Eddie Soens

cruff

My first go at this in a couple of weeks - lots of people up here have said it's a bit of a chopfest. Of course, being a fat Cat 4 chopper myself, that probably suits me

Has anyone ever ridden it before? Obviously not looking at doing anything in it, it's my first race of the year anyway and with elites and pros riding it would be pretty foolish not to expect to get absolutely brutalised - so more about just sitting in and maybe trying to join a couple of breaks and staying safe. Circuit looks flat as a pancake and nice wide turns, so nothing to expose my complete inability to take tight corners - but I imagine the headwind will be an absolute ruiner in whichever direction its blowing and, being Up North, it's bound to be psising down

imposter2.0

First race of the season - just aim to get round and let the scratch group do their thing.

Pross

With it being a handicap the 4th cat group should be trying to work together as though are a large break for most of the race rather than trying to get into breaks. Ideally everyone will go through and off smoothly, the handicappers will have been generous and you'll stay away to fight it out at the end. Obviously, in reality there'll be strong riders wanting to rip it up and others who just want to sit at the back while the scratch riders will be working hard and it will rip to pieces as they come past!

cruff

Pross wrote:

With it being a handicap the 4th cat group should be trying to work together as though are a large break for most of the race rather than trying to get into breaks. Ideally everyone will go through and off smoothly, the handicappers will have been generous and you'll stay away to fight it out at the end. Obviously, in reality there'll be strong riders wanting to rip it up and others who just want to sit at the back while the scratch riders will be working hard and it will rip to pieces as they come past!

Yeah - I think the 4th cat group has managed to catch the scratch group napping a couple of times before and sit in with them until the end of the race? Can't see that happening but it'll at least be good to ride with the pros for a whole anyway!

cruff

Am only a reserve, but fourth on the list so should get a ride. Forecast is for sh1te weather (somewhat unsurprisingly) so I'll wait for the elites to come through and then sit behind Ed Clancy's shoulders for as long as I can...

fenix

Yeah just sit in the bunch. Don't put your nose in the wind and you should be able to hang on.

pippi_langsamer-2

Beware the crosswinds if there are any! Once the groups start to merge, it's sometimes a fight to find a wheel to shelter on with short echelons. I'd just get yourself a good workout in your group, and when....sorry, "if", you get caught just stay safe and don't get involved in last lap bunch heroics.

cruff

Pippi Langsamer wrote:

Beware the crosswinds if there are any! Once the groups start to merge, it's sometimes a fight to find a wheel to shelter on with short echelons. I'd just get yourself a good workout in your group, and when....sorry, "if", you get caught just stay safe and don't get involved in last lap bunch heroics.

Cheers. I know it's pretty open, forecast is for moderate winds so might be a bit crosswindy but shouldn't be too bad. No way I'm getting involved in the madness at the end - will take it safe and easy and just plan to get round

cruff

Christ, that was grippy. Grassed twice, the same prune ran me wide in two consecutive corners diving inside to gain precisely one place, epic chute just behind me as the cat 1s/elites made the catch and two more offs. All this in pretty much perfect conditions. Got round in one piece, missed the bell for the last lap and rolled across the line before I even knew it was over!

DavidJB

Cruff wrote:

Christ, that was grippy. Grassed twice, the same prune ran me wide in two consecutive corners diving inside to gain precisely one place, epic chute just behind me as the cat 1s/elites made the catch and two more offs. All this in pretty much perfect conditions. Got round in one piece, missed the bell for the last lap and rolled across the line before I even knew it was over!

I hope you informed him his riding was dangerous?

cruff

Depends on your definition of 'informed' and 'dangerous'. I think I called him a 'soppy f***ing mug', if that counts?

Actually, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Some really comedy cornering - I thought I was a sh*t bike handler, but I looked like Sagan compared to some of them - and a lot of nervousness when the elites made the catch, but nothing really out and out dangerous - apart from Ed Clancy peeling a knee warmer off, getting it wrong and having it churn through his back wheel... Bloody chopper

Pretty good fun, all told

fenix

Nice work !

DavidJB

Cruff wrote:

Depends on your definition of 'informed' and 'dangerous'. I think I called him a 'soppy f***ing mug', if that counts?

Actually, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Some really comedy cornering - I thought I was a sh*t bike handler, but I looked like Sagan compared to some of them - and a lot of nervousness when the elites made the catch, but nothing really out and out dangerous - apart from Ed Clancy peeling a knee warmer off, getting it wrong and having it churn through his back wheel... Bloody chopper

Pretty good fun, all told

To be honest mate shouting abuse at someone does nothing. They either just ignore it or shout back. A quiet word after the race or even during makes people really think about their riding and will actually improve it in the future.

Some one came and told me I was all over the place 5 years ago in a calm manner (think it was my first e/1/2) and it stuck with me. I actually went out and practised looking around and keeping the bike straight after that and now I ride dead straight!

It's our responsibility to ensure riders are riding safely. Random shouting matches don't do the trick but a calm tap on the shoulder and some advice from a peer goes along way to ensure racing is safer for everyone in the future.

Even if he was a twat

Edit: F**king hell I must be getting old

cruff

DavidJB wrote:

Cruff wrote:

Depends on your definition of 'informed' and 'dangerous'. I think I called him a 'soppy f***ing mug', if that counts?

Actually, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Some really comedy cornering - I thought I was a sh*t bike handler, but I looked like Sagan compared to some of them - and a lot of nervousness when the elites made the catch, but nothing really out and out dangerous - apart from Ed Clancy peeling a knee warmer off, getting it wrong and having it churn through his back wheel... Bloody chopper

Pretty good fun, all told

To be honest mate shouting abuse at someone does nothing. They either just ignore it or shout back. A quiet word after the race or even during makes people really think about their riding and will actually improve it in the future.

Some one came and told me I was all over the place 5 years ago in a calm manner (think it was my first e/1/2) and it stuck with me. I actually went out and practised looking around and keeping the bike straight after that and now I ride dead straight!

It's our responsibility to ensure riders are riding safely. Random shouting matches don't do the trick but a calm tap on the shoulder and some advice from a peer goes along way to ensure racing is safer for everyone in the future.

Even if he was a fool

Edit: F**king hell I must be getting old

Ah, it wasn't bad. More like a quick growl than a proper volley of invective

Not having raced until being an old git I think, perversely, helps me. I'm a little bit nervous on a bike anyway as a result of not riding one properly until a few years ago, so I think I concentrate a bit more than some of the younger riders, who have been doing it since they were about five. Was noticeable how many of them were nervous when the pro teams made the catch - I moved up a lot and hung around at the front of the bunch a lot more than the back after seeing some hairy riding back there. Once you dropped back though, it wasn't easy weaving your way through again. Glad I didn't get a ride at Grimbo the next day - it was absolutely biblical