Wheel Woes

 Three days,  Two wheels... fucked... not exactly a great run of luck before Christmas.
Firstly my Carbon Planet X developed an issue, the free wheel locked, almost tore the mech off and then span freely in both directions... oooo its not meant to do that... Its ok I wont be riding on them anyway as I cant stop ( Swisstop yellows dont seem to work and I dislocated my shoulder using a tree as an "improvised velocity modulator")
Looks like a thrust plate sprung a leak. one of the small bumps, designed to lock onto the spring, twist and engage the pawls had cracked and failed. In sympathy the spring, that is meant to engage on these dimples, sheared and has made a good mess of the freehub body.
Hey mr presto one fucked hub. I had only recently put new bearings in as well..
Planet X were typically unhelpful . They didnt even read my email and sent me a helpful fucking useless  link to the freehubs of new shit.
I now have to decide whether to rebuild or try work around the problem ( old Planet X hub of Ebay ?)


Either way I am getting the feeling that those wheels were an expensive waste of money. I hope I can salvage the tubs for different wheels.

thats not it though , more rear wheel woes.
Back in the day ,when I was racing, I had a gorgeous pair of wheels bult by Andy of Rock n Road. These were beauties, Royce Titan hubs built into DT Swiss rims and they have been faultless for many years. James replaced the freehub back in March when it got a a bit messed up , and they have only been ridden a few times through the Summer. With Carbons unavailable, its these beauts called up for race duty.
So in the garage Post race, I glare at the bike accusingly, the race bike is on a work stand . hanging forlorn, seemingly ashamed  at yet another mechanical failure costing me precious race positions. I free and adjust the binding brake. spin the cranks.. it still feels sluggish .. Thats a new Hollowtech BB so it might need wearing in a bit.. drop the chain, try again.. much easier. its not that then. I rest my hand on the tyre and try to manually spin the wheel. It stops after about 3 inches. I try again, trying to work out what is binding. cant see anything.
Drop the wheel out of the frame, and  I try flicking the wheel to spin it between hands.. It hits me. a seized bearing. I cannot manually turn the wheel. No wonder I was going backwards in Sundays race. I must have been losing at least 1/2 of my power just keeping that wheel turning.
I dismantle the hub to see what is going on and I am greeted by a dark paste with tiny speckles of metalic swarf. Oh dear..not looking good. one pawl remains, and I fish it out to discover that it has sheared off and chewed itself up. Oh dear, that explains my slipping gears. It wasnt grass wrapped around my cassette, duff cables, or poor indexing, it was my rear hub eating itself and taking a mauling.
The axle was still seized and after using a vice to get the thumb nuts off I tap out the two remaining bearings.
one of the brand new looking chunky outboard ones was locked. not even draggy, this fucker was welded and wouldnt even move. It looked pristine though ...
HB bearings in Fareham sort me out with new bearings and an amazing within the hour response  from Cliff at Royce confirmed that parts for the hub are available. ( what a difference in service to PX)
While it is too late for this to be sorted before my last race of the season, it does mean that my beloved Royce Wheels live for another few miles yet.

Racing Wessex CX Rnd 11 VC Venta Winchester

After a brief hiatus its back to racing, even though the left knee isn't quite right, a home race just up the road at Sparsholts College near Winchester.
A pre race shake down of my race bike had not gone well. My first experience of carbon rims in the rain had left me with a dislocated shoulder when I had overshot a corner and thudded into a tree. That session somehow managed to completely trash the freehub on my Planet X wheel , but it wasn't all bad, it did open my eyes to the smoothness of riding on tubs!!!Dugast Rhinos rock!!!
anyway to Winchester... Its raining, though not that cold, and blowing a hooley.. open sports fields greet us, all facing into the prevailing.
Ribbons of tape flap in the wind  as we try and work out the course.. Its was certainly a long loop!!

woo hoo sillystring on a map

There was a bit of everything for every one.. Long fast downhill > gravel bed> a bit of woods> bomb hole> steepish banks> boggy running bit. no barriers though..but plenty of off camber grassy turns and switchbacks to keep everyone happy.
Warming up was a case of riding the course loop and then going back to the van, or hovering in the lee of a building, to try and stay dryish.
The circuit started up a longish farm track and straight out onto off camber slick slime a few off camber switches and short banks, skirt the edge of the top playing fields towards the top of the course. two short gravel pits ( too short to make much of a difference.) and then the longest straight bit of the whole Wessex series so far.. Long, straight  but not as fast as you would have thought. switchbacks and across uncharted fields which were remarkably bumpy. these hummocks of grass or 'baby heads' as I heard them described, were energy sappingly hard as there wasn't really a discernable path across them. A bomb hole right next to the pits ( south side) and a loop around some woods. out across the fields again switchbacks down towards the bottom corner of the course. two awkward banks ( both rideable if nobody founders in front) and then back up the fields, this time with a welcome tailwind.
a couple of corners and a blip into the woods. Exiting the woods a right hander on a fast gravelly corner with a straight sprint on compacted gravel, before doing a meander around the trees. Off camber and slippy. A steep bank had most riders off and running a long boggy section tearing up the newly laid lawns of the horticulture college. ankle deep in parts, this was easier to run than attempting to grind your way through it.
a few switch backs and a boggy straight, another switch , boggy straight characterised this top section. A steep drop and off into the wind again. That awkward squirrelly bit just after the start.. A great circuit, around 1.9 miles long. Definitely not one to have to run around if you have a problem.
Slowly riders congregated at the start, reluctantly holding on to jackets as long as possible, and then wandering around looking for someone too leave them with ( in the van!!)

