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Exciting report Will - well written! By the end I was willing you through the field. There must be some tough, robot-like competition out there for you to play with! Well done.
Your race today
- Thread starter Will1985
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Hi Will, it was me who tried to break with you. Pity it didn't stick, that headwind was brutal 
I sprinted way too early at the end and blew up, really disappointing I wanted to win so much
. I think I came 9th or 10th but didn't turn up on the results list, I think it messed up because I put my 13 numberboard upside down
Oh well, nice racing with you.
Frankie
I sprinted way too early at the end and blew up, really disappointing I wanted to win so much
Oh well, nice racing with you.
Frankie
OP
OP
Will1985
Über Member
- Location
- South Norfolk
mybibnumber have put up their photos now. This must be Plank in the background? Looks like it was taken from the top of the hairpin when we tried to break. Full res coming soon
Cool
lots more photos here too
http://davehaywardphotos.com/Cyclin...e-4th-cat-race/12901006_rucZd#930510236_SfLed
Ian H
Ancient randonneur
Here's me at the turn of the evening ten, telling the marshals there are two more behind me. 24.50 on a windy day. It's not the fastest of courses.
I was pleased to get under the hour on my first 25 of the year, a couple of weeks ago.
Next event is on the 24th...and the 25th. Ohmegawd what have I done.
I was pleased to get under the hour on my first 25 of the year, a couple of weeks ago.
Next event is on the 24th...and the 25th. Ohmegawd what have I done.
HarryTheDog
Guru
- Location
- Basildon Essex
Bit of a thread resurection
At the start of the thread its says
Put your race reports from road, TT, MTB etc here.
So this is my first MTB XC for over 3 years. Not a brilliant start to the season.
I'll get my excuses in first, hit a lorry on monday so a bit battered and bruised. I got called out to work last night so did not get to bed till 02:30. On the start line I was in a very small minority of people on a 26inch wheel, most were on 29ers
Anyway turned up at Hintelsham first MSG race of the season, I could see it was a mud fest. I had guessed it would be, I had a schwalbe magic mary tyre 2.3 wide on the front and a Black Shark mud 2.1 on the rear. The practice lap showed both shed mud well in the sloppy mud but in the thick sticky mud which was a good 1/5 of the course the rear tyre worked fairly well but the front turned into a mud ball and brake. The bike wieght felt like it was 40kg with all the mud everywhere. Lesson for next time in sticky mud, thinner tyres!
Well asI am a Grand Vet and did not race last year, I was in the last race of the day gridded right at the back. Thats where I stayed, the start was uphill a bit, then flat then a long downhill where it was so slick I took it careful, from my race analysis after, my first lap was the slowest.
Durring the first lap I moved up a couple of places then ended up in a 2 man race with a guy for the rest of the race for the honour of 4th to last. I dropped him somewhere on the last lap or he sneaked past when I wasn't noticing.
It was comical at times, people stopping to pick sticks up to to get mud out of tyres and components or just scraping handfuls off to throw away. A work colleague of mine had a problem with his chain and actually ran 2 laps with his bike just so he finished the race. It lots of places people were pushing or carrying bikes it was like being back in CX race.
I turned it into a experience rather than a race and made sure I got over each obstacle succesfully at least once and pedalled as much of the course as I could.
I got lapped by lots of elite/young riders but was praying to be lapped by the grand vet leader so I could throw in the towel, with 800 metres to go to the end of lap I was about to bin it, I heard the club coach say the leader was in sight behind , as he past me I asked if it was the bell lap, he confirmed it was. I was so relieved.
so I think I came 3rd or 4th to last, out of 50 odd which was a bit of a shock as on Strava I am usually in the top 5 of hundreds of people my age, shows strava does not cover MTB mad peeps. Also I did a Enduro a couple of months ago and came in the top half. Had a word with the club coach and he reckons I need to do some strength/hill training but he could tell I had fitness and was actually pulling people back the longer the race went on and looking comfortable. Anyway I will be doing it again, hopefully next time not so much of that awful sticky mud. Meanwhile some hill work is in order!
