Forum menu
I'm officially crap. Horrible day out in the Midlands series today. Got lapped out of my race, when the leader of my category overtook me just before the finish line at the end of his third and my second lap. Bit of blessing really as I was just about to jack it in.
Hateful course at Eckington. Either up or down. No rest at all. And surprisingly technical descents, even found the dropper handy.
Oh well, nothing cider and pizza can't cure, and look forward to my first CX outing next weekend at Battle In The Bowl.
Eckington was nails today, it was a crazy hard course with little flow. I won the SS category, it was super hard as the course stopped and climbed every time you started to pick up speed!
Was pushing up many climbs, however the descents were brilliant and worth every minute. Nice weather too!
I can confirm that if I ever race at Eckington again I won't be using 34:19! Silly course to use a SS on but it was still great fun.
Nationals next week! Will be taking gears...
**** me. I just found Hadleigh hard today. 25 degrees and 7000ft if climbing in 90 mins, I think my 34 oval didn't help.
First I was surprised to be gridded then when home realised I'm 27th overall is the reason for that. I made a reasonable start after a few people hit the tape in front of me on a downhill off the line, gazhurst came past from the back and then I was consistently 50m from the HKR chaps so I knew I was ok.
But the hills just sapped my strength big time, and tbh even though I've finished +1 and 33rd I wasn't unhappy to see the end of that. Maybe yesterday's z2 was too much, who knows but I would have loved to taken a point - double to 2 as it was a Regional champ - from it.
Cest la vie and onward, the next one is flat so should suit me better.
7000ft if climbing in 90 mins
Sounds improbable...
Yes sorry, 788m. Not sure what happened there.
**** me. I just found Hadleigh hard today. 25 degrees and 7000ft if climbing in 90 mins, I think my 34 oval didn't help.First I was surprised to be gridded then when home realised I'm 27th overall is the reason for that. I made a reasonable start after a few people hit the tape in front of me on a downhill off the line, gazhurst came past from the back and then I was consistently 50m from the HKR chaps so I knew I was ok.
But the hills just sapped my strength big time, and tbh even though I've finished +1 and 33rd I wasn't unhappy to see the end of that. Maybe yesterday's z2 was too much, who knows but I would have loved to taken a point - double to 2 as it was a Regional champ - from it.
Cest la vie and onward, the next one is flat so should suit me better.
To be fair, you looked like you got a decent start. It took me a while to catch on. I got held up a bit off the line, missed my pedal and then got pushed out really wide on the first corner at the bottom of the grass hill.
I felt pretty good for the first hour but then started to drop off the pace. Not sure if it was the heat, fuelling or general lack of fitness but I towed a guy around for about 4 laps and he attacked me throgh the Olympic feedzone after we went over the tunnel. I had no answer and had to watch him pull about 30 seconds on me by the time we got to Leap Of Faith.
Hey ho...got to take some positives...I completed the 7 laps and rode every A line without one single crash (oops tell a lie, I might have had a little lie down on that little rock garden climb on the last lap when my thighs decided they didnt want to play anymore)
Now on Doxycyclin and starting to feel better but still not great. By Sunday I won't have trained for 3 weeks.
Summer Monkey on the 19th was due to be an A event for me. Last year it was my hardest race. This year I don't think I can go into 6hrs at 85% MHR having just recovered from 3 weeks off with some viral bug.
Probably should have cleaned my bike last night...
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7173/27524089856_23fa553616.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7173/27524089856_23fa553616.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/HWd9Zo ]image[/url]
Nationals at Fforest Fields on saturday for me, hoping the weather holds out although I'm not holding my breath.
Anyone know what the course might be like? I really hope the climbs aren't as savage as Dalby was...
See you there mate. The weather is a concern, raced there in May after overnight downpours and it was a grease fest, fell off a few times. I've got rons on in anticipation of some rain but have half a mind to switch to beavers depending on forecast as still had no grip with a ron on the front in may. If its relitively dry its my favourite course I've raced since getting back into bikes
The climbs are worse than Dalby!! Two proper climbs rather than one, and one is steep. Not sure what start loop we'll be doing if any but basically start of lap is a long drag climb that kicks up at the end then singletrack back down with an a/b split. THe A is fine in the dry but I b-lined it in the wet. Then its a fireroad traverse before the next climb which isnt as bad as the first. Then its rooty and off-camber stuff back down, then (I think) a new section I've not ridden before some flattish singletrack to the finish
Right done some stravanalysis:
At Dalby the climb was 400m at 14%..
