Hillingdon Winter Series

oldwelshman

Ah just checked the site, Mike did just over 46 minutes in the TT the day after the Marmotte.
A very impressive ride but not as impressive as if it had been at the end of the Marmotte
I did not see a result for Mike in the Marmotte the day before so guess he just rode the TT.
Obviously a good climber and may not be suited to the flat of Hillingdon but should do ell in a 4th cat race as long as he can sprint

Stuntman

T'was my first road race and was surprised at the turnout and shocked at the organisation. If it was a bit clearer to let 3rds get away for half a lap when they came by us then that would've been a help. But none the less, I enjoyed it and being thrown in at the deep end is the best way to learn.

Hope the guys who fell are okay but no ambulance was required apparently.

More racing next time hopefully... fitness dependant of course.

Ironman595

oldwelshman- I tried checking on sprtcommunication too- couldn't find his name either, then realised he had started la marmotte but crashed on the glandon descent quite badly.... I forgot he had crashed but I remember the time he had done. My mistake.
I did 7:20 this year, few of us looking for a sub 7 next year...

Mike is a pretty good sprinter- (cough cough, not as good as me hehe) but he is around 6" and 75kg so plenty of power.... not a skinny mountain goat.

I don't think he knows it yet but he will be my lead out man that's if he hasnt broke away from the pack and gone solo...

Quick question/poll about hillingdon- In general- where on the circuit is the best place to attack?

tomb8555

Ironman595 wrote:

Still enjoyed it- results are through, Im sure I was top5 and I'm not even in top 10!! Definitely a confusing finish- braking the last 10m to the line from stopping myself from going into the back of the 3s must have caught me out!

Still no full results out for 4ths yet, but the top 10 has been revised.. ;-)

softlad

Ironman595 wrote:

Quick question/poll about hillingdon- In general- where on the circuit is the best place to attack?

anywhere you like - it will make sod-all difference...

jibberjim

softlad wrote:

Ironman595 wrote:

Quick question/poll about hillingdon- In general- where on the circuit is the best place to attack?

anywhere you like - it will make sod-all difference...

About your only hope is up the hill, when that's a tailwind, and hope that by the time people are interested in chasing back they're hard into the headwind as that often puts people off.

With your strength, your probable best hope is go when it's quiet a lap and half from the end and try and hold it - which I saw twice work last winter series. Or wait for the sprint. The 4th's rarely have anything but a sprint, especially early in the season when there's lots of strong inexperienced people to keep it together.

Or your team could probably ride away and TTT it to the finish, you'll be more organised! Encourage SpeedoBoy77 out too, and all the fast guys who are non-racers from the box hill challenge could go out and dominate.

felgen

Ironman595 wrote:

Very true felgen- I was feeling fresh in the last 5 laps and had spent most of the time in my small chainring just ticking over but lack of experience on the circuit let my position slip and never really knew when to sprint.

Next time I think I might go on a few breaks just for the hell of it and start "racing" rather than sitting in the group getting a half hearted workout

Who do you ride for now felgen?

We are very lucky with roads around here, plenty of climbing here- GS will be running a 10mile TT up stonor valley/Pishill next year too- I don't think theres a more challenging course around! You'll have to pop over sometime.

Cheers
Tom

Sorry Tom,

I must have missed your post. I am riding for Kingston Wheelers at the moment, but to be honest, I am a pretty Silent club member as I haven't made a club run in 14 months as family makes it impossible to commit to regular riding like that. I get my training in cycling to and from work. 46 miles round trip 2-3 times a week into Reading, plus some weekend riding is all I have time for. I did the trip to work by bike last Friday - not exactly tapering, but I'm not a pro either so make the best of what you have eh?

I find being in the group pretty easy, but being on the front for ages or soloing is just a little too hard for me, but no matter as I have a pretty good sprint so I ma happy if it all stays together. Timing the sprint is the skill as you have to know your abilities, and have some idea of everyone else's.

From what you have said it sounds to me like you would do better just riding off the front either on your own or with a couple of others either that or just varying the pace to try to break the field with accelerations so that you aren't fighting against such a large group of people come the finish.

