Hi,

This league starts at Blenheim in a couple of weekends time & I’m thinking of giving it a go. I’m currently a CX race virgin!

Is anyone else doing/has done it?

If so, how did you find it? Is it taken very seriously with professional style dismounts (i.e. swinging the leg over & through between the bike & your other leg in order to sprint when it hits the ground, etc.)?

Any views most welcome thanks.

There will be some pretty good racers there, however, the ethos is to make the league open to all. I’ll be at the majority of the races although I’ll be commissairing at least one of them and am part of the promoting club for another.
Come along, give it a whirl, have fun, etc, etc.

Last year the fields for the central league were reasonably small until they had a race combined with london league where there were over 120 riders in the main field. Yes there are some very seriou/good riders but there are also others like me (main aim is to start upright, finish upright and not be sick)at the back of the field. The league has also added more races this year – 9 races I think – although I don’t really understand why kettering is in central region. As aP say – turn up and give it a go. Don’t forget that Blenheim is pre-entry and includes entry into the bike festival.

Thanks for the advice – we’ll give it a go!

Mrs rig & I will be in the vets & we’re both novices.

The experienced ones in the family are the kids who’ll ride in U10s & U12s. They’re experienced racers – unlike their parents!

Sorry london-lady, but I didn’t understand your point re Blenheim being pre-entry. Do we need to pay up in advance?

We’re also not directly members of BC, but belong to the local cycling club (A5 Rangers). I assume that this will be OK?

Many thanks – & I’ll see you there, +2 vets for not trying to be sick at the back of the field!

We’re also not directly members of BC, but belong to the local cycling club (A5 Rangers). I assume that this will be OK?

Costs you an extra £3 for the Day Licence.
Or you can buy a Silver or Gold Membership from BC, the provisional licence that is included will cover you for CX (don’t need a full Racing Licence for that level of racing) and you also get all the other benefits – discounts at Wiggle, insurance etc etc.

Sorry london-lady, but I didn’t understand your point re Blenheim being pre-entry. Do we need to pay up in advance?

You’re buying entry into the weekend festival, the price of the race is included in that.
See here: http://www.bikeblenheimpalace.com/cyclo-cross.html where it says about entry closing on 29th Sept and no entry on the day is available.

The Blenheim cyclo-x race is part of the Blenheim cycle festival (cyclo-x race, sportive, TT, brompton wc, family ride etc). Last year you had to register on-line as part of the festival and they did not accept entry on the day. I assume it is pretty much the same this year so it costs £12 to enter and £2 (or £4) for entry into the festival on the sunday. The website says that entry for the cyclo-x race closes on wednesday 29th september and no entry on the day for this race – here is a link – just register for the festival and it will ask you what event you would like to enter.
http://www.bikeblenheimpalace.com/cyclo-cross.html
Oh and I’ll see MrsRig in the VW class – well I’ll be at the back anyway so I will see her as she goes past me. Another thing to note is that Central league also promote novice races so if you want a go first without the fast boys then you can do a novice race.

Yes, last year Blenheim was filled up by pre-entries before the race. If you pre-enter here you then you’ll be able to race it and get entry to the festival.
If you’re not members of BC then you won’t get national ranking points and will pay a day license for every race which is about £2. If you do decide to join BC you can get [edit] Bronze RaceI may well be wrong there membership which will give you access to cyclocross, if you get the Ride membership you’ll have to pay for day licenses.

It’s a little league at the mo and very friendly except for ap and Londonlady 😉
I don’t think I’ll be doing Blenheim this year it wasn’t my bestest course.
Milton keynes, Hemel (crash Londonlady :roll:) and Ickneild are great and close for you.

I see there’s a Southampton race on the calender?

Edit: I managed to get in on the day last year, but cut off is the 29th this year.

Surely southampton would be wessex league.
Central league is Blenheim, Kettering, Hemel, Icknield, hillingdon, Milton Keynes bowl, Princes Risbourough, Newbury and Hillingdon again.
Hemel – ummm yes – think I will stay at the back of that race this year – can’t be doing with stitches in regions better not mentioned again – but then I’m always at the back!!!!!

Thank you all for the info – I’d better get us signed up.

