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Best of luck chaps. Looks a good day for it.
First round at Abingdon today, anyone racing there?
Cheers @tired - it's just the way I'm sat, my main focus was getting the legs right on that vid. My pain has been at the front/knee caps. I have put the saddle as far forward as it will allow though.
Thanks mrblobby, but looks like we're going to get wet today 🙁
Reverse weather psychology hey 😉
Well- I beat the traffic 😀
Haha you're there already?!
It's throwing it down here, yet all the weather apps say it's dry 🙄
rain radar thinks that you've had all you're getting for a while, even if there are some puddles
Good luck !
It's not raining here- the suns out now too 🙂
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Well just raced my first crit (at Abingdon), felt like I was going well and was keeping myself in the first 20 wheels or so fairly comfortably, though I dont think it was an especially fast race. Unfortunately got a puncture after 25 minutes so didn't get a chance to see if I could stick with the bunch the whole way. Really enjoyed it mind, will trry again next week. Just been out for 20 hilly miles at home as well as the sun was out and my legs felt good.
My first one in Abingdon this morning too. Was chilly warming up but race was OK and everyone stayed rubber down.
I have no fitness so was happy to last 40mins before sliding out of the back and finished DFL half a lap down, Need to work on positioning (like everyone) and the accelerations out of corners.
Signed up for next week!
Good job see you there tiim, I will be on a white and red cannondale caad8 say hi!
hmmmm. Keep vacillating between "no #### chance don't want to get taken out" and "really fancy giving it a go", and Abingdon is local to me. Seems a shame not to make something of my CX season fitness too. Glad to hear some positive and crash-free reports, giving it some thought.
Did those of you that race enter 4th or 2/3/4?
I was in the 4s race. The 234 race after looked a bit rapid. Everyone seemed pretty sensible really, the space means there is lots of run off if things don't go well. There were a few punctures and people were shouting or putting their hand up and sliding out the back in a sensible way.
Hillingdon was so sketchy today, almost like people were riding without stabilisers for the first time (700? Club seemed particularly bad?). One guy kept half wheeling me on the inside when I was already on the edge, and kept shouting inside!? Needless to say there was a crash or two, one resulting in broken bikes and another collar bone snapped.
My race was rather boring, exactly as intended, for the first 40 mins or so. With 3 laps to go I sprung an attack which saw me move 2/3s up the bunch to the front. On the last corner I was about 6th feeling really strong and went for it but I got boxed in behind 2/3 riders who weren't very good at sprinting. I watched in horror as 5 or so other riders shot past on the outside. Schoolboy positioning from me then!
Well done Nath! You did exactly as you planned and had a nice snoozy ride and kept well out of trouble.
That was horrendous today- almost enough to make me reconsider doing it. There were 3 or 4 guys in particular who really weren't up to scratch and near misses every lap.
One guy dropped a gel which exploded and got stuck in his wheel nearly causing a crash!
Then two guys collided just in front of me and one decided to collect his nerve on the grass- and turned right across into me!! I smashed into him with a glancing blow and had to ride around him on the grass.
Then, with two to go and the same guys causing the same problems, their luck ran out and about ten went down. I hit the brakes (thank god for the 80psi 28's 😉 ) and scrubbed off most of my speed. It looked like an unavoidable crash like last time again and I braced myself. Luckily, one fell left and one fell right and I slalomed through the middle. I chased like mad but couldn't quite get back in time.
No idea where I finished but it wasn't far behind the bunch and I'm just glad I did finish!!
Well done Tomvet and Tiim 🙂
Nice one tomvet &tiim!
Weighing up whether I should hit the buy button on Rounds 3 & 4 for Abingdon, it's 60 miles away so a bit of a trek...
How's the circuit? How many riders were out?
@CH the more I think about it the more I get frustrated at some of the riding skills shown today. In my "Sprint" finish I used 708W, told you I freewheeled due to getting boxed in! 😆
Let me know about round 3 ^^ 🙂
@weeksy: 231w was all that was needed: https://www.strava.com/activities/854851399/analysis
I'm very tempted to switch next week too (sorry 😳 ).
I don't like not finishing what I started but that was ridiculous today. Like that guy I told you about taking a drink mid corner whilst everyone was bunching up- lethal!
Fair enough- accidents happen. It's fast, on the rivet and twisty so it's bound to. But I felt it was about to happen every other lap this week.
I only felt safe in the front 10 today and I don't have the power to stay there all the time 😉
It took me 282w* (3.2w/kg). I did have to seriously hit the gas after the incidents so that probably doesn't reflect my efficiency.
I am fitter though- the race flew by today and I never felt lacking in the legs department.
*294 weighted
Obviously you'd be missed but there's two reasons I'm not going to try and influence your decision:
1) I have the inlaws round so will be shooting straight after the race.
2) if you get taken out then I'd feel guilty 😆
If I go to Abingdon- I'll blatantly be taken out by Karma anyway now 😀
Hmmm it's a tough one. I genuinely love it at Hillingdon. The atmosphere, the surface, the corners, the routine I've gotten myself into, seeing familiar friendly faces and even the drive home reflecting on the day.
