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Yesterday saw the first round of the new season for most of us. So how did we all do?
For me it was odd. I had no motivation for the season but went anyway. Even waiting at the start line I couldn't really be arsed, but as soon as my name was called up to the grid that all changed.
We had a strong field of 90+ in the Wessex League Vets and I started around 20th. A strong first coulple of laps saw me into the top 10 were I eventually finished 7th so really happy with that.
The venue and course was really good fun with a mix of tough draggy climbs and good technical sections where time could be gained or lost depending how brave you were.
Can't wait until the next round. Motivation is back. 😀
I race road and TT's but CX is definitely the best part of the season. Welsh league starts down here in a couple of weeks, todays starts the first day of 'no cakes till xmas' as I try to lose a bit of weight for the season.
We had 80+ at most events last year, top 10 gets more competitive every year, its usually my aim for the season to squeeze a top 10 at one event, I'm forever just outside 12,13,14 etc, some good riders mind with one local repping for GB.
Just stretching the tubs before gluing later this week.
My first foray into CX this year as it happens. I don't expect to do anything special but as long as I ride hard where I'm happy with it I'll be fine. My bikes not finished building yet so I'll be racing in a couple of weeks.. Hoping to do some of the Wessex series as it happens.
Club training has started, regional series in a few weeks, national series from October.
One MTB race left then its full on CX. Not yet 100% motivated but no doubt it'll come after the media rush of CrossVegas.
Anyone watch [url= http://www.behindthebarriers.com/ ]Behind the barriers?[/url] Powers is a bit of a goof, but I kind of like to keep up with the scene in the US, plus you can see him get schooled at the UCI events.
I like the BtB films, to be fair to Powers top 20 in UCI events is hardly getting "schooled"
Yeah bit harsh, haha, I like the guy, I just remember I think it was the Chek round last year, he seemed to really struggle in the conditions, when a lot of the euro guys were just getting on with things. Looking forward to the Powers / Trebon battle again this year.
That young lad on Rapha will be one to keep an eye on, did well in the worlds.
Powers finsihed 7th in Tabor WC round 1, then crashed on the first corner in round 2 and never got back on and got pulled.
CrossVegas in 9 days!
See getting motivated just talking about it, good thread!
Motivation for me is well and truly back. For the next 5 weeks I'm racing twice a week including a night race on Thursdays. Great for early season race fitness. 😀
Just looking at the calender now, don't usually race outside of Wales but might pop down to Gloucester on Sunday, I need the early season prep!
Just looking at the calender now, from here till xmas I have two weekends when I'm not racing. I'll be looking to go race on the road next season but the cross means I'll not be able to get those long weekend rides in the bank that most others will be doing, how do you work this? Leave the long rides and catch up in Jan-March, or squeeze a long steady 4hr ride into a week night?
first season for me, first race yesterday. was tough! I've raced a few warm up summer cross events, over the last month, so I had an idea of what to expect, but I gave it a bit extra yesterday, a little too much actually! lost it on a sharp right hander onto tarmac with two laps to go, bit bloodied and bruised, but nothing too bad!
going to race this season on my boardman CX, which doubles up as my commuter, then look to build up a lighter bike, with tubs, and hydro discs over the summer for next year.
By far the best type of racing IMO, fast, close, and a little bit mental. Love it!!!
also great to see the U8s, U10s and U12s getting a race, this is how the future of our sport gets involved, and get hooked on racing!
I'll be looking to go race on the road next season but the cross means I'll not be able to get those long weekend rides in the bank that most others will be doing, how do you work this? Leave the long rides and catch up in Jan-March, or squeeze a long steady 4hr ride into a week night?
Will your road racing be crits of longer races?
For me, last season's cx finished 26th December. I had two weeks off the bike completely then started pre season.
I didn't do much base as most of my races throughout the season were less than an hour. I have a good base anyway so long steady rides were a waste of my time IMO. Longest base ride was once a week of about 70 miles.
