the Cyclo cross racing post

cyclingsheep

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kkgohXEz8

Those videos could really do with some music. Are you doing the race on the 28th? I'm up that way for Xmas so doing it again (did it last year was good fun)

DavidBelcher

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kkgohXEz8

Derby a couple of weeks back had the same problem, bit of a tough gig for riders like me who don't have a spare bike.

Rode the Just Ride event near Worcester yesterday afternoon - quite windy in parts and incredibly slippery over much of the course despite running the usually-reliable Clement PDXs; I had a couple of hairy moments but never actually hit the deck. Most of the climbs were heavily cut-up and only fit for tackling on foot due to lack of traction, but as even Liam Killeen was reduced to getting off and running up some of those banks, I was in good company!

David

cyclingsheep

morph wrote:

cyclingsheep wrote:

morph wrote:

Rocked up at Hillingdon for my first proper go at cross on Sunday in the senior race.
Bit of a disaster all round. Arrived too late to look at the course, figured I'd see how the first lap went and then hit it harder second lap onwards. But saddle on bike slipped on lap 1 and back went as a result of trying to stand the whole time during lap 2. Always figured on being towards the back, but not last by 3 minutes :oops:

Will definitely do more, but I'm going to wait until I have my own bike. Which Canyon are doing their best not to deliver.

That wasn't you on a borrowed Pina was it? That looked like hard work for sure, might've saved time by stopping at the club house and asking for an Allen key

Yep, that was me. Unfortunately I'd done up the seat post as much as it could be done already - bolt was a bit rounded. Given that it didn't last a lap I decided stopping to do it 4 times wasn't going to be worth it. My back which is still killing me today disagrees though!
Still, if I hadn't kindly been loaned a bike I wouldn't have raced at all.

I'd have loaned you mine except everything was still full of mud by the time you guys set off. It looked like conditions were actually better for the seniors.....for a change. You guys normally get the short end of the stick on race day

bendertherobot

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kkgohXEz8

Call that mud!

Welsh Cyclocross League : 14th December 2014 Caer…: http://youtu.be/_CwbRNGGrtU

cyclingsheep

bendertherobot wrote:

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kkgohXEz8

Call that mud!

Welsh Cyclocross League : 14th December 2014 Caer…: http://youtu.be/_CwbRNGGrtU

Ah yes but while a lot of your course was not rideable at least your bike was still capable of being ridden on the parts that were. The difference between very wet mud which falls off the bike and not so wet mud that clings to your bike like a limpet

bendertherobot

cyclingsheep wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kkgohXEz8

Call that mud!

Welsh Cyclocross League : 14th December 2014 Caer…: http://youtu.be/_CwbRNGGrtU

Ah yes but while a lot of your course was not rideable at least your bike was still capable of being ridden on the parts that were. The difference between very wet mud which falls off the bike and not so wet mud that clings to your bike like a limpet

Trust me, by the end, there was no bottom bracket area at all. Just a massive bee hive type mud thing

cyclingsheep

bendertherobot wrote:

cyclingsheep wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kkgohXEz8

Call that mud!

Welsh Cyclocross League : 14th December 2014 Caer…: http://youtu.be/_CwbRNGGrtU

Ah yes but while a lot of your course was not rideable at least your bike was still capable of being ridden on the parts that were. The difference between very wet mud which falls off the bike and not so wet mud that clings to your bike like a limpet

Trust me, by the end, there was no bottom bracket area at all. Just a massive bee hive type mud thing

Ha, we had juniors in tears being forced to push a bike so full of mud their wheels wouldn't turn after less than 10mins.....oh and we used to live in hole int middle o road, luxury

devhads

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

I'm curious as to why only one bike allowed. Is this a rule for all North Wales races? What about spare wheels and a spare frame kept separately in the pits :?

bendertherobot

cyclingsheep wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

cyclingsheep wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kkgohXEz8

Call that mud!

Welsh Cyclocross League : 14th December 2014 Caer…: http://youtu.be/_CwbRNGGrtU

Ah yes but while a lot of your course was not rideable at least your bike was still capable of being ridden on the parts that were. The difference between very wet mud which falls off the bike and not so wet mud that clings to your bike like a limpet

Trust me, by the end, there was no bottom bracket area at all. Just a massive bee hive type mud thing

Ha, we had juniors in tears being forced to push a bike so full of mud their wheels wouldn't turn after less than 10mins.....oh and we used to live in hole int middle o road, luxury

There was so much mud I don't know if I finished on a bike. If I did it then got immediately swallowed up and I've not seen itvsince

cyclingsheep

devhads wrote:

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

I'm curious as to why only one bike allowed. Is this a rule for all North Wales races? What about spare wheels and a spare frame kept separately in the pits :?

