Cyclocross- New season approaches..

[palinurus]

Why no bar ends? No big deal to take them off but cant see a danger in them and feels 'orrible climbing out of saddle on straight bars without 'em. Did they have somebodies eye out last season??

Not sure but maybe because they could get hooked under other riders bars in the bunch (for the brief part of a race when there is a bunch). Drops can do this too of course, but riding on the drops guards against it to some extent. I expect bar ends are more "snaggy" than drops either way.

Having said that I can't find that regulation in the rulebook.

 

[Big T]

Planning to ride a few CX races this winter on a rigid MTB, my old proper CX bikes went in a skip years ago.

Some of these will be notts and derby league, and on web it says that MTB's are OK, but no bar ends.

Why no bar ends? No big deal to take them off but cant see a danger in them and feels 'orrible climbing out of saddle on straight bars without 'em. Did they have somebodies eye out last season??

Notts and derby races have big fields - up to 150 racers starting in 1 big group. There are occasionally crashes at the start and bar ends could do some serious damage, which is why they are banned, as are unplugged drop bars.

We had to have the air ambulance out at the Sherwood Pines event last year, as someone broke a collarbone at the start and they couldn't get an ambulance in.

Planning to do a few myself. Look out for a fat bloke starting and finishing near the back.

 

[SimonC]

Notts and derby races have big fields - up to 150 racers starting in 1 big group. There are occasionally crashes at the start and bar ends could do some serious damage, which is why they are banned, as are unplugged drop bars.

We had to have the air ambulance out at the Sherwood Pines event last year, as someone broke a collarbone at the start and they couldn't get an ambulance in.

Planning to do a few myself. Look out for a fat bloke starting and finishing near the back.

Seems reasonable - rules is rules as they say.

Looking forward to a bit of cross, used to ride notts and derby league twenty years ago, some good courses, dont remember 150 starters, more like 20-30 back then.

 

[Dave5N]

If you have kids under 12 who want to enter the WMCCL, I need your entries by 7pm tomorrow.

Ta.

 

[palinurus]

Rollapaluza Halloween 'cross at Herne Hill. Presumably nearest Saturday evening to Halloween but I don't know if it's been announced yet.

I entered last year but cancelled as I had a race the following day. I know: lightweight.

Last year there was a Go-Race event before the main race, I think there were categories for fixed and SS too. MTB will be no problem.

Rollapaluza/Knog Halloween 'cross now open for entries

 

[lpjr]

Hello, anyone in Preston tomorrow for the first North West race?

 

[Christopher]

Race report
NW League: Avenham Park (Preston), today
Had a fairly good race only after deciding to do it this morning (EOL). Had forgotton how hard CX is! Course was okay, although I'd have preferred more singletrack (like Otterspool) and less grinding along over grass (I am better at technical stuff and slow over grass). I was number 209 and got 78th place I think. It was quite a long course. Having never fallen in 4 previous races, I fell off twice in 100 yards on the last lap! Must therefore put a Michelin Mud tyre on the front as the courses are only going to get muddier as we go into winter. It got windy as the race went on and I felt sorry for the rider who had to stop to untangle loose course tape from his rear mech.
First time I'd raced on bar-end shifters and they were brilliant! Had worried I would be knocking them on the dismounts/remounts but that never happened.
So far this year I have done zero training due to a lack of willpower. Might do some now (but probably won't). Oh yeah I might be in one photograph (background) as someone took a pic of the leader just as he was lapping me!

Think the next race I can make is round 4. I didn't knowingly see any CC'ers there but I did see a few regulars from last year.

later!
Christopher

 

[Big T]

143 riders in the main race at the notts and derby league today. Dave Fletcher won from Tom Last. 2 crashes in the early stages with riders taking a corner too fast, but no injuries. I didn't ride as my Mrs wanted to ride and I ended up on dog sitting duties. Hoping to start my season at round 2 at Allestree Park.

 

[lpjr]

Completed my first ever cyclocross race yesterday. My prediction of a last 10 finished was proved correct. But as I have only been on a bike for the past 5 weeks I was happy I completed the hour. Only one fall and that was during the warm up lap, doh. I decided to start at the back of the pack and watch the race unfold in front of me. Thought oh dear when I got to the top of the first slope to see the pro's almost completing the first shortened lap. Overall I really enjoyed the race and look forward to the next one which for me will be the Manchester one. However, I did think there would be more social riders.


The things I learnt.

1/ My tyres looked like slicks compared to most of the other competitors and listening to others talk yesterday I clearly had my tyres over inflated. On the grassy slope my wheels just span round, it was not even that steep. Other than that very happy with the bike.