At Forest Fields the first climb is 1km at average 10% with the last 100m being 17%
The second climb is 400m at 12%
Limber up those climbing legs!
edit. just checked the weather and is looking better again 🙂
Wish I hadn't asked now to be honest!
Its fine, they are fire road winches not technical climbs. Nothing as hard as that first bit of the climb out of worry gill just after the berm.
Had a look at total elevation climbed and theres not much difference in it over the course of the race, guess all those litle climbs at Dalby add up
Looks like the forecast has changed to rain over both days now. Probably going to be a moist one!
Keeps changing and its doing my bloody nut in re. tyre choice. A mate up there said a fair bit of heavy rain yesterday afternoon, lots of puddles but under trees the ground is still firm. Depends when the heavy rain starts I guess.
To be(aver) or not to be(aver), that is the question.
The joys (and benefits) of having spare wheels! Well a spare rear at least...
I'll be bringing the usual ron/ralph but then a spare beaver for the rear. TBH I've always found the ron pretty capable until it turns into full goop and ralphs always surprise me with what I can get away with!
Beaver front. 2.1 Ron rear is what I'd do.
Not really thought of beaver front ron rear, outside of pure mud I find the ron more confidence inspiring on the front so tend to switch to double beaver if I'm switching.
Anyway good old met-office are currently saying dry so I'm planning on double ron for now. Will check in the evening.
Any other denizens of STW going to be at Fforest fields?
Currently at the site. Keeps raining on and off.
Course looks sketchy as fuark, lots of fireroad followed by steep loose rooty descents. The only xc course I've seen catch netting!
a few years ago Margam could've done with some catch netting, I rolled quite a way down an embankment. Damn my inability to turn left properly!
Beautiful in the Surrey Hills today, glad I didn't drive 4 hours to get a kicking on a muddy course!
That was hard. Long race for sport, 30km, think it's normally between 20-25km. Lost one place in the last quarter lap and didn't quite have the legs to chase, clawed back to within 10 yards before the last short singletrack bit but then my legs gave up. With the mud and the climbing took me over 2 1/4 hrs. Just like the Welsh rain made it slippery and lots more roots emerging over the course of the race. Enjoyed the new section.
Good tyre advice from Kryton, beaver front, Ron rear worked a treat, felt nicely confident and rode the whole course which is a step up from the Welsh champs a few weeks ago when I ran some of the descents because of the greasiness.
Good to see Everyoen briefly, shame about the gap till Cannock - although it gives me time to burn of the obscene amount of curry and cobra I've gorged on for recovery food!
Just seen this vid on Facebook from the vets race. Looks worse than yesterday!
[url=
Having watched that video glad we went to the Lakes and rode the Sam Houghton instead.
Lol @ that video, looks an utterly miserable way to spend a weekend.
I did the race this morning on the video, it was horrific - that was my team mate in the national champions jersey, if it can put him on his arse then something is not right!
The organisers did a good job on keeping it running but I do wonder if an alternative 'poor weather' course might be a good idea.
Out of the four of us riding I think we all crashed at least three times each, one dislocated a shoulder, I destroyed a front wheel when I put my foot through it as a guy rode into me, and another ripped his suspension lockout off.
I was really, really pleased to see the finish line!
Does anyone know if anyone got round without crashing?
I think it got a bit better in the afternoon, that steep descent was fine, and I think I managed one lap without running. Unfortunately I also managed to launch myself off the trail with both feet unclipped, landing full force on the top tube with my arse, and near enough crushing it! Very annoying as I was in 4th (expert) at the time, and feeling strong.
Beaver/Race King worked ok, but I was struggling for grip up that first climb.
@iain65, they did actually modify the a line from Saturday practise before the sport race so they were doing their best. There is always the b-line which I what I was riding after crashing a lot racing there in similar conditions a month ago. I can't imagine that got hard to ride, I suppose they could have closed the a-line.
Mind you, and admittedly I am technically deficient, even on Saturday I found all of the steeper descents difficult, I came so close to stacking on the first steeper bit of the descent off the fireroad towards the first a-line, lost front wheel traction, was zooming towards the crash netting at 90 degrees to the direction I should have been growing and the wheels bit and I yoinked it round with cm to spare, much to the amusement of the bloke behind.
Having raced there 4 times in the last 3years I think the course is getting increasingly tricky with more roots appearing especially on some of the steeper sections. I hope there's another one next year and it's dry! Feel like I have unfinished business with that course after being overly cautious on sat!
