That’s right folks, XC is coming! I almost remember what it was like to ride in just shorts and T-shirt….

So who’s racing what this year?

Hows the training going?

What are you goals?

Me – After a good start to the 2017 season racing Sport Cat that led to a well and truly pathetic end, I somehow managed to scrape into Expert category for 2018. Determined to improve on my weaknesses I started a training plan back at the beginning of October. My aim is to not come last! Fortunately a few guys I had some good races against in 2017 are also racing Expert this year so I’m hoping for more of the same close combat.

First race will be British Nationals at Sherwood Pines at the end of March. I plan to race all the national races as top priority. I’ll also try and do the Midlands Series again.

Look forward to seeing some STWers again this year

I’m racing although deferring to Marathons and have entered BeMC this year. I’ll still be riding Eastern Regionals in Vets as B races.

My goal, to improve my results & output to the point that proves paying for coaching was worth it. Hard to gauge that at the moment as I’m training anaerobically only so get tired after 45 minutes 😀

I’m having a play at next weeks Gorrick for specificity and volume only so it’ll be interested to see how I go, although I will be at the end of week 2 of a hard training block with no taper – not expecting to be competitive, just tired!

First regional race is at the end of Feb. Not expecting great things but I’ll be racing a familiar crowd so lets see If I’ve moved up on some of my peers this year.

Great timing on this thread, completely sick of winter!

I went and got myself a power meter (only for the road bike unfortunately) and a coach so the plan is to be fast(ish) this season and properly fast next year.

Should be racing Nationals and Midlands with a few fnss thrown in for good measure hopefully.

I can’t even imagine racing a mtb at the moment, everywhere flooded here today. Roll on spring!

Any xc racing I do this season will be for shits and giggles with no specific training. Having said that will tie in nicely with the build phase of TRainerroad. Not doing any series, might do the last national at the showground, otherwise just a couple of the Welsh series races though no dates or venues released yet. Find it hard to get excited without knowing when and where racing.

First round of the Nationals is at Sherwood Pines. I really like that course but had a bit of a nightmare last year. My race bike had an issue so ended up making a last minute decision to race on my Steel 45650B complete with Hans Damph and a reverb!

I think the Midlands series should be announcing venues soon. The dates are already out there.

I think the Midlands series should be announcing venues soon.

That reminds me to keep an eye on the midlands ones! Been meaning to race a couple of the ones nearer wales for a while. The one in the NT grounds with sandy soil looks a lot of fun.

Fields are massive too aren’t they?

I will do the usual, not train and just turn up at the southern’s and enjoy a bit of fun racing in the 4-lap open cat with the other not-fast-enough-for-vets, er vets.

ferrals – Member
I think the Midlands series should be announcing venues soon.
That reminds me to keep an eye on the midlands ones! Been meaning to race a couple of the ones nearer wales for a while. The one in the NT grounds with sandy soil looks a lot of fun.

Fields are massive too aren’t they?

525 at round 1 last year, including 83 Vets!

It got a bit smaller from there.

I’ll be doing the Midlands rounds that are on a Sunday again, The Run and Ride Series, Torq 12 and possibly go and get battered at the first National at Sherwood Pines.

So who’s racing what this year?

The whole first half of the year is focusing on the Euro 24hr solo champs in Slovakia, so I’m going to be doing marathon and XC type enduro events with the odd XC race thrown in like the Cannock ones and the Manchester Mid-week series.

After that it’ll a few weeks off and then spend the summer holidays riding with my eldest to build his strength and endurance up for next cross season.

Finally and if SWMBO buys into it, I’ll have another crack at Torq 12:12 in August.

Hows the training going?

It’s the first time I’ve ever really tried to structure something so the training is going well, not using anything like Trainer Road or Zwift (mainly as I haven’t got power or wifi in my shed and it’s too much hassle to get it there) but regular turbo sessions using GCN’s training videos, track sessions at least once a week and a local XC blasts with a longer ride each weekend, this will inevitably increase as the weather gets nice, coupled in with a couple of days commuting on a 108km round trip.

