I’ve joined the waiting list for the 14th and entered the next round after that at the moment.

Are you racing on the 7th crosshair?

I’m tempted by these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gipiemme-Bike-Cycling-Carbon-Clincher-Wheel-Set-11-Speed-SRAM-Shimano-/361861295687?hash=item54409d2e47:g:XU8AAOSw-0xYXX~l

Thoughts anyone?

Thoughts, you’re fast enough without wheels.

Blimey scrap that, they weigh 2kg: http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WPGIP6040/gipiemme-60-40-clincher-wheelset

I’d quite like some 50mm carbon wheels to finish off the bike.

Are you coming down to Hillingdon in Jan Weeksy?

No, working on the 7th. Done a bit of an 8 week training plan with the last week as the target but I’ve been ill this week so not off to the best start 😀

Ah you’re planning on joining in on the last one?!

Go for it, get it booked before all the places dry up & you change your mind 🙂

Well and the previous 4 if possible. I have a definite place for the 21st and am just after you on the list for the 14th 🙂

I just had a dumb moment – thought weeksy had posted that 😆

Hoping I’ll have some nice carbon wheels to try before the last couple of races. 🙂

You racing Weeksy?

http://imgur.com/bteONbu.png

Not until you can hold a bunch easily mate. I judge my ability on a staircase, I’m 5 steps below Nath and 2 below you. So if you’re being shelled, then why would I bother yet? It may be too late at 45 for me to find enough speed to ever try, but I’ll keep on zwifting and hitting xc races next year, we’ll see if that gives me enough. But not yet that’s for sure

You’d bother because it’s hard to put in perspective without trying it.
Also, our fitness isn’t proportional 😀 I could get fit enough to win and it wouldn’t help quantify where you fit in a race.

I also think I can probably get to holding the bunch for the majority of the race (if not the final couple of speedy laps) without any further fitness gains…..

Weeksy, I started at 45. Was shelled in my first races. Finishing in the bunch was a major milestone, I can tell you! Before that I was a commuter who rode the odd sportive and I’d ridden a few club rides.

Honestly I never expected to race. But joining a club piqued my interest, and I thought why not?

Also Weeksy, in a funny way, it makes it more engaging.
At a Gorrick say, really all you have to improve is your fitness and maybe an odd few seconds on a rooty descent or tricky climb. But even that won’t be enough if ten faster people decide to enter Fun that week.

Whereas, at Hillingdon, it’s soooo bloody annoying getting dropped, that suddenly the time and distance between me and winners is irrelevant. For now, all that matters is that next goal on TiReds ‘Crit achievements’ list 😀
Whether I get there this season through practice or next season through fitness and practice is suddenly irrelevant. I have my goal and it has sucked me in 🙂

45 and got my 2nd cat this year, you’ve got plenty of time!

As you know CH, we’re different in more than a few ways, Hillingdon Fritz can’t replace xc riding and stuff for me. If anything, enduro is a bigger threat to any xc stuff. Hillingdon would just be something to tick off a list, not a goal for me.

I was more more just trying to promote its merits from a ‘back of the pack’ perspective- rather than suggest it as a replacement.
You should definitely try Enduro in 2017 though……

Ah I just think you’ve got to treat it as a bit of fun really. I’m not turning up to win, but enjoy it – keeping in the bunch at “high” speed without incident is enough for me.

I think it’s 40% tactics, 40% fitness and 20% luck to end up in the top 10 to be honest!

If I come on the Saturdays I’m down on the waiting list for, how does that work?

If I come on the Saturdays I’m down on the waiting list for, how does that work?

Turn up sign on and wait until the normal registration is closed. The Commissaires will have a count up of how many non-atteendees there are then open that many spaces to the reserve riders. You’ve got about a 20 minute window at most to sign on, pin your numbers on, warm up and get to the start so you need to be in your race kit.

You’ll almost certainly get a ride that’s the whole point of a reserve field so do be ready for it, it won’t be quite as relaxed as rocking up with 2hrs to spare.

If you don’t get a ride, you get a refund or the entry carried forward. However if you don’t bother to turn up at all, you lose the money!

Okay thanks! Should I take cash then as I’ve not paid to be on the waiting list?

Yes you will need cash on the line. You’ll get a ride.

Cheers @TiRed!

Might see you next Saturday then!

Just noticed someone has sliced my tyre (by catching something on it), my bike is stored indoors, but we’ve been having a new bathroom fitted. Annoying! Might use it as an excuse to try some GP4000s out.

😳

May have just bought some carbon clinchers 😆

Starting to see some Improvements in my fitness, although I think the last is a glitch & the KISS TT on the 28th I had a whooping great stitch 7 miles into it lol.

Getting closer to the magic 5w/kg http://www.zwiftpower.com/profile.php?id=8544067

The training plan for the next few weeks:
Mon/Tues/Wed – Commute + Zwift Race (TTs) (Light spin on Tues if legs tired)
Thurs/Fri – Commute + very light Zwift spin (120-130bpm + 10s sprints)
Sat – Hillingdon race (and cycle too and from)
Sun – 30-50 mile ride out or rest/light zwift spin if legs not feeling it

While dropping my weight slowly from 70kg to 68kg over a 5 week period.