I don't like hills, I am okay at them, but as you can see from the Box Hill thread I have a lot of weight to carry up them, which is much better used on a flat crit circuit like Hillingdon, or on a flat TT which I want to have a go at sometime this coming season, so perhaps I will have to pass on your offer of an uphill TT for now, though your training rides sound like a laugh as they would probably have me way into my red zone!

incog24

If people are interested on a breakaway on the 19th then give me a shout...I'd rather be safe and away from the bunch at this time of year + making the most of the confusion from the 3rds coming through is probably a good idea.

softlad

incog24 wrote:

If people are interested on a breakaway on the 19th then give me a shout..

Get ready for the most publicised break in cycling history..!

Most riders try to hide their intentions from the rest of the field, but this one is being publicly advertised 10 days in advance...

tomb8555

softlad wrote:

incog24 wrote:

If people are interested on a breakaway on the 19th then give me a shout..

Get ready for the most publicised break in cycling history..!

Most riders try to hide their intentions from the rest of the field, but this one is being publicly advertised 10 days in advance...

If we hype it up enough then maybe everyone will spend the whole race worrying about it and we'll suprise them in the sprint ;-)

felgen

softlad wrote:

Get ready for the most publicised break in cycling history..!

Most riders try to hide their intentions from the rest of the field, but this one is being publicly advertised 10 days in advance...

Or it is a double bluff :evil:

oldwelshman

Ironman, you do not need to attack. With the time Mike did and if you did 7hrs 20 for marmotte, just go on the front and ride away, I am sure after a couple of laps there will only be two of you .
I may even race one or two down there if it stays dry and its not too cold 8) Being old I feel the cold.
I have just started back after 4 weeks off follwoing track champs, I struggled to keep up with faster guys on saturdays ride so will wait another 2 or three weeks before racing.
Its always good to get base miles in anyway.

incog24

felgen wrote:

softlad wrote:

Get ready for the most publicised break in cycling history..!

Most riders try to hide their intentions from the rest of the field, but this one is being publicly advertised 10 days in advance...

Or it is a double bluff :evil:

Who knows...its not like it makes much difference if you were to break from the line or early in the race. However, I'm not going to say 'anyone up for a break on the 2nd to last corner on the 3rd to last lap'. That might be a little silly...

felgen

incog24 wrote:

Who knows...its not like it makes much difference if you were to break from the line or early in the race. However, I'm not going to say 'anyone up for a break on the 2nd to last corner on the 3rd to last lap'. That might be a little silly...

Only joshing, mate, I would expect a break or two at least! I just haven't seen anything that looks like a winning break yet and I don't feel the need to make one myself.

incog24

Are the breaks failing because people aren't committing properly to them, or is it just that everyone is too keen to hit the front and work? You see a fair few 4th races where there always seem to be people half heartedly riding off the front.

Ironman595

incog24 wrote:

You see a fair few 4th races where there always seem to be people half heartedly riding off the front.

Haha... there's a good chance they are probably eye balls out- they just don't have the strength to make a fully established break to create some distance between the main bunch. A tricky one though- do you either sprint hard for 200m, have a good gap but no energy left maintain the gap OR break with a sustained threshold effort and creep away?

The guys chasing I presume are not only worried about the break- but trying to save some energy for later on in the race... That's what I'd do (id I was chasing, but I'd be behind saving my legs even more).

The break last week wasn't anything worrying about- I was umming and arring about whether to join them.... I just thought I would bridge the gap only to realise they are all spent! A waste time and effort. I suppose this gamble is made easier with experience- and keeping an eye on race number/the usual suspects...

thedaffodilfish

I was one of the riders who crashed in the 4th Cat race

Was my first crit and I travelled down from Embra for 7 mins of cycling! Not actually sure what happned, some spectators said that there was a bit of a ripple across the group which resulted in they rider on my left knocking into me and both of us coming down. No ambulance needed as previously reported but he looked as if he had a nasty twist to his ankle, so I hope he's ok. I have a broken rib as a prize from my first competitive crash.

Since it was my first crit I don't have anything to compare it to, but it did seem that there were too many people for the size of the course, and we didn't seem to be going very fast at all. Lots of moaning about it being like a Sunday ride, but then no one really chased after the couple of guys that broke off the front in the first couple of laps, and I was on my face on lap 4.

