Does CX run in January??

rodgers73
rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
edited February 2015 in Cyclocross
Seems like there are no events after the end of December - is this right???

Enjoyed doing some events in November, not been able to get to any in December and now it seems they've all dried up!

Am I now waiting until Next September/October before I can do this again? Yorkshire and Lincolnshire leagues have very little going on at least.

Comments

  • woolwich
    woolwich Posts: 298
    There is a thread advertising a Feb event on this board, about 4 threads below this one.

    I have spotted a few district leagues have extended there season a little with an extra date or so. Try the BC cyclocross calender for details.

    Or failing that, summer CX leagues have been taking off in recent years and even some evening midweek Floodlite events early autumn just before the full season takes off. You could be racing pretty much all year if you want to . Good luck.
    Mud to Mudguards. The Art of framebuilding.
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  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Very few events after the Nationals / Worlds as it's the end of the season.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Chris James
    Chris James Posts: 1,040
    The Notts and Derbys league usually runs a bit later, and should be near to you in Doncaster.

    e.g. 17th and 24th January races around Nottingham.

    https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/event ... shfield-RC

    https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/event ... Beeston-CC

    Yorkshire usually run and end of season Madison, and Yorkshire summer league starts in April, so there is no need to wait until September!
  • thefog
    thefog Posts: 197
    Lay off the booze on New Year's Eve and enter the Ripley CX on 1 January - cracking event!

    http://www.ripleycastlecx.org.uk
  • drummer_boy
    drummer_boy Posts: 236
    I've done Todmorden (Yorkshire league), and Beacon Park (North West League) in Jan. Season's finished for me now though :-)
  • cyco2
    cyco2 Posts: 593
    Putting on a CX event in January and Feb can be a bit risky because of the weather. Not much fun in getting people to travel and race when there's a foot of snow to plow through.
    ...................................................................................................

    If you want to be a strong rider you have to do strong things.
    However if you train like a cart horse you'll race like one.
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    Yes it does - it RUNS. Not rides- RUNS. Why does it run? b/c you can't ride due to all the mud.

    Today at Sumner's Pond (LL and Sussex league) was absolutely silly. Should have been delayed until, I dunno, August?
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    FransJacques wrote:
    Yes it does - it RUNS. Not rides- RUNS. Why does it run? b/c you can't ride due to all the mud.

    Today at Sumner's Pond (LL and Sussex league) was absolutely silly. Should have been delayed until, I dunno, August?
    I dunno, apart from the last lap I only ran about 30 or 40 yards a lap; dead turn in the first field, short section into the woods and the stream crossing. Made up for it by running about 3/4 of the last lap; ironically it was too much course tape in the mech, rather than mud, that brought my downfall...

    Edit: I reckon the main reasons it winds down in January are that people lose interest after the Nationals, want a break from trying to be on form every single weekend, and start planning their Summer season. I always miss cross in the Spring, but having only had two weekends off since September I'm also looking forward to a break...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Thinking about the venue thing a bit more... I think some venues are better for late season events than others, largely dependent on drainage. For instance Stanborough Park in Welwyn always seems to ride well in January; there are just a couple of areas that get boggy, and they could be easily enough avoided at the course-setter's disgression. I've never ridden the MK Bowl in Jan, but I should imagine it's much the same. Areas with big flattish fields (Herne Hill, the top field at Bethlem) are inevitably going to collect water unless the underlying geology provides lots of drainage. Even yesterday's course has quite long sections which were firm and fast (though the boggy bits were getting pretty boggy).

    95% of the course at Great Walstead School was easily rideable last year; let's hope it's the same on Sunday!
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    Yeah you're right. Some places just collect water while others drain better or have sandy soil.

    The organizer was surprised at how bad it was at the end, given it was almost frozen solid when he arrived early on Sunday.

    I also had some stuff on in the AM so arrived to race the Seniors instead of the Vets. Some of them said it changed noticeably from start to finish.

    I wonder if Chainhurst, which was cancelled twice so dropped for 2014/15, was much worse...
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    FransJacques wrote:
    Yeah you're right. Some places just collect water while others drain better or have sandy soil.

    The organizer was surprised at how bad it was at the end, given it was almost frozen solid when he arrived early on Sunday.

    I also had some stuff on in the AM so arrived to race the Seniors instead of the Vets. Some of them said it changed noticeably from start to finish.

    I wonder if Chainhurst, which was cancelled twice so dropped for 2014/15, was much worse...
    Ah, you'd definitely have had it worse in the Seniors. I rode a lap at about 11am, and believe it or not the entire lap was rideable, even the stream crossing....
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • VamP
    VamP Posts: 674
    Sounds like you've had it rough down south :D

    I was on file treads at Ipswich on Sunday 8)
  • VamP
    VamP Posts: 674
    TGOTB wrote:

    95% of the course at Great Walstead School was easily rideable last year; let's hope it's the same on Sunday!

    The Great Cross Country Run Walstead from 2 years back you mean? I seem to recall we were running about 50% back then. The bomb hole is great though! Good event!
  • antsmithmk
    antsmithmk Posts: 717
    TGOTB wrote:
    Thinking about the venue thing a bit more... I think some venues are better for late season events than others, largely dependent on drainage. For instance Stanborough Park in Welwyn always seems to ride well in January; there are just a couple of areas that get boggy, and they could be easily enough avoided at the course-setter's disgression. I've never ridden the MK Bowl in Jan, but I should imagine it's much the same. Areas with big flattish fields (Herne Hill, the top field at Bethlem) are inevitably going to collect water unless the underlying geology provides lots of drainage. Even yesterday's course has quite long sections which were firm and fast (though the boggy bits were getting pretty boggy).

    95% of the course at Great Walstead School was easily rideable last year; let's hope it's the same on Sunday!

    The Bowl is waterlogged at this time of year. MK is built on clay soil and so drains poorly.
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    actually, the only good news about the deep freeze this weekend is that GWS might be firm like it was in 2012 (or 2013?) when it was snowy out, maybe about a 1/2" on the ground, and the course was great and very rideable.
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • bryanm
    bryanm Posts: 218
    There's a couple of races in Hereford in February and march,

    http://www.pedalyourcycle.co.uk/cc/

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