Next week then Steve? I’ll ride the radiator if you race.

I noticed you kept quiet about not riding when we saw you by the brew stall – I wondered where you had disappeared to on the start line……

Next week then Steve? I’ll ride the radiator if you race.

I noticed you kept quiet about not riding when we saw you by the brew stall – I wondered where you had disappeared to on the start line……

That’s the plan, as I sure as hell hope all the wrapping will be done by then!!! I’ll be on the Frankencross

@mandrake I’ve been racing this season on a Trek Boone 5 with a few changes.
The decoupler’s aren’t noticeable until you ride a bike without them.
The front does a lot less than the rear but it’s only on the recent models with 12mm bolt through axles that you’ll find them front and rear.
It’s been a good bike to race on and definitely feels responsive. Mine is 1x rival out of the box with a 40t front and 11-32 rear.
I changed the saddle, bars and tape to my personal preference and the crankset to a lighter and stiffer Rotor item. As the Boone’s use the gxp bearing sizes I had to machine the washer on the nds and fit a new 24mm I/d bearing to suit.
Standard wheels are ok but I had a pair built for tubs.

I raced an Inflite al slx when they were released as a frameset and my only positive thing to say about it was it had good mud clearance. Otherwise the thing was a pain in the arse and I’d not have another.

Can anyone recommend a decent tubeless rear wheel build for cross? Have a grail atm that has gotten dinged to hell over a season and a half, to the extent that it’s affecting the bead seat.
I guess the dings are somewhat inevitable racing but something a bit more robust would be nice.

@Garry Lager my tubeless cx wheels are kinlin xr31t on Bitex bx106 hubs. 24/28. Very pleased with them.

I had Grails on my last bike, now have DT Swiss CR1600’s on my proper ‘cross bike, any DT Swiss tubeless 29er rim on reasonable width would suffice.

Currently using Primes as tubeless. Fine except the bearings in the hubs are crap.

Totally agree about the Prime wheel bearings. Great value light weight disc wheels but the bearings don’t last at all in wet, muddy conditions.

Any idea what the bearing spec is? I’m reluctant to buy the ones from CRC as they will just be more of the same junk!

The primes are right up my street value wise but look a bit narrow?

Be a late fitness test for me tomorrow for Gt Harwood – feeling a bit rough past couple of days, loads to do. But racing is racing so hope to get out to it.

Great Harwood flatness isn’t going to suit me, so definitely going to bimble round on the radbike. Will be rooting it out of the attic this afternoon.

how about this? – needs a swapped freehub but still bloody cheap for a nice wheel (esp once youve re-used or sold the xd freehub)

https://www.bankruptbikeparts.co.uk/wheels-amp-wheelsets/29er-622-x-20-dt-swiss-xr-1501-spline1-mtb-rear-wheel-xd-hub-drive-quick-release-really-low-price-81482230

Ooof. Swamp. Very tired (how is that possible from 50mins effort?).

Took both bikes but radiator remained in the van – 32lb singlespeed with no mud clearance that you can’t shoulder would have been a very bad idea……

Steve had a good excuse for not riding 🙂

A 1/2hr charity fancy dress cx race for me today at a Swansea playing field. Great fun and really muddy. Got some of the Vittoria wets for Christmas and this was their first real test. Very very impressed, seemed much grippier than the pdx’s they replaced in corners and off-cambers. Stinking cold so not doing my planned proper race tomorrow- half think that makes m season over. Had planned to race tomorrow and on 20th of Jan but think my enthusiasm for hard efforts might be gone for now without a real race to get the motivation back after Christmas

Don’t call it a come back, but see you all at Macc Supercross tomorrow

Supacross asking some questions yesterday – legs felt decent but made a show of myself on some of the corners. On me backside a few times and wasn’t the only one. Mick_r showed me a clean pair of heels, couldn’t get in contention – looked like you had a good race.

Had a bike change but didn’t really think things through – one bike had a good set of tubs at the right pressure, but a bit of a dodgy drivetrain. The other had a perfect drivetrain but some ropey wheels with pressure too high at the front. Think I see a solution to this conundrum…

Felt rough to start, couldn’t get warm, couldn’t get heart rate up, threw up and bailed after 2 laps, went grey, had about 4 coats in trying to stop shivering, got home, went to bed, basically passed out, wife called 111, paramedics came out, temp of nearly 40, resting HR of 95, low SAT, 16 hours kip, trip to doctors, course of anti-biotics and a chest x-ray waiting on results, int cross brilliant

Glad you’re OK Steve – you looked pretty grey at the finish. I heard the commentary mentioning your sickness during the race.

I had a good time with constantly good racing against usual suspects. Many tail slide moments and an odd first lap when someone crashed directly in front on the straight – apologies if I got in g_l’s way whilst I tried not to trample the poor guy or his carbon wheels 🙂

Youngster happy enough with youth race.

Alison had a pretty rubbish race struggling with wrong tyres and too high pressures.

Eldest did a good one – well up in seniors and just knocked off the junior podium on last lap (6 laps compared to our 4 – ouch). All his training is aimed at the mtb season so that kind of ride without any speed work is encouraging for next year.

