Thefford Winter Series 2012/13

evo3ben

Definately less last year. Apparently the larger entry is to make up for Dusk till Dawn financial loses :? A start loop would make sense to thin out the field before first bottle neck. I dont think they will split the senior and vet start times though.

C0LL0

It was a mess last year at the start, I can understand them having a larger field to make up for any short fall, but it's the paying riders who'll suffer then perhaps not enter later races, difficult one to judge. I'm just glad in doing the 4 hour with less people at the start.

pilch

Sounds like carnage! can't do the the 1st couple, not sure if i'd want to by the sounds of it, get your head down & keep your elbows sharp

Jimboliana

C0LL0, I see by the reply on the Thetford forum that they are not having a start loop :0(

doom and gloom is a coming!

evo3ben

No start loop, doh! Getting to the first bottle neck is going to be a race in itself lol. And with this many people, if 1 person goes down its gonna be a tour de france style pile up!

stylish

2 years ago, the first straight went down the gravel climb, after about 200 yeards there was a monster shunt behind me, 1 guy went flying and took down lots of riders, he got hit and was pretty knocked about, hopefully we wont go that way on sunday! as if its wet, you cant se a thing at speed.

cant wait now, although i feel a bit nervous about the start though, just got to push like mad for the first bit, and see what happens, hopefully there will be a marshall with a pen taking numbers of those who barge and cheat at the first bottle neck.

anet367

Interesting read...

http://suffolkcyclist.co.uk/01/11/2012/ ... -series-1/

Jimboliana

Very interesting read anet367 and I think very true, we will see how it all goes on Sunday, I can see a lot of the fast riders being pi**ed off being held up by the mass numbers of slower people on the singletrack!!!

Think it may get messy

sdminus

im a fan of the uci take on things. Last years winter series was very overcrowded. the alternative is to split the races up like other events and not cram them all together which i think is a better option. this style of racing creates a first lap and last lap style of race. You can loose 10 mins on the leader on lap 1 alone through no fault of your own.

The whole cheating thing was discussed last year. There is a differance between cheating and playing the adavantage. My take on it is simple. i apply the race car style of rules. the tape or line dictate the racing area, if you cross the tape or lines you are out of bounds and cheating. riding or walking through a gaggle of chatting sunday riders at the 1st single track isnt cheating as long as you stay within the confinds of the track or racing area.

I know you wont all agree but this is my take and if i race any of these events as part of my program i will ride this way as will many others who want a decent result

evo3ben

anet367 wrote:

Interesting read...

http://suffolkcyclist.co.uk/01/11/2012/ ... -series-1/

Is a good read with very valid points. I am definately in agreement that the series is now overcrowded. When i paid up for the complete series (4 races) i did not know it was going to be like this and do feel a little hard done by. Compearing last seasons results to this series has now gone out the window too.
After seeing the coment about making up for losses from Dusk til Dawn i do feel that the series has gone a bit money orientated this year and the quality of racing has been overlooked which is a real shame.
I really do hope it works out ok but i honestly do think that there will be many frustrated racers on sunday.

'sdminus', i do agree with you about the bottle neck situation and i will also go past people if they are not using all of the course. But, last year i do remember waiting patiently by the edge and people stretching the tape and barging past. This is not acceptable impo. Same as if it was bushes they squeezed past but had to barge past me to get through, plain wrong. There was nearly fisty cuffs last year between some people because of idiots like that and i really hope the organisers have sorted this.

sdminus

I agree. You can not stretch the boundaries in any way

grawp

I've been assuming based on my experience at some races this year (I'm not particularly experienced), that I'll be able to get signed up and head out for a gentle warm up/practice lap by 9am, then do a few sprints before lining up for the 4hr race by about 10.10am thus ensuring I'm in resonable nick/position to give it my best on the first lap. Does this sound possible in lieu of rider numbers? Or will it be a case of queue for ages to get signed up then wait/freeze on the start line for a long time in order to get in a half decent start position? If this is the case how do you prepare for the lung busting first effort?
I'm not aspiring for top places or anything but want to gain experience at the sharp end of the begining of the race rather than do a mid pack bottleneck style start if you know what I mean.

evo3ben

If memory serves me correctly, the 4h category que in a different area than the 2hr racers as you will starting 10 minutes before. Dont quote me on that though lol. As your race cat numbers are not so high, i dont think you will have a problem starting and your plan sounds good.
The 2hr race is going to be a totally different ball game with the people getting ready on the start half hour before start or maybe before that to get a decent position. In which case there is no way of warming up really and just need to keep moving about and stretching. If novice riders decide to get to the start early to be at the front, there will prob be a pile up.

grawp

Thanks. Aiming to use this winter to gain some experience. Glad to be starting ahead of the masses as that could be a frustrating experience!

stylish

I wouldnt worry about there being a pile up if there are novice riders at the front, i think you can almost guaruntee it tomorrow.
The article posted makes for interesting reading, we are looking at around 120 riders per mile tomorrow on course, now that seems to be far too many to me, and my personal opinion is that alone will have an impact on rider safety, especially if it rains hard at the start, i appreciate we all have to be careful in the bunch, but it wont take much for someone to go down and cause a large pile up, the only way i can see to start safely is to split the 2 hour races.

hopper1

Well, reading this, I am glad I'm unable to race tomorrow!
I should be there with my son, spectating and taking a few pics, but I'll wait to see what the weather brings.
If it is as bad as I think it will be, then I won't bother to enter any of the others...
Shame really, as it is a great series to keep the winter blues at bay.

