Well, here we are again! What are you racing in 2020 and whats occurring currently?
Me - well its the usual Scott Marathons but I'm entering the National 12h at 24/12 after accidentally ending up at the front last year.
Training has already started but after a heart to heart with my coach prompted by weight gain and power loss I'm now on a traditional rather than reversed plan, with weekly MTB rides scheduled in. Since the beginning of November there's been lots of fasted Z2, with a fat-use strategy and mitochondria development supported by a low carb/high protein diet in the main. With no commute I'm managing 1000km's a month and have lost 3.5KG to date - so a good start.
I rode the recent/second Brass Monkeys last week as a Z2 exercise. It was fun pootling around but despite the deliberate lack of pace it ended predominantly Z3! Recovery was fast which was a good sign.
Onwards we go.
Puffer next week. Just did my last big training session (basically an FTP test) this morning, an MTB ride on Sunday then I kick back for a week.
I'm doing it as a 4. They aren't taking it as seriously as me but I want to see what I can do (which is probably not much).
(Hope) Mountain Marathons at Builth and Minehead.
Maybe some of the Southern XC rounds, certainly have Mattersley in the diary.
I’m among mainly for the 7hr solo at Torque in your sleep and also Big Dog though so the short track xc is likely to be more steady pace in open/fun cat just to get some circuit racing in.
Just some races for fun. Southern XC, Big Dog, maybe try an (easier) enduro or 2. Not training as I will only get ill as usual in the winter.
Using the bikepark more though.
Doing the SXC series as well as organising one (won't be riding that though). GT7 solo is a target event. Toying with the idea of one of the MTB marathons series. Likely to be Race for Charlie if any. Are they any good? Its a significant distance for me.
Bound to do a couple of Enduro's like POC Scottish series as well.
Training going well with new coach. Not been blowing sessions like I did last year. Lots of gym and more gym which feels good.
Looking forward to a good season.
Making a return to XC racing after some 25 years doing just 'cross. Not giving 'cross up but want to do more than spend the summer doing the same old roadie runs every weekend. The last time I raced XC I was on a rigid Klein Attitude, now I'm on a Spark RC World Cup! I'm also in the V60 category so its all about fun and making some new friends. MSG is my main aim but hope to do some NPS XC and the odd marathon if I can fit it all in.
Smashy McSmashface on the turbo followed by Dyfi winter Warmer, Monster Cross (3hr CX race), Hit The North VII, Dyfi Enduro, Crank-it XC series, Manchester Mid-Week Series, Ruthin Marathon, Mayhem 24hr team - aiming to go better than 5th overall last year, 24:12 either 12hr solo or 12hr pairs - of the latter, aiming to improve on 2nd place last year.
Rounded off with summer hols, then Smashy McSmashface turbo until CXand maybe a return to 24hr in 2021
......... and breath 🤣🤣🤣
Biggest goal is not to get injured yet again.
Thetford winter series round 3 on Sun
Lanzarote in 2 weeks for the 4 stage marathon.
Midlands XC
Mud Sweat & Gears series.
A few rounds of the Nationals
Brighton Big dog
Oct to Spain for a 3 day marathon
And whatever else myself or the team find to do.
Hit The North, Monster Cross and MBO Scores. Plus I'm organising the BMBO Nationals weekend in the lakes/Dale's, yaya!
Do any of you Manchester folk know what night the Manchester series is on usually? Or if details are out for 2020?
Thanks
Lanzarote in 2 weeks for the 4 stage marathon
I need to look into that for 2021! I just noticed Torq in your sleep is a week after I return from Hols, so I just added 12 solo to my list.
Actually I have a question; how do you cope with “down time” close to races? Most of my long Slow training will be done by April of course when I’ll be well into Sweet Spot and HIT, but I have a fair bit of overseas travel between events this year, when’s I’ll return within 2 weeks / 10 days from the event.