I’ll be fine in a week or so.

Mini me No.1 got 3rd in the U8 again, so all being well he’ll finish 3rd overall in the league at 6, so he’s got next year in it as well.

Great race at Battle of the Bing yesterday in Broxburn, think I’ve started to get the hang of this ‘pacing’ malarkey, started near the back and just went with the pack for the first half lap or so until some overtaking opportunities became too tempting, started moving up the field but tried not to exert myself too much.

Still got a bit ‘wheezy’ for a lap or two but just made a point of taking it easy on the three run-ups.

Basically actually used my head for a change, even managed to pip someone on the line after a decent sprint.

Tubeless and low pressures did not appear to be the wisest choice on a course with some long off camber pedals and a BMX track! Saw one guy burp a load of air with a big white puff round one of the berms, and passed my arch-nemesis who was walking after burping a load of air on the off-camber pedal. Latex tubes and 35psi for the win apparently!

Still wonder if I’m being a bit of an arse when overtaking (or trying to) in corners. I have no hesitation in sticking my nose up the inside (so to speak) whenever the opportunity presents itself, but would never instigate contact and always respect the rider in front’s line choice, i.e. if they close the door on me I’ll brake and back off. I just wonder if some folk dislike being ‘intimidated’ off their line by a big lummox on an MTB steaming up the inside…

Sounds like a good strategic race 13thfloor. I had a write-off myself – driving to N Wales to do Minera I was reflecting on what a great season it’s been for equipment – no major mechanicals…First lap puncture and then snapped my chain grinding the bike round the course for a wheel change! Sheeeitte. A puncture was in the post tbh, great old school course but an absolute tub killer with loads of rocky sections. Annoyed because I knew this but waiting on a freehub for a new tubeless rear wheel so didn’t have it to run.

You can defend / attack the line with abandon against anyone on the same lap as you AFAIK. That being said I see CX racing as being quite tiered – a NW one might have 80 blokes in V40 but really my race is against about 10 of them around my fitness / skill. e.g. I can do a strong start, when the mood takes me, which might put me one or even two tiers up. I’ll then get passed by quite a few stronger folk on the first lap and I won’t dispute any 50/50s with them as they’re not in my race really. When it’s lads who I’m more competitive with then that’s the time to bring out the elbows and shoulders contest the corners in a sportsmanlike manner.

It’s never that cut and dried of course – oftentimes you won’t know who’s trying to get past you.

@13thfloormonk Close racing is part of the joy of cx IMO, and passing people round corners is the best of it. Sounds like you are riding pretty courteously – I think some people are over aggressive though and I’ve had two races ruined this season by people trying to ride/run into gaps that didnt exist. My rule of thumb is that if the space is there go for it, but if you are goign to force someone into the tape or way off their line to make the pass its not really on.

Yeah that Garry_Lager is a right animal 🙂
🙂
I don’t mind people coming up the inside and most people generally leave enough space for you both to contest the sprint on the exit of the corner (which is half the fun).

So you didn’t fancy the drive and hilly course at Waddow then G_L? Properly brutal and good fun in a very nice private countryside setting. Steve looked a much healthier colour but sensibly not racing. Seemed a very polarising love / hate course with those that didn’t like it loosing big chunks of time.

I just wonder if some folk dislike being ‘intimidated’ off their line by a big lummox on an MTB steaming up the inside…

To be fair that’s generally how I ride / race, when I’m not kealling over and dying by the side of the track. So long as you don’t actually run into someone then all is good.

Waddow was even a killer for the kids, No.1 came out on top in the sprint for 2nd in the U8 by 3/1000 of a second, I hope someone got a photo. I wasn’t sure at the time, but he was adamant he was 2nd as he said he looked down as he crossed the line and his wheel was in front – someone has been watch it too much track cycling on YouTube. No.2 had a nice walk with a few involuntarily sit downs, but came home with a new mini cx bike from Beacon Bikes so he didn’t care.

So you didn’t fancy the drive and hilly course at Waddow then G_L? Properly brutal and good fun in a very nice private countryside setting. Steve looked a much healthier colour but sensibly not racing. Seemed a very polarising love / hate course with those that didn’t like it loosing big chunks of time.

Would have liked to have ridden Waddow, never been round there, although I don’t think I’d have done very well on a hilly course – too many kilos. Was there a lot of running at the weekend? The lead mines course in the N Wales series is worth making an exception for, though – really good.

Are you doing the last two NW races? I think I need to do one more to make it nine for the league placing. Looks like the penultimate one is back at BLakemere village now – didn’t find that course very engaging tbh first time round but it was quite dry. Could be a good supacross-type course with some weather on it.

Waddow had a proper big open grass climb – rideable first thing but tricky as very bumpy and tyre cloggy. Ended up ride – run(?) big middle bit – ride. Then further on a steep long embankment run. But some great downhills.

Will keep a look out for the lead mines course in future. Is there a Welsh race next weekend?

