ORRL time again today.
No warm up, no sighting lap in the week, and probably some other things equalled no chance.
Off the back towards the end of the 1st, then plodded round until the peleton lapped me on their last lap.
I think everyone else who got dropped stopped soon after as I only saw one person to ride with briefly before they pulled out…

Nice one Ch! Hoping to be back on the 18th. Shit day at work took the wind out of my sails!
Hopefully will be fresh from Wallingford crit on the 16th….

22nd.. yeyyy!

Any idea when results for Tuesday’s go up? I’ve checked BC over and over…!

Also not entirely sure they would squeeze through the brakes in a propel…

Will try that one one day CH when feeling heroic…!
As for big tyres I do like the 28s on my Cayo- don’t seem to be any slower but more comfortable and should be a bit more grippy…!

CH- 25mm Schwalbe pro ones, tubeless, both just under 90 on the dial so probably 88psi. Im currently around 84kg + kit….usually run a hair under 100 for road races in the dry.

I saw a guy with an “interesting” green/ neon yellow kit…I guess that’s the one! You wouldn’t lose it in the car park, that’s for sure!!
I liked the track…first ride on my race bike in the wet though! Will be interested to see how it compares in the dry.
Will keep an eye on BC for results!

CH, seems we simultaneously posted….I’m sure I will see you at the next one after your test…(social secretary permitting! Definitely hoping to make a couple more by the end of this season)

Crosshair, apologies I didn’t confirm my attendance! I was in a blue and red Morvelo top on a black and red propel. But you wouldn’t have seen much of me by the sound of things!
I mainly surfed around the back with a few moves up around the top 3rd on the straights, then pretty much right back after a corner. I was shitting myself cornering today…I even got told by an older guy to get in the middle instead of sitting at the back..! Felt at one almost with the pack at Dalton a couple of weeks ago, not at all today!
Still really enjoyed it, I just need to be less shit!
Think I moved up on the last straight to low 20s maybe in the sprint. How high do they go with placings there?
Awesome write up as per usual too…!

Cool! Haven’t entered in advance but providing it isn’t super wet I will be there…
I’m (hopefully!) Reliably informed there isn’t any issue signing up on the night

Anyone doing thruxton this Tuesday?

Gratuitous strava link..
http://www.strava.com/activities/1040514549/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1497697829

Most of the corners were a case of briefly stop pedalling rather then any complex moves. Probably the tightest would have been the right turn before the left/left then finish straight. There was a couple of bits of contact there I think and a crash maybe 2 laps from the end.
Otherwise they were all pretty quick…the right after the back straight caught a couple out as the signs/ arrows and tape made it quite tight, quite late.
Think I forgot to say also, they announced an hour +2. I’m sure we did an hour +3, I was super gutted when I thought we were done and had to do another lap!!!

First crit at Dalton today…ORRL#6.
(Disclaimer, this write up will be rubbish compared to the above!)
It was 20+° by 0930 according to weather apps, it was scorching, and fairly still, a bit of a treat given the open airfield.
Field was about 60 or so 2/3/4. I was in the first third by the time everyone had kicked off. First 2 or 3 laps were pretty intense!
Around halfway/ 30 mins for some reason I was off the back on the mileish back straight but pulled it back in. Think this is a combination of focus and needing to work on corners, as a short sprint usually had me back in and I could skip up places fairly easily in the bunch. I can’t really remember the order or events but there were 2 crashes fairly close to me, I think both times I was in the middle of the pack (I know TiRed! Sorry), had to take evasive action for one but got back in touch.
Also on the long back straight I found myself to the left of 2 or 3 others on the front, the break was a bit closer than it had been previous and I felt good so put a little charge in. Took a few others with me who I think made it onto the break, then ran out of power so back to the bunch for me. A couple of hairy close calls here and there with people shifting in front of me unexpectedly but all avoided disaster.
On a right after the long straight I must have upset someone, I was in space so pedalled round the outside going slightly wider then someone cut right back inside across the front of me, I think I shat it and said wooah/ bloody hell! Or similar and copped a mouthful about outside lines or something. Not entirely sure what message I was supposed to take away but had we touched it would certainly have been the pair of us bouncing down the road…!
I really enjoyed it though and was pleased to finish my first crit in the bunch. Hoping to get some cat4 crits in before too long….!

Phoned home insurance company, told them what I wanted and they called back 15 mins later, £25 admin charge on top of existing policy to cover £9k of kit away from home, and amateur racing. Win!

Cheers for the tips guys, much appreciated.
I don’t have vcds but having looked it up I imagine he will..! I shall start by looking up starter motors. It’s been (touch wood!!) Pretty hassle free for about 8 years so I can’t complain too much.

What would be a mountain bikers cross bike…?

