Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

It won't with a QR?

See some of you later today. Excited but a little scared too after a week of eating pizza and chips on the great British holiday.

Stereotype grading effort #inspired

London League Round 4 at Herne Hill today.

It was hot and dry and Herne Hill Youth CC had put together a superb course, really making good use of what the venue offers, which was very technical with lots of turns and very little sections where you could sustain a high speed for any amount of time. Basically go, brake, turn, go, brake, turn for 45 minutes.

Unlike last week I didn't get gridded so started from the 4th row of the grid, which is aways an issue at HH as there is very little opportunity to make up places once the race is underway. I got away well but got squeezed very quickly afterwards and had a good long lean (don't lean!) on one of my fellow competitors, but thankfully we both managed to keep it upright. I had a good first lap and managed to pass quite a few people and get closer to the front of the race so pressed on, trying to gain more places.

One the third or fourth lap, I passed Adrian Lyons, who'd beaten me last week, and could see the next guy in front of me, so was pushing hard to gap Adrian and make the catch when I overcooked it on the exit of a 180 degree corner and lost the front wheel. Luckily I went out over the handlebars and landed on my feet, and was just remounting as Adrian came past, only to realise I'd lost the chain, so had to dismount again, and get it back on. I could see Adrian ahead the rest of the race but could never close the gap to him again.

The rest of the race passed in a blur of go, brake, turn interspersed with passing lapped riders which, on a narrow circuit like HH, is always difficult. Thanks must go to everyone who co-operated in letting me pass, it's appreciated. I even managed to lap a fellow forumite, which surprised me, only to discover afterwards that he'd not understood how the race was started and had joined the V50 riders, who start 2 mins after the v40s (which he should be in).

I could see my Phil Jones closing in on me on the last two laps but just about had enough left in the tank to hold him off and kept it going all the way to the line. Again, not sure where I finished but given the riders ahead in the opening couple of laps, would expect to be just outside the top ten. I've no complaints though, I don't think I could have gone any quicker and am sat here knackered now.

Good stuff, Andy. Couldn't attend because I was doing culture with the parents. Also managed to batter myself at Swinley on Friday so couldn't have raced if I had wanted to.

The forum was well represented today, I saw and spoke to at least 6 people "on here".

First race on my sscx, which the course was definitely good for. Set of really well in the first few laps, lapping a few people and not really getting lapped. Knew damo was close behind and didn't want to be passed by the only other ss . Then in a space of two laps I managed to crash, go off course, then puncture. Had to run half a lap to the pits and change an inner tube. Lost half a lap which I couldn't make up, and really noticed how bad my remounts are compared to everyone else but overall very happy with the race.

Fair play to run half a lap and fix your puncture. I would have bailed and been pretty pleased to stop the pain of racing in that heat.

Nice to meet you btw.

Good to meet you too!
My heart rate felt the most in the red of the whole race while running, I'll never be a triathlete.

Good.

I'm impressed you kept going though, I'd have sacked it off for sure if I'd punctured today. Too hot for cross.

Inspirational! Next up: Photoshopping out clouds, inserting Milky Way HDR vista!

Booyahh

As mentioned by Laner, I think I was the other idiot on a single speed. However, it didn't feel daft at the time. There was so much cornering and turning.
Definitely hot, definitely dusty.
I lost so much time by starting right at the back, but I wanted to see what the fuck happened at a start. I was a bit too polite sometimes, letting faster riders through (i.e. being lapped) and then letting someone (i.e. the dude on the cannondale that stacked it at least twice at the jump after the long straight) else through. And then thinking “fuck”. I ran the hill everytime, and fucked up my getting back on EVERYTIME. I think I handled the jumps the dude stacked it on. Even when I lost my front brake on my final lap (I finished 2 down I think).
I could probably have ridden the stairs after discussing with Mike. Definitely faded. Good fun. Will repeat.
Nice crowd, lots of clear shouts from the big boys as they came through.

I'm shocked and saddened to bring news that the running of the Three Peaks Cyclocross was tainted when it was discovered that Team Hope Factory Racing have been caught trying to use PEDs.

For many, cyclocross is one of those wonderful disciplines where the closest that most riders will get to doping is an extra huff of a Vicks inhaler during griding and a heavy hand with the Deep Heat in the changing rooms as an icy wind blows sleet through the trees in the tricky wooded section. So I hope you'll join me in condemning this reckless and frankly shameless abuse of our beloved sport.

Say no to Performance Enhancing Dirigibles

Well done for giving it a go.

Being polite is no bad thing btw, as John Mx tells everyone before the race "look out for each other out there". It's especially true for HH which is so narrow most of the time.

I ran up the hill every time too, it's rare that you get the room you need for a clear run at it and if you don't make it cleanly, it can be a right old mess dismounting two thirds of the way up.

Nice to see @andyp and @laner there. Exciting course. Course and weather made for a very hard race, I thought, though I'm far from fit at the moment.

Grip seemed to be a bit of an issue and I think I was probably running too much air in the tyres. The tight left hander after the staggered roll-down had me off twice. Feeling very swollen and stiff all down that side today. The abrasive paste formed of dust and sweat also helped the hoods of my levers wear through the skin on my palms. By the end, that was almost more painful than my legs.

Managed to ride over the steps / sleepers which is something I've been practising. Didn't manage to ride up the run-up, but did see one of the teamgwb guys do it. Seriously impressive given how dusty it was.

Consistently disappointed with how much time I lose through the corners. Don't know if it's a bike-related or rider-related issue, or even how to go about practising.

Corners: push down with the outside foot and inside hand.

Paging Howard to the thread plz

Looks like a cannondale lefty fitted to a cannondale bike using an adapter designed to allow you to fit a lefty to a bike not made by cannondale.

I'm confused :)

OK, it's Tim Johnson testing a lefty limited to 35mm travel from the source of the pic

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/09/news/cyclocross/tim-johnson-testing-cyclocross-suspension-fork_347760

Why?

Because he can I suppose. It would be easier to chuck some drop bars on an F29

Cannondale used to make a cross frame with their 1.5" headtube standard. It came with a short travel version of the headshok fork.

I suspect if cannondale had anything officially to do with the abomination above they would have just custom fabbed a superx frame with their headtube on it and used the short travel forks they already make for their Quick bikes.

But why do you need suspension in cross? The two races I've done in the past 8 days have both been on rock hard ground but at no point did I think, suspension would help here. By all accounts US courses are significantly less technical than European ones, so I don't see why you'd even try it over there.

More grip whilst cornering