At the start of the thread its says
Put your race reports from road, TT, MTB etc here.
So this is my first MTB XC for over 3 years. Not a brilliant start to the season.
I'll get my excuses in first, hit a lorry on monday so a bit battered and bruised. I got called out to work last night so did not get to bed till 02:30. On the start line I was in a very small minority of people on a 26inch wheel, most were on 29ers
Anyway turned up at Hintelsham first MSG race of the season, I could see it was a mud fest. I had guessed it would be, I had a schwalbe magic mary tyre 2.3 wide on the front and a Black Shark mud 2.1 on the rear. The practice lap showed both shed mud well in the sloppy mud but in the thick sticky mud which was a good 1/5 of the course the rear tyre worked fairly well but the front turned into a mud ball and brake. The bike wieght felt like it was 40kg with all the mud everywhere. Lesson for next time in sticky mud, thinner tyres!
Well asI am a Grand Vet and did not race last year, I was in the last race of the day gridded right at the back. Thats where I stayed, the start was uphill a bit, then flat then a long downhill where it was so slick I took it careful, from my race analysis after, my first lap was the slowest.
Durring the first lap I moved up a couple of places then ended up in a 2 man race with a guy for the rest of the race for the honour of 4th to last. I dropped him somewhere on the last lap or he sneaked past when I wasn't noticing.
It was comical at times, people stopping to pick sticks up to to get mud out of tyres and components or just scraping handfuls off to throw away. A work colleague of mine had a problem with his chain and actually ran 2 laps with his bike just so he finished the race. It lots of places people were pushing or carrying bikes it was like being back in CX race.
I turned it into a experience rather than a race and made sure I got over each obstacle succesfully at least once and pedalled as much of the course as I could.
I got lapped by lots of elite/young riders but was praying to be lapped by the grand vet leader so I could throw in the towel, with 800 metres to go to the end of lap I was about to bin it, I heard the club coach say the leader was in sight behind , as he past me I asked if it was the bell lap, he confirmed it was. I was so relieved.
so I think I came 3rd or 4th to last, out of 50 odd which was a bit of a shock as on Strava I am usually in the top 5 of hundreds of people my age, shows strava does not cover MTB mad peeps. Also I did a Enduro a couple of months ago and came in the top half. Had a word with the club coach and he reckons I need to do some strength/hill training but he could tell I had fitness and was actually pulling people back the longer the race went on and looking comfortable. Anyway I will be doing it again, hopefully next time not so much of that awful sticky mud. Meanwhile some hill work is in order!
HarryTheDog
Guru
- Location
- Basildon Essex
Small update, turns out 13 people did not even bother starting and I ended up 10th from last from those who started, bit more effort I would have had some BC points.
look at this guys tyres below to give you a idea of conditions, note the bottom of his rear tyre where the mud has been shaped by the frame.
And below is yours truly after the race ( I had scooped off most of the excess mud by then)
note not much nud fling on my top due to it being so heavy and sticky.
look at this guys tyres below to give you a idea of conditions, note the bottom of his rear tyre where the mud has been shaped by the frame.
And below is yours truly after the race ( I had scooped off most of the excess mud by then)
note not much nud fling on my top due to it being so heavy and sticky.
HarryTheDog
Guru
- Location
- Basildon Essex
So triatheletes nearly got it right
in MTB+Road+cyclocross etc Master ( 30-39) Veteran (40 - 50) Grand Veteran (50 - 60) Super Veteran (over 60)If you want seperate categories for over 70 you need to race with the LVRC who do it in 5 year age gaps LVRC categories are designated as follows: A, 40- 44; B, 45-49; C, 50-54; D, 55-59; E, 60-64; F, 65-69; G, 70- 74;H,75-79: I,80-84, J,85-89; K,90-94: L,95-99.Members will change category on their appropriate birthday and when entering races must quote the age category that they will be in on the day of the race.
