Oh man, you could have entered me and JOe LOL
Annoyingly, one Cat 4 guy rode the 2,3,4 race too- if he’d joined our race we’d have been sorted!
Wow, well done crosshair! Definitely still a big deal regardless of the field size; I'm impressed and pleased.
First race this year! After building up a bike for my nephew from a donated frame, some parts from the spares box, classic race wheels from a club mate, and assorted red and shiny bling, I took him to a Go Race. He's just 15, but 184 cm and 60 kg (I wish). The jump to a full regional U16 race would be huge on a bike he'd never ridden (normal bike is a disc braked Claude Butler alloy).
Up early and a drive to Gravesend. A quick bike fit, then some laps of the circuit to give him some coaching. Of course he climbs rather rapidly - 350W up the slope in a warm-up!
Then his race - quick TT of one lap of the short top circuit with hairpin and a race against three young ladies - some of whom are rather rapid. Good group riding, and he attacks to ride away dragging one with him. A couple of laps later he puts down the hammer and rides away to lap the field. Win! Of course he's on a high. Bike was "amazing" - even if the groupset is older than he is. Good kit is always good, even when old.
Dropped him home and dashed back around the M25 to Hillingdon for my WDMBC 234 race of 35 laps. My first race this year due to illness, snow and general ambivelence. Starting laps are averaging 305-315 W on the lovely Assioma pedals, things calm a little, but still consistently sub 2 minute laps (280 W). Some try for breaks, but the field of 65 riders is having none of it. Attrition is high as riders fall away and riders are lapped. One third over and I'm feeling OK, moving up to mid-third of the pack
Plan was sit in first third, move up and then attack with 7 to go if I had much to give. Unfortunately the lap board is produced from 15 to go, so the element of surprise is gone, despite my Garmin lap counter providing the strategy updates. Ten laps to go and I'm now top third, and still feeling pretty good. Every jump is chased down until one rider gets a break and a few gaps open.
Last lap sprint time, I'm comfortable so feel like pushing up and "contesting", but pretty sure that the Assiomas will just tell me how poor my sprinting is (it is). Get onto a known vet wheel (who's an excellent sprinter) and pass him on Brian's Bends, and away we go. Fast lap, and I finish down the straight in the saddle for top third and in the first bunch. Of course my friend just pipped me on the line.
NP 275 W or 4 W/kg - could have been Zwift 😉 and a massive 950W sprint. Next step is to get over the KW with some 20/40s - Chris Hoy should be worried 😀
950w ain't bad at all boy ! Nice work !
We need a new unit of age-adjusted W/kg 🙂 . Half the riders looked younger than my son and a fair few Juniors riding 52x14 gear restrictions - but then my average cadence was 105 as well.
Second Cat FTP (4.3 W/Kg) with a 4th cat sprint (14 W/Kg) - puts me fairly and squarely in the long-distance TT category 😉
By making it to lap 2 in the bunch you have my respect 🙂
Nice one TiRed- welcome back!
Here's a mini write up for MK bowl last Saturday to counter some of the essays on here....picked up a mate locally, arrived slightly late/ tagged too much, super short warm up further shortened by PM during and trying to resolve that (I should have done something in autumn when it told me to I guess!!!).
Cold and wet through the race, 50 mins + 5 laps. Approx 1 hour and approx 40 riders I would say. Mostly quite cagey due to the wet. 2 riders I'm convinced tried to kill me every lap and I noticed a couple were caught out by the same corner equally on the last lap as the first....
Surfed up and down the pack as I pleased, anytime I lost space I recovered 10s of places on the short climb to the finish.
Speed picked up a little at 5 to go and I stopped messing around on/near the front and tucked in. Coming into the last corner at the bottom of the climb I was slightly further back and wider than I wanted to be. I opened up the taps a little earlier than I had hoped and thought I had gone to early but the group immediately in front of me slowed as I felt alright and kept going. Possibly (wishful thinking?) Closing up on the group at the front bit ran out of track before it became an issue.