Long gap for me now until the final Welsh series and Cannock the week later. Not sure of my training strategy, I'm thinking two weeks of just base-ish long rides before an enforced rest week (hols) and then three weeks of high intensity before a taper. Not sure if that's a good plan or if I should just stick to high intensity? Feel like my results have been getting worse, was a long way back off people I'd been beating in the other nationals on sat and didn't have a good race my previous one a month ago so think I need to re-group!
Hi Padkinson, well done in managing to ride it - I had no chance! The first climb for us was okay from a grip perspective although the tackiness of the mud or Gravity was getting stronger as the race went on, not sure which!
Hi Ferrals, yeh, it was a great venue - just let down by the weather! I rode the B line on that first descent as it was jammed with bodies first time round but it was also unrideable - I thought it was just my poor skill level but everyone I spoke to at the finish said the same, it was just a longer walk!
I also rode on Saturday and while it was all okay to ride it was definitely not straight forward by any means. If you've got a gap in racing have a look at the next Midlands XC round as its close and a good venue.
Been meaning to do some of the midlands xc for a while but that weekend doesnt work for me. I really really want to race Dudmaston as that looks great fun but its the same w/e as the last Welsh race which I'll do instead.
If I race at all before then it'll be the SW series in mid July.
The other one to look at if its not too far is the FNSS MTB series on a Friday night, it's short racing (less than an hour), pretty intensive but good fun and very relaxed, they are on most Friday nights but more East Midlands based. Iain.
in consideration of a wet slippery short climbs based loop of a course, whats fastest:
29er with FS linkages but mounted with tubed Beavers, or a 26" HT mounted with bonty mud X?
I used my Superfly HT with Mud x's last weekend at Builth Wells rather than the FS Top Fuel with Ron's on. Did the first lap on the Saturday on the HT and I just felt I had a bit more control (or less out of control!) in the slippy conditions.
Although nothing really worked last weekend I was pleased with my choice of HT over FS but don't think I would have done the same if the HT was on 26'' wheels. In my simple world I think 29'' wheels are worth about a mile an hour over 26'' wheels so that is a lot to recover.
If the course is smooth and not technical however you might have a slight advantage on the small size HT bike.
Not sure if that's any help or not!
Did anyone take a good beastiong at bikefest on saterday?
Well, I crashed - if that's what you mean 🙂
Was in 2nd place in vets & lost it on the quarry section, 3hrs into the 6hr & landed on my back. Trip to A&E & suspected cracked rib & vertebrae, which I think has just turned out to be heavy bruising. Sketchy as hell with all that rain. Fun in places though & great atmosphere, as usual.
Ouch man glad your on the mend ok and nothing serious
seems there was a few bad off thru the day from pushing hard in that rain
managed to get first place mixed teams all involved are well chuffed weve been chasing that for 3 years
So I finally committed to a race type thingy: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/vitus-bikes-rapide-29-hardtail-bike-2016/rp-prod135379
Nice one. How long till the q-factor paranoia sets in? 😆
Training dilemma for me:
I'm meant to be doing hard training weeks both last week and this week due to an enforced rest week next week. I managed to do a good week last week but have felt grotty yesterday and today, glands up, sore throat that looks inflamed, blocked nose, tight chest etc. etc..
According to my plan I should be doing a hard cople of hours of 5min hill climbs tonight: not sure whether to sack it off totally, go for it anyway or just go for a gentle spin. Normally I'd skip the session but as I know I'm not cycling at all next week I'm wary of two weeks off.
Thoughts? I'm possibly leaning towards a spin and working on some technical descending.
[b]Kryton57 - Member [/b]
So I finally committed to a race type thingy: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/vitus-bikes-rapide-29-hardtail-bike-2016/rp-prod135379
Have you test ridden one of those?
No why, are they crap?
I don't know whether its the frame alone or a combination of frame plus stock wheels, but there is a lot of lateral flex in it for a race machine. I would imagine most - if not all of it is from the stock wheelset though given my experience of off the shelf XC 29er bikes.
It looks awesome in the flesh mind.
Oh you have one! Im informed by njee is the hong fu frame thats used by lots of people, and the Reba of course is well know so won't be causing that.
Those wheels will be instantly replaced with my AC Race's, also removing 500g's off the bike weight (nearest wheel weight I could find was 650 + 1105g F&R)
It looks awesome in the flesh mind
Excellent!
The autist in me cannot be stopped from asking about your AC races which I thought were 1459g and would therefore save 341g?
Anyhoo enjoy your new HT! Looks a great spec for the money.
Ferrals - having screwed up my recovery and not done anything meaningful for weeks I can tell you anything other than a short period of z1 or z2 is very unwise. Sack it if you feel sh1t.
I think I kept 10 ctl points but lost an extra week.