Looking across the top fields

Nodding to riders I know, small talk, surrounded by the usual adversaries. The top twenty were called forward, and thankfully that was it.. Four rows in front so not too bad.
The whistle goes, and we are off. Not as quick as I normally get away and by the first corner I got a bit swamped and conceded places. The tyres twitch down hill as we collectively slither across the slippy section and I am soon moving up through riders.
I am with the group that I know, the regulars, let the battle commence. hang on to a wheel, and then push past when the opportunity arises. defend for a while, before having a dig to gap and work up to the next rider. Lap times were around the 13 minute mark and the race was soon strung out. There were plenty of opportunities though. The slick conditions amplified small mistakes, a duff line forcing a foot dab or a unscheduled dismount. I found I was very slow across the open bump field bits, and the long drag, even with a tail wind meant didn't help, I was hemorraging places. Top ten guys gapped me and I was being caught by the 10-20 placed regulars. I got worked over into the wind as I dragged a small group around, and then one by one they dropped me as we went across the flat fast bits.
Technically I was getting up there but these long bits were frustrating especially in the last few laps when my gears started to jump, crunch and grind.  nothing would stick, I pushed on. Ed went down in front, Simon crashed through the tape twice, so I know I was pressurising them. Had I have known I should have pitted, but I was too desperate to defend my place as it was .

Looking at the Pits... I should have visited here. bollox

Cornering became awkward, I was braking far too much into them and slow to get back up to speed. I was overtaken by two riders who i have alwasy been infront of...mentally this was a bit of a downer, maybe the lack of form was due to the enforced layoff due to my knee. Keep going, accelerate again , dont loose a wheel.
The bell came and went, time for a dig. "ride fast finish fucked" I got gaps on a few rivals. forced past Stuart who had only just overtaken me, and was steadily hunting Simon down in a rematch of our Reading battle. He pipped me by less than five meters, and for the first time after a race I had to lie down.struggling for breath and feeling wrecked.
pushing the bike back to the van and I notice the rear brake rubbing..infact it is hard up against the rear rim, no wonder working across the fields was so hard!! Turns out I managed 15th but again mechanical issues ( brake rubbing and slipping gears) left me bitterly dissapointed.


What went well:
Top 15 finish.
Very high heart rates, good finish despite the mechanicals working against me
Running boggy sections well,  clean dismount and fast remounts.  quite agressive in defending the line and slightly later remounts. Need to practice these more and include more runnnig in the off season.
I felt I rode off camber slime well, ( watching others slithering around)
Bollocks to the wind and rain.
Knee was ok racing.
Cornering when tired was girly..

Not so well,
Mechanical issues  ( gears slipping and brake rubbing.) these are really demoralising at the moment. Its not fitness thats limiting results its these niggly little issues.
Digging deep and kind of trashing myself ( still not right and its Wednesday.)
Knee was not good after.
I should have pitted as soon as the gears started playing up... They always improve dont they!! Doh!!

If you absolutely have to go riding

I know I have said it before but I am lucky enough to be able to get out riding at lunchtimes. Todays glorious December weather posed a quandry. Do I go out for a smooth road ride on the track bike down to the beach and back, or take the cross bike along Chilling Cliffs .
Glorious sunny weather, no wind; I didnt even have bib longs on, just kneewarmers (in December!!)  Cross bike and Chilling cliffs it was then..
The trails , damp, but not slimey.. mud index..Grade 1.1 ( Damp earth , that just sticks to the bike ish) Tyres cleared easily and no sploshing.) Check out the full Mud Index Here: MUD INDEX ON CROSSJUNKIE

In the woodland sections the floor was blanketted in thick layers of dry leaves. These made riding feel like it was in snow, ( without the slippiness) just a gentle rustle as tyres hissed through.
A little bit of prospecting, justoff the normal loop, yielded some interesting new trails ....

Rides dont get much better than this.. one of the best in 2013..And the shower in work is back to its skin flaying temperature again: oooh happy days :-)

Knee Update

How depressing it is to watch CTL and hard earned fitness plummet.This knee problem is still persisting. 2 days rest> gentle ride>two days rest> gentle ride...

Whle the burny feel has gone, it feels weak, so I am laying off intervals and really hard efforts, just to keep ticking over, not lose too much for my last two races.

Since my last post I have started/continued to do the  following...>

• Stretching daily> (with a bit of core mixed in) seems to help.
• Foam roller ( mainly on my left ITB) definitly helps.. and after a few days it doesnt hurt as much.
• Cod liver oil and Glucosamine. 
• Gentle riding, focussing on pelvic rotation. Probably not a good idea, but not riding is driving me nuts.
• Reading lots on line... I found an interesting article on Ankle flexibility causing problems on http://www.fix-knee-pain.com... : it made a lotof sense and as this is all aboyut marginal gains I have incorporated a bit of Ankle swirly excercises.

What I really need to do is to go and have a chat with James In Rock n Road. but I know he will give me shit for riding a frame awee bit too small for me,

So its not as bad as last week, but still not back to normal.. In the meantime I can only watch as my CTL goes into freefall off a fucking cliff.

Knee Problems.

Just when things are going well and boom.. an issue.
I have had niggles and such with my back, and a few years ago I had to stop riding for a while due to a knee problem..

Well its back..
It started straight after Tuesdays hard tempo lunchtime ride.(Maybe I had overdone it on hill intervals the day before..)
A dull burning sensation on the outside of my left knee. sort of starting at that bony blob at the outside top of the fibula.. and spreading all the way up to the quad...

