[Closed] 2017/2018 cx racing thread

After doing a grand total of 0 cx races last season I'm intending on hitting a few central league races this winter. Will be riding V40 with the sole aim of not being lapped....

As an organiser (and racer) in the ever growing London League, I'm flipping glad that we have chip results.

As an organiser (and racer) in the ever growing London League, I'm flipping glad that we have chip results.

Don't get me wrong - if I was still helping organise then I'd love it. As I've said though, I've got a problem with it when we get charged for it because of the supposed added value but the results still take as long as second class post.

Love cx racing. All the joy and good spirits of the 90s xc racing with none of the expense, ego or soullessness of modern xc.

Appears the Central league is ahead of the game, has live lap times.

Anyone raced an Arkrose?

Uh-oh, my last two 'training' rides have identified the running as a *massive* weakness of mine.

I actually thought I'd be OK, I've always found the legs to run up and down short sections when I've been hillwalking, but it seems when I've been maxing out on the pedals beforehand I'm reduced to an undignified trudge up the several sets of wooden steps on my wee lap.

My only consolation is that two of the sets are quite long and steep (circa 100 steps each on a steep gradient) and also slippy awkward wood, so hopefully harder than anything I'd encounter on a CX course.

Anyway, focus on training for the run-ups, or just keep mashing round my 1hr lap every other day, decisions decisions...

My running is awful.. running up steps/banks even moreso. However, as a consolation prize it seems most average cyclocrossers are equally bad so after the first couple of laps everyone is trudging 😆

Finally saw results from last w/e, 9th in senior which I'm happy enough with. Its a good result for me (equalling my best ever placing) but a few people were missing which would have knocked me down I'm sure.

Anyone at Wessex (Newbury) this weekend? I'm doing novice on the basis I haven't raced anything but to the chip shop for around 15 years, and it's closer to the U10s (have two sons with me in that).

Bottle cages off, Michelin Muds on, bargain Boardman SPDs on and the tripster is a racing machine. Shame it's not that easy to do me 😀

As I've said though, I've got a problem with it when we get charged for it because of the supposed added value but the results still take as long as second class post.

Fair point but if I were to charge for my time in sorting out paper results it would cost a lot more than a pound or so a rider!

My running is awful.. running up steps/banks even moreso. However, as a consolation prize it seems most average cyclocrossers are equally bad so after the first couple of laps everyone is trudging

Ha, excellent, not too fussed about results on paper, so long as I'm not visibly the slowest guy by miles trudging up a hill that everyone else is galloping up 8)

Brass neck, how did you get on?
I saw a tripster laying down and it reminded me of this thread...couldn't remember the user name and didnt want to ask random people of they were from STW...!
Took the kids (2&5 years) for nearly 2 hours including a little picnic, 5 year old wants to race which is good but 2 year old was doing her best to get knobbly tyre prints on her....!

London X league at Herne Hill today was super fun. Brief rain shower just before the off made everything slippery and the Vets field was packed full of fast guys. 90 starters in the V40 I heard!
Crashed 3 times in one lap. Toned it down a bit after that.

Round 2 of the Welsh league was at Llanishen school today, the last couple of years have been dry but this year there had been plenty of rain. It's been one of my favourite courses so far and being muddy only made it better. It did mean I was wishing I had a bike in the pits by the last few laps but had family with me so no space. Can't believe I didn't lose a mech as it was properly clogged at the end.

Gridded on the front row but had an atrocious start, missed my pedal, then couldn't clip in second time either, by that time the next three rows had streamed past. Had to expend a lot of energy getting past a few people but then had a great race battling with two other guys was cut and thrust for the entire race till I messed up a hairpin with quarter of a lap to go and lost them. ended up 11th out of 47 which I'm still not quite pleased with, if I'd had a good start think I could have had another top ten.

Wa quite surprised to see a couple of people going off course on one section where there was a break in the tape at the start of a long muddy slog next to some hard pack gravel court, riding along the hard pack and then nipping back under the tape. Happened on a couple of laps. Can't really see the point, at the level we are at your only cheating yourself!

Good pub lunch with shedbrewed et al afterwards too.

Rd 3 of CXNE, at Kirkley cycles. given the rain this week, the course was very dry, really good condition. relentless lap, absolutely full on all the way round. had to swallow some sick on the 4th lap...

Gridded around 20th, and got 16th V40, lost a place on the last corner, trying to get 14th, slid out...

