The loamy woods section for me. Having to switch mode from max effort to controlled line choice was a real test.

Just got back from picking up a cheap CX bike, tempted to have a go at a race or two this year, so will keep on eye on this thread

No need for cross bikes, just a 29er will do. Cross wheels and tubs optional.

^ That bike always goes as fast as it looks (know I’ve tried hard if he doesn’t manage to lap me).

simond – hope you rode the steps out of the barn rather than all the dismounting mincers – it was surprisingly easy and much faster. Mrs also rode them every lap and said the same.

Spent ages on friday afternoon getting the zigzags laid out just right on the tower lawn, but never got a clear full speed run at them in the race (vets and ladies field is huge and rather congested). Also a really good course for singlespeed.

I did indeed! Not very elegantly but made up / saved places every lap by doing so – I’m rubbish at dismounting / remounting 🙂

Due to illness I was supporting yesterday at Welsh rnd1.
I was gutted not to be racing but was for the best.
Looked a good course, credit to Jif for arranging it. Shame the Llantarnam course has gone though.
David did you bin it on the off-camber descent just before the kerb and building section? I helped someone there who took an almighty wrong way tumble in practice.
Ferrals, were you with Jon P? If so I met you before and after. Glad you enjoyed it.
One of my club mates bought a bike Thursday eve and raced this as his first race on the Sunday. Jon put a cheeky pass on him in the closing laps. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mine was further up the back of the course, after the hairpin nearest the school entrance. Got my bars caught in the tape, which then whipped the bike out from under me at high speed. They moved the tape afterwards to stop any else riding the same line!

😆 It was very cheeky! Someone had knocked the tapes down on that corner, and then halfway through the stakes were removed as well, so I’d already decided that a tight quick line was legal.. Your team-mate slowed for a very hesitant backmarker on the wider, original line, so I decided to take the tight line, where the stakes had been. I felt guilty that I didn’t shout a warning but was worried that your mate would block my line if he knew what I was doing.

Good race. Same as Ferrals, my legs feel fine today. I only really found some speed on the last lap yesterday – should have gone a bit harder.

Fat bloke tries to race a bicycle 🙂

Hoghton Tower NWCCA Round1 by Simon Barnes[/url], on Flickr

Quite the opposite – I raced on my Ridley, which is black. Unless you saw me moving the other bike to/from the pits, which a rather horrible striking greeny turquoise Genesis….

I’m trying to figure who you may have mistaken me for now 🙂

I got 15th on Sunday, and finished ahead of all the guys I benchmarked myself again from last season, so that will do nicely. It’s a long season and I’m just after consistency for the final standings really, but part of me is hoping I can scrape my first top ten since 2008 at some point this season…

In terms of standings, as a senior I always just look at the overall result.

I tell a lie, it was 2009, the year I started racing Welsh League after moving down here from the Midlands. But yes, field sizes have basically doubled from then; typically 60-80 rather than the 120-150 we get now.

I’m the tall one riding for AJAX.

A fast and flat course up at Northallerton last Sunday gave me my highest position ever coming 6th in the V50’s.

Dead chuffed and wondering whether to retire on a high, or do it all again on Sunday at Wakefield?

Wakefield it is 🙂

Very tough, relentless course at the Horwich Humdinger today for NWCCA round 2. Nowhere to rest at all and my average speed was over 5kph faster than last weekend. Ouch!

It was I, no.236 carving the small banks near the tennis courts.
Great course only crashed once ❗
You up for the next round?

Was out at Leverhulme park today same as simondbarnes above – great fun. Course seemed tough (although I’ve not done many) – wide open and fast. I was hardly zipping around it, though – it was a grassy bastard throughout, so hard work to keep the speed.

Got my marshal duty done at Leverhulme as I didn’t fancy spinning ss round all that grass….. Still enjoyed the day more than I imagined.

Nicest bikes of the day were:-

Sky blue Orrell steel frame in the vets race.
Black and red Niner singlespeed in seniors.

Just been in the garage making the seatstays for Alison’s proper cx frame – final push to have it ready for the next round of the series (luckily a 2 week interlude). Will be rattlecan primer only – proper paint can wait until next year.