Besides, I want to see you and your new buddy smash things up 😉
On the flip side- I'm in contention for absolutely nothing and the final round - final lap is not going to be favourable to my chances.
Abingdon is also closer and earlier giving me more family time.
Also, it helps my argument for the 18th if I go next week 🙂
I'll be at Abingdon for round 3 8)
Balls! Assumed it was on the 18th. Oh well I won't be at round 3 then 🙁
Oh I assumed that too!!
OTRT Winter Crit Series - Round 3
4th Cat only
25 February 2017, 09:00
OTRT Winter Crit Series - Round 4
4th Cat only
04 March 2017, 09:00
Looks like I can still hit Hillingdon on the 18th 🙂
@CH - behave 😆
Hmm Hillingdon on the 18th... might be able to do that one. Is there space?
Me too!!!!!! How odd! Solves the anniversary problem though 🙂
I've just switched my entry over- sorry Nath 🙁
Most of what went on was completely unnecessary earlier- the more I reflect the more I know it's the right decision.
I know a crash can happen anywhere at any time in any Cat (as we witnessed on our way out Nath!! ) but it just felt so wrong today.
Hopefully if I get my training plan right, I can have a bit more control over my bunch position (I know it's 3/4 but no harm in dreaming big 😉 ) by the April races.
Oh sorry @mrblobby - Hillingdon is free that afternoon, I was going to do an FTP test outdoors.
@Nath- he was one of the guys who made me feel really welcome there right from rd1- he was really supportive.
I know you've had your differences but surely seeing that break gaining momentum in the E,1,2,3 race made you long for a bit of spice!!! 😉
Not, Zzzzzz- SPRINT- DOH!! 😀
Abingdon course was not overly technical, just a big oval with a couple of tight turns, there was about 50/60 in the field everybody seemed to be riding fairly sensibly and the course was quite wide. Only thing was there was about 10 punctures from bits of sharp flint on the course. Obviously as a first timer I don't have anything to compare it to
@CH nah I wouldn't say we had our differences, just different approaches to getting through the bunch 🙂
Ah man gutting you've done it, but totally understand why!
I've just booked rounds 3 & 4 at Abingdon 🙂
Lol! Sorry- I'm prone to a bit of melodrama (mostly when baiting Weeksy 🙂 ) I didn't mean you were going to ram him off the road or anything 😀
Still getting swings of doubt but it's done now and my entry still stands for the first Tuesday night race....
It will be good to shake myself out of my comfort zone 🙂
@tomvet - Ah the punctures sound a bit horrific!
How flat is it? / do you have a strava link I can peruse? 😆
@CH - haha Yeah, hoping I can do Tuesday nights! There's also a cheeky Saturday race too: https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/154659/Westerley-Spring-Crits
This is the first race were I haven't even ventured onto a photographers website...
It's an airfield.... couldn't be any flatter if it tried ?
HAHA oh yeah, I forgot it was an airfield!
Hey CH, just seen on facebook, they won: http://www.hughesartandphotos.com/Photos/Cycling/Cycling-20162017/IWS-2016-2017/Imperial-Winter-Series-8/IWS-20167-8-MenE123/i-fpBrHJF
Massive congrats to them that was an EPIC ride!!
Literally about to paste the same link Nath 😀
Yes- epic. They were gaining ground nicely weren't they!
like 7-10 secs per lap wasn't it, now that's a break!
Just watched the video, that's erm a bit cornerless 😆 Definitely a TT circuit!
Yes! Different dynamic fo' sho' 🙂
I won't be cornering my way through the bunch there!!
It's funny how even on such a HUGE open track everyone is really bunched up - some folks very close to the grass there!
No idea on the tactics front, so be interesting for you to scope it out 🙂
I guess the wind will be even more important? They do 30kph at one point!!!! When does THAT ever happen at Hillingdon 😯
I'm attacking if they do it next week 😈
There's an 8.15am open class race tomorrow morning. 9 laps of 2.7 mile volcano route, that may suit you boys pretty well if the legs are left in you?
I'm giving it serious debate that's for sure.
Weeksy- Wrong thread 😀
But no, sorry.... family stuff AM.
Bringing things back on topic- Nath and I were chatting about it today and actually, Zwift and its emphasis on power is such a curve ball when it comes to real life racing.
Both in respect of a) how the stock answer everyone gives about power not being relevant to Crit success is both true and not true. There IS a power requirement for each individual but it can't really be calculated or replicated.
And b) how Nath's Zwift success and apparent power was actually a burden and even more so when he realised he didn't have (all of) it!
With hindsight of course, it makes your earlier races far more of a triumph Nath! But also illustrates the mental side of the game.
🙂
#deepman
@weeksy - planning on hitting Richmond park tomorrow to go race some weekend warriors 🙂
@CH - exactly, its really all just in my head. It's just trying not to let the numbers get to me...
Mine was the right thread, I was thinking for you lads as the layout is likely to be a good mirror for crit racing.
I'll probably do the ZSUN group ride with 30mins warmup beforehand.
That will finish my Build week off nicely before I peak next week for [s]Hillingdon rd9[/s] Abingdon rd2 😀