I used pre season to concentrate on areas I needed to improve on but also maintain my strengths. Mainly strength, and speed later on in pre season. A lot of my sessions were high resistance on my rollers.
Result of this is my best season ever. Double figures in Club TT wins (I think?), Two crit wins and high placings in open TT's and top 5 in summer cyclocross. So I guess I did ok with my plan.
All this was done after reading Joe Friels Training Bible.
My base is steady, I wanted to use the longer rides to get my cadence up a little, its a terrible mid-80's at the mo' I wanted to bring in some adaptation time with the longer stuff and make mid-90's a lot more natural feeling going into next season.
I'll be racing crits towards the start RR's then moving onto 50, 100 TT's and hopefully another shot at the 12hr late next summer so I could do with a bit of time on the bike over the winter before next season kicks off, once it started in Feb this year I didn't have a weekend not racing till May, and you need some steady hours to be racing a 12. I should focus on the 12 really but CX and crits are fun! ;o)
Your next season sounds like the season I've just had with the exception of the 12hr.
I have done loads of TT's and have found my cadence has dropped from high 90's to mid to low 80's. Maybe because of the resistance training?
Good luck with the 100TT! I did a 50m a few weeks back and it was horrible, especially at the 35 mile mark.
.......I did a 100TT this year, well almost, my head started to go after 75m and I took a wrong turn at 90, had to DNF gutted!
100M TT, ooh respect!
Looking forward to trying a couple of CX races this winter.
I'm not going to bother with buying a new bike so it's going to be a rigid SS 29er with a set of drop bars on it for CX duties.
What could possibly go wrong.....
looking forward to dippng my toe at the bristol races now i have transport
It's the most wonderful time of the year, been travelling around to get my racing fixes as my local (lincolnshire) league has cancelled it's first two races. Spent the summer riding the yorkshire summer series which was superb fun. Tried a bit of road racing it's just not the same, there is more banter at a cross race which kind of makes it like a little travelling mud flinging family. Got racing planned for every weekend well into next year, including boxing day and news year day, not to mention the excellent cobbles of todmorden.
Just in case you haven't seen there are cowbells in the STW shop, ideal for supporters to give you a ring and a heckle.
I'll be racing crits towards the start RR's then moving onto 50, 100 TT's and hopefully another shot at the 12hr late next summer
It's pretty straightforward to mix your CX and TTs, I've done it successfully in the past up to 100m. The trick I've found is not to TT every week but really target specific events and train (hard!) between. I think in my last 'big' TT season I only rode 5 or 6.
Quite how you fit RRs in as well, I don't know 🙂
A few pics from Newbury Wessex Round 1 yesterday
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9710415624/ ]2[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img]
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9710392004/ ]13[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5510/9710392006_d1cd7af958.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9710392006/ ]14[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5329/9707176505_c87846f12d.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9707176505/ ]1[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Rusty, enjoyed your sequenced photos of the Cotswold Veldrijden rider stacking it on that wet corner. 🙂
I did the wessex league yesterday, first cross race in years and it was great fun. I think I was last male vet 🙂 but the way I look at it, I am the person with the most potential to improve!
Can't wait for Oxford next week, we were too late for the u12's race, but the commissar said that there is no lower age limit, and my lad on a balance bike would be welcome to have a go! Yay my first dad and son race day, he loves bike racing so he will be over the moon to actually do a race like daddy, although he will probably be faster than me already 🙂
Might have to look at buying some cow bells!
phil40, the Oxford course is another good course. Last year they had a series of 45°ish slopes that you had to go both up and down. Better going down mind.
Me descending one last year.
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And someone getting it wrong!
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If I rocked up to the CXNE race next weekend in Ponteland for my first race ever, will I be the only reasonably fit punter in a field of ubermensch and thereby be reduced to a mewling child crawling in hours after the organisers have packed up and gone home or am I likely to at least compete with some other chubsters for last place?
