racing blogs...?

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  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    hamilton wheelers seems to be now updating their website. it's essentially a group of about 3 or 4 chaps who've started racing for Bristol South CC. makes for interesting reading...

    http://www.hamiltonwheelers.cc/
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • Benjamin Hall
    Benjamin Hall Posts: 608
    There are a lot of Bristol South on the startlist for the betty pharoah Paul. You guys planning something big?
    http://ifonlyiwerebelgian.wordpress.com/

    https://twitter.com/#!/IOIWBelgian
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    i think it's just reflection of the new club members looking to ride more. it's also popular because of the uphill finish.

    i didn't get in! was quite annoyed.
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    Had a little spin at Hillingdon today with a field of 90, yes 90 people!!!!!!!

    I made an entry talking about the race.
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • Johnpsanderson
    Johnpsanderson Posts: 380
    My third time trial outing this year http://meandthemountain.wordpress.com/2 ... -to-earth/
    Put me back on my bike...

    t' blog: http://meandthemountain.wordpress.com/
  • Benjamin Hall
    Benjamin Hall Posts: 608
    Sounds like everyone's seasons are in full flow now. 15 points from 2nd cat is bloody impressive Rob. I still need 30 something, but that is the main goal for the season.

    I'm really enjoying reading everyone's blogs. Keep up the good work folks.

    Ive just got round to writing up the Surrey league race if anyone is interested. Check it out in my sig link.
    http://ifonlyiwerebelgian.wordpress.com/

    https://twitter.com/#!/IOIWBelgian
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    I've done races that are not too hard though.

    I've got 3 more races planned in, and maybe a couple of crits. I hope through those I can get the points needed.

    It's not that impressive though, Nick Baker was a 4th the same week I started, he won his first race, and then just carried on doing really well. He has 190 points... That is properly impressive.
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • Benjamin Hall
    Benjamin Hall Posts: 608
    190! How? Does he ride for Zappis?
    http://ifonlyiwerebelgian.wordpress.com/

    https://twitter.com/#!/IOIWBelgian
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    Yep Zappis.

    Well have a look at his 'Palmares' on the BC site. He's won a fair few e123 crits, and he's placed in some big races, think he came 2nd the other day in a big race = 45 points for one race! He has done really quite well. And if he can continue then it IMO really puts paid to the whole ethos of low intensity in the winter, and don't peak too early etc. He's been winning races for 6 months now and they're only getting bigger and faster.
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • lyn1
    lyn1 Posts: 261
    okgo wrote:
    Yep Zappis.

    Well have a look at his 'Palmares' on the BC site. He's won a fair few e123 crits, and he's placed in some big races, think he came 2nd the other day in a big race = 45 points for one race! He has done really quite well. And if he can continue then it IMO really puts paid to the whole ethos of low intensity in the winter, and don't peak too early etc. He's been winning races for 6 months now and they're only getting bigger and faster.

    And there lies a problem. This was far from a top race. Premier Calendar races attract about 100 of the better riders in the country and offers 100 ranking points for the win. This race probably attracted 3-4 riders of that quality, yet offered 60 points for the win. You would need 4th at a Premier to get 60ish points and 7th for 45ish. There are guys picking up shed loads of points in Nat B races every week who couldnt finish a Premier, let alone make 20th for 2 points.

    There's no wonder guys shoot through the cats to Elite, then can't last the first hour of a Premier.

    No offence to the riders...not their fault the BC system is cr*p.
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    True, but it was a bigger race than anyone who's been riding for 4 months would normally expect to place top 3 in...

    Ultimately though, isn't it a riders choice how they get the points? I recall he was going to take a year out to try and go pro, presumably he won't do that without putting a showing in at a Premier? So if he can't then he will stay where he is, if he can, then he may get somewhere?

    I know little about the higher end races, what sort of standard jump is there to a premier from a high level e12? If you have some examples from 2011 that I can have a look at the results for to get a feel of the names that would be really useful :)
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • lyn1
    lyn1 Posts: 261
    okgo wrote:

    I know little about the higher end races, what sort of standard jump is there to a premier from a high level e12? If you have some examples from 2011 that I can have a look at the results for to get a feel of the names that would be really useful :)

    The lad has done well. Its a criticism of the system not the riders. Check out some Nat B results and see where the guys in the top 10 finished in a Prem. Or check out the top 2 guys in last years Elite rankings and see where they got their points...it was not riding against the top guys in the country!....it was by doings large numbers of Nat B or lower cat races with disproportionately high points. Nat B are grossly over-rewarded compared to Nat A Premiers. There are very few "high level EI2" outside the Prems. There used to be a handful of "Classics" in the early season, but with so many UCI teams now, who tend to be abroad at that time of year, even those races do not compare to Prems. CDNW also attract decent fields some weeks. Generally the gap between a decent Nat B E12 and a Prem is enormous.
    I do not want to personalise this by citing riders as examples, so offer a generic example. One of the UCI registered teams went to a 3 day Premier and for a team of eight riders over 3 races they scored 8 ranking points for the whole team. Two of their team who were not good enough to make the eight man selection did a Nat B E12 that weekend, finished 1st and 2nd (no surprise as the top 100 were elswhere) and amassed 112 ranking points between them. Had they ridden the Prem the odds were they would have got no points.
  • jibberjim
    jibberjim Posts: 2,810
    I guess it depends if you think the points system is valuable as a scorecard of a riders ability, or if it's purely to get fair fields. Those riders scoring points in the Nat B race, would also be scoring them in a Reg A or B, they'd be less of course, but that means they'd spend more time racing the lower category racing giving the weaker riders a kicking there. So by making it harder for these riders to move up, the lower category races become less an equal contest of similar ability riders - being in races with guys who are a level above (generally ex pro's who've had a couple years off and then back racing 3 or 2/3) is pretty annoying. Everyone marks the same rider and even then he still rides off into the distance when he wants.

