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Running rocket ron clinchers at 30psi front and 35psi rear, will go lower if it's just grass with no roots or stones that are obvious, i'm 69Kg and don't tend to smash it through things. They will feel soft and bouncy, but at that point the tyre is deforming to the ground therefore maximising grip.
Went 30 rear & just under 30 front today, tubeless. Could've gone a bit lower I think.
First picture published from today. Fighting face with my team mate close behind, (he got me with better technique around a 180 degree bend with 200 meters to go).
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As for tyre pressure, up a couple of PSI today as there were a fair few faster corners and I felt that the front was a little too low yesterday.
I run tubs, so sub 30 is no issue on good cross courses, my pit wheels are clincher and they run in at around 32psi.
Haven't tried tubeless but interesting that you can run tubeless at 30 John, sounds promising.
Had my first race of the season today on my new old bike. I managed to break the frame last year and the frame builder (also a good friend of mine) repaired it and resprayed it. Bought some new Hope wheels with Strans rims but unfortunately the LBS ran out of tape to run them tubeless so had to use innner tubes and with a high psi as the course was very rooty. Every corner was 'interesting' with the pumped up tires and after trying to push too hard I hit the deck hard and managed to pop out my calf muscle! After a bit of massaging I managed to push it back into place and got back on but lost about 10 places! Hopefully I'll have better luck next weekend 😈 though my leg is still hurting like a good 'un 😥
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Here's a mobile pic of the new bike taken yesterday on its maiden voyage. The decals are going on this week and the fork is being sprayed blue along with the stem the week after.
7th place today, bloody fantastic racing the whole way
7th here, bloody hard work though.
Got prize money as well.
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Zappi's Sunday. Sand and mud woooo hoooo 😐
hengrove in the western,expecting carnage with the rain were having
Great looking kit there oldgit!I want some. :O)
hengrove in the western,expecting carnage with the rain were having
Yup.. i'll be there. Just put a clement pdx mud tyre on the front. Actually looking forward to it 🙂
keeping the cross king front speed king rear and see what floats its gonna be like being 10 and riding thro muddy fields
exept u have to deal with the misses not your mother
tricky whats your kit/ride? il watch out when u lap me 😛
hey.. I ride for VC Bristol. Nice course, had a good start (actually gridded for once) but couldn;t stay with the top 7 or so as they were just too strong. Think i just about bagged a top 10 but not sure
Ran a clement PDX clincher on the front. What a revelation. Really does rail round the corners very impressed. Put a latex tube in as well so i coudl run lower pressure. Back end was a bit squirmy as i had the grifo which isn't known for it's grip
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wow tricky disco was that today? what a pleasant looking course and day. Reading cx today had huge rain shower and mud to tackle but a cracking course to slide your way round. could have done with that clemant pdx on some climbs though and some studs on my shoes to get up some of the other climbs...
7th place today, bloody fantastic racing the whole way
7th here, bloody hard work though.
Upgraded to 6th, that's three 6th places on the bounce. Waiting to hear about today
Tricky - where did you get the photo from. I rode Hengrove today, top 7 sure were strong, good course except for the fricken headwind!
Ah yeah I see now u laped me a few time lmao pretty sure I was almost last but weel see lol whether was deff on our side bar the massive headwind I pretty much bonked on the last lap was getting funny spots in the vision not feeling 100% anyway did you get any more pics? I no mum got quite allot of all riders
Round 1 6th
Round 2 6th
Round 3 6th
Round 4 today guess what 6th.
Time for some devil horns for your helmet!
Guy called [url=
brimson[/url]posted them on the velo club facebook page
yes, headwind was terrible that's why i tired to grab someone's wheel to recover on that section
Running two leagues here in Helsinki this year, we've got a race almost every week from now until just before Xmas, ace! One is more traditional/euro with a fair bit of grass though still enough rocks and roots to need higher pressures, and the first round I made it to included a couple of ride/run across the sandy beach of the island we were on sections... The other is entitled 'cross where it doesn't belong' and the organisers delight in throwing rocky, rooty trails at you, sometimes jumps, properly steep offroad climbs and descents etc, and tons of fun rooty singletrack, great fun. And will get interesting as we get to late November and December and the temps can drop to minus 15 and the snow may or may not come... Lots of SSCX and fixiecross, a few monster cross, even one fatcross in this less traditional series!
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Today (me above) was the first frosty race though still sunny, others have been in pretty hot sunshine for October, no rain yet 🙂 This disappointed the organiser who'd planned on a muddy quagmire by running through some bogs, only to have them frozen overnight, yay! Oh and I'm doing the same as Oldgit - 5th, 5th, and today thought I was 4th despite a cold all week and taking it easy the last few laps, but no, 5th again!
