First Race

sods_law
sods_law Posts: 161
edited August 2009 in Amateur race
Right, the guys from my LBS i cycle with on a Sunday have invited me to race on Sunday (at Dunsfold), and I was just wondering what to expect?

Any advice / tips would be greatly appreciated :)

Comments

  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    sods_law wrote:
    Right, the guys from my LBS i cycle with on a Sunday have invited me to race on Sunday (at Dunsfold), and I was just wondering what to expect?

    Any advice / tips would be greatly appreciated :)

    Bunch of chaps on bicycles. Fastest wins.
  • Dess1e
    Dess1e Posts: 239
    Flat circuit, but exposed to the wind. Try and get shelter on a wheel if you can, until you are used to the pace and course. Watch out for riders leaving gaps and jump past them, as the wind normally cuases splits to open up.
    www.kentonrc.co.uk
  • jibberjim
    jibberjim Posts: 2,810
    It's very fast, even in the 4th's. Listen for the Bell for the last lap, sometimes an extra lap is stuck in - this happened last time the 4th's race was there and way too many people completely blew themselves up on the 10th lap sprint thinking it was the finish.

    as Dess1e said, it's a completely flat circuit, and the only tough thing is the wind - hide from it all you can, and just try and hold a wheel for as long as you can. You'll probably average close to 40km/h.

    I expect it will stay together as a single group for a sprint finish, as whilst a group can get away simply by riding hard through the head / crosswind sections and waiting for wheels to be dropped, the 4th's never seem to be organised enough to it. As it's your first though, just concentrate on staying in the group - try not to be too far back, and hold your lines through the corners.
    Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/
  • sods_law
    sods_law Posts: 161
    Thanks chaps :)

    I heard it was fast, which could be interesting... :? 35 miles is a comfortable distance for me at an 17-18mph avg over hills, so will be interesting to see how i get on at the increased speed. Hoping it will be ok as its flat :)

    Suppose ill just see how i get on!
  • Dess1e
    Dess1e Posts: 239
    You'll be surprised at how fast you can go racing in a bunch without seeming to overexert yourself.
    www.kentonrc.co.uk
  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    Watch out for a fast-start - it might start at 25-28 mph, and stay there for a "bit" ....... - warm-up properly and be prepared for the start - when in the group, don't panic, be consistent and predictable in your riding - it can feel quite hectic, so just make sure you hold your line and are predictable. Hang on for aslong as possible, and get the most out of your first race - you'll learn alot.

    Good luck.
  • John C.
    John C. Posts: 2,113
    I also average 17-18 on my local hilly rides in North Yorks. Best not look at your speedo. If it's like Croft you'll be first away with no one wanting to take the lead into wind and speed going all over the place from 17 up to 23/24 mph. Try and stay with the group. At about lap 10 the faster groups will start coming past, try and jump into one of these, they will be cruising at about a constant 25, it sounds fast, it is , but in the group it's do able, you will be riding very close, as in six inches to a foot off the rider in front and elbow to elbow, forget position, once you're there that's where you'll stay, if you end up on the windward side down a straight that's also where you will stay because no one will let you in. Be prepared to be mentally as well as physically shattered at the end.
    Enjoy.
    http://www.ripon-loiterers.org.uk/

    Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
    Hills are just a matter of pace
  • sods_law
    sods_law Posts: 161
    Well, I really enjoyed myself, even if i DNF. Got dropped on a corner on the 2nd lap, went too wide into the wind, and then couldnt get back in the sprint, so waited for the group to lap me, and joined in again. Lasted 3 laps till i got spat out the back on another sprint, and then lasted 3 more laps in the group when they caught me again. Was getting dropped again just before the final lap, so I called it a day so i could watch the sprint finish. So... need to work on sprinting :roll:

    One thing that worried me slightly was my HR... probs 7 or 8 times my HR reached 200, which is obviously my max (higher than i thought it would be being 24), and stayed there for 3/4 mins at a time. Clearly a lot of work to do to get race fit... :shock:
  • brownbosh
    brownbosh Posts: 602
    Well done for taking the plunge. A lot of that sprinting will be unnecessary when you work on your positioning,breaking and power transfer through bends. Those at the back have to work harder to keep up after tight corners and bends owing to a concertina effect. Ride the course prior to a race and think about your positioning in the group BEFORE the approach. Failing to plan for a bend is planning to fail. Dont worry about the heart rate too much if you are healthy it could be feedback from oher riders computers affecting the display? Also from a psychological point of view i would always fnish unless you crash, have a technical problem or find tou are actuallu unwell. That just leaves you with the knowledge that you can do what the others are doing just not quite as fast. Giving up is contagious, i dont do it.
  • jibberjim
    jibberjim Posts: 2,810
    brownbosh wrote:
    Well done for taking the plunge. A lot of that sprinting will be unnecessary when you work on your positioning,breaking and power transfer through bends.

    There were two preme's today at Dunsfold - it wasn't the most exciting of races otherwise, although for a 4ths race the group that got away for a bit did do a pretty good job of working together, better than I ever found a group with anyway. So the Preme's broke it up a bit - the relative lack of wind and shortened course that was basically a long oval with a very tight bend at one end also made it a different race.

    sods_law, like brownbosh says, positioning will save you a lot in your next race (there's Goodwood coming up, or always Hillingdon on a tuesday - or even dunsfold again on tuesday but that's a handicap with the E/1/2/3's in too, so it hurts more!) I took quite a few photos of the race today, so PM me your strip and I'll have a look if you're in there if you want.
    Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/
  • Homer J
    Homer J Posts: 920
    Sounds like you did not warm up enough? i could be wrong though.
  • racingcondor
    racingcondor Posts: 1,434
    Jibberjim, if you're planning on posting them online I'd love a link to them. I was the Dulwich rider (no. 5) who made the break away (would be good to have a shot of the finish as well for my team mate).

    sods_law, really don't worry about the heart rate, mine broke 200 for the first and only time in my first race (I'm 30). l found that racing my HR averages about 10 higher than riding normally and always gets up to 190, if I'm not racing I can't get it over 184 and then only on really hard hill climbs.

    Like everyone else says, getting your cornering right and finding a line which allows you to take the corner as you want to makes it much easier, it's something I messed up once or twice early in the race too.

    Welcome to racing, don't let getting dropped stop you, it happens to everyone. Sounds like you have the bug to me though so I'll see you around :wink:

Categories