Tempting Nath, but put quite a lot of work in this winter preparing for a season of time trialling, don’t really want to get too distracted with road racing. My old diesel engine is not really suited to it, I’ve not trained for it, I’ll likely be a bit rubbish at it. I’ll definitely come and play at a few rounds though 🙂

Best of luck with the job hunting.

Hmmmm. Fair enough if you don’t want to mess up your TT training but there’s a wee dram of modesty there me thinks 😆

You’re not that far off of just TTing off the front if you counter-attack a hard break attempt….

Gray, get signed up and come give the Aeroad a good thrashing

Heh, I would like to give it a go one day. Current excuses are:

1. I’m really not fast enough.
2. A crash now could snap the rods / screws in my spine. Better to wait until they’re out I think.
3. I don’t yet have a date for the removal surgery, so if I sign up for something then sod’s law suggests that timing won’t work out.

@myblobby thanks! Could treat it as a training session. You may even get hooked more than TT’ing! 😆

@gray 😮 Sounds nasty!!

I’ve got pre race nerves now 🙂

Good luck chaps! I’m currently on the turbo doing a 90 minute TrainerRoad session…

I didn’t realise there was 80 people in the 4th cat race!!! 😥

Is that bad ?

Seems like loads?!

A lot wider than Hillingdon though.

Just gives you more people to blow away with your speed!

Normal tactics of sitting in and doing nothing for 35-40 mins may have to be addressed though. At Hillingdon there’s a lot less folk to overtake to get into the top positions 😆

I’m going to have to go rouge on my little book of tactics tomorrow 😐

I don’t think 80 started Rd2? If they did- I ticked off more than I thought 🙂

You’ll be fine Nath- you’ll get straight to the front every time the bunch slows into the wind with your new aero-ness 😉

80 is a big field for 4th Cat. Some places that have those sorts of numbers for the 4ths will split the field and have 2 races instead, which is IMO a sensible policy. More fun for those taking part, more points available and probably a bit safer too.

Ouch, sprint finish was brutal!!!

Did you win?

Haha no! Almost got dropped today the 16-18mph winds were brutal!

Weighted average power was FAR more than I wanted it to be @268w!!!!!

I did an attack though, that was fun. I’ll let CH do his write up first 🙂

Happy with the setup on the bike, no achey knees or back!!!

I see my mate Martin won, great result for him!

Awaiting the write up 🙂

I was racing the 4s at Abingdon today too. I was caught in a poor position coming into the last lap and had to bury myself to hang on. Overtook quite a few coming up to the finish line though probably top 20. I was going to try some attacks today but didn’t feel great in the wind!

@rawka I was number 8 – the guy in blue with a Rapha cap on. What bike were you on/ number?

Just been hacking away at the steerer. I’ve now got exactly 10mm of steerer showing above the stem. So this will give me the option to raise it another 5mm should I need to:

So final position is 15mm under and 15mm over:

Number 32 I think. I was on my winter hack, a white Eastway.

Only just got back from my meeting!

There’s not too much to say this week. My routine was ok although my head was already thinking about the meeting. The start caught me out a little, Nath and I thought we had more time to warm up and nipping back to ditch my coat meant I forgot to pop a gel. (I’m sure 111 calories of sugar made the difference 😆 )

I hung out at the back with Nath for the early laps when we were cruising along at an easy pace. But my drafting was off again. I still don’t feel comfortable right in the pack. It was also really hard to find shelter at the two main headwind spots- to get the best position, you really needed to switch sides half way around.

I find at Abingdon that there are so many possible lines on the wide course for each corner, that you get people flying in at all angles.

Anyway, I was yo-ying away at the back and then working a lot harder than last time to try and move up before the pace ramped up.

Eventually it did ramp up and unfortunately, I was near the back once more at the time.
There was no grace, ceremony or maybes about it, I was shelled out like a bad nut in the Wonka factory 😀

Anyway, I had a naïve hope I could get back on when the bunch slowed into the wind but it was taking 460-500w just to maintain the same gap!

So, I sat up and waited. Timing it well, I got back on.
I slid through the bunch until I found Nath.

Me- “Alright Nath?”
Nath- “Yeah, you ok?”
Me- “I got lapped!”
Nath- “Ah naw!” 😀

Anyway, my heart and legs weren’t in it. I always feel bad bossing a position when I’ve been lapped as I don’t feel I deserve to be there so a lap and a half later, I slipped out the back once more.
I carried on, but it didn’t take long until the 2 to go sign came out and we were asked to pull over.

Which meant I got to watch Nath’s awesome Sprint finish 🙂

🙂

So that wind was brutal and I spent far too much time in it!!! At about 35? mins the bunch seemed to split in half and I very nearly went with the wrong half. Took a lot of effort to stay with the lead pack (bridging a gap that came out of nowhere on my own) – this is where my sit in the back 1/3 for 35 mins nearly cost me dearly!

