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Preston Park in the London League yesterday, another great course with very close racing - you really had to fight for every inch!
Ended up with another mid pack finish after the usual battles. Switchwd from muds to intermediates just before the start. Was spot on.
@shedbrewed - no uphill hurdles. It's largely similar to last year, probably a bit less tough. One slightly longer descent rather than the hairpins on the far side and only one up and down on that little bit of banking.
It's back to Stadt Moers Park in Rainhill / Whiston this weekend for the NWCCA, hopefully all the dog poo will remain frozen and the balshy dog walkers don't decide the start finish straight is a perfect place to take their beloved for a walk.
No doubt that dam slippy and steep hill will be in and the wheel swallowing bog where you turn onto the tarmac bit - briefly, yey. First race for me with a spare bike, which given the amount of leaves that have come down over the past week could well be awesome.
Ahh Stadt Moers. After a great weekend at Irvine, racing a flat out course with beautiful coastal views right across to Arran, we're back to earth somewhat with a muddy circuit of an ex tip at the side of the M57 😂
Racing is always nice and close there, though. Plus there's usually that big puddle by the pits, that's good for cleaning the worst of the dog eggs off your bike post race...
I believe the NC Clarion guys went round with a shovel last time and collected multiple full buckets of dog turds from the cherished country park that we "destroy".
Recall chatting with someone at a race saying that the course would be a different part of the Stadt Moers park this year due to some past conflicts with the Scouse dog walkers - don't know if it was informed or speculation.
Really like the SM course as it goes (apart from a bit of an iffy starting straight last time out), just seems a nice balance of stuff on good mixed terrain. And managed to avoid the poo thus far.
Recall chatting with someone at a race saying that the course would be a different part of the Stadt Moers park this year due to some past conflicts with the Scouse dog walkers – don’t know if it was informed or speculation.
Apparently not just speculation!
Sounds exciting and it's always good to race new venues and courses 🙂
Interesting. I really wasn't feeling like racing but now slightly more motivated.
Awesome race yesterday at the Wessex league - really fun course with lots of barely rideable sections that throughout the seniors race dried out to the point where most was just about rideable and felt really rewarding when managed. Did really well for me (38/52 finishers/60ish starters) and the bike only took an hour to clean this morning!
Well Stadt Moers was indeed a new course...….. with rather a lot of off the bike action due to the incredibly claggy mud. Even the U8 race course was shortened due to the very soft ground and them not wanting to be picking munchkins out of the inevitable quagmire!!
First up son No.1 & No.2 in the U8 on the afore mentioned shortened course, I think it was about 250m in length with a mixture of long grass, mud and two tarmac crossings. No.1 made his mind up it was going to be an absolute smash 'fest from the start and actually got a good start for a change, leading from the off, lapping everyone up to 4th place and taking his 5th win from 6 races after 12 laps!! No.2 did pretty well too considering he had to pedal for the entire lap and ended up 12th boy.
Then it was my turn in the V40 running race, I was massively grateful for having a pit crew made up of one of my team mates and a selection of U8 racers (she was like the pied piper of pit crews) and ended up swapping bikes on half laps, somehow, considering the huge amount of running / plodding / hoping not to die I dragged my mud strewn carcass round to 31st place and my best result of the season.
Here's to hoping that Ulverston in a couple of weeks is a bit less bog like!!
Organisation/marshalling duties for me this weekend for the Welsh league. On Saturday we were setting up in torrential rain, digging trenches to try and drain flooded areas, and generally watching sheets of water run across the whole event area. Miraculously the rain stopped some time during the night and by the time we arrived at 7am on the Sunday things weren't looking too bad, with the course drying out further before the racing got underway at 0930. We were prety lucky to have glorious sunshine given the weather on Saturday, and its bucketing down again today.
Normally I try and set-up / help out and then still race at our event, but this year, being more involved with the organisation, I decided to make life simpler, skip racing and just marshall all day. really enjoyed myself encouraging/heckling, especially for the mens race where I was stationed on a tricky corner where a proper decent rut had developed.
Double header for me. NECCL on saturday. Muddy with plenty of running.
My bike wasn't working all that great again. I had a quick turn around to Sunday and at least now have an answer to the chain suck issues as I noticed a couple of damaged teeth on the chain rings. No time to fix it so just had to go with it on Sunday.
Early start for CXNE as I was also on marshalling duties as my team were organising.
By the senior race is was cut up and probably 20% running.