As a few days have gone on it feels a lot like the inside and to the rear of the joint, no localised pain,with the burning feeling persisting..
Not sure what to do about it. I suspect ITB, but cant quite discern where the pain emanates from.
I have bought myself a foam roller and have done a few ITB type roller bits...,
A wee bit of stretching
 and so far have taken two ( frustrating) days off the bike.

To try next
Restart regular morning Stretching and Core work ( been mainly core recently)
A bit better Foam Rolling, incorporating into my routine.
Find out where the pain actually is.. ( read lots on doctor google and try lots of wierd leg raises etc to see if I can locate )
Try the bike again tomorrow, but hold off any interval work for a few days. Just regular, easy miles..No big ring hill work!
Buy some Glucosamine and Cod liver oil tabs. Hate it, but its a case of marginal gains.
Take some Ibuprofen at the weekend ( when I would be resting anyway)

November Stats

November wasn't a bad month. My face remains 'tashe free but riding went pretty well.

Starting CTL was 72 and with 22 hours riding in I finished the month at 75,... so still rising and on a good trend.

Training went pretty well,and the following routine has sort of come about:

• Monday rest either active or a tempo ish ride ( depending on race day)
• Tuesday is Hill repeats found a new hill to test my legs on.
• Wednesday is double header day. Drills at lunchtime and a long CX ride in the evening. These double days really hammer me though>
• Thursday Rest  after yesterdays exertions.
• Friday try go hard/tempo.
• Saturday Rest
• Sunday Woodland thrash.

 a couple of runs in there, not nearly enough , but its better than nothing. I think I will do the park runs in the off season.
in all 324 miles so not bad.

Racing was a bit hit or miss. CityCross was phenomenal, but wessex League not so good; with two lower placings than I was happy with due to mechanical and gridding but as this is my first season I have resigned myself that this is my apprenticeship, I cant expect it all my own way, so just deal with it. Finally got to race on Tubs though..

More Pics from CityCross

Around Dark Star corner

Exiting the Spiral of Doom

Exit Stage left

Wrecking the lawns

Spiral of DOOOOOM

Racing Wessex CX Rnd 10 Thruxton

After the glamour of the flood lit colonnades and stage bombing , with the added  terror of the off camber cobbles, Citycross was now few weeks ago, so its time to get back to local racing with the Wessex League , this time Behind the Bikeshed event at Thruxton.
As a road rider, Thruxton was the setting for the last win of my road career, with a long solo break... fond memories indeed.. But I wasn't kidding myself.. while the weather was very similar. ( freezing northerly wind) I had no illusions that today's result was going to be different.
This was to be first outing with my 'new ' carbon wheels and first ride on tubs.
I know I know, I bought them weeks ago..but I have been faffing with brakes.. I needed some pads, so I had a choice. Do I go for the standard size road cartridges or  swap to the longer V brake (RX) cartridges off the Tektro720s.
I opted for more brake block with the V pads. But after a three week wait for yellow swissstops carbon pads I was informed that they don't do them anymore!! so small pads it is then...( which I could have gotten weeks ago)
Trying to set the CX8.4 mini Vs up was a pain I just couldn't get them right.. The rear wheel has a tiny wobble on it and as the pads run so close to the rim I faffed and faffed, but in the end I got up early on race day and swapped back to my Tekros. nothing like last minute changes.

I travelling up with Phil Chinn of Fareham Wheelers in his well kitted out LT relaxed, babbling the whole way and talking about The Fareham Wheelers Cross race on the 5th Jan next year.
Parking was easy and soon we were bimbling down the hill to sign on.

A sea of tape, on the side of an amphitheatre, greeted us..what a cracking venue for spectators...

it was impossible to trace the course standing at the bottom the hurdles were right in front of the sign on and the majority of the crowd. but the only other obvious feature was the regular vertical lines climbing the banks,.again and again.sweeping out to the right and back again into the grim headwind.
So here it is... a tidied up GPX track:

Twisty then:...

The starting straight was pretty long and went stright up the hill
and by the first hairpin, things were spaced out reasonably. I would describe it but basically it was a long series of sharp turns in a sea of tape. once you were on it it was fine though, off camber corners, 180s into another hill.
The course was well drained with no muddy patches. A few of teh corners got progressivly torn up throughoutthe race, but mainly it was damp grass. A few long straights were welcome respite and a well built set of barriers. Basically an excercise in off camber riding, switchbacks and short sharp uphills.!! definitly the most corners in any race yet. The hardest part was a really sharp off camber left hander, down on the southerm part of teh course. steep and very slippy....

This pic shows the pits barriers and a few of the steep bank switchbacks. ------------------>>
( it doesnt really give the impression of how steep they were!)


Racing.
Commisaires called up riders to the grid, but this race instead of the top 20 or so they called everyone on the Wessex database  forward in turn, As I am not affiliated this year I was in the remaining few riders a long way back, I estimate at least 50-60 or so riders ahead..