I counted 2nd for my mate and 8th for myself, I didn't run out of fingers so figured at least a point.
Quite pleased with that (previous best was 9th, January Abingdon crit). Results last night showed 7th so even better!
My third flux is going back to the shop for warranty this week so will have an easy-ish week with a couple of outside rides, before Combe Friday and Thruxton Easter Sunday.
@Tired - Giant TCRs are ace! I just built one up for a club mate and he's chuffed with it!
Agree with all the others, you can only race who turns up! Its only early season too!
Well there is a 30-strong field for Friday's U16 at Rebridge. Bit of a trek for me, but it could be a good introduction to real racing for him. The course should suit him, once he gets used to some of the bends. Saw the results of the E123 at MK, and it looked fast (43 km/h average). Not a course that suits me, and always sketchy in places. Felt great to be back racing though, and fitness is higher than I had expected.
Took nephew to Redbridge (Hog Hill) for his first race. The Alan Rosner memorial races. He loved it, despite being off the back and forced to ride a shortened corse (no bottom circuit due to floods).
I signed on for the National B E12 rather than the later 234 as I wanted a fast getaway. Rain started, pressure up, cold. Warmed up well. Rode a few shortened laps, and bang, the 35 of us are off. Held on for three and a half laps of gritty jet wash. Carbon rims and dual pivots are just fine!
Then off the back with a few others and race over. Rain is driving, wind is brutal, and the hill reps are basically 60 sec recovery, then 40 second efforts. For an hour. Attrition starts as hypothermia sets in. I chase riders, try and ride with them, but then they bail. Of course I’m lapped. Five times in total!
Riding consistent laps, with consisten power, but heart rate was declining steadily due to hypothermia. Race finished after 55 minutes and I’m 17. Just off the points, but pretty pleased just to finish.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1480457206/overview
NP 297 W, which is basically a chilled FTP test.
Thruxton tomorrow anyone?
Missed CH yesterday at Hillingdon, where thwarted by a puncture, he narrowly missed out on his third cat points.
Raced the final 234 after. Pace was a little slower off the mark than last week. A few attacks, a lot of towing the pack, and much stringing out for some serious chasing. A group got away, then the juniors start the charge, with a very strong young lady pulling just as hard on the front. I put in a big effort and am almost dropped as a reward for my efforts.
Held on, attacked with five to go into no man's land thinking oooh TT to the finish as a vet friend blocks the front. Half a lap later, I'm back in the fold and nobody is getting away. Another vet ups the pace to make a long lead out and a safer final lap, but I roll in at the back of the bunch with a Pearl Heaven rider who deserved the win
Great fun and dry! NP 287 W and pleased with that effort. Felt like it to, as legs were sore all evening.
Unlucky CH. Westerley crits are coming soon.
62nd edition of The Archer Spring Criterium this afternoon. Sir Bradley is a previous winner. 54 laps of Hillingdon or 84 km. Fast km. National B race, so domestic teams are here in force. In fact cycling clubs are a minority- everyone wants to be in an RT these days. No Elites (phew!). About 70 riders
pace is fast from the off, fast but not murderous. I’m sitting in mid pack, but still knocking out 3-4 W/kg. Primes are called with a whistle, the pack goes mad, then calms down. A lot of teams and known strong first cats try for breaks. I do a little blocking and am shouted at, it’s a team sport. More attacks, more primes.
The gel store was bare today, so I’m eating Bloks instead, which I do like, but need careful bike skills. Two bottles too as it’s nearly two hours.
up near the front with about 12 to go, I get into a small break, but it’s caught quickly. Settle in for the inevitable sprint, which I’m not going to trouble. A bit of bunching, but i gain a few places. About top half so very happy.
Averag speed was 28.5 mph. NP 277 W again, or 4 W/kg for just under two hours. I have a new fastest Hillingdon lap time too. 1:50!
Sounds like you’re doing very well TiRed!!
I raced on Saturday, first time in many months, it was a bit of a disaster....well not a crash sort of disaster but still not great...
