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Ok so the 28mm Gator goes on with no clearance issues! I've ended up with Gators on the Triban and GP's on my CX bike which is fine by me 🙂
I skipped tonight's intervals. A day spent leaping around in the woods was more than enough stress on the hip. So a quick recovery spin tomorrow with a sprint or two should see me right enough....
I'm getting butterflies already 😉
Me too!
Although that's because the crank arm has rubbed ever so slightly so I've moved up to the next washer size, just hope the arm doesn't fall off!! 😆
With your #Wattagebazooka, they ought to be reinforced 😀
Haha doubtful @CH!
This morning on my commute I got a p**ct**e, guarantee I get one tomorrow now - it's exactly what happened last time haha.
Just ordered a pair of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NZ59Q7A/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&th=1&psc=1
£50 delivered using the code: BIGTHANKS
Shhhhhh! Don't mention the weather this week 😀
The bike has been spoilt with a new wheel, cassette and chain!! Fresh cables await for next week (fingers crossed I get a place) too 🙂
Not doing it this week haha.
Very nice! My new chainset is turning up this morning, must resist the temptation to fit before the race 😆
Best of luck this weekend chaps.
Thanks @mrblobby going to need it - not feeling that great....
Thoroughly enjoyable day at Hillingdon! Awesome weather, fantastic company and some great racing.
Lapped once and dropped once more but felt really happy in the bunch today.
I think I was riding around my stiff hip a little bit as I'm getting really bad cramps in my right thigh but no excuse.....
I only got dropped mind you because someone launched a huge solo attack.......... 😀 😀
Excellent, can't wait to hear his report on it 🙂
I came whistling down the start/finish straight and literally went from the back of the bunch to the front by not braking. I rocked up behind Nath and settled in to the pack next to him.
Then past the clubhouse into the wind, he suddenly whooshes off at 600w (?) or so and vanishes up the hill.
With hindsight, I should have gone too- not to atttack but to pre-empt the bunch acceleration. But no, I went with them instead. Up the hill and through the S bends and that was me shelled out the back!!!
The bunch split too for a while. I didn't just sit up and wait today- my friend was there watching/vlogging so I pressed on for a bit to show willing, which meant I wasn't lapped for several laps.
I got back on and felt really comfy. Communicating, moving freely around and hanging quite well. I think it was 6 to go that the pace ramped up and I pinged out once more but I didn't try too hard as I didn't want to mess up anyone's chances.
I TT'd for a bit and worked with a couple of guys but dropped both of them eventually.
So today...the circuit was very windy on a couple of sections.
We started with a sighting lap, because of cones marking ice on the circuit, this meant a rolling start. Somehow I found myself at the back of this. Anyway for the first couple of laps it was being controlled and slowed down by the leaders, or more the lack of people wanting to lead. I had slowly worked my way up the pack on the right hand side. When I was just out of the leaders peripheral vision I lost my patience and went for a TT, sticking to the right with the majority on the left. I think this caught a lot of folk of guard. I was out on my own for a lap or two before the inevitable happened, I was caught by the bunch. Specifically I found out at the lockers that the guy leading the chase for me didn't want me to have an easy day. 😆 I think my attack caused everyone to split into 2 large groups, those that had chased and those that hadn't. Apparently a lot of people quit?! I spent the rest of the race in the wind as punishment - people weren't massively up for letting me in (or so it felt like that). I pushed again with 3 laps to go and found myself on the front again, controlling the bunch at a lower pace - I was keeping an eye on the people behind. No one launched an attack but eventually I was swallowed up. Going into the final corners I was about 15-18th? and a little boxed in. I managed to get some good space after the last corner but it wasn't enough. I think I ended up 11th/12th just outside of the points.
It was good fun though, particularly as it was my first race in the dry!
Next race I'm holding my nerve and using energy only to get into a good position on the final laps and going for the sprint finish.
I'm sorry CH 😆
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/839245246/analysis
HR at 210 is rubbish I think, I top out at 198...
Good work CH and NB; must've been freezing - no icy patches ? (edit: ah, yeah)
Just had a look on the flyby thing. As well as nath, there was some rider kept smashing off the front of the pack, seems was his 1st race. I'd suggest he's one to watch out for as must have watts coming out of his ears and when he calms down a bit, ... 😯
Thanks scaredypants - it's all a bit mental so can't really keep an eye on anyone apart from the leader 😆
Apparently there was crashes today @crosshair, I didn't see any apart from a guy cutting the grass in front of the clubhouse!?
I thought everyone was well behaved today.
I heard some guys chatting about it and looking at a smashed up carbon frame and another's guys wheel. I got the impression that somebody was just riding into people on the last couple of laps!!
How bizarre, I didn't hear a thing 😆
I just fitted 25mm GP 4 seasons to the commuter, yeah I should have gone for 28s! 25s look tiny, even compared to GP4000s!?
Nice work both.
Really interesting reading progress nathb. Even if you're the strongest rider in the bunch it can still take a fair few frustrating races to figure out the best way of picking up points.
TBH in cat 4 I reckon working on your sprint then sitting in and consistently grabbing a few points is the rather boring way to go. Then things get more interesting once you're out of the 4's.
