My first ever race tonight in the North East Cyclocross League: http://neccl.co.uk/wordpress/?page_id=237
Bit nervous, but really looking forward to it.
Any tips to get me through the hour?

Any tips to get me through the hour?

have a high pain threshold.

hth

I did my first XC race (Big DOg) a couple of weeks back. I di NOT warm up enough before starting, so the first 20 mins or so was raw, panicked agony. Get out of breath for a good while before you start. And go really fast, obviously. Good luck.

Good warm up, 15m up to race pace.

warm up warm up warm up!

You need to be well warmed up, ideally getting close to your race pace/pain threshold, then bring it down a bit for a few mins before the race start/you need to line up. Your body needs to be ready to go flat our from the off – there’s nowhere to hide, you’ll be thrown out the back of the bunch if you aren’t ready for it!

It’s great fun though, just chase wheels, always aim to pass the next person. There isn’t much time in a CX race for ‘tactics’ i.e. having a recovery phase, you really just need to nail it from the off.

pain is good.

Warm up.
It will be a sprint off the line and the pace won’t drop*.
Make sure you are on the start line in the right gear.
Try not to blow in the first 20 minutes, a constant pace will be faster than going out too fast and then crawling.
Smile.
You can ride harder and faster than you think you can – just try not to worry about your legs.
No big meals before hand. Drink a bit at the start but carry nothing.

I’ll be there too FWIW in a gosorth rc top. It won’t be an hour, merely 50minutes.

The fast guys are normally very fast. I was usually just outside the top ten but the winner still normally got a lap on me. Its the first time anyone will have raced this season so it might not be too bad. There are normally a mix of serious and less serious racers. I’d treat the summer series as practice. I was hopeless in my first few races then gradually got the hang of it and managed some decent placings.

*To do well you need to be at the front and get away fast. It is often carnage into the first corner and if you don’t make it through near the front you’ll never see the leaders again. Might be a bit late to work on your start (one foot on ground, one clipped in to sprinting in the drops).

Ride the lap at least twice, once as a warm up to get used to the course, the next to ride the corners and tricky bits at race pace.

have fun

Cheers all,great advice, just doing it for the experience. So, warm up, balls out from the off and hang on for as long as I can!!

Ride the lap at least twice, once as a warm up to get used to the course, the next to ride the corners and tricky bits at race pace.

this +1

Also drop pressure out of your tyres. 1st race i did on a borrowed cx bike i just couldn’t go fast and get traction. Following week club mate dropped loads out and the level of grip was amazing. (Got 6th in that race was well chuffed)

Running Kenda SB8’s and it is pretty dry up here. Forecast rain about 4 though. Got 60 in at the mo, might drop to 50 if weather is poor.

That’s still quite a high pressure for XC, I’d run 30 for clinchers, (I’m 74kg for reference)

I’m 85kg, I’d be riding on the rims with 30! I’ll take a punt at 45 and see how it goes.

Cyclocross in August!?
Is this normal?

This is the most difficult bit ……

try to enjoy it !!

This is a bit old but well worth a repost:

Don’t Pre-Ride the Course

Yes, you read that right. While this bit of advice flies counter to every bit of cyclocross wisdom you’re likely ever to hear, I’ve always believed that courting common wisdom is the path to complacency. I find that going in cold and flying blind can take the edge off the searing pain of those first few laps, since you’re too busy being surprised to focus on how awful you feel. And dreading that terrible run-up for a half a lap can be demoralizing, while the shock of suddenly discovering it can give you that extra shot of adrenaline to get you over it. Complete unfamiliarity with the course can turn a killing field into a haunted hayride teeming with fun-filled surprises, thrills and spills at every turn.

Do Not Have a Pit Bike

This is another counterintuitive tactic. If you’re like me, a crash or a mechanical problem comes as sweet relief. It’s like a fire drill in school during a test. Suddenly, the pressure’s off and there’s no more pressure to perform. On the other hand, having another bicycle in the pit so that you can make a quick bike change and continue to race only expands the vast horizon of opportunity for you to lose. It’s like getting one of those flu shots they give out at the office—how are you going to call in sick for a week when everybody knows you’re immune? Never squander your inventory of excuses.

Get a Bad Starting Position

There are few things as embarrassing as getting a great starting position only to drop through the pack and completely fall apart on the first lap. Not only do your fellow racers notice, but so do the spectators. It’s like you’re an Alka-Seltzer and the race is a big glass of water, and everybody gets to watch your effervescent, frothy demise.