5 place improvement on Rd 1, my last race, so happy with that!

bring on Whitby next week 🙂

Took the kids (2&5 years)

If you were near the finish during the seniors they were probably playing with our 2 & 5 yo.

Really enjoyed the first round, despite arriving late and having to ride with no warm up or sighting lap.

Nice video up here: [url]

I had a good weekend in the NECCL. Attacked on the first lap to open up a small gap. Built on it over the next 50 minutes to take the win. Course suited me - 50 minutes of short sharp intervals as it was lumpy with a slow going slightly boggy grass surface.

Not going to make it to a CXNE for a while as I'm still focussing on the hill climbs which always clash. Took 2nd at Allen Valey Velo's double header so a good weekend of racing!

Great to see they had over 100 kids at the CXNE!

I never expected Llanishen to be the fast easy course some were saying beforehand; wet grass and mud made it tough.

Not the best start for me. Gridded right at back because of my DNF last week, and I stupidly positioned myself right in the middle of the row .. guaranteeing I was swamped with slower riders for practically half a lap.
Managed to get 10th, so hopefully be in a better start position next week.
Was amazed to see my HR averaged 180-185bpm the whole 45min race ... usually I am burned out within 5-10 mins running it so high on a chaingang ... not sure if it is a good or bad thing!

Fantastic course and racing for NDCXL rd2 at Markeaton Park in Derby. Markeaton is a past Trophy venue and has everything, it's also one of those rare courses that works when dry (like Saturday) and also as a mudbath (we go back there in mid-Nov).

Was nice to be riding yesterday at Llanishen. If you'd have told me that I'd be out there 4 months ago as I was lying in a hospital bed with two broken vertebrae I wouldn't have believed you. I started from the back, not expecting much and sure enough I was pretty much last place for the first couple of laps then began picking people off. Had a massive bonk around halfway which I'm putting down to 1) being unfit and 2) being massively tired due to lack of sleep from my little lad being ill/hospital trips in the last week. Finished 34/48* which I'll take. I even had to run the last sprint to the line as my chain had shipped. Was really nice to catch up with people as well, some new faces and some old.

*ferrals one of our riders was somehow chipped in juniors, so 48 racing, not 47.

Man-flu aided London League for me yesterday. Should have probably given it a miss but the atmosphere there is the best. Scraped a 7th in the Senior Men

If you'd have told me that I'd be out there 4 months ago as I was lying in a hospital bed with two broken vertebrae I wouldn't have believed you.

I was super impresed when I saw on BC you'd entered. Amazing going considering.

Roll on Hereford.

Trying to work out how many rounds I can get away with doing at the moment. Definitely going to skip parc bryn bach and will have to skip a couple others too I think - especially if there is a welsh champs that is reasonably close.

Competed in the inaugural round of the LRCXL yesterday. Very dry and grassy, few techs bits too. Had a good laugh trying to ride up the bank (next to a set of steps) and managed it 4 out of 7 laps.

A lack of a proper warm up led to really hurting for the first 2 laps but enjoyed it, giving me a chance to find out who my rivals are for the season. Finished 14/26, meaning a top 10 will be a goal for the season.

Should do better when it gets wetter as a lot of people were clearly strong from road racing and terrible in the corners.

I went to the Abergavenny Food Festival with the family on Sunday. Parked in a field which was a bit churned by cars moving across it.

As we walked across the field, my daughters said that it smelled just like a cyclocross race, just lacking bikes and half naked men changing at the boot of their car. 🙂

There were 437 entrants for the London League races on Sunday. CX popularity certainly isn't waning around here!

Raced Welsh League on Sunday cracking race, the course was fabulous... but WTAF ... women race with the V50's as in gridded in the middle amongst them all!!!?? I mean I know numbers aren't huge there were maybe 12 women but COME ON... give them their own race even if it is "only" 30 second gap to the V50's! Disappointing, Welsh league still has quite a long way to go to catch up with many of the others in so many ways frustratingly. I won't even go there with the prize money sexism issue! 🙄

Loved all the off camber mud ..roll on t Central league this weekend although I fear Welwyn made be hard and fast and lacking in mud.

Munqe-chick - Member
but WTAF ... women race with the V50's as in gridded in the middle amongst them all!!!?? I mean I know numbers aren't huge there were maybe 12 women but COME ON... give them their own race even if it is "only" 30 second gap to the V50's! Disappointing, Welsh league still has quite a long way to go to catch up with many of the others in so many ways frustratingly. I won't even go there with the prize money sexism issue!
.

