Improving xc starts.
Ferrals
Posts: 785
Been doing the local xc series and my starts are atrocious. I feel like I can't get the power down from the off, which is particularly frustrating because as it narrows I end up stuck behind people and then can't make up the time once I've passed the people who held me up.
What's the best way to improve this. I do intervals on the excersise bike. And am going to start practising my standing starts. Anything else I should do? What should I be doing pre race to optimise my start because I sometimes feel I can sprint better as the race progresses.
What's the best way to improve this. I do intervals on the excersise bike. And am going to start practising my standing starts. Anything else I should do? What should I be doing pre race to optimise my start because I sometimes feel I can sprint better as the race progresses.
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Decent warm up.
Practice 30 second standing start sprints. Choose your gear right. Make sure you're confident clipping in.0 -
Cheers. In terms of warmup I have got into the routine of doing my practise lap about an hour before the race start. doing it at a relitively gentle pace. Get back to the car and drink a bit, have an energy bar half an hour before the race start then do a bit of stretching, then have a caffine gel 10 mins before the start and do a few sprints before the lining up. Does that sound reasonable?0
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Yep, different things work for different people, but that sounds reasonable.0
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Cheers. by the way you should definatley try and do one of the pembrey events at some point - the course yesterday was brilliant. fast and fun - but hard work as there was no let up given the relatively flat terrain.0
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Yeah, I was going to go over with George Budd, but days didn't really work. Bloody long way to go too!0
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not for me :-) - but after the one in March I'll have at least a 2hr drive for the rest of the year
hope it becomes an annual series cos it's been good so far.0 -
Try practice starts. 5 x 2mins full gas! sounds easy,its not,but great preparation for an XC race start0
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I am in the same podition so i have also been doing more intervals.http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.0
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It's not just intervals per se that are of use, they need to be targeted.
Personally I wish races were 100m long, I'd be bloody good. It all goes wrong there though.0 -
Treadstone Assassin wrote:Try practice starts. 5 x 2mins full gas! sounds easy,its not,but great preparation for an XC race start
Thats more or less what I've been doing actually. there is a ~700m sight uphill fireroad strava segment by me so I've been using that as start practise. Got it down to 1.16min 34.6km/h which really burns!
Another issue for me is I need to be more aggressive, as the local races aren't gridded i think I need to get myself on the front line as i inevitably don't, thinking I don't want to annoy faster racers, but then am held up my people taking time to clip in etc. Next race I'm going to see if i can get on the first or second line to have a clearer run0 -
Thats more or less what I've been doing actually. there is a ~700m sight uphill fireroad strava segment by me so I've been using that as start practise. Got it down to 1.16min 34.6km/h which really burns!
Another issue for me is I need to be more aggressive, as the local races aren't gridded i think I need to get myself on the front line as i inevitably don't, thinking I don't want to annoy faster racers, but then am held up my people taking time to clip in etc. Next race I'm going to see if i can get on the first or second line to have a clearer run
As suggested a decent warm up will help a bit as close to the race start as you can.My own view FWIW is that plenty of people get hung up on being at the front of the grid when you have a no gridding situation.But unless the singletrack is right after the start,or you have a huge number of entries,it makes very little difference in an hour long race.A fit guy at the back will still hammer the less fit guy at the front.0 -
One assumes there's not a hugely diverse mix of fitnesses in a single category of an XC race, and id say the start is absolutely crucial to a good result. You can lose bags of time if you're further back, entirely pointlessly.0
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I just look for the gaps and gun it like a loon, get as far to front as possible and then do my best to stay there. I found doing practice starts uphill helps, gets you fit for anything then.0
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Another race and another atrocious start on Sunday :-(
I have another in two weeks (welsh) and then another the week after (national) so I am really going to try and focus in this the next three weeks. I know I wouldn't be able to make any actual physical improvements to power but hopefully can get better with what I've got.
My primary issue (I think) is I am not instantly starting fast enough, loosing position within the first 3-4 bike lengths and finding myself at the back of the pack. To take last Sunday as an example- by luck rather than judgement i was on the front row of the start. whistle went and immediately the two riders either side of me were in front, closed together blocking me,the row behind had overtaken me, other more aggressive riders pushed past from behind, the group formed a bunch as the track narrowed and I was at the back unable/unwilling to force myself through but not going anywhere near my sprint pace. I can 'happily' maintain 25-35kmh up a slight incline for 1-2mins which i feel should be ok for keeping up with the front in a start?