Once I’d caught the group it took a couple of laps to catch my breath, before me and a bearded guy went for a silly attack (I find this the easiest way to get to the front few riders). Okay adrenaline pumping now as we are caught in the ridiculous headwind – not bothered just want to stay in the front. Heading down the straight (Southbound on the map) I found myself at the front and on the inside – perfect! Managed to get through the two left hand corners and went for it, 60 seconds of pain and it’d all be over. I stuck on the inside, which in hindsight I should have followed them and tried to get past in the last few meters, but I was knackered and not thinking straight.

Here’s the last 60 seconds 😆

Anyway I looked up after the finish line and counted 7 riders in front. CH confirmed.

8th pending confirmation, 2 more points to go!!

That screen grab is great!!! I reckon I’d have had to do 700w for a minute to stick with you!!

I told you I was tired at the end of that one, now I know why 😆

So happy with no knee & back pain!!

Now to try a 120mm stem 🙄

Nice work, chaps! I’m impressed.

Nice to get a better chat with you today Tiim, sorry I nipped off, I wanted to congratulate Nath before he started doing sprints or intervals or whatever he usually does as a cool down 😆

Reading about your races counts as training right?

My first race is next weekend and once again the weather was far too shit to do any cycling today so reading this is my race training…

Where you racing crazy? Abingdon with them boys?

No, the Eddie Soens! My plan is simply to hold on as long as possible which I suspect will be half way at best.

Problem is that up north we have nothing like the early season crits that London has with Hillingdon, Redbridge & Cyclopark. But it’s good to read about how everyone is getting on.

Well, I may as well use this thread to come clean. I was going to keep it as a shock purely for entertainment for Crosshair.

But I’m in next Saturday at Abingdon. I paid up my British Cycling membership and entry for the race last night after riding and chatting about it.

I have very very few expectations outside of turning up and hanging on until I can give no more and my legs, lungs and heart call it a day.

Tactics are an alien concept to me, as is group riding and group etiquette. But I’m big, strong and have a pair of lungs.

I’ll be riding my borrowed Isaac carbon thing and running gp4000s in 23 as my frame doesn’t fit anything bigger lol.

Its simply one of them things for me to tick off the list of ‘must do’ type things.

I didn’t sleep at all last night after making this decision and had random bike racing dreams all night.

I’m not going to do anything too scientific this week in preparation, my plan is to rest Sunday and Monday, ride Tues and rest weds Thurs and Fri. I’m not convinced I can improve my fitness in a week, but in over training I could potentially lower my chances of completing it.

Crumbs! I better buy a new bike and taper for this weeks race then 😆

Welcome to the club weeksy! 🙂

For a race on Saturday my week is normally
Sunday – leg spin Z2/3 max
Monday – rest
Tuesday – random intervals
Wednesday – sweet spot
Thursday – Zwift pre race day workout (leg opener)
Friday – rest
Saturday – race

But best not to overthink any of it. I built it up in my head thinking it would be TDF, but just take a deep breath and don’t overreact to anything/hold your line and you’ll be fine.

Are you joining on Tuesday night?

Next weekend I have no chance of getting points – I’m out on Friday for a friends birthday. It’s at a pizza place – I won’t be drinking but still be a late one. 🙁

Now we just need to persuade mr bloggs to have a go 🙂

Tues is likely buddy yes.

Now we just need to persuade mr bloggs to have a go

That me with a bit of auto correct? I’m in for Saturday (with a fair weather proviso!)

This week is last week of a hard block of work, may have an easy spin Friday but not expecting there to be too much in the legs. Will be fun though 🙂

Looking at Martin’s ride for the win, rode it well, looks like he kept it clean till the finish. I shall debrief him in he office on Monday! Good result for him, looks like a winter of CX racing has payed off. And his club do regular road race style training rides too which sound ideal for crits.

@mrblobby – no it’s Joe, he came to watch a few Hillingdon races.

Abingdon has totally different tactics to Hillingdon, after realising that a few minutes into the race and nearly getting dropped I’m over the moon to come out with my 2 points 😆

So in next week is:
Me
CH
Weeksy
Mrblobby
Tiim?
Rawka?
Tomvet?

Cheeky request, anyone got a spare pair of SPD (mtb) pedals I could borrow (or buy if they’re cheap ones).

Missus just got her first pair of spd spinning shoes and wants to have a go on Zwift on her bike/get used to clipping in and out.

I’m sure I have some in the parts bin you could have if you can wait till Saturday.

Cheers @mrblobby. CH has me covered now 🙂

Sounds like a few local(ish) to Abingdon…I’m a few miles away. Was poised to enter until I forgot UCI were behind the times with the whole disc brake thing….Hopefully will have a bike sorted for the next series in the summer there.

Yes I am in for Abingdon next week, just had a hard weekends riding did about 115 miles with 11000ft of climbing, going to need to back off a bit this week I think . Once Abingdons out the way I need to work on my endurance before the 237km tour of Flanders route.

Nath – If I come I’ll be on a bike, but it will have a motor 😉 Spectating only.

(stw lurker)