I did a Nth Welsh race last year and I'm not sure I remember them having a pit. I presume it's about levelling the playing field. Another rule they have is you must dismount for obstacles/barriers, you can't ride them.

bendertherobot

Them gogs and their odd rules. Certainly have pits in South Wales. Lots of bike changes and wheel changes going on.

I've no idea if you can jump obstacles. I've never tried

johnboy183

bendertherobot wrote:

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kkgohXEz8

Call that mud!

Welsh Cyclocross League : 14th December 2014 Caer…: http://youtu.be/_CwbRNGGrtU

"The Noise, The Noise. Make it stop!" Your poor bike! It's on deaths door!

Is it dead now?

bendertherobot

It's fine. It's the manner in which the GoPro closed back picks up vibration from the bike. It's funny, my mate described it as hypnotic. I hate it. I might overdub the next one......

cyclingsheep

Well a huge thanks to whoever replied to an earlier question about Challenge Limus tyres (I think it was you Devhads). Got a set for Xmas and got to test them out today on a fantastic course in The Nth Wales league. I didn't get a chance to pre ride the course so guessed on my tyre pressures, after 200m I thought "bugger, too low" as I'd bottomed out three times on roots, there were a lot of those, but raced for an hour, bottomed out 5-10 times a lap and no flat. Oh and the grip.....awesome. Was such a fun race and was looking at a top 20 finish till I slammed into a tree on the last lap and lost two places as I straightened out my bars and brake lever. Very technical course with just some short sections to put the power down, fantastic.

devhads

cyclingsheep wrote:

Well a huge thanks to whoever replied to an earlier question about Challenge Limus tyres (I think it was you Devhads). Got a set for Xmas and got to test them out today on a fantastic course in The Nth Wales league. I didn't get a chance to pre ride the course so guessed on my tyre pressures, after 200m I thought "bugger, too low" as I'd bottomed out three times on roots, there were a lot of those, but raced for an hour, bottomed out 5-10 times a lap and no flat. Oh and the grip.....awesome. Was such a fun race and was looking at a top 20 finish till I slammed into a tree on the last lap and lost two places as I straightened out my bars and brake lever. Very technical course with just some short sections to put the power down, fantastic.

Probably was me, seeing as I am their biggest fan. I bottom them out ALL the time, at low pressures and they never seem to flat. Sounds like you had a good day's racing.

Eastern League for me today, very hard racing in mid field for me. A group of 6-7 never seemed to separate ourselves the whole race with a blanket being able to be thrown over about 5 of us in to the last corner. First time in a long time I've had to sprint at the end.

tgotb

cyclingsheep wrote:

Well a huge thanks to whoever replied to an earlier question about Challenge Limus tyres (I think it was you Devhads). Got a set for Xmas and got to test them out today on a fantastic course in The Nth Wales league. I didn't get a chance to pre ride the course so guessed on my tyre pressures, after 200m I thought "bugger, too low" as I'd bottomed out three times on roots, there were a lot of those, but raced for an hour, bottomed out 5-10 times a lap and no flat. Oh and the grip.....awesome. Was such a fun race and was looking at a top 20 finish till I slammed into a tree on the last lap and lost two places as I straightened out my bars and brake lever. Very technical course with just some short sections to put the power down, fantastic.

Good effort! Out of interest, what pressures did you have?

Great race at Footscray Meadow yesterday. Running FMB Supermuds at 17/19psi gave plenty of grip and was fine over roots with care, but bizarrely bottomed out on a slightly rough track; I remember the same from last year. One of my rear tyres had been approaching the "do I dare race with this?" stage, and then developed a suspicious bulge after warming up, so I swapped it out for a clincher training wheel. Definitely the right call; despite only being at 19psi it went off like a gunshot in the car on the way home...

ugo.santalucia

TGOTB wrote:

Great race at Footscray Meadow yesterday. Running FMB Supermuds at 17/19psi gave plenty of grip and was fine over roots with care, but bizarrely bottomed out on a slightly rough track; I remember the same from last year. One of my rear tyres had been approaching the "do I dare race with this?" stage, and then developed a suspicious bulge after warming up, so I swapped it out for a clincher training wheel. Definitely the right call; despite only being at 19psi it went off like a gunshot in the car on the way home...

