As Crashtestmonkey says it was chaos on the start line! The Commissaires wanted to grid the Western league women as per normal in amongst the V50 and all other women at the back… erm you have advertised a £400 prize fund for the winning Senior woman and people have travelled in excess of 2 hours for the event. There was a bit of a kick up by some ladies, the commies then asked the regular western league ladies their opinion.. clearly they weren’t going to say anything after the mini mutiny!!! So they agreed to start us all 1 minute behind the V50.

Very disappointing behaviour just before the start, as a result I won’t be going back to race Love Crossed until it becomes a stand alone event. Tang does a stirling event along with James Lowsley-Williams, Le Col etc but it isn’t growing in size due to the old school manner of running the race that the Western league (which is a small league) has. It’s a shame as it has the potential to be an fabulous event.

The organiser does have the power to run gridding how he wants, every league is different and there is nothing in CX rules to say it has to be done X way. At the Central league last race of the season pretty much ALL the normal top 7 riders got bumped down to 2nd row due to loads of high flying interlopers, not one has an issue as quite rightly those top 7 interlopers all finished in the top 10.

Thanks for everything you are trying to do Tang I’ve enjoyed racing there the last 3 years. Next year Bogense for me (not racing though) ;-)

I’ve been to Morzine/Les Gets AND Crested Butted (but not Moab) .

Crested Butte is one of the most amazing places to ride, however it is more XC adventurous old school MTBing. So long days out into the countryside with no trail facilities. We were there in June and so were carrying 6 litres of water, 3 in a bladder, than another 3 frozen in bottles in the bag. Yes it’s an altitude but we adapted pretty quickly within the first ride and had no issues however everyone is different.

Very different to the Alps but amazing! feel free to ask away with questions.

Anyone got any course updates for LoveCrossed on weekend? Ie conditions can you get away with one bike or is it a 2 biker? Thanks in advance

@Thomthumb sounds like you had fun! What did you race in the end? We had epic snowy conditions up in Misterton and had a brilliant race.

ThomThumb Abingdon is a great course and drains well but there are NO facilities there its on an airfield with 2 portaloos. There’ll be loads of good pubs nearby in Botley and surrounding villages if you google I don’t know any specific but it’s known to be a nice area for pub grub.

If you want something to solely keep you dry then it is the Gore Shake Dry or Castelli Idro (equivalent).

You don’t need Premium memberships for it to sync. I have a new account set up about 2 weeks ago basic free app and it’s linked to my GarminConnect. All works well.

the key is when you say “really foul weather” what do you mean? IT’ll simply keep you dry or something that is warm AND dry.

IF you want dry alone then you have to look at Castelli Idro or Gore Shake Dry jacket however these are shells that will allow you to breathe and keep you dry. If you want something more durable and warmer then all the various suggestions above Paramo you’ll just get too hot in unless PROPERLY cold.

So did anyone else race the Nationals CX champs at Hetton this weekend?

Oh my god it was mental! What a brilliant weekend I raced Elite women and I’m far from Elite! If it is an Elite race you are never going to have more than about 5 women in it at the moment. We need to increase participation and with that we will get a better race. As already discussed if Evie Richards had chosen to race elite she can never go back to U23. IT was a brutal but awesome course to ride and the crowds were mega.

now who has the photo of the person in the dinosaur outfit who nearly had me off my bike laughing mid race!?

Exactly Dickyboy so we refused to go! £80 each for food passengers is a complete pi** take!!

Crashtestmonkey and I wanted to go to La Gomera to do a ride that was in Cyclist Magazine when we were out in Tenerife earlier in the year. SO we pedaled to ferry to suss out tickets ready for the following date, route plotted etc… they wanted £80 EACH for a flipping return ferry ticket as a foot passenger. I mean WTAF They are trying to promote environmentally friendly ways of traveling and you think we are going to pay £80 each for a return ticket when I’m on a push bike… you’re having a LAUGH!!!