I’m on a Ketosis diet and had been in Ketosis up until the work week from hell (talking some 9am-2am days..) and 0 cycling. This all ended with 4 pints at the local on Friday... knocking myself out of Ketosis. Poor planning meant I was in a rush to get from Tunbridge to Ealing for the cars MOT before the race. So I accidentally fasted...
What this meant was I turned up with a body wanting to burn carbs that didn’t exist in the quantities required...
The race itself was a real struggle, talking 185bpm just to stay with the bunch (210 cap), the number of riders were too high for that circuit!! Every corner was swamped and it was really hard to move up/find a gap.
Ended up being in tailgunner position or 3/4 back for the majority of the race, but this was kind of offset by the sheer volume of riders...
So then I got dropped for the first time ever in a race!! 52 mins in with 3 laps to go and absolutely no legs I tried to get my monies worth... Found a gap in the bunch on the only spot there ever was one and attacked hard, talking from rear to front of a 50/60 rider bunch. Got myself about a 10ft gap and then blew up haha.
Pulled off to one side and rode the last lap with a chap who I think had followed my move but also blew. After chatting to him for a the remainder we managed to see the ending as we cornered and then we sprinted against eachother for effect. 🙂
Nutritional lesson learned!!
Why are you still on this diet thing Nath ? I can't recall what the initial logic was, but you've been on it and doing badly compared to your previous form for a long time, so i'm struggling with why you're keeping going with it ?
I don't race on the road, but my little lad (the eldest one) started this weekend in the Welsh Cycling Go-Ride circuit race series. He's only 6, but he's been racing 'cross for 2 1/2 seasons in the North West League U8's, he came 8th overall this year with a string of top 10's.
I asked him if he fancied a go at road racing and he jumped on it, so off we headed to Marsh Tracks in Rhyl at the weekend, similarly to Ti's post up there; they do a one lap time trial followed by a multi-lap race. As we were first there and he was keen to have a go on the circuit the organiser asked if he could do a lap to figure out how fast the little'uns would be to set the number of the laps for the race. So off he rolled, into the first bend and promptly got dive bombed by a seagull, taking him down, ripping his bar tape and a big bit of road rash on his face, plus a couple of rips in his kit. He was startled and upset as you can imagine, but after some magic cream (savlon) and a few sweets he was ready to sign on.
First up was the one lap TT, now he doesn't know his left from his right too well, so when brief said to to left a the end, he got a tad confused and had a bit of a wander, subsequently he lost 20 seconds of his 30 second gap, probably not helped by having no one to chase down / follow which he's used to from racing bigger kids at 'cross, but hey ho, that's kids for you.
Next up was the main race, 5 laps of the track. They lined up and he got the gist of it this time, he went off with the little group and followed them round the first bend, then onto the back straight he stood up and put his mini hammer down, opening up a gap and extending it right through the 5 laps to take the win by over half a lap.
I worked out his pace after the race and it turns out the little monkey averaged 25.8kph for the race!
Fantastic ! Excellent
Haha ace @steve_b77
@weeksy - It's health over BC points for me. I'm Trying to come off "omeprazole"with this diet. I just need to keep at it until I find the sweetspot to enable me to have the health benefits and get BC points. This week wasn't a representative example of what I can do in a Ketosis state.
I'm going to crack on and do some Zwift racing soon to experiment - it's a lot cheaper!!
Stats wise I test at 300w FTP and I'm now 71kg.
Not a million miles away from peak 337w@67kg...(not going below 70kg this time)
Awesome @steve_b77 !
At last! Everything came together. Despite the wind, I got in a two up break at Thruxton with 5 laps to go almost exactly as I'd wished for. Only I dropped him!! As I sat up and waited for the bunch, a guy countered hard so I threw in all my chips and sprinted onto his wheel.
I yelled at him that I would work as soon as I recovered but it was >400w up the hill in his draft! Anyway, I honoured my pull and we started working okay together.
It was then a blur and as my HR crept up, I told him I didn't want to win but could he please not drop me as I only needed 4 points! He was great and once he realised I wasn't bluffing, was really supportive. I still did my work though and took all my turns.
