Let us know Munge-chick, I’m riding the NT on Sunday and it would be great to have some idea which wheels to bring.

I’m one of the regional Comms… see you there at 8:15!

Mmmm, those pictures and your tales of “running” are not filling me with with the warm glow of excited expectancy I want for my first CX race on Saturday.

Considering entering Rd 14 Dalton in the Wessex league as my first ever cross race as it’s near.

Currently race XC. 29er winter trainer set up with rigids, narrowest tyres I have are 2.1 Xkings – ok choice?

Need studs for shoes. Do I remove bottle cage for shouldering and stick bottle in jersey or? Bar ends ok?

Any tips appreciated.

Check with the league or event organisers ref bar ends, for some reason they are seen as a risk.. How folk get away with running sti gear /brake levers good knows….

At this time of year I’d recommend getting some narrow tyres. You’ll enjoy the race so much more if you’re not sliding around on fat mtb tyres. Look at getting something cheap like schwalbe cx pro from crc. They’ll be lighter than your mtb tyres and cut through the mud so much better.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/schwalbe-cx-pro-cyclocross-bike-tyre/rp-prod24614

And must importantly enjoy. It’s s ridiculous sport!!

Sound job. I’ve already told Kelvin that I expect an open tab with the caterer, seeing as that I’ll have officially have gone into ‘off-season’ mode and copious amounts of bacon will be demanded 😆

Plop_pants. Courts update there is nothing technical but it is twisty turny. No planks only some step/muddy slope to run up. Warning it IS muddy from tape to tape however a lot is rideable mud it isn’t deep, it is churned up grass but there is no mud free line. As it is a Nationals course it is wide. Towards end of day it was getting worse for eating rear mechs, so tips mud tyres, pit bike and pit crew probably lap changes!! Lots of off camber! Some running hills and even one running downhill depressingly! Long tarmac start/finish.

I turned up and didn’t have my head on but rode into it! A course that shouldn’t suit me but I felt I was riding well and yee ha back on the podium 2nd 🙂

Having been ill since before Shrewsbury I’ve decided to bomb out of tomorrow I need a lie in!

Good luck let us know how you get on!

Plop pats you racing? Seen the snowy pictures on twitter!

Sadly couldn’t go Munge-chick. Mrs PP wasn’t well overnight so I stayed at home.

“Sadly” I think you lucked out not going did you see the videos of the chute? It was basically a mud slide not many were making it down. The first climb everyone was running, they took out the DH zig zag section we were running the day before as too manky! I am so glad I didn’t go, it didn’t look fun. More running! Come on summer sunshine!

So who’s racing this weekend? I have Central league in Kettering on Sat, then ive entered Wessex league at Dalton Barracks, Abingdon on Sunday! Hopefully Sat won’t be rear mech chewing!!!

When is the sunshine coming back? 🙂

NWCCA Beacon park

SuperQuaich round 2, at some park in Ayr on Sunday.

Lot for it to live up to after last weekend’s TOTAL SNOWY EPIC on the south side of Glasgow.

Redbridge today was brilliant. We were promised hardpack & little mud & fast racing. What we actually got was a brilliant ‘cross course with just enough fast hard packed singletrack to rest on from the muddy sections, some of which were fast, sketchy downhills & some were excruciating runs. A perfect ss course.

All in all, brilliant. Huge thanks to Redbridge Cycle Centre & hosts Dulwich Paragon & of course, the comms AP 🙂 Nice to chat after – see you & Leslie for the team champs.

That’s it for me. Final race of the North West league, good finish. Improved loads on last season which was all I was aiming for so can’t complain.

See you all on next seasons thread!

Oldgit yes I raced Kettering. Good course and day out! Muddy but generally a rideable. I set off hard after a poor start and got a lead. Loved the technical descents which were fast but quite grippy so MTB skills hugely useful! Lap 2 2nd place pulled me back as we came past pits I dithered on a bike change, decided against it, then as I went past the exit….I had a front puncture (so 20 psi on clinchers was too low) rode 3/4 of lap on front flat! Golder pulled away. Changed in pits but she had too much of a gap on me, held on to 2nd though. I have also sealed the series win BOOM WELL CHUFFED!!!!

Sunday onto Wessex league at Dalton Barracks. Woke up.feeling like I had been hit by a bus! Warm up was half hearted and legs just hurt so wasn’t feeling particularly confident, although knowing the course I just wanted to have fun. What a fun whoopdie doopdie bmx track stylee course. Muddy but with hard pack underneath so all rideable. As not my normal league I was gridded at the back of which there were 4 rows this week 30 girls! Had a poor start as girl in front of me didn’t even move! Smashed it around her into first corner and technical bit and got up to about 10th. Pushed on in techie bits (my strength) got passed about 4 of them up to 6th. Towards end of lap I got up to 3rd. 2nd lap I pushed on trying to get a gap! Technical bits I was flying on, flat muddy draggy tarmac bits I could tell I’d raced the day before!! Slowly each lap 4th place reeled me in. As we went through start/finish I tried to sit on her wheel but she played track games messing about, I smashed it into the corners neck and neck with her my aggressive racing worked….but not for long! She was soon past on the tarmac and pulled away. By which point my legs were screaming and back was knackered, got my head down onto 4th! Lesson learnt yesterday don’t get carried away…went off too hard on lap2, but more than happy with a 2nd and 4th this weekend.

Now onto Love Crossed and that’s my season done. So who else is in for LC? Look forward to watching World Champs after too 🙂

No not raced Love Crossed before so no idea on course, terrain, mud etc! I can’t face another broken bike though I can tell you that 🙂

Anyone give us a low down???

Weird. Lots of broken mech hangers in the Welsh series but I’ve not noticed a preponderance of ‘dales being wrecked . I’d notice because I ride one. ❓

Yes, I’ll be at Lovecrossed. It’ll be a pre-dawn start to get up there by 10.40. 😥

MC – Well done at Kettering, and well done on the win!

Seniors only had 17 in it, the majority of which were the regulars though, so it wasn’t an easy field! Pretty poor start despite being gridded on the front, wound it up over the next few laps and managed to get into 3rd, and was pulling away, then I snapped my chain about a mile from the bloody pits, so had to run, swapped bikes, now on last lap, i’d been passed by two guys so was sat in 5th, but managed to catch 4th and was slowly catching 3rd again, I might do it! Then got a back puncture in the same place, so ad to run for the remainder of the lap, getting caught by 4th, so settled for 5th.

Overall really pleased with my performance in my first season, did 5 races (in central league) and finished 13th in the league. Aiming for top 3 next year with a bit more planning, training and some more bikes.