Right, I'm signed up for the Foxlake race in Dunbar on 11th November, and the Irvine Beach Cross on 25th November...
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Sport
50 Shades of Mud: Confessions of a Cyclocross Backmarker
(61 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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I'm signed up to pretty much all of them from now.
WC - Are you interested in going to the Cross at the Castle event?Posted 12 years ago # -
I've now realised I'm actually going to the Scotland - NZ rugby on the 11th of next month, so Dunbar is out :(
What date is Cross at the Castle?
Posted 12 years ago # -
15th december!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Ooh. I may have a weekend pass for the Cross at the Castle...
Posted 12 years ago # -
I'll make sure to keep you up to date whenever the details come out!!
I'm excited about Auchentochen tomorrow. Should be a good race. Bought me some thinner tyres to cut through the inevitable west coast mud.Posted 12 years ago # -
"
Scottish Cyclocross (@ScottishCX)15/10/2012 07:19
Auchentoshan Cross - podiums & full results for races 1 & 4 online. http://www.scottishcyclocross.org.uk/2012/10/podium-results-from-auchentoshan.html?m=1 Results from races 2 & 3 to follow this evening."
Posted 12 years ago # -
Brutal but enjoyable race at Auchentochen yesterday. I feel like I've been beaten up, have a sore right hip after a connection with a tree root, a bruised calve after what I can only assume was me attacking myself with my spd.
When the video comes up I'll post it because you have to see the brutal hills, the mud pits, some so deep you were basically just plowing furrows and hoping you stayed on, there was a muddy decent to a burn then a steep climb out carrying the bike.
Was a fantastic course that was exhausting. It got muddier and muddier. I had to stop a few times to clear my rear derailleur and I think my bike weighed about 3kg more by the end of the race!
23/60 odd people. Better than last week's 29/60Posted 12 years ago # -
I did wonder if it was going to be the same course as last year - not a 'traditional' cx course apparently, and quite a few folk actually didn't take part - but it was the course that got me thinking I wanted to give it a go. But aye. Looked brutal!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Chatting to the guys there everyone loved it. It was really exciting, although pretty muddy. Some of the single track was really fast and fun as well.
Last year I think was SUPER muddy at scottish champs. One of the guys had his derailleur ripped off about 20 minutes in last year in thick mud which can't have been fun!
I don't think it was that traditional in that it had a few more steep climbs than I think are normal and about 1km of the course was heavily wooded singletrack, but in general people seemed keen on the course!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Anyone who got into the Hallocross is in for a treat.
I went up for a training ride to craigmillar park and rode some of what I think they'll put into the course
Lots of standing water and lots of hidden rocks etc to look out for. There were some really exciting decents in there too which lead to a really flowing course. Looks great.On the plus side for me my hip flexor seems to be fixed so I'm on for racing up at knockhill loch on sunday!
Posted 12 years ago # -
I may see if I can get hold of the course map and scope out the best photo ops...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Was at the Halloween howler in Glenifer Braes country park in Paisley this weekend. I have only just thawed out enough to speak about it!
I recorded my best ever result at 11th (a broken front derailleur on the second to last lap meant I lost alot of the gearing I'd been using to power through some of the long straights otherwise I think I'd have caught the two guys in front)
I also felt super strong on the first lap keeping up with the lead pack for at least the first km or so before they kicked my arse.The course which had been VERY fast the day before had, with the advent of tonnes of rain (much of it horizontal) turned into a quagmire. One point had about 8 inches of jelly like mud that was ridable if you hit it fast enough. There were streams, and a VERY strong wind. So all in all it was freezing, sore, brutal but excellent fun.
There were 10 drop outs, mostly from punctures as people were running fairly low pressures on their tyres, however I'd noticed that there were lots of rocks hidden in the mud so I didn't want to risk a pinch puncture so was running quite hard tyres, I don't know whether this was a real benefit in the end, however I didn't puncture so who knows.
All in all a good race considering the weather! Looking forward to Dunbar in a few weeks.Posted 12 years ago # -
That's a cracking result! Hopefully see you at the Hallocross tonight. Looking at the weather kinda glad I'm not riding... Though I'll be riding there obviously. Just look out for the big flash going off at whichever part of the course looks most ripe for people falling and that'll likely be me!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Wow! What a course out at Irvine. Way more mud than anticipated; the sand section was an utter pain till discovering a line on the last couple of laps that worked; the ups and downs were slippery, and one mahoosive dip was great fun, just point downwards and hang on; rough singletrack; one monster climb with the bike shouldered; off-cambered wet grass sections; and NOT last.
Posted 12 years ago # -
To frighten the children!
DSC_4132 by steveo_mcg, on Flickr
DSC_4163 by steveo_mcg, on Flickr
DSC_4120 by steveo_mcg, on FlickrPosted 12 years ago # -
Oddly there was a dude on a pugsley, he was doing not bad on the flat and the really sandy stuff but really suffered on the steps, he'd have been better riding them!
DSC_4172 by steveo_mcg, on Flickr
DSC_4204 by steveo_mcg, on FlickrPosted 12 years ago # -
Chap on the Puglsey looks like he's making heavy weather out of it! Like a duck out of water going over obstacles that thing I imagine. Or a pig out of mud?
Posted 12 years ago # -
I really enjoyed the course today. Was challenging and infuriating in that everywhere you had figured out how to ride the line, there was a small mistake you could make that would just ruin it.