Managed 4th on saturday despite bike issues but was feeling the effect of the effort and only came in 11th on Sunday.
Next weeks race organiser for Saturday has just posted up this
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It was the only really muddy race last year in what was a dry season. It's barely worth taking a bike 🙁
Sunday is also on a notoriously muddy course and we raced there a couple of weeks ago and left it in a bad way. I miss my grass grit races now 🙁
Looks like some proper cross racing took place at the weekend, up and down the land - great stuff.
I was at Stadt Moers and it was a bike-killer, absolute glue mud - shouldering the bike and thinking there's no way it should feel this heavy.
I got a good result for me, came in 21st and ahead of some folk who are normally way in front of me - 100% down to having a pit person and bike changes. The lad I was chasing did it all on one bike which was impressive - perhaps he had a secret puddle he was riding through each lap. Noticed he was on a superX which are meant to be very good for mud clearance.
The running was punishing. I'm normally OK at the uphill runups as they're more like a power sprint, but bike-on-shoulder tempo running for long stretches is a different story. Think everyone round me was in the same boat, though - didn't see anyone legging it at speed through that wooded stretch, they all looked like they were suffering.
Does sound like the whole UK is in full mud mode. Hardly surprising: https://twitter.com/DaveThroupEA/status/1190962676358426624
Well, against my better judgement I've entered the National Trophy at Pembrey. There have been a few cancellations in the Welsh league so without doing the trophy wouldn't be racing till Decmvber otherwise. Assuming I have enough BC points/there are few enough entries to be actually able to race, I'm just hoping to make 26 minutes without being 80%-ed so that I'm not paying over £1 per minute racing 🙂
Stadt was great! Proper on/off/on/off run/ride/run/ride stuff, tough, but it was still more riding that running even after the deluge the night before.
Yes, anyone with more than one bike was at an advantage, but that's cyclocross - better that than a race to see who's best at clearing mud out of a drivechain with a stick at the side of the course! 🙂
Genuinely looking forward to more hard racing in the NW league now. Ulverston should have less running in it, based on ground conditions there before, even if it stays wet. Can't wait!
National Trophy for me this weekend, my club's event too. Helped put the course up last Saturday in biblical weather. It's a little bit different to last year. The steps have been rebuilt and are much easier. The bomb hole has an extra visit with a short but steep drop. I'm told all the ride-able climbs are on gravel. I'm also told the site drains well which is just as well as it was a swamp!
I'm in the v60s on Saturday, good chance of a top ten finish seeing as there are only nine of us!
Mulling over a new race bike, probably a superX - what do folk think about the groupset on a race bike, is it something you care about above a certain minimum standard? I'm sorted for wheels, and not sure I GAS about running apex v force v ultegra v whatever in a cyclocross race. Any features of the higher end groupsets worth paying for do you think?
If you're concerned about mud ripping off your mech then you've spent too much. Otherwise get whatever you like (that's 1x)
Can't comment on SRAM - but pschologically I'm happier with a clutch mech with 1by so if shimano I'd want an ultegra RX / GRX rear mech. But you can always switch the rear mech without loads of extra cost.
I actually prefer the feel of the tiagra on my commuter/pti bike than the 105 on my 'good bike'
not sure I GAS about running apex v force v ultegra v whatever in a cyclocross race. Any features of the higher end groupsets worth paying for do you think?
Race what you can afford to replace 🙂
I'm running 105 on both bikes and don't miss anything from the Dura Ace on my road bike. I've got an Ultegra clutch mech on one bike (with no chain retention device by the chainring) and a 105 mech (with the spring tension wound up) on the other bike, with a chainkeeper.
Number of dropped chains this season is equal on both bikes and on all occasions due to mud build up on the chainring. Not sure I'd bother with the clutch mech again TBH.
With regards to SRAM Apex shifters are a bit shit as the internals are steel and they rust up very easily, Rival are at least stainless with better bearings / brushing, force are better still with some Ti.
Mechs are mechs, I can't tell the difference between the Force on one and the Apex on the other.
My Apex levers still seem to work after a couple of years cx. Sram mtb clutch mech they are paired with isn't very clutchy anymore but chain seems to stay on. Seizing jockey wheels (all brands but Sram worst) and ht2 bbs seem to be our main issues.
Chickened out of Stadt Moers. Work is manic and just couldn't face additional jobs like clean up of kit for 3 people. Hopefully be in a better place for Ulverston.
