The Racing Thread..
Discussion
lukefreeman said:
Does hill climbing count as racing?
Don't know why, but I really fancy it.
Would love to enter a 4 race next year. No idea how fit you need to be though.
I think HC's tend to be thought of as time trials, but certainly a race effort!Don't know why, but I really fancy it.
Would love to enter a 4 race next year. No idea how fit you need to be though.
The standard required to get round your first 4th cat race is probably higher than a lot of other sports entry point, but there is a lot out there about it. Generally join a club and get a taste for bunch riding and get the advice from people that race there..
okgo said:
I think HC's tend to be thought of as time trials, but certainly a race effort!
The standard required to get round your first 4th cat race is probably higher than a lot of other sports entry point, but there is a lot out there about it. Generally join a club and get a taste for bunch riding and get the advice from people that race there..
Yeah a few of the lads I ride with on a Sunday went to cheer one someone at an event on Sunday, sounds great, 2 minutes of pain, beer after, both sides of the road lined up with people cheering. The standard required to get round your first 4th cat race is probably higher than a lot of other sports entry point, but there is a lot out there about it. Generally join a club and get a taste for bunch riding and get the advice from people that race there..
I tend to do a "chain gang" with Derby Mercury on a Thursday, which is around 24-26 average for 45 minutes. I definitely know of one of the guys who races (Kenway if you heard of him?) Probaly ask him about it.
Nicked a few points on the Velodrome Saturday night ... Good hard racing against some young guns (and old fat dudes) ... Running out of time not to end up Turd Cat which will result in some serious piss taking against me . Held a licence since a kid for 20 years and have never been lower than 2nd .
I can vouch for that! I only have my own experience to go on but there seems to be so many strong riders coming into 4th cat st the moment. A winter series is a great introduction to 4th cat if you want to give it a go. Not quite as manic as summer racing but plenty of strong legs to compare yourself against.
Making the jump from getting round a 4th crit to scoring points is another jump in itself.
Making the jump from getting round a 4th crit to scoring points is another jump in itself.
JEA1K said:
Was chatting to a lad I ride with and one of his mates has gone from 4th Cat to 1st Cat this season .... must have taken one hell of an effort, although I can imagine with some picking and choosing. Sure he said he wrote a blog so will see if I can get hold of it and post it up.
Yeah would be interested to read. Certainly not out of reach for somebody with a lot of natural talent. A guy I know only started racing late July and is already 2nd Cat, with a further 30 points scored as a 2nd. Depends a lot on the races you enter too in my opinion. If you're in London and able to travel its not out of the question to race 2, 3 even 4 times a week, most of which can be crits with good potential for points. whatleytom said:
Yeah would be interested to read. Certainly not out of reach for somebody with a lot of natural talent. A guy I know only started racing late July and is already 2nd Cat, with a further 30 points scored as a 2nd. Depends a lot on the races you enter too in my opinion. If you're in London and able to travel its not out of the question to race 2, 3 even 4 times a week, most of which can be crits with good potential for points.
Agreed. I think had I raced a bit more in the week as I only raced at weekends , and carried my season on longer than the end of Aug in my first year I could have got closer to doing it also. In those early days its so marked your improvement that even when I look back at my results now I can see that I was getting better all the time and in my last 3 2/3 races I scored 55 points.That said I appreciated the extra winter to train because I came out of the blocks able to win at that level and score points in Nat B's the following year getting me up to 1st cat by mid July time just with weekend racing. I think as Tom said, if you really want to hit it now and live in London and can travel by car or have slight flex at work then you can race 3 or 4 times a week for months on end.
Back in the day midweek crits for E123 used to be 30 points for the win so getting mega point hauls was a bit easier if you could sprint, or had an engine.
Luke - Adam Kenway? Name does ring a bell, yes.
I think though, as time goes on what counts is winning races, rather than points, I was a bit obsessed with getting to 1st cat, but when I got there I guess it was a bit less interesting than I thought it would be!
Edited by okgo on Tuesday 22 September 14:32
whatleytom said:
Yeah would be interested to read. Certainly not out of reach for somebody with a lot of natural talent. A guy I know only started racing late July and is already 2nd Cat, with a further 30 points scored as a 2nd. Depends a lot on the races you enter too in my opinion. If you're in London and able to travel its not out of the question to race 2, 3 even 4 times a week, most of which can be crits with good potential for points.
Mate has just tweeted him, blog not completed but is going to later in the yr with race reports and stats. Keen to read it myself so as soon as I see it I'll post it. https://www.flickr.com/photos/simplified/211179650...
In reality, the significant improvements would have been achieved way ahead of this year, but must have taken impressive commitment nonetheless.
No excuse for me not to get my 2nd cat next yr ... well, barring time, age, money ... and anything else I can think of.
okgo said:
Luke - Adam Kenway? Name does ring a bell, yes.