Of those, 2 are holidays within which I’d like to relax, have a few beers and not be counting calories. My job demands a relief from the stress of it all as well.
So, is it a case of reaping what you sow and either being an stalwart athlete or letting go for a week, what do other people do? My main worry is that it’s long slow Z2’s that reduce my weight so without these plus added beer & food my weight could shoot up.
Kielder Chiller solo singlespeed, Hit the North, Hammers 8 hour, Dyfi Enduro, Mountain Mayhem solo, Scott Marathon at Hope, UKSS 2020. Only a V50 ‘ making up the numbers’ rider but always try my hardest and really enjoy the camerardie of the mid pack suffering on longer events and I need a fullish calendar to keep me training.
Hi all, my plans this year are doing the SXC series for the first time and am currently starting a 6 week prep training plan.
Thoughts on bikes for this series? Have got a 2014 Camber Carbon which has 110mm travel front and rear so thinking just use this? Or do I NEED to buy a carbon hardtail? How technical will it be? Am comfortable on trail centre reds but at my own pace so don’t want to be flapping in a race situation.
I race cross so am familiar with format/efforts etc - my queries for XC are more around course technicality and equipment.
Show us/tell us yer bikes you’ll be using this year for inspiration!
I’m buying a house and have got a much busier role at work, which tells me adding any goal other than entering races would be too much stress. As such I’m just going to do the MSG series and Beastway with goal of smashing out a hard ride. After that (end of July) it’ll just be long club rides in the sun. Bit bored of training to be race fit from January - September.
Bike wise I’ve actually gone the other way. Was on a carbon hardtail (Cube Reaction GTC with Fox 32sc) but have gone for a 110/120mm fs instead.
I managed the SDW in a day on the hardtail with no problems but I wanted to consoling bike fleet somewhat.
It’s obviously a bit heavier (11.6kg rather than 10.3kg) but has a dropper and is more comfortable.
Climbs and descends better on the more technical stuff but still cruises on the flat alright. (Always got the lockout on the shock/forks if I want.)
Biggest pain is only having one bottle cage mount. I’ve started varying a soft bottle in a jersey pocket though which works pretty well as I just quickly fill my main bottle when it’s empty.
Training camp.
Southern XC.
Stage race.
Exposure.
Big Dog.
Torq in your sleep.
Hopefully no fing injuries this year! 😬
Thoughts on bikes for this series? Have got a 2014 Camber Carbon which has 110mm travel front and rear so thinking just use this? Or do I NEED to buy a carbon hardtail? How technical will it be? Am comfortable on trail centre reds but at my own pace so don’t want to be flapping in a race situation.
As its your first season I'd stick with the Camber and make a decision after that. You could ride pretty much any event down south on a Carbon hardtail, but IMHO racing effort levels exaggerate any level of discomfort - its very much YMMV. The Camber is probably a little heavy as is.
If you really want a Carbon HT and are a Large, I have one in the classifieds at a budget price... 🙂
Hit The North, Monster Cross and MBO Scores. Plus I’m organising the BMBO Nationals weekend in the lakes/Dale’s, yaya!
Where do you do your MBO @benjiM? I always used to do a couple per year but dark and white have stopped putting them on in the Peak. Wouldn't mind travelling to some this year as a way to get on the MTB some more.
I've had to start wearing reading glasses this year - on the way to being one of those arl fellas who asks for a big map 🙂
Cheers Kryton57! Yes I think I’ll see do the first couple and see how the bike and me handle.
Will also perverse the classifieds....
As one of the organisers of the SouthernXC I always love this annual thread!
MTB Racing (particularly XC) certainly seems to be in a healthier place compared to 4 or 5 years and long may it last.
Hopefully there are some of you out there with kids who fancy giving it a try, but are possibly a bit daunted by the prospect of lining up in the Youth or Juvenile categories with a load of mini Nino's, with this in mind we are continuing with Fun/Beginner races for 13-16 years old as well as adults, this started last year with good success so hopefully it'll continue this year.
