advice please?
Mccrear
Posts: 256
a few quick questions;
do i need anything to get started from an insurance/race licence pov? or turn up and go for it?
should i turn my winter commuter (spesh allez) into a cyclocross bike or buy one? clearance is definitely an issue, but don't want to buy a bike and then not get into cross. (n+1 doesn't work if it stays in the shed!!)
and is there any barometer for what standard i should be at? not expecting anything great, but don't want to be an embarrassment.
cheers in advance
alan
do i need anything to get started from an insurance/race licence pov? or turn up and go for it?
should i turn my winter commuter (spesh allez) into a cyclocross bike or buy one? clearance is definitely an issue, but don't want to buy a bike and then not get into cross. (n+1 doesn't work if it stays in the shed!!)
and is there any barometer for what standard i should be at? not expecting anything great, but don't want to be an embarrassment.
cheers in advance
alan
0
Comments
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It may depend on which league you try racing in. For the Yorkshire league to race in the seniors and vet category you need a provisional race licence - or pay £3 for a day licence.
Yorkshire also have a novice race in each round, and I THINK they are run on a Go Cross basis, so wouldn't require a licence.
Unfortunately I doubt your plan of using your Allez would work. One of the kids at our Go Ride sessions turned up for a cyclocross session with a dual pivot equipped bike and even cut grass got jammed between the tyre and the caliper, so if there was any mud, grass, twigs, leaves or whatever then I would have htought the bike would be unrideable within a few minutes. Do you have a mountain bike, or hybrid - or could you borrow one? They are much more suitable if you want a taster but don't want to commit to buying a cross bike.0 -
By the way, it doesn't matter what standard you are at for local league races. In my weekend race the fastest handful of guys did 13 laps and the slowest did 8 laps. Unless you are at the front of the race then it is difficult to work out where you are anyway, so it isn't embarrassing to be slower than some other riders.
Cyclocross is raced on age groups, not ability, so there is always going to be a big variation between a rider having his or her first go at cross when they may be up against the national champion!0 -
thanks chris, appreciate it. don't have a hybrid/mtb but my cycle2work resets in december.... might even see if i can borrow a friends to give it a go. appeals as it less time consuming than road riding during winter, but only if i can be competitive.
also im in scotland but i think the licence issue will be the same.0 -
In Scotland for a lot of the races, you can get a day license. A lot of the races are run under TLI rather than BC whose rules are slightly different.
e.g http://www.brassmonkeyevents.co.uk/kick-in-the-knock/0 -
By the way, it doesn't matter what standard you are at for local league races. In my weekend race the fastest handful of guys did 13 laps and the slowest did 8 laps. Unless you are at the front of the race then it is difficult to work out where you are anyway, so it isn't embarrassing to be slower than some other riders.
Cyclocross is raced on age groups, not ability, so there is always going to be a big variation between a rider having his or her first go at cross when they may be up against the national champion!
I think that's a point worth mentioning time and time again so newcomers don't get put off racing. Because it's regional and the races are open to all, you get everyone in your age range in the same race. Yesterday I had Team GB riders alongside relative newcomers in my race.
To use a football analogy, imagine a north west football league, where Man United and Man City play again the Dog and Duck in Salford.0 -
I didn't know ducks could play football. Do they kick it, or just do lots of headers?To use a football analogy, imagine a north west football league, where Man United and Man City play again the Dog and Duck in Salford.Pannier, 120rpm.0 -
I don't think the Allez would work - you can't get knobbly tyres on it !Unfortunately I doubt your plan of using your Allez would work. One of the kids at our Go Ride sessions turned up for a cyclocross session with a dual pivot equipped bike and even cut grass got jammed between the tyre and the caliper, so if there was any mud, grass, twigs, leaves or whatever then I would have htought the bike would be unrideable within a few minutes.
you could always get a cheap bike to start with - it's the engine that matters - well, that and the grip from the tyres ...0
