Well? 😕

Winning 🙂

Chicken.

Don’t do them… 😀

Watching them on tv whilst drinking Leffe.

C’mon c’mon, I’m looking for inspiration (about the enter the Thetford Winter Series rounds 2-4)

It’s cold, it’s muddy, it’s wet, you’re racing… what’s not to like? 🙂

If you need inspiration then don’t enter them 😉

Edit: Surely the satisfaction of rule #9 is enough anyway?

[slight rant] I haven’t been able to ride for the last 7 weeks due to a neck injury – I’d give my one remaining I-tooth to be out on the bike whatever the weather! [slight rant over].

GTFOWI ! 🙂

Returning home to a blazing log fire – keep that image in your head when you start to whimper.

Go with some good mates, pre and post race banter always helps..
Secondly a crud catcher, being able to see on the fast bits..

getting them over as fast as possible, and then having a bacon roll and a cuppa afterwards.

Shout “RIDER” at everyone,all the way through the race,this must include the people lapping you.
Then cackle like a mad old fox.

🙂

Believing that such conditions give you an advantage, even if it’s only because half the normal field fail to turn up or make it to enough races in the series.

Knowing that almost everyone else will be hating it and therefore if you can turn that round, you’ll have a significant advantage over all of them. I used to love racing when the weather was crap. I still get a perverse enjoyment out of riding in crap conditions.

On a more practical level, get kit that means that you stay warm so that the crap weather is no more than a distraction – eg you’re not cold.

Shout “RIDER” at everyone,all the way through the race,this must include the people lapping you.
Then cackle like a mad old fox.

I like this – must try it next time out. 🙂

Train and race seriously – i.e. to improve -that’s the only way to guarantee reward.

Sloe gin

650b wheels.

Used to race in the Glentress Winter Duathlon series (since moved down the road to Bowhill).

Short, sharp, brutal racing. Near-guaranteed bad conditions; usually some combination of ice, mud and snow. Lots of xc racers, fell runners and off-season triathletes (in addition to ‘none of the above’ mtb-ers, like me).

Despite the conditions the racing was always grimly good fun. Warming up beforehand: not so much.

And that mince pie on the finish line, the cheapest, shitiest ‘Happy Shopper’ mince pie, washed down with a steaming cup of tea, was the best mince pie there has ever been.

Embrocation, very hot embrocation.

3 flat white’s and 6 muffins

eventually though that gives way to
“why do pay to do this when i’ll never get in the top 10/20/100 and i’m just lining the pockets of the promoters when i can do it with mates any day of the week”

Hmm. Maybe there’s a point and I’ve crossed over the “MTB is for enjoyment, Road is for Racing line”….

Embrocation, very hot embrocation.

swedish chef, any recommendations / tried and tested? I need to get some.

I think you forget about the conditions when racing, at least i do when in a bunch. Nothing i’d hate more than a muddy xc race and that’s why i’m 100% roadie these days. 😀

swedish chef, any recommendations / tried and tested? I need to get some.

I’m not him, obviously, but I rate Nature’s Kiss Hot Stuff, bloody good.

I’m currently undertaking some Road BC training. The don’t recommend anything that draws blood way form the muscles as this reduces potential performance. The recommend baby oil rub in well – keeps the heat in, water off and doesn’t affect your ability.

To paraphrase Bleeding Gums Murphy from the Simpsons… Winter XC racing isn’t about making yourself happy, it’s about making others more miserable than you

Or Billy Connolly… there’s no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes

Well those are the best cheesy quotes I can come up with. I love a good muddy ride/ race and if you have the opportunity to do so and can’t be arsed then don’t rub it in for those of us struggling for time/ injuries/ transport/ etc. Summary MTFU 😀

I’m currently undertaking some Road BC training. The don’t recommend anything that draws blood way form the muscles as this reduces potential performance. The recommend baby oil rub in well – keeps the heat in, water off and doesn’t affect your ability.

I’ve heard that before. Its not really during thats an issue (when it was really bad in Ireland i wore leg warmers and a good warm up on the rollers helps too), but its the fact that my legs get so cold during a cold/wet race that it affects recovery for the next day (same in training too) My coach suggested vaseline, but everything will stick to that! And yes, i know wtfu. 🙂 Sorry for the thread hijack!

Why do people race inappropriately clothed for the conditions then complain of feeling cold and wet? Genuine question. Like seeing roadies out in shorts in the UK in near zero conditions… quite a contrast to Spain where the local roadies seemed to have dozens of layers, arm warmer, leg warmers, hats, etc in anything less than 20 degrees C (I realise this isn’t a racing example but shows the variation in attitudes to clothing)

MTB is for enjoyment, Road is for Racing line enjoyment

hth.. 🙂

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTO6WwN5A50&feature=youtu.be

any recommendations / tried and tested?

I use:
Blue Morgan in the summer, not warm but smells nice and give a good shine which in turn looks pro in pictures 8)
Rapha for spring/autumn, warm but not chili levels of heat, nice packaging
Linnex for deep winter, yeah there’s some heat in this one, careful in the showers afterwards!

No connection to the company:
http://www.linnexuk.com/

Ok a serious one form me for a change..

I’d second Embro, I use Raphas and it’s ace, keep it away from your Balls though yeaah.. 😉

When doing them, the thoughts of how good the summer riding is going to be and how ither folk will think you are a nutcase for doing it. When doing the Strathpuffer on the last lap before hand over I could taste the fry up I was about to have…..

Are you doing the 2 or 4hr Winter Series?

I’ve only ever done the two hour (did round 1 last month, but not going to bother with the rest) and you don’t really have time to think about the cold/wet/mud.
The worst bit is the start and it helps if you have a groupie, so you can wear a thick coat on the start line and chuck it to them just before the start.

It stays pretty warm in the trees, so you don’t want to over-dress. Always amazes me that some people wear full on riding trousers & jackets.
Once you get going, you just get on with it. Make sure you have decent warm gloves & overshoes if it’s going to be muddy. I use mud guards too if it’s going to be really wet, but that’s probably a big racing no-no amongst the ‘proper’ riders. I just mince round near the back, so don’t worry about 200g of extra weight if it keeps me a bit drier.

Just think of the bacon & egg bap you’ll have deserved when you finish.

Not sure stumpy01. I’d like to do the four as some kind of prep for next years Bonty 24/12.

I think I need to invest in some winter clothing.

wearing too many layers makes you overheat and then you go slower… winter races are great, it’s nice to have some dry shorts and shoes to change into if you can and the post ride catering of course

I’ve always been put off the 4hr as it looks pretty bleak when I’m packing up after the two and you see the 4hr loonies still trudging round.

Probably just a state of mind though.

You don’t have to enter them all; why not try the next one and see how it goes, then take it from there?

Good point stumpy01.

The 4 hour events are clearly better value for money. In these times of austerity, it’s just being prudent.