Yes - I agree to the women also in with the vets; numbers are small enough in the senior race to enable a small group to set off 15 mins later. The gaps would be significant enough by then to not make any difference when they joined.

But the prize money and sexism? Please explain that one ...

Interesting reading folks, good to hear some of your experiences and thoughts.

Would you say attendance is growing substantially or is it just increasing but starting to plateau?

Don’t understand why the Welsh leagues are limiting Women’s racing, surely there’s a commissioner you can bring his attention to that particular area or even the remote BC bods...

As far as I know they aren't limiting women racing; the novice women race separately, only those women who have had a few races start with vets.

I think race attendance has plateaued if the first two races are anything to go by, I guess we'll get a better picture at end of season though.

Good luck to all those racing the 3 Peaks on Sunday 🙂

Phone not playing, will report back later.

the novice women race separately, only those women who have had a few races start with vets.

And wasn't that requested by the novice women because they didn't like mixing it in the big fields?

3 Peaks for me today, had a mare, blew up on Simons Fell & could hardly move, got better, binned it on Peny Ghent, went to see Mountain Rescue, knackered my shoulder. Made it back in 30 mins from the top with much wincing and swearing.

CX season possibly over before it's begun 😐

I was wondering about the 3peaks earlier...

Well I went for a hack on my CXer today, lovely and dusty..

Unlucky Steve!

Welsh league round three for me. Today it's was over the border in Herefordshire for the Foxley 'cross. Always a pleasure to come over to this beautiful area of the countryside. The course was different from the last couple of years, more concrete and no water in the stream crossings. Unlike the mud last week it was bone dry and super bumpy off the concrete. Didn't feel like I had a good race, good start but wasn't riding the course well, just couldn't get into rhythm and making silly errors. didn't feel my head was in the right place and my legs weren't all there. Still had a decent battle in the last couple of laps with a guy who crept up behind me and ended up only one place behind David Jey of of here.

Was very surprised to see Foxley so dry; it certainly made for a rougher race once off the concrete.
I had a perfect gridding on 2nd row - and even though my start kinda looked bad when half the field overtook me before we reached top of path, it was actually pretty good; I didn`t bother sprinting off with the herd, instead finding a rhythm early on, and it seemed to pay off ... HR was bit lower this week, and positioned 7th at end.

Looking forward to Pembrey

The thing that got me was the bumpy run in to the hurdles, didnt feel confident approaching them at speed at all!

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/my-2017-3-peaks-cx-race ]My 2017 3 Peaks race[/url]

3 Peaks for me today, had a mare, blew up on Simons Fell & could hardly move,

Simons Fell, the first of the peaks? What made you blow up so early?

Great race at Central League 1st round of the season this weekend at Stanborough park, cracking course just needed the mud as it was a fast powerful roadie course. Nearly 100 V40's! 30 women and 12 in novice women... the fields are ever growing and it's great to see the sport flourishing so much. I had a good race for 1st league round, enjoyed it rode hard, lost my head on lap 3 but pulled it back. Some good riding and good learning points for next week, first time I've had to think tactically and actually race, rather than being in no mans land like most women are as the fields are so small. This is all incredibly exciting for CX racing!

MK this weekend ... looking relatively dry again.

NDCXL was at Shipley Park on Saturday, recent editions have been proper grass crits on a dry motorway of a course but this time, due to quite a bit of rain, we had a half-slog/half-fast course with a couple of very brutal hills.
Really odd race, no tyre was perfect so it was a case of using the best one for the majority of the course and managing the other sections.
Lots of very broken looking people by the end of the day!

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/coaching/article/20170925-coaching-news-Meet-Matt-Ellis--Great-Britain-Cycling-Team-cyclo-cross-co-ordinator-0

Really odd race, no tyre was perfect so it was a case of using the best one for the majority of the course and managing the other sections.

Which is the best way to choose a tyre. I see too many people getting the muds out just because of a few slippery sections only to drag them round for the other 90% of the course.

Well yes, it's not obvious to a lot of people though!
Even when it's clearly a Mud day I still do a lap on Slaloms/Typhoons just to prove to myself that I really do need the Muds.

Question to those on a 1x (as I'm not troubling the outer ring any) - what cranks did you use? Absolute Black oval 38 (or possibly 36 for me) seem derigeur but I'm debating stripping the 105s for the season, buying a spare 'cross' crankset as 1x or using the 105 and buying a posher road set.

