First cyclo-cross race!!! Lydiard Park or Newbury
khumbu8000
Posts: 59
Hi All,
I'm just needing a bit of advice re my first cyclocross race. I have a decent enough cyclocross bike which I love and quite alot of fitness in my legs from 90 or more miles of quick commuting each week.
My bike handling skills are okay but remounting and cornering can be slow. I've been to a club cross training session and it was serious, fast and I felt well out of my depth. Not confidence inspiring.
I was thinking of entering the Lydiard park race this Sunday at Swindon with the view to avoiding most of the hustle and bustle at the start and picking my way through the field as other newbies suffer from going off too hard????
However, I am wondering if I should just go along and watch the races and enter the Newbury race a few weeks later?
What do you reckon......
I'm just needing a bit of advice re my first cyclocross race. I have a decent enough cyclocross bike which I love and quite alot of fitness in my legs from 90 or more miles of quick commuting each week.
My bike handling skills are okay but remounting and cornering can be slow. I've been to a club cross training session and it was serious, fast and I felt well out of my depth. Not confidence inspiring.
I was thinking of entering the Lydiard park race this Sunday at Swindon with the view to avoiding most of the hustle and bustle at the start and picking my way through the field as other newbies suffer from going off too hard????
However, I am wondering if I should just go along and watch the races and enter the Newbury race a few weeks later?
What do you reckon......
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Comments
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I don't know how technical Lydiard Park is going to be but all the advice I've heard from all the experienced 'cross riders I know is that the best thing to do is to get stuck in and have a go. The worst that can happen is that you get left behind by the experienced riders, but it won't stop you continuing to race and having a go at whatever the course throws at you. You'll learn tons whatever happens. All the fastest riders are completely used to lapping the slower ones, so just be alert to riders coming up behind and try not to get in their way. Apart from that, just get stuck in and have a go!
I'm planning to be there - so if it's hellishly technical I'll be suffering too. :oops:
Ruth0 -
Just get stuck in
First race will be a bit tough but its all part of the learning
Best going off fairly hard and trying to hang on
There will be slower people
Good luck0 -
Agree with Ruth here, just enter and have a go. You will get all sorts of riders with massively differing levels of ability.
I wasn't particularly great at off road riding when I started last year (on my MTB), but you soon get into the swing of things, and you will only get better at off road riding, dismounts, mounts, and bike carrying if you do it.
Just give it hell for an hour, and enjoy it
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Well as a fellow newbie with a mere 2 races experience, i can only echo the above comments - get stuck in, it's really good fun! I had intended to watch a couple of races before having a go, but some goading from a clubmate persuaded me to just give it a go. I was pretty nervous for the first race so pretty much let everyone go off in front at the start - fortunately i did managed to pick a few riders off during the race. The following week i was amazed how much more confident i was and managed to have some good tussles (hey, i was still near the back but it's nice to have those little races within a race!
) You might find the intensity a bit of a shock - i was amazed to find my average HR was about 90%, very similar to a 25 TT. :shock: The main thing is enjoy it - i'm hooked already!
Rich0 -
I've done one CX race, which lasted about 15 mins til I punctured.
Just give it a go, I had never seen it before but enjoyed it and will definately do it again.
The ability spread is huge, but its not like a road race where you'll get dropped by the bunch and suffer. The field spreads out really quickly so everyone goes around at their own rate of suffering.0 -
I see Bezza did his CX races on an MTB. Are they welcomed for CX races? I fancy having a go at a couple of the novice races at our local league but would have to use my MTB (pretty basic 8 yo Scott hardtail).
I was thinking of changing the tyres, but that was it.
A cyclo cross bike may get purchased at some point, but probably not until I know I like it (and make some room in the garage!).0 -
hammerite wrote:I see Bezza did his CX races on an MTB. Are they welcomed for CX races? I fancy having a go at a couple of the novice races at our local league but would have to use my MTB (pretty basic 8 yo Scott hardtail).
You can in the London CX League, but I am sure it is the same for most leagues. You can't do a National event on a MTB (not that a new racer to CX would probably want to do a National Trophy event). Just ask the organisor of the events, I am sure they will be more than willing to advise you.0 -
I'd echo all the above - just crack on and do it!
Quite a few members of my club are new to racing this season but are all enjoying it (ok, so it's only been one race so far) despite being towards the back of the field.
You'll soon get into the swing of it and become used to the effort/skill required.
MTBs are fine in any race below national champs/trophy level, although some might ask you to remove bar ends if you have them.0 -
All good responses-many thanks.0
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Well? Did you ride it? How did it go?khumbu8000 wrote:All good responses-many thanks.
