Rapha Supercross. Good 1st Race?
HebdenBiker
Posts: 787
Hi all, I'm wanting to enter my first CX event, and this is on, down the road from me, a week on Sat & Sun. The Sunday race for V40s is described as "Category B CX Band 4". I don't really know what this means, and the BC website doesn't really make it any clearer.
So my question is: Am I eligible to enter a race like this, and is the standard going to be suitable for a fit 40 year-old doing their 1st race?
Ta
So my question is: Am I eligible to enter a race like this, and is the standard going to be suitable for a fit 40 year-old doing their 1st race?
Ta
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Comments
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The category refers to the number of points the faster guys get, so I would just ignore that. The Rapha race is the same category as the events run as part of the Yorkshire Points series (yorkshirecyclocross.com). From that point of view then the Supercross is probably no better or worse than any other Yorkshire league race to try out cyclocross, although there is a DJ and food and stuff so it should be a good event. And Halifax is local to you - if you like it then the Try Cycling round is at Huddersfield New College so not far either.
Yorkshire (and possibly other leagues) has introduced a novice category which is run with the under 14/16 race that is cheaper and runs for 30 mins, rather than the hour. The aim of this is to give people a taste of riding, but there is nothing to stop you going straight into the vets race. That is what I did a couple of years ago.
As regards eligibility then this is just based on age. If you have a provisional race licence through British Cycling membership then you can race, if not then you just need to pay £3 for a day licence.
The fast guys in the race will be very fast. I have ridden against the national cyclocross champion Ian Field and the pro Graham Briggs in my last two races at Temple Newsam, for example. When I say ridden against, it was mostly a case of keeping out of their way as they lapped me. The ability level varies a lot across the field though and there is usually someone at or around your level.
As I said, if you are concerned at all then there is the novice race that you could enter, and it is a bit cheaper for a first attempt. I also don’t think you need a licence for that as it is probably Go Cross category, so that would save another £3.
Or just jump straight in the deep end and enter the senior race. What’s the worst that can happen?0 -
Actually, this Sunday's race is a good one for a first timer too. It is billed as the under 12's championship but there is an open race at the end, which includes all categories including women and older vets, and usually has a slightly smaller field. The first corner in the senior race can sometimes be somewhat … ahem .. interesting!0
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I nipped down to spectate this morning. Looked great fun. I had the camera so may post a few pics Tomrrow0
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It was a very good event I thought. Loads of people racing, a tough looking course, and a good atmosphere (good Coffee too)
Below is my club mate Mark, and more pics here http://www.philwinterbourne.co.uk/raphacx/
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Nice photos. You have a couple of me and a couple of my wife too! I don't know if Hebden Biker did turn up or not, but if so then I would say it was one of the harder courses that I have raced. It was all up and down hill and there were numerous off camber hairpins that had begun to cut up and get muddy by the second day. I crashed on my warm up lap on the corner after the barriers and decided to run it during the race. I notice one of the elites did the exact same thing (crash) at the same corner on the first lap and the other pros were treating it with extreme caution.0