So be warned stupidly expensive.

sudocream … no just no that stuff is disgusting!

Charlie’s Happy Bottom bum butter the best!

How about this one?
http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/review-madison-addict-3-layer-storm-jacket/

Adams family is THE best bit of trail centre single track I’ve ever ridden I whoop and holler every time I ride it! especially Lurch!

I’d do the Beast with the fire road slog taken out, takes in the best of all bits of the trails.If you get time as it should only take about 3hours then head back to cafe for cake then over other side of the road to do Tarw Du..

Cycle Active do a variety of locations.

MTB Kerala – India

don’t recommend sierra cycling or as it’s now renamed Sierra MTB ;-)

Mrs Butcher you could do what Lovelo do for Crossmas and build a bridge like the Belgians do .. 18th December it’s coming back ….awesomez as the kids say ;-)

Further update regarding Crashtestmonkey he’s been a right superhero this week .. he saved a bird trapped in our bird feeder by using wire cutters to let the wee baby escape!

Hereo’s don’t just wear capes ;-)

Seriously though great news regarding Eddie getting his bike back. Happy riding all x

@Thomthumb ha ha yes there should be a lap counter board out every lap, normally after leaders have completed 2 laps it will go up. It will tell you how many left. Normally one side where Commies are standing doing number counting.

Crosstober looked like a good course watching in on S4C last night, shame I didn’t make it home but Dai and his team did a flipping brilliant job by the looks of things!

Thomthumb don’t you have a chain catcher? 8O always amazed how many people don’t!

And the lap boards I use though rather than time elapsed as so often you can race so much more or less.

Clement PDX are flipping brilliant as all round tyres, they are actually my mud tyres (clinchers) and I love them. highly recommended.

Ferrals I spoke to Cyclopaedia in Cardiff (presuming you know them from Welsh league) and they seemed to think that if you aren’t a heavy person or a heavy rider (i.e. who crashes into things) then the best investment is latex tubes instead and you only lose something like 2watts from not running tubs. Im like you keep thinking about it but I’m earning less now. I weight maybe 59kg but am a light rider and so far touch wood in 3 seasons of coming back to CX never had a puncture. So that’s what I’m going to try.. I’m sure crashtestmonkey will post on here if it all goes wrong tomorrow ;-)

OOO Crashtestmonkey has disappeared from the thread probably as he is maybe on day 3 of gluing his tub.. and it’s his first time.. I daren’t ask!

If you aren’t enthusiastic and aren’t jumping at the opportunity you clearly don’t want it enough.

Oh wow all the pics I had seen was off muddy welsh buddy CX bikes! Clearly they found all the puddles which you avoided ;-)

Ferrals it seems EVERY Welsh League race so far has been muddy jealous! I raced Llanishen which was awesome then back to Central where it’s bone dry and like summer. Any news on where the Welsh Champs are being held this year? Seems every other regional race is up except Welsh champs?

Discussing the 80% rule on the Crosscast podcast!

SO who is racing where this weekend? We have Hemel… but this isn’t cross it’ll be a grass crit again with the weather forecast sun and 20 degrees I mean WTF!? With the leagues finishing before Christmas at this rate we won’t have any mud.

Last weekend was a UCI race which was why the Commissaire could call it and apply the 80% rule. I guess the issue is why wasn’t it invoked in the men’s race? Some simple maths (not by me so if wrong don’t shoot me) means any man after 42nd should have been pulled in the Vets race.

4,5,6 struggling to have seperate race however 4 and 6 have indicated that they will run as last year which was WITHOUT 80% rule. This in itself makes it ridiculously complicated and doesn’t encourage women to race. Imagine you’d travelled all the way to Derby to be pulled after 2 laps due to some inequality rule? I wouldn’t bother going back, a very similar reason I won’t race the Welsh Champs again until I’m a Vet.

Now we just need to get the lead female Junior a leaders jersey… as the boys already get. :roll:

Mick R, bear in mind I wasn’t there and I’m not a Vet women but I somehow got added to a very large FB messenger thread about change and the way forward within CX for women (of all categories).