Brass neck, how did you get on?
I saw a tripster laying down and it reminded me of this thread...couldn't remember the user name and didnt want to ask random people of they were from STW...!
Took the kids (2&5 years) for nearly 2 hours including a little picnic, 5 year old wants to race which is good but 2 year old was doing her best to get knobbly tyre prints on her....!

Only just remembered this thread - Newbury - not last, but had a nice big off on the last lap that sent me one way, the bike the other and the back wheel a third. It was great 😀

Had a better time of it at Swindon, but 6-8 weeks off the bike have taken their toll - the punishment is supposed to be an incentive to get a bit fitter for each race. Probably a couple more novice rounds for confidence then into the vet40, which should be more racing with people around, novices feels like a TT at times.

Say hello next time - I will usually have an U8 or two and an U12 with me on mtbs - they've got into it, but the pace is something else even in their categories think it'll take a season or two to learn how to go fast - they are more used to knocking out long miles at a steady pace, but one at least mentioned 'training' what ever that is! Get the little uns on too - there were some tiny people at Swindon but they were loving it!

1st round of the Scottish CX season at Callander Park today.

Lots of grim portents in the weather forecast, but I was secretly confident as despite never having raced CX before, I thought lots of mud would ve too my advantage.

Started poorly enough, joined the back of the grid and with 30 seconds till the off realised I still had my fleecy legwarmers on! The gun went while I was still hopping around with one leg warmer around my ankle 😳

Made up for it in first lap, passed a fair few folk without having to push too hard, but I think just the relentless mud meant I had to back off in the second lap to recover a bit. After that it felt like a bit of a TT really with occasional passing/being passed.

Got more confident on the wet grassy off camber corners on the descents, made a couple of high/inside line passes stick, but equally slid out a good few times. Gave the crowd something to enjoy at least!

Don't think I'll have placed very well at all, happy if I'm out of bottom third, but enjoyed and looking forward to more. Think I know what I need to do on my morning commutes to maybe improve fitness a bit more and have 3 weeks to work at it until round 3 (can't make round 2).

Kudos to the organisers, excellent event.

Pembrey in Welsh League this week.
Gridded 2nd row - my usual slow start had me mid pack at first switchback 50yds in.
Managed to get up to 4th by 2nd or 3rd lap; was still feeling comfortable. Then tried to put an effort in on the long concrete path ... went little wide to overtake, and front wheel washed out on the metal rail.
Got back on bike but from there on I just seemed to lose concentration; cooked every bend and forgot every line through sand dunes ... finished 8th.
Gutted because I expected best result of season ... and have to replace helmet because of a pretty good dent in it!

You did better than me.. gridded first row seniors but got taken out in the start straight, whacked my head, got my foot through someones wheel. The whole field disappeared by the time I untangled my chain. Started but was feeling dizzy and foot was super painful so just stopped. DNF zero laps!

So annoyed! I'd been ill all week and only bothered turning up as i wanted to keep points ticking over so i had a good grid for next weeks mudfest!

after a couple of good, but very dry races, first muddy race of the season for CXNE. got top 20 in V40, but as I've been off the bike all week ill, and still felt bad on the day I was happy.

The V40 is becoming (or has become) the hardest race at CXNE, very competitive, the biggest field and the lap times pretty much match the seniors. it's intense from start to finish, and bloody brilliant racing.

Three week training block before the next round I can do. determined to make them count.

Double header for Munqe Chick and I this weekend with Central CX at MK Bowl Saturday, then a 'guest' ride in newly formed Leicestershire CX League at Misterton Hall near Lutterworth because it's an awesome course (Central raced there last year).

Our summer road riding in the Alps seems to have transferred into best-ever form for me, taking 4th in V40 in both races (equalling my best finish last year, funnily enough also at Misterton). MC was similarly consistent with 3rd senior woman at both rounds. I'm used to fighting for 10th so being in contention for a podium brought on some imposter syndrome and I kept assuming I'd get caught or blow up...

Misterton is a CX course for MTBers, with loads of tight twisty wooded singletrack and we'll be joining LCXL there again (it's hosting 3 of their 6 rounds) so if you're in the Midlands I recommend it (it's also about 90 seconds from M1 junction so easy to get to).

That's tough Ferrals; I not sure starting that way was best - was bottle-necked within 2mins unless you in first dozen or so.

But I guess more potential for accidents if we'd started on path ... flat out shoulder to shoulder on messy pathway.