That's FMB...
Fast, supple and lovely, but made of cheese. A friend bought a pair of Paris-Roubaix 25 mm tubs at 75 quid a pop... 85-90 PSI... the first one exploded while we were climbing steady on the road going towards Dunstable Downs... sidewall burst... the other also exploded a few days later.
Nice for racing, bad for riding

antsmithmk

bendertherobot wrote:

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kkgohXEz8

Call that mud!

Welsh Cyclocross League : 14th December 2014 Caer…: http://youtu.be/_CwbRNGGrtU

Is that a novice race?

bendertherobot

antsmithmk wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Moonbiker wrote:

Drone vid of race I did Sunday, was extremely muddy, had to stop several times to pull mud off as wheels were jammed up with grass mixed with leaves & mud. Only one bike allowed so everyone has same problem though apart from thoose with disc brakes which have more mud clearance than canti's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kkgohXEz8

Call that mud!

Welsh Cyclocross League : 14th December 2014 Caer…: http://youtu.be/_CwbRNGGrtU

Is that a novice race?

It is for me

antsmithmk

I only ask as in the first few mins I'm sure you go past a blonde lady rider?

bendertherobot

antsmithmk wrote:

I only ask as in the first few mins I'm sure you go past a blonde lady rider?

It's a mixed race in that league. So, seniors, vets and women. Though novice women ride alone or, sometimes, get lumped in with the juniors.

They then split the results out to overall, vets, women etc.

VamP

TGOTB wrote:

cyclingsheep wrote:

Well a huge thanks to whoever replied to an earlier question about Challenge Limus tyres (I think it was you Devhads). Got a set for Xmas and got to test them out today on a fantastic course in The Nth Wales league. I didn't get a chance to pre ride the course so guessed on my tyre pressures, after 200m I thought "bugger, too low" as I'd bottomed out three times on roots, there were a lot of those, but raced for an hour, bottomed out 5-10 times a lap and no flat. Oh and the grip.....awesome. Was such a fun race and was looking at a top 20 finish till I slammed into a tree on the last lap and lost two places as I straightened out my bars and brake lever. Very technical course with just some short sections to put the power down, fantastic.

Good effort! Out of interest, what pressures did you have?

Great race at Footscray Meadow yesterday. Running FMB Supermuds at 17/19psi gave plenty of grip and was fine over roots with care, but bizarrely bottomed out on a slightly rough track; I remember the same from last year. One of my rear tyres had been approaching the "do I dare race with this?" stage, and then developed a suspicious bulge after warming up, so I swapped it out for a clincher training wheel. Definitely the right call; despite only being at 19psi it went off like a gunshot in the car on the way home...

How old? I have seen my Dugasts dying within one season now, and that's too fast. I wonder if FMB are also cutting quality? I am trying the cotton carcass Limus this year, to see if there is more durability - it's a good tyre, but it's not quite a Rhino or a Supermud. I had previously got nearly three seasons out of Supermuds so I always rated them for durability.

Good ride at Footscray BTW.

We had a mahoosive crash within seconds of the start at Snetterton, ambulances and everything, somehow stayed upright but dropped chain meant I had to chase back right from the back of the bunch. I guess that's good practice for the Nationals.

tgotb

Thanks, was pretty pleased with that result :-) AndyP had a good ride too...

The dead tyre was new this season, but I don't think I looked after it as well as I should; I didn't Aquasure them after fitting, and after 4 or 5 muddy races the latex on the sidewalls was worn and letting in water, and I'd also damaged the cotton itself. I Aquasured it at that point, but it was a bit late tbh.

The front, which I Aquasured at the same time (and before the latex had worn through) looks fine. One to chalk down to experience, I think.

Have you been Aquasuring your FMBs from the off?

VamP

TGOTB wrote:

Thanks, was pretty pleased with that result :-) AndyP had a good ride too...

The dead tyre was new this season, but I don't think I looked after it as well as I should; I didn't Aquasure them after fitting, and after 4 or 5 muddy races the latex on the sidewalls was worn and letting in water, and I'd also damaged the cotton itself. I Aquasured it at that point, but it was a bit late tbh.