That's the one, I know he's good.Edited by okgo on Tuesday 22 September 14:32
It's difficult to compare in cycling due to nature of courses and factors that effect performance..........Not like running where it's dead easy to work out who's quick over what difference!
okgo said:
. I think as Tom said, if you really want to hit it now and live in London and can travel by car or have slight flex at work then you can race 3 or 4 times a week for months on end.
If only I were able to race once every week, let alone 3 or 4 times a week! - as you say, thats a massive commitment by those able to do so which obviously reaps rewards as they'll be getting that much quicker just through the miles they do race wise! Just ashame the commute into london down the old kent road isn't as good a training as it could otherwise be spending 45mins on the bike twice a day!Birdthom said:
thiscocks said:
EMRRL?
Yep! thiscocks said:
Ill apologise on my team mates behalf then! he went down first then took down about four others including me and yourself! Felt sorry for the Beeston guy who broke his arm and collar bone. He had to wait over an hour for an ambulance apparently.
Yes, a couple of us ended up staying with the Beeston rider and waiting for the ambulance, it took way too long and he was stuck sitting in the road in a lot of pain. Dropped him a line a few days later, he'd had quite a nasty op but was being positive.Your team mate was very apologetic to everyone at the time, fair play for that. Which team are you with?
On to next season I guess!
Birdthom said:
Yes, a couple of us ended up staying with the Beeston rider and waiting for the ambulance, it took way too long and he was stuck sitting in the road in a lot of pain. Dropped him a line a few days later, he'd had quite a nasty op but was being positive.
Your team mate was very apologetic to everyone at the time, fair play for that. Which team are you with?
On to next season I guess!
Yep! Glad he's on the mend. I could see straight away his elbow didn't look right. I thought about hanging around but there were a few of you already helping so I went and ate some cake I didn't deserve. I'm with Shutt velo Digital Keystone- used to be Banbury Star but this team has sort of merged from that. What team are you? Could only remember the beeston kit (quite nice kit that)Your team mate was very apologetic to everyone at the time, fair play for that. Which team are you with?
On to next season I guess!
thiscocks said:
Yep! Glad he's on the mend. I could see straight away his elbow didn't look right. I thought about hanging around but there were a few of you already helping so I went and ate some cake I didn't deserve. I'm with Shutt velo Digital Keystone- used to be Banbury Star but this team has sort of merged from that. What team are you? Could only remember the beeston kit (quite nice kit that)
I'm with PB Performance (black with blue/white hoop). We only had two riders in the race and we both ended up on the deck in the pile up :-/ okgo said:
Tom only went and won another one this weekend, too! I'll let him report on that, strong end to the season for sure!
I did my last road race (probably) of the year, a handicap format, but over 60 miles on a fairly quick course, was good fun, being in the scratch group we did have to work a bit to reel them all in, took nearly 45 miles or so to catch the last folk out front.
When we were all together a few moves formed, of which I was aware, got into, and we went towards the finish as a 10-12 strong group, I kicked up the hill first, but went a bit too soon and got done near the line, but managed to cling on for 2nd. Was the hardest I've gone for that sort of duration or just shy of 1 minute approaching 850W, had I gone 5 seconds later I think I'd have managed it, but got a bit carried away.
Still need a few points to retain 1st cat status, but don't think I am going to bother - https://www.strava.com/activities/396222438
That handicap format sounds a right laugh. I've only ever raced a handicap crit and we got a kicking each week. I did my last road race (probably) of the year, a handicap format, but over 60 miles on a fairly quick course, was good fun, being in the scratch group we did have to work a bit to reel them all in, took nearly 45 miles or so to catch the last folk out front.
When we were all together a few moves formed, of which I was aware, got into, and we went towards the finish as a 10-12 strong group, I kicked up the hill first, but went a bit too soon and got done near the line, but managed to cling on for 2nd. Was the hardest I've gone for that sort of duration or just shy of 1 minute approaching 850W, had I gone 5 seconds later I think I'd have managed it, but got a bit carried away.
Still need a few points to retain 1st cat status, but don't think I am going to bother - https://www.strava.com/activities/396222438
Yeh I really like it, I think its a bit of a nightmare to run on open roads as obviously there are many groups and they can't all have outriders etc, but its great fun.
However its not easy as unlike a normal road race where sitting in is pretty easy, you do have to ride for about 100 minutes to catch everyone, and then the attacks begin. I did it last year on bad legs and it was horrible, avg 275W that time vs 315 this time!
However its not easy as unlike a normal road race where sitting in is pretty easy, you do have to ride for about 100 minutes to catch everyone, and then the attacks begin. I did it last year on bad legs and it was horrible, avg 275W that time vs 315 this time!
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