Race Reports
- Thread starter palinurus
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Dave5N
Über Member
- Location
- Outside The Little Nibble
palinurus said:
Not according to the results sheet.
jpembroke
New Member
- Location
- Cheltenham
My race report:
Yesterday - Considering Blenheim race or Western League Race in N. Bristol. Decided on the latter. Checked bike over and got kit ready. Went out for takeaway.
Today - Horribly ill all day. No doubt that sodding curry. No race.
Pants!
Yesterday - Considering Blenheim race or Western League Race in N. Bristol. Decided on the latter. Checked bike over and got kit ready. Went out for takeaway.
Today - Horribly ill all day. No doubt that sodding curry. No race.
Pants!
dan_bo
How much does it cost to Oldham?
Got a really good start from the off, was picking wheels up that I don't normally get on, was feeling really quite good........until the first corner, where I forgot how to ride a bike. Cue 55 mins of redline trying to get a decent race out of myself.
I'll be better next week.
Nick Craig was there as well! nice guy!
I'll be better next week.
Nick Craig was there as well! nice guy!
jpembroke
New Member
- Location
- Cheltenham
6th today. Small field though. Still, very happy. Started dry then rained for second half and got very greasy. I did benefit from a couple of crashes in front of me but then that's the nature of the 'cross I guess. Did get a good start this time, which I'm really pleased about. Last race I was half asleep at the start and it was elbows out from the off. Scary.
Second event of the season today, the results aren't out yet. My club's event too.
It was really dry. There's been heavy rain recently following a prolonged dry spell, but only the very top surface of the soil has any moisture in it. I was helping mark out the course yesterday with those plastic poles with metal spikes on the end. Those things would go in about 2 cm, not much further without jumping on them like they were pogo sticks. Even then they wouldn't always go in.
Last year none of the slopes were rideable, this year almost the entire course was. I had to get off once each lap for a tricky tree root on a steep uphill slope, once at the barriers.
I got called up to the start and placed in the second row back. Maybe I just looked like I knew what I was doing, who knows.
And I did get a better start, although I didn't hold my place right at the head of the race for long. Not too bad though, better than usual.
And the practice has paid off, good remounts at the barriers, everytime.
I invested a lot of energy in the first lap to make up places, seemed to work, although I was seriously tired later on.
Dumb race mistakes? not so many this time. Pulled right over, nearly stopping, to let some guy past assuming he was lapping me. He wasn't.
-14th out of 32 finishers in the end.
It was really dry. There's been heavy rain recently following a prolonged dry spell, but only the very top surface of the soil has any moisture in it. I was helping mark out the course yesterday with those plastic poles with metal spikes on the end. Those things would go in about 2 cm, not much further without jumping on them like they were pogo sticks. Even then they wouldn't always go in.
Last year none of the slopes were rideable, this year almost the entire course was. I had to get off once each lap for a tricky tree root on a steep uphill slope, once at the barriers.
I got called up to the start and placed in the second row back. Maybe I just looked like I knew what I was doing, who knows.
And I did get a better start, although I didn't hold my place right at the head of the race for long. Not too bad though, better than usual.
And the practice has paid off, good remounts at the barriers, everytime.
I invested a lot of energy in the first lap to make up places, seemed to work, although I was seriously tired later on.
Dumb race mistakes? not so many this time. Pulled right over, nearly stopping, to let some guy past assuming he was lapping me. He wasn't.
-14th out of 32 finishers in the end.
jpembroke
New Member
- Location
- Cheltenham
I know! On the last lap I was thinking: "I could get 5th here!!!!" Er, no. 6th again. My best ever finishes in 'cross and fell races have been 6th. I have to break this No. 6 hoodoo.
Blott's Mate
New Member
- Location
- Suffolk
Progress! 3rd last rather than 2nd last. Overtook a bloke in the last lap. Woo hoo! 1st lap slowest then gradually got faster (slightly) with each lap. AND did a cor blimey plummet 8 times including the warm up.Too steep to go down on foot. 3 weeks ago I would have had one look at it and gone home. Go me 
!!
!!
Blott's Mate
New Member
- Location
- Suffolk
I'll rephrase that. Start slow & get gradually slightly less slow!
dan_bo
How much does it cost to Oldham?
One word: shimanotenspeedchainsarelame.
first lap.
first lap.