Some guy was about 10 seconds off of the front in the E1,2,3 race on a monster solo effort. The bunch reeled him back and swamped him right on the last lap poor guy! He was proper cooked when I spoke to him- made me feel bad for not trying hard enough 😀
I love how rock steady their group is through the corners too although I did hear one guy screaming at another on their cool down that "we've all got to go to work on Monday mate!!!!!!"
Thanks to TiRed too for last week's line advice. I felt much happier going up the hill on the left although I didn't always make it back to the inside for Brian's/ outside of the final left.
I had stopped and had a look at the ice that they coned off before the race and it wasn't really that slippery so I was happy on the inside of the final bend to use the extra space everyone was leaving around the cones to make up a place or two although one lap a guy clipped a cone which luckily just missed me 😉
@mrblobby I can sprint, I can sprint better when I haven't done a solo effort though haha. But yeah I just need to sit in and be boring for 45 mins then liven up at the end!
Here's some sprint data: https://www.strava.com/activities/839245106/analysis
@crosshair I had to go through the cones at one point as the person behind refused to move over and was half wheeling me... I also had someone's handlebar dig into my leg, forgot about that lol.
That's because you're a marked man 😀
You need a camouflage jersey 😉
@crosshair - I am, I think!? I'm going to switch up my jersey choice for next week if weather permits 😆
@mrblobby - when are you coming down to have a go? 🙂
Hillingdon ain't the same without TiRed 😆
@CH
Frameset/seatpost/clamp/headset/bb - £400 - http://www.workswellbikes.com/web/view/142.html
Shimano 105 5800 11 Speed 50/34 170,00 - 11/28 - £225 - http://www.shopto.net/cycling/shimano/GS58005034170112-shimano-105-5800-11-speed-5034-17000-1128-pressfit
Deda Zero stem - £12 - http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/catalog/product/view/id/27486/#pid=28045
Deda Zero bars - £14 - http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/deda-zero-bars/#pid=26956
Jagwire road pro kit - £23 - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jagwire-Road-Pro-Break-Gear/dp/B001C4NJME/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485075656&sr=8-1&keywords=Jagwire+road+kit
Then obviously saddle, pedals, bar tape, carbon paste - £50?
Wheels - Cosine 23mm for £62, or fulcrum racing sport for £150?
Total build £724 + wheels £62 = £786
Told you it was well under 1k lol
P.s photos are up: http://www.davehaywardphotos.com/Cycling/Cycling-Circuits-/Imperial-Winter-Series-2101201/
@mrblobby - when are you coming down to have a go?
I am tempted despite it not really fitting in with what I'm trying to do at the moment. I'd like to have another go at it. Might do Abingdon in Feb or Thruxton and Castle Coombe later in the year. Though you'll probably have moved up a cat by then!
Edit... rest of the series full up?
It's really good fun, rather addicted to it to be honest. I'm not actually sure I want to move up - the E123s look scary at Hillingdon haha.
Should come down, show us how it's done 8)
Got us both in this one: http://www.davehaywardphotos.com/Cycling/Cycling-Circuits-/Imperial-Winter-Series-2101201/i-dXCCVRb/A
nath, did you actually buy from shopto.net ?
I've had them pop up on searches once or twice I think, but I'm too suspicious for my own good of sites that seem to have bike stuff almost as an afterthought
is CH the hard man with the track mitts on ? 😯Got us both in this one
if so, let us know when the feeling returns, hey ?
Lol you're lucky CH has a long sleeve Jersey on!
@scaredypants - no I didn't buy my groupset from them, I built up my Ultegra group from various sites as I already had some stuff. However I've been ordering continental inner tubes off them fine (2x orders of 4 tubes), in fact the delivery from them has been next day!
Yeah and as Weeksy says - he's normally wearing shorts haha
Holy cow! I look so fat!!!
Should come down, show us how it's done
😆 I didn't have much luck at it first time round!
.Holy cow! I look so fat!!!
You'll have to swap names with Mr blobby
This picture
is just before Nath's attack!!! 😀
1 lap later 😀
You look less fat at that angle though. And without skinny whippets next to you.
Thanks bro x 😀
I don't normally ride along with one hand on the hoods and one on the drops either- I was mid change I think 😀
This ones a bit less body-shaming 😀
[img] 
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Lol did you buy that one?
I think it's the proportions, I look fat on this one:
http://www.davehaywardphotos.com/Cycling/Cycling-Circuits-/Imperial-Winter-Series-2101201/i-H5gP8Q3
On a side note I really recommend Torm jerseys, much better than rapha.
52/36 feels good, a lot harder climbing hills on it though with my 12-25, may actually have to use the inner ring now (not for Hillingdon) 😆
Vid is up 🙂 Never realised I sounded so posh!
Nath- I found myself hunting for gears once or twice with 50-11. True I was probably only doing 95rpm but that's fast for me 😉
Yeah the 12-25 is very smooth between gears!
Haha that's a good video, the camera (video in this case) brings the best out in us lol.
What did you think of the build I quickly put together? You use 170mm yeah?
Yes I do but not for any specific reason.
Looked good and would definitely be in budget- thanks for the links.
I will finish the winter series and have a think..... I kind of don't need my CX bike as anything other than a winter trainer but 4 bikes is getting silly....