Otherwise it was nice to ride on a dedicated cycle course and depending on how quickly my rib patches up I may go down for a couple more before the series finishes.

RedGreenBaron

thedaffodilfish wrote:

I was one of the riders who crashed in the 4th Cat race

Really sorry to hear the broken rib.
Worse thing is - your mates will be desperately trying to make you laugh for the next few weeks.
Really hope it's a record recovery......

Puzzler

Some interesting figures from fellow club members Garmins

3rd Cat Race
No. of laps 25
Time 58.16
Avg Speed 25.47mph

4th Cat Race
No. of laps 21
Time 48.27
Avg Speed 24.6mph

Rich-Ti

thedaffodilfish wrote:

but then no one really chased after the couple of guys that broke off the front in the first couple of laps

That was me and a mate, and was less "broke off" than "just rode" - we were a bit bemused at how damn slow it had started! :shock:

I finished nowhere though, so who am I to talk...

jibberjim

Ironman595 wrote:

do you either sprint hard for 200m, have a good gap but no energy left maintain the gap OR break with a sustained threshold effort and creep away?

Um, no, you sprint hard for 10-20 seconds, then you go at 5minute power for 3 or 4 minutes, then you settle to threshold until the finish. Unless you have some people with you, when hopefully you can get some interval breaks, but then of course the on sessions have to be hard. Riding around at threshold is unlikely to get you away, even someone with the watts you must have.

Ironman595 wrote:

The break last week wasn't anything worrying about- I was umming and arring about whether to join them.... I just thought I would bridge the gap only to realise they are all spent! A waste time and effort. I suppose this gamble is made easier with experience- and keeping an eye on race number/the usual suspects...

Yes, remember though you need to become a usual suspect too! No point hiding your strength under a bushel as otherwise your break companions will think you're a weak link and not bothering to work. Lots of people in 4th cat race really are close to the limit, they're protecting themselves, but with the right motivation they'll work too.

jibberjim

thedaffodilfish wrote:

Since it was my first crit I don't have anything to compare it to, but it did seem that there were too many people for the size of the course, and we didn't seem to be going very fast at all.

Often happens unfortunately, sorry for the bad luck to actually get in a crash, slow times are often the worst as people get inattentive!

raynaw

thedaffodilfish wrote:

I was one of the riders who crashed in the 4th Cat race

Was my first crit and I travelled down from Embra for 7 mins of cycling! Not actually sure what happned, some spectators said that there was a bit of a ripple across the group which resulted in they rider on my left knocking into me and both of us coming down.

There was a bottle on the floor on the inside of the corner by the sign on shed, which must have caused the ripple. I'd just ridden over this and missed the casssette of the guy in front by mm's to look down the straight and see you go over.

I punctured about 6 laps from the finish - pesky piece of glass.

incog24

How did todays round go? Any changes following the 3rds issue last week? Avg speed?

Rich-Ti

3rds never got near us this week

Horrible wind going up the start/finish stretch, but the back straight was a delight! Lots of weaving today though which wasn't good - it only takes a little "on your left/right" to let folk know where you are... :roll:

tomb8555

Rich-Ti wrote:

Lots of weaving today though which wasn't good - it only takes a little "on your left/right" to let folk know where you are... :roll:

definitely something i need to work on :oops:

top 10 somewhere compared to last weeks just scraping into top 20 so fairly happy. the 3 lap solo break was interesting, was hoping someone would come join me but oh well.

dawebbo

I clocked an average of 23.5 - so pretty much the same as last week's race.

Wind blowing the other way this week, so a nice change - but it made any break attempts very difficult. A number of poor riders who seemed to brake at every corner causing a bit of chaos. No serious accidents in the 4th though, so quite lucky I guess.

Rich-Ti

dawebbo wrote:

A number of poor riders who seemed to brake at every corner causing a bit of chaos. No serious accidents in the 4th though, so quite lucky I guess.

God yeah - none of the corners on that circuit even need brakes! :roll:

incog24

23.5mph seems pretty slow, were people avoiding doing any work into the wind or something?

Rich-Ti

NOBODY wanted to work up the start/finish stretch - hardly surprising given how nasty it was into that wind, but the backlog when folk sat up was horrid!