LVRC MTB races are hardly existent anymore, nearly all road+criterium.
HarryTheDog
Guru
- Location
- Basildon Essex
So today was round 2 of the MSG XC series at Henham. Unfortunately I have not even sat on a MTB since the last race all been commute miles and Paris-roubaix last weekend. I was hoping to improve on last months race but no such luck, I did worse ( 39th out of 46) and I really cant understand why. I did the practice lap, loads and loads of mud, changed my racing ralph's for a mud shark on the front and a thin 1.8 conti mud king on the rear. This helped with traction up the hills but felt like a anchor on the grassy part of the course. I got a good start and moved up the field to begin with then we hit the sticky mud and started to go backwards despite the tyre change.
I kept in touch visually a main bunch until I came off and winded myself with a bar end. After that the bunch got away properly and I ended up in a private race with a guy in yellow kit who I finally went past on the last lap but only due to him cramping up, the race was supposed to be 1.5 hrs and ended up at 2. My average heartrate was 159 ( my max is 178) and I spent 62% of the race at threshold so it wasn't that I was not trying. I seemed to get passed by people that on the outside looked like I should have been whooping. I seem to need more length strength for the mud, also maybe get a 29er most people tell me the 26inch I have isnt doing me any favours.
So I will have a look on ebay etc and meantime more length strength stuff ie hills low cadence big gear efforts.
I kept in touch visually a main bunch until I came off and winded myself with a bar end. After that the bunch got away properly and I ended up in a private race with a guy in yellow kit who I finally went past on the last lap but only due to him cramping up, the race was supposed to be 1.5 hrs and ended up at 2. My average heartrate was 159 ( my max is 178) and I spent 62% of the race at threshold so it wasn't that I was not trying. I seemed to get passed by people that on the outside looked like I should have been whooping. I seem to need more length strength for the mud, also maybe get a 29er most people tell me the 26inch I have isnt doing me any favours.
So I will have a look on ebay etc and meantime more length strength stuff ie hills low cadence big gear efforts.
HarryTheDog
Guru
- Location
- Basildon Essex
Since Round 2 I have bought a Specialized Stumpjumper 29er to hopefully move me up a few places and invested in a couple of hours technical coaching.
So I turned up at Thetford to blazing sunshine and was told by the coach that I had to have spare bottles in the pits for this race. I wombled around the course on a practice lap and was suprised to find it all very manageable and took the A lines with no problem at all.
When it came to gridding I was suprised to find the guy to the right of me in World Champion Hoops, so I enquired if he was truly a world champion. Turns out he is Super Vet ( over 70's) world champion. The coach told me to follow him if I could.
Well the whistle went off and I jumped on the guys tail and he guided me up the bunch till I just couldn't keep up. I had moved up to quite near the front and was feeling all chuffed with myself till we hit the singletrack and I started to go backwards being overtaken left and right.
I was thinking oh no not again but was determined to stay in contact with a group.
Looking over my shoulder ther were some stragglers behind us receeding from view. ( the race was 23 miles all together with 6 laps)
I went into the second lap chasing a group of 4 who I then caught and stayed with them till lap 3 when 2 of us detatched ourselves and pushed on.
We both caught and overtook yet more stragglers and I thought I was doing really well but coming into lap 4 I got handed a bottle on the right in the pits, not my favourite left and I totally fumbled it and had to slow to sort my life out and transfer the bottle to my left. Matey then gapped me, but then he went to put his bottle away after a drink and totally dropped it. He stopped to retrieve it and I was past. He chased me for a mile then gave up and disapeared.
I was chasing stragglers all of the 5th lap but they all turned out to be vets and opens no G vets. I myself was being lapped but only by the elites and faster opens no G vet lapped me so was really chuffed and was the last of the 6 lappers!. The 6th lap was a lonely affair and I could have walked and kept my position as everyone else had been stopped but I didnt know that so pushed on.
