Halfords tour series

andy46

I watched the first round on tv last night and they're in Durham tonight so I think I'll go along if the weather is not too bad.

Anyone else going tonight, or to any of the other rounds?

alihisgreat

andy46 wrote:

I watched the first round on tv last night and they're in Durham tonight so I think I'll go along if the weather is not too bad.

Anyone else going tonight, or to any of the other rounds?

I will be watching the one in Oxford next week as the circuit is only a 500m walk from me. Which TV channel is it on?

andy46

It's on ITV4 usually the night after the event.

GiantMike

I've not been to a Tour Series race but I've been to some city centre crits and I was amazed how fast they ride and how much air they move. I was also amazed when one of the Elite riders touched wheels and went down, and a following rider left the road and hit an old bloke at about 30mph. Not as amazed as the old bloke was though.

andy46

Here's a link for anyone wanting to catch it on tv, some of the later dates to be confirmed yet.

http://www.tourseries.co.uk/ArticleView ... 5&ShowCat=

MaxwellBygraves

I went to the one last year in Peterborough. It was great!

Was hoping to go to Durham tonight but can't. Have fun if you do go, hope the rain holds off!

CiB

Went to one in Milton Keynes town centre a couple of years ago; it's well worth it. V high speeds, a lot of close racing and the chance to get up close before & after. Plus a chance for the kids to get their fizzogs on the telly too, which helped sway it.

Redhog14

Was in Kirkcaldy on Tuesday and it was good, plenty of action and a decent crowd for what is a fairly out of the way location you may even have seen me on the Telly!. There is official hospitality for only £50 including a meal and goodies.
+1 for GiantMike's comment about the back wash on the straights, also the smell of the brake blocks! Got some free Skoda goodies too, purely to embarrass Speedybird who gets her new Skoda next week!

Frank the tank

Watched the Kircauldy race on tv and the conditions turned iffy. Must say after watching the giro it seemed seriously second rate.

Totally different scenario though, and no doubt it didn't come over on tv very well. Not knocking the competitors at all it was just how it came over. I would definitly go and watch if there was a crit in Nottingham city centre as it is exciting and skillful. It just didn't come over on tv very well for some reason.

Redhog14

To be fair it was not exactly "thrill a minute" if it had been pishing down only the hardest of hard core would have stuck around but it was a nice enough night with only light rain toward the last 5-6 laps but you could walk all the way round the course and see the action from different corners during the race. Speedybird and Christmas puppy did naff off onto the beach though, but it looked like a lot of spectators were treating it as a social ride out. Our bike club had kids in the junoir crits earlier on too.

DrKJM

Frank the tank wrote:

Watched the Kircauldy race on tv and the conditions turned iffy. Must say after watching the giro it seemed seriously second rate.

Totally different scenario though, and no doubt it didn't come over on tv very well. Not knocking the competitors at all it was just how it came over. I would definitly go and watch if there was a crit in Nottingham city centre as it is exciting and skillful. It just didn't come over on tv very well for some reason.

Not part of the halfords tour, but there is Nottingham city centre racing planned as part of the cycling festival in the run up to the Great Notts Bike Ride. Friday 13th July on the embankment. As I ride past on my way home I might find myself delayed.

nevman

Saw the Stoke round-if you live nearby or can ride in to watch its a corker-grab some goodies then see the podium girls later,whats not to like.hope to be there this year as well.Merc kit.

renard

Went along to the Kirkcaldy event on Tuesday and had a nice time.

My nine year old daughter enjoyed it as well - didn't once ask when it was going to finish.

nwallace

Redhog14 wrote:

To be fair it was not exactly "thrill a minute" if it had been pishing down only the hardest of hard core would have stuck around but it was a nice enough night with only light rain toward the last 5-6 laps but you could walk all the way round the course and see the action from different corners during the race. Speedybird and Christmas puppy did naff off onto the beach though, but it looked like a lot of spectators were treating it as a social ride out. Our bike club had kids in the junoir crits earlier on too.

Some photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/1075746730 ... dy20120515

p9uma

I might pop along to the Oxford one on Tuesday.

andy46

Well I went to Durham tonight with my mate and we had a great time. I didn't expect to be able to smell brakes! Good close racing and conditions were tricky as it didn't rain but the ground was wet, I didn't envy them one bit tackling the cobbled climb.

If you get chance to go to one I highly recommend it

murf1480

Does anybody know what time it all starts in Oxford on Tuesday

p9uma

murf1480 wrote:

Does anybody know what time it all starts in Oxford on Tuesday

I think its 7pm, but you can check on the ITV4 website.

essexian

Planning to do the Redditch round next Thursday and then head over to Aberystwyth on the Friday after some riding around Bala. The final race in Stoke should be great too: it normally is with quite large crowds.

What I like about the Tour Series is that you see the riders every 75 to 90 seconds so can see gaps coming and going and attacks being made. I have been to races in Southport, Southend, Woking, Stoke and Kettering.

rick_chasey

Move to pro-race, for obvious reasons.

tailwindhome

Rick, I think you've killed the thread....

inkyfingers

I am recording these, good little 45 minutes of cycling goodness to watch on a quiet day. I'm a big fan of these events, bringing a very easily digested form of cycling to town centres up and down the country. Would imagine that only a small % of the crowd are what you would call traditional cycling fans, so hopefully each one will convert a few more and help people to accept that road racing is exciting and worth closing roads for.

Pross

The Aberystwyth round is an odd one. The support races start just after lunchtime on a Friday afternoon, I can't see many people taking the day off work to ride them and the kids will still be in school. I'll be watching the other crit series at the Abergavenny round which is always a good evening.

Zoomer37

Check this pic out from the KIrkcaldy leg .. Poor lad

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12559612@N ... otostream/

greasedscotsman

Zoomer37 wrote:

Check this pic out from the KIrkcaldy leg .. Poor lad

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12559612@N ... otostream/

I like all the other riders looking at him!

p9uma

Zoomer37 wrote:

Check this pic out from the KIrkcaldy leg .. Poor lad

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12559612@N ... otostream/

Ouch, thats gotta hurt!

greasedscotsman

A little to the right and he would have made the gap in the barriers!

rick_chasey

TailWindHome wrote:

Rick, I think you've killed the thread....

Richj

murf1480 wrote:

Does anybody know what time it all starts in Oxford on Tuesday

In terms of when the event will start you'd have to check local press or maybe the tour series website. I know the main Pro race starts at 7pm but for the Peterborough (and Oxford) rounds there is a Womens race first, they often also do youth racing and support races too so it can be a whole afternoon of races.

topcattim

p9uma wrote:

Zoomer37 wrote:

Check this pic out from the KIrkcaldy leg .. Poor lad

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12559612@N ... otostream/

Ouch, thats gotta hurt!

I think that the main problem for that rider is that he was clearly riding without a head.

majormantra

I was watching the Elite race at Kirkcaldy too. Atmosphere was decent and I enjoyed it, although I found the announcer/blaring music very irritating and was also left with the overwhelming impression that Kirkcaldy is a dump.