For more info about categories just click the below link
https://eventrexuk.com/southernxc/southernxc-categories-schedule
Expect more of the fast flowy course that aren't World Cup technical but certainly get harder and harder as the speed goes up.
Any queries, questions or suggestions please leave a message here as I'll check back as often as I can or drop me a mail to adam@eventrexuk.com
Good luck to all of you, regardless of what your season entails!
Hoping to do some of the Welsh series but dates/venues haven't been announced yet and my diary is already filling up quite a bit; of the two that are already on BC I know I can't do one of them. Can't see me doing any nationals as nothing close enough to be doable in a day.
Not XC but I've got Battle on the Beach and Battle in the Bowl lined up so will get my racing fix even if the Welsh series doesnt align.
As if they heard my plea.. 🙂
https://twitter.com/OffRoadWales/status/1216963042786844672?s=20
I'm hoping round 1 in FoD will get the series off to a bang since recently entries in Wales have been low but given FoD is borderland it should pull in a few entries from that there England.
I raced the Brass Monkeys Last week and am planning on the 3rd race a week Sunday.
Big Dog is always in the calendar
hopefully some of the Hope Marathon Series - really enjoyed that last year.... but more so my son loved the kids skills training. Will try and make a family weekend for at least one of the rounds.
Bit of a naff start to the year with injuries though. Need to get an arthritic toe sorted out, and potentially the achilles on the other foot. And also was diagnosed with carpal tunnel in both arms last week. Being 44 really sucks. Based on that - I have no expectations from 2020... any event I do manage is a bonus. but probably it's time to reduce some of the existing ailments...
@garry_lager Typically I've always done NYMBO and West Coast in the winter but not in the last couple of years due to family stuff. Midlands MBO put on some good events as well as Black Mountains MBO, but that's a bit of track for me, although there's some cracking riding.
Calendar here : https://www.bmbo.org.uk/calendar/
Do any of you Manchester folk know what night the Manchester series is on usually?
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or a Saturday?
Crikey. Currently in the -20 to -30 TSB bracket and just received my plan to mid Feb (before a US work trip interlude) to maximise Training stress and adaptions. I'll now be climbing hills for 4hrs a week with 4hrs of Z2 for endurance on top, and I've been told to "Race" the next Brass Monkeys with no expectation on results or performance. Just as well, I'll be half asleep...
Presumably that’ll be Alp du Zwift ‘cause that’s a lot of reps of Mott St! 😊
Well, its 40-60 minute intervals at 50rpm just below threshold. Ouch.
Whoop! Appropriately spaced FTP test and up >4% Happy with that.
50 rpm - ouchy! Nice bump! 🙂
I probably ought to do some training as I seem to have entered battle on the beach.
I probably won't do much training and just bimble around in the GV class!
Have formulated a simple training plan for this season. Lots of climbing!
Ramping from around 3000m/wk at the moment to 7000m/wk in May in order to be as good as possible for the Alps Epic mtb stage race in June.
No idea how well this training will go but looks like an interesting challenge.
Rest week every 4th week and every week also includes 2 Pilates classes and 1-2 short but brutal spin classes.
Targeting the southern xc series along the way to give me some short term goals but not letting up on the training for them. Managed to win the singlespeed class of the last brass monkeys on the final day of a two week block of flat endurance riding (32hrs in 2 weeks!), so ‘training through’ works well enough for me.
Dropped in here to try and find some motivation/ events to inspire me and saw the MBO stuff mentioned... 5 mins on google later I’m eyeing up one a month from March to October!
Looks to be a good series in South Wales, plus the Bacup one is near my parents and I used to ride Lee Quarry a lot, so would be nice to head back there and see if I’m still as fit 10 years on (doubtful!)
In terms of training it looks like I’m about to start riding the MTB again more, also do CrossFit a couple of times a week, and a bit of running when away with work.
