Thetford Winter Series 2013-14

Thought i may as well get this started being as we are 1 race in already 
How did everyone get on in the first race? I thought there was a little more singletrack than usual. I know thats a good thing as we all love sweeping single track but i thought it did reduce chances of overtaking meaning you needed to take risks at times to get past. Couldnt believe how dry it was!
Next round is going to be a different kettle of fish me thinks. Never raced at Santon Downham but i have heard its fairly over grown and needs alot of trimming plus a motorbike event the weekend before could make for a muddy race.
A few bomb holes on this one also which should make things a little more interesting.

How did everyone get on in the first race? I thought there was a little more singletrack than usual. I know thats a good thing as we all love sweeping single track but i thought it did reduce chances of overtaking meaning you needed to take risks at times to get past. Couldnt believe how dry it was!
Next round is going to be a different kettle of fish me thinks. Never raced at Santon Downham but i have heard its fairly over grown and needs alot of trimming plus a motorbike event the weekend before could make for a muddy race.
A few bomb holes on this one also which should make things a little more interesting.
http://www.mudsweatgears.co.uk
http://www.easterncross.org.uk
http://www.centralcxl.org.uk
Cannondale FSI Carbon 1
Cannondale SuperX Force CX1
http://www.easterncross.org.uk
http://www.centralcxl.org.uk
Cannondale FSI Carbon 1
Cannondale SuperX Force CX1
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Can't wait for round 2. A boggy sufferfest I should think! And colder, the way things are looking.
Glad you enjoyed it as it was your first time there. Is a great series and helps keeps the enthusiasm up over winter. As you say, the next one looks like its going to be below zero.
http://www.easterncross.org.uk
http://www.centralcxl.org.uk
Cannondale FSI Carbon 1
Cannondale SuperX Force CX1
Good post, some people really need to take note of your advice.
For round 2 anyone seen the course after the enduro has ripped up the forest this weekend. Kind of curious what it will be like, muddy or rideable, geared or single speed.
I agree, having started too far back in the first round and overtaken a few dozen riders to finish in the 70s (2hr Male), I started only a few rows back from the gridded guys in the second race and still finished in the 70s. I was courteous (as far as possible) in allowing people to overtake when i could tell that I was holding them up and being that far up front definitely led me out at a faster pace, which I paid for in the closing few miles and probably stopped me taking on the fourth lap that I was eligible for. I made very few overtakes this round, on a faster course, which also had an impact mentally.
Next round I will be getting to the grid nice and early but picking myself a spot in a position where I feel like I am going to be able to hold it up against more evenly matched riders. But considering these are my first racing experiences, it is an entirely new thing not only to learn how to pace myself for two hours in a field of hundreds but to learn how to start properly with another 300 riders. I think given that it gets started largely without incident is testament to the generally good attitude of the competitors.
Also, it is worth pointing out that there are faster (more race savvy?) riders who appear to have no real courtesy for those less able and who do take silly risks on singletrack but also pass way too close on the fire road sections. I was twice nearly taken out on 6' wide sections by guys just steaming passed a finger width beside me.
Looking forward to round 3, quite glad that it isn't until the end of January!
I have to admit, im glad to see the back of that one though. The rollercoaster up and down bits (woops i think they are called) were a mere. Stand up, sit down, high tension, i didnt know what was best. I do know that it cained my lower back though and i was on a full susser.
Course overall was quick especially with the amount of fire road and wide tracks which plays in my favour. I finished in the 20's (2hr 18-39) so mega chuffed but weather i get gridded or not i dont know. Only a couple of years off 40 so all the new youngsters make it propper hard, thats my excuse lol. Points form last round plus points from this rounds might just put me out of top 30 for gridding, we will see.
I only got cut up once going from fire road to single track and as he dived in front of me he clipped my front wheel with his rear wheel. Luckily i held firm and made me giggle whem he wobbled all over the shot just keeping on the track. In general though, everyone was nice and polite.
One thing that does grip my sh*t is the people that push in at the start :x As i have mentioned above, i get to the start early to get a good position but still people turn up late and push infront. Yes i do say something but always falls on deaf ears. Thetford has always suffered from this problem and i do think thats its about time they have someone stand there to keep an eye on it. Not as bad as it use to be though.
