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
HONC now cancelled as well (yes, I know it’s not a race)
Thanks - will have a look. Hopefully can be sorted where he doesn't end up out of pocket.
Lad is gutted but understands the situation - he's put heart and soul into training for this season.
Hope MTB Marathon Round 1 at Builth now cancelled and postponed.
I need to have a good think about suspending being coached and moving to Trainerroad this year perhaps, especially as I'm on a commissions based Job...
Everything affiliated to or sanctioned by BC has been suspended until at least 1st May.
I also did the Welsh round at FoD on Sunday, didn't think I'd enjoy the course with the amount of slop but found it great fun, the only problem was I kept losing my chain through the race - 19 times in total so any hope of a decent result went out the window and it turned into a training ride.
The only reason I can think of for the chain problem was running an oval ring with the 'wrong type of slop'! Chatting at the finish to some people and a friend had the same problem with an oval ring, just not as extreme - he still managed to win his class though, unlike me!
My son had a decent ride in junior to 4th, it took bloody hours to clean two sets of kit afterwards though!
I suspect that might be the first and last race of the year..... 🙁
Hammers 8 postponed until 3 October.
Look like this season is gone.
Just hope the event organisers are still around for next year....
Gutted about the Hope marathon. Was my first event of the year. Fingers crossed the Minehead one is far enough away to survive.
A quick update for those of you who were planning to join us at the SouthernXC, sadly but somewhat predictably the first few rounds of the series have succumbed to the dreaded lurgy. The plan is to continue with a 5 round series but the first 4 dates will be postponed to weekends later in the year, we are waiting for responses from landowners to confirm that dates we have proposed to them are possible and as soon as we hear we will let you know.
If you have pre entered an affected round I promise an email with more detail is on it's way but please bear with us for a few days.
Stay tuned to the Facebook page for updates.
Happy riding guys n gals, even if it's a little lonely...
Hope MTB Marathon Round 1 at Builth now cancelled and postponed
is it? I assumed it would be but I've not had an email. Battle on the Beach postponed too
