the Cyclo cross racing post
Comments
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Milese wrote:How does the standard of rider change during the cx season?
I mean, do people generally get faster as they race themselves fit and hone their technical skills, or do they loose their summer fitness, get lazier in winter and slow down?
It's a bit of a mixed bag. Early season you do get the odd road specialist taking part to spin their season out and do a bit of extra racing. Inevitably there are the hardcore CX specialists who keep up the training regime all season and are consistently good, but at the other end of the scale there are the also-rans like me who struggle to fit in training around work (I do a 5-and-a-half day 45-hour week much of the year), especially once the days get shorter - for me it's very much a case of winging it and trying to get by largely on race fitness with bits of training (short runs, roller sessions) worked in when I can. By Christmas I'm usually done for!
David"It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal0 -
Looks like we've recently been given our own sub-forum, folks!
viewforum.php?f=40114
Probably worth resuming this thread (and all the other CX stuff) on there?
David"It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal0 -
Sweet, just seen the sub forum! Just getting in to cross, I've done two races with the Maldon CC over at Battlesbridge so far and that's it. Really liking it being a MTB'er who has re-discovered the road, mixes the two nicely!0
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Paul 8v wrote:Sweet, just seen the sub forum! Just getting in to cross, I've done two races with the Maldon CC over at Battlesbridge so far and that's it. Really liking it being a MTB'er who has re-discovered the road, mixes the two nicely!
Same as myself but yet to race my cxer in anger. First race will be the 5th Oct, can't wait.0 -
DavidBelcher wrote:Looks like we've recently been given our own sub-forum, folks!
viewforum.php?f=40114
Probably worth resuming this thread (and all the other CX stuff) on there?
David
I asked and we got. The system works!0 -
Wessex League Round 2 at Oxford Spires Academy (off the Cowley Road) yesterday afternoon was a real brute!! The course was surprisingly dry - either they hadn't seen as much rain up there or the land had drained well. I came in a very lowly 48th of 50 Senior finishers but not for want of trying; the course includes 2 seriously steep climbs per lap up grass banks which for most riders meant getting off and running - unlike my last visit there I succeeded in doing so rather than being reduced to walking pace, so I guess I have improved a little over the last few seasons. There were a couple of other stiff but rideable climbs along with a woodland singletrack stretch, otherwise it was over fast grassy terrain with some "slalom" sections thrown in. To cap it all, Oxford regulars will be familiar with the fact that all finishers get a prize of some sort for their efforts - I came away with a 1-litre bottle of Pedro's chain lube which would ordinarily have set me back a tenner!
David"It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal0 -
If anyone is up in the North East of England, the Winter Cyclocross League starts on Saturday. Always a good turn out and a friendly bunch. I'll be plodding round at the back as usual. :roll:
http://neccl.co.uk/wordpress/0 -
First cross race in 18 years today. Started at the back of a 140 rider field and stayed there keeping out of the way. My technical skills are terrible and struggled a bit in the single track wooded section especially as I kept stopping to let the fast boys pass. Got going quite well towards the end when they removed a hurdle and I could stay on the bike longer and kept closing up on the uphill run over hurdles. Managed to fall off the one time I got to ride up a steep bank section as I forgot to change gear, got half way up and couldn't turn the pedals at all! :oops: Good fun though.0
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I've now seen the results and I finished last so the only way is up (unless I don't finish next time)
Oh, and it was 114 riders not 140 but still a record field and probably too big for the course. 0 -
I was watching on Sunday, not racing (my lad was in u10). I thought last year's field there was big, but Sunday's was huge. They even got an extra lap around the playing field this year before going into the woods and people were still queueing on lap 2/3 !0
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Yep. I was determined not to get in the way on the first lap so ended up right at the back first time into the woods. I had to stop and wait at least 30 seconds just to get in there and then push the bike through. By time I came out the leaders were coming down the bank after the pits and by time I got back around for my first full lap through the woods I was being lapped! After that I was far too polite and kept pulling off the track to let riders past.
It was a great course with a bit of everything but it could have done with double track rather than single track so riders at the back could have their own race without getting in the way. Liz was on about splitting the vets from the seniors if the fields stay that big but that would be a shame as quite a few top 20 riders are vets. If I' hadn't waited so much I'd have still been near the back but probably 10 or 20 places higher up I think but the main point was having fun and not ruining anyone else's race which I achieved.0 -
Found out yesterday that the South of England Regional Championship this year is not a counting event for my local league (Wessex), unlike Central and South West. So bang goes a guarantee of some useful points towards trying to hang on to the club CX trophy for a fourth year running.
David"It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal0 -
Rode Wessex League Round 4 in decidedly un-CX weather (warm, dry, sunny) at Wareham yesterday around the grounds of an old MoD research complex of all places - plenty of tough going over hard lumpy ground on a largely flat course without any hurdles or natural obstacles. There were a few tarmac/concrete bits allowing you to get some speed up but for the most part it was a real energy-sapping slog. The field was small to begin with (dunno why, there can't have been all that many people off doing the 3 Peaks), but I came in 18th of only 19 finishers - not very sparkling but with lots of handy League points in the bag.
David"It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal0 -
I think that Wareham is quite tucked away which is why maybe. Were there any obstacles or was it clip in at the start and unclip after the finish line?When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.0
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FransJacques wrote:I think that Wareham is quite tucked away which is why maybe. Were there any obstacles or was it clip in at the start and unclip after the finish line?
Maybe - it was quite a well-hidden location. No real obstacles to speak of - the only time I unclipped was to get up a steep bank on the opening lap due to traffic.
