2015 Herne Hill Track League

Fracking trains! This is why I ride in normally.

Anyone know if Marcus is OK?

Oh no! Crash I assume? I left early after the Madison to put my foul mood to bed, hope everyone is ok!

Yep he's grand.

Emailed him last night and this morning. He's broken his collar bone and banged his back up a bit. The ambulance was called as a precaution as his helmet was smashed at the back and because when he stood up for the first time he fainted!

He's a tough lad though, his main concern this morning was how he'd get a shirt on......

Any one know how Hackney Andy is this morn, he had some tasty cuts and grazes?

Other than his tumble it was cracking nights racing last night.

Did my first HH TL last night (having done LVVP Full Gas this winter). Great fun and a really nice atmosphere. Raced in the Cs - think I underestimated the younger VCL riders - they all flew past me at the last bend every time! And on spinny gears too. Hope the rider(s) that crashed in the 12 lap scratch heal up soon.

I was off the bike and only spectating last night. I left early because of the messed up trains and missed @Ecobeard smashing the the B cat devil. And it still took me two hours to get home ffs.

Nice one Rob.

Didn't realise there was a crash - everyone OK? What cat?

Cheers fella, maiden win that, well chuffed.

Crash in C's scratch. Our Marcus broke his collar bone and Hackney's Adam got all grazed up. The VCL child involved bounced and disappeared.

One of our lads got taken to hospital from LV road circuit today too after a nasty crash in the 3/4's.......

Bad week for BC

First round of sprint league was fun, if a bit cold and windy (and wet towards the end!). Don't think I can make next month :(

Turns out that in that first week crash I fractured my thumb which explains why it's been so painful to be in the drops. Looks like I'm off the track for a few more weeks to let it heal. Bummer. How was league last week? Maybe if it's nice I'll try and get some people to come down and watch...

Bah, that sucks! I was flu destroyed last week, still feeling it now :(

Ah gutted.

Last week was good, big fields again and some punchy races. It feels like this week has come around quickly due to the BH!

Too windy / wet tonight?

Was pretty windy but fun as the smaller (and sometimes sketchier) numbers meant we got a 20k A/B scratch in finally.

There was a crash in the C's devil though, which didn't look to pretty for the VCL junior who left with his arm in a sling.

@Dammit brightened up proceedings emensely though with his mighty pink stem, lack of BB seals and a boat load of excuses about why he hadn't done his accreditation yet.

^ :( Sorry to hear about the crash. Was definitely windy out there, eesh!

I know I'm still smarting from my injuries from the crash 5 weeks ago, but it seems like the last three weeks there has been a crash in Cs, or at least two and one in inters training. Starting to waver a bit in my passion for track league - it's probably just the injury talking tho. I do think when I get back I'm going to stop trying to contest the win the Cs and starting finishing at the back in Bs.

I wouldn't bother with inters tbh, Thursday nights is safest (and hardest!) IMO

The C's will always be a bit twitchy, but folk are there to learn. I have noticed that no one tends to take charge in the C's and string it out. All the crashes I've seen in the C's have been caused by bunching/back peddling (I think)

Start doing B's if you feel you've learnt enough in the C's, you'll certainly find it a bit safer and faster

Cheers @Ecobeard, good advice.

Tell me more about thursday nights - I thought it was only Derny training? Or is it just safer, harder standard training? I just trawled through the Thursday Derny thread but it was from a year ago, seemingly before the schedule was firmed up?

It's Derny training in two blocks, which is BRUTAL then race training afterwards.

Generally is much safer and it's a tough session overall. The coaches pull less punches too and the sessions can be more technical. If you need some friendly/less friendly advice you get it.

We went to pub last week after the Derny blocks though and cried into our beer......

Cheers (again) @Ecobeard. That sounds like exactly what I need - brutal training and straightforward advice. Think I might swap out my Sat slot for this Thurs evening lark.

All this good advice and cheery demeanour is making me want to join Brixton Cycles...

No bother, it's just my opinions mostly and I'm sure other will have different advice, as is cyclists nature. But def give Thursday's a bash and see if they suit you. Each to their own and wotnot.

Join the mighty BCC you say? Well email me on club.secretary@brixtoncycles.cc and I'll sort you out of you fancy it, we are all terrible people in reality though...

You can always join as a second claim like @dan has, so as to take advantage of our burgeoning 'elite track & pub' programme (yes I've been slacking on the pub before someone pipes up......quite ashamed actually)

A word of warning though. We do have a rigorous beard inspection policy and procedure run by @hillbilly and the comb over sec @Tricky_Business which is really quite daunting.

Not more flipping Brixtoners at track league!

We'll be rivalling VCL if we're not careful....

Considering we have sub 150 members we do put a lot out on track :)

When you do your next club 'turning right' training session, they'll all leave to go race crits.

Ha ha

That's actually happening you know!

I'm not yet an ambi turner