Racing 2013

DHTT
DHTT Posts: 345
edited February 2013 in Amateur race
Well my season begins on Saturday with the first of the Springtime Pursuits. Its a handicap format with 4 groups within the E123 group, I'll be starting in the second group, is anyone else going to be there? :D
http://duncanheywood.blogspot.com/

Comments

  • ju5t1n
    ju5t1n Posts: 2,028
    I’ve nothing against a bit of optimism – but springtime is a long way off still :D

    My first road race is the Bill Jinks Memorial on the 24th March
  • samg123
    samg123 Posts: 275
    I'll be there trying to get the last 3 points I need to make it out of Cat 4.
    I know the course pretty well: the last climb should be decisive...
  • JackPozzi
    JackPozzi Posts: 1,191
    Hilly 50k time trial on 3rd March, wondering how aero I can get with 16 layers on...
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    JackPozzi wrote:
    Hilly 50k time trial on 3rd March, wondering how aero I can get with 16 layers on...

    If its an out and back with that many layers on you may just punch enough of hole in the air for the return journey to speed you up :lol:
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • ShutUpLegs
    ShutUpLegs Posts: 3,522
    Why would you need 16 layers? Embrocation is what is needed.
  • JackPozzi
    JackPozzi Posts: 1,191
    No thanks, would rather keep my blood for use in muscles rather than being drawn to the skin...
  • ozzzyosborn206
    ozzzyosborn206 Posts: 1,340
    my first UK race is probably going to be a crit at Ludgershall (assuming no spaces open up for the Surrey league rr that day) followed by the Peter Young RR the next day lining up alongside Ed Clancy, should be fun.
  • TakeTurns
    TakeTurns Posts: 1,075
    JackPozzi wrote:
    Hilly 50k time trial on 3rd March, wondering how aero I can get with 16 layers on...


    At least that eliminates getting a road rash if you come off...

    My first race is on the 2nd of March at Redbridge. Hoping the weather will be OK. First time at the course, anyone have experience on it? Would like to know what grade the little hill goes up to.
  • Tom Dean
    Tom Dean Posts: 1,723
    Maybe 12% at its steepest? It's not long though. Doing it 20 times is the problem!
  • gattocattivo
    gattocattivo Posts: 500
    TakeTurns wrote:
    My first race is on the 2nd of March at Redbridge. Hoping the weather will be OK. First time at the course, anyone have experience on it? Would like to know what grade the little hill goes up to.

    I'm thinking of starting my season with that, but I'm feeling sluggish and demotivated at the moment so maybe not. Re: the hill at Hog Hill, it's about 12% (I think) at the steepest part. It depends if you're going clockwise or anticlockwise: most (but by no means all) races there go anti-clockwise and the climb that way round is a bit worse. It starts off fairly shallow, then ramps up for the final 150m or so.
  • DHTT
    DHTT Posts: 345
    My experience in first Springtime Pursuits of year is here:

    http://duncanheywood.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... its-1.html

    Samg123 how did you fare in the 4ths manage to get the points?
    http://duncanheywood.blogspot.com/
  • TakeTurns
    TakeTurns Posts: 1,075
    gattocattivo wrote:
    TakeTurns wrote:
    My first race is on the 2nd of March at Redbridge. Hoping the weather will be OK. First time at the course, anyone have experience on it? Would like to know what grade the little hill goes up to.

    I'm thinking of starting my season with that, but I'm feeling sluggish and demotivated at the moment so maybe not. Re: the hill at Hog Hill, it's about 12% (I think) at the steepest part. It depends if you're going clockwise or anticlockwise: most (but by no means all) races there go anti-clockwise and the climb that way round is a bit worse. It starts off fairly shallow, then ramps up for the final 150m or so.

    Thanks for that. I know exactly what you mean. My form coming into this year hasn't been great. Today wasn't so bad, legs were finally out of hibernation. The warmer weather seems to have helped.

    12% at it's steepest should be manageable. Been riding Swains Lane a lot which I'd presume is much tougher. Goes up to around 20% at it's steepest point. Also lost 3kg, so I'm quite excited!
  • gattocattivo
    gattocattivo Posts: 500
    It's definitely manageable - you can get up it in the big ring if you want to* - the problem is doing it over and over again every three minutes or so. Hog Hill is a much tougher circuit than, say, Hillingdon (where pretty much everyone finishes in the bunch) - the hill makes it very attritional and you might end up with only a third of the field in the lead group by the end. It's also quite technical. They don't always go in the same direction, and there are possible variations if the 'Alpine' bends section is used, but assuming it's anti-clockwise on the normal circuit the two bits to watch out for are:
    1) the second left hand bend after the start/finish line - this is tight and at the bottom of a short, steep hill. If you go too fast round the top bend you'll come flying off round the bottom one. It's easy enough to take it at speed on your own, but trickier when you're three abreast (especially if, like me, you don't trust everyone else to hold their line and not brake)
    2) the right hand bends after the descent - you'll be coming down the hill at 35-40mph, then there's a bit of a turn and a flat section, then a sweeping bend that must go through about 100 degrees. You'll still have a lot of speed from the descent and I've seen people overcook it and ride off the road here as well.

    *though if you tried to do that every lap I reckon you'd start cramping up before too long

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