Tactic for Hillingdon 4th Cat
Comments
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ugo.santalucia wrote:
Maybe one should look at Mad Max for inspiration on racing clothing then...DavidJB wrote:fish156 wrote:
There's always Assos' free crash repair service.DavidJB wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:Setarkos wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:From the photo one should conclude that in order to succeed in cat. 4 it's better to invest in Assos winter clothing than in carbon wheels...
I would generally be more inclined to invest in decent winter clothing than in carbon wheels...
Absolutely...
Nothing like crashing in 200 quid bib tights
Heh I didn't know about that. Pretty good. Theres only so much you can repair however and after being in a few crashes myself bib tights are normally toast.
Thats why I have skin to shed man.0 -
displacedaussie wrote:
If I was in a 3/4 race on a circuit that usually ends in a sprint, and if my goal for the race was to win it (having other goals for a race is completely valid!), then my personal tactic would be to sit at the back, conserve my energy as much as possible, and wait for the sprint. I'd spend the whole race watching the other teams and riders too, and if it looked like a break was going to go or might go, then I'd change my plan and do whatever I could to get a teammate off the front and into it. Otherwise, like I said previously, I like sitting at the back chilling. I'm comfortable there. I don't like being in the top 15, and I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels the same way.
I:)
The problem with sitting at the back at Hillingdon is that it hugely increases the chance of being caught up in a crash, as happened yesterday in the 4ths.0 -
I usually start thinking that I will sit in the bunch the whole way round but cant resist trying to attack and contest the prime points. I only needed to finish 7th the other day to get enough points to move up so had a few turns on the front, tried to attack and make a break which didn't work and worked a lot harder than I needed to really. I was outsprinted at the end by a guy I hadnt seen the whole race so I guess he must have been sitting in biding his time. Maybe he was tactically smarter than me but so what, I had fun mixing it on the front and didnt get involved in any crashes. I still got what I needed to move up to 3rd cat so I am happy :-)0
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What is the best tactic to get into the 3rds then? Is there a big variation of ability in 4th cat?0
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You need ten points to move up so it depends where you are racing. I have only raced at Hillingdon and a guy above explained really well how to get a result at that circuit. I am a total beginner to cycle sport and have a lot to learn but I have managed to move up after seven criteriums. I'm 36 and ride a heavy aluminium bike with wheels I found in the back yard at work and groupset cobbled together with bits off ebay. Just turn up and have a go. I have ridden in sportives so I understood a bit about riding in a bunch and how a paceline works but the best way to get experience of racing is to race! Don't be intimidated by all the dudes with their £5000 plus equipment and team jerseys and sponsors as if anyone in 4th cat was amazing they would only be there for one or two races.
the best thing about cycling is that the more people that do it, the better it is, so get stuck in :-)0 -
Thanks
I'm thinking Castle Combe at the end of March for my first race. Should be fun!0 -
I love racing at Castle Combe, but watch out for the sprint in the 4th cat races (and dodgy people riding through the chicanes). My first ever race was the Easter Classic there last year. I loved it, although I did get dropped on the fourth lap! 0
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So you wouldnt recommend it for a first race then? I raced there in cars a few years about and ear marked it due to the width. Anywhere more suitable then? I'm from Farnborough, hants.0
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Crashes can happen anywhere. I wouldn't not recommend it. I found it fine as my first race. Just get out and do it, I think. 0
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Tough course for your first race but its fine. Just go and have a go as everyone finds it tough
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AK_jnr wrote:So you wouldnt recommend it for a first race then? I raced there in cars a few years about and ear marked it due to the width. Anywhere more suitable then? I'm from Farnborough, hants.
There is the army winter/ spring and summer series run at ludgershall. I think that may be closer to you than castle combe, check it out on british cyclings website. Like you though i have no experience of races and only recently purchased my license, so hopefully someone more experienced would be able to let you know what it is like there!0 -
Cookie91 wrote:AK_jnr wrote:So you wouldnt recommend it for a first race then? I raced there in cars a few years about and ear marked it due to the width. Anywhere more suitable then? I'm from Farnborough, hants.