I raced for 30 seconds in Notts/Derby yesterday. Then something slashed my front tub open and game over. I spent longer warming up on the turbo than I did racing! 🙂
Off camber tarmac corner + Cloud burst + Cross tyres + over eager young ride = Chewing pavement and broken teeth
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9707153563/ ]1[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3670/9707153515_4a7231743a.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9707153515/ ]2[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5543/9707153509_eabbca4d1e.jp g" target="_blank">
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9707153421/ ]4[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5338/9707153329_4eb20e5763.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9707153329/ ]5[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/9710392668_5ffc0faa74.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9710392668/ ]6[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2875/9710392576_2411f6ae0d.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9710392576/ ]7[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2889/9707153021_d6f510a7f8.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9707153021/ ]8[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2817/9707152991_a65fa9a6c0.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9707152991/ ]9[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3804/9707153053_e565cd4edd.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9707153053/ ]10[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Downhill tarmac path with manhole at braking point to 90 degree right turn up two steps onto gravel path.
Option 1 Jump off and run
Option 2 Bunny hop or skip bike up steps
Option 3 What steps? 🙂
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9710415630/ ]3[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7424/9707181979_64581876c7.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9707181979/ ]4[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3720/9707153015_67e940f23c.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/9707153015/ ]11[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img][img][url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2814/9707152681_699ee6ea19.jp g" target="_blank">
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Respect to the chap bunnyhopping the wall!!! 🙂
First cross race of the season in a few weeks time. Had a good long season of crits and road including a win. And a weeks training in the Pyrenees so I'd like to feel a bit better than last year.
Dropping road races for 2014, just crits and circuits.
And my (over 50's) CX races will be only 40 minutes long, so that's new.
Note; must rebuild the Eggbeaters and get a new semi slick.
First ever CX race at Ponteland (CXNE rd. 2) today. I started with the goals of not dying, not vomiting, not crying and not coming last. I achieved all of the above. The ride home into a 40 mph head wind was perhaps the hardest part of the day.
Enormous respect to the bloke who rode the race on his Dahon folder.
Western league at Gloucester for me. Just a warm up for the Welsh league wich starts next week. Good course realy enjoyed it ! Just a question though, where were are all the slightly portly older blokes ? Killed me keeping up ( and failing ) with all those skinny young guys. 😀
lemonysam - genesis vapour? 🙂
good lad, ponteland first one of the year for me, nearly brought up my lunch by lap two but got up to pace by the end. well impressed with my clement pdx's though.
Ponteland was surprisingly fast and grippy, its been a real swamp in previous years. Other ne rounds are more mountainbikey, some even have singletrack. Certainly ponteland has the highest quotient of stupid off camber grass.
Yes - good course at Gloucester today.
Was a definite lack of slightly portly older blokes there today .. just the two I counted eh Col?
First round of the Göteborg series, "introcross" today, strong line up of current, past, and most certainly future national champions.
Group warm up and drills for 45 minutes followed by one 20 minute race then a 15 minute race.
10th then 8th place and pair of lovely orange Pedro's tyre levers for my efforts.
Didn't roll my newly glued tub either, which is a bonus.
The season has started!
lemonysam - genesis vapour?
That's me! Not last but not far off... I'm guessing you were one of those blurs that came past periodically. The worst bit for me was the straight at the top into the wind. I just couldn't get any momentum up.
Oh well, plenty left in the tank at the end so I'll have to go a bit harder next time.
I was safely mid pack so don't know whether i did go past. i overtook you driving home in my nice warm car and wondered who's that fool 😉
Haha, And I got a puncture too. It nearly broke me... I was only riding back to Wylam but it took over an hour.
I didn't race today. cold is in the post,and an hour in the wet, slogging myself to death would have been the end of me.
