Bad luck Karl, hope you and he bike get sorted soon.
A local race on a narrow track still entering 100 cat 4's over the winter after carnage in every race last year has really put me off. Plus I grew up on MTB, and as above, falling in a bush isn't so bad.
Bad luck karl, hope you're OK.
There are some end-of-season crit races at Salt Ayre in early October, I'll try and do one or two of them. Maybe on my SS... 😉
Sounds a sore one, hope everything is OK.
Last road race of the season for me (although i probably said that a few weeks ago too...but this time i mean it). Was an APR which is usually alot safer than a mass start so mentally a fairly relaxed end to the season, despite working hard from the gun. Never caught the groups in front, the time gaps were just too much.
Morning,
Nothing broken but just a lot of skin lost and an appointment with the physio to assess my knee which is still battered.
Been looking at some Orbea bikes this morning though, look nice they do 🙂
Ouch! Hope you aren't too sore. I trust you have bike insurance? If you are going to race, either choose cheap or choose insurance! One of our club has had two bikes in the past two seasons due to crashes. The beautiful Colnago C60 I almost ran over was also a write-off (or a very unglamorous carbonrepairs fix).
My OTB last weekend was benign, save a sore hip and wrist. No racing for a couple of weeks (in fact not a lot of riding due to sickness), then Club Championships and three brutal road races (sponsored by our club). More rest and Winter Series 🙂
Heal fast. 3M Tegaderm dressings are simply the best for road rash. Not cheap but your wounds will love you. I buy mine on Amazon.
So who does bike insurance for racing then? I just assumed it was something that you wouldn't be able to get, given the likelihood of it.
Bloody hell, surely not! Cat3 in 2013 and 2014/15 have been removed?
Last race for me was Sunday just gone, local LVRC...felt much less 'twitchy' than the BC stuff and every bit as competitive.
I've really overlooked the vets stuff, definitely going to do a few more of these!
Mtbtomo - bike is insured with BC for theft etc, cost a few quid extra for race cover but nothing significant.
An out of competition test for a 3rd cat is quite odd, i guess it must have been known beforehand that he was doping.
Cant imagine how embarrassing it must be to be caught doping and only be a 3rd cat....serves him right!
44 points at the end of that season would have seen him move up to 2nd cat though? Must have been causing suspicion other than that though, cos his results don't look startling
Well that's my time trialling season done. Only a club 10 but a nice way to finish with a course PB and a win. Bit of a stop start season with not nearly enough racing but is my first proper-ish go at it and got some good data to work on over winter now. Going to be hard to resist the new bike itch too.
Now for some winter xc racing 🙂
might as well slot this in here, no better place i guess
Planet-X Exocet 3
first thing i thought is that it looks like a BMC - plenty of similar thought out there
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It is very similar, just a bit uglier...
Interesting, I'll keep an eye out for reduced Exocet 2's!
Aero bike is very old Venge but actually prettier!
I'll keep an eye out for reduced Exocet 2's!
Down to £499 right now.
Assuming new one will be about a grand. Worth a look.
So......was that my last race or not?! Irritatingly I've got 9 points again haha, what a mincer!
Oh, that last race, Bob Swailes Memorial RR (2-3-4) pretty tough day out but a proper stunningly beautiful day! 3 or 4 riders went up the road from the gun, they were joined by 3 more and the lot stayed away until the last lap (I think) when 4 dropped back in. Pretty hard day out and my legs were protesting big style on the last climb (it's a bloody horrible course!) feeling a bit crampy, managed to "sprint" for 10th which I've got to be pleased with to be honest, everyone at work and home has been coughing their guts up, just happy to have finished!
Yeah I've had the 'coughing guts up' thing for a couple of weeks, getting there but struggled in the LVRC last week and bailed todays 2/3/4 since it's kicked my asthma off.
Cheered myself up by booking a week with VeloCamp in Mallorca for March...
Raced on Saturday. Feeling great was up the top 10/15 all through the race keeping out of trouble. Final bell went and suddenly loads of people turned into full retards.
Not keeping their racing line, and then *bang* first crash happened, behind me. Took down about 10. Then on the final kick to the end, another rider cuts across a kid who goes down and another rider who I know goes into them full bore.
Lad I know needed airlifting to hospital. Its really scared me. He is still in hospital. He's a good lad, wife and kids. He needed CPR and had a collapsed lung and was in a serious way, still isnt out of it yet.
The lads who IMO caused this were AFAIK were unattached. They were clearly not used to riding in a bunch 🙁 After this I just dont know if I can race road again, its scared me. Maybe a steady winter season of base I may change my mind.
Stay safe out there guys and gals.
He needed CPR and had a collapsed lung and was in a serious way, still isnt out of it yet.
Ooof nasty. Hope he's ok.
Cheered myself up by booking a week with VeloCamp in Mallorca for March...
Think we could all do with a bit of this ^^^.
Yep, that is bloody grim! Max speed for the weekend was 44mph, in a bunch of 60 that's actually rather silly ain't it, it's little wonder things get messy! On the note about people being out of their depth - my mate noted he was stuck behind a couple of blokes on Sunday who were clearly absolutely smashing themselves just to stay with the bunch on the first climb, the fact it was neutralised is worrying!!
First tough turbo session done last night in preparation for a bit of winter circuit racing over at Hillingdon, suffice to say I have a far bit of work to do! Thankfully December is still a little way off but I've said that before with other events and before I know it I'm on the start line and unfit.
