LFGSS.CC Racing (Road/ Crit)

Many of you ride for other teams, but if you'd don't and want to come race, I'd really like some company as I linger in cat 4 due to a perennial lack of training appropriately and/or skill and/or sprint.
I guess I'd like us, given that we're about to get some killer skinsuits, to go and use the fuckkers.

To those who are DRK, or NLTDMCBC( I can't get this right ever- apologies)- if you have some advice for me in how to set it up or organise the "club" in any way- I'd be really appreciative.

I'm going to post a vague list of interesting crits, etc later this week, but racing has started over at lea valley, and Mid April is when I'm aiming to be approaching full fitness, so will start up here with the local stuff, till I move back down.

Hope to catch you out racing soon.
Henry

I don't think I've done much in regards to setting things up for NLTCBMBC. I've just tried to encourage people to go out and race, have fun and set goals for yourself. Of course, it's great fun creating an identity, making a kit and doing bike things together too.

We're obviously operating with a small amount of members which makes things easier to handle and see ourselves as more of a team than club in that respect.

Get your track bike over to Redbridge for THUNDERCRIT in May!

The hardest part is getting people to start racing. It's not that scary and you don't have to be superman just to stay in the bunch. Group riding skills are obviously helpful but there's always going to be a learning curve.

I really just want people to chat to at the start/ finish.
It gets really boring otherwise.

Well Dimi, Scoot, Caz and I will be at Lee Valley for almost all the weekday crits.

Come May, so should I.

So.... Who wants to come race up here in the Midlands?
It's a pretty amazing bit of road....
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/142458/Beeston-Road-Club---Nottingham-University-GP
Including corner of crashes. Which is downhill, off camber, and fast as fuck. (See below)
Grass run off though.

Races available 4
2/3
Ladies 2/3/4....

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nottingham,+UK/@52.9367698,-1.1989358,3a,75y,186.67h,92.04t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1scsCATzLYXiyA8gE8RPxHUA!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x487832d2390779cd:0x108063201919db15

All going to plan I may be able to drive a van up.
Finding somewhere to stay could be the only issue.

@eyebrows I'm hoping to do a few crits later this year in Hackney cc colours. I'd be up for linking up.

As mentioned upthread- tomorrow is first day of Mallory Park's Race League.
It's 10 miles out of Leicester, which is an hour away from London.
If anyone's going- give us a shout. I'll be there. LFGSS jersey.
I can also give a lift to Leicester after the race for one person...
@sacredhart I'm fairly easy to spot, hopefully catch you at the start line soon!

Mallory Park is well good.

It sure is. Thought they've made it the dull circuit this week (no 'hill')

The summer crit league at Lee Valley is approaching. There's a Hackney CC crit on Saturday 24th, then the summer league starts on Weds 4th May.

I've signed up to the full gas league- can't make that Saturday as am working. Good luck for it Henry.

Cheers, I'll try not to get spat out the back this time. I'll also try and not get there an hour and a half early so loosing any kind of warm up.

3 laps to go had a chainfuck whilst chilling mid pack. Probably had no sprint but still a pisser....

I like the sound of that full gas league, have the usual trepidation about getting absolutely ruined though. How long do the 4th Cat races last there and at what kind of pace?

Is it just a case of paying for this https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/race/silver then paying individually for entry every week?

Cheers

races are just under an hour but feel way less. Pace, about 25mph average but that's in a bunch. If you can do laps of Regents at 20mph or above you'll be fine.

If you get a silver membership you'll need to buy a race license on the line every week, but if you get the race license with it then it's easier.

You need to enter the series on British Cycling which is a tenner then enter each individual race too.

This is my strava file from yesterday....
https://www.strava.com/activities/546098133
It is fairly represntative, but we had a bit of an epic wind.

And here's a cat 4 crit from Lee Valley that I did
https://www.strava.com/activities/351887778

@Sumo and @eyebrows thank you both for the replies. I guess it is just a case of biting the bullet and going for it. Think I should be just about ok fitness-wise.

The sooner you start racing, the sooner you'll be competitive. You're right, you'll probably be fine.

It's a bit of a punch to the wallet buying silver membership + race license then entrance to the series and entrance to each individual race too, but there isn't really a cheaper way to do it, the Full Gas league is one of the cheapest at Lee Valley too.

Also, riding for an hour full pelt is always going to be hard no matter if you come first or last, there's a lot you'll learn from experience and making the most of the effort you put in.

Yeah it is more expensive that I thought it would be, if I'm right in assuming that it is £10 to register to the series and then also £14 per race thereafter?

Sounds about right. Some of the crits that have been on over winter were like £20+. The road circuit at Lee Valley is very expensive to hire out, but getting a train to a cheaper crit at the Cyclopark or something means you can't get cheaper.

So I'm 50:50 about tonight. Partly because I really wanted to race on the Cannondale and partly because my light morning ride was not light enough.
Who knows.
Was too sunny not to ride.
#wrongattitude.