First round of the Welsh league today. A record 140 field !!! It was as you say "interesting", good fun after the initial carnage . 😀
7 races in, it's been a busy month, and loving it, even managed to snag a couple of national vet points 🙂
Kemble Airport in the Wessex League on a very tough course which was flat and relentless with loads of switchbacks and wooded single track sections.
Eventful race for me. Second row start but struggled to clip in and lost a few places but managed to get to the front of a group battling for 6th place.
Dropped a chain on lap 3 which managed to jam itself between the crank arm chain guard and lost about 10 places before I got it back on. Chased back and finished 11th in the end. Was hard but also good fun chasing people down.
Not done an event yet.. 😥
Every year you get fitter, but so does everyone else, plus handy newbies coming in with some good road fitness still in the legs...
Enjoyed yesterdays 1st Welsh League race! Took me a while to get my racing head on getting my left and right mixed up at the start...looking forward to the Hereford round.
Really need to work on my cornering skills...
I did the Bronte Mountain Bike Challenge on my 'cross bike yesterday. Some mountain bikers don't half get arsey when you overtake them.
Kemble Airport in the Wessex League on a very tough course which was flat and relentless with loads of switchbacks and wooded single track sections.
That was our event [url= http://www.laatste-ronde.cx ](Cotswold Veldrijdren[/url], I was on results duty and had the added stress of only 8% laptop battery left as the Seniors race came to a close. Hope you enjoyed it, we are getting lots of good feedback from Kemble as a course/location.
Was a good course but bloody hard as there was nowhere for any slight recovery. Looked at my heart rate on lap two and I was 97% max and that pretty much continued for the rest of the race 😯
Only downside was I always seem to be surrounded and mobed my your riders throughout the race! 😉
have my first race tomorrow at round 2 of western league quite looking forward to it tbh
Loved Hog Hill today, pretty technical but faaast! The walnut whip of doom was a laugh.
will be racing in the midlands today (no northwest or yorkshire races today)
First round of the central league today. Over 50's are just racing 40 minutes, not sure how that's going to go? always put my fastest laps in the last 20 mintutes of the hour.
First round of the central league today. Over 50's are just racing 40 minutes, not sure how that's going to go? always put my fastest laps in the last 20 mintutes of the hour.
Go for a 20 min ride first ???? 😉
Cunning 8)
well thats my first race and im nackerd aparentley the hardest bristol course i took a pasting,probably came dead last BUT i had a really good time and will deffinatley be doing more
note to self-- change road gearing as its just to hard on a cx course
Go for a 20 min ride first ????
Cheers, I was one place from the prize money...which I would have shared with you 😉
Nice fast conditions today, and team manager did a spot of videoing 🙂
Cheers, I was one place from the prize money...which I would have shared with you
Lol good skills 😀
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great technical course at Tackerro!!!
First race of the season for me at the 2nd round of the Western League in Bristol. In attendance was non other than olympic rider and ex pro oli beckingsale.
Tough, tough race for me. Have done no proper riding/training since the end of the summer series where I finished 6th in the league. Started right near the back and took me 10-15 minutes to get my brain, lungs and legs opened up that I'm racing cross again. Made a schoolboy error by not taking my gloves with me and i'm sitting here with skin missing from the inside of my thumbs!
Think i finished in the top 20 although not sure. Disappointing that I was well back from riders that I was easily over taking in the summer season but that's my own fault.
Thoroughly enjoyable still and definite need for improvement.
well thats my first race and im nackerd aparentley the hardest bristol course i took a pasting,probably came dead last BUT i had a really good time and will deffinatley be doing more
note to self-- change road gearing as its just to hard on a cx course
What kit were you wearing?
53 years old, racing with a number on my back since 1975. And I'm like a kid at Christmas because I'm racing Saturday.
MK Bowl, which is a corker.
Wessex eastleigh for me on sunday. not done much cycling in the last month and have a 10k run saturday so not exactly well prepared for it but looking forward to it.
6th place yet again.
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Love an image that flatters one. 🙂
Sefton. Nice shot of my team mate behind you there. Can I pinch your image for our blog please?
