Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

erm, no thanks.

Yeah, fell over in the second lap and destroyed my rear mech. not a good first race. hopefully can get it fixed before supercross next week.

My tyres were a bit inadequate for that amount of mud, will be quickly getting new ones

My skills were inadequate for the amount of mud.

I think -- mostly from picking Howard's brains after the race -- that tyres, tyre pressure, and skill all come into play when it comes to not falling over in the mud.

I was sub-optimal on all counts and managed to fall over riding in a straight line, on grass, with no-one around me.

Results up (provisional): http://ukcyclesport.com/results/cyclo-cross-uk/item/9347-london-and-se-cyclo-cross-league-7-2013-14

Top 10 for Andy.

Bad luck Laner - I have an XT mech you can use next week if you get really stuck. Replacement gear hanger shouldn't be too hard to come by I'd hope if it's needed.

Looks like amazing fun. Good work.
Work held me indoors today. I went home and sat on the turbo. Not exactly pleased with that turn of events.

I had fun. Had a decent start but was losing too much time in the corners. Managed to stay upright though.

Good work Andy.

Thanks.

I enjoyed that. Got a good start (please can all starts be uphill like that, it spreads the field out really quickly) and was moving up nicely in the first couple of laps. Slightly over did it on the second lap though and had to ease off slightly to recover, which allowed a couple of people to get back past me, but was very consistent in my lap times after that and still had something left in the tank on the last lap where I almost caught the two riders in front of me.

Don't know what PSI I was running in my rear tyre but I thought it was flat at one point, got loads of grip in the mud but the farmyard section was interesting.

Bad luck on the mech hanger, Michael. That's a rotten introduction to muddy cross races.

I'm also pleased that the Meander of Mud aka the Coil of Crap was removed as that would've been horrific in those conditions.

It would have been a different story if it wasn't for the company. Great to see Team Rollapaluza CC pile on to the train at Croyden, and even managed to get a swift half in with Cupcakes at one of the nicest pubs I've been of late whilst killing time for the train. We were also lucky enough to share the train with Chris Herring who came 6th in the seniors - it's first season of cross coming from MTB and appears to be smashing it out of the park with a stock bike on clinchers. Bravo.

Race wise..eh. Couldn't get the bike around the bends. Mixture of confidence and riding a bike that's a fair bit too small for me. Picked up a bit on the last few laps when I remembered how to ride off road.

Anyone racing eastern league tomorrow?

At Davy Down? No, but rode it last year. I thought it was a great course, but it was very, very muddy.

Did Michael get home okay btw?

Yeah, was planning to do central league but that's in Oxforshire and Davy Down is only 30 min away. Third race in a row in mud starting to get used to it now :)

I gave Michael a lift home.

The only issue with Eastern League is a) that they prioritise members so if there is a full field of members then you won't race and b) if you do get in they grid bloody everyone! I started on the back row of the race at Davy Down last year (still got 3rd Vet though!).

Well done for being the good samaritan too.

I am hoping there wont be more than 80 riders
http://www.easterncross.org.uk/race13-14-7.htm

I'm going to either Oxford or Davy down, still undecided as the Oxford course is brutal in the mud but in a nice deadly fuck you up kind of way.

Results up (provisional): http://ukcyclesport.com/results/cyclo-cross-uk/item/9347-london-and-se-cyclo-cross-league-7-2013-14

howard - lf655

17655

17gss?

howard - lf655

I like that.

Two training sessions scheduled at Herne Hill in the next couple of months;

http://www.hernehillvelodrome.com/racing_events/cyclo_cross/

so, I recently picked up a CX frame cheaply on a local website and wondering how to build it up. It's got both canti and disc mounts (no canti hanger though). I like the idea of going canti in that I can build it up with 10s campag and use a spare road wheelset I already have.
Are cantis really that bad? what about mini-v? should I just bite the bullet and go disc (find a disc fork,) and save up for new wheels? Does anyone use campag for cross or does the thumb shifter get in the way?

Cantis aren't that bad, they just require effort to get them set up correctly. They are best for mud, and it's looking like it's going to be a muddy season (again) this year. Mini-vs are okay, but less good for mud. Discs are fine, but finding a Campag disc hub isn't easy (and if anyone is looking for a pair of Campag disc wheels, I have that I need to get rid of).

I use Campag, as do quite a few other riders at London League events. I occasionally have issues with the thumb shifter, usually when dismounting and carrying the bike, but I live with it.

Personally, I'd recommend using what you have, especially when you are starting out.