Looking forward to R3 which is usually the coldest of the 4 rounds 8)
Stylish, sorry to hear that mate
http://www.easterncross.org.uk
http://www.centralcxl.org.uk
Cannondale FSI Carbon 1
Cannondale SuperX Force CX1
Scott Aspect 10
Schwinn Fastback Comp
Cube Reaction GTC SL
What I will say about the start line though is that anyone who turns up really early to get a good place and stands in the cold isn't being savvy or getting an advantage, they're just getting cold legs! At youth training sessions we were always taught to stay on the rollers or cycling around for as long as possible, only getting to the start line or holding pen at the last possible moment. This inevitably does mean that if you are one of the faster guys, you may have to either get to the front on the start line, or once the race has started, but that is a lot better than risking a muscle or tendon injury through ridiculously cold legs.
^^Very much this, becomes even more of an issue as you get older! My 1st race out of the series and I had to take a gamble, qued up longer than I wanted to, but with 137 riders in the vets and not being gridded I didn't want to start right at the back. I think I set off around the 60 mark, one of the few races i've done where I could have covered the first few yards faster walking.
Wasn't a big fan of the course, nothing against the organisation, just found it a bit of a drag... the start was frustrating, round a dog leg then funnelled between a big puddle meant you couldn't really nail it as there was so much traffic, ended up going off piste & hoping for the best.
29er race
29er bouncer
I do agree about the leg warming process with regards to warm up and leaving it as long as posible to get to start so legs stay warm which is exactly what i do for MSG. But, MSG im gridded so can leave it till the last minute, Thetford im not gridded (yet anyway) so i feel its more benefitial to be at the start early for good position. I still do a warm up and always ensure i have warm up balm on my legs which keeps them nice and warm. If you start too far back in the pack, the lead group will get away with out doubt thus meaning i will need to work harder than they are to catch them up and thats during and after overtaking numerous amounts of people. Then you get to the single track and get held up even more and the lead groups get even further away. It gets to a point where if you are not faster than the lead groups, you will not catch them simple as that. Burning too many matches at the start to catch up will make for very hard work nearer the end of the race and wouldnt be able to stay with them anyway even if i did catch them.
So, impo, at Thetford, position in a field 300 strong, position is key if you are not gridded to get a decent finish. I have put this to the test before and started near the back. Got great satisfaction from overtaking so many people but lap times were pants and overall position 20 above normal.
http://www.easterncross.org.uk
http://www.centralcxl.org.uk
Cannondale FSI Carbon 1
Cannondale SuperX Force CX1
just a few numpty questions on how things work e.g with the timelaps system i take it you carry some kind of transponder with you that attaches somewhere?
If i enter the 2 hour event does the timer automatically stop after 2 hours meaning if you are half way through the next lap, that lap is not counted?
Being a roadie the only MTB i have is a mint Fuel 90 that is getting on for 10 years old. Is this bike suitable for my first go?
thanks all
Oi! I always listen. I even remember your lecture about chains in that gazebo at the bottom of the hill at Hadleigh!
tom3-
There's a timing chip on number board whenever timelaps are doing the timing (any Theford, Gorrick, Mud Sweat and Gears, and most BC national races).
In the two hour races you only stop once you've passed the line and the timer's past 2 hours. So if you come back from your third lap at 1:59:59, you can still go out for your 4th lap and it will count.
Your bike should be fine. You see people on all sorts of machines at Thetford, there shouldn't really be anything out on the course that'll be too hard for any bike really.
The eastern region's progressing steadily in every category, we should be beating the goddamn Scots by 2015!
Good luck folks, see you there!
Scott Aspect 10
Schwinn Fastback Comp
Cube Reaction GTC SL
But... the most almighty rain shower as i left and rain expected overnight should change that !..
400+ riders tomorrow should clear some of the puddles and pack it down a bit though.
Windy G.., it`s not quite as bad as last sunday but could be by tomorrow !!
5x3?
I was going to ride SD and pop over to BCP to watch for while but I'm going to do a road ride early.
Scott Aspect 10
Schwinn Fastback Comp
Cube Reaction GTC SL
He was feeling it after being I'll for a week so packed up early.
I was looking at thetford mtb's page on FB earlier, there was a guy in the comment section posted a link to a load of his photos from Sunday