Not sure what I want to do this year, for various reasons I'm not going to be able to make most of the Southern XC series that I did last year.
I've entered for HONC and may do the White Roads Class (I know, neither of them are races).
I'm looking at https://hammers8.com/ as something different, potentially one of the Marathon series as well (likely Minehead).
Oh and training? Sufferfest ToS coming up soon, then aiming to stick to 4-5 sessions per week after that, supplemented with weekly (road) club ride.
Hammers 8 now entered as solo rider, going to use HONC as a practice run for pacing/eating/arse resilience
ooooh just what I'm looking for, might enter that
Just Noticed that two of the Scott MTB Marathon date clash with SXC's , that's areal shame...
Anyone heard whispers of when (and where) the XC National Champs will be? Can't find anything on BC and trying to get summer hols booked. Kids are happy that Dalby and Glentress are back on this year.
Presumably that’ll be Alp du Zwift ‘cause that’s a lot of reps of Mott St! 😊
I bloody hate Mott St.
Wheres the best place to find out about all the races? I'm in Newcastle and would like to start with something, shall we say, less serious. Fitness isn't great just now, but hopefully aiming for a race or 2 will spur me on.
The British Cycling website has a diarised list of events with a decent filter you could use. Otherwise asking here is useful, or find some local clubs/riders that could advise.
Suggestions for good 'cheap' xc tyres? Looking at my mtb for the first time since july and could do with replacing tyres, used to always use Schwalbe (Ron(f)-Ron(r) or Ron(f)-Ralph(r) depending on conditions. but I can't stomach the cost anymore.
Won't bother changing for conditions so all-round racy tyes. Tubeless and not crazy thin casing.
Guess Vittoria are probably the answer? Which ones?
Cheers
Go and get 2 Barzo’s and one Mezcal just swapping out the rear Mezcal for a Barzo in proper Winter. You want at the G2 Isotech TNT of which there are lots of discounts around and often they are quite cheap / in bundles on the German sites.
Nice one Kryton - with my cx obsession I don't ride my mtb when its super muddy so will get the barzo mezcal combo for now. I'll go and look on bike.de etc
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/vittoria-mezcal-iii-29-tnt-mtb-graphene-2.0-folding-tyre-871303
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/vittoria-barzo-29-tlr-graphene-2.0-folding-tyre-951676
Pretty good at €35 each plus a fiver for delivery.
I'm planning a return for 2020. Well sort of...!
I took last year off from racing due to a house move and just wanted to ride for fun rather than specific training. I kind of missed the structure to be honest though...
This year I've addressed a bunch of issues I had with my Cannondale Scalpel. I've got new rims, replaced the lefty with some Sids and replaced the rubbish lockout with one that works. Perfect now!
I also now have a 4 week old baby so..... no doubt I'll be the knackered dad chasing after the fun category folks! I'll probably stick to the regional stuff this year and do some of the midlands rounds. Perhaps return to the nationals next year if I can.
I've not done any specific training in prep for this season. Just trying to get the miles in. Fortunately it's pretty hilly where I now live so regular efforts are pretty mandatory. Oh I'm off to Gran Canaria in April for a week and can't bloody wait! Wifey said I can take my bike 🙂
Congrats on the baby r8jimbob88! We found the 'white noise' of the turbotrainer helped ours sleep when very young!
@Kryton57 -cheers. Actually found the mezcals for £25 on Amazon 🙂
THink someone was previously wondering about the nat. champs...
up on BC now
Cheers. The lad found the date on UCI calendar last week but no venue.
Mrs rode a Grundig World Cup there bitd 🙂 Seem to remember everyone said it was super technical last time they did an NPS there?
It was technical- a while ago but from what I remember I think the main issue was there was a lot of a/b splits that needed consideration which isn't easy on limited practice times. Aside from the A-B splits it wasn't particularly technical and was really good fun.
