First race - first crash

supermurph09

Not quite the ending I hoped, don't let it put you off, it was great while it lasted!

https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.co ... one-crash/

burnthesheep

Sorry to hear, but kudos to you for actually doing it. I never will.

I say the battle scars don't look too bad considering what happened. I've hurt worst on a silly little cycle path slipping a wet wooden bridge.

Seems like you have a good attitude to racing and the event. Keep at it, better should come.

Matthewfalle

How's the bike?

supermurph09

Cheers guys.

Bike is ok, well I hope so anyway, doesn't look to have sustained anything more than scratches. My wounds are still a bit open but this morning the neck was bit better, I could almost get out of bed how normal people do. Main issue is rotator cuffs on shoulders but hopefully they'll settle down. Planning on some turbo work tomorrow.

Thanks

DeVlaeminck

Bad luck to get taken out in your first race - at least at Darley other than the ground there isn't much to crash into and it's unusual to get much worse than road rash.

DavidJB

Some nice battle scars there...get back racing ASAP I've had 7 crashes in my 6 years racing and lost a lot of skin but it grows back!

supermurph09

DavidJB wrote:

Some nice battle scars there...get back racing ASAP I've had 7 crashes in my 6 years racing and lost a lot of skin but it grows back!

That's the aim, well the getting back racing anyway!

Pross

DavidJB wrote:

Some nice battle scars there...get back racing ASAP I've had 7 crashes in my 6 years racing and lost a lot of skin but it grows back!

Chopper, I've only had 3 over about 10 seasons although 2 resulted in ambulance trips. I guess that's the advantage of getting dropped early lol then again one was in a TT when someone rode into me from behind!

cruff

Bad luck to go down in your first race, but in some ways, good to get it over with so you know what to expect (kind of). Sounds like you didn't get chopped at least - just one of those things that happens. Bloke in my race at the weekend went down his first time out as well - on the last bend before the sprint, trying to move up on the outside. No other crashes though, I think because it was absolutely hammering it down all race the cornering was a bit less sketchy than usual.

Chances are you'll be OK in your next race - onwards and upwards!

supermurph09

Cruff wrote:

Bad luck to go down in your first race, but in some ways, good to get it over with so you know what to expect (kind of). Sounds like you didn't get chopped at least - just one of those things that happens. Bloke in my race at the weekend went down his first time out as well - on the last bend before the sprint, trying to move up on the outside. No other crashes though, I think because it was absolutely hammering it down all race the cornering was a bit less sketchy than usual.

Chances are you'll be OK in your next race - onwards and upwards!

Thanks, I've actually been giving this some thought and was wondering if better positioning will help in the long run. I tended to find myself on the outside of the pack, it always seemed to look like a better way of moving back up (which I did well on a few occasions) but I do wonder if being in the middle would help with crash avoidance? My crash was because I was on the very outside, going right meant certain crashing on the grass (in hindsight this might have been less painful), going left (not that I had much time to react) meant a big change in direction and I was keen not to bring others down. So I do wonder if being more central would have given me more options.

cruff

If the crash isn't your fault, then it doesn't really matter where you are in the pack. You can either avoid it or you can't - I suppose that comes with experience. On the outside, if you're going into a bend, I think you're in more danger of being taken off (crashes slide to the outside) so you're better to take the inside line at corners (not chopping other riders obviously - move to the inside of the pack on the straight prior to the corner)

In general, being near the front is better in crits full stop. If the circuit is tight you probably won't win from more than about ten wheels back - and its difficult to move up late in the race when it's narrow

DavidJB

Pross wrote:

DavidJB wrote:

Some nice battle scars there...get back racing ASAP I've had 7 crashes in my 6 years racing and lost a lot of skin but it grows back!

Chopper

Truer words never spoken

MozBiker

Nicely done mate. Good effort and a good read as well

supermurph09

Race 2: https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.co ... lory-park/

Much better.

paul2718

Might be worth riding in the drops a bit more?

If you're there at the end then you're in the mix and anything can happen. Makes it worth going back next week...

Paul

supermurph09

paul2718 wrote:

Might be worth riding in the drops a bit more?

If you're there at the end then you're in the mix and anything can happen. Makes it worth going back next week...

Paul

Thanks, I raced on the drops quite a bit but it's something I'm working on.

daniel_b

Nice write up

Will tune in for more reports!

supermurph09

Getting closer to those points,

https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.co ... rk-race-2/

Shadowrider

Oh man, I've started training for some events at the end of the summer, and came down hard yesterday. Managed to take a chunk out of my toe with the chain ring I think and snore knee. No skin which is good.

Heal up and go again.


Best of luck.

supermurph09

So frustrating: https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.co ... went-bang/

DeVlaeminck

Have you done any open road yet - trouble is these days with the EMRRL most races locally are 234s whereas a 3/4 is a better introduction for most of us. Bad luck with the calf.

supermurph09

Looking at open road events, as you say a lot are 234's which I don't think appeal too much but spotted a few others that I'm going to line up and train for.

supermurph09

First road race: https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.co ... lf-issues/

supermurph09

Last couple of races, there is a theme.

https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.co ... lf-issues/


https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.co ... wo-calves/

supermurph09

Calf held out this time, no change in the result: https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.co ... road-race/

DeVlaeminck

Have you done Lime Kiln yet? It's not really a hill more a long drag up to the finish. Key will be the sharp almost dead stop left turn at the bottom of the hill/drag - it's too far to open the sprint from there but you probably want to be top 10 and hold a position - stay rightish and near the front and open it up earlyish going up the outside so you don't get boxed.

Of you prefer a break make sure ovb etc are represented or they'll kill it.

daniel_b

Good read, thankyou SM!

supermurph09

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Have you done Lime Kiln yet? It's not really a hill more a long drag up to the finish. Key will be the sharp almost dead stop left turn at the bottom of the hill/drag - it's too far to open the sprint from there but you probably want to be top 10 and hold a position - stay rightish and near the front and open it up earlyish going up the outside so you don't get boxed.

Of you prefer a break make sure ovb etc are represented or they'll kill it.

Good info! Not done it yet, but strategy looks good, I'll see what I can do.

supermurph09

2nd place last night!! Blog to follow

supermurph09

2nd place: https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.co ... 2nd-place/

daniel_b

Supermurph09 wrote:

2nd place: https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.co ... 2nd-place/

Fantastic effort and result, congratulations!