Firstly nice to meet you @TiRed! Thanks for the tips! Sorry I was going to watch you race but then I realised I had no lights with me, so after a cuppa and flapjack I darted off.

I learnt a LOT today, where to start! 😆

Firstly the new bike is epic, really happy with how it performed today.

I had two mishaps which I can rectify for next time:
1) On the right hand technical turn I overshot it a little on a lap which saw me spewed to the back of the bunch. I should have put more time in on my new bike, the handling is different from both my other bikes.
2) I came off my line as the guy in fronts rear wheel cut across from me, this caused the guy behind to shout at me a little. Next time I’ll tap my brakes.

I attacked 3 or 4 times, I mean proper attacked from pretty much the back. One was after chatting to TiRed for a little while. This caught everyone off guard I think. Each time a couple of guys came with me but we weren’t strong enough to hold off the bunch. One of the guys at the end even said thanks for carrying him up the field (I think he came in the top 3 in the end). Lesson – save the energy for the last 5/6 laps and either follow an attacker or try my best to TT it.

To summarise (I hope TiRed agrees) – physically I’m fine I could have sat in the bunch all day. Mentally however I’m far from there yet.

Jolly good fun though!

Rough stats:
Speed – Max: 33.1. Avg: 25.6
Est Power – Max: 1,058w. Avg: 317w
Heart Rate – Max:195. Avg: 174
Cadence – Max:114. Avg:90
Distance – 25 miles
Time – 58:32

Top job buddy!

I spent an hour and half driving to Luton contemplating next weeks race with you guys but in fairness I just don’t have enough speed yet. I need a good year more before I’d see anyone after even 1 lap

Thanks Weeksy.

Ah should do, it’s good fun. Really isn’t about speed or power, just keep with the bunch and out of the wind. I’ll be there all Jan/Feb hopefully.

Some guy has just commented on my ride: “4 efforts off the front. Brave/suicidal! No questions who deserved the combativity award.” 😀

Excellent! Good one.

Going to sign up then weeksy? 🙂

Unsure buddy. I’m a good 10% slower than crosshair at a guess as well as being both physically bigger than him and 1st+ heavier.
All of this in my mind tells me, if he couldn’t hold the bunch then what chance do I have. I’m also not particularly skilled on a road bike and don’t do bunch riding.
I’m stacking up to be a complete disaster based on that!

Good work nathb. Sounds much like my first go too! Sounds like more people willing to have a go round Hillingdon, much less negative and more fun than my experience of Thruxton.

When you racing next?

Well done Nath! That’s awesome and how I’d dreamt my first race would go until I got a sharp reality check!
I know how hard it was to try and keep with the bunch so to attack at all proves you are definitely in the right fitness ballpark.
A little tweak to your tactics and you’ll be contesting the podium I reckon.

Really chuffed for you 🙂

Well done mate, sounds like you’re on the right track. Few more races experience and hopefully you’ll start adding some points to the hard work…

@weeksy – won’t know until you try it 😉

Thanks for the nice comments guys.

I may have snuck in 10th, I highly doubt it though.

My next one is the 7th January @mrblobby.

I’m aiming to get out on my new bike any opportunity I get until then plus Zwift’ing. Should help being off from the 16th Dec until 4th Jan 😆

My next one is the 7th January @mrblobby.

If I get the race bike built back up over xmas I may well come and play 🙂

Very well done if only my first race was like that! And the second and third etc. Much smoother ride this week with only a couple of incidents.

My tips: don’t brake and don’t overlap wheels. You’ll make no friends. On the long right hand bend (called Brian’s Bends) you should look around the bend at the leaders, not straight ahead. You should also try and avoid being right over on the outside.

When it comes to attacking, you need to go from about 10 places back, not the back of the bunch. If you are out in the wind overtaking the whole bunch, you won’t have much left. You also need to go with six or seven laps to go. Two laps to go is too late. This is where elapsed time is all that matters on the garmin. That and knowing the length of the race (easy to miss at the briefing).

Glad you enjoyed it. Racing is very addictive.

Avg Max
Speed 40.4km/h 52.6km/h
Heart Rate 160bpm 191bpm
Cadence 103 130
Power 224W 1,197W
Calories 879
Temperature 11?
Elapsed Time 59:10

And for the real race… (I worked a bit harder in this one, but didn’t thrash myself ragged!). Not such a huge difference, about 5-7%

Avg Max
Speed 42.0km/h 54.7km/h
Heart Rate 165bpm 194bpm
Cadence 104 134
Power 236W 959W
Calories 1,066
Temperature 11?
Elapsed Time 1:07:32

And yes, I normally average. Over 100 for my racing cadence.

mrblobby
If I get the race bike built back up over xmas I may well come and play

What bike are you building?

TiRed
Very well done if only my first race was like that! And the second and third etc. Much smoother ride this week with only a couple of incidents.

My tips: don’t brake and don’t overlap wheels. You’ll make no friends. On the long right hand bend (called Brian’s Bends) you should look around the bend at the leaders, not straight ahead. You should also try and avoid being right over on the outside.

When it comes to attacking, you need to go from about 10 places back, not the back of the bunch. If you are out in the wind overtaking the whole bunch, you won’t have much left. You also need to go with six or seven laps to go. Two laps to go is too late. This is where elapsed time is all that matters on the garmin. That and knowing the length of the race (easy to miss at the briefing).

