Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

Is it the hard pack trails you ride on Thursday or are you lucky enough to have a jet wash at work?

Are the MTB trails at Ashton manor all weather too, I only saw the start of them near the top of the hill

Either way once I work out how to get there without satnav Leigh woods sounds great 😀

I haven't made it to one of the rides as I have to get my kids ready for School / Nursery

The Ashton Court ones are also all weather from what I remember.

Leigh Woods is just across from Ashton Court. Go over the Suspension Bridge and turn right :)

Anyone looking for a cx bike could do a lot worse than this https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/298500/#comment13410102

Pair of maxxis mud wrestlers for £30. https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/298573/

Anyone racing in Leyton this weekend?

Which race?

It's the 22nd.

Just entered Thundercross. Is there anywhere in/around London I can train? I could do with getting a bit more settled on the bike.
EDIT: Train off road

where are you - north, south, east or west?

On Weds evenings Hacknet GT lead some training sessions on Hackney Marsh just opposite the Velodrome. It depends where in London you are though.

@fredtc North (King's X)
@sumo Nice, helpful thanks

So it is. Thought it was this weekend. Maybe I'll enter then...

you can get there easily enough along the canal path - also cycle a bit further and you can get to epping through some mud paths via hackney marshes/wansted flats etc. There was a Rapha CX ride from Viccy park - Epping which was rly good.

On Weds evenings Hacknet GT lead some training sessions on Hackney Marsh just opposite the Velodrome. It depends where in London you are though.

Are these still going? Worth checking before leaving as I think they may be done for the season.

All the same the Marshes are a reasonable training ground. There's a bike bank which is just about rideable, but good for running and doing off-camber stuff, and some woods over the road in the Wick Woodland (though look out for walkers here) and the Olympic Park mtb trails. Plenty of room for intervals and the like along the football pitches too.

Looks like there should be plenty of rain for Sunday's race in Kent this weekend.

It's on an old coal mine too, so the mud is very dark and full of coal dust by all accounts. Very mucky.

The Western league race at Shipham tomorrow has been postponed until next Sunday btw.

Cool....you just might see me on the start line

What's the course like?

The Heath Extension https://goo.gl/maps/8RcG3o6hE222 has some nice bits, if you enter from Spaniards End those routes are quite easy to find.

https://goo.gl/maps/GYRZsyvdzPn
This bit of green is also good and a bit closer to town (entrance off priory gardens) however there are a fair few rough sleepers in that park, so be careful you're not doing laps of someone's tent or they might get a bit brassed off (yes, I speak from experience).

I have no idea if you're allowed to cycle on those bits so be considerate to others obvs and don't blame me if dog walkers shout at you.

These are also good urban cx routes if you want a longer ride

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18354797

or

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18374870

but easy to get lost on, so again, don't blame me

Not 100% sure as I think it's going to be a bit different from last year.

It's partially on a banger racing circuit, two sets of stairs, lots of steep off camber banks and it's on top of the Mendips so last year the fog was so thick you could barely see your front wheel :)

http://www.richlewtonphotography.co.uk/keyword/Shipham;western%20cyclocross%20league/

Was that Jon at the top of the Sydenham hill footpath today?

Amazing. Thanks.
Theres also endless stuff down in kent. And endless stuff in Epping area.

also, if you're an RCC member they do really good Urban CX rides each Wednesday and Saturday morning that leave from near Hampstead Heath. nearly worth the joining fee alone if you're into that sort of thing.

Was that Jon at the top of the Sydenham hill footpath today?

Not I (if I'm the Jon you're referring to). I've been attempting to get over a cold. Barely left the house today let alone made it south of the river.

Tend to go in to the bike wrecking north - but yeah fun to be had with Dom

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I was a bit perplexed by it, your doppleganger looked like he'd been racing up it.