I really gained loads with power through the sand but suffered on the ups and downs and climbs. All in all though I felt it was a fantastic course.
The organisation was fantastic and I felt that it was actually a course that encouraged spectators. There were certainly lots of local folk who came to watch. All in all enjoyed it and would recommend people coming and trying cross. Friendly racing indeed.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Also I like how focused I'm looking in that photo - cheers for that!
Posted 12 years ago # -
10 thoughts on yesterday...
1.
The two races I've done so far I've thought I was going to die in the first lap and a half, realising that with more riders just ahead of me (and really not many behind) I tried to keep up, but once the field thinned a little I simply dropped into a comfortable rhythm and kind of stayed at the same level of tiredness. Speaking to a colleague this morning he mentioned the same thing when it came to running. So I've got to realise I'm not fast (one of the main reasons I start these things at the back - that and the fact I don't much like being in a big bunch).2.
I should put a cycle computer on to determine the amount of time left. I found myself surprised by being told this was my last lap when I was about a third of a lap from the finish. I had a little left in the tank, so had paced myself a little too well.3.
Crossers are nice. I did get glowered at a bit by a rider for falling in front of him (though that may have been focus and concentration because it was on a slippery off-camber section - fortunately a foot was still connected to a pedl so I could haul the bike up out of this way). In the main you get a thanks for obviously getting out of the way of faster riders, and there's just a general nice feel to it all with people congratulating others they were riding around for the duration and generally just talking about rhe course rather than their own performance.4.
Leg warmers are great.5.
Disc brakes are greater.6.
I need a new, more comfortable, helmet.7.
I need to work on the muscles in my back and arms. Legs are fine, but my back started to ache (as it did at the Haughcross) and I think I need to tweak my lever positions.8.
I also need a lot of cardio-vascular work. Within half a lap my chest felt like it was about to explode out with an alien. Fortunately it was just my heart trying to free itself from a ribby prison, while my lungs egged it on in the hope it means I'd then have to stop trying to breathe.9.
I do have the technical handling ability. It didn't feel like it on the sand, but that was something new to me, and I only had 30s on so until I found my line (at which point the sand became a doddle) I was digging in everywhere and being thrown about by others' ruts. But in the singletracky stuff, if it was level or downhill, I knew I could get through it almost as fast as the fast guys.10.
I just love it. Seriously love it. Such hard work, but having to think all the time while you're doing it (as ARobComp points out, you think you've nailed a line, but one slight mistake and it's all gone, but then you know where you went wrong so try to correct it the next lap - recce'ing the course beforehand is helpful, but it's only while trying to go full tilt that you learn it properly, getting more out of it each lap - strangely I did seem to get faster each lap on this one, will be interesting to see the actual timings).11. (I know, I said 10...)
I might be on the next Dig In video, which is kinda cool.Posted 11 years ago # -
Oh that hurts - not as good as I thought - second last (if you don't count 3 DNFs behind me). I need to get fitter...
Posted 11 years ago # -
http://scottishcyclocross.hexten.net/SCX2012/Results/SCX2012_R5_Results_Irvine_Race%204_V1.pdf
Timings - I got 24th which was good. I was chasing a guy for the whole race who was only a minute ahead of me so that's good.
I Agree with many of your points. For me I think I need to
1) warm up more - I still don't feel like I'm in the groove till about 10 minutes in
2) really work on not getting flustered when I come off or make a mistake
3) Get used to ALWAYS PEDALLING - I noticed this while getting lapped that the top guys are consistently pushing out at least something at all times - no rest for the wicked as they say!
4) get confidence to bash a tonne of wattage down on any section where I can sprint and then bash on the brakes and gear down for complex bits - I think I'm letting myself down there.
All in all another great day out!
Posted 11 years ago # -
If it helps the guy who was last was very last, he was still on the course when I realised it was all over and had yomp back to the start. I think I got back at the same time though I did take the most direct route.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Also there were a few of the mountain bikers having issues with their disc brakes - but I'm guessing they were just not great ones.....
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Get used to ALWAYS PEDALLING"
Yep, I got into the habit of giving myself a breather where I could...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Aye I actually realised as well that if I rode a wee bit harder on the technical bits they were easier to handle and not so jarring. My shoulders and triceps are hurting today!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Here is an interview with a Cyclocross bloke. Looks like he rates running as good training for it and I can see why.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Good reading your ten thoughts, got me allfired up for another go. When's the next race? I'm so in.
Posted 11 years ago # -
You guys missed out on a muddy extravaganza at Cross at the Castle in Mull this weekend.
Was a brilliant weekend of racing helped by the fact that the weather was fantastic.
Race 1 - Saturday was the only series race and it was a small field. It was also a REALLY muddy course. We basically had a great squelch around the course which for me had too many stopping points (IE places where you would unintentionally grind to a halt. There were some solid speedy bits but mostly it was insane cloggy mud. I went head over bars and faceplanted in some particularly muddy bit and snapped my front brake cable I managed a 12th out of 24. Gutted that I didn't beat two guys in front of me. I had them in my sights but just couldn't catch them.
Race 2 - Sunday was SantaCross. I was also fairly hungover. I managed 10th on a course that was fantasticly designed and had some amazing offroad speed. I got my first bonafide air as well which was ace.
All in all an awesome weekend away of riding. The whole season has been amazing.
Posted 11 years ago #
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