Glad you enjoyed it. Racing is very addictive.

Thanks for the tips – taking them all on board for next time. Today was all about building my confidence which I think it has done.

One time I really didn’t even realise I was at the back until I saw you on my right. 😆

In the 1/2/3s do they also bunch up/slow down along the straight – I was expecting it to be very quick but bar the laps I stupidly attacked on I hardly felt like I was pedalling.

How did you get on in your race in terms of rough position?
That’s a high cadence! I remember you telling folk to drop gears on the hill.

What bike are you building?

Just my TCR. I pinched the di2 off it for the training bike for this winter.

With your power, you should be at the pointy end! And it is very easy to drop back. Loss of concentration. Racing is non stop concentration and you should be thinkng of nothing else.

In my race I started near the back, worked my way up to top hird, blocked for a team mate. Attacked on the straight after a long chase b cause a counter attack is always fun. And yes, we do slow up a bit, it’s not all full gas. That’s the Tuesday evening races.

@mrblobby – Ah I see. Some realllly nice bikes there today!

@TiRed – I’ll try next time, I’ll be more settled knowing what’s happening + roughly when and where to attack. If I broke up the bunch a little today then my job was done haha. By the way, just watching the strava fly by thing, attacking on the 3rd lap and TT’ing did not work. 😆

Also I saw 3 or 4 photographers, do you know who they are? I want to guilt my missus into coming to watch next time. 😆

By the way, I saw 3 or 4 photographers, do you know who they are? I want to guilt my missus into coming to watch next time

They’re busy taking pics of the riders, so may not have time to take pics of her.

Photo links will be posted on the Imperial website. Digi Dave Hayward wad there today, and Dave rakes absolutely stunnng photos. He’s on facebook.

The engine looks in fine form. Now you learn to race. Because the fittest do not always win. I bet you’re hooked. It’s like crack!

http://bit.ly/2gqcjH6

Yep, I’m going to be booking the next ones soon. 😀

I’m not putting pressure on myself this season though – what will be will be 😆

haha found a couple of me, got a right game face on 😳

As the results are pending I’ve been reflecting on the weekends race, the next race’s objectives are simple;

1) Stick in the bunch without hiccups and holding my line (CONCENTRATING)!
2) Try and get a top 10 spot

I’m not going to be doing any silly attacks from the back. I’m going to take each race them as they come and most of all ENJOY them.

I think you should be well chuffed with that position mate! Well done you 🙂

17th (out of 40) 🙂

Well happy!

Thanks @crosshair

Excited, nervous and ever so slightly ill still but I can’t wait until tomorrow! Let’s hope I can learn how to be lazy 😀 (It’s no trouble in other aspects of my life 😉 )

Wow! That was fun! Some progress made- only got lapped twice and finished the race 😀

Thanks so much to TiRed- your instruction was really helpful. Can’t wait until the 14th!

Well done. A faster race this week a you held on well. Better still, you got back on when we lapped you the first time. Riding in the bunch is a skill and fitness is only part of the story.

The 4th cats managed to all stay upright, which is more than can be said for the E123 race in which I narrowly missed the last lap pile up!

Ouch! Well done on avoiding!

I thought the riding was very consistent- it seemed everyone was doing a good job (not that I know either way lol)

I think, if I had held on for less than half a lap longer, I would have been OK- as when I got on the second time, it was about 3mph slower! Then that attack came and the elastic didn’t have quite as much stretch left in it 😉

I’m still making hard work of it 😀

Well done @crosshair!!

Looking forward to January’s racing 🙂

Just been given 2017s supply of cycling energy 😆

Sponsored already hey 😀

Unofficially yes 😆

The bars are really nice, but I barely use the gels. Got a pile of out of date ones to get rid of – so if anyone wants them let me know! 🙂

Doh! I literally just ordered some on Amazon yesterday.

You/weeksy/tired can have them anyway if you trust them 😆

I’ll bring them to Hillingdon in January, going to book my races on payday this week.

Not sure on the yodel direct jersey I got too, but I quite like the white & green skoda one lol

Thank you, but I’ve only done gels once, they went really really badly. So I’m a no thank you

Cool- thanks. My iron gut can cope with anything 😀

Great, thanks @crosshair – seems a shame binning them! These are what I’ve got

Also have these if anyone wants them:
1/4 zip: PIC 1 PIC 2
Polo: PIC

Having a bit of a Christmas clear out 😆

Ah bugger, I left it too late it seems…

I’m on the waiting lists for the next 2 races. 😥

Oh i’ll take as many gels as you can’t eat. One thing you will find is that at race pace it is very hard to eat anything solid. I get stomach cramps. The things I do eat are Clif bloks.

For a circuit race, a gel before and another at 30 minutes is all that’s needed.

Sign up anyway, plans always change, and illness may see off a few riders. If you are top five, you are normally guaranteed to ride.

I’ve signed up to 6, 7 & 9.

I’m 8th on the waiting list for the 4th race and 4th on the list for the 5th.

I’ll probably come along and watch anyway.

I’ve also just started to get my body used to gels and bars, I wasn’t sure how well I’d cope lol. I think a bar 30 mins before, gel 15 mins before and some energy drink in the bottle is enough for me. Testing on Zwift lol.