Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

It's on the maybe list for me and Mrs. TSK. It'll be a rare chance for us to race against each other plus I'll also be able to take on my father in law and usurp his authority. OK, he's completed 40 3 peaks but you're only as good as your last race right?

I'll likely be on my 1x1 so pretty easy to spot... thinking about it, I could race on that...

Pah, father in law doesn't stand a chance, point him out, I'll knobble him for ya.

He is already pretty knobbly to be fair.

Knees like a bag of marbles.

OK, he's completed 40 3 peaks but you're only as good as your last race right?

Pffft that's only forty more than my tally

I bet he's never ridden a Central League race. That's a proper test.

@The_Seldom_Killer are you racing on a single speed? What's your setup?

Earlt Spesh Tricross SS with TRP9 V-brakes, Planet X AL 30 wheelset, CX Pros and 40x20 gearing

Ooh I see. I'm playing with the idea of doing some more races this winter but most single speeds seem to be running a lower gear than me. I dont know whether to gear down because a lot of the london league courses look a bit longer/flatter than what I've ridden. Do you find that you're running out of gear on long straights

the mud more than makes up for the lack of hills :)

If you are an excellent runner (+mounter/dismounter) u can benefit from a higher gearing.

I don't really. I've only just geared down from 42x20 because it's started getting thick and muddy so the going is much harder. If the ground is firm then I just bring up to a high spin until I hit a corner. I can't think of any courses I've been on where a straight has been long enough that I'll be spinning for too long. I think the longest I've been on was about 300m which really isn't that long. I'm in Yorkshire where we love hills and off camber so London might be a bit different. There's been a couple of bits were I've descended faster than I can pedal but that's part of riding SS and the lower gear pays off on the inevitable climb back up.

Just seen the course for the weekend.
Looks pretty tough/fun?
Will be heading out from South East. Can't decide whether to ride or drive. Anyone else riding out from London?

It is both fun and tough. Worried about it turning in to a mud-fest though.

Surely after Pensford nothing can be too muddy, or was that not even the start? (I am new to cx)

Anybody going to be at the Trophy race in Ipswich? I'm going to be there pretty much all day so will pit for coffee and heckle for lols.

It was pretty muddy last year and what should be quite a fun, technical circuit felt like a treacherous slog

Spiral of doom.
Berms the wrong way.

I'm unfit and have done 0, zero,none,nil, keine, training.

Kein Training.

Nicht trainiert.

Bin untrainiert.

Careful, you'll have @dammit looking for a new bike.

Get a picture of your spiral of doom, I want to see how it compares to the Yorkshire version.

Cross posting from the SSCX thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWXisCugGVE

Looks like the best thing that has ever happened on planet earth