Hope to see you there Mick - don't normally make the trip to Cumbria, but planning on going up and making a weekend of it with the family.
Thks all for the thoughts on groupset - 105 derailleur has been superb for me at chain retention, just on a narrow wide chainring with a jumpstop, v rarely dropped a chain even in the heaviest of conditions. Shifting, OTOH, around a 34 cassette can get a bit iffy IME. Recently tried an ultegra mech not for the clutch but because it's comfy on a 36 cassette, and it seems pretty smooth thus far. But I'd not be happy at ripping a £70 mech off in a race so perhaps I've gone OTT there.
Not directly related to grown up CX, but I'm building up Son No.1 crimbo pressie over the next few weeks, it's got 700c wheels and I've got a choice of 4 sets of tyres to put on it.
33c Schwalbe Rocket Ron TLE
32c Challenge Griffo
33c Vittoria Terreno Mix TNT
33c Schwalbe X-One all round TLR
For all round mini CX which would deal best with the inevitable mud he's going to face after Christmas? He's currently on a 24" wheeled bike with Kenda Kross, which aren't bad really, although he has complained about lack of uphill grip under power 🤣
Terranos from that list, I'd think.
Nat Trophy this weekend for me too. I see there are a couple of new water features 😉
What's a rear mech?
My Apex levers still seem to work after a couple of years cx
Are they mechanical or hydro, my mate (Guy Groves) in the V40 had no end of issues with his hydro Apex, multiple trips back to the shop and ultimately they changed them for Red's as they just couldn't guarantee reliable shifting with the Apex.
Apex mechanical. So I have gears but no brakes after 30mins of pad wearing gloop 🙂
Just caught a fleeting glimpse of twinklydave at B&Q. He appears to be fast everywhere......
I’ve got a choice of 4 sets of tyres to put on it.
33c Schwalbe Rocket Ron TLE
32c Challenge Griffo
33c Vittoria Terreno Mix TNT
33c Schwalbe X-One all round TLR
I'd go with the Terranos (the Terrano Wets I'm running have been very good so far this season). Failing that, Griffos can cope with more than you'd imagine.
Just caught a fleeting glimpse of twinklydave at B&Q
LOL, shopping for more tools to bodge cx bikes back together 🙂
National Trophy at Ardingley was a proper mudfest and made for very challenging riding, let alone racing!
Couple of offs and dropped chains and happy to have finished. Great event and congratulations to Ian Field - the only non-Belgian in the top 20 elite!
@Garry_Lager the SuperX as odd rear wheel dishing/offset so although it’s a lovely bike with good mud clearance you will struggle to get off the shelf wheels for it. As someone who goes to my friendly local wheel builder this wouldn’t be an issue but others may vary.
As for groupset; I prefer Shimano over SRAM given a choice but my race bike is sram rival and has only given me grief when mud got in the shifter and blocked he cable from moving. The hydro brakes are great.
Ian Field – the only non-Belgian in the top 20 elite!
Not quite, but close enough!
Did Alyn waters in the N Wales league yesterday - if you thought Stadt Moers didn't really have enough running or mud for a proper cross race, this would have been right up your street - even had its own swamp (plus no bike changes permitted!).
Had a bit of a low level cold so thought I'd just ride round and see how I felt, but there is no 'just riding round' on a course like that. Ended up going pretty deep and now feeling rather rough, but think I enjoyed myself. Thanks to Fibrax Wrexham Roads Club for laying on a beast of a course.
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photo is from Richard Evans
The wessex/Swindon course was good fun - nice balance of unridable mud with a few slippyery off cambers and turns! Was going really well, beating guys that normally beat me but then dropped my chain (first time ever with NW+clutch), got it back on but it sounded rough and then quickly snapped. Did run about 1/5 the lap but soon realised the chain was getting caught in the mech (and wrapped around the cassette) and likely to do more serious damage so I retired - on the plus side there wasn't a queue for the hose and got home by 5pm!
New chain on order as it's failed badly plus also bent in one other place. Also gonna try to design a beefy chain catcher/cleaner as convinced if was killed by slightly derailing off the chainring
the SuperX as odd rear wheel dishing/offset so although it’s a lovely bike with good mud clearance you will struggle to get off the shelf wheels for it. As someone who goes to my friendly local wheel builder this wouldn’t be an issue but others may vary.
As for groupset; I prefer Shimano over SRAM given a choice but my race bike is sram rival and has only given me grief when mud got in the shifter and blocked he cable from moving. The hydro brakes are great.