What are you goals?

Goal wise, I’d really like to podium in my age group (40-45) at the Euros and at Torq 12:12 where I was 5th Vet last year on my first trip to the venue, but now I know what to expect this should be achievable.

Yes the Midlands Series is bloody brilliant. I’d say they were even more competetive than the nationals. The size of the field is massive too, I think there were 60+ at one round in Sport Cat. The field seems to shrink a bit as the season goes on for some reason.

Dudmaston is the Sandy one. Absolute blast to race around, like a mini trail centre.

Well I dropped my Scalpel off for some TLC back in September at the LBS and I’m still waiting for it back. I’m getting a little nervous in all honesty. It had quite a list of things to be done – service lefty with new helicoil / rear shock / wheel rebuild / frame bearings / BB and headset etc. Last I heard was last week and was told that my lefty and shock was with TFTuned and should be back at some point this week. I rang TFTuned and they had no record of having my stuff yet.

I’m hoping that the NEXCMTB series will start up again this year but I know that the original organiser was looking for someone else to take the reigns. If that hasn’t happened I suspect that the series will grind to a halt which would be a real shame as it was always well run, well attended and if it goes under, there’s very little/nothing else in the way of XC racing in the NE.
I did OK in my local series last year (3rd, 4th and 5th – scraping in an overall 2nd place Vets on points) so training is underway on the off-chance the series lives on, but it’s mainly on the turbo until the weather gets better. Spending hours churning away in the slop of a North East winter doesn’t motivate.

Dudmaston, thats the one, no further for me than some of the wlesh rounds.

I’d say they were even more competetive than the nationals. The size of the field is massive too, I think there were 60+ at one round in Sport Cat.

Sounds good. Field in general harder than the nationals or just the pointy end – I’m 3/4 way down field in nationals sports cat. Can always enter open but i always figure best to get as many laps for your money as possible!

I say they were more competetive, I guess I mean the field was just so much bigger. I tended to beat the same percentage for people at the nationals compared to the midlands but that could have bagged me a 4th at the nationals and a 10th at the Midlands.

There’s bigger points available at the nationals and there’s less people to beat to get them too.

I placed better for the overall National Series than I did for the Midlands.

I think the NE XC league is coming back or so my sources tell me. Hope so as I was planning on racing some offroad.

We need to invest in more letters as a region though as I find it confusing. NECCL, CDNE, CXNE, NEXC, NDCA…

Entered the Brass Monkeys 4hr Enduro on Sunday if that counts? Singlespeed category, should be quite a change from time trialling.

Brass monkey fat bike 3 hour on Sunday, desperately zwifting to try and get some fitness!

I think the NE XC league is coming back or so my sources tell me. Hope so as I was planning on racing some offroad.
We need to invest in more letters as a region though as I find it confusing. NECCL, CDNE, CXNE, NEXC, NDCA…

That sounds promising, hopefully all of the time I’m spending in the turbo dungeon won’t be wasted.
I agree with you on the acronyms, especially the NDCA – still, I’m going to have to catch up with my training for the National Dance Council of America!

Well I dropped my Scalpel off for some TLC back in September at the LBS and I’m still waiting for it back. I’m getting a little nervous in all honesty. It had quite a list of things to be done – service lefty with new helicoil / rear shock / wheel rebuild / frame bearings / BB and headset etc.

WTF are they doing, hand crafting the parts from unicorn horn?

Planning on getting back into racing properly after taking last year off. Racing Experts again this year in the Nationals and the Midlands, and training has been going well so hopefully will pull in some decent results.
Goals are to get solidly inside the top 20 at Nationals, hopefully a top 15 or a super push goal of a top 10.

Serious question – my coach has asked me to think about aiming for Nationals in 2019 – is there a “level” (position?) in Regional that kind of needs to be achieved before considering a National entry?