WindyG

Supposed to be rain tommorow, I had a ride around Thetford this morning could see where the race will be running, there were a few riders out on the route, looks a fast one.

C0LL0

I suppose we have to see what tomorrow brings, if it's wet some won't turn up anyway, alot more will drop out after 2 or 3 laps, I'm glad in doing 4 hour this year I hope it's a lot better at the first single track with less riders, but I do feel that the 2 hour start is going to be insane and I'm glad I won't be in the thick of it. If I don't see you guys before have a great one.

Jimboliana

Might see you all in the morning, Ben will still be deciding on what tyres to use and Paul you would have done a few practice laps so you can give us the full report!

paulmgreen

Well........ It was very wet ..... Muddy..... And crowded!

Good fun though!

stylish

i got up this morning full of hope and cheer, but common sense got the better of me, after having major surgury on my eye 10 months ago, i took the advice of the surgeon who said "dont ride your bike in wet muddy conditions" i bailed, i dont fancy losing the sight completely, so it didnt seem worth it, so i had a ride over to spectate again, and after a lap stood on the Plumb Buster hurling encouraging words! i was bloody soaked through, so hats off to all who bothered, and i hope the next one will be ok so i can get back on it.

C0LL0

Darren, I thought you were riding, someone can past and said "paul get on my wheel" and I thought it was you. don't know who that was then, muddy covered lycra shod backsides all look the same to me :-) .

Had an awful time, first lap great, nice pace kept with an old chelmer fellow, who I know and know he can ride the wheels of me, so sat on his wheel, he was huffing and puffing so passed him, only for him to repass me, but a couple of good laps there, didn't find it overcrowded at all, but got very slippy on the 2nd lap, had some interesting two wheel drifts and an off route excursion but all in all 2 good laps. the third I lost all rhythm, couldn't get going mind wondered all over the place, didn't enjoy it and was going to quit but then passed smashford who had problems holding on so was quiting so another lap had to be done so I beat him. lap four was a long lap, I'm sure the english mile had been reclassified over night and was now twice the distance it was the previous day, I walked, cycled,crawled had a little lay down until finally I popped out the top of plumbbuster and at 1hour 18 minutes for the lap delirous with the cold and hunger setting it I was finished, with 15 minutes left on the clock.

had it been a dry race a very simple fast course, hats off to the winner for doing 7 laps, if I had started the 5th I would still be doing it now. nutrion and hydration to be addressed for the next round.

stylish

Wasnt me i had a doctors note! i expect my dear father will be along at some point with the link to his photos from yesterday, they were being looked at on his flickr page as he was up loading them.....

But spare a thought for one poor bugger, he would have spent last night wondering why he had no laps scored, even though he did 3 and finished, where as my mate, who stood with me watching, finished and did ok according to the results! Random scores back again............

randomoldbloke

Hi, well done to everyone who braved the wet on Sunday, there are a few pictures on Flikr, sorry if I missed you but with a big field it's difficult to get everybody. I hope to be at the next round, also 5 by 3 and MSG rounds. If I missed you and you know Darren (he has put my description on before, grey hair overweight bus pass holder) come and see me at the start and I will look out for you on the course. http://www.flickr.com/photos/59052475@N06/

C0LL0

Had at a look at your photo's Darren's dad, some good one, sadly non of me, but If I see you at the next round I'll give you a wave. chhers

evo3ben

Some nice pics there! none of me though

So, how much sand did everyone get off there bike after cleaning it? I had a pile big enough for a small sand castle lol. Had to take off the crank to clean bb30 bearings (next round will be the last time i use crap BB30), wheels bearings needed cleaning, jockey wheels etc. Basically needed a full strip down and re-build :shock: Still not got it fully back together yet!
Clothes and shoes were covered in sand also, made a right mess! If i didnt know better, i would have guessed we raced on a beach lol. Hopefully the weather wont be that bad again otherwise it will be an expensive series :shock:

stylish

My dad (John) is easy enough to spot, the description he put on is fairly accurate! Collo, if its cold he will have a stupid hat on too, big fluffy thing looks like he is off bear hunting.

Easiest way to find him, is just shout Hi john, as you go past someone with a camera!, and he will almost certainly have a bag of food with him..........

evo3ben

Ther have been some changes to the start order for round 2 due to complaints:

Female 4 hr = 10.30

Male 4hr = 10.33

Junior Male 2hr = 10.35

Male 2hr = 10.40

Female 2hr junior female 2hr = 10.43

Fun male/ female = 10.45

As far as im aware, alot of complaints came from the 4hr category. I think they say they are faster than the 2hr cat as a whole. Lets just hope that the 2hr guys dont complain that the 4hr cat is holding them up lol
Starting the fun and 2hr female cat (no offence to anyone) is a good move meaning by the time you come to lapping them (if you do!) they will be more spread out.

Hoping conditions are better this time but going on past couple of weeks weather, how it is now and coming week, i think its going to be another boggy one! Time to re-evaluate tyre choice to some mud specific tyres i think. Thetford drains well, but this rain we have been having will muddify (new word!) anything!

C0LL0

Isn't the high lodge side wetter than fire road 6 side anyway?

stylish

only if it rains