Forum menu
1st cross event.An hour of vo2 max and lactic acid threshold.Mint.
where, what bike, on an mtb? , pictures etc
Northwich,cyclocross bike,just imagine a field full of gnarly old roadie types riding at 100mph.
Go do one-its an education for sure.Enjoyable?Debatable!
Oi! Not so much of the "old"! 😉 I'm one of them!
Cyclo-cross rocks :FACT: Usually race in the Western League, but just did my first of the season at Wellington in the SW League and got a proper shoe-ing. Man, those SW boys are fast!
Still not sure if I enjoyed it. And hour-and-ten-minutes of riding in the red zone. Everything hurts right now! No idea where I finished but I stayed upright and didn't get lapped. Result!!
So different from my usual 6-7 hours on the ss (same size wheels tho).No respite,no where to hide,no where to stop and have a pastie.Went off a bit easy and then did'nt realise that you finish on the same lap as the leader (hangs head in shame-got lapped at 8).I'll know better for the next one-if you're not fainting as you cross the line you ain't trying hard enough!
and didn't get lapped
Well done! I did 🙁 The 'bmx' bit was fun wasn't it? Hope the guy who fell off was ok. My first go on the ss cx - not as bad as I had thought!
Agreed. 🙂
Pretty much the hardest hour most people will ever do on a bike but really good fun. Few quid entry (often <£10), good prize fund and one of the best ways of getting/maintaining fitness and technical skills.
Good spectator sport too actually, there's always some action going on, always a little private battle.
Clink, You weren't the guy on the 36x16 Pompino I was chatting to afterwards, were you?? If so, that was me in the pink-and-black strip 🙂 Much kudos to you for SSing it!
BMX bit wasn't fun... I never managed to clear that steep-up-bit-with-immediate-RHander-down. I *always* dabbed! I felt for the guy who came off on the camel-humps/doubles (whatever you call them) and was glad to see a marshall on the spot within seconds but (to be honest) that part of the course was a bit severe for a CX race. CX bikes just aren't really designed for that kind of thing after all... Just my 2p.
That all said it was a Category 'B' race (and not the usual 'C's of the Western League) so I was expecting something a little more... intense than usual. But **** me, the PACE!!! I've never hurt so much after a race!
Rode a borrowed bike.As I normally ride ss was wondering whether ss cx bike would be much of a disadvantage-most courses are fairly flat I s'pose (certainly did'nt slow 'arris down too much,its all your fault mate).Would be lighter and much cheaper and if its muddy I don't suppose the gears work too well anyhoo (unless you've got a spare and pit bunnies).And the kona major one looks sweeeet!
Can't wait for my season to start, got my replacement frame now. Blenhiem Palace here I come.
That was me. TBH the ss made me pace it fairly evenly. I did the Wellington race last year and this was a lot busier!Clink, You weren't the guy on the 36x16 Pompino I was chatting to afterwards, were you??
The bmx bit was certainly challenging - perhaps too much for the first race of the season? Same as you - cleared it all apart from dab on that last 90 degree hump/bend 🙂
oh then there was the moment guy in front stopped suddenly as someone else stopped in front on the last hump. In the process of dismounting he kicked me in the head - luckily peak on my helmet took the impact and friendly camera guy looked after it for me until end of the race!
"the course was a bit severe for a CX race. CX bikes just aren't really designed for that kind of thing after all...".What you mean I should'nt be going round Llandegla red/black on mine?Bugger.
There's a difference between tackling terrain in your own time and trying to tackle reasonably tricky stuff in a competitive race - narrow with lots of bikes close together.
What you mean I should'nt be going round Llandegla red/black on mine?
Not at all. If CX bikes can cope with the Three Peaks Race (which I've done, incidentally) they can cope with most things. But whoops, table-tops, steep doubles etc on a poorly-maintained BMX track built by kids isn't ideal terrain to included in a CX race. We used to use The Tumps BMX track in Bath as part of our CX race venue for many years cos it had fallen into disrepair and was 'flattened out'. Since they've re-built it into a 'proper' BMX track a few years ago we've had to find another venue.
CX bikes are designed for racing round muddy fields for an hour. Not for supermen grabbing no-hander-landers 🙂
Was worried that my cx brakes seemed to have little or no effect-apparantly they are all like that and you never actually use them!I was probably quicker round 20k of red graded trail than I was there!!Not convinced there was anything too "tricky" apart from trying not to throw up at the end tho.Ho hum.
I did the Wellington race last year and this was a lot busier!
There's a resurgence of interest in CX racing in the last couple of years. Numbers are well up. Attendance is more than double what they used to be in the Western League races. In fact, there a three new/additional races this year, purely because the demand is there again!
Deep joy 😀
Agreed. I was in a bit of a cyclo cross no mans land here until the Central CX started last year. Only six (I think) races long but three of them I can ride too.