I didn't race this weekend, prior to that I rode my own club's promotion held over the old golf course at Fleming Park in Eastleigh - other than a sandpit (an old bunker, not surprisingly) there were no sections that warranted dismounting and running, although with a lot of cornering involved it was technical stuff. A starting area pile-up just after the off complicated matters - I didn't crash myself but had to weave through the aftermath. The warm weather wasn't my cup of tea - it never is for CX racing - and I really struggled, eventually losing an uphill sprint on the line (for a semi-decent climber, that was the real crushing blow) to finish last-but-one. Now that the weather's turned and autumn seems to have properly arrived I should be in my element for a month or two to come! Roll on Basingstoke on the 27th.
David"It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal0 -
Is that the way most of them are going now? Seems like they don't seem to have many obstacles which is a shame, especially since at the top level they do have them. If it is just a grass drag strip I've got no chance of beating the pure roadies!FransJacques wrote:I think that Wareham is quite tucked away which is why maybe. Were there any obstacles or was it clip in at the start and unclip after the finish line?0 -
Paul 8v wrote:
Is that the way most of them are going now? Seems like they don't seem to have many obstacles which is a shame, especially since at the top level they do have them. If it is just a grass drag strip I've got no chance of beating the pure roadies!FransJacques wrote:I think that Wareham is quite tucked away which is why maybe. Were there any obstacles or was it clip in at the start and unclip after the finish line?
Depends on the venue and the league, I guess. One of my first ever CX outings, way back in 2002, was at Silcoates School in Wakefield for a Yorkshire Points event - in theory it was 100% rideable although some of the steep banks might have reduced tired riders to going up on foot. On the other hand, Central League races nearly always seem to have hurdles thrown in (the Hemel Hempstead CC race at Longdean features the odd fallen tree!), whilst Wareham was the exception to the rule for Wessex this season as elsewhere we've had super-steep hills, sandpits and concrete steps to overcome so far. Personally I prefer the more technical races to the criterium-on-grass sort - I seem to lack the pure speed needed to keep up on the flat in the latter, but am OK at keeping the wheels turning and the bike upright when the going gets really muddy.
David"It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal0 -
Paul 8v wrote:
Is that the way most of them are going now? Seems like they don't seem to have many obstacles which is a shame, especially since at the top level they do have them. If it is just a grass drag strip I've got no chance of beating the pure roadies!FransJacques wrote:I think that Wareham is quite tucked away which is why maybe. Were there any obstacles or was it clip in at the start and unclip after the finish line?
Not most, no. Off-hand I can only think of a couple of courses in the South East where you won't need to dismount.
Generally cross rewards the complex racer, so work on all areas if you want to succeed.0 -
Rode at Wolverhampton yesterday in the West Mids League.
First wet and muddy race for a while!!!
A bit of a weaker filed with the National Trophy on but still pleased with a 2nd in Grand Vets.
Seem to be getting off the line a lot better now than the earlier races but still lacking a bit of pace.
Roll on Solihull!!!0 -
well thats race season over
hit by a car last night as the driver tried to overtake a group of us round a blind bend-seems he thought it better to take me out and avoid the oncoming car
broken collar bone-could have been a lot worse0 -
sh!t, sorry to hear that, there seem to be an ever increasing trend in cars just overtaking even if people are coming the other way or round corners, it does worry me. Hope you get better soon :-(MikeWW wrote:well thats race season over
hit by a car last night as the driver tried to overtake a group of us round a blind bend-seems he thought it better to take me out and avoid the oncoming car
broken collar bone-could have been a lot worse0 -
Paul 8v wrote:
sh!t, sorry to hear that, there seem to be an ever increasing trend in cars just overtaking even if people are coming the other way or round corners, it does worry me. Hope you get better soon :-(MikeWW wrote:well thats race season over
hit by a car last night as the driver tried to overtake a group of us round a blind bend-seems he thought it better to take me out and avoid the oncoming car
broken collar bone-could have been a lot worse
thanks0 -
MikeWW wrote:well thats race season over
hit by a car last night as the driver tried to overtake a group of us round a blind bend-seems he thought it better to take me out and avoid the oncoming car
broken collar bone-could have been a lot worse
Sorry to hear that. I was keeping an eye out for you in Abergavenny on Sunday as I know you usually do it but sounds like you were doing well elsewhere instead. Hope you heal quickly and without any complications.0 -
Thanks all
Gutted to be missing the cross races but think I am quite lucky given what happened.
Hope everyone else stays safe0 -
Really sorry to hear that, Mike, but also relieved that it wasn't much, much worse.
Heal fast.0 -
Get better soon Mike.
Nice to see you come up for air Andy :-)When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.0 -
I can't believe we've never shared this before: Svenness .5 and .6 posted.
I assume you've all been watching these. Priceless...When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.0 -
Those Svenness vids are the bomb. Even my wife raves about them.0
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Had my first run-in this season with serious racing conditions at Oxford yesterday for Wessex League Round 9. Not quite the epic mudbath of last year's event, but all the same conditions were incredibly sticky and slippery (despite no end of tinkering with tyre pressures) on the woodland singletrack sections - I managed to connect with a tree neck-first (goodness knows how, typical of the peculiar sort of bad luck that afflicts me) ending up slightly winded and with a sore throat. Thankfully nothing serious and I pressed on with the race - although I didn't manage to make up all of the ground lost by my setback I did make up a placing or two and rolled in 47th of 55 finishers in the Senior race.
David"It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal0
