My cyclocross ambition by Palinurus
- Thread starter palinurus
- Start date
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dan_bo
How much does it cost to Oldham?
yenrod said:
Yenners, you're talking poo.
i've done my first two races of this season and I forgot who exhilerating, tough, funny, compelling and downright good value 'cross is. give it a go
'twas nice to meet trio this weekend as well!
trio25
Über Member
Cross is brilliant! I am currently using my mountain bike, which is far from ideal. But still loads of fun. I have no skill when it comes to getting through mud, getting on/off my bike quickly or carrying my bike. But I have been loving it, I don't think I've ever worked so hard on a bike either. An hour with an average heart rate of 180 on saturday nearly killed me!
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
I did a few many years back on my MTB in Woodbank Park - dan_bo will know - organised by Stu Johnson - he's not changed the Le Mans style start...... Did OK, but got battered by the pro cross riders that were riding.
We often went down to watch the Cross in Macclesfield around New Year....
We often went down to watch the Cross in Macclesfield around New Year....
Not much progress in the last couple weeks- I've got to get that bike built up. I ordered wheels and parts from the LBS- no problem there, but then they offered to build it up for me too (I couldn't turn 'em down- I'm a lazy man). Only it's taking a bit longer than I thought it might. I'll pop in tomorrow and see how things are going, might leave with a bike, might leave with a box of bits. We'll see..
Went to check progress today. Wheels are built and attached to the frame. There's bars, levers, front and rear mechs. Looks nice.
No brakes. Ordered a month ago and the LBS still haven't received them, so I couldn't even pick up the last of the bits and finish it off myself. They haven't been communicating basically, the guy I spoke to today didn't know anything about it. Brakes will now be chased up etc.
Two weeks to go to my first event and I haven't got a bike and haven't ridden offroad at all (except for riding up and down a strip of grass in the park on my commute bike doing dismounts and- still fairly bad- remounts).
Might be a good thing. Won't have time to get discouraged, just wheel the bike out of the shop and ride straight to the event. I'll stick the entry form in the post next week.
No brakes. Ordered a month ago and the LBS still haven't received them, so I couldn't even pick up the last of the bits and finish it off myself. They haven't been communicating basically, the guy I spoke to today didn't know anything about it. Brakes will now be chased up etc.
Two weeks to go to my first event and I haven't got a bike and haven't ridden offroad at all (except for riding up and down a strip of grass in the park on my commute bike doing dismounts and- still fairly bad- remounts).
Might be a good thing. Won't have time to get discouraged, just wheel the bike out of the shop and ride straight to the event. I'll stick the entry form in the post next week.
dan_bo
How much does it cost to Oldham?
fossyant said:
Stu was at the race at boggart hole clough t'other weekend- on good form- dressed in a black skinsuit with turquoise chevrons, dayglo pink socks and a yellow and black helmet. On his sit up and beg crosser. the man has class.
Attachments
I wasn't sure it'd be ready, but it was.
Figured that next week I'd be marshalling. Or selling cakes. Or standing at the slipperiest corner taking furtive sips from my hipflask. Either way I started to think I'd be having an easier time of it next Sunday. Now I'm either going to have to ride or come up with a new excuse.
It's fun tho'. Went through the park and did a few laps of the bridleway that goes around the perimeter of the woods. It was raining a bit, got suitably muddy. It's hard, I wasn't even trying to go that quick but I was soon panting. My upper body hurts now- I'm going to have to work on that. Kept me warm, I was completely overdressed with the stuff I normally wear for cycling this time of year.
Starting to get used to riding through mud, the horses churn up the ground some so there are numerous patches of fairly deep mud on the circuit, there's also a run-up (a steep bit with some steps cut into it).
One thing I'm not going to like: more bike cleaning.
I've got one week. My remount is still shite, but I think I got it a bit less shite today.
Bike rides nice, fits nice, it's going to get a fair bit of use I think.
Figured that next week I'd be marshalling. Or selling cakes. Or standing at the slipperiest corner taking furtive sips from my hipflask. Either way I started to think I'd be having an easier time of it next Sunday. Now I'm either going to have to ride or come up with a new excuse.
It's fun tho'. Went through the park and did a few laps of the bridleway that goes around the perimeter of the woods. It was raining a bit, got suitably muddy. It's hard, I wasn't even trying to go that quick but I was soon panting. My upper body hurts now- I'm going to have to work on that. Kept me warm, I was completely overdressed with the stuff I normally wear for cycling this time of year.
Starting to get used to riding through mud, the horses churn up the ground some so there are numerous patches of fairly deep mud on the circuit, there's also a run-up (a steep bit with some steps cut into it).
One thing I'm not going to like: more bike cleaning.
I've got one week. My remount is still shite, but I think I got it a bit less shite today.
Bike rides nice, fits nice, it's going to get a fair bit of use I think.
dan_bo
How much does it cost to Oldham?
wet mud's better than dry mud mind P.
DustBowlRefugee
Guru
- Location
- Sussex, England
dan_bo said:
And much better than frozen mud
The mud could've done with being wetter. It was heavy and mixed with grass and leaves. The bike was very rapidly clogged up and I had to keep clearing it (it was like trying to ride with the brakes on otherwise). Sometimes I could pull some off with my gloves while carrying the bike- that way I didn't waste any time. Otherwise I just stopped and pulled it out. Someone shouted some advice, "shake it!", but that stuff wasn't going to be shaken out.
Occasionally I'd pass someone trying to poke it all out with a stick.
I ran a lot. I'm not very good at running so I was completely shagged out about half way through. I would've ridden; it was that heavy I sometimes just couldn't get moving, and when I did I wasn't going any faster anyway.
When the course was designed someone from the club tried it out. His opinion? all rideable, about 6 minutes a lap. Same rider was lapping in 9 minutes today. My laps were closer to 15.
I was worried about my remounts- although I was getting it a bit better yesterday. Today I could barely get the bike rolling well enough to do it so reverted to clambering on.
I think I just have to get used to how a bike feels in those conditions. I was a bit nervous. I have discovered that falling off into mud doesn't hurt much, that's probably important.
Don't know where I placed, very probably last. I overtook quite a few people on the one straight bit on the course but they always came back as I struggled around the twisty bits.
One of the run-ups was so slippy I could barely walk up it until I discovered this: walk like a duck, splay the feet right out, bend the knees and waddle. I'll have to sort out some footwear with studs.
I rode home into a terrible headwind.
Looking forward to the next one.
Occasionally I'd pass someone trying to poke it all out with a stick.
I ran a lot. I'm not very good at running so I was completely shagged out about half way through. I would've ridden; it was that heavy I sometimes just couldn't get moving, and when I did I wasn't going any faster anyway.
When the course was designed someone from the club tried it out. His opinion? all rideable, about 6 minutes a lap. Same rider was lapping in 9 minutes today. My laps were closer to 15.
I was worried about my remounts- although I was getting it a bit better yesterday. Today I could barely get the bike rolling well enough to do it so reverted to clambering on.
I think I just have to get used to how a bike feels in those conditions. I was a bit nervous. I have discovered that falling off into mud doesn't hurt much, that's probably important.
Don't know where I placed, very probably last. I overtook quite a few people on the one straight bit on the course but they always came back as I struggled around the twisty bits.
One of the run-ups was so slippy I could barely walk up it until I discovered this: walk like a duck, splay the feet right out, bend the knees and waddle. I'll have to sort out some footwear with studs.
I rode home into a terrible headwind.
Looking forward to the next one.