Spent some time on the phone with pedalcover a few days ago. They cover sportives and TTs but specifically NOT road racing and crits.
Can’t remember the MTB situation off hand, it isn’t an issue for me.

Anyone rate a pedal cover alternative with racing cover? Spoke to PC but fairly keen on race cover

Another update from me…. ORRL #4 at Arncott yesterday.
Think I need to work on my explosiveness as I thought I was sitting well around halfway in the pack (I know TiRed says top third, next time!) However around 2/3 of the way round the first lap (7 and a bit laps, 55m) I found myself off the back with 4 or 5 others and didn’t even see it happening..stuck out 5 laps together but ultimately it was nice training miles at a reasonable pace.
Outlasted a couple of guys I stopped with at the first road round so I’m claiming that as a (very) small win. Looking forward to the next flatter round which may suit me a little more and also the criteria following that, will be my first. May try and see if I can get a cat4 a thruxton before that to get settled in.
Cheers for the thread guys, very motivating!

I like free…!

Cheers crosshair, will give that a try!

Random BC question….my events page always comes up with an error so I can’t see what upcoming events I have entered. Does this happen to anyone else or just me…?
Thanks!

TiRed, as usual, thanks for the advice. I missed the Abingdon winter series, which would have been invaluable, getting in an hour or so of TTT practice a week, always room for another I guess! Might just get back on trainerroad next week too…

Oh, forgot to ask, any top tips for 2 weeks to make improvements??
I guess I can’t train for being comfortable in the bunch, I’d settle for being 10kg lighter though…

First RR for me today, round 2 of the Oxfordshire league. 4 and a bit laps for some, 1 for me!
I floated around the back as I figured most others would know what they were doing. Then after a quick speed up over a rise into a sharp descent the pack started to split a bit, a few wobbles/ punctures in front spread the back out a bit more, then I was left a little back with 3 or 4 others. We got about 30m off the back then they accelerated around a bend and didn’t see the pack again! I powered on for a minute or 2 in a wasted effort then was by myself…caught a couple of guys limping back with punctures and that was my day…
Despite only making around 20% of the race, I quite enjoyed it…

I’ve got 25s and 28s on my roadies….pretty happy with both. Tubeless was nice and easy…

Did my first TT today (on the propel, no TT bike for me) and first ride on the Propel, local-ish at Hanborough hilly.
Think I loved and hated it in equal measure…! Was quite hilly and don’t think i paced myself too well as I didn’t have much left in the tank for the hills on the 3rd (of 3) laps.
I also missed a turn and did 2 extra miles..!
16th of 24, could have been worse, and if I did the same course as everyone else may have been a couple places higher. Next time…

TiRed, thanks for the heads up (again!), It sounds like I may be better off with the schwalbe then..I’ve got the 28mm pro ones on my focus (discs hence the propel purchase) which i like, so may well stick with those….Decisions, decision…!

25’s fit fine. Most 28s will not go under the straddle wire for the brake. I’ve not tried my Schwalbe G One Speed (30c but really a 28 on Ksyriums). That said, the Giant rims are wider, and 25c Vittoria Open Corsa G+ come out as almost as wide and are lovely to ride on. I raced over some miserable Surrey Roads on mine on Saturday, and they were a fabulous (and popular) choice).

Cheers TiRed! Just looked up the corsas….Holy moly they don’t come cheap in tubeless..!

Cheers TiRed…no issue with 25s on propels is there?
And I’m guessing 28s is wishful thinking….
Cheers!

Can anyone advise the current STW 25mm tubeless tyre of choice for such bicycles…?
Ta!

Also curious as to the team issue bike….!

Some interesting, and horrifying stories up there! Congrats though guys!
I guess here is a good a place as any to ask..Is there any reason not to pick up a propel for this sort of thing?
Thanks in advance!

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.

Instagram is owned by Facebook isn’t it? I understand they (FB) often aren’t interested in supporting investigations.
Sorry, I know that doesn’t help much in the first instance…Instagram should pull it though?

Ok, I’ll have a bite on this one….
The taseree could have not been an idiot and it would have been over, without incident in seconds.
The use of force is justified by the individual officer- we don’t know who the person they thought he was is, if he was outstanding for murder or something then it would not be entirely unreasonable due to his capability…
The wording regarding arrest could have been a bit clearer…
Regarding the barb in the face, I wouldn’t have thought that was intentional, as far as I am aware it is usually aimed at the torso.

Scaredypants, I was trying them separately with the app only open on one. It looks it should’ve bless to do one of each however…

Tom I thought TR might be a little more structured, I imagine I will change between the 2 every few months.
And for tricky, the cyclescheme helps justify the cost…!

Does this work on everything in the store?