The SuperX rear end is awkward right enough, but I think I'd be fine just getting my rear tub dished for it as a race wheel. It would be more of a hassle for just riding it round on the roads and bridleways out of CX season (I use my cross bike for the little roadying I do). I think you might get a normal rear wheel in there for road use; if you can't then I guess it'll need another re-dished wheel.
Think it's a thru axle setup, as well, just to create more compatibility issues.
Garry_Lager
Subscriber
Did Alyn waters in the N Wales league yesterday
Rather glad I didn't bother with that now, looks beyond shit!
We're all off up to Cumbria for the next round of the NWCCA at Glaxo Sports Club this weekend, hopefully No.1 son can bag another win and move closer to wrapping the league up and No.2 can carry on nipping at the heels of top 10 for a good overall finish at the end of the season.
Me, I might even make the top 30 in V40 if it all goes well, but you never know.
My Swansea race was a nightmare day. Rear Latex tube burst unloading the bike from the car. Rear tub rolled in practice. Cleat came undone mid race. Dnf. Not been a good season for me.
Adding insult to injury the newly fitted Enduro bottom bracket bearings were fubar by the end of the day. That’s a new record for me.
Damn shedbrewed, that is a litany of mechanical woe. How did you do the tub, just riding along or did you hit something?
I am on my third drive side bearing on a bb30 over 8 races, which is pretty poor. Tried explaining what a bearing is to the pit child but not sure it sunk in.
Late fitness test for me for Ulverston - had a cold all week from swamp racing last weekend. Feel ok but it's usually best to put a cold to bed mid season, so might give it a miss.
It did sound like you had a race to forget @shedbrewed - still get the mechanicals out of the way in one race! Hopefully that will be it for the season. I'm ignoring the sound and feel of my headset and BB for the moment; can't afford the money or time to get someone to sort them out and I don't have the confidence to do press-fit myself.
With the welsh league cancellation this weekend, I was originally planning to race the western league race on sunday but decided early this week I couldnt face a 4hr round trip.
Got the rider list sent through for the Pembrey NT, I am disconcerted by how small the senior field is! 24 senior and 17 u23. With the various welsh league cancellations this season, I was expecting a bunch of welsh league no-hopers to enter for a laugh so that there would be a chain of slower riders to hide my lack of ability. No such luck!
Time to dust off / unseize bikes for Ulverston - shouldn't be any swamps on the slag heaps. Missed 2 races so will be way down in the league. Felt slow and stodgy riding to work yesterday. Pre-race prep is Wigan this afternoon for a colleague's retirement do.....
New Ulverston course looks interesting - at least the long suffering pit crews will get a chance to see the view across the bay this time (I think...)
Ground should be (fairly) dry, but I bet they'll find some slop for us to play in 🙂
@Garry_Lager I think the tub was suffering from a couple of very wet races previously and after I dropped a fair bit of pressure from it to try and find grip on the mud it was end of days. The cleat though, that pissed me off.
@ferrals yup, learn from it and move on. Vet 40 field is a fair size and the course is a nip shy of 2 miles per lap so I should get two in before being 80% 😄
Weather forecast isn't great for Sunday. Looking forward too it, but I've dinged a rim somewhere and cant get the bloody tyre to seal so will have to run with a tube argh!
@shedbrewed - Yeah the v40 field looks large and with a lot welsh guys in.
The course is going to be pretty savage - I've ridden bits of what I think the course is (and havent been far wrong based on the map sent earlier) and there is a few run-ups per lap- one long trudge up sand and one so steep you are practically holding onto the grass with your spare hand . There's a descent off the same bank which I think i might end up running down if it's where i think it is, very steep, bumpy and with minimal rollout.
Got the rider list sent through for the Pembrey NT, I am disconcerted by how small the senior field is! 24 senior and 17 u23.
Wait until all the Belgians and Dutch enter after the British rider BC deadline.
Missed 2 races so will be way down in the league
Don't worry about it, I'm well down as my Marshalling points still haven't been added from the first round!! They called up everyone who'd ever entered a race at Stadt Moers and the grid was about 15 riders wide.
New Ulverston course looks interesting – at least the long suffering pit crews will get a chance to see the view across the bay this time (I think…)
Am I looking at that right, the pits are on top of one of the hills?
Am I looking at that right, the pits are on top of one of the hills?
Yep, somewhere up there on the ridgeline I think: