The Racing Thread..
Discussion
Another one here, my first season racing after having been attempting triathlon for the two years previous.
Promoted to 3rd Cat after 4 winter series races, and have been working towards being competitive in 2nd/3rd races since. Had a couple of minor placings, but feel I'm near being able to get a proper result if I get everything together on the day now. Eyeing from a distance 2nd cat before the end of the year, but firstly not sure I'll be able to get the points, and secondly in my first season probably best idea to not chase points for the sake of getting up to 2nd Cat, then struggle to be competitive when I'm there.
Also doing the odd TT, and currently waiting to do my 4th stage of track accreditation with the aim of getting into the winter track league to try and carry some race fitness into next year.
Blog below if anyone wants to read more.
https://thomaswhatley.wordpress.com/
Promoted to 3rd Cat after 4 winter series races, and have been working towards being competitive in 2nd/3rd races since. Had a couple of minor placings, but feel I'm near being able to get a proper result if I get everything together on the day now. Eyeing from a distance 2nd cat before the end of the year, but firstly not sure I'll be able to get the points, and secondly in my first season probably best idea to not chase points for the sake of getting up to 2nd Cat, then struggle to be competitive when I'm there.
Also doing the odd TT, and currently waiting to do my 4th stage of track accreditation with the aim of getting into the winter track league to try and carry some race fitness into next year.
Blog below if anyone wants to read more.
https://thomaswhatley.wordpress.com/
Following on from my last post, here are the dates for the upcoming winter "Merida Brass Monkeys" Enduro series...
meridabrassmonkeys.com said:
The next legendary Merida Brass Monkeys Series (with venues tbc)...
Round 1 – Sunday 15 November 2015
Round 2 – Sunday 13 December 2015
Round 3 – Sunday 03 January 2016
...it's a long way off yet, but worth keeping an eye on for anyone considering a first foray into MTB racing. The time will fly, between now and the first round, and knowing when it kicks off will give y'all a target to train toward! Round 1 – Sunday 15 November 2015
Round 2 – Sunday 13 December 2015
Round 3 – Sunday 03 January 2016
First season for me as I needed some extra motivation this year, plus quite a few of the lads I ride with. Probably had around 12/13 races already ... the first 5/6 were track crits so a rude awakening. I soon realised that the number of crashes due to inexperience/overexuberance/lack of talent was all part of 4th Cat life.;) Managed to get a few points, bets result being a 3rd place before I moved up to 3rd Cat ... since then I've just done road racing & crits 3/4's plus some E/1/2/3/4's which I've really enjoyed.
Latest was the 3/4 support race for the Beverley GP on Friday night. Great atmosphere with so many spectators ... unfortunately I suspect to watch the elite race but nevertheless they were there. Started off pretty quickly as usual with crits and there was a crash on lap 1 or 2 where someone piled into the barriers. Race was 40 mins plus 5 laps and I tried to stay in the top half of the field ... there were a few breaks but nothing to worry about as they were soon reeled in. With around 5 laps to go I worked my way to the front, mainly taking riders on the slower corners and sprinting to gain some places. I was hovering around 6 - 8th on the 2nd to last lap on a right hander, my chain dropped into the small ring and wouldnt go back on the big ring ... finally managed to get it back on but lost about 12 - 15 places ... made up 6 -7 only for the same to happen on the last lap so lost more places !!!
I took a few more places but as I was chasing I was already going into the red before the sprint ... managed to take 5 - 6 riders in the final 150m and came 15th. Frustrating to have such an small problem but by the same token, really pleased with how I rode as without the mechanical, I reckon could have had a top 5.
Next and last race next Thursday ... another 3/4 road race but a hilly-ish 36 miler (574m of climbing) so will be tough but aiming to get a top 10.
Latest was the 3/4 support race for the Beverley GP on Friday night. Great atmosphere with so many spectators ... unfortunately I suspect to watch the elite race but nevertheless they were there. Started off pretty quickly as usual with crits and there was a crash on lap 1 or 2 where someone piled into the barriers. Race was 40 mins plus 5 laps and I tried to stay in the top half of the field ... there were a few breaks but nothing to worry about as they were soon reeled in. With around 5 laps to go I worked my way to the front, mainly taking riders on the slower corners and sprinting to gain some places. I was hovering around 6 - 8th on the 2nd to last lap on a right hander, my chain dropped into the small ring and wouldnt go back on the big ring ... finally managed to get it back on but lost about 12 - 15 places ... made up 6 -7 only for the same to happen on the last lap so lost more places !!!
I took a few more places but as I was chasing I was already going into the red before the sprint ... managed to take 5 - 6 riders in the final 150m and came 15th. Frustrating to have such an small problem but by the same token, really pleased with how I rode as without the mechanical, I reckon could have had a top 5.
Next and last race next Thursday ... another 3/4 road race but a hilly-ish 36 miler (574m of climbing) so will be tough but aiming to get a top 10.
I'm most envious of these tales of 3rd cat in a few races. I must be dragging down PH's average results with my first season. 
You can read all about my flailing around at http://off-the-back.com
You can read all about my flailing around at http://off-the-back.com
yellowjack said:
...it's a long way off yet, but worth keeping an eye on for anyone considering a first foray into MTB racing. The time will fly, between now and the first round, and knowing when it kicks off will give y'all a target to train toward!
You need to get your MTB fixed up then you can enter again this year 
stongle said:
Had I got to CycloPark earlier on Sat, would’ve cheered you on! We hired the track from about 3p.m. onwards for Club Race Training. It was pretty windy down the back straight, but nicely on your back up to the finishline. How fast did the race run? Still aiming to race at least once this year; but think I’m down on power for the sprint.
I really do need to get out with you guys, esp as I live 400 meters from Sidcup cycles!Here is my strava feed : it includes a warm up, and half a lap after :
https://www.strava.com/activities/353630819
Rolls said:
I really do need to get out with you guys, esp as I live 400 meters from Sidcup cycles!
Here is my strava feed : it includes a warm up, and half a lap after :
https://www.strava.com/activities/353630819
Sidcup is my 2nd claim, but handy for the longer rides. If racing / TTs I ride for GS Avanti. Failing that we could just sort a ride.Here is my strava feed : it includes a warm up, and half a lap after :
https://www.strava.com/activities/353630819
yellowjack said:
Following on from my last post, here are the dates for the upcoming winter "Merida Brass Monkeys" Enduro series...
They are all on the wall planner, not single speeding them this year, I've gone fat, so going to see how that goes.meridabrassmonkeys.com said:
The next legendary Merida Brass Monkeys Series (with venues tbc)...
Round 1 – Sunday 15 November 2015
Round 2 – Sunday 13 December 2015
Round 3 – Sunday 03 January 2016
...it's a long way off yet, but worth keeping an eye on for anyone considering a first foray into MTB racing. The time will fly, between now and the first round, and knowing when it kicks off will give y'all a target to train toward! Round 1 – Sunday 15 November 2015
Round 2 – Sunday 13 December 2015
Round 3 – Sunday 03 January 2016
Worked out yesterday I've got 68 hours of racing still to go this year and that's without putting any crosses on the calendar.
gazza285 said:
JuniorD said:
gazza285 said:
okgo said:
I've had an interesting season but results wise it’s been terrible. Just haven't been able to get into a good patch of form for various reasons
A couple of years ago I went to watch the Lincoln GP and thought that I’d like to race it at some point, moved up to 2nd Cat this season and decided that being old there wasn’t likely to be another chance to do big races so entered a few.
Milk Race was a great, raced against the UK Pro teams in front of a massive crowd, crits aren’t really my thing and as I was coming back from a broken collarbone I didn’t have the bottle required to corner like the fast guys and ended up in a bunch of 2nd cats near the back.
National TT championship – I’m by no means a TT rider but got an entry, finished 36th and last after having a bad day even by my standards. Got the club jersey on the TV as 2nd rider off which was nice.
I also got a reserve entry into the National Road Road on a similar course but I was blown out of the back along with a lot of riders early on when Sky hit the front was still an experience to be in the same race as Cav etc.
Done a few other bits and held my own for longer but no decent results so looking like I’ll be back down to 3rd Cat next season but at least I’ll have some photos for the scrap book.
A couple of years ago I went to watch the Lincoln GP and thought that I’d like to race it at some point, moved up to 2nd Cat this season and decided that being old there wasn’t likely to be another chance to do big races so entered a few.
Milk Race was a great, raced against the UK Pro teams in front of a massive crowd, crits aren’t really my thing and as I was coming back from a broken collarbone I didn’t have the bottle required to corner like the fast guys and ended up in a bunch of 2nd cats near the back.
National TT championship – I’m by no means a TT rider but got an entry, finished 36th and last after having a bad day even by my standards. Got the club jersey on the TV as 2nd rider off which was nice.
I also got a reserve entry into the National Road Road on a similar course but I was blown out of the back along with a lot of riders early on when Sky hit the front was still an experience to be in the same race as Cav etc.
Done a few other bits and held my own for longer but no decent results so looking like I’ll be back down to 3rd Cat next season but at least I’ll have some photos for the scrap book.
ALawson said:
For the MTB events above I assume these are hardtail races?
As 'neenaw' said, so long as it qualifies as a "mountain bike" in the broadest sense, pretty much anything goes. Badger Benji of this parish races (pretty competitively, too) on a rigid forked single speed, and I believe he's moving to racing his fatbike this year. Me? I raced the Brass Monkeys series on what I had at the time - a 2007 vintage low-rent GT Avalanche 3.0, a strictly bottom of the range, heavy old aluminium 3 x 8 hard tail with a cheapo Suntour coil sprung fork. There are plenty of "all the gear..." types, on full suspension bikes, with tear-off visor strips on their goggles, etc, who will DNF before the race has crossed the start line 'proper' (this actually did happen ). There are plenty of serious amateurs too, on all sorts of bikes of varying price/quality. Full suspension and hard tails in various frame materials, fatbikes, but they'd all fit into the "mountain bike" section of your LBS. I'm pretty sure it's even stated in the rules of some events, but if you turned up with a drop-bar bike you'd be unlikely to be allowed to compete. Having said that, you sign in without your bike, there's no scrutineering as such, and if you managed to sneak into the middle of the field for the start, you could probably just about get onto the course on a full Dura-Ace carbon road bike if you were daft enough to want to... 
Ponk said:
I'm most envious of these tales of 3rd cat in a few races. I must be dragging down PH's average results with my first season.
You can read all about my flailing around at http://off-the-back.com
Thanks, enjoyed looking at that. You can read all about my flailing around at http://off-the-back.com
After spending many years publishing the press reports on our club's website, I can provide the following template that will work for almost any circuit race for most riders:
"I attacked a few times but no-one was willing to work with me, sat comfortably in the bunch for most of the race, was in a great position/leading position/first 5 riders with 250M to go and then <insert something bad here> and finished about 25th."
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