Adam... get to work!
TBH, finding it hard getting back on the turbo here. Needs to be done but just can't get my head in the right place for it.
Right then, we have a babysitter. Season extension - Salt Ayre Autumn points grabber...hope it stays warm 😆
You should be so lucky, I've just been diagnosed with viral Meningitis...
...by the internet so it could be wrong. 😀 Off to the docs tomorrow.
I might still ride those Hillingdon races, and if I win it might convince me to continue road racing* 😉
Icky!!
Turned a failing road season around. Helped with a Pyrenean training trip and hanging onto the youngsters fast Sunday rides. CX off to a flying start. And lightest I've been for over 25 years. Whoopee here....sorry
Think you misunderstand the general theme of the thread there oldgit 😀
I gained a grand total of .... 0, yes that's zero points as my first season being a 3rd cat.
In fairness, I didn't race much and all but two of them were 234's or 23's. Still it a distinctly unimpressive season you've got to admit.
However: I got first place in a Gorrick 4hr SS race, and am doing ok so far in the cross season so actually I'm feeling just fine.
Road racing, well crits mainly, seem to be won by the sneaky sprinters who do nothing to make it an exhilarating race for us all on a Sunday morning then kipper us on the final 100m. Bollocks to that! Off-road, we all have to dig deep into the world of pain (and skill, praise the lord!)
Good thread.
Vive la dirt.
Tod be fair, there's an awful lot of skill in sitting invisibly in the bunch until the final 100m.
Just ask Simon Gerrans.
I agree there is a lot of skill in it, but my god it's boring for the rest of us.
I might end up in London for work. Let me know if you guys are racing at Hillington.
Who's still racing then?
Still two months to get those points!
Who's still racing then?
Sitting at home sweating and shivering with a virus, MSG last round and Octoberfest cancelled 🙁
Its all about next year now, I may give Hillingdon winter series a bash if I can get 6 weeks of good riding in beforehand, more for a fitness indicator than the hope of any points.
No Brass Monkeys...?
Had my first "season" - in the loosest possible sense - this year, with the grand total of one club TT and one club hill climb. Not sure it counts in the context of this thread, but I achieved my lofty goals of not being last in either 🙂
Serious question though. I have NO IDEA how to pace myself in even the shortest of TTs. I'm not currently that fit but can churn out the miles, more so on the hilly stuff (where I get a downhill rest) than the flat. Earlier in the Summer I did some roller races and managed to do OK suggesting I have some power but anything more than a minute or so of effort and I've had it. I don't really know where to start to build up the stamina when working harder, how much to back off etc. I don't get that many opportunities to ride due to family and feel like the cobwebbed turbo is my first port of call if I want to be a bit more competitive next year (which I do).
Thoughts, or have I wondered into the wrong thread? 🙂
My first real moderately regular season of racing mostly road and track. Punctuated by bouts of injury and ennui it was nevertheless overall a success. Got 27 points all on the track, so seem to have avoided being upgraded to the 2s, which is a good thing as I'd be seriously out of my depth on the road there. Speaking of out of my depth - masters track worlds this week, gulp....
Weather has turned, supposed to be racing on Sat, not sure if I've got the balls to be racing in the rain and I don't like the cold either!!!
^ Somebody else will be along shortly to give you actual advice, I mainly just go out and thrash myself. Riding with other racers also helps. My power is best described as inadequate though...
Tortoise - yes, turbo is your best bet - do a 20 minute ftp test while measuring at least hr (if not power). That's a good place to start TT pacing, then depending on distance, course and experience you will develp a better feel of it from there. Finding that sort of 90% (ish) level of going really hard but not absolutely 'balls out explode in a ball of flames in a minute' hard is critical.
Thanks Sam. I think I knew that was the answer and is at least something I can do whilst the kids are in bed and the wife is out.
I surprised myself at enjoying the couple of TTs I did, but felt a little disappointed finishing with plenty left in the tank.
I surprised myself at enjoying the couple of TTs I did, but felt a little disappointed finishing with plenty left in the tank.
Mostly experience! The more you do the better you'll get. Power meters can be a handy short cut for race pacing when you are starting out, even more useful for training with though.
Turbos are a great bet if you can't get out. Try and get out when you can though as road and turbo are very different efforts.
masters track worlds this week, gulp....
Sam, best of luck!
There are 4 crit races at Lancaster (Salt Ayre circuit) throughout October so I might try one or two of them. First one is this Saturday which is also the Mills Hills CX Sportive. Wondering which to do although if the weather is bad, the easy answer is "neither of them"!
#fairweathercyclist
mrblobby - Member
No Brass Monkeys...?
Yep, I'm in for the 4hrs.
Good luck with the track Sam. Never something i've fancied doing really. No doubt it works though. A friend has just gained his Elite license and puts alot of his form down to a winter of track racing.
Kryton - Surely Velopark winter series might be better? It's a better circuit (imo)
Its closer yes, I can ride there in 20mins rather than take the car. But 100 Cat4's per race on that circuit was a crashfest last year, having survived 4 races with crashes in and one at least at HH with Carbon and Garmins flying around my ears waiting for the bang, I don't fancy that TBH.
Lol, I see on the BC page they've not indicated "places remaining" this year - possibly for that very reason...