Graham Robbins

A minutes silence was held for the passing of Wessex cyclocross stalwart Geoff Shergold . The quiet only punctuated by the wind and garmins chirping threshold alarms.
The whistle went, but instead of caning it straight away, a lackadaisical meander started, I didn't really really shift a gear until we dived into the first series of chicanes.,. then that was it Hammer time. heart rate nicely elevated, time to start picking off. corner, accelerate, pick off a rider, no aggression, but by either accelerating on a short straight bit, or by out cornering. I was soon moving up through the field.
My mate Phil came a cropper on one of the steep uphills, so as riders cursed and had to ease up in the bottle neck, I was off running and sprinted up the hill, making around 15 places in one go.  steep switchback,, out of the saddle and accelerate up the next part of the bank. the course was always variable and there was only one section where you could shift it to the big ring. I had a good ding dong with an Army CU guy, Ed of VC Venta was passed and things were going pretty well.
I sprinted as hard as I possibly could along that top bit, as other riders seemed to be taking a bit of a breather, knowing that the wiggly bit at the bottom was easily defendable.,
The trickiest part of the course came way off to the right of the course. (Yellow circle) a short climb, offcamber> followed by a very off camber switch back, that was very slippy and really hard to find a clean line through. I nervously crept through this segment each lap.
By now I was up to near my usual rivals, Army CU guy , and a pale blue Wesbury Wheelrs rider were close. I was passing Phil Boarer of South Downs passing on the opposite side of the switch back. Keeping the pressure on I blundered and accelerating into a rise I dropped the chain.. Off the bike as riders started to pass, I lifted the chain back on and span the pedals to make sure it didn't drop again. Tried to remount ...      (Blunder!) dismounted and then ran up the bank careful not to remount too early. I had lost about 10 or so places, and was livid.
I spent the rest of the race chasing those down who I had already passed once... picking them off one by one, and gaining all the time. Phil yelling encouragement where we passed.
On the Bell lap I over cooked it a bit on that nasty corner I mentioned and I went over the bars and over the tape. The bars dug deeply into my left thigh giving me a good dead leg.. My most recent passed opponent (Wight Mountain guy) quickly and smartly accelerated past as I remounted and limped off, slow to get back up to speed. I was still chasing him down, as we approached teh finish, both  getting out of the saddle to sprint for the line... he did manage it, but it was a good race..Turns out that I managed to wind back up to 21st. so overall not bad from such a shit start and mishaps. Somehow I managed to lose a contact lense in teh melee as well!

 Post race diagnosis and catching up with a few familiar faces.. A warm cup of tea and a sausage sandwich from the superb grill that had been put on,
We watched about half of the Seniors, where I did a bit of gentle heckling of Ben, who was out on his first race for a long while.

What went well:
Raced very hard, made a lot of places up. really worked through the bunch . Pretty pleased about that.
Raced on tubs..even though they were a bit too hard, the wheels seemed to accelerate quickly.
Not so good.
Out partying the night before..Spanish Ex-pats night out...I volunteered to drive so got away with a baggy head, but it was a late night...
Tubs a bit too hard
Not being gridded and starting at the back.. while its  a good workout, ultimately I really want a top ten.
Dropped chain.. No idea why, its never done it on that bike, or since.. should I buy a chainkeeper?
Crashed.. ahh well that racing.. but my thigh is still bruised and feels dead.
Bad prep of spare bike. Yet again I forgot to check tyre pressure. so they were well flat ( Latex tubes!)

After racing

So yesterday I went like this:

Bit tired today.. Recovery ride and I feel like this:

Morvelo City Cross...As much fun as you can have on a bike.

City Cross One was excellent, but this weekends running of City Cross 2 managed to top it.

The impressive Piece hall  was the venue, with the awesome galleries framing the days racing.

Once again, we were up there in a roller racing capacity so the SCS waggon was loaded to the gunnel's and ploughed its way north on the Friday night.
Saturday we were greeted by threatening clouds and as we pulled into the square we were both gobsmacked. Emma and her team had been busy indeed.
After some discussion we set up the SCS gazebo and rigs right next to the main stage. The usual faffing setting up, Craig losing the van keys when it came to move the waggon, and going back to the car park a few times due to forgotten odds and sods.
We were ready. The Frogs were set up ready to go, however it didn't quite work out that way for us.
As the first races got underway the rain started and drove the crowds into the shelter of the galleries. It turns out that we were set up in a kind of island and with no foot fall, we were so quiet that we subsequently shut down shop and just enjoyed the racing.

The course was brilliant.
A short cobbled uphill sprint before turning through the massive gates and a sweeping left hander up more cobbles to a right turn and through the deep sandpit.


Grounding a pedal here, filled the cleat with sand and meant clipping back in was a challenge for at least half a lap. Out of the sand pit and into the Spiral of Doom. clockwise on the way in ever decreasing circles on off camber cobbles. To be honest the cobbles were not too bad, the flagstones were worse, but the gaps between them were the hidden danger, ready to snatch at the front wheel and drag you well off line.

Into the centre of the tapes a sharp turn back on yourself and anti clockwise on the way out, as the curves got less tight and the bends more sweeping you could gradually gather speed as you exited. foot out flat out, on the edge of control  until you were ejected from the cobbled lunacy into a sharp right hand hairpin and ducked under the Lezyne Bridge. This first berm, slightly off camber change from flagstones/kerb/grass was the start of the squirrel slalom. torn up lawn. with a thin skein of liquid like mud with sharp fast corners.

More than a fair few riders,including myself ,went down sliding in the mud. another corner before a short scoot and you were already unclipping ready for the metal stairs.

Up the steps and a quick dash
 across the back of the main stage. Billowing smoke, loud music and a steep exit ramp greeting you..

The next two very slippy corners were the scene of many a slip up
during the
day.drop off the kerb and a hard sprint up to the Lezyne flyover...building speed up for the exit and back onto the relief of cobbles again.


Downhill to the bottom part of Piece Hall holding as much speed as you corner through the noisy Morvelo Heckling ( beer hand up) corner.( where we spent most of our non racing time) A fast dash on a straight a few curbs and back across the lawns. two hairpins to negotiate and as you dropped of the kerb, it was attack as hard as possible into the rise, to complete a lap and line up to launch yourself into the sand pit again.
Laps were around the 3.20 minute mark, so it was  a tight very technical course. With a fair spread of riders on cross bikes and 29ers it was impossible to say which was the better vehicle. out braking and sharper turns on the 29ers but outpace on any running and straights on the cross bikes. More importantly was tyre choice. I deliberated for ages and kicked myself for not buying Small Block 8s on the way up, but 5 mins in the mud demonstrated that Mud2s were a good choice given the squirelly conditions.
Racing started mid morning withthe tiny under eights. and as the rain came and went the under 12's and youths racing unfolded.
Rob was signed on for the first Novice Moto; pinning a number on since a brief dabble in BMX as a six year old.