Anyway if you want an hour of even more vo2 maximum'ness then try a Crit.
Hey guys cheers for the corncern i was the muppet who fell off on the jumps at wellington took it a bit fast going into the jump and just didnt get my weight back in time to land sending me flying over the bars and landing on my head, smashing my helment but the marshalls did a great job of scooping me up and was at the hospital in a matter of minutes only to find i was lightly concused and badly brusied (i say as i bow my head in shame). Think i got a bit exciterd about overtaking the guy i had been following and was trying hard to hold them off. See you all at the next round for some more awesome cx action. Ben
Glad to hear you're ok 😀
Sounds like someone was doing 'superman no-hander-landers' then 😉
The first round of the Sram Notts/Derby league on Saturday saw a field of 141 riders for the senior race,43 for the youth race, 18 under 12's and 40 under 10's. A great start to the season!
Think i got a bit excited about overtaking the guy i had been following and was trying hard to hold them off.
Ah, the old red-mist came down, eh? Maybe try to hold them off on a flat bit nest time 😉 Glad you're OK.
141 riders for the senior race
Lordy momma 😯 Numbers we can only DREAM of in the Western.
Arse buscuits, looks like I'll be in the normal vets and not the 50+. missed out by a single month.
So I'll have to race the whippersnappers for another year.
At least I'll be racing other 'gentlemen' when the xc season starts.
oldgit - I'll be joining you in the young men's cat then?
Rigid forks recently acquired for my MTB to try my hand at cross this year (North west). Trouble is, one of my club mates is NW Vets champ, so I know I'm going to be lapped....
I'm thinking of giving it a go this season. Do you need to be a BC member or can you get a day license?
Not sure, my lot don't, it's closed circuit after all. I only have my LVRC licence. So I usually just pay a small day levy.
No, you can just turn up and race - you will have to pay a small extra for a day license - maybe £1-2 depending upon region.
If you are going to do a few it makes financial sense to join BC as you'll save the money back.
ok cheers
Rorschach, I was at that event. Had to work hard not to get lapped, the leader was about 2 or 3 turns ahead of me on the final lap. Wanted to get one more lap in in case something happened and I managed to pick up a place. Hope you'll be coming to our (Horwich) event at Leverhulme park?
Ended up 31st-pretty chuffed for popping my cherry!Sticking to my "gnarly old roady types" comment tho as I got beaten by a disturbingly large number of vets including one 60+!!Sweet baby jesus...I'm only 35!!Think I may have caught the bug-will be buying a cx bike of my own imminently only this one will be single speed like the rest.See you at the next round.
Gonna give it a go at the SW round in Barnstaple (1st weekend in October). I've only got a 4" full-suss so hopefully I'll be okay. Very excited to just try something a bit different though.
Todmorden's 'New Year's Revolution' cyclocross race will be on Jan 3rd next year. Come along - it's even got 100 yards of slippy cobbles to ride up. I'm working on getting an oompah band for proper Belgian effect...
And lots of sausage and beer for afterwards?
Chipps - I work here
Todmorden's 'New Year's Revolution' cyclocross race will be on Jan 3rd next year. Come along - it's even got 100 yards of slippy cobbles to ride up. I'm working on getting an oompah band for proper Belgian effect...
Are you going to have those evil kids goading us to go over the jump again too? I had been on a CX bike for the some total of 14 minutes in my entire life and was rather alarmed to find myself airborne.
Yes, the goading kids will be there. We'll give the cobbles a sweep too, just to give you the chance of getting 20yards up them. Now to work on getting a Belgian beer tent...
Todmorden's 'New Year's Revolution' cyclocross race will be on Jan 3rd next year. Come along - it's even got 100 yards of slippy cobbles to ride up. I'm working on getting an oompah band for proper Belgian effect...
If you want the fuill Belgian effect, you need a beer tent filled with bouncing, beered up men with handlebar moustaches while garish europop sung by Laura Lyn screams out of the speakers.
Oh, and we're aiming for much the same at the Manchester Wheelers race on 18th Oct. Be there. And we'll be there for your cobbles..! 😀
While we are all self promoting...
HtN1.5 rev 2.0
February 2010
North Manchester
2 hour MTB/CX race
3.5 mile circuit
£10 (ish)
Hot food and drinks available
Bagpiper*
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
CX racing does indeed rock.
*Perhaps
[img] 
[/img]
(1 Matt McDonald Hargroves Cycles 59.48)
16 Thurman Merman
52 Clink @1 lap
DNF Pricey8 🙁
69 finishers in the Senior, Veteran, Junior & Women.
Not bad considering I started near the back 😀 😀 😀
Where did you get the results - can't see them on the site??
ta
are there many/any mtb's going round in the seniors SW league or wessex leagues?
There are always a few riders on MTBs. And they're always welcome. Suggest you strip the bike down to bare minimum and stick some narrow (<1.5") mud tyres on.