How long to be a credible Cat 4 or am I just crap (road content)

How did that happen? 234 race? That will draw the 2nd cats looking for “easy” points. E123 races tend to scare off the 3rd cats, but they are a lot more fun.

And yes, I think some events are getting out of hand. Surrey League races are selling out in about three hours!

Ah I think it may just be the way the BC site shows the results. Looks like those listed as cat 2’s are those who’s points in that race takes them up to cat 2 (not the cat they were at when they did the race.)

Agree that big 34 races with 150 riders does all seem somewhat against the premise of cat 4 though.

Just realised that the local Surrey League handicap is on tonight. Only 3 miles from work and I’m on my work bike today. Don’t think mudguards are allowed 🙂

Hmm a weather warning and 50mph winds and rain forecast for tomorrow evening’s race at Thruxton. Not sure I fancy that in a field of 150 riders. Any opinion from the experienced racer folk…?

Well I’ve just removed the carbon aeros and pads, and slapped on low profiles and grippy tyres. That’s that really.

Crashes can happen any time. A guy went down hard on the tarmac right in front of me as he sprinted to keep with the pack about 20minutes into a 1hr crit on Saturday. Apparently his chain came off and he got flung over the front. Cue the sound of breaking carbon and metal.

I just managed to avoid piling over the top of him.

It is shouty in road racing but its a race. Shouting normally happens to warn other riders when they’re riding dangerously or when they haven’t noticed you’re up along side them. But I did have to wonder when people were shouting “on your left” / “on your right” as they sprinted for some fairly insignificant placing like 23rd place or whatever it was as I got swallowed up for the bunch sprint. I mean whats that all about, no points after 10th so just give it up eh? 🙄

Been out for a lunchtime stroll with the dog and it is bloody windy out there. May be giving the 34 tonight a miss. Or may watch a rerun of Ghent-Wevelgem to get in the mood 🙂

Open, exposed airfield, 50-60 mph gusts, 150 cat 3 and 4 riders, likely to be carnage…?

Open, exposed airfield, 50-60 mph gusts, 150 cat 3 and 4 riders, likely to be carnage…?

Could someone please video this!

adsh, I think you’ve just answered my question! I am tempted to go along just to watch the spectacle 🙂

i live 3min away from the Crystal Palace crits which start tonight (if it doesn’t rain) a notoriously twisty course with corners for the committed and not for the novice. i’m going down to watch the carnage later.

as they sprinted for some fairly insignificant placing like 23rd place or whatever it was as I got swallowed up for the bunch sprint. I mean whats that all about, no points after 10th so just give it up eh?

If the top 20 had a big crash they’d be 3rd. Why not just stop if your dropped of the bunch? Why bother in the first place?

In my view, its worth working out how far you can get up the field, and try to get further next time. Why give up?

If the top 20 had a big crash they’d be 3rd. sprinting right into the back of a pile up

🙂

Why bother in the first place

This is what I asked myself on Sunday when after a year’s hard training, a years teetotal plus a carbon 29er I managed to come 22nd in the Gorrick 100 compared to last year’s 24th. Just as well I enjoyed it 🙄

This is what I asked myself on Sunday when after a year’s hard training, a years teetotal plus a carbon 29er I managed to come 22nd in the Gorrick 100 compared to last year’s 24th.

Pretty sure 1-21st place didn’t stand still for a year waiting for you to catch up! 🙂

This is what I asked myself on Sunday when after a year’s hard training, a years teetotal plus a carbon 29er I managed to come 22nd in the Gorrick 100 compared to last year’s 24th. Just as well I enjoyed it

Look at it differently. You were more than 30 minutes faster over the same distance, on a comparable course, in worse conditions. There were more people this year – both in total, and those who completed 7 laps. You finished 69 minutes down on the winner (22% slower), whilst last year you were 96 minutes down (30% slower).

You can’t predict who will turn up for an event like that, so the actual position isn’t all that relevant, unless you’re gunning for the win.

If you want to look at specific people – last year Chris Clark was 35 mins ahead of you. On Sunday you beat him by 3 minutes. Paul Howard was 42 mins faster last year, 8 slower this year. People’s form changes, stuff happens, two positions higher isn’t really the point.

Sorry, njee20 has the right answer. Apologies if mine was a bit cheeky.

Training hard does feel good. You feel yourself get fitter. You clean climbs you previously couldn’t, you sprint up hills you used to spin up, your body feels like it’s doing more than what you ever thought it was capable of. You go to new places and feel confident your fitness and skills can handle the unknown.

Now that definitely is worth it.

Best thing about being fitter is being able to go faster on undulating singletrack. A 55 min lap of Cwmcarn is a blast, a 1h30 lap is a far less interesting trundle.

I bloody love this tread. It’s so good to hear how everyone’s getting on and I’m amazed by how honest people are, sure there are the odd lucky sods who win their first race and continue like that but for most of us it’s bl**dy hard work!!

It’s got to the point where I check on here every couple of weeks to get an ‘update’ – me weird, no not at all!

I’ve found you tales quite inspiring, that has lead to me ordering the bits and pcs to build a rugged little circuit racer – it’s been years since I pinned a number on for the road or closed circuit – Thanks guys

Njee makes a got point as I feel like adsh sometimes. But last XC race I rode smiling behind someone I knew who sounded like he was about to go pop any second, I did actually grin when I found a place to pass as last year he was way beyond me. Also, although on my club road rides I feel I’m still working hard only to be dropped by the same people as last year, my averages have gone up and every ride holds an new strata PB / 2015 KOM mostly up hills so I know I’ve got stronger.

Mind you I rode socially at Hadliegh yesterday and the climbs felt tough, God know how I’ll do,in next weeks race, but I console myself that there will be plenty behind me finding it tough also.

Oh, and I posted a time only 1 second slower on a Strava segment than Njee at Hadleigh, now THATS progress (he was probably bimbling) 😉

I’m flattered to have been stalked and thanks for the motivational peptalk! I shall now go and do my Z1 recovery with head held high 😀 (ish)

Should be Z2, no wonder you are flagging 😉

6 3x3min “top end” intervals for me tonight, like you say it’s lucky I enjoy it. Looking for a crit before the 20th as well, whoop!

That was windy. Need to get my Crit head back on, treated it like a road race and got done over i.e. did a stint on the front uphill into the headwind and the favour wasn’t returned.

Oh, and I posted a time only 1 second slower on a Strava segment than Njee at Hadleigh, now THATS progress (he was probably bimbling)

The only time I’ve been to Hadleigh was the NPS. Shitting myself yes, bimbling… No. 😉

I’m flattered to have been stalked and thanks for the motivational peptalk!

5 mins on Timelaps! Slow day.

I’m not surprised. There’s miles of non technical, then tiny bits of super mega **** technical. I did the B line of the massive slope although really it just looks like a big roll out and couldn’t bring myself to go down the a line on triple trouble.

I’m slightly nervous of what is and isn’t being used next week at MS&G.

How we didling?
Few weeks back had a road race 10th.
Last week first circuit race of the year and was dropped minutes in. Had the wrong head on.
Raced again Tuesday and was on it again.
So after taking 2014 off to audax and larding up a stone, I’ve come back a different rider. Slower on the Ups but way quicker on the flat and undulating. Already feeling confident about racing in Belgium soon.

Nice!

Well I was one place / two bike lengths away from my first BC XC point last weekend. I’ve not ridden any crits in April due to work/life but have been training hard. I’ve just been profiled as a Time Triallist rider profile (see TrainerRoad thread) which surprised me, but explained my weakness on elongated climbs and ability to bash out a pace on the flat.

I’m in for a two crits end of may begininning June – both “flat”, but I shall be XC racing until July 8th now. So I’ll see how I go on those crits, a bit more reading on my rider profile is going to help me gauge how to approach things I feel.

I’ve also been daignosed with EIB after my two chest infections in December / Feb so am now riding on salbutomal which has made a noticable difference to my breathing.

Happy days!

The steel frame hasn’t been a problem at all.

eh?

Sold my TCR SL at the end of 2013. Then built a steel framed racer for 2015.

My first ever Racing Licence arrived today. 48yo, 6’2″ and 14+st, I will be making my debut in a 4th Cat circuit race at York Sports Village this Saturday.
There’s 5 of us (so far) from the same team (HD Revolutions) and I’m probably the weakest rider. My sole aim is to stay with the bunch as long as possible. I’ll report back on how it went, assuming I’m still in one piece!

Rode my first 3/4 circuit on Tuesday having only done 4ths previously.

Couple of mph on the average and it certainly felt it for the first few laps at least until it settled down, held my own in the bunch so fairly happy considering the step up.

One more point needed to get to 3rd so hopefully I’ll sneak a top ten finish before too long…

Detraining and going to miss the nationals 🙁 . Still, about ready to return to turbo work at least!

Well, won the singlespeed cat at the Midlands Regional last week and had my first ever 3/4 road race at Mallory last night. Finished safely in the bunch but was so cold I only manage a half hearted sprint. Looking forward to next weeks race now!

oldgit – Member
Sold my TCR SL at the end of 2013. Then built a steel framed racer for 2015.

Ah

There’s been a rash of crashes locally, so I have change my view: Best bike = Club/general/sportive bike. Should I crash & break my Sempre which I’m currently using for racing, likewise then a cheap racer it shall be.

Well done schmiken!

I did my first race today 🙂 ladies cat 2/3/4 race at York. I was expecting to be dropped so am pretty pleased to have stuck with the bunch to the end. I have no sprint though!

Tiny field compared to the men’s race but still surprisingly good fun.

Considering upgrading from a provisional licence to full now…

Well done lass! It gets rather addictive, something incredibly awesome about flying along in the bunch, can’t be replicated! Get it done, it’d be great to see more women racing! (Road/XC/DH/ENDURO/BMX/Whatever!!)

2 months until my first (by the looks of things/maybe only) road race of the year 🙄

Considering upgrading from a provisional licence to full now…

Do it… do it now! Racing is great fun and very addictive. I have had my longest break in two seasons, (six weeks now), and am in definite withdrawal.

Ladies racing attracts small fields, but it is a very narrow pyramid. That means you can progress rapidly to second cat, and before you know it, will be racing National Series races against the pros. Alright, they’ll be up the road, but most of us would give a right collarbone to get to taste that!

You can also enter men’s races a category down, and a lot of ladies are racing some pretty fast E123 men’s circuit races and finishing top third (in a field of 60-80). They don’t work on the front though 😉

Go on…

I phoned BC this morning so the deed is done 🙂

Congratulations. You’ve made it to my milestone 3/10 already :-). I posted them earlier in the thread…

got my first Cat 3/4 race on Sunday,

wheel slipped on some metal bar between the path and kerb drop today, broken Tibia, double break on the Fibula, possible ligament damage, minimum 6 weeks in a cast

bollocks