We then hit the singletrack and it was off bikes and push as we had already caught up with the previous start (30s before). Typically Sport has been being set off in the second wave (behind Elite expert and junior) along with Youth and Juvenile, I find that my start is so bad I am ending up behind the youth and juvenile, and then having to fight my way through them and the slower juniors to catch up with other sport riders. Typically I then expend energy overtaking a couple of slower sports riders in the first round before finding myself in 'no-mans-land' riding round on my own and struggle with pacing (and motivation :oops: ) through the middle laps. There is a guy who consistently comes 1-2min ahead of me in the races, but I never see him on the course, I am convinced that if I had a decent start so was with him from the start I'd be able to keep up with him or even overtake him.
So, after that essay I guess my question is how to improve that initial few bike lengths start? I have been starting in the middle of the block so I don't have much resistance to get my wheels moving quickly and then shifting down the block as i accelerate. I'm wondering if this is wrong and if I should be starting on say the 17th cog and really pushing? 0 -
Gear selection - you're not gonna change for the first few seconds, so get it right. Don't go too easy you spin out, but not so hard you can't turn it. Sounds like you're doing too easy. The exact gear will depend on all sorts of factors, don't over think it, go on feel.
Practice clipping in from stand, or get happy with putting in some power with only one foot clipped in, sort it out 100 yards down the road rather than immediately.
Sprints from a standing start. Not 1-2 minutes, 10 seconds. Huge gear, once you're on top of it stop, repeat. 30 times or so, with good recovery - you need your HR down.0 -
Great. thanks, yes it sounds like I am starting too easy as I'm spinning from the off and starting to shift through the gears within a couple of pedal revolutions.
edit. going to do that workout thurs at some point.0 -
njee has it nailed there for sure, you won't go wrong with that advice. I hate the starts, I go off quick so hate being in the middle of the grid, I prefer one side or the other so I can get a clear run.0
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Ferrals wrote:Great. thanks, yes it sounds like I am starting too easy as I'm spinning from the off and starting to shift through the gears within a couple of pedal revolutions.
edit. going to do that workout thurs at some point.
Yeah that's far too easy! You're out of the saddle at full gas, you don't want to be spinning.0 -
Cool, thanks both. I'd been going for the concept of getting the wheels turning and shifting down the block as soon as I could, but now I think about it it makes sense that where I've been going wrong as it's literally the first few bike lengths where I'm loosing out. Time to get practising!0
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was feeling a bit ropey so didn't do thirty but experimented with starts in a harder gear last night. I was definately way too easy a gear. my hardest gear is only 34 - 11 which wasnt really viable but the 13t or 16t cog is doable. before I was starting in 21t or 24t and shifting as soon as i could.
I've actually realized that, assuming its the same as last year, next week all seniors (elite,expert and sport) are set off at once first as it is the champs and so you can race for that whichever cat you are in so there is unlikely to be a bottleneck anyway but will still work on getting the best start i can0 -
Much better start yesterday, starting in a harder gear worked much better so thanks for the advice
Sport (that weren't eligible to contest the champs) were still set off right at the back again but managed to get away first (I think) out of sport off the line, only lasted for 50 yards before slightly bad line choice round someone on a slight bend slowed me down but pleased not to be dropped on that initial few metres off the line0 -
Ferrals wrote:Been doing the local xc series and my starts are atrocious. I feel like I can't get the power down from the off, which is particularly frustrating because as it narrows I end up stuck behind people and then can't make up the time once I've passed the people who held me up.
What's the best way to improve this. I do intervals on the excersise bike. And am going to start practising my standing starts. Anything else I should do? What should I be doing pre race to optimise my start because I sometimes feel I can sprint better as the race progresses.
Where do you guys find all these XC races / events (local) ??
Am looking for something but don't know where to look for them ??
Chris0 -
Where are you based? there are normally regional series.
Events are publicised on XCracer.com, UKXCnews.com, the events calendar of the British cycling website and on various facebook sites.
'Local' is a bit of a misnomer, I was doing a winter series that was only 45 mins away but for the welsh regional series I'm travelling further. Yesterdays race was a 3.5hr drive0 -
Ferrals wrote:Where are you based? there are normally regional series.
Events are publicised on XCracer.com, UKXCnews.com, the events calendar of the British cycling website and on various facebook sites.
'Local' is a bit of a misnomer, I was doing a winter series that was only 45 mins away but for the welsh regional series I'm travelling further. Yesterdays race was a 3.5hr drive
Herts...0 -
I'm guessing some of the southernXC or midlandsXC might be your nearest?0