Do you think that’s a good plan, or will I burn out ❓

Good luck tomorrow mate 🙂

Thanks crosshair!

Tomorrow’s objective is purely to concentrate – stay mid pack in the bunch and not cause an incident. I’ll be happy with that. 😆

Bike wise – unfortunately the power meter didn’t arrive today, unless RM deliver it in the morning, but I’ve got the new wheels and I think it finishes off the bike nicely hopefully it’ll help too:

7.83kg but still need to cut the steerer, fit latex tubes and drop a bottle holder and I might just get it to 7.5kg?

Sub 11 would be nice for mine 😀

You’ll be fine!! Looking forward to reading the report when I finish work later 🙂

First of all, thanks for the company @tired 😆

Today was wet and miserable but good fun bar two niggles:
1) Punctured so rejoined at the back with Tired
2) Rented power meter had a dead battery (was looking forward to the stats)

I was doing okay up to the puncture, I was at the pointy end in say the top 10. After the puncture I just couldn’t get back into it, I did a crazy attack but brought no one with me so that didn’t last but got me back into the top 10 so not such a waste.

I just need to build the confidence to work my way through the middle of the pack, I tend to stick to the outer sides as I feel safer?!

On the plus side I managed to concentrate and held my line okay I think, particularly on the corners.

On a side note I’ve made a HUGE mistake with my build, missing a washer which has resulted in this (I thought it was just overspray):

Needless to say one of the washers is in place now!!!

P.s. I stayed and watched some of the proper racing, you looked proper strong out there Tired as I was eating my flapjack and drinking a cup of tea:

Ah gutted but that’s racing I guess. Well done on getting stuck in though 🙂

Yep, all in the name of sport. I can’t see myself getting points this season to be frank! Definitely done to much cycling this week as didn’t feel as fresh as last time.

Hopefully we’ll both get emails this week about Saturday and it won’t rain!

I’m gutted about the PM, was hoping for some good numbers. I ended up with a dura ace one, looks really nice!

I wouldn’t say it looked £480 nicer than mine 😀

Well done. Interesting day for punctures. I enjoyed the 4th cat race. It needed a few more attacks. I towed a rider back into the bunch when they were dropped, but didn’t shout as much as previously. The E123 was a bit unsettled. I attacked twice, but was instantly chased down, as was everyone else who had a go. Legs felt good after the RF500 last week. Was a few bumps and two crashes in the last two laps, which I avoided. Another solid mid pack finish. I was the third oldest in the race too 🙂 .

@crosshair – it’s rented don’t forget, I think it’s a reminder to take care of it 😆

@tired – thanks! Your tips really did help today, struggled to see how I could push through the centre though? Once I figure that bit out (and gain the confidence) I may be an okay racer lol. I tried my best on the attacks front, didn’t have the legs for it today. People were a lot more spread out on the last corner this time too haha.
Sounds like a good race, bar the accidents. I think there was only one incident in the 4s when a guy overshot one of hairpins? Oh and folks cutting that bloody corner, had me on the brickwork at one point.
Did you see the guy who attacked from the car park area near the start/finish… mental!

Over training from Zwift possibly?

Most probably Weeksy, revising my plan and just commuting on Thurs/Fri no zwifting. Also need to increase calories now I’ve been told 70kg is a good weight.

More weight, more power, more rest?

Nah sticking to 70kg, just upping them to maintain this. I’m hoping that I’ve freed up a little bit more power now I’m not grinding my way through a crank arm lol. Definitely more rest though!

If crosshair races next weekend are you heading down too?

Yeah very possibly. Depends on my weekly trip to Luton as to timings etc.

@Nath- Indeed 😀 Crazy though considering it’s the same actual power meter….

Once you get beyond the low hanging fruit, I think it is hard to train to both lose weight and gain power simultaneously so I think that sounds like a good plan.
The annoying thing about race series is that everyone else is training and improving too so the pressure is on just to tread water.
Not sooo much of an issue with nigh on 5w/kg on tap mind you 😉 😀

I don’t have great expectations for Saturday after my illness. I averaged 281w for 35mins in last nights race so fingers crossed the damage has been minimal which means I can concentrate on holding a wheel reliably!
It would be so satisfying to hang with that bunch for full distance………

@crosshair You got to choose the right wheel too! So many times I’ve chosen the wrong one and been swallowed by the bunch 😆

But fingers crossed mate, hopefully you can stick in there!

What’s your training plan for this week?

So, the 8 week plan I had knocked up put this week as a Friel “Build 2” week so roughly
Mon- recovery/rest
Tue- Power intervals
Wed- Z2
Thu- Power intervals
Fri- Recovery
Sat- B Race
Sun- Z2
For a total hours of about 10.5. Given my last couple of weeks though, that might be a bit rich so I’ll probably keep the frequency and intensities the same but knock the total hours back a little.