South West: Castle Combe Road Race League

springtide9

Fancy having a go at a bit of racing... mainly for a bit of fun.

Only a year on the road bike so want really an 'intro' on a circuit, the 'Bath Criteriums series ' looks a bit more intense (shorter, tighter - and hence maybe not for the inexperienced); the Castle Combe events look a better intro into racing (wider/longer track etc).. ideally looking for something local-ish to Bristol, and an evening event.

Here is the event in question:
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events ... ies-Race-1

I did a duathlon last year on this circuit.. so kind of know the track.. probably a different atmosphere and tactics, but being wide I'm hoping it will be easier to stay out of trouble while getting used to 'racing'. Not sure I'd want to start on a tight track.

The Duathlon was very relaxed, and would have felt comfortable just completing the event regardless of position.

Anyone raced at this event and happy to give some feedback?

Pross

I've raced there years ago but I think it's a different beast now due to numbers racing. A club mate is trying to get me to do a few of them and he reckons the bunches there are huge making sitting in and getting round (if that is your initial aim) fairly easy. Peronally I think I'll still struggle as I've never been much use at circuit racing but will probably give a few of them a go. Probably as good a place to start as anywhere - not too tight, fairly wide circuit, big bunches and flat course.

springtide9

Pross wrote:

I've raced there years ago but I think it's a different beast now due to numbers racing. A club mate is trying to get me to do a few of them and he reckons the bunches there are huge making sitting in and getting round (if that is your initial aim) fairly easy. Peronally I think I'll still struggle as I've never been much use at circuit racing but will probably give a few of them a go. Probably as good a place to start as anywhere - not too tight, fairly wide circuit, big bunches and flat course.

Thanks for the info... is does sound ideal.

weenyd

springtide9 wrote:

Fancy having a go at a bit of racing... mainly for a bit of fun.

Only a year on the road bike so want really an 'intro' on a circuit, the 'Bath Criteriums series ' looks a bit more intense (shorter, tighter - and hence maybe not for the inexperienced); the Castle Combe events look a better intro into racing (wider/longer track etc).. ideally looking for something local-ish to Bristol, and an evening event.

Here is the event in question:
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events ... ies-Race-1

I did a duathlon last year on this circuit.. so kind of know the track.. probably a different atmosphere and tactics, but being wide I'm hoping it will be easier to stay out of trouble while getting used to 'racing'. Not sure I'd want to start on a tight track.

The Duathlon was very relaxed, and would have felt comfortable just completing the event regardless of position.

Anyone raced at this event and happy to give some feedback?

I raced both last year, and my very first bike race of any sort was the Bath Crit. That was a bit of a wake up call, due to the hill and the sprint out of the hairpin bend every lap, with each lap lasting roughly 2 and a half minutes! Great fun though, as there was 25-35 riders in the 3/4 race and the big bunch only lasted for 2/3 laps and then thinned out into smaller groups so less chance of crashing. It is a tight track but there's plenty of room once everyone is in single file groups, and you get lots of practice trying to hold someone's wheel. The support from the crowd was great, and I'm pleased to see it's back again for this year.

Castle Combe is a different beast which had 60-70 riders in the 3/4 race, and like you say is on a wide, very smooth track with no hills to speak of, just the wind whipping across the exposed course. I found it easy to sit in the bunch and there's plenty of room to move up, which you'll need to constantly be doing, otherwise you'll end up at the back. The downsides are that there are a few riders who don't know how to ride in a bunch so you need to watch out for those, and it generally ends up as a bunch ride around with a sprint at the end.

Both are good fun, and I'd recommend them both, but I give Bath the nod as it's much more selective and there's no chance of finishing near the front by just sitting in and letting everyone else do the work. Make sure you've been on a few club runs first to learn how to behave in a group, and go and enjoy. See you there.

peejay78

120 riders in 3/4 category = huge crash.

not good. perhaps the organisers need to consider rider safety when rolling out a tour-sized peloton on a 2 mile circuit.

acidstrato

peejay78 wrote:

120 riders in 3/4 category = huge crash.

not good. perhaps the organisers need to consider rider safety when rolling out a tour-sized peloton on a 2 mile circuit.

:shock: have you ever rode one of the thursday night races?

never that many riders in the 3/4 races last summer I rode every one and max 70 riders.

the easter classic race yes but the thursday night races no


combe is ok for novices but i wouldnt recommend getting in the mix till you've done a few.

big jumps out of the chicanes, jittery riders in very tight bunches. and an inevitable bunch sprint that is always very messy and often ends with a crash.

Zoomer37

Castle Combe is ok. It's only going through the chicane part of the course that people tend to stop using their brains.

If your from Bristol mate you may want to give the Tuesday night chaingang a try which go's from the Nova Scotia about 6:15. Good training for racing.

DavidJB

Shall be racing this tomorrow... hopefully wont get 70!

Pross

Might give them a go on alternate weeks where it won't clash with our club TTs but not sure as it will be a struggle timewise. Sure I'll do one or two though.

DavidJB

Busy last night and toooooo flat! Not enough spat out!

ellerslierd

Yes, the 3/4 bunch was huge, yet I still found myself constantly battling the wind! Could not have been more different than at Victoria Park in Bath on Wednesday, a nice challenge though. I thought the bunch was sensible enough, although it almost went completely wrong when the E/1/2s turned up just behind the 3/4 race at the finish...

samg123

Bit of a baptism of fire for my first race!
Was just nicely working my way up for a mid-bunch finish and then the e/1/2s came through and everything went tits up...