It wasnt long before the rag tag band of novices careered into the square. A mix of casual MTBers casual cross riders, and a few sandbaggers on full carbon with disks and deepsections...( Novice really?)

I made my way to the Morvelo / Dark Star beer handups and spent the full 20 minute moto heckling and taking photos of thirsty rider after thirsty rider enjoying the excellent Belgian IPA being handed up along th e bottom cobbled section. Rob uphelp honour by partaking in a swift glug every lap... Darkstar IPA is too good to pass an opportunity..

Two o clock was approaching so i pinned my number on and got changed in the warm  green room toilet ( once used by 'Bob Carolgees') ... and braved the persistent drizzle to warm up. I meandered down to the old church and line up, somewhere second row ish.. The ususal race nerves , repeatedly checking my gearing ( small ring , three down at the back.)
"I will start you in the next 10 seconds ... "
@Waterrat blew her whistle


"PEEEEP" the surge forward, the click and daft sprint for that first right hander. Despite my roller racing cadence I don't seem to be able to get my cross race starts sorted. Entering the square and attacked into that first hill. for the first taste of wet cobbles at race speed. Sandpit hard and fast.. just point and shoot , and into that Spiral, already snipping at the rider in fronts heels.
Unclipping and tripodding around the sweeping bottom of the bends , nervously clipping back in to put the power back down..

As the turns got tighter... riders got bunched, I took the decision to run it... porting the bike through a narrower gap and overtaking riders through that apex.
good remount. heart rate already near max. sprinting again, and very nervous at the bottom off camber bit where the flags had a some bigger 'divits' between them.
The hairpin  and under the bridge.. someone goes down in front, and I manage to negotiate a line around them. I attack the stairs, and rush another rider, remounting and hammering past the DJ. another rider miscalculates the traction n the grass and goes down.

on such a tight course any opportunities to move up are opportunistic. crashes, forced errors, or capitalising on someones bad line. Regular racing has given me the nerve to go for it and run where most others are slowing to a crawl. Attack them.. run, sprint in front and remount, it is racing after all. Just be fast.....
Unfortunatley the Vets races didn't have hand ups, but I was being pushed for half the race , so I don't know if I would have taken one till the last lap where I had managed to get a decent 15 second  gap .
Sprint from every corner, desperately concerned on the cobbles, avoiding the trenches that opened u p as the rain washed out their 'grout' and running through the skittish grassy bits..


Moto ...done I finished 2nd to Guy Kesteven who won by a very convincing margin, observers say he was screaming along.. but we did high five each other as we passed in the Spiral.
I quickly changed out of my soaked kit and enjoyed a quick ale as a suitable recovery drink.

The afternoons racing was brilliant fun. The SCS Megaphones were used to full effect as riders bore the brunt of our schoolboy humour and the warming effect of drinking as much IPA as was being handed up during the Novice races.

During the Last Chance race, drama unfolded before us , as Singular Sam ground to a halt right in front of us with a bust wheel. ( 20mm carbon tubs on cobbles!!!) I quickly donated my rear wheel, but spent the rest of his race, cheering him but secretly hoping that he didn't trash it or puncture.. those latex tubes are a bitch to get on)

As darkness fell the Piece hall lights came up and with the music and reflections off the ground the party atmosphere really kicked in. Brant Richards ( he of Planet X fame) kicked up the volume and the finals started.

Joolze Dymonds Twitter feed

For the finals, the forever inventive course designers had cut out the bottom sprint of the square. As riders exited the bridge, a short sprint followed by a dismount and a run up a few steps.
Accelerating again and Barrelling down the three concourses of the Piece Halls at race speed was a phenomenal experience. Pillars flashed past, lights music, punctuated by hard 90' corners, before being ejected out ready for the sand pit.


The Vets final was at seven, . Warming up a bit by circling on the cobbles outside, the jovial party atmosphere from inside the Hall didn't reach this far.. things were serious now.
I udged forward into the front row, as that's where I figured I should be gridded. Again repeatedly checking the gearing, same as before.
Emma's whistle signalled our start , but I fluffed my clip and was immediately swamped, blasting into the square in around tenth place.
The Spiral was easier by now as the sand from the pit had been well distributed , though I still tripodded and ran through the central coil. The grass was well and truly carved up but take it steady and I pushed hard out on every straight.. pushing hard, no free wheeling.
I pushed up to riders and made a lot of places up by being direct in the transitions... even asking one rider to let me pass.. The flood lights made the mud glisten, and it was a case of aim for the shadowy ruts through, stay smooth and upright. Just as I was settling into the groove I  heard the bell and after one last blast along the corridors, taking the corners on the limit of traction, before sprinting again.( Wall rides for next year Guys?) and smashing through the sand pit, the commissaire waved that it was all over...Finishing the finla in Sixth.
What a truly brilliant race, I could have done it again and again just for the sheer terror of the cobbles..and the inventive malevolence of the run ups and swirling grass sections. Fitness had very little to do with it, except for a few sharp accelerations.. All technique and holding your nerve on thhose flagstones.

We hung around for a little while to watch the seniors flying past, and prize giving..and then it was off out ;The lights of Halifax beckoned ... Weatherspoons at nine...... but that's another blog...

Packing up the next morning was a very grim affair... an overnight frost did its best to clear the hangovers and still buzzing the SCS waggon rolled off back south, full of discussions of " Where can we find a suitable venue in Southampton?"
A massive thanks to Oli, Emma and Dave and all the team involved in putting on such a terrific event...

Now where can we find one to try and top that down here in the South?

More Pics over on the SCS website:
http://www.southcoastsprints.co.uk

Heres a link to "Cyclings Jo Burts"  much better write up on RoadCC

http://road.cc/content/news/98962-morv%C3%A9lo-citycross-2-%E2%80%93-racing-cross-breed

And to Singular Sams Facebook write up..
https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152364967159447&l=2376dd4675

City Cross... Hell yeah ...!!!

They are at it again..  City Cross is back.

Oli and Dave of Morvelo with Emma and her team up in Halifax are in the final throes of planning City Cross 2.
If you remember from  previous comments over on the SouthCoast Sprints site , the first City Cross was my first racing outing for a very long time, and was undoubtedly what inspired me to start racing again. I surpassed any expectation and had a good old battle with Russ Stout of Shand Cycles> write up here:
While it wasn't particularly urban, we had a great weekend of beer, racing , heckling and of course roller racing.
Well its back..
Next weekend Rob and I will be packing the SCS waggon and heading up to Halifax again. Roller racing at the Piece Hall will be more raucous than last time and we have been working on new heckles.
In between roller racing, I have managed to convince Rob to ride the novice class and I will be racing in the Vets again.
While its not Wessex league, it looks like it is going to be a crit on cobbles.
Emma the course designer has promised, a Spiral of doom, stairs, tearing along galleries floodlit racing , all on a tight course within the walls of the Piece Hall site. With such little space overtaking, the start and elbowing cornering are going to be crucial.
Now what tyres to run?






http://www.citycross.co.uk/

October Stats...Is 'Tempo ride' a euphemism for Strava bagging?

October has been a good month..
404 miles
27 hours
Which is the highest mileage of the year so far and luckily most of them have been good quality miles with regular hill sprints and hard tempo rides. (Is Tempo ride a euphemism for Strava bagging?)
Regular lunchtime activities are still the mainstay of my riding with Friday and Saturday rest days before racing on Sunday. I suppose I should do a gentle spin out or openers on Fridays...
Double headers on Wednesdays bump up Trimp, ( the two 'fangs' on the chart) but have been leaving me feeling bonked and very tired on Thursdays.. cant quite get that balance right.
Only one run though...so I really should try and be getting out at least once a week. While I love longer runs, I know it is intervals that I need to be doing, so I need to find a decent sharp hill with lights to be able to train on. Glen road would be ideal, but it is very dark and the water has really torn it up. Headlight> woods> just get on with it.
Racing has been good, with my confidence growing and my placings getting better. I am still just outside the top ten but I know that on a good day I will be contesting. Marginal gains are in order.. New wheels running tubs may help, but I am nervous about their first outing (  fear change)

A slower start to the month This months PMC some ATL spikes from the double headers on Wednesdays. That first weekend was the Cycle show.
Racing every weekend has had an impact as I cant quite get the training/ racing /rest balance right yet. but I have stayed snot/ injury free.
Building CTL is becoming harder on the training budget that I have. With CTL already in the low 70s. I need my Trimp for any session to be over that.. which is borderline for a lunchtime or very hard with the Hard day/softer day that I am currently working with.




Looking forward to November:  Racing is a bit more Sporadic, but that may suit me
Run at least once a week.
Pick up my core work again ( I have been rather lazy in the morning.. to much 'curating ' my Tumblr blog Crossthrash.)
Think about peaking for the Southern Champs on 8th December.

Racing Wessex CX Rnd 8 Basingstoke (NHRC)

With the storm of the decade forecast terrible weather was predicted Round 8 at Basingstoke was expected to be an 'epic'.
My new Carbon wheels had turned up on Friday. so after replacing the bearings, I installed them late Saturday. I swapped over the pad cartridges and installed the TRP carbon brake blocks. A quick test wide up and down the, revealed that braking in the wet on carbon rims is shit. Not to be put off I quickly scooted out to the nearby field and spent 15 minutes cornering around the grassy knoll. It didn't help. With a degree of disappointment I erred on the side of caution, took the wheels off , changed the cartridges back to KoolStops an put my Old wheels back on.These were newly shod with brand new Mud2's with Gucci Latex tubes, so it wasn't all bad.
Dean and I mooched up to Basingstoke in the SCS van with a wicked tailwind and after queueing for a while signed on and started pinning numbers on.
I bumped into Murray, who suggested that I speak to the commissaries to ask about being gridded. nervously I approached Ian and asked about gridding. He was more than happy to oblige and seeded me 12th.
So not putting enough pressure on myself then, if ever I had an opportunity to get that elusive top ten this race was to be it.( Luck 1, Murphy 0)
Back to van to get ready, only to find I had left my Garmin at home, and stupidly i left my shoe insoles in my road shoes. bugger.. not the best of starts.( Luck 1, Murphy 2)
Ah well, soon ready to start a few practise loops, chatting and eyeing up the course and assessing the opposition. I came a real cropper on a leafy, off camber downhill left hander and took a full flyer over the bars. breaking ( of all things) the ratchet on my shoe which left me unable to tighten it up properly.( Luck 1, Murphy 3) Luckily my floppy right shifter was tightened up with an allen key hastily borrowed from a helper in the pits.
The Focus had duly been deposited down the back row of the pits, with the mindfulness to at least leave it in a sprinting gear.
The course was another cracker.... A long tailwind straight into a tightening right hander, a pair of grassy 180,s before back out into the headwind across the field. an easy bank, awkward off camber before skirting behind a building , over two humps and off along the flat edge of the field.
hairpin, straight then a last slidey left hander. . Through a tight woodland section onto the fastest part of the course towards the pits and into the 'BMX' bit. The BMX section were a few humps and a delicious berm, that was crying out to be hammered around.After this it was off to Soggy Bottom, where the going got a bit claggier , topped off with a really slippy left hander. The gentle climb back out was easy and open.with only a full speed negotiation of a tree to content. Once back up to speed the rhythm was upset by a pair of corners before a quick acceleration to run at a steep bank.  left at the top of the bank and a sheltered raised pathway to the top of the off camber downhill ( where I came a cropper)hairpin, another bank, followed by some short sharp hairpins up meandering up and down the banks. a quick scoot to the middle of the field , hairpin then running into the barriers and HQ before starting off on the next lap. It was great to finally see a set of barriers after practising them I was keen to give them a go at race speeds, even if there was a corner right in front of them ( supposedly to stop bunny hops).