I was there - holding everyone up in the wooded section because I'm so abysmal at riding over roots and stuff. :oops:
Brilliant event, though - thoroughly enjoyed myself - really looking forward to mastering some CX skills. Long way to go on that front but I'm up for the challenge. Oh to be a youth rider and get the chance to practise this stuff on a weekly basis in a Go-Ride club. I think I need a Go-Ride club for adults!
Ruth0 -
Thanks, no bar ends, just a basic hardtail MTB that's barely been used over the past couple of years. Got some CX tyres ordered (Schwable CX Pro I think).
Might do the first Eastern league race at Baldock on Saturday as a taster then switch to my more local Central league races for the rest.
I'm involved with a go-ride club Ruth, we struggle for enough technical stuff where we run our sessions so are off to the woods for a play in a couple of weeks. Might become a regular thing over the winter (cue complaints from parents over the state of the kids kit after a session!!)0 -
I will hopefully be running some CX skills sessions soon Ruth, you are more than welcome to join in
I am sure you will get better the more you do it, I certainly got more confident last year as I did more races. Probably took more risks than was sensible but it was fun. Little bit different to TT's.
I must admit, I can't wait until my 1st CX race 0 -
Oh to be a youth rider and get the chance to practise this stuff on a weekly basis in a Go-Ride club. I think I need a Go-Ride club for adults!
Ruth, the coaches at our club invited adults to join in with the last Go Ride session. As the only 'grown up' to admit i really needed the practice, i found it enjoyable and really helped get a bit more confidence in my bike handling. Some of the kids were amazing though - put me to utter shame! :oops:
I've really got the tatse for 'cross after doing 2 of the Rugby Velo evening races. My bike handling is still terrible, but already far better than it was just a few weeks ago. Hopefully i won't embarass myself too much at Allestree Park this weekend! :shock:0 -
Richie G wrote:Oh to be a youth rider and get the chance to practise this stuff on a weekly basis in a Go-Ride club. I think I need a Go-Ride club for adults!
Ruth, the coaches at our club invited adults to join in with the last Go Ride session. As the only 'grown up' to admit i really needed the practice, i found it enjoyable and really helped get a bit more confidence in my bike handling. Some of the kids were amazing though - put me to utter shame! :oops:
I've really got the tatse for 'cross after doing 2 of the Rugby Velo evening races. My bike handling is still terrible, but already far better than it was just a few weeks ago. Hopefully i won't embarass myself too much at Allestree Park this weekend! :shock:
You'll be pleased to know that a lot of the youngster's ability in technical stuff comes down to a low centre of gravity and smaller wheels Oh, and utter fearlessness!
We recently ran a couple of mixed skills training sessions for all ages. Top-20 Trophy and Nat Champs level seniors were being thoroughly duffed up by 12-yr olds in corners.0 -
BeaconRuth wrote:
Well? Did you ride it? How did it go?khumbu8000 wrote:All good responses-many thanks.
I was there - holding everyone up in the wooded section because I'm so abysmal at riding over roots and stuff. :oops:
Brilliant event, though - thoroughly enjoyed myself - really looking forward to mastering some CX skills. Long way to go on that front but I'm up for the challenge. Oh to be a youth rider and get the chance to practise this stuff on a weekly basis in a Go-Ride club. I think I need a Go-Ride club for adults!
Ruth
You're doing something right Ruth. Currently the 4th best female cross rider in the country according to the BC rankings!0 -
Pross wrote:You're doing something right Ruth. Currently the 4th best female cross rider in the country according to the BC rankings! Thanks for that Pross - just goes to show how meaningless the rankings are, particularly so early in the season. I've been soundly beaten by a lot more than 3 other women already, so there's no way I'll be staying in 4th place.
However, I'm feeling very motivated to practise now, as a friend showed me a great little wood to train in today - and I only crashed once. :oops: Methinks I'm going to get to know every path and tree root in those woods like the back of my hand. It's going to take some work to turn a tester into a 'cross rider.
Shame Khumbu8000 hasn't come back and told us how he got on in Lydiard Park on Sunday.
Ruth0 -
Enjoy it while it lasts I doubt I'm in the top 4 in my family and I'm the only one who cycles lol0
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BeaconRuth wrote:However, I'm feeling very motivated to practise now, as a friend showed me a great little wood to train in today - and I only crashed once. :oops: Methinks I'm going to get to know every path and tree root in those woods like the back of my hand. It's going to take some work to turn a tester into a 'cross rider.
I did the same Ruth, found a wood with loads of paths in it on my way home from work. I had a real blast getting covered in mud, and falling off into big puddles, oh the joys of CX
I am sure you will turn out to be a decent CX rider, I didn't do too bad last year
doing both. 0