Lessons learnt were, when tired and on a really bumpy course not thinking and looking ahead properly for the flatest route causes you extra work and also a bumpy course really smacks your butt and your shorts pad removes all your bum fluff!. Also I really need to learn to flow over the course not point and shoot.
Anyway the 29er made me up 12 places! 27th out of 46. Not in the top half yet but I am getting there.
The bike was not covered in mud just sweat and dust!
I was suprised my average cadence was only 80 but the max was 147 ( thats 1 x 11 for you)
Avg heart rate 165 max 177 ( my max is 178) so working!
Avg speed 12.6 max 23.3 ( 1 hr 49 of racing )
Dont know why the picture is upside down below
So I turned up at Thetford to blazing sunshine and was told by the coach that I had to have spare bottles in the pits for this race. I wombled around the course on a practice lap and was suprised to find it all very manageable and took the A lines with no problem at all.
When it came to gridding I was suprised to find the guy to the right of me in World Champion Hoops, so I enquired if he was truly a world champion. Turns out he is Super Vet ( over 70's) world champion. The coach told me to follow him if I could.
Well the whistle went off and I jumped on the guys tail and he guided me up the bunch till I just couldn't keep up. I had moved up to quite near the front and was feeling all chuffed with myself till we hit the singletrack and I started to go backwards being overtaken left and right.
I was thinking oh no not again but was determined to stay in contact with a group.
Looking over my shoulder ther were some stragglers behind us receeding from view. ( the race was 23 miles all together with 6 laps)
I went into the second lap chasing a group of 4 who I then caught and stayed with them till lap 3 when 2 of us detatched ourselves and pushed on.
We both caught and overtook yet more stragglers and I thought I was doing really well but coming into lap 4 I got handed a bottle on the right in the pits, not my favourite left and I totally fumbled it and had to slow to sort my life out and transfer the bottle to my left. Matey then gapped me, but then he went to put his bottle away after a drink and totally dropped it. He stopped to retrieve it and I was past. He chased me for a mile then gave up and disapeared.
I was chasing stragglers all of the 5th lap but they all turned out to be vets and opens no G vets. I myself was being lapped but only by the elites and faster opens no G vet lapped me so was really chuffed and was the last of the 6 lappers!. The 6th lap was a lonely affair and I could have walked and kept my position as everyone else had been stopped but I didnt know that so pushed on.
Lessons learnt were, when tired and on a really bumpy course not thinking and looking ahead properly for the flatest route causes you extra work and also a bumpy course really smacks your butt and your shorts pad removes all your bum fluff!. Also I really need to learn to flow over the course not point and shoot.
Anyway the 29er made me up 12 places! 27th out of 46. Not in the top half yet but I am getting there.
The bike was not covered in mud just sweat and dust!
I was suprised my average cadence was only 80 but the max was 147 ( thats 1 x 11 for you)
Avg heart rate 165 max 177 ( my max is 178) so working!
Avg speed 12.6 max 23.3 ( 1 hr 49 of racing )
Dont know why the picture is upside down below
HarryTheDog
Guru
- Location
- Basildon Essex
Ok Round 4 of Mud sweat and gears today. I went to a party yesterday and really felt worse for wear today managed a bowl of porridge but that was it for food.
Arrived at Lee Valley Olympic park . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwkadDMmwaQ&feature=youtu.be
A vid of most of the course.
Was told surface rocky and hard pack, been a few injuries in the morning races. I put on my elbow and knee guards as a precaution. Did the practice lap and despite it being described as a technical course I could do all the A lines . Started to feel less queezy.
On the start line I was the only one with guards on. A few people would regret not having any by the end of the day.