Anyone at Henham for round 1 of Mud Sweat and Gears this weekend?
I'll be at Henham looking forward to it. Hoping the weather stays ok but seems unlikely
I'm going to Henham. First mtb race for some years. After a long cx season this is all about fun, fun, fun! Racing V60.
Looking like a cold one for round 1 of Mud, Sweat and Gears this weekend at Henham. Haven't ridden much all winter because of work and weather, so I'm hoping Zwift has kept me relatively fit.. Then it's the first National at the end of the month.
I've entered the World Masters at Pra Loup in August as I wanted to do something for my 50th, but I'll just be the "what the f***s he doing out there?" guy at that one. 😉
what do people do about liability insurance these days (if at all)? I know british cycling do the silver etc to cover racing and seen this one which almost seems too good to be true ( https://www.laka.co.uk/perks/thirdpartyliability)?
Where these best place to find XC and marathon events in the uk?
(love em or hate em but....) british cycling covers a lot of XC plus other events https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/home
I'll defer to the better informed on the marathon side though
there used to be a lot of local 'sportives' in the calderdale area run as charity events by the scouts and suchlike - other areas might have similar
Google Scott Marathons, Gorrick races or Thetford series all of which have 4hr ish and plus options at various points in the year.
I'm looking at doing a few XC events this year - much more interested in the longer, hillier courses or routes, which probably best suit me. First up is Southern XC at Matterley Basin near Winchester. With the wet winter I'm starting to think that mud tyres might be a necessity now! Interested to see what the standard in Vets is like - I've not raced for many years but hopefully won't be too rusty.
Vets is really fast. Well compared to my meagre pace it is. Matterley can be a mud bath, but it can be surprisingly dry too. It's on the top of the hill and exposed so dries fast. Last year only the Open race at the start was muddy. After that it dried well.
Vets is quite often the largest group in XC with the biggest depth of talent. Maybe not the outright fastest couple of riders at the front, but there are a lot of fast guys all the way through the field.
Oh dear. That doesn't bode well for my modest w/kg efforts. Hampshire is so waterlogged at the moment I can't see anywhere drying out much in the next month.
take it from me, being beaten hollow is just motivation to improve.......
I'm also very happy to be moving up to grand vets this year.......
I think i'll get back into the racing scene again this year...
Prob be at the matterly bowl SXC race, and then see what other rounds I can do... Will deffo enter big dog again, as well as try my best to enter the brass monkey winter races again..
Oh.. got several DH enduros (BNES stuff) in the diary too.
And will try to enter the Ex Enduro too...
Busy year for DrP!!
Phew. Well thats enough of 100% high protein. Base finishes tomorrow as does the carb restriction. Just over 6KG gone since November, so Monday sees me into Build with relevant amount of Carbs supporting those workouts and low carb still on non workout days and Z2 weekends.
My endurance and hour power has gone upon a lot with true hour power at 3.47w/kg - I have the next tests in 10 days which should see the most gain over that hour test.
Looking forward to the return of sandwiches and shorter intervals!
Erm, well...
How many of us are expecting races to be cancelled? Thetfords Winter series on Sunday seems to be still happening, but I’m wondering if Rd1 if the Scott Marathons at Builth in April, and the Stratford round of Mud Sweat and Gears 29th at least won’t happen.
Obviously a massive first world problem but I’m currently putting out my best power and fitness numbers and perhaps likely to have the opportunity to test them pulled from under me. And I know I’m not the only one.
I would only expect 1 day races to be cancelled if the gov 'delay' stage limits numbers of folk at outdoor events.
So quite possible. Maybe even today. Maybe smaller races will sneak under.
The news does seem to be saying they will move to the delay phase today. Based on other countries, the strictest limit has been 500 people at outdoor events. I'm not sure regional races have 500 entrants? Maybe just 500 with marshals and hangers one but even then I think it would be close. Maybe it will go to pre-entry only and when they hit a limit then thats it?