Or do I let me coach me almost to death and just enter and do my best? 🙂

You guys get an early race season start, here in Southern Sweden we have to wait until the very end of April for the season start.

My focus this year is on the largest Southern Sweden race series called the X-Cup, normally 7 rounds of XC racing at different venues. It’s the most popular series in Sweden and has a good selection or courses. Open racing and hour long with minimal classes.

Then I’ll do the Mitsubishi MTB Challenge rounds that are within a 4 hour drive from my house, XC Marathon racing.

Keeping the S-Works Epic WC for another season at least, was tempted to change but blown all my funds on the new Parlee road build. Just need to get the dampers serviced, seem ok but they’re 2 yeasr old now so I guess I need to be certain everythings ok.

@ steve_b77 – Yea I hope so! Not impressed….

@ Schmiken – No doubt I’ll regularly see you on the start line! Go easy on me.

@ Kryton – Why next year? Get stuck into them this year! I did better at the nationals compared to the regional races. The national courses are top class and the whole event / weekend is just ‘bigger’

Kryton – Why next year?

No time left and too late in my marathon plan to deviate this year.

Kryton – could be the coach does not want to jeopardise the marathan focus. Could be he wants you to focus on regionals to build ranking points that will help gridding for Nationals. I would argue a National helps sharpen the form, gain valuable experience (especially useful if heading to some of the big euro marathons). Plus they are great fun.

My plans for 2018? After a complete ‘mare of 2017 (from late June to November I spent a total of 24 days on antibiotics, 35 days on steroids, five trips to GP investigating breathing difficulties, one referral to respiratory clinic, and on fourth type of inhaler). From July I basically stopped training, racing was a massive struggle and a possibly health risk due to uncontrolled asthma and did my head in!

I’m back now and have been training for the last six weeks to try and get fit again. Racing the Gorrick this weekend to see where I’m at, but aim to complete in the Southerns, some Nationals, the Nat Champs, Torq 12, Big Dog and maybe Pivot 12 (team) or the Ride London again. I would like to ride a Midlands race as well, they always get rave reports. Also looking forward to riding my bike in the Lakes in late August (fell off at Big Dog smashing my legs which made riding very tricky).

So who’s racing what this year?

Shifting my focus to marathons this year (from XCO) after reasonable showing (top 10) at the national marathon champs and the MB ultra in France. I’ll still be racing a lot of XCO though, keeps the legs sharp and I enjoy the chatting and camping as much as anything.
Main events:
– Club LaSanta 4 day stage race in Lanzarote – approaching worryingly quickly
– Roc Laissagais marathon (UCI series)
– Tiliment marathon (European champs)
– Roc d’Ardenne
– Alps Bike Festival La Clusaz (UCI series)
– MB Race Chamonix (UCI series)
– National Marathon champs on the IOM
– Big Dog (solo most likely)
– BeMC marathon (Belgium)
– Grand Raid Verbier (UCI series)
– Torq in Your Sleep (probably 6hr solo)
– La Forestiere marathon (UCI series)
– Extreme sur Loue marathon
– Tide to Tide (maybe)
– La Tramun marathon Girona (the singletrack marathon!)

I’ll also do the national XC series, national XC champs, most of the Gorricks, some Southerns and Easterns, and maybe fit some road racing in there somewhere.

Hows the training going?

Fairly well actually, I’ve managed to avoid the massive dip during January exams this year, and hitting all time power records, so if I can keep it consistent I might be decent. Or burn out, who knows. I’ll be well and truly put in my place in a couple of weeks when I get my arse kicked by the pros in Lanzarote.

What are your goals?

I’ve got a far fetched dream of qualifying for the world marathon champs, which is why I’m doing all the travelling to the world marathon series events. Doing well enough to qualify will be bloody hard though.
I’d like to finish the 140km MB race (only managed the 70 last year), fingers crossed for dry weather otherwise it’ll be miserable.
Breaking into the top 5 at national marathon champs would be mint, although I’ll have to be on the best climbing form of my life to get near that.
Eastern regional XC champ for another year would be nice too.

