HarryTheDog
Guru
- Location
- Basildon Essex
I cant believe there has not been a thread on XC racing yet so I thought I would start one.
I have been a on and off XC racer for several years, lately more off having not raced for 2 years or even ridden my MTB for the last year. Well one of my MTB club mates messaged me asking me to make up the numbers for a multi club championships. So I entered and last weekend dragged my bike out of the shed and went for a blast and found out my rear brake was virtually usless so put it into the local LBS who diagnosed contaminated pads and my rear rotor was very thin, so I got the bike back this saturday and off to racing this Sunday.
It was a local race with 4 waves, each wave consisting of a club or 2 or the first wave which was riders with no club at all. 11 members of my club and another 24 from others , so a small field.
The course was fairly non technical, short start straight then into the woods, lots of twisties around the trees which some sapping uphill sections and a few dips and a large fallen tree to get over and a very steep bridge. At the end a long 400 metre straight into a headwind with a jink into the trees through a couple of S bends then a tight right to the short finishing straight.
Well in my wave of 11 I was probably the oldest at 59 whith most being a lot younger. From the start I got into the trees in 7th and for most of the race thats where I stayed. In the first lap I felt I was in a one man race again with the fast guys out of sight and the slower ones also. Then towards the end of the first lap I became aware of someone hunting me down. It was a hour + 1 lap I figured it would be a 6 lap race.
Well the race between me and the club mate behind became a case of me dropping him through the twisties then him reeling me back in on the hills and long straight. On the 3rd lap a faster rider from a wave behind caught me, he was at least 20 yrs younger and built like a racing snake but his 26 inch wheels let him down. He was catching me in the twisties, holding me on the hills but I left him standing on the long 400m straight. However I was using him to good effect to speed me up and hold off my club mate.
On the 4th lap I dropped him like a stone on the long straight and was very surprised to get the final lap bell as only 55 minutes had gone so I knew max effort now!. I was surprised the guy on the 26 inch caught me half way around the lap and Killed himself up a hill to overtake, So I sat on him just waiting for the long straight. Then I saw one of our really fast guys trying to sort his bike out by the side of the track, I thought oh dear. My club mate behind was now far behind. Then suddenly another club mate hove into view, could I catch him and gain another place!. Well Mr 26 was doing his best to dislodge me before the straight which got us ever closer to the guy in front. Then the speedy guy who had the mechanical started catching us fast. I knew I could not hold him off till the finish but maybe I could use him on the long finishing straight.
So I ensured he would have a difficult time getting past me in the twisties before the straight. As soon as we hit the straight I got out of his way and as he zoomed past jumped on his tail and stayed with him for the first 200m, the club mate and Mr 26 were history!
Final result was I was 6 out of 11 in my club and since we were time chipped I was given 17th out of 35 in the overall mens, not too shabby I thought for a 59yr old who had gone into the race expecting to be much further down the order.
Now I have a dilemma as I have entered the next race which is a normal all in,( not aged based just ability based) in the 3rd and bottom league but from this result should be in the 2nd one. I will probably try to get bumped up into the 2nd one as I would rather chase than lead.
Sorry no pictures as my partner thinks I am a daft old fool for racing XC again so did not come with me . Someone did take photos but I am in none of them.
I have been a on and off XC racer for several years, lately more off having not raced for 2 years or even ridden my MTB for the last year. Well one of my MTB club mates messaged me asking me to make up the numbers for a multi club championships. So I entered and last weekend dragged my bike out of the shed and went for a blast and found out my rear brake was virtually usless so put it into the local LBS who diagnosed contaminated pads and my rear rotor was very thin, so I got the bike back this saturday and off to racing this Sunday.
It was a local race with 4 waves, each wave consisting of a club or 2 or the first wave which was riders with no club at all. 11 members of my club and another 24 from others , so a small field.
The course was fairly non technical, short start straight then into the woods, lots of twisties around the trees which some sapping uphill sections and a few dips and a large fallen tree to get over and a very steep bridge. At the end a long 400 metre straight into a headwind with a jink into the trees through a couple of S bends then a tight right to the short finishing straight.
Well in my wave of 11 I was probably the oldest at 59 whith most being a lot younger. From the start I got into the trees in 7th and for most of the race thats where I stayed. In the first lap I felt I was in a one man race again with the fast guys out of sight and the slower ones also. Then towards the end of the first lap I became aware of someone hunting me down. It was a hour + 1 lap I figured it would be a 6 lap race.
Well the race between me and the club mate behind became a case of me dropping him through the twisties then him reeling me back in on the hills and long straight. On the 3rd lap a faster rider from a wave behind caught me, he was at least 20 yrs younger and built like a racing snake but his 26 inch wheels let him down. He was catching me in the twisties, holding me on the hills but I left him standing on the long 400m straight. However I was using him to good effect to speed me up and hold off my club mate.
On the 4th lap I dropped him like a stone on the long straight and was very surprised to get the final lap bell as only 55 minutes had gone so I knew max effort now!. I was surprised the guy on the 26 inch caught me half way around the lap and Killed himself up a hill to overtake, So I sat on him just waiting for the long straight. Then I saw one of our really fast guys trying to sort his bike out by the side of the track, I thought oh dear. My club mate behind was now far behind. Then suddenly another club mate hove into view, could I catch him and gain another place!. Well Mr 26 was doing his best to dislodge me before the straight which got us ever closer to the guy in front. Then the speedy guy who had the mechanical started catching us fast. I knew I could not hold him off till the finish but maybe I could use him on the long finishing straight.
So I ensured he would have a difficult time getting past me in the twisties before the straight. As soon as we hit the straight I got out of his way and as he zoomed past jumped on his tail and stayed with him for the first 200m, the club mate and Mr 26 were history!
Final result was I was 6 out of 11 in my club and since we were time chipped I was given 17th out of 35 in the overall mens, not too shabby I thought for a 59yr old who had gone into the race expecting to be much further down the order.
Now I have a dilemma as I have entered the next race which is a normal all in,( not aged based just ability based) in the 3rd and bottom league but from this result should be in the 2nd one. I will probably try to get bumped up into the 2nd one as I would rather chase than lead.
Sorry no pictures as my partner thinks I am a daft old fool for racing XC again so did not come with me . Someone did take photos but I am in none of them.
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