From what I can glean.. the Vet women started 2 minutes after the Elite/Junior/U23 women, then BC invoked the 80% rule and pretty much most of the Vet women got pulled some within 2 laps. When the width of the course, the regs (rule doesn’t have to be invoked I believe) and the numbers racing meant that they could have carried on the race. The Vet men didn’t have the 80% rule invoked so you had many Vet women coming back to racing, having travelled a long way to race for 2 laps.

And the fact that the Junior or U23 don’t get a leaders jersey .. but that’s another ball game.

Oh and don’t forget the Boxing Day Cross in Coventry which is just awesome! CYCLO-CROSS BIKES ONLY … only time in the year you can ride on Kenilworth Common and it’s like an MTB course.

https://youtu.be/GBt0kUVMXmQ

Rolling donut good result sadly this seems to be the BC norm and you’ve heard the nightmare the Vet women have had, there are some seriously disillusioned Vet women out there sadly as the BC dinosaurs continue to rule the roost in some ancient manner. Looked a fun course though.

Ferrals I felt dizzy long at the Longridge map!!!!

PDW yes me and crashtestmonkey are doing a mixed pair. We are racing Central League in the afternoon home for some food then out to do the night race! should be a laugh, we may race on MTB’s though but shall see what the weather is like.

Yes it’s nearly the weekend who is racing where? Central League Round 3 for us at Leighton which was a good course last year although loos like they’ve extended it around the playing fields.. so we shall see how it rides. Looking like another fast dry race though so one for the roadies ;-)

Endura used to have a reputation of being rubbish but they have spent some considerable time, money and effort in recent years to improve their products.

As already alluded to there really isn’t such an item as waterproof AND breathable given the nature of what it’s trying to achieve however friends who have the Gore One/Shakedry absolutely rate it as the best bit of kit ever. Which at £260 for a black jacket I would hope so.

The answer is what are you trying to achieve in the jacket you are wearing? And what temperature do you plan to use it?

So 10-15 degrees get a Gabba (Short sleeve) or Perfetto (long sleeve). They won’t keep you dry if out in torrential rain but they will keep you warm.

Stolen Goat Orkan is a winter weight jersey with water repellency to it and is great but not vents, wheres as the Perfetto has two vents on the front (the zips are vents not pockets).

Otherwise you have to slow down or ditch the sweaty waterproof.

Mortgage free for the last 18 months .. I’m currently 38 years old. It’s all through hard work and spending sensibly too.

We have the same Ferrals and LIVE TRACKING for all categories so if you can’t make it you can track your competition.

Leggy blonde you coming to Leighton this Sunday then or does it clash with Herne Hill! Good luck, come to say hi next time I’m racing at CCXL

I have Clement PDX and really rate them as a great all round tyre.

Great race at Central League 1st round of the season this weekend at Stanborough park, cracking course just needed the mud as it was a fast powerful roadie course. Nearly 100 V40’s! 30 women and 12 in novice women… the fields are ever growing and it’s great to see the sport flourishing so much. I had a good race for 1st league round, enjoyed it rode hard, lost my head on lap 3 but pulled it back. Some good riding and good learning points for next week, first time I’ve had to think tactically and actually race, rather than being in no mans land like most women are as the fields are so small. This is all incredibly exciting for CX racing!

MK this weekend … looking relatively dry again.

Raced Welsh League on Sunday cracking race, the course was fabulous… but WTAF … women race with the V50’s as in gridded in the middle amongst them all!!!?? I mean I know numbers aren’t huge there were maybe 12 women but COME ON… give them their own race even if it is “only” 30 second gap to the V50’s! Disappointing, Welsh league still has quite a long way to go to catch up with many of the others in so many ways frustratingly. I won’t even go there with the prize money sexism issue! :roll:

Loved all the off camber mud ..roll on t Central league this weekend although I fear Welwyn made be hard and fast and lacking in mud.