Having a go!!

simo105

Hi
I've decided to give racing a go this year as it will be my only chance to try it. So I'm writing it down in a blog. I've seen other blogs and there very good so I've decided to have a try myself. I'll put a link at the bottom. I've entered my first cat 4 race which is 20th Jan woolly mamil stourport and I'll do a few write ups about it and heading up to it. Feedback welcome thanks.
http://parrycyclist.blogspot.co.uk/2018 ... n.html?m=1

imposter2.0

Just read the blog - I really would try hard to get some group riding experience in before you line up at Stourport - it will make all the difference. Try talking to Wyre Forest CRC, who I think run regular evening sessions down there...

daniel_b

Will follow with interest :-)

Impressive FTP for one where you were only going full gas for 14 of the 20, I'd happily take that for one going full gas for the whole lot!

Alex99

Imposter wrote:

Just read the blog - I really would try hard to get some group riding experience in before you line up at Stourport - it will make all the difference. Try talking to Wyre Forest CRC, who I think run regular evening sessions down there...

+1. Try to get some group rides with some experienced riders and ask them a lot about racing. Practice some sprinting on the road. Good luck!

simo105

I've done a fair bit of group riding just not so much in the winter, I took part in a chain gang the lbs put on through the lighter nights. Wyre forest is a little far for me to get over, Walsall roads is close by so will try to go out with them.

trivial_poursuivant

simo105 wrote:

I've done a fair bit of group riding just not so much in the winter, I took part in a chain gang the lbs put on through the lighter nights. Wyre forest is a little far for me to get over, Walsall roads is close by so will try to go out with them.

Group riding is one thing, have you ridden much in a peloton style group?

I have noticed a lot in recent years , due to apps like Zwift, lots of people racing online, producing decent results and FTPs and thinking real racing looks like a good thing. Then getting a big shock when they are in a dynamic unpredictable large group of riders. Suddenly the realisation that just sitting on a bike on a turbo is nothing like real racing with someone right there at your elbow.

Get as much exposure to minor races as you can just to get comfortable with it. And don’t race what you can’t replace.

simo105

I'll be honest I haven't ridden in a peloton as there is not much around me to gain that experience. I fully understand that it's going to be a learning curve but you have to start somewhere. I'll be doing a post on the blog about the bike I have and cost this weekend it was less than £900 so a disaster if I fold it in half.

simo105

Also regarding zwift I don't do the races on there just workouts. The f.t.p is just for training purposes and not a comparison. In five weeks I'll be doing it again so I'll will be interesting to see if it goes up.

trivial_poursuivant

simo105 wrote:

Also regarding zwift I don't do the races on there just workouts

It wasn’t aimed at you in particular, but if you’re in a cat.4 race with people with exactly that mindset you need to be wary of the fact some will have no group ride experience and are potentially dangerous. A pile up can happen anywhere. Even with the pros so you need to keep your wits about you.

DeVlaeminck

Get some of the more fun reliability rides in - VCLong Eaton, the Tom Simpson Memorial etc - there are probably equivalents down your way - maybe CCGiro and Mercia are closeish? They aren't races but you can get some hard miles in a big group and the dynamic is less organised than a chain gang.

fenix

If its your first race then expect it to be ridiculously fast from the start and then ease back.
Keep your head out of the wind and follow the wheels. Don't burn energy unless you need to.
If you want to move up in the peleton wait for a wheel to come past and follow them.

Probably worth doing a race on Zwift to get a feel for it - its pretty much like a RR but without the bike handling !

DeVlaeminck

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/event ... -Ride-2018. Do the middle route short one is for new/slow riders and long one I doubt many will enter.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/event ... try_only=0

DeVlaeminck

http://www.procyclinguk.com/midlands-re ... ides-2018/

simo105

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

simo105 wrote:

Also regarding zwift I don't do the races on there just workouts

It wasn’t aimed at you in particular, but if you’re in a cat.4 race with people with exactly that mindset you need to be wary of the fact some will have no group ride experience and are potentially dangerous. A pile up can happen anywhere. Even with the pros so you need to keep your wits about you.

I completely agree with you I suppose it's part of the risk in racing! The cold may scare some of the inexperienced off!

simo105

DeVlaeminck wrote:

http://www.procyclinguk.com/midlands-reliability-rides-2018/

Looks good will try and get over to it. I did the cc giro one last year was very good! I'll have to try and get some of these in the bag! Cheers for the website link that will come in useful!

imposter2.0

simo105 wrote:

The cold may scare some of the inexperienced off!