2/ Fitness, consider myself reasonably fit. But this is rugby fitness. At 14 stone, weight on that grassy slope was a bit of an issue. I did find the grass part of the circuit a lot harder than the track part. Overall I was ok for the first 45 mins and began to suffer in the last 15 mins. More time on the bike will hopefully solve that issue.

3/ Tactics, will compete more at the start next time. By the time I got pass the naturally slower riders than myself (note; not many of them) the riders I would have competed with were gone. I was too polite in my overtakes, had opportunities to overtake but thought it would be a bit rude to do it here will wait to the next corner etc. I think I gave too much room to the faster riders. I made a point of getting out of their way but I gave that much room the people I was competing with were coming through as well??
My aim for the year is by the end of the season to have a last 30 finish.

 

[jpembroke]

My race report:

Bottled it due to not feeling too great in the morning. Then went hillrunning later and felt fantastic.

B*gger!

 

[oldroadman]

Completed my first ever cyclocross race yesterday. My prediction of a last 10 finished was proved correct. But as I have only been on a bike for the past 5 weeks I was happy I completed the hour. Only one fall and that was during the warm up lap, doh. I decided to start at the back of the pack and watch the race unfold in front of me. Thought oh dear when I got to the top of the first slope to see the pro's almost completing the first shortened lap. Overall I really enjoyed the race and look forward to the next one which for me will be the Manchester one. However, I did think there would be more social riders.


The things I learnt.

1/ My tyres looked like slicks compared to most of the other competitors and listening to others talk yesterday I clearly had my tyres over inflated. On the grassy slope my wheels just span round, it was not even that steep. Other than that very happy with the bike.


2/ Fitness, consider myself reasonably fit. But this is rugby fitness. At 14 stone, weight on that grassy slope was a bit of an issue. I did find the grass part of the circuit a lot harder than the track part. Overall I was ok for the first 45 mins and began to suffer in the last 15 mins. More time on the bike will hopefully solve that issue.

3/ Tactics, will compete more at the start next time. By the time I got pass the naturally slower riders than myself (note; not many of them) the riders I would have competed with were gone. I was too polite in my overtakes, had opportunities to overtake but thought it would be a bit rude to do it here will wait to the next corner etc. I think I gave too much room to the faster riders. I made a point of getting out of their way but I gave that much room the people I was competing with were coming through as well??
My aim for the year is by the end of the season to have a last 30 finish.

Good stuff and well done for hanging on in there. First, etiquette. When fast riders are lapping you, get out of the way. If they are on the same lap (therefore not much quicker) you are entitled to battle, but don't block deliberately. Get fitter - you are right rugby fit is way off, and the weight does not help. And you already know to keep the tyres a bit softer, and suited to conditions - take advice from the locals.

I've seen comments about singletrack - this is an MTB course feature and should not be in CX (rules say a minimum 3 metres so there may be one good race line but it's possible to pass). Personally I think singletrack has no place in any bike race, if you can block the way that can't be right.

 

[mudplugger]

I've seen comments about singletrack - this is an MTB course feature and should not be in CX (rules say a minimum 3 metres so there may be one good race line but it's possible to pass). Personally I think singletrack has no place in any bike race, if you can block the way that can't be right.

Agreed in general, but the difficulty with local races is that they are organised by volunteers who are often limited by the terrain that is available. If we insist on no single track, this may limit the number of courses available. That said, when wider alternatives are available they should be used.

 

[Big T]

I did say that Notts and Derby races have big fields - 184 starters in the senior race last saturday at Allestree Park, certianly a record for the league. Dave Collins won from Rob Parkin.

 

[jpembroke]

Race report: Did Stroud 'Cross race on Sunday. Have been concentrating on running for the past year so not really been riding much (not ridden since mid-August). Blimey it was tough. Usual technical course with lots of climbing (Stroud's a weird course: it's like being stuck in an Esher design, just going up and up all the time). Not wet as most years but loads of off-camber bits and a very technical tight turn that caused a few crashes. I was hanging from the start. Got into a fast group for a 2-3 laps before getting dropped. I managed to pick off a few that went off too fast and lapped a few too. Finished 13th so all in all not too bad. Really should ride a bike more often though.

 

[palinurus]

13th sounds pretty good if you haven't been riding much.

First race of the season is always surprising, I certainly forget how bad it hurts.

I came 13th at the weekend too- best ever result for me.

Two races done and a race each weekend for the next four weeks. Then I get a little break.

Getting into a fast group and getting dropped is a better strategy than getting left behind at the start and expending considerable effort working your way up the field. This is what I've done the last two races. This weekend I'm going to try and keep my position in the first few hundred yards, then consolidate whatever initial gains I can make.