- This topic has 109 replies, 42 voices, and was last updated 3 years ago by r8jimbob88.
-
2020 XC Training & Racing thread
-
finnersFull MemberPosted 4 years ago
Wheres the best place to find out about all the races? I’m in Newcastle and would like to start with something, shall we say, less serious. Fitness isn’t great just now, but hopefully aiming for a race or 2 will spur me on.
Kryton57Full MemberPosted 4 years agoThe British Cycling website has a diarised list of events with a decent filter you could use. Otherwise asking here is useful, or find some local clubs/riders that could advise.
ferralsFree MemberPosted 4 years agoSuggestions for good ‘cheap’ xc tyres? Looking at my mtb for the first time since july and could do with replacing tyres, used to always use Schwalbe (Ron(f)-Ron(r) or Ron(f)-Ralph(r) depending on conditions. but I can’t stomach the cost anymore.
Won’t bother changing for conditions so all-round racy tyes. Tubeless and not crazy thin casing.Guess Vittoria are probably the answer? Which ones?
Cheers
Kryton57Full MemberPosted 4 years agoGo and get 2 Barzo’s and one Mezcal just swapping out the rear Mezcal for a Barzo in proper Winter. You want at the G2 Isotech TNT of which there are lots of discounts around and often they are quite cheap / in bundles on the German sites.
ferralsFree MemberPosted 4 years agoNice one Kryton – with my cx obsession I don’t ride my mtb when its super muddy so will get the barzo mezcal combo for now. I’ll go and look on bike.de etc
Kryton57Full MemberPosted 4 years agohttps://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/vittoria-mezcal-iii-29-tnt-mtb-graphene-2.0-folding-tyre-871303
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/vittoria-barzo-29-tlr-graphene-2.0-folding-tyre-951676
Pretty good at €35 each plus a fiver for delivery.
r8jimbob88Free MemberPosted 4 years agoI’m planning a return for 2020. Well sort of…!
I took last year off from racing due to a house move and just wanted to ride for fun rather than specific training. I kind of missed the structure to be honest though…
This year I’ve addressed a bunch of issues I had with my Cannondale Scalpel. I’ve got new rims, replaced the lefty with some Sids and replaced the rubbish lockout with one that works. Perfect now!
I also now have a 4 week old baby so….. no doubt I’ll be the knackered dad chasing after the fun category folks! I’ll probably stick to the regional stuff this year and do some of the midlands rounds. Perhaps return to the nationals next year if I can.
I’ve not done any specific training in prep for this season. Just trying to get the miles in. Fortunately it’s pretty hilly where I now live so regular efforts are pretty mandatory. Oh I’m off to Gran Canaria in April for a week and can’t bloody wait! Wifey said I can take my bike 🙂
ferralsFree MemberPosted 4 years agoCongrats on the baby r8jimbob88! We found the ‘white noise’ of the turbotrainer helped ours sleep when very young!
@Kryton57 -cheers. Actually found the mezcals for £25 on Amazon 🙂ferralsFree MemberPosted 4 years agoTHink someone was previously wondering about the nat. champs…
up on BC now
mick_rFull MemberPosted 4 years agoCheers. The lad found the date on UCI calendar last week but no venue.
Mrs rode a Grundig World Cup there bitd 🙂 Seem to remember everyone said it was super technical last time they did an NPS there?
ferralsFree MemberPosted 4 years agoIt was technical- a while ago but from what I remember I think the main issue was there was a lot of a/b splits that needed consideration which isn’t easy on limited practice times. Aside from the A-B splits it wasn’t particularly technical and was really good fun.
jasonxlr8Free MemberPosted 4 years agoAnyone at Henham for round 1 of Mud Sweat and Gears this weekend?
windygFree MemberPosted 4 years agoI’ll be at Henham looking forward to it. Hoping the weather stays ok but seems unlikely
plop_pantsFree MemberPosted 4 years agoI’m going to Henham. First mtb race for some years. After a long cx season this is all about fun, fun, fun! Racing V60.
jasonxlr8Free MemberPosted 4 years agoLooking like a cold one for round 1 of Mud, Sweat and Gears this weekend at Henham. Haven’t ridden much all winter because of work and weather, so I’m hoping Zwift has kept me relatively fit.. Then it’s the first National at the end of the month.