After two full laps as a warm up and to test the course and before long it was time to line up at the start. Gridding started, and I was duly called up to the second row. If there was ever a wheel to line up behind it was Crispins, ( the current league leader). This is it. make it count...
I will start you in the next 15 seconds....." PEEEEEP" and we are off, with a clatter of shoes clipping in as the rush of wind gathered pace.

I am right in the middle with a pink cap peak

Being gridded is fucking ace. despite my previous good starts this weekends was bloody great. no switching, people held their line,  while it wasn't polite, it wasn't a maelstrom of twitchness and needless aggression.
the first few corners soon lined us out a bit and I was in about tenth place. It spaced out and I found myself racing with guys who are usually a few places ahead. A Beeline Cycles guy made a fuckwit barging move through, but he soon faded within the next 1/4 lap. I worked up to Simon ( Meadwell) who had out sprinted me last week at Reading, and managed to get a gap on him. Then worked past a Pedal On guy and a Cotswold Velridjen rider looking very pro in Marcel Marceau white gloves. I was comfortable, and felt that I was riding well, closing in on the Junior Joe and riding in around 7th or 8th place for a fair while. The tricky off camber stuff was no problem, and the Mud2's were a real improvement on the Challenge Grifos on the wet grass.

Photo Graham Robbins

Disaster struck on lap three ( or 4). I entered the BMX bit, but as I cornered into a slight gravelly corner, my front tyre washed out slightly and there was a bang followed by a sharp hiss. / @x%$&! ( Luck 1, Murphy 4)
The thing is I was just past the pits, so as racers were just passing me I didn't know what I was supposed to do.

Basically I did the wrong thing. I shouldered my bike and worked back along the course to the pits, via a mix of on course and on a dodgy bit I ran through the brambles. I threw the Hiver in a heap and grabbed the Focus. Its first use in anger and final vindication of having a pit bike.
I was off chasing hard. A very cool Charllotville Wheelers guy saw my predicament and let me pass, but I was soon up onto riders, intent on riding their race ( and fair play) I rode hard, very hard, completely red lining for most of it and took a lot of risky lines through Soggy bottom. I attacked after each corner, and slowly i managed to pick off riders. All of the barrier practise stood me in good stead as it was one of the best places where smooth transitions really helped to attack; but often the route through was blocked by a slower or hesitant rider.

Riding hard I ambitiously called the line as I passed slowing riders , even so much as shouting at riders
" this is a fucking race not a road ride!!" and as I went through the Bell I attacked again repeatedly  sprinted out of each corner to finish as best I could.
I rolled over the line, at least I finished, and not in last place, but feeling pissed off to have squandered the opportunity to get that top ten. within a minute two of the commissaires came over to have a discussion regarding my run back to the pits.
The rules state that a rider "Any rider passing the exit of the pit area must continue on the course until reaching the next pit area. " ( Rule 10.1)

I was fortunate to receive a warning and not be DQed. The commissaires were genuinely cool guys, keen to advise and help riders instead of waving rule books, even going as far as advising me on my poor cantilever setup. A massive thanks to them.

Overall a very disappointing race. I had one good chance of a top ten, but missed out. even though I raced well, that hollow empty ness meant that I was twitching and keen to get stuck back in, to which I almost signed on the Seniors race. Ah well thats racing. I have had it all my way up until now. A lesson to be learned.----> Make sure the pit bike is good to go ( the brakes were rubbing and tyre pressure wasnt quite right)
I managed to work myself back up to 27th , so not  tooo bad I suppose.

What went well:
Getting Gridded was brilliant.
The weather, although very windy, the course remained pretty dry, even the appropriately named soggy bottom, didn't really live up to its name.
Mud 2's were a big improvement on the Grifos.
Latex tubes feel nice ( though I don't know how much was the tyre or the tube)
Barriers were smooth and fast.
Bad:
Poor preparation: Missing GPS, forgotten insoles
Crashing during warm up. then stressing about a wonky loose shifter.
Puncturing. getting a warning

Kit Review ---Morvelo Unity Shorts

Morvelo Unity Shorts:
I have been riding and racing in these shorts since the summer, and I have to say that they have usurped my Assos S2 bibs as my favourites.

