Thanks mate!!

[@jpabloalcalde]

Awesome edit Josh! Let me know next time so we can race together

[@joshkwan]

See you there ;)

[@SyLens1]

If u want people to get off ur wheel and take a pull, move over to the other side of the road coasting. Sprint back up to their wheel once they pass u.

[@joshkwan]

I will try and do this next time 👍🏻 That or bring some teammates 🤣

[@SyLens1]

@@joshkwan sometimes letting the gap get bigger and slowing down is what needs to happen in order to make others do some work :P

[@christophershi5605]

How’d you get the map overlay to work?

[@joshkwan]

Many hours of fiddling around.

[@ModerateCyclist]

Which app did you use for the overlays?

[@joshkwan]

Garmin Virb, I do not recommend though as many features do not work or are bugged. @@ModerateCyclist

[@ModerateCyclist]

@@joshkwan yeah I tried it, it was awful. STREIV is cleaner, but has no controls for time sync. Good work in the crit BTW.

[@DanTuber]

How many laps in total?

[@joshkwan]

I think it was 15 laps in total.