We’ve both got more than enough races in and my league position will only go one way now 🙂 Al wasn’t going to bother, but should get full points for Sunday so vet ladies might go right to the wire for once (which is good). Blakemere was half term so missed it last time. Been told Salford is a good course….

Sounds like Waddow was tough. There is a N Wales one this Sunday and it’s quite handy, never ridden it but it’s just above Wrexham. You have to pre-enter by Weds, though, so it’s not something you can make a decision on that morning.

The screams from third place because he lost that sprint even made my little tell him to stop being so soft! She came 19th in the under 8’s! Getting better, not last and not bad for a singlespeed. Brutal course for the under 8’s by any stretch. I enjoyed the race to be honest even managed to discover a new max heart rate. It’s my local area, used to teach scouts how to ride off road years ago at Waddow and my wife organises Brownie camps there every year! Good event just a shame it wasn’t better attended. First time on the front row too, but still suffering from the same cold I’ve had for the last 2 weeks so struggled a bit. Tyres are my main issue at the mo, no ones got any stock of any half decent mud tyre.

I’m looking forward to Blakemere to be honest it suited me pretty well with lots of intervals. It was raining for us at the end though so some slip slidey fun!

Word of warning to the U8 dads that time really flies with the kids – BenjiM now gets the pleasure of racing with my little boy 🙂

Rather shocked he was leading everyone on the second lap, and great to see just 10 seconds separating the top 3 juniors at the end.

Word of warning to the U8 dads that time really flies with the kids – BenjiM now gets the pleasure of racing with my little boy 🙂

Oh I fully expect to be getting battered by the time he’s about 15, I’ll be 50 by then though so all’s fair

Forget 15 Steve – think about 12.5 onwards …..

Yeah, none of those juniors have half a lifetime of pies and booze on them yet! No wonder they can get up the hills so damn quick! Fair play to the lad 🙂 Are you Preston/Penwortham based then Mick?

Went to school in Penwortham. Would love to live Bowland way one day….
You doing any midweek madness or crank it mtb races?

Probably not, we’ve just got the one car and my wife has it until 6pm. Plus other commitments like Brownies, Rainbows etc., would love to otherwise!

Entire family racing fixes that problem 🙂

Regarding the prime bearings, I knocked mine out a couple of weeks ago and the sizes are:

Front :6803-2RS
Rear : 15267-2RS

Finished off my CX season with a trip over the boarder for the Western League and Hartnam Park. Great venue with loads of close parking and a proper large cafe etc. Course was a grass field affair, twisting round a couple of fields on the endge of the stately home gardens. Not hugely technical but great to race on and with enough slip in the corners to require concentration.
Treated it as a family day out so I didn’t really warm up which mean the first few laps were a bit of a shock and it took a while to get HR up and up to speed. Surprisingly didn’t seem to effect my performance massively as I had a good race. Suprisingly for me, despite not being gridded, I actually had a good start because a bit of space opened up in front on the whistle and I made it into the top ten coming out of the start loop. Faded a bit, then made up some places in the twisty turns of the first couple of laps before settling into a position about 20s behind the guy ahead. Ended up 11th overall, 8th in category, which is a good result for me.
Despite illness and mechanicals marring the middle of the season and the regional champs, the last couple of races have made up for it and feels like I’ve had a decent. Got grand plans now to start training Mid Feb for next season 🙂

Sounds like a good result to finish off with ferrals – like the idea of getting fired into the CX training in Feb 🙂
It’s quite a long season isn’t it? We have two races left in the NW which will be 5 months racing overall. Seems to me that going in to the season really sharp might not be the best idea, as you’d be on your knees mid November. Saying that it’s the same names in the top ten week in week out so obv some people keep up a consistently high level.

Personally I sat on my aris most of the summer and found that paid dividends 🙂 First race was a definite WT-absolute-F is this, but that aside got into it quick – raced most weekends, avoided getting ill with colds etc, and still looking forward to the last two events. The calendar did get more spaced out second half, though, which probably helped to reduce the intensity.

Cheers 🙂

I reckon i was much fitter when I followed trainerroad religiously so aiming for a full base-build-speciality to early in the cx season. Means cx speciality mid august to mid october, build mid june to mid august and so base mid march to mid june. I heard on their podcast that if you have to miss a week they recommend starting by repeating the week you last completed so building in a month leeway seem sensible!

I think its good being a long season. The welsh season is really short, finishing mid december so if you get ill and miss a month (like I always do!) its a struggle to get back, luckily for me the western league isnt too much of a drive and that lasts till mid feb. Agree a spaced out calendar is better.. if only to avoid marital strife! 🙂

Blakemere this weekend for the penultimate round of the NWCCA, and it’s been lovely and wet round here for a few days now, that and bloody cold, so expect a mixture or half frozen mud that might thaw and turn into mud mud.

Hopefully No.1 won’t get lost this time and cab get on the podium again, No.2 son might even ride his bike for a whole race, or then again he might just take it for a walk again!!

See there’s a monster cross event on at Delamere in a few weeks Steve? 3 hr CX race, laps around 6K or so. Not raced that format before so quite fancy giving it a go [plus the forest should be a great venue].