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.co.uk/2007/10/cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die-bsnyc.html

Hang around after the race and ask the race organisers if they need a hand getting in the course tape or marker posts. They’re probably volunteers and your help will help them get home in time for tea.

A warm up would be good. I rarely arrive with enough time to do one and consequently spend the first 20 minutes in agony, before slowing down a bit…

Finished! Thought it was a monsoon at one point, as every lap passed, muddier & muddier. Managed 5 laps in the time, and got lapped by some fast lads. Great fun and covered in mud head to toe. Think I was last 🙁
Can’t imagine bikes last long if the weather is like that every week! Went with 40 psi and grip seemed pretty good.
Will deffo be doing it again.

It’s still summer…technically. This shouldn’t be happening ❓

Im doing some of this series cat69 see you round in a few weeks cx bike just getting built in
Preparation now.

So, how did you get on at the race? 🙂

This is a little summer series that the neccl run as there is demand to get a bit of pact ice before the bigger league s start.

It was wet! Torrential rain at the start an for a few laps. I could have done with lights in the trees.

Really enjoyed it, might even have got a good place. Didn’t see the eventual winner after the first straight. I’ll console myself with the fact he went to the worlds last year and not just to watch.

Keep coming back! The league proper is really good. Nice variety of courses especially 23rd Dec as I have a hand in that one.

Results are up jonba, I was 21st, although mainly DNF’s behind me.
http://neccl.co.uk/wordpress/?page_id=68
I guess you were 2nd? The winner passed me on Lap 3, so fast…..youngsters!

Looking forward to my first one. Would be good if there was a facebook group for the NECCL as there is for the CXNE.

cat69uk – did you do last nights? I came 10th happy with that for first one.

I was there. Number 8. Came in 5th but stacked it on the top corner hitting a hidden tree stump on my first lap.

10th is good for a first attempt especially as there were a few faster riders out because the CXNE starts on Sunday.

Think I’ve got third for the series but can’t quite work out if that is guaranteed or not. I did the Winter league for the first time last year and my results got lots better throughout the season. Paying attention to my start and the first lap gave me most benefits – after that it is “just” a case of holding on and pedalling through the pain.

Did you see the guy crash into the dog crap bin at the start – lol

I went into first croner about 15th just keeping an eye on people then started pulling places back. I was using a 40T single ring up front but my 11-25 cassette wouldn’t change up to 25t so had to make do 40-23 which was a bit much on some of those climbs, i’d of prefered an easier gear to spin legs a bit quicker.

Need to drop a few psi too i think.

I was there too. Great fun. Was my second ride on my first ever cross bike. Baptism of fire but was happy with how it went although wish Id pushed harder at the start. Live and learn!

Can’t make the one next week sadly but at least I get to race around Hamsterley on the Friday night at the final round of the NEXC league 🙂

Did you see the guy crash into the dog crap bin at the start – lol

I was right behind him! ha. ow.

Did you see the guy crash into the dog crap bin at the start – lol

No I went round that corner in 3rd as I knew it would be sketchy – heard the thud though.

40 up front with 11-25 on the back sounds high (to me). I race on a 34 up front with 11-25 out the back. Alhough at the minute I’ve got a mtb cassette on for the 3 peaks so I have a 32 option. 34:11 will still get me to 25mph which is the max I’ll ever get on grass and mud.

I use the lower end as I find sitting and spinning gives me more traction on the climbs. Seems to work too so I might stick with it.

Baptism of fire but was happy with how it went although wish Id pushed harder at the start

Strava tells me my average heart rate was 95% of my maximum for the 45 minutes! I know I maxed out trying to hold on to Adam on the first lap. CX has taught me I can ride harder than my body thinks is acceptable given the right motivation.

That adam is a bit rapid though, next week ill be going harder earlier now Ive got a bit more experience. I hadnt even ridden the bike before the race. Ive got plenty road race experience and thought i’d use that however its totally different.

I had no idea about front end grip etc so had to learn as I went.

Think Ill look for a 12-27 9spd cassette for next week.

Done it 3 weeks now, came 32nd (:, don’t seem to be getting any faster. I’ve been too polite thinking I would get in peoples way, this week, I thought sod it and took out about 6 coming off the tarmac. Looking at my gps results, got slower every lap, can still only manage 5, that Adam flies past me twice and does 7! Really enjoying though, need to be able to do my 1st lap speed for all the laps.

that Adam

represented GB at the junior world champs last year…. He’s only just turned 18 but he was winning this and plenty on the road for a few years now.