At the final climb, I encouraged him on and sat at threshold to the line. Even then, he looked back and yelled at me to keep pushing.
I thought there was another guy solo but it seems not so second place! And 8 points and Cat3!
(Edit- or 3rd, not actually sure now looking at Strava. Perhaps another guy did stay away!!)
At long last 🙂 But even better- in that long odds breakaway that has so excited me all this time!
Sadly the saying is true- everyone wants to be in the break until they get in the break 😉
Brilliant mate. Having seen your efforts, pace and power in the last few weeks, I'm not shocked by this. You can be proud with how far you've come.
Crosshair I have absolutely no idea what was going on tonight. All just a blur. All I know is I stayed in the bunch, got in a great position, pedalled as hard as I could and managed to finish top 5 of the bunch. Maybe I’ve sneaked my first point, who knows. What matters though is that was absolutely amazing fun.
Ps: looking at some of those cat 2/3s breakaways that lapped the cat 4 peloton, very best of luck with that!!
Fingers crossed for you Curto 🤞🏻🤞🏻
Glad you enjoyed it! The wind certainly made it an exciting evening 😀
There were around 7 off of the front I reckon so it may be very close 😱
Ps: looking at some of those cat 2/3s breakaways that lapped the cat 4 peloton, very best of luck with that!!
Yeah, I think I’m going to play with the Cat 3’s at Hillingdon on Tuesdays instead 🤣
Hooray!!!!! Congratulations CH. so well deserved. Now time for the E123 race at the don.
Rode tonight’s E123 anti-clockwise. Fast start, strung out, but held on and sat in I did my turns on the front into the wind, stayed top half for most of the race come three laps to go, the bunch accelerated and I’m still there with a little more to give well 850 W of slow twitch isn’t going to trouble the 11T, nor the sprinters, but I’m top 20 and pass a few riders pleased with an NP of 300W, which I worked hard for. The FTP is climbing and TT tomorrow
CH come on down. Race the thirds a few times, then move up to the E123 and see if you can hold on. It’s all about racecraft.
delighted for you
Thanks TiRed! Yep, have paid my registration so will be back next week.
I got stuck on the M25 last week and ended up arriving at 18:28! Only had time to ride the Cat 4 in my polo shirt and normal shorts 🤣 It was a pretty brutal and short race!!
Well done @crosshair thoroughly deserved!
When I work out logistics and hopefully win my battle with southeastern trains I’m hoping to join you on Tuesday nights 3s.
Cueto I was 6 or 7th in that bunch...what were you riding? The STW road crew is growing...!
Rode the Tuesday E123 last night and blew up! Was on the nice Defy. Pleasure to see CH ride his first 3rd cat race. Which allowed a few of us to provide back of the pack banter
Tonight was vets over 50s and a big field of 40 riders. Windy again. Attacked on lap 2, recovered and went again on lap 4. Got the gap with a 330 watt lap. Opened it up to 30 seconds and pressed on
Race was stopped due to coming together with the youngsters. Then off again with my time gap.
Shouted a lot to keep the under 50s to one side, kept a steady FTP pace and finished 50 seconds ahead of the pack, 24 laps out front. Win!
Fantastic. Congratulations !
Well done TiRed! Persistence pays off 👍🏻 Well that and aero gear 🤣
The Cat 3 race was fun! Lots of attacks which meant I was a kid in a sweet shop wondering which ones to follow. Never really got away until two to go when I went all in to bridge across to two others.
Anything to get away from the comedians yelling funny comments from the back of our pack 🤣
This was it! The move was set, a few hard pulls each and we’d have the podium stitched up. However, instead of dedication to the cause, I was met with suspicion and two guys more interested in ensuring the other two of us didn’t win than that we all got 1,2,3 between us 🤦🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
Of course the bunch pace ramped up on the last lap too and we couldn’t hold on. 700w for 30 seconds to bridge had drained me out so I cruised over 200m behind the bunch.