Ta
Rich
tricky- i was just in a ss jersy 3/4 bottoms old spesh tricross with mini v's and huge road chainset lol
cx50 arived friday all bolted up and now running a mtb rear mech for the ratios should help me allot
nice pic.
i dont recall that sand trap at eastleigh being an issue last year..
anyway i was way slower than last year but still fast and fun, downhill at least 🙂 not that eastleigh is hilly..
roll on newbury saturday!
tricky- i was just in a ss jersy 3/4 bottoms old spesh tricross with mini v's and huge road chainset lolcx50 arived friday all bolted up and now running a mtb rear mech for the ratios should help me allot
Did you do rd 3 at cheltneham?
I had a much better race. Terrible start (someone went over the bars at the start) and i watched on in dismay as the whole field rode away from me. Spent the whole race battling trying to overtake
Ended up 12th in the senior race.. 8 places higher than a week ago. Just need to get top 10 to get some points
CX curious.
Never been to one, so no real world experience.
From watching the youtube links.... you don't need a CX bike to race CX then ?
Is this at local level races.
I understood the debate ages ago about the 3 peaks CX race being for CX bikes only and some strict rules on bike set up, but a unique event.
Are the rules of racing more enforced at national level races with the licence and point chasing ?
In theory, could one rock up to a local level race on any bike, looking like a hooligan from downhill racing with no licence and have a stab at it 🙂
Friendly racing or very intense serious roadie-esq attitudes ?
Most likely candidate would be a flat pedaled/flat barred SS karate Monkey on CX tyres, could get some drop bars and levers fairly cheaply if required.
Tempted to have a go one day.
Friendly racing or very intense serious roadie-esq attitudes ?
Friendly. The good guys are never asshats, the rubbish ones have nothing to worry about. I see loads of MTB's and sometimes they have their day. One race where the course was changed at the 11th hour, it fell into the hands of those that had turned up with MTB's. After the race the commissaire rounded us all up to give them three boo's. It's 'serious fun'.
🙂 Ta oldgit.
It's getting harder to get out to DH races, so looking for something else for amusement.
Not sure i can last an hour without throwing up 🙂 i guess no beer tent halfway round. Done some SS events and quite enjoyed chucking a flat barred flat pedaled road bike around the woods, trying to bottom out the twangy fork and slow down on barely working brakes.
Figured CX might suit me, monster cross Karate Monkey methinks.
dident manage to get up to the chelt race looking forward to hengrove as its just over the road from me
Took the day off work and spent it building the course for this weekends first national series race in Gothenburg. Still a little too do, but bring on the racing tomorrow.
New tubs, new skinsuit 8)
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Euro ^^^^
Getting to grips with CX rules.
You run up steps....
I could ride down that without puking up 🙂
Ooh double picture post, sorry about that.
There is a ton of grass if that makes it more UK style?
vdub - yeah go for it...more pics on the midlands cyclocross website. (I nicked it off there or facebook)
oldgit...didn't know you are a Belgium...you a Northerner? yorkshire league?
Nah I'm one of the two? southern Belgians. I feel a bit like a privateer, but I know most of the club riders very well so I can jump in any outfit that's going well, naughty really 🙂
Proper cross weather today, should be a mudfest tomorrow 🙂
First race for me tomorrow, Happy Valley round of the London X league just outside Brighton. Excited/Nervous
National cup, round one, home pitch.
10th place for me, despite getting seeded in the last row via the lottery, (stitched up by my own club!). Came past 40 odd people, but finished 1:50 off the lead and 40 seconds behind where I'd have liked to have been.
Still, tubs held, always a relief first time out, big thumbs up to the new Vittoria Evo XN as front tub, really flexible sidewalls that I could feel squishing nicely around corners, ran at 24psi. Tufo Cubus Flexus on the rear at 26psi.
More importantly the boys raced and enjoyed themselves.
Same again tomorrow.
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