The front, which I Aquasured at the same time (and before the latex had worn through) looks fine. One to chalk down to experience, I think.

Have you been Aquasuring your FMBs from the off?

Yes, aquasured from the go. I don't have faith in the thin latex coating. Challenge are the same. It's always the rear that takes the brunt of the abuse, wheels as well. I have loads of good front wheel/tub combos but the rears are a bit thin on the ground right now

cyclingsheep

TGOTB wrote:

cyclingsheep wrote:

Well a huge thanks to whoever replied to an earlier question about Challenge Limus tyres (I think it was you Devhads). Got a set for Xmas and got to test them out today on a fantastic course in The Nth Wales league. I didn't get a chance to pre ride the course so guessed on my tyre pressures, after 200m I thought "bugger, too low" as I'd bottomed out three times on roots, there were a lot of those, but raced for an hour, bottomed out 5-10 times a lap and no flat. Oh and the grip.....awesome. Was such a fun race and was looking at a top 20 finish till I slammed into a tree on the last lap and lost two places as I straightened out my bars and brake lever. Very technical course with just some short sections to put the power down, fantastic.

Good effort! Out of interest, what pressures did you have?

Great race at Footscray Meadow yesterday. Running FMB Supermuds at 17/19psi gave plenty of grip and was fine over roots with care, but bizarrely bottomed out on a slightly rough track; I remember the same from last year. One of my rear tyres had been approaching the "do I dare race with this?" stage, and then developed a suspicious bulge after warming up, so I swapped it out for a clincher training wheel. Definitely the right call; despite only being at 19psi it went off like a gunshot in the car on the way home...

Running them at 21/23 but they are clinchers with bute inner tubes so quite impressed

antsmithmk

Welwyn is going to be busy this weekend... the men's vet race is full in the 40-49 cat.

cyclingsheep

antsmithmk wrote:

Welwyn is going to be busy this weekend... the men's vet race is full in the 40-49 cat.

Looks like mid-pack mediocrity will be harder to achieve than normal for me

VamP

cyclingsheep wrote:

antsmithmk wrote:

Welwyn is going to be busy this weekend... the men's vet race is full in the 40-49 cat.

Looks like mid-pack mediocrity will be harder to achieve than normal for me

I am counting 70 entries, why such a low limit, anyone know? ECXL set a limit of 80, and I thought that was the lowest around and that's due to the (rather clever) time keeping method that is used there. LCCA don't have a limit at all.

devhads

VamP wrote:

cyclingsheep wrote:

antsmithmk wrote:

Welwyn is going to be busy this weekend... the men's vet race is full in the 40-49 cat.

Looks like mid-pack mediocrity will be harder to achieve than normal for me

I am counting 70 entries, why such a low limit, anyone know? ECXL set a limit of 80, and I thought that was the lowest around and that's due to the (rather clever) time keeping method that is used there. LCCA don't have a limit at all.

Apparently this is the first time they have had to do this.I always thought there was no limit and have seen that written before on Facebook posts etc. It may be due to the fact that they run the Juniors, Women and Vet 50s at the same time and there will be about 120 riders on the course.

wallace_and_gromit

I shed my cyclocross virginity last weekend at the York round of the Yorkshire Points series. I sensibly avoided as many good riders as possible, and entered the novice event. I managed to impress a group of fellow novice riders by falling off my bike in the car park just after completing my warmup!

The race itself went OK, if rather painfully. Heart rate stats were indistinguishable from crit racing, and I was very glad when I crossed the start finish line for the 5th time to find a guy in a dayglo jacket signalling me to the infield rather than round for another lap.

We were set off 2 minutes after the youth riders, and whilst the novice field was soon very split up, there was no end of action as I was lapped by a fair few of the leaders, but also dished it out to a goodly number of youngster less than a third of my age. I'll take it where I can find it!

I came second in the novice race, 5 minutes down on the winner, who I never saw other than on the start line. I don't fancy racing in the proper 40-49 category, if only as an hour sounds like a long time to spend in the "Hurt Box". Is there an official definition of a novice? It feels like just my category standard-wise, but racing it again doesn't feel quite right.

On an equipment note, I raced on my Boardman hybrid, and a fine steed it is as well. I've heard that flat barred bikes aren't allowed in "proper" cross events. Does anyone know if this is true?

Thanks - and good luck to anyone racing with a hangover tomorrow!