I on Gran Canaria from Friday; so will be missing next two races

A double header for me, also starting with MK on Saturday. I got spanked; could barely hold the lead group for a lap and ended 9th.

I was hoping for better on Sunday at Happy Valley, normally a fast course where I was hoping to be able to sit in and follow for 59minutes... Needless to say the heavens opened just before the start of the seniors. So a similar race, holding the leaders for a lap then a lonely TT for 6th place.

Hopefully a double weekend was enough to waken my CX legs in time for Herne Hill next weekend.

Last year we started on the road didnt we? I thought that worked fine, but then the entrance to the first offroad bit was taped differently.
I don't blame matt's layout for my crash, just one of those things, i was on far right of the grid and had someone shoulder barge me trying to get past on my right just before the gorse bush.

Probably racing carms, assuming body feels up to it, and then missing the next couple ater that

So I decided to borrow a mates bike and head to Callendar too 🙂 2 short rides and 1 practice lap, so was always going to awesum (especially never having raced anything but DH or ENDURO). Was delighted to see the Women, V40s, V50s, etc ruin the track for us Seniors 🙂 Ended up owning the mid-field as per every other event I've ever tried Good fun day, proper hard work down the 2nd last straight!

The V40s park bench crash was brutal 😯

Ended up owning the mid-field as per every other event I've ever tried

That's usually my spot! Since the early days racing DH I've been firmly entrenched in the mid-pack, XC, MTB Marathon, Sportive, even used to joke that if I turned up to the TdF I'd probably still end up mid pack.

Not so in CX racing though, didn't even manage my prediction of making it out of the bottom third 🙁

legend, what were you riding/wearing, any chance I might have recognised you? Sounds like you were ahead of me from the start so we maybe didn't cross paths...

That's usually my spot! Since the early days racing DH I've been firmly entrenched in the mid-pack, XC, MTB Marathon, Sportive, even used to joke that if I turned up to the TdF I'd probably still end up mid pack.

Not so in CX racing though, didn't even manage my prediction of making it out of the bottom third

Yup, thats me too. To be fair, I think it's fitness step up from all those events, even XC racing seems to be second to road or cross these days - if there's a conflict I think the fastest are at the road events unless they love mtbs.

Still, starting at the back I've plenty to aim for 😀

As I'm out of action for the near future, I thought I'd give an update on son No.1.

Racing in the U8's in the NWCCA (he's 5) he rode his way to 11th overall and 8th boy, in a field of 23, oly 3 1/2 mins down on the winner, well chuffed.

[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4403/23596871928_ec8ac43156_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4403/23596871928_ec8ac43156_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/BXb8Vs ]20170930_111914[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/140228292@N02/ ]Steve Bowman[/url], on Flickr

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[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4433/37417842142_df145870c9_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4433/37417842142_df145870c9_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Z1udRm ]20170930_113919[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/140228292@N02/ ]Steve Bowman[/url], on Flickr

Chip timing for U8s? I'm impressed!!

Chip timing for U8s? I'm impressed!

Organised lot up here in the NW 🙂

They rolled out timing chips for the adult races in 2015, with kids planned for later in the season. Then the nice folks from Manchester Wheelers donated funds from the Midweek Madness MTB races to allow chips for everyone. Mmmmm, chips.

Always a good season up here with some new venues coming up to keep things interesting.

We have the same Ferrals and LIVE TRACKING for all categories so if you can't make it you can track your competition.

Leggy blonde you coming to Leighton this Sunday then or does it clash with Herne Hill! Good luck, come to say hi next time I'm racing at CCXL

Live tracking has come to Wales too!... when there is 4G anyway 😆

I'm debating a bit of a break from CX for a month or so after my crash last sunday. I've been stupid busy in work with 10-12hr days, trying to get fit, dealing with a teething 10 month old and now i'm battered, bruised and a bit rattled. So exausted I'm not sure I can face weekends of prepping, racing then cleaning two bikes. Will mean I won't get enough places to qualify for a league postion this year which is gutting as I'd been hoping for a top ten overall but 15th at Foxley, a DNF last weekend and the fact that abergavenny will have an influx of fast people would have made that unlikely anyway. This should be in the bloody bike doldrums thread!

Take it easy Ferrals. Nothing worse than losing months of riding due to sickness because you weren't sensible enough to take a break. Kids + work + stress + trying to train could mean long term health problems if you push too hard. (My sinusitis issues seemed to start at around my eldest' s first birthday and is continuing right now!)