The fit:
I dont have big thighs, and on initially sliding into them I felt they were pretty snug. Morvelo stuff is known for coming up a bit on the small size, but that is intentional as a 'compression' feature to reduce fatigue.
They have a super thin elastic leg gripper band about an inch wide at the bottom of each leg. The band can look a bit wavy unless the leg is pulled up slightly, but that is down to my stick like legs.just arrange it properly and it adds to the amazing fit of these shorts.
The bib is mesh, and so far it hasnt bunched up at the shoulders. The material has been soft on the skin and the mesh is an improvement over my Assos kit. As for details, theres a tiny reflective flap on the arse, but no key pocket.
The dual density pad is where the Morvelo shorts really do well. firm, but not overly soft , they give a delicious 'new short' feel and fit every time you wear them. While nothing will protect your nuts from a bodged cyclocross remount the slippy material and great fit help a rapid slid back to the saddle.
After numerous washes they have held their shape, and the scarily thin leg gripper has remained intact and in shape. After a particularly mucky wet road ride the pad has discoloured.. ( road spray not a brown chamois moment) and unfortunately a short 20mm long section of flat lock stitching has started unravelling a bit on the left leg
 Summary
A beautiful pair of very comfortable, snug shorts, that have very quickly become my favourites. Excellent quality a real 'hidden gem'.  Get a pair before Morvelo kit deservedly gets so popular every one is in on it.... I already have my shopping list for their new Autumn range.

King of Lubes...Extreme

I have been using this stuff for a while now, having been recommended it by James in Rock N Road.

Rock N Roll King of Lubes ..Extreme ...
At £6.99 it is about the same price as most other lubes. But you do use quite a bit of it, once you get over the whole "dont dribble it on" squirt a decent steady stream on there.
It is both a chain cleaner and lube all in one. Now I hate the usual chain cleaner brush thing that you fill with degreaser and clip on to the chain. Its messy and getting rid of the shitty fluid after is just crap. Then you have to dribble lube on after.
This stuff however, you just swing the pedals around , with a juicy steady stream of the stuff on the chain. change up and down a bit . and then basically wipe off as much as you can.
It smells very solventy and does a very good job of cleaning the chain. There is some kind of wax suspended in it ( a cold garage reveals) but doesnt appear to leave any gunk on the chain at all.
The instructions say to wipe off as much as possible, to polish  it as it leaves a sort of protective barrier.
Despite some pretty shitty muck that has been flung at it. it seems to resist dirt pick up very well. I finished Sundays muddy cross race with a shiney chain. A quick squirt of this and a polish and the chain is ready to go again.. This stuff is bloody marvelous.
A big * * * * * ( 5 star) rating.

Racing Wessex Rnd 7 Reading CC Prospect Park Reading.

Another Sunday and more racing. It rained non stop for a few days leading up to it, so we were promised mud, and Prospect park in Reading didnt dissapoint.
we arrived a bit late, after miscalculating the travel time / cross country / torrential rain/ sunday drivers on the route through Alton.
As we arrived, it was a desperate dash to sign on, change and prep the bikes. With only ten minutes before the start I only managed to ride half of the circuit, not my customary 2-3 laps. so I was going into some of it blind ..
 Reading CC were certainly imaginative in the course design, packing such a great course into such a compact area.

Long grassy start into a steep muddy bank> run> uphill bit to a hairpin ( finish), then a smooth fast downhill swoop.
two hairpins in a rooty section and down dip onto a section parallel to the main road. this section became very slippy with mud as the race wore on) a steep muddy (but rideable) hill hairpin and a drop back down onto the grass field. another hairpin and a drag with anoteh teep steep grovelly sting, leading into the first wooded section. A short bit if single track and out onto a fast slope to another sharp left hander.
An awkward draggy uphill bit, and off into the woods again.leading to a big hair-raising drop in. This was probably the scene for quite a few scarey squirelly moments throughout the day. straight away dismount and another steep muddy run up.
A bit more fun in the woods, then dropping into the grassy plateau to rejoin and start another lap. The course was remarkably like parts of my woodland loop.
Another week of not being gridded so once again I muscled my way up there, ( I managed to get 3rd row)
as the Go whistle blew, the drizzle became a deluge as we all cherged across the field to that first run up. Some people tried riding, but I was quickly carrying and sprinting up places. I wonder if the pros/top guys can ride it?
I think I messed up a bit and dropped my rear tyre pressure too much, as the back end bottomed out quite a few times, so I was shitting meself that I was going to pinchflat and it felt like riding in treacle in the single track sections. I did alright in that first bit and actually was well inside the top ten in the first lap. but class is class and I was soon dropping places to better riders coming through.  The deluge became a thunderstorm, and I am sure there was some hail at one point.
For the first time since taking up this sport I spent most of the race on the little ring. The hills on the course were very mushy and the only time one could get the big ring was on the longer drags. I managed to overshift and lock the chain between crank and arm, losing contact with my little group.
My thirty minute nemesis called early this weke and around 25 minutes in I went through my familiar rough patch.
By now a good battle had developed . I was chasing down two South Down Velo riders while desperatly trying to stay ahead of a Swindon and Reading guy who were swapping turns.

Brown kit doesnt show up the mud as well

AS the bell went i was really enjoying myself, and I cam up behind Simon of Jubilee Wheelers. Putting him under pressure I could catch him on the run ups , but was opening gaps on the flats. I managed to fluff another shift to the big ring as he got teh jump going into the final run up. despite runninghard out of the top I couldnt close the 2-3 meters on him, but I was pretty chuffed with 12th and ahead of regular top ten finishers.

It wasnt exactly a day for photoes.. but I took this rubbish selfie when we got back to the van.

What went well:
best position yet. (12th)
Great start.
cornering is getting better as I get more experience/confidence.
Run ups. commit to running early .

Not so good.
Wrong tyre pressure ( about 33 ish)
arriving late so didnt warm up or pre ride the course.
Bad back ( tight Psoas? its been a few wekes since I did my stretching and