I’ve entered the World Masters at Pra Loup in August as I wanted to do something for my 50th, but I’ll just be the “what the f***s he doing out there?” guy at that one. 😉
jd13mFree MemberPosted 4 years agowhat do people do about liability insurance these days (if at all)? I know british cycling do the silver etc to cover racing and seen this one which almost seems too good to be true (https://www.laka.co.uk/perks/thirdpartyliability)?
bm0p700fFree MemberPosted 4 years agoWhere these best place to find XC and marathon events in the uk?
jd13mFree MemberPosted 4 years ago(love em or hate em but….) british cycling covers a lot of XC plus other events https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/home
I’ll defer to the better informed on the marathon side though
there used to be a lot of local ‘sportives’ in the calderdale area run as charity events by the scouts and suchlike – other areas might have similar
Kryton57Full MemberPosted 4 years agoGoogle Scott Marathons, Gorrick races or Thetford series all of which have 4hr ish and plus options at various points in the year.
corrodedFree MemberPosted 4 years agoI’m looking at doing a few XC events this year – much more interested in the longer, hillier courses or routes, which probably best suit me. First up is Southern XC at Matterley Basin near Winchester. With the wet winter I’m starting to think that mud tyres might be a necessity now! Interested to see what the standard in Vets is like – I’ve not raced for many years but hopefully won’t be too rusty.
YakFull MemberPosted 4 years agoVets is really fast. Well compared to my meagre pace it is. Matterley can be a mud bath, but it can be surprisingly dry too. It’s on the top of the hill and exposed so dries fast. Last year only the Open race at the start was muddy. After that it dried well.
jasonxlr8Free MemberPosted 4 years agoVets is quite often the largest group in XC with the biggest depth of talent. Maybe not the outright fastest couple of riders at the front, but there are a lot of fast guys all the way through the field.
corrodedFree MemberPosted 4 years agoOh dear. That doesn’t bode well for my modest w/kg efforts. Hampshire is so waterlogged at the moment I can’t see anywhere drying out much in the next month.
jd13mFree MemberPosted 4 years agotake it from me, being beaten hollow is just motivation to improve…….
I’m also very happy to be moving up to grand vets this year…….
DrPFull MemberPosted 4 years agoI think i’ll get back into the racing scene again this year…
Prob be at the matterly bowl SXC race, and then see what other rounds I can do… Will deffo enter big dog again, as well as try my best to enter the brass monkey winter races again..
Oh.. got several DH enduros (BNES stuff) in the diary too.
And will try to enter the Ex Enduro too…
Busy year for DrP!!
Kryton57Full MemberPosted 4 years agoPhew. Well thats enough of 100% high protein. Base finishes tomorrow as does the carb restriction. Just over 6KG gone since November, so Monday sees me into Build with relevant amount of Carbs supporting those workouts and low carb still on non workout days and Z2 weekends.
My endurance and hour power has gone upon a lot with true hour power at 3.47w/kg – I have the next tests in 10 days which should see the most gain over that hour test.
Looking forward to the return of sandwiches and shorter intervals!
Kryton57Full MemberPosted 4 years agoErm, well…
How many of us are expecting races to be cancelled? Thetfords Winter series on Sunday seems to be still happening, but I’m wondering if Rd1 if the Scott Marathons at Builth in April, and the Stratford round of Mud Sweat and Gears 29th at least won’t happen.
Obviously a massive first world problem but I’m currently putting out my best power and fitness numbers and perhaps likely to have the opportunity to test them pulled from under me. And I know I’m not the only one.
YakFull MemberPosted 4 years agoI would only expect 1 day races to be cancelled if the gov ‘delay’ stage limits numbers of folk at outdoor events.
So quite possible. Maybe even today. Maybe smaller races will sneak under.
ferralsFree MemberPosted 4 years agoThe news does seem to be saying they will move to the delay phase today. Based on other countries, the strictest limit has been 500 people at outdoor events. I’m not sure regional races have 500 entrants? Maybe just 500 with marshals and hangers one but even then I think it would be close. Maybe it will go to pre-entry only and when they hit a limit then thats it?
I was going to be racing this weekend but I’ve sacked it off as 5 weeks into Trainerroad SSB1 with there having been a multi-week run of good surf (In the water 4hrs per week on top of TR) I’m so fatigued I don’t think I could drive 2hrs, let alone drive 2hrs, race, drive 2hrs home! Means my first xc race won’t be till june when it hopefully will have calmed down.