Plumpton on Saturday, put on by whitechalkhillscx for the 1st time. They definitely made the most of the available space, with plenty of futile zig-zags, a bumpy lumpy field & a spiral through the farm yard with gas cylinders for cowbells 😀
Weather was horrible. Mid pack finish in vets again & only singlespeed (again).
I might try Finland.
No result up yet (I have seen?), would like to think I had a decent result.
Brutal as always round Hengrove - I think I may have some footage of you/us going over the first rail.
atleast i have a training loop over the road from my house now lol dident no the cource before
No result up yet (I have seen?), would like to think I had a decent result.
what kit/team are you in?
john_l - this coming weekend is, as well as a normal 'less traditional' round, it's the fixie cross "national championships" (or fixed cx and beer drinking gathering) so there'll be plenty of fixed, SS and other weirdness, and the promise of a course from hell 🙂
And a couple of pics from a more traditional snowy round a few years back:
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Come join us!
VC Montpellier - Hoping 4th but might be completely wrong
looks like the western results are up i seem to have betterd myself abit sins 1st race gone from 2nd from last to 10th from last 😆
still im happy with that
Techmechs.. looks like you got 3rd in Seniors
DO you by any chance know Mike ward? Sure he used to ride for you guys (now with 24/7)
No - I know of him but dont know him - I've only been riding for VC-M this season.
I was pretty pleased with 4th(3rd), thats a handy result coming from last years top15 results I was having. Although Hengrove does suit me as a course.
Anyone racing Western League, Netham Park, on the 27th? I've not ridden the venue before, is it any good?
Wouldnt mind knowing if wessex cx Basingstoke on the 27th is a flat field or a bit more interesting like Reading? ill be doing a rain dance as i seem to do much better at reading last week in all that rain and mud.
Im tempted to enter this to give CX racing a go but does any one know if I would be allowed to enter on my 29er with Barends? They're not metal ones, but those rubber ones that have half sticking up and half sticking down???
(These ones:)
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Sure i read in rules "no bar ends" and "no fixed wheel"
Be down to the BC com on the day most likely, and the status of the race. From watching lots of videos of UK racing from this year, they have appeared on bikes....
Pick a race to try and contact the people in charge, or take some bar end plugs in case they have to come off.
dobo, Basingstoke is largely but not totally flat. There are also some woods, a BMX track and some tricky off-camber bits in a addition to the fields.
Unless it's a UCI race (i.e., Nat Champs or National Trophy, you can ride anything. No restrictions about fixed (although the timing of mounting and dismounting would be, let's say, tricky) and bar ends must be securely plugged.
Ok, the BC rules say 'open to any bike without exception' so I reckon I'd be fine.
So what to expect? Likely to be lots of obstacles? Do you get to pre-ride a lap?
thanks crispycross, damn dreaded fields, i always do a lot worse on flat courses, i bet theres a strong headwind too.. bmx course sounds interesting
crosshair what cx series are you going to enter? you can usually preride the courses just before your race, i try to do a warmup lap if im not late.. not encountered many obstacles in the wessex cx series, the odd steep hill you got carry up or sand trap to get over.
Dobo, was going to rock up at Basingstoke. What cat should I enter? (Age 30, done a couple of xc races)
im in vets but at 30 id go in seniors, 1hr hour of pain, it will no doubt be a fast bunch but just enjoy yourself. it will be short laps and its not uncommon to be lapped by the fast guys. the field will soon spreadout and you blend right in 🙂
Cool- I'm intrigued by it I must say. All being well, I'll be there!
There isn't any categories in a cross race usually it's all age related. The vets race isn't any slower than the seniors usually. Either way enjoy an hour of hell, and then smile once you get to the flag. Be warned it's very addictive.
No cats yet Benji but it maybe on the cards in future there has been talks on the YCCA fb page recently I think.
It would be nice if they did do cats, they have them in the states but the participation numbers at their events is massive in comparison to the uk. The YCCA are doing a few races with a novice class but it's the riders choice as to which they chose to ride. Be nice to see it the same as road racing with 4/3/2/1/E.
Be nice to see it the same as road racing with 4/3/2/1/E.
Now that would be awesome. hard turning up to a race full of elite level roadies and the odd pro (simon richardson and Oli beckingsale)
Basingstoke track is ok.
Basically skirts some football pitches near the tennis club so reasonable flat, but does have some ups and downs, some bits in the trees and a couple of sets of barriers.
Vets and Seniors are similar really, fast boys off the front and pretty spread out after half a lap. At least with the Vets racing with the juniors and ladies there's usually a huge field and someone to have a battle with.
No as tough or varied as Reading, but race it hard and it'll still be fun.