I think I’m going to try the 2/3 race at Thruxton next Tuesday and then back to Hillingdon for Cat 3 only on Saturday.
First 2/3 race at Thruxton tonight 😱
Watching the carnage unfold from the snug comfort of the Cat 4 bunch in the previous races I’ve done there makes me very nervous indeed! They are often 28mph average for the race and every trip up the ‘hill’ is a smashfest as they try and force a split.
With a bit of focus and all the bunch skills I can muster- I should be able to hang but that’s as far as my aspirations go.
Big Events Cat3 coming up on Saturday so either way it should be a good taper workout.
Well that was tough! The toughest yet most thrilling race I’ve done. It wasn’t so much the speed or the intensity but the way it played out. We’d almost stop into the wind as everyone stared at each other and then BOOM! Attack after attack after attack.
Every time we changed direction relative to the wind, the bunch would veer savagely across the circuit at almost 90degrees to rob the followers of the draft. Once or twice I got stuck on the windy side and couldn’t cross back into shelter until the entire pack had passed!! It was worth it to save 80w though!
After 6 laps, another attack began which resulted in 380w np for well over 3 minutes. Powerful guys were sprinting whilst in the draft to keep contact.
Sadly I was tailgunning just when a couple of guys decided to hand in the towel. I’d trusted them to close the gap and I was stranded. Perhaps I should have gone deeper to try and catch but my hunch is that I’d have blown up hard and dropped off anyway. Instead, I TT’d for another 3 laps.
99TSS for a 1h01 race! 323np.
I was initially depressed but on the drive home, came to the conclusion that I’d actually done okay for the most part. I’m now curiously considering going back next Tuesday!!
Super well done to Leigh for getting his Cat 3 too- and yet another successful break. Thruxton Cat 4 has shown some quality racing so far this year, the wind seems to bring it to life.
Well done CH. welcome to the step up. Faster, smoother and normally safer. I raced the E123 at Hillingdon tonight on the old Propel without the aero kit or big wheels. Thought it might rain and didn’t fancy washing the best race bike. Well GP4 Seasons are not Corsa Speeds tubeless.
Race gets off to a fast pace. I’m going to sit in. Let the kids do the work (I’m the oldest rider). Sit in, sit in. Attacks come, pack chases. All good. Then a break and I’m off chasing. Not a chance. So join the passing throng and as you were. Another group clip off the front to bridge. Still recovering. But nch accelerations keep me working hard. But they and the points are all up the road.
Catch the thirds with with two laps to go, which mutes our finish, so I roll in mid pack. Pleased as I worked hard, sometimes too hard. Another NP of 299 Watts for the hour, with the odd 330 watt lap for good measure. Thats my FTP test right there 4.4 W/kg. Nice to be racing with the bigger London teams.
Big Events Cat 3 today in the lovely weather. Started off with an optimistic break attempt on lap two and then settled in to a pretty negative bunch. Nothing was given an inch.
Then we got stuck behind the 2/3 race who lapped us and then sat up. Sooo annoying!!!
This shut things down for a few laps until (apparently, not sure if it’s right) the comms actually utilised the cut-through for once to spread things out again
There were a few wheels to avoid and I got leant on a couple of times. Sometimes being a bigger rider has its advantages!!
It was interesting that nobody was paying the slightest bit of notice to the wind. The 2/3 guys from Thruxton would have had everyone strung out in the gutter with the 10mph Easterly making a difference on the start straight and down the hill. But people would happily leave the whole lee side of the circuit exposed today meaning moving up was pretty straight forward.
Having not really tested my fresh(ish) legs all race, I decided that I would go the first chance possible after the lap boards appeared. It was with 4 to go that I got away with an 800w 20odd second burst that got me to 34mph and opened up a nice gap.
Sadly that kind of effort meant my hr was 190+ and I could only hold that for a couple of laps. The bunch then hung me out for a further lap to make sure I was properly wasted I think.
Getting back on with nearly 2 to go, I recovered quite quickly and was able to shadow the bunch relatively easily. I moved up a little but never even tried to defend my position.
