[Closed] PSA: Cyclo-cross Race, Bristol, this Sunday *NEW VENUE*

I may well have a bash at this. I really enjoyed the last Ashton Court gop-fest, it seems to get more fun as conditions get more horrendous. 🙂

Ashton Court gop-fest, it seems to get more fun as conditions get more horrendous.

Fun?!!?!? What part of THAT was 'fun'?

[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=11sdhe&outx=600&=1&nostamp=1 [/img]
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=11sdhd&outx=600&=1&nostamp=1 [/img]

😉

But TBH, that [i]was[/i] the best kind of mud. That thin, wet mud that doesn't clog.

You should've seen the wrong kind of mud in Southampton last Sunday...

I hate to add the "what tyres" question, but I don't know the course at all. Is it likely to be sticky-cloggy-uppy mud?

My race wheels have 34mm tubs on, and when I rode them at conham, I was clogging up so badly I was stopping several times per lap, and having to run sections just to keep moving, finishing about 20 places down on my usual position!

If I don't ride fat tubs, I'll ride skinny clinchers.

Leon

I'm not sure about the 'new' course either. Apparently it was used extensively back in the day (long before my time) and is pretty flat with low banks and some ditches. No roots to worry about so fatter tubs aren't necessarily going to help there. Unusually, however, there is also quite a lot of flat tarmac as it uses part of an old airfield. So it *should* be a fast course and (theoretically) the tarmac should shed some mud. Think there will also be TWO sets of hurdles...

IMHO, go for the skinnier clincher option, but run them softer than you think.

And FYI, I was using 32mm tubs at Conham with no clogging issues at all. Missed out on 5th place by a gnat's.

🙁

*bump*

Think there will also be TWO sets of hurdles...

Joy! 😉

That's now confirmed, BTW: there [b]will[/b] be two sets of hurdles.

Fine for those of us longer in the leg department 😀

*last bump*

Bring your winter woolies if you're coming – it's gonna be proper cold tomorrow 😀

Good race today. I liked the course. I could have done without losing a contact lens on the 3rd lap. Turned the whole race into a 'Magic Eye' drawing, and resulted in some comedy moments, such as messed up depth perception causing me to get off and rung for twice as far as I needed to before the barriers!

Looking forward to the next even here!

Leon

Yep, really enjoyed that.

Started off a bit shakily by the Council cleverly giving us the wrong keys to the gate. Luckily the rugby club kindly offered access via their gate and their 'ambulance access' gap in the fence. Also access to their club Bar afterwards;

Then there was a minor altercation with a *huge* rugby dad who drove through a taped-off section snapping the tape. Didn't need that;

Then there was the radio controlled aircraft brigade who used a section of the tarmac straight as a runway. Can't believe that didn't cause more problems than it did;

Then we realised we had to re-route the course near the start/finish to avoid going on the 'road' which we were told wouldn't be used by cars. It WAS used by cars - many rugby dads DROVE the 100m from their car-park to the pitches to avoid walking...

Our 'Esteemed Leader' – the self proclaimed Directeur Sportif of Dream CC ond organiser of today's race – went out on the lash last night and was *hugely* hungover this morning. Which didn't help when it came to 'organising' us volunteers before the race. Hence only one set of hurdles.

So... apologies for all the teething problems of using that venue.

That all said, I think it was a good course. Could've been a bit 'fiddlier' in places, I reckon, with a few more twisty-turns through the trees. Nice to have some flat-out sections for a change, and more tarmac than usual. At the front, there was actually a group of five riders which formed and stayed together for much of the race which is unusual for Western League races. Can't remember that happening before. Good stuff.

[b]Feedback on the course/event would be appreciated[/b]

Ta.

NB Leon: Next event 'here' (Briz) will be the sticky mud-fest of Conham River Park next Sunday. 😐 Bring a spare bike. And a friend in the Pits with a brush and bucket of water...

Yep, good race today. I had a silly bin on my first lap and then spent the next hour completely burying myself trying to get back into 34th place, or wherever I was. 🙂

The "fiddly" sections were OK but seemed to cause a bit of a logjam on the first lap, so adding more might not be a good idea. Shame to see a few people cutting the course too, albeit nothing particularly heinous. More marker tape next time perhaps?

Bristol seems to be building up a nice variety of venues, which is good for part-timers like me who want to do a few races, but don't really want to travel to Stroud. I might take my brakes off for Conham next weekend, or just run round carrying a wheel. 🙂

Loads of photies [url= http://www.grahamrobins.net/photos/Western%20League%20Round%2011/ ]here[/url], by the way:

GO VEGAS!!!

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Yep, totally agree about minimal use of tape, and it certainly didn't help the corner-cutting (which I witnessed too).

Dream is a v small club with few members and little available help on-hand to assist at events. Plus, that course wasn't very 'compact' and proved tricky to mark out given the limited time, helpers and everything else that was going on at Hengrove Park yesterday. Issues have been noted, lessons have been learned, and next year will be even better 🙂

We are almost famous, [url= http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclocross/article/cyx20091214-cycle-cross-Western-Cyclocross-League-Round-11-0 ]by the way[/url] 😉