Munge-chick, I will be at Herne Hill on Sunday but I will say hi if I do any other Central League events.

13thfloormonk - Member

legend, what were you riding/wearing, any chance I might have recognised you? Sounds like you were ahead of me from the start so we maybe didn't cross paths...

I was in a red and black RCCK top (under the mud). Smashed into 40th place....... or 41st depending on which results you look at 🙂

You heading to Irvine?

Nah, would have liked to, course sounds fun and the pics on the SCX FB page look cool, but can only take so much time away from the wee man, told my wife that CX racing would be ideal as they're all central belt and I'd only be away for 3 hours per race... 😀

I’ve got a wife and month old as travelling support by the look of it this weekend 🙂 I see at least one of them regretting the decision

IdleJon - Member

Take it easy Ferrals. Nothing worse than losing months of riding due to sickness because you weren't sensible enough to take a break.

Cheers Jon. Taken friday as holiday to sleep and will decide on Carmathen on the day, I'd skip it for sure but i love the mud there so might just head over to watch the vets and pootle round.

to late to edit. got a pit crew for sat so am definately racing 😆

few weeks off racing then though and to be honest can't wait.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/nationaltrophy/article/20171004-nationaltrophy-Race-guide--2017-18-HSBC-UK---Cyclo-cross-National-Trophy-gets-underway-in-Derby-0

Yes it's nearly the weekend who is racing where? Central League Round 3 for us at Leighton which was a good course last year although loos like they've extended it around the playing fields.. so we shall see how it rides. Looking like another fast dry race though so one for the roadies 😉

Should be venturing out to Longridge near Preston in the NW series - new course. Few turns in it like:

[img] [/img]

Been injured for a month so done nowt, so prob be gasping at the back, but looking forward to getting back on the saddle.

Ferrals, you can lap me at Abergavenny if you want?

As I'm out of action for the near future, I thought I'd give an update on son No.1.

Racing in the U8's in the NWCCA (he's 5) he rode his way to 11th overall and 8th boy, in a field of 23, oly 3 1/2 mins down on the winner, well chuffed.

Wessex at Basingstoke for me on Sunday. Anyone here doing the night endurance CX at Abingdon in a couple of weeks?

Trophy at Derby for me tomorrow. In line to get a total spanking from messrs Jebb, Craig, Taylor and Lapere.
Somehow made it to #1 in the national rankings this week but they count for nothing once the big boys and girls come out to play 😆

That longridge course looks like it would make me dizzy!

Carmarthen tomorrow for me. I'm expecting/hoping for mud.

shedbrewed - Member
Ferrals, you can lap me at Abergavenny if you want?

Ferrals I felt dizzy long at the Longridge map!!!!

PDW yes me and crashtestmonkey are doing a mixed pair. We are racing Central League in the afternoon home for some food then out to do the night race! should be a laugh, we may race on MTB's though but shall see what the weather is like.

Fantastic race at Carmarthen yesterday, any disillusionment with racing well and truly gone 😆 best fun I've had racing in ages. Proper tooth and nail stuff.

Course was good, even with a spiral of doom in it. Muddy but not totally ridiculous. Proper cross course, long tarmac start finish straight lots of flat twisty stuff across the fields, a few gravel/track sections and three technical sections on steep banking with offcamber, run-ups and steep drops. By the time seniors raced it was pretty cut up though and I was relieved to have a pit crew for the first time ever, took a clean bike several times. Quite an interesting experiment as could really tell the difference between the muds (pdx's) on my main bike and the intermediates (mxp) on pit bike in terms of grip but didn't notice any change in rolling estistance.

After last week I took it pretty cautious at the start and then wound up the pace to pass people, getting to where I wanted to be by mid-lap, helped by some first lap chaos slowing people down. For the first half of the race, I was In a group of three having a decent battle but I made a mistake, couldn't close the gap and the same time another group closed up to me. Was sitting in the front three of that group with great elbows out rubbing is racing action, didn't realise the group had swelled to about 7 of us. With about two laps to go I drifted off line on one drop off and picked up a solid clump of mud that totally blocked my front wheel. By the time I'd stopped to get that cleared I was off the back of the group and stayed that way till the finish. Results wise won't be good as I lost so many places, but had such fun racing I don't care. Also means my initial goal of a top 10 in the series is out the window so I can take my personal pressure off and enjoy the racing

Basingstoke today....wanted to do the night CX but can't get it off work...!