There is the army winter/ spring and summer series run at ludgershall. I think that may be closer to you than castle combe, check it out on british cyclings website. Like you though i have no experience of races and only recently purchased my license, so hopefully someone more experienced would be able to let you know what it is like there!
Raced (and won twice there) a number of times last year. The winter series is ok, the track is horrific really unless they've sorted it out. There are nice little rivets that catch your wheels...fine if you know about them because they just make noise rather than make you unstable but they can spook the beginner. Its probably the worst crit circuit in the local area but its passable. Portsmouth is a good circuit to race on for your first race.
I'll be racing at Ludgershall again this year due to its proximity so it can't be that bad eh?0 -
AK_jnr wrote:What is the best tactic to get into the 3rds then? Is there a big variation of ability in 4th cat?
No, almost none from my findings. Just a handful of quicker riders, but a good 4th cat (of which sometimes there are many in the same race) is soon to be a good or average 3rd cat, so it doesn't change much.Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com0 -
Is anyone else having problems getting on to the Imperial website?0
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DavidJB wrote:Cookie91 wrote:AK_jnr wrote:So you wouldnt recommend it for a first race then? I raced there in cars a few years about and ear marked it due to the width. Anywhere more suitable then? I'm from Farnborough, hants.
There is the army winter/ spring and summer series run at ludgershall. I think that may be closer to you than castle combe, check it out on british cyclings website. Like you though i have no experience of races and only recently purchased my license, so hopefully someone more experienced would be able to let you know what it is like there!
Raced (and won twice there) a number of times last year. The winter series is ok, the track is horrific really unless they've sorted it out. There are nice little rivets that catch your wheels...fine if you know about them because they just make noise rather than make you unstable but they can spook the beginner. Its probably the worst crit circuit in the local area but its passable. Portsmouth is a good circuit to race on for your first race.
I'll be racing at Ludgershall again this year due to its proximity so it can't be that bad eh?
did we really need to know that you won there 'a number of times'?
*head expands*0 -
joe.90 wrote:DavidJB wrote:Cookie91 wrote:AK_jnr wrote:So you wouldnt recommend it for a first race then? I raced there in cars a few years about and ear marked it due to the width. Anywhere more suitable then? I'm from Farnborough, hants.
There is the army winter/ spring and summer series run at ludgershall. I think that may be closer to you than castle combe, check it out on british cyclings website. Like you though i have no experience of races and only recently purchased my license, so hopefully someone more experienced would be able to let you know what it is like there!
Raced (and won twice there) a number of times last year. The winter series is ok, the track is horrific really unless they've sorted it out. There are nice little rivets that catch your wheels...fine if you know about them because they just make noise rather than make you unstable but they can spook the beginner. Its probably the worst crit circuit in the local area but its passable. Portsmouth is a good circuit to race on for your first race.
I'll be racing at Ludgershall again this year due to its proximity so it can't be that bad eh?
did we really need to know that you won there 'a number of times'?
*head expands*
Sorry for being proud of my achievement. What an absolute b4stard I am.0 -
Saying that you had won added context to your comments. Joe was being a dick.
Congratulations on your wins. You should absolutely be proud of them. 0 -
Personally I would prefer to hear from people who have raced hard and had success at a venue to its merits than someone who had rolled round sheltering in the group before getting shelled out as things hot up at the end...
Maybe just me.0 -
To get back to a point in the original post - to the best of our knowledge there isn't going to be a BUCS road race this year.
Xav0 -
xavierdisley wrote:To get back to a point in the original post - to the best of our knowledge there isn't going to be a BUCS road race this year.
Xav
Is that just from the BUCS website or do you have any other information?
Looking at the TT dates, the road race would right during my exams anyway, so it's not happening for me...0 -
Loughborough aren't able to run it this year as they are normally forced to by BUCS, but BUCS aren't willing to do anything to organise one (ridiculous really!). It is an E12 level race, people were getting gapped in the neutralized zone up the hill last year!
Xav0
