Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

Have managed to break my arm in 3 places on the big bike so that's me out of this seasons Western CX which is gutting. After a taste last season I was looking forward to giving a fair few of the races a go!

I don't think it is going ahead now

Oh really, how come?

That would be a huge shame

apparently the UCI foisted it on someone who wasn't ready for it yet

I would have loved that. But my bike isn't even half ready yet.... Sunday is ages away... I'm not strong enough to get my gxp cranks off...

I know the feeling. A bit of riding around a park was a rude reminder after doing long-ish, slow mountain bike rides all summer about how painful Sunday is going to be. Ping me your number, we have an WhatsApp group for informal, occasional "training" sessions.

To that point, for anyone who lives East, there's CX training every Weds night at 7pm on the East Marsh of Hackney Marshes (next to the big steps). £4 a time for training with qualified coaches. I go most Weds in the winter and it's grand, if brutal.

Horrible memories of those goal post pyramids... effective though

Yeah, probably my least favourite part of the training. I usually spend it cursing how many goalposts there are in that field. The coaches also do a brilliant line in smiling brutality 'caught your breath, no? Never mind, we're doing it again.'

I'm curious, what does that entail?

Ride out to the sixth goalpost, sprint back. Ride out to the fifth goalpost, sprint back. And so on until you get to goalpost one. It's basically intervals. As Jon said though, it's very effective but vomit-inducing.

Pyramids would technically mean sprint to the first set of goalposts, easy back, then the second set, etc, then back down. Which is what I remember doing a few years ago, but I'm sure they mix it up. Good for practicing starts too, if you go hard on the way out, and fast corners, if you try and get around the posts as quick as possible.

ah shuttle runs, I've not done that for a while and definitely not a bike

googles football fields in Bolton

Yeah it tends to vary, that's just the most recent one I remember doing.

I'd thought of doing something similar over a 30/40m gap using some cones to get used to turning and braking at speed.
I definitely need to find a training group once I move, I can do that on my own to a certain point but there is nothing like a bit of competition to really make you work hard

Agreed, or someone shouting at you to stop slacking. I missed the first one of the season last night due to working late but I'll be going next week. It's been about 6 months since I did a cross remount so pray for my unmentionables when I inevitably overcompensate the first one and land square on my saddle.

saddle/rear tyre/cross bar ....delete as appropriate

Damn. No racing for me this weekend. Western league is full. Thats a first

V40s and Seniors are in the same time slot this year, was that the case last season? I can't remember. Get your entry in for Purdown early!

pretty sure it was, the V40 guys in my club (Bristol CX) all got a free 20 minutes racing last year

KWCC cx this weekend cancelled due to dead ninety six year old woman.

A pair of 29" disc enve tubs on 240s rims currently at £300 ending later this afternoon.

Could be good for CX?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314144627144

You'll need to check the rim specs. I bought some tufo MTB tubs that I thought were a bargain but the rims were way too shallow and wide for cx tubs.

ah, fair enough.

Though this suggests they'd be ok

https://support.enve.com/hc/en-us/articles/360041286071-XC

Well found 👍