It didn't last year. Still had full fields, I think..

simo105

Imposter wrote:

simo105 wrote:

The cold may scare some of the inexperienced off!

It didn't last year. Still had full fields, I think..

Looks like an hour sitting at the front then! Again I'm there for the experience this will probably the only year I can have a good go at it due to family commitments so I want to try and give it my best shot.

mpatts

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

simo105 wrote:

Also regarding zwift I don't do the races on there just workouts

It wasn’t aimed at you in particular, but if you’re in a cat.4 race with people with exactly that mindset you need to be wary of the fact some will have no group ride experience and are potentially dangerous. A pile up can happen anywhere. Even with the pros so you need to keep your wits about you.

Early season when I was a cat 4 I was given a great peice of advice....watch for the guys with no socks. Often super fast triathletes who had never really ridden in a bunch.

daniel_b

mpatts wrote:

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

simo105 wrote:

Also regarding zwift I don't do the races on there just workouts

It wasn’t aimed at you in particular, but if you’re in a cat.4 race with people with exactly that mindset you need to be wary of the fact some will have no group ride experience and are potentially dangerous. A pile up can happen anywhere. Even with the pros so you need to keep your wits about you.

Early season when I was a cat 4 I was given a great peice of advice....watch for the guys with no socks. Often super fast triathletes who had never really ridden in a bunch.

simo105

mpatts wrote:

Trivial poursuivant wrote:

simo105 wrote:

Also regarding zwift I don't do the races on there just workouts

It wasn’t aimed at you in particular, but if you’re in a cat.4 race with people with exactly that mindset you need to be wary of the fact some will have no group ride experience and are potentially dangerous. A pile up can happen anywhere. Even with the pros so you need to keep your wits about you.

Early season when I was a cat 4 I was given a great peice of advice....watch for the guys with no socks. Often super fast triathletes who had never really ridden in a bunch.

I'll add socks to the must remember list when I go to race

supermurph09

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Get some of the more fun reliability rides in - VCLong Eaton, the Tom Simpson Memorial etc - there are probably equivalents down your way - maybe CCGiro and Mercia are closeish? They aren't races but you can get some hard miles in a big group and the dynamic is less organised than a chain gang.

Very tough ride this, would be great experience to help you with racing. The week after is the BIG RED RIDE starting near Mansfield, that is also a balls out start to finish ride. I believe doing both set me up nicely for racing.

simo105

Supermurph09 wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Get some of the more fun reliability rides in - VCLong Eaton, the Tom Simpson Memorial etc - there are probably equivalents down your way - maybe CCGiro and Mercia are closeish? They aren't races but you can get some hard miles in a big group and the dynamic is less organised than a chain gang.

Very tough ride this, would be great experience to help you with racing. The week after is the BIG RED RIDE starting near Mansfield, that is also a balls out start to finish ride. I believe doing both set me up nicely for racing.

I'll try and get over to long Eaton I do the long route. Enjoyed your blog last year kinda inspired me to do it myself

simo105

Added another post to the blog about the bike I'll be using for racing.https://parrycyclist.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

simo105

Week to go until my first race! New blog about the weekend https://parrycyclist.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... e.html?m=1
Cheers

Htclee

Watch out for any juniors, in my experience they have been the biggest risk takers, diving into corners and pushing others wide etc. I assume this is because they lack the fear or experience to know how much it hurts when you come off..

simo105

First race yesterday really enjoyed it even tho the weather was poor. Written a blog on it http://parrycyclist.blogspot.co.uk/2018 ... 1.html?m=1
Cheers

aberdeen_lune

Well done Simon great blog. Don’t be disheartened, everyone gets dropped on their first race. Keep at it you will improve. It’s a steep learning curve.

supermurph09

Well done, would have been so easy not to race but you did it, take the positives and smash it next week.

imposter2.0

Good effort. Stourport is a hard circuit for a newbie. Somewhere flatter (like Shrewsbury, for eg) and you may well have hung on til the end.

simo105

Cheers guys! Will try again next week

pastryboy

That could be a lot of people's first race report. Finding yourself off the back after every turn and before you know it you've burned all your energy constantly chasing back on and inevitably you get dropped. All you can do is keep at it then all of a sudden you'll feel comfortable in the bunch and you'll be part of it rather than chasing it.