Milton keynes, Hemel (crash Londonlady :roll:) and Ickneild are great and close for you.

Thanks Oldgit. The kids both raced MK last year … but on mountain bikes. They’re all competative this year on their CX Islabikes!

Round 7 TBC, that was Princes Risborough wasn’t it?

Round 8 Southampton 😯

Round 9 TBC, I thought the last one was Hillingdon again?

There was talk of holding a round in Leighton Buzzard right on my doorstep.

Dates I’ve got are:
3/10 R1 Blenheim
9/10 R2 Kettering
17/10 R3 Hemel Hempstead
24/10 R4 Icknield
31/10 R5 Hillingdon
6/11 R6 Milton Keynes
21/11 R7 Princes Risborough
27/11 R8 Newbury
12/12 R9 Hillingdon

That’s what I had, but the Central Cyclo cross website shows the last three as TBCs and Southampton – drunkards.

I’ve got two LVRC cyclocross races as well up the road from Rig.

I’ve got two LVRC cyclocross races as well up the road from Rig.

Good luck with them Oldgit!

if that cx race is soton then im up for it on my mtb 🙂 newbury not too far away so might make an effort it it really is newbury?

I’ll not be at Blenhiem, not my bestest course anyway. I’ll be kicking off at Kettering.
Sunday I’m out with Highgate CC and Kenton RC guys.
Enjoy anyway, it’s a real cobweb blower outer 😐

Thanks OG – hopefully see you at Kettering (I’m the 6’2″ Scot on the Dawes Edge X, I’m called ‘Roddy’ in the real world).

Looks like I’ll need wellies for Blenheim 🙁

D’ya mean this isn’t the real world 😥

We’re both in and will be taking a large bin bag for the muddy clothes afterwards. At least I’ve not had a phone call asking me to go and help set up the course tomorrow, I’m expecting another Kelvin swirl…

although I don’t really understand why Kettering is in central region

Tell me about it, seems we are the Nomads of the cycling regions.

Threee cyclo-X races within 15 miles of me, the Kettering one is Central league, theres one nr Market Harboro which is West Midlands league, and one just North of Corby which is Lincs league…..bonkers.

In mountainbiking we consider ourself in the East, Eastern mtb race series and Midlands series are close by and where or club races………..but we don’t quality for any of their championships. If we want to enter regional mtb champs we have to go to the Southern Champs, a race series we never race, so we don’t!

I watch Regional TV for the East and Midlands, why can’t BC sort it out.
maybe we change which region our club is associated with if we are on the cusp!

see you at the kettering race.

definately not looking forward to sunday’s race – staying upright is my main aim in the rain and mud – happy happy joy joy!

Stoopid question, but I’m assuming you can race on a mtb in these events? (just have memories in the past of not being allowed)

these are local league events so yes mtbs are allowed.

Blenheim was quite hard as there was no let up and we had both a spiral, and oval and a swirl.

Blenheim was quite hard as there was no let up and we had both a spiral, and oval and a swirl.

Yes … I still can’t walk in a straight line nearly a week later! 😯

Mrs Rig & I both succeded in finishing, but it was hard! At least that’s our first races out of the way!

Both kids had more success in their events with a 2nd in the U10s & win in the U12s. If only their parents were as fit!!

Nice to meet you london-lady – see you at Kettering on Saturday.

Rig – stinking colds all round in our household so will be giving kettering a miss – good luck to you & mrs rig.

how can it be central league when it seems to be based around oxon/london/MK etc? ,Meriden is near Coventry if you want to start in the centre

Looks like I’ll be missing the entire season. Still got blood coming out of places it shouldn’t since the accident 😥
Still riding, but every man and his dog goes past me at the mo.

Sorry to miss you both LL & OG.

We enjoyed the course at Kettering – although it was soft & energy draining! Good banks & nice little woods to go through however.

Everyone in the Rig family took to the podium apart from me 😥

Central League is the BC region (rolls eyes) and the league has been started by what are the remnants of BC West Thames so that explains the current location of races.
Wasn’t feeling great this weekend so (as above) decided to give it a miss. Instead I chose to write specifications and check ironmongery schedules on Saturday and Sunday.
Should be at Hemel next week.
oldgit – hope things heal up.

Congrats to the Rig family then 🙂