I was going to be racing this weekend but I've sacked it off as 5 weeks into Trainerroad SSB1 with there having been a multi-week run of good surf (In the water 4hrs per week on top of TR) I'm so fatigued I don't think I could drive 2hrs, let alone drive 2hrs, race, drive 2hrs home! Means my first xc race won't be till june when it hopefully will have calmed down.
One thing that did occur to me, if things really hit the fan, will you want to be training all out since we know a proper training load supresses the immune system?
Watching and waiting. Eldest lad is entered for Hadleigh and will just be two of us going down. You would think the venue size and spread out nature of the races would mean risk is fairly low. But guess it might fall to absolute numbers and the wording of new guidelines.
One thing that did occur to me, if things really hit the fan, will you want to be training all out since we know a proper training load supresses the immune system?
Perhaps coincidentally, SIS Immune hydration tables are on sale...
Well after binning the Cannock Winter Classic the other week, just didn't fancy the mud after a full CX season if I'm honest. I'm off to the FoD for 1st round of the Welsh XC on Sunday, should be fun but I've really got to try and get the dropper fitted to my new bike before hand.
Not doing the 1st Hope Marathon in Builth as its Easter Sunday and just messes with family commitments, God only knows why they've put it on that weekend 🤷🏼♂️
Training wise, it's not been going too bad, just based on doing Zwift sessions and work outs with some outdoors stuff when weather and other commitments allow. Feeling in better shape than last year, power is up, weight is down (but still not at 2018 24hr seriousness weight levels) but seriously not expecting to pull up any trees.
Well I've had a bizarre weekend. Yesterday I had a 2hr training session based around a 1hr power test. I failed, not being able to keep anything over Z2 going for more than 1-2 mins from 40 mins into the 1hr interval (negative split).
Today I raced the 3hr at Shouldam Warren in a very dry and very awesome course as a Training race. It was gridded and not having entire the Series before I started at the back, made a lot of ground at the start and felt pretty awesome & fast for a good two hours, having fun dropping people in climbs which is new experience for me. Yet, at 2:15 my power just faded to a repeat of the day before - I could do 1-2 mins On, then fade again. As I crossed the line at 2:48 for what should have been another/final lap I was light headed despite being flooded with Carbs, and it got dark and the rain started I decided to stop it there rather than have an accident on a slippery root (assuming there will be a Season this year!) and ruin my Season.
I have not symptoms than a slightly dodgy stomach so maybe I'm carrying a minor stomach bug?
On the plus side I've 4hr 15 in Vo2max HR zone training this weekend! 😀
I wish my first xx race in about 14 years today, the Welsh series at Fod, it was definitely type 2 fun, and I found the climbs hard , but enjoyed it. Did anyone else go? Hopefully future rou sa will go ahead, as I've been ill for months, and there's alot of room for improvement.
blackmountainsrider
Member
Did anyone else go?
Yeah I was there, raced in Vets. Brilliant course with just the right amount of tech descending and god awful leg sapping climbs. Pretty chuffed to come away with 10th in Vets too.
Nice! I'd have loved to race that in the dry, I know FOD very well, as I live near by and the climbs are never normally that hard.
Do you know where we can find the results?
Hadleigh round of MSG Eastern series cancelled for those that were going
Have you seen G's Facebook post? Costing him £1000's in cancelled costs out of his personal money As someone who dedicates his time so much to MTB any thoughts of setting up a Racers fund for G / MSG? It cant be right he's losing personal finances to this.
Hadleigh Eastern series or the NPS at weekend? Nothing has been sent to entrants or on BC, but looks like you can't enter (you could earlier today). Not surprising I guess. Hopefully if people know the situation then happy not to ask for refunds - organising races does seem a thankless task.
It’s under the Facebook account of the Eastern Series, but he’s just clarified that it’s the NPS this weekend