Real Commuter Racing

Wrath Rob
Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
edited September 2016 in Commuting chat
Having cut my teeth on SCR I'm making the step up to real racing with my first race tomorrow at Hillingdon in the 4th Cat race. I'll hopefully not be trashing any frames like another Rob on here and managing to keep it tyre side down and place high enough to get some points for my licence.

Do you think they'll adjust the results to reflect a FCN handicap?
FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
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Comments

  • MonkeyMonster
    MonkeyMonster Posts: 4,629
    i think your fcn will need adjusting by -1 now we know you have a licence though.
    Le Cannon [98 Cannondale M400] [FCN: 8]
    The Mad Monkey [2013 Hoy 003] [FCN: 4]
  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    No entries left for tomorrow and can't make any of the races until 4th feb.

    Best of luck Ron.
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Indeed. Bonne chance, Rob!

    Really should do some racing but Hillingdon doesn't suit my characteristics ;)
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Good luck Rob!
    FCN 4 PX SL Pro SRAM Red
    FCN 8 Scott Sportster '05
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    MonkeyMonster wrote:
    i think your fcn will need adjusting by -1 now we know you have a licence though.

    true though most will not know that. thats kind of the point of FCN is it is vague and you don't know if said person is fast or just looks it.
  • keyser__soze
    keyser__soze Posts: 2,067
    Good luck Rob. Will be cutting my teeth at racing on 5th Feb at Cyclopark, only cos there's a women's race on at the same time and I got too cold standing about watching Kate last time. After seeing the aftermath of Sharland's crash I'll probably leave the R1 at home and race the R3, albeit with the nicer wheels.
    "Mummy Mummy, when will I grow up?"
    "Don't be silly son, you're a bloke, you'll never grow up"
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    Thanks all. I'll be cleaning and checking the bike tonight in readiness for tomorrow. Both excited and nervous about it, must resist a calming bottle of wine tonight
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    Good luck mate, I reckon you've got a first race win in your locker...!

    I'm back there tomorrow for more carnage in the 3rds! Probably should ride my new frame to make sure everything works haha!
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    Cool. Will have a friendly face to chat with before the race then.
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    maybe ;-)

    Are you cycling up?
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Looks like another nice day for it; dry (by the time we start), not too cold, and not stupidly windy :-)

    I'll be driving up, as the mini TGOTBs are riding with Slipstreamers in the morning...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    Rob who?

    Dead to me know :twisted:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • whitebait01
    whitebait01 Posts: 610
    So how'd it go?
    Ribble Audax - FCN 5
    Dedacciai Pista - FCN 3
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    It went pretty well, though hard and fast. Summary here. Heart rate was at 160+ for most of the 54 minutes, showing I need to up my fitness a bit as I wasn't able to position myself where I wanted in the last couple of laps. Ended up being too far back to take part in the sprint and finished around 20th. A good (but not great) start to my racing career and a very useful fitness benchmark.

    There was some dodgy riding, with a few people moving without looking, some agressive cutting in too, but generally the club riders were better than the riders not in club kit. One guy seemed to get 1/2 way around a corner and then sit up, taking himself and the guy in front of me onto the grass, another guy squeezed a team mate onto the grass during the sprint. But everyone stayed rubber side down. The 3rds had a couple of bigger crashes though.

    Need to get some proper training in now and book a few more races!
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    So you've had 3 months, how many more races have you booked? ;)

    Can't spend all that banker bonus on a powertap and not make the most of it ;)
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • keyser__soze
    keyser__soze Posts: 2,067
    okgo, are you entering E123 or 3/4 on Saturday?
    "Mummy Mummy, when will I grow up?"
    "Don't be silly son, you're a bloke, you'll never grow up"
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    Probably the 3/4, not up to e123 level yet I doubt, and I stand a decent chance of getting some points in the 3/4 based on KW getting a 1/2 last night in that 3/4.

    I'll see how I get on, I might try an e123 on Tuesday soon, nothing to lose!
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    here we go again...
    BMC TM01 - FCN 0
    Look 695 (Geared) - FCN 1
    Bowman Palace:R - FCN 1
    Cannondale CAAD 9 - FCN 2
    Premier (CX) - FCN 6
    Premier (fixed/SS) - FCN3
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    eh?
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    the season is just starting isnt it?
    BMC TM01 - FCN 0
    Look 695 (Geared) - FCN 1
    Bowman Palace:R - FCN 1
    Cannondale CAAD 9 - FCN 2
    Premier (CX) - FCN 6
    Premier (fixed/SS) - FCN3
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    Oh, sorry, yes!

    Looking forward to it, got plenty of races booked in, and getting ever closer to the seasons goal too (2nd cat)
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • mr_ribble
    mr_ribble Posts: 1,068
    Does the season ever end? If there ever was an off season, you would probably say its October and November when all the r/r stuff dies away and there isint any crit shizzle on the go. But then come the first Saturday in Decemember, the Winter Series starts and you could, if you wanted pretty much race ever weekend up untill October the following year.
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    DIY nearly finished, which means I've earnt some proper brownie points. Ergo its time to go racing. Just as the evenings get longer too. Nice.

    Off to the BC website to see what's out there.
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    I'm down for a few SERRL road races, pretty much one a month between May and September. Will try and throw in a few rides at Palace / Hog Hill midweek. Of course, life tends to get in the way but would be nice if I could get myself into decent shape and actually be competitive in one or two! Making 3rd cat the immediate target, actually winning a race the pipe dream...
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    the less said about my performance last night then better i think. whooops.
    BMC TM01 - FCN 0
    Look 695 (Geared) - FCN 1
    Bowman Palace:R - FCN 1
    Cannondale CAAD 9 - FCN 2
    Premier (CX) - FCN 6
    Premier (fixed/SS) - FCN3
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    hmmm thinking about racing next year but you lot are all a good couple of mph quicker than me! have to do some serious winter training.

    or install some kind of electrical assist
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    Give it a try.

    Averages and all that count for nothing. You can sit in a pack and do almost no work at Hillingdon.

    Seriously don't bother building it up, just get the race liscnse etc and get down there on Saturday or Tuesday after work. Its the best way, I spent ages deliberating whether I would be fit enough to keep up, worrying about this that and the other. And obviously as it turned out I was fine. But the quicker you get into it, the quicker you know where you need to improve. And that is something you won't know on a flat commute.
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    okgo wrote:
    But the quicker you get into it, the quicker you know where you need to improve.
    This is probably not a bad shout. Might get a license once I'm back from holiday, if only for this reason. Will be pretty much a month off the bike though... maybe I'll give it a month to remind my legs how to peddle.
    Rose Xeon CW Disc
    CAAD12 Disc
    Condor Tempo
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Once this Ironman thing is out of the way and I can retire from running [ever again!] and swimming, I'm out of excuses not to race.
  • coopster_the_1st
    coopster_the_1st Posts: 5,158
    dhope wrote:
    okgo wrote:
    But the quicker you get into it, the quicker you know where you need to improve.
    This is probably not a bad shout. Might get a license once I'm back from holiday, if only for this reason. Will be pretty much a month off the bike though... maybe I'll give it a month to remind my legs how to peddle.

    You can race the Tuesday evening 3/4 on a Bronze, Silver or Gold provisional licence as there are no BC points at stake. That is what I did as I want to know if I would like racing.

    And as someone else said, you can sit in the bunch for the whole race. I did this :oops: but that was my aim from the race as I wanted to build confidence as I hear lots of stories about getting dropped, etc. My race average was 25.0mph

    Next time I race I plan to be a bit more active

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