Lack of racing

Max09
Max09 Posts: 27
edited August 2011 in Amateur race
Im 16 so I cant drive and I have to rely on my Dad to take me to races. For obvious reasons he does not want to drive too far to get to them. The thing is, almost 90% of all the races I could find are over an hours drive away!
Why is it that there is such a lack of races around? Ive only managed to do 4 RRs this season. :(

Comments

  • Pseudonym
    Pseudonym Posts: 1,032
    bit difficult to help - you haven't actually said where you live...
  • Max09
    Max09 Posts: 27
    Sorry.. I live in Goring, Oxfordshire.
  • Pseudonym
    Pseudonym Posts: 1,032
    Hillingdon Circuit...? There's usually something going on there practically every day of the week....or get a track bike and ride the Reading track league...

    Can't believe you can't find races in that area....
  • ju5t1n
    ju5t1n Posts: 2,028
    The events search facility on British Cycling has a distance field. Set it at 50kms (or optimistically) at 100 and you'll find hundreds of races within an hour's drive from Goring
  • alan_sherman
    alan_sherman Posts: 1,157
    On Sunday mornings you can go a lot further than at rush hour during the week. :D
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Join a club and make some friends then you'll get lifts to races.
    More problems but still living....
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    Reading track is a great place to get into racing........you can hire a track bike there to see how you get on before buying your own. Track league Monday evenings I think and they will also have training sessions down there on other days.

    Palmer Park Velo is probably the best bet if you're not already in a club
    http://www.palmerparkvelo.com/
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • Max09
    Max09 Posts: 27
    Thanks everyone, I do already do track league but I was thinking more about road racing.
    Hillingdon seems to only have racing on a tuesday and the occasional weekend, or is that me being blind?
    I am already in a club and I do sometimes get lifts but rarely. I was just wondering why there are not that many local road races, thats all...
  • Pseudonym
    Pseudonym Posts: 1,032
    Max09 wrote:
    I am already in a club and I do sometimes get lifts but rarely. I was just wondering why there are not that many local road races, thats all...

    I think the point people are trying to make is that there are plenty of races in that region..

    http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events ... radius=100
  • Max09
    Max09 Posts: 27
    Yes but just because they're in the same region doesn't really mean they're local..
    Thanks anyway.
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    edited June 2011
    Because they are a pain in the arse to organise and most events are lucky to break even, however most decent sized clubs will run at least 1 road race each season (I know the Reading CC and Banbury Star do local to you).But that still leaves a fair bit of travelling I'm afraid to get to more distant events.

    Does your own club organise a road race? If not, try and drum up some support within the membership to organise one for next season.

    Not sure of the distance from you but there is a Junior RR on 24th July on a circuit near Aylesbury.......and 2 weeks later my club (CC Luton) is organising a 2/3/4 on the same circuit. Short of entries at present so plenty of spaces at the moment.

    EDIT: Another 2/3/4 on that same circuit on 10th July run by TMG Horizon
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • Pseudonym
    Pseudonym Posts: 1,032
    Max09 wrote:
    Yes but just because they're in the same region doesn't really mean they're local..

    well obviously - but if you actually look at the list, many of the races are easily within an hour of Goring.
  • Max09
    Max09 Posts: 27
    Yeah I will be at the bath junior RR and I'll try to get an entry for your 2/3/4 one. :)

    Actually many of the events on the list may look close but they're actually quite hard to get to, especially as many of them are in the evening on a week day...
    I appreciate that they are mainly circuits and there are none too close. I suppose Bronzie has answered my question in that they are a pain in the ars* to organize though.
  • felgen
    felgen Posts: 829
    If you live in Goring, firstly, you have some good hills to train on! I used to commute to work through there so Streatley Hill would be fun! As for getting to races, you could get the train to West Drayton, which is a stones throw from Hillingdon without too much trouble, maybe a change in Reading. Where theres a will theres a way.
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  • incog24
    incog24 Posts: 549
    I was going to reply with the standard 'go organise one then!' line, but then saw you're 16...Definitely get involved with a club and help out at one though. The easier it is for the organiser the more likely they'll do one the following season, or even do two.
    Racing for Fluid Fin Race Team in 2012 - www.fluidfin.co.uk
  • The_Heff
    The_Heff Posts: 1
    I feel for you, but as others have said I imagine there are plenty of races within reachable distance, especially if you can grab a lift of your clubmates. Good luck with your foray into road racing.

    Try being a 1st Cat/Elite in the South West, you have to travel hundreds of miles to pretty much every race! Especially National events, there is only one Premier event within 5 hours drive (Twinings ProAm).

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