    As a scorecard for comparison, as you say it's rubbish. As a way to get fair races, I don't think it's so bad, yes the Elite riders who get soft points will then get a kicking - so what, the same applies to the 3rd or 4th cats who pick up soft points on flat circuits and then get a kicking in a 2 or 3 road race. I don't think it's as bad for that, other than where it distorts entry fields. I'm certainly not sure you could create a points system which actually never gave people the opportunity for soft points.
    Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/
  • lyn1
    lyn1 Posts: 261
    jibberjim wrote:
    I guess it depends if you think the points system is valuable as a scorecard of a riders ability, or if it's purely to get fair fields. Those riders scoring points in the Nat B race, would also be scoring them in a Reg A or B, they'd be less of course, but that means they'd spend more time racing the lower category racing giving the weaker riders a kicking there. So by making it harder for these riders to move up, the lower category races become less an equal contest of similar ability riders - being in races with guys who are a level above (generally ex pro's who've had a couple years off and then back racing 3 or 2/3) is pretty annoying. Everyone marks the same rider and even then he still rides off into the distance when he wants.

    As a scorecard for comparison, as you say it's rubbish. As a way to get fair races, I don't think it's so bad, yes the Elite riders who get soft points will then get a kicking - so what, the same applies to the 3rd or 4th cats who pick up soft points on flat circuits and then get a kicking in a 2 or 3 road race. I don't think it's as bad for that, other than where it distorts entry fields. I'm certainly not sure you could create a points system which actually never gave people the opportunity for soft points.

    Fair points. So if its about equalising fields, the Elite "ranking" can be scrapped as can the team ranking that suffers from the same, plus additional flaws. It would also save BC doing a meaningless update on the movers and shakers each week.
  • Benjamin Hall
    Benjamin Hall Posts: 608
    Mine is updated with my last race... I did not enjoy it!

    http://ifonlyiwerebelgian.com/2012/04/2 ... haroah-34/
    http://ifonlyiwerebelgian.wordpress.com/

    https://twitter.com/#!/IOIWBelgian
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    That looks a good race! Bit harder than what you get down here!
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • Benjamin Hall
    Benjamin Hall Posts: 608
    I think the wind mae it harder than it could have been. Very glad i'm not racing today! It is horrible out there!
    http://ifonlyiwerebelgian.wordpress.com/

    https://twitter.com/#!/IOIWBelgian
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    Yep. A mate did Reading Cc road race and said he got his legs ripped off by the chap I mentioned above haha.
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • Spaniard
    Spaniard Posts: 69
    I've only raced once, but I'm hooked and determined to improve. Here's my blog: http://noviceroadracer.blogspot.co.uk/
  • jbwilliamz
    jbwilliamz Posts: 187
    Once race (3/4 cat crit), but mostly about a short trip to the Alps last week -> www.jbwilliamz.blogspot.com
  • Spaniard
    Spaniard Posts: 69
    Just updated - 44 years old and just got into road racing and loving it. http://noviceroadracer.blogspot.co.uk/
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    Couple more in mine for anyone interested. (in signiture)
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • Spaniard
    Spaniard Posts: 69
    More lessons learned : http://noviceroadracer.blogspot.co.uk/
  • Benjamin Hall
    Benjamin Hall Posts: 608
    Mine have been up on Road.cc this week for the Ras de Cymru. You can also read them on my site at www.ifonlyiwerebelgian.com

    Cheers


    Ben
    http://ifonlyiwerebelgian.wordpress.com/

    https://twitter.com/#!/IOIWBelgian
  • Johnpsanderson
    Johnpsanderson Posts: 380
    Benjamin Hall wrote:
    Mine have been up on Road.cc this week for the Ras de Cymru. You can also read them on my site at http://www.ifonlyiwerebelgian.com

    Cheers


    Ben

    A good read - and sounded like absolute hell!
    Put me back on my bike...

    t' blog: http://meandthemountain.wordpress.com/
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    Yep good read.

    Gutted I'm not doing a stage race this year, was going to do the etape de fonce, but I made 2nd cat too soon (nice problem to have I know) so will wait till next year.
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • Chip \'oyler
    Chip \'oyler Posts: 2,323
    My brother's just started writing a blog about his racing. Soul searching and candid.

    http://juannotjuan.wordpress.com/
    Expertly coached by http://www.vitessecyclecoaching.co.uk/

    http://vineristi.wordpress.com - the blog for Viner owners and lovers!
  • Spaniard
    Spaniard Posts: 69
    Updated blog on my training data: http://noviceroadracer.blogspot.co.uk/
  • Benjamin Hall
    Benjamin Hall Posts: 608
    Given mine a bit of a makeover. http://www.ifonlyiwerebelgian.com
    http://ifonlyiwerebelgian.wordpress.com/

    https://twitter.com/#!/IOIWBelgian
  • Spaniard
    Spaniard Posts: 69
    Chip \'oyler wrote:
    My brother's just started writing a blog about his racing. Soul searching and candid.

    http://juannotjuan.wordpress.com/

    thanks for posting - enjoyed reading this. :D

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