One thing that did occur to me, if things really hit the fan, will you want to be training all out since we know a proper training load supresses the immune system?
mick_rFull MemberPosted 4 years agoWatching and waiting. Eldest lad is entered for Hadleigh and will just be two of us going down. You would think the venue size and spread out nature of the races would mean risk is fairly low. But guess it might fall to absolute numbers and the wording of new guidelines.
Kryton57Full MemberPosted 4 years agoOne thing that did occur to me, if things really hit the fan, will you want to be training all out since we know a proper training load supresses the immune system?
Perhaps coincidentally, SIS Immune hydration tables are on sale…
steve_b77Free MemberPosted 4 years agoWell after binning the Cannock Winter Classic the other week, just didn’t fancy the mud after a full CX season if I’m honest. I’m off to the FoD for 1st round of the Welsh XC on Sunday, should be fun but I’ve really got to try and get the dropper fitted to my new bike before hand.
Not doing the 1st Hope Marathon in Builth as its Easter Sunday and just messes with family commitments, God only knows why they’ve put it on that weekend 🤷🏼♂️
Training wise, it’s not been going too bad, just based on doing Zwift sessions and work outs with some outdoors stuff when weather and other commitments allow. Feeling in better shape than last year, power is up, weight is down (but still not at 2018 24hr seriousness weight levels) but seriously not expecting to pull up any trees.
Kryton57Full MemberPosted 4 years agoWell I’ve had a bizarre weekend. Yesterday I had a 2hr training session based around a 1hr power test. I failed, not being able to keep anything over Z2 going for more than 1-2 mins from 40 mins into the 1hr interval (negative split).
Today I raced the 3hr at Shouldam Warren in a very dry and very awesome course as a Training race. It was gridded and not having entire the Series before I started at the back, made a lot of ground at the start and felt pretty awesome & fast for a good two hours, having fun dropping people in climbs which is new experience for me. Yet, at 2:15 my power just faded to a repeat of the day before – I could do 1-2 mins On, then fade again. As I crossed the line at 2:48 for what should have been another/final lap I was light headed despite being flooded with Carbs, and it got dark and the rain started I decided to stop it there rather than have an accident on a slippery root (assuming there will be a Season this year!) and ruin my Season.
I have not symptoms than a slightly dodgy stomach so maybe I’m carrying a minor stomach bug?
On the plus side I’ve 4hr 15 in Vo2max HR zone training this weekend! 😀
blackmountainsriderFree MemberPosted 4 years agoI wish my first xx race in about 14 years today, the Welsh series at Fod, it was definitely type 2 fun, and I found the climbs hard , but enjoyed it. Did anyone else go? Hopefully future rou sa will go ahead, as I’ve been ill for months, and there’s alot of room for improvement.
steve_b77Free MemberPosted 4 years agoblackmountainsrider
Member
Did anyone else go?Yeah I was there, raced in Vets. Brilliant course with just the right amount of tech descending and god awful leg sapping climbs. Pretty chuffed to come away with 10th in Vets too.
blackmountainsriderFree MemberPosted 4 years agoNice! I’d have loved to race that in the dry, I know FOD very well, as I live near by and the climbs are never normally that hard.
Do you know where we can find the results?
richardkFree MemberPosted 4 years agoHadleigh round of MSG Eastern series cancelled for those that were going
Kryton57Full MemberPosted 4 years agoHave you seen G’s Facebook post? Costing him £1000’s in cancelled costs out of his personal money As someone who dedicates his time so much to MTB any thoughts of setting up a Racers fund for G / MSG? It cant be right he’s losing personal finances to this.
mick_rFull MemberPosted 4 years agoHadleigh Eastern series or the NPS at weekend? Nothing has been sent to entrants or on BC, but looks like you can’t enter (you could earlier today). Not surprising I guess. Hopefully if people know the situation then happy not to ask for refunds – organising races does seem a thankless task.
richardkFree MemberPosted 4 years agoIt’s under the Facebook account of the Eastern Series, but he’s just clarified that it’s the NPS this weekend
The topic ‘2020 XC Training & Racing thread’ is closed to new replies.