I got tired typing that much so god knows how I’m going to deal with all that racing!

is there a “level” (position?) in Regional that kind of needs to be achieved before considering a National entry?

Other than the travelling, what reason would you have for not doing them? (Usually) more exciting courses than the Eastern rounds, better competition, entry isn’t any more expensive. You won’t come last, guaranteed, and no-one will laugh even if you do.

No time left and too late in my marathon plan to deviate this year.

If you’re happy with racing a national without any kind of taper, they’re quite a good addition to a marathon programme. Just think of it as an especially highly motivated interval session, and you can always do 20 practice laps on the Saturday if you need to get the hours in

ernie – Member

Racing the Gorrick this weekend to see where I’m at

What category? We could get a Renvale train going if you’re in the 4hr (assuming Tim’s doing it too)

What bikes will everyone be racing on this season ?
I have my heart set on a scott spark 900 rc team but funds not available till March so holding out till then.

<span style=”color: #444444;”>I have my heart set on a scott spark 900 rc team </span>

Sorry to tell you – one of those 😀  You know Pedalon have 15% off until next Wednesday and you can get buy now pay 12 months later?   If you know you’ll have the funds in March it may be worth picking one upon – thats £554 discount.

I’ll be racing my heavily modified Spark 720.

Well I’m gonna race as many of the Midweek Madness series as possible.

I don’t have a proper XC bike but have got some X-Kings coming for my Solaris and will dig out some SPDs. Anything else I should consider changing on a typical trail bike build?

Last race of 2017 (also my only race of 2017) I was 4th in the lower cat but there was a poor turn out – so I’ll be hoping to get in the top five when there’s a bigger field.

I’d like to try some longer events, but not really sure what’s out there TBH.

I’m doing all the MSG rounds

2 rounds of the Nationals, Sherwood Pines and Phoenix Bike park

National Champs at Hadleigh

Expecting to get my arse proper kicked at the Nationals

There’s no Spark WC’s in stock anywhere anyway, so keep saving!

FNSS is where its at… may do the odd national and an eastern or 2

Not really racing in 2018 as no statutory sick pay

Might do 24:12 and torq

I’ll be racing my Orbea Oiz (started life as the M10 but I’ve changed plenty on it), I just need to sort out the proper rats nest of cables at the front end (Brakes, rear mech, lockouts x2 and a dropper do not a neat front end make) and I’ll be a lot happier with it!

My main focus is holiday racing this year.

Algarve Bike Challenge

Moab Rocks

BC Bike Race

training, I have some intervening events, there is Brass Monkeys this weekend, a CX Sportif in February, the Dyfi Enduro, Wicklow 200 sportif, Big Dog and 12:12. And that will do me.

may do some other stuff.

hows it going at the moment. – Rubbish

Bike – full suss 29er with 120 forks and a dropper post.

Planning on dabbling in a few XC races in Scotland this year. Having never done a proper XC race before, it may be a baptism of fire! I’ll see how I get on at the first SXC at Glentress and take it from there. Any words of wisdom for a newbie? Any others racing in Scotland? Looking forward to the Mountain time trial at Innerleithen in March. An XC event which is being run at the infamous Golfie this year! Should be an interesting event!

No structured training for me. Just commuting, weekend riding and trying to do some midweek offroad night rides at a higher pace into the mix. Goals are not to come last and hopefully to enjoy it!

Welsh XC series dates announced… and I’m starting to think I might race more than a couple 🙂

So Wessex league cross finishes up this week – anyone recommend a central Southern XC series I can bring a couple of boys along too (U10, U12 cats) with a ‘hanging on at the back’ category for me?

Don’t actually have an mtb thats ‘raceworthy’ at the moment (chubby plus rigid bike and a T129 lump) but thats a minor issue 🙂