The start was downhill into a sharp left hander then the road was broad for a while and narrowed to single track. At the start we were reminded you cant win the race on the first corner but you can lose it so dont be a bell end. Well someone had to be, I got a good start but a guy from the back decided to dive bomb into the first corrner peeing a few people off. Not content with that he managed to smash into the rider directly behind me as I went into the single track. I looked behind it was carnage took 8 or 9 people out and blocked the course. Speaking to a guy at the end of the race with a 7 inch gash in his leg caused by the accident , the only good news was the plonker broke his bike.
So for the first part of the course there was no one behind me, then I became aware of my team mate chasing me down, by the end of the first lap he was 50yds behind, but going into the 2nd lap there was a feature where the A line was so much faster,( steep rocky downhill with drop off) which wasnt in the opening lap, which I took. He took the much slower and what turned out to be more dangerous B line.( off camber gravel downhill) He was toast I came out a football pitch ahead and that was it, the fight was out of him
Well I ended up in my usual performance hole, couldn't catch the guys in front and no danger from those behind. So I just mucked about taking as many A lines as possible and having a hoot. Post race analysis showed my last lap was my fastest by quite a bit despite me having to give away to the fast boys lapping me.
Hope to get a good photo of me nearly taking out a photographer on the most difficult feature as I overcooked the speed on my last lap.
Overall started the race feeling crap, dreading the course and about to throw up, finished grinning like a maniac and improved by 6 positions probably due to the 1st lap crash behind me, but still in the bottom half. Starting to fall in love with my Stumpjumper, I beat the living daylights out of it today and it just wanted more!
Hope to post some photo's later
Arrived at Lee Valley Olympic park . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwkadDMmwaQ&feature=youtu.be
A vid of most of the course.
Was told surface rocky and hard pack, been a few injuries in the morning races. I put on my elbow and knee guards as a precaution. Did the practice lap and despite it being described as a technical course I could do all the A lines . Started to feel less queezy.
On the start line I was the only one with guards on. A few people would regret not having any by the end of the day.
The start was downhill into a sharp left hander then the road was broad for a while and narrowed to single track. At the start we were reminded you cant win the race on the first corner but you can lose it so dont be a bell end. Well someone had to be, I got a good start but a guy from the back decided to dive bomb into the first corrner peeing a few people off. Not content with that he managed to smash into the rider directly behind me as I went into the single track. I looked behind it was carnage took 8 or 9 people out and blocked the course. Speaking to a guy at the end of the race with a 7 inch gash in his leg caused by the accident , the only good news was the plonker broke his bike.
So for the first part of the course there was no one behind me, then I became aware of my team mate chasing me down, by the end of the first lap he was 50yds behind, but going into the 2nd lap there was a feature where the A line was so much faster,( steep rocky downhill with drop off) which wasnt in the opening lap, which I took. He took the much slower and what turned out to be more dangerous B line.( off camber gravel downhill) He was toast I came out a football pitch ahead and that was it, the fight was out of him
Well I ended up in my usual performance hole, couldn't catch the guys in front and no danger from those behind. So I just mucked about taking as many A lines as possible and having a hoot. Post race analysis showed my last lap was my fastest by quite a bit despite me having to give away to the fast boys lapping me.
Hope to get a good photo of me nearly taking out a photographer on the most difficult feature as I overcooked the speed on my last lap.
Overall started the race feeling crap, dreading the course and about to throw up, finished grinning like a maniac and improved by 6 positions probably due to the 1st lap crash behind me, but still in the bottom half. Starting to fall in love with my Stumpjumper, I beat the living daylights out of it today and it just wanted more!
Hope to post some photo's later
HarryTheDog
Guru
- Location
- Basildon Essex
Last edited:
Tenacious Sloth
Guru
- Location
- Huntingdon, UK
Harry, after reading this thread and your posts on the Today's Commute thread, I have come to realise that you're probably the most competitive person I know of.
Nothing wrong with that of course, so please keep up the reports as I'm really enjoying them.
Graham
Nothing wrong with that of course, so please keep up the reports as I'm really enjoying them.
Graham
