after sundays visit to Boness for the cyclo cross event,myself and another recovering old git : ) are getting our registrations organised and going to do some dirty stuff this year. Will be slow starting with a recovering ankle injury , and him with some shoulder and hamstring injury but it looked great,all people were friendly, approachable and talkative !
The front runners were amazing, super fit, and the remainder were amazing, an hour slogging round that circuit with only a handfull of people with cow bells and shouts of encouragement ! We were at the east end of the course, and the looks of surprise as we shouted encouragement were good ! so, off to the quack today to see if I can get back to work and the process of normalising can begin !
Happy new year to all, Scott
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Sport
inspiration ! cyclo cross !
(20 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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Probably walked past you there at some point!
CX is brilliant fun - our own ARobComp is rather good at it (see the 'ARobCOmp's Race Face' thread for pics - and there's another with a few of my favourite pics of the day). I'll be riding more come the next seaosn - and there seem to be a few summer crosses planned, which would be a nice introduction, getting into it without the niting cold (in theory).
Posted 11 years ago # -
We were there supporting a few freinds. We very happily bumped into Steveo, WC, Uberuce, Kaputnik, PS Instographic (and mini instograpics - who are quite particular to Jaffer cakes) as well as Robcomp after the race. It was a nice day out and our boys were only mildly bored. I have thought about taking part in these mudfests but my winter commuter which is a purpose build CX bike is my Winter commuter and stripping it and changing tyres for every race is a task I don't want to do.
Sorry if I missed anyone.
Dave C
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'm surprised you had any fingers left after showing those two Jaffa Cakes. Cheers for that. Kids did find it a little boring but it was quite a long race with very little falling over.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I think there was a good fall every few minutes at the hurdles as far as I heard!
I recommend it wholeheartedly. This was my first season and I raced everything but one race. The really key thing is that everyone is super friendly and there are lots of different abilities which means there is always someone to have a personal race with.
A few times I've had some of the bike shop owners giving me spare parts when needed etc. You just don't get that friendliness with road racing methinks.Summer cross is great fun too.
Posted 11 years ago # -
You just don't get that friendliness with road racing methinks
Having spectated quite a few CX races over last 2 years, and marshalled and spectated an equal number of road races, I heartily agree.
I think road racing just takes itself a wee bittie too seriously.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Exactly! CX is such a (frankly) stupid thing to do that I think everyone who does it appreciates the mental mindset and love of the sport that goes into it - which manifests as friendliness and good cheer.
Don't forget that most cross series races have a U12, U16 and Junior women and vets event as well as the senior mens race so it's a real family event.One chap replaced my entire front break cabling (inner and outer) after a crash at mull and leant me the tools to set it up then tuned it and when I tried to give him money for cables etc ( at least £9 in shop) he just said "ahhh it's christmas and all that" Awesome.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Posted 11 years ago #
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Where do you get to find out about cross events - I assume there's a calendar somewhere ? Is it all run by the BCF or do others eg TLI get a look in ?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Thanks ch. Looks like you have to be a member of the BCF to take part.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Charterhall - you can buy day licences for most BCF events if you don't want to be a member. Although if you plan on doing this frequently it will work out more expensive than if you get a race licence. It's mainly about insurance.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Looks like you have to be a member of the BCF to take part"
I think you get day membership as part of race fee (if not already member).
But someone who knows what they are talking about will be on here soon...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Just a shame that there isn't something more informal
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Charterhall as far as competitive events go, I don't think you'll find anything less formal than a day licence.
The event price covers organisers costs and often a contribution to a small prize fund. If you have a race licence, that will cover your liability insurance. If you don't have one, or it is provisional (meaning you're a BCF member but haven't paid a race licence fee) you will pay a day licence fee. This will cover you and the organisers for insurance purposes. I help out quite often with Edinburgh Road club on events, it's quite informal, just writing your details down on the sign-on sheet if you don't have a licence number and paying a few pounds extra.
The events being formal BCF things are popular with many amateur riders as it gives a chance to move up the category of your licence depending on your final placing.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yep, nothing formal about it at all. I'm not a member of anything, just pay my entry fee and away you go. Unless by 'informal' you mean just turning up and riding?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yes just turning up and riding would be good, preferably on whatever bike and in whatever clothing. I'm also not keen on the entry fee being used to fund prizes for the winners. By definition most of us have no chance of getting into the placings, so for us that part of our entry fee is simply a tax, taken off us and handed to the physically better off. I'll give it a miss thanks.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"By definition most of us have no chance of getting into the placings, so for us that part of our entry fee is simply a tax, taken off us and handed to the physically better off"
Physical socialism... ;)
At Dig In the entry fee paid for licences from the council for the race and donation to St John's and so on. All of the prizes (and there were loads, in all sorts of categories, and not just for the best riders, plus a raffle that you entered by grabbing a ticket on each lap) were donated by sponsors.
Pretty sure it was similar at the Haughcross last year, most funded by Ronde, who provided prizes, as well as some other cycling companies - the entry fee paying for licence to use the big park.
Oh, and insurance is covered in the entry fee.
Whatever bike? Yep, that's possible. Whatever clothing? Yep, can also do that (plenty of shorts and t-shirts and fleeces going round - not everyone was a lycra demon).
I do think there's a little nose cutting/face spiting going on here, but each to their own. There's nothing stopping anyone rocking up at any park on any day on any bike to ride an off-road course of their own choosing. I think expecting other people to run events where they take all of the financial hit and without knowing who is entering nor how many is maybe just a teensy bit unfair (and holding yourself hostage to either no-one turning up and all your effort being in vain; or too many people turning up and either having too busy a course or having to turn people away and disappoint folk).
I guess you can just turn up to ride an audax, and the cost is lower (though some do, I think, have limited numbers) - but there's no large public space being locked down for hours on end (and, to be honest, having that land damaged to an extent).
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Charterhall I'm not sure if they do anything local, but perhaps something like the "Rough Stuff Fellowship"? They're a sort of off-road "turn up and ride" group, somewhere between Audax, MTB, CTC and CX and everywhere inbetween.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I've very much with WC answer above but as he said each to their own. Just to confirm - A rough guesstumate is that I think the total prize fund comes to about 10% of monies taken (this includes cost of trophies etc if there is some (these are often donated) For example the 1st 2nd 3rd prizes at dig in at the dock were I think £100, £50, £25. Basically enough to cover you getting there and mostly cerimonial IMHO.
The key thing that was mentioned by many over the weekend is that the race is all about different abilities. If there wasn't the super good guys (don't get me wrong they'd still come along without prize money) then it would just be a bunch of slow people slogging around a wet course. Without the slower guys then there would be no progression etc etc. The more diverse the crowd that takes part the better the race for everyone.
Posted 11 years ago #
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