Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

I suspect I'll be there in my usual pit bitch and spectator capacity. I suspect Ipswich may get sacked off as being the most awkward to get to.

A little disappointed to see Shrewsbury for the National Champs. It didn't seem like it would have enough to offer for a full, varied technical course. It was good to have it as the fast course for the Trophy but not a patch on the likes of Abergavenny, or Derby, or Peel Park.

fifty-ten

Head explodes.

Went to see the Norco Threshold SL in Evans today.

Hydro brakes, crabon frame (whole bike was v. light), internal cables.

Very expensive though and wasn't bowled over by the clearance behind the BB.

NEXT!

SwissCross disc frameset, maybe?

is there a summer series this year?

edit: let me google that for myself http://www.summerseries.co.uk

Yes. Jason said he was already organising it and had found a third venue - morden / wimbledon.

Heat stroke ahoy!

More concerned about my wife giving it a go.

Look on the bright side, she can clean your bike too.

Wish those were on the weekend. Tough to get to a 7pm start when work finishes at 6.

Which is quicker?

Slightly undergeared – spinning up quickly out of corners, over ramps and plenty of time around 90-100rpm etc
Slightly overgeared – honking it a bit on the drags, out of the saddle a bit up ramps, keeping the bike nice and pinned over bumpy bits etc

?

I know the answer is "test both" but if anyone has SSCX experience and has thoughts...

Most courses around here don't have a great deal of long, fast, clear straights. You rarely achieve any kind of terminal velocity so I'd lean towards under geared. It's a bit more adaptable when it comes to courses with mud too.

I tend to ride at a high cadence with gears and run 65" around town on road so it's probably down to your style as much as anything.

I don't race SSCX as much as I ought to, because I always find you're either slightly under or slightly over geared, but like Jon, I think being under geared is slightly better.

My limited experience also suggests under-geared is better.

The main exception to this was racing at Bethlem, with the long drags around the fields. I was seriously under-geared there, and then pretty over-geared on the technical twisty stuff. But that was when it's dry, which changes things a lot. In mud, gear down.

I hear ya.

Riding fixed on the road against the clock I go a little quicker overgeared – and that really feels like work. In comparison I'm finding zipping around a dry cross course feels like it's giving my legs a (relatively) easy ride. I'd gear up but I think I lose more time getting out of slow section if pushing a bigger gear.

#onegearproblems

On 95% of courses you'll lose time somewhere by either being over or under geared, so I wouldn't worry about it too much, the difference is probably negligible overall. You'll almost always be at a disadvantage compared to someone on gears (more so when it's dry) but that's not really what SSCX is about.

The gear I rode this winter (39x18) I never really felt too lacking at the two very different races I rode (Alexandra Palace and Wivelsden Farm) and I can get away with the same gear riding for 50km off-road in Epping in the summer.

As an aside bike24 have tubular Schwalbe Sammy Slicks at a bargain 18 euros each, if you don't want to spend too much on a pair of tyres that will only see a few races a season.

Any non-UCI friendly 38mm clinchers good for racing out there? Won't be seeing any proper mud as I shall bring out the tubs for that.

3 peaks race entries open today.

shit is cray

I am tempted. Should I be?

Do it, if you can get in it's a pretty awesome event. Tough though and any entrants would benefit from doing some off-road running training.

Worth giving it a go once, I think.

More like fell running whilst carrying a bike, if that's your thing.

I'll put in an entry.