Like a vulture, I was waiting for blood now- should a big crash occur I had space and time to try and salvage a place. But beyond that, I wasn’t trying to contest anything.
As the bunch crossed the line at close to 40mph- the sickening sound of carbon appeared and a London Dynamo guy and one other both annihilated themselves. They do have an incredibly high crash rate on that team- it’s beyond a joke really!! I picture their club meets as being like the bad guys dojo from Karate Kid 🤣🤣🤣
Anyway, pleased with my attack but honestly- I don’t have the wattage for that length attack now. A little later and who knows....
At least it helps focus the training again 👳🏻♂️👳🏻♂️
The Thruxton organisers are bemoaning a lack of entries again this week. It’s such a shame as the racing has been awesome this season with breaks winning in every Cat 4 race and most of the others too. They’re really well run with a great atmosphere.
They save the money up for series prizes- which are quite generous if the races are well subscribed. I got £70 for 12th overall in Cat 4 last year.
Perhaps nightly prizes would be better??
Anyway, I hope it picks up as it would be a shame to lose it.
Back to Thruxton for the 2/3 race this evening with the goal of not getting dropped.
That was the biggest mistake right there!!
The first lap was insanely fast and a couple of guys got dropped straight away. We did 35mph for over a mile!!
Once again, the race was making the full use of the circuit and after getting a free pass to the leeward side on lap one, everyone was on it by lap two and you had to fight to hold your wheel or drop back.
Two or three times a lap, a break attempt was happening but I just ignored them and concentrated on my original aim. Which meant letting others do the work.
It was the first time I’ve really been aware of team tactics (despite thinking I’d seen them in Cat 4, they weren’t really worthy of the name) and the composition of the break each time dictated who did the chasing. The Morvello boys were very noticeable in their distinctive kit and if none of them were in the break, they would chase it down instantly.
Anyway, soon, 13 guys got away! I was nowhere near- in fact my negative strategy of just not getting dropped this week, meant I was little more than a passenger for these fun and games.
Depite an attempt to shut it down from the teams with riders in the fledgling break, some other guys managed to start pulling and we held the bakers dozen at a few seconds. We came ripping through the top chicane in a strung out line but I was once again in the still air on the downwind side and managed to move up well in the half-draft.
Into the fast crest after the chicane and I actually accelerated relative to the bunch and was approaching the front of the grouo with momentum. As I hit the full wind, I stopped myself from doing what I really really wanted to- which was to try and Bridge to the break. I’m still kicking myself about it as even if I’d died and got dropped, the end result would have been no different.
A little while later, with the break gaining ground, I was sitting comfortably in the bunch when I was sure my rear spokes had exploded!! What made the noise I don’t know but I could feel something twanging between my frame and derailleur as the bunch starburst in fear for their lives at the din!
Looking down, I coasted and made my way carefully to one side but everything was fine. It was the guy just to one side!! Luckily he was able to hold on to it and not crash but I was off the back. I chased for half a lap but not with any conviction.
Karma for not trying to bridge 🤣
The break looked really exciting from the pit wall with a couple of guys attacking lots who ultimately got away on the last lap for first and second. Then there was a chase group of three around 1 minute back and then finally the bunch a good 30-40 seconds behind that. Proper road race dynamics again thanks to the strong wind- a genuinely interesting race.
A two man break won the 4ths race again- proving that the wind definitely improves things. Sadly 10-13 4th Cat guys went down in a crash, including my friend Chris.
How long are the races?
Crit races down this way are less than 30 mins ... some less than 20 mins. Was fancying doing a couple crits again this year - but not sure a 20-30 min race would feel like a race.
How long are the races?
Crit races down this way are less than 30 mins … some less than 20 mins. Was fancying doing a couple crits again this year – but not sure a 20-30 min race would feel like a race.
About an hour.
Yeah 1h05 and 28miles. Was such a cracking race- I want to keep doing them as I think there’s a LOT to learn just by watching the tactics play out and a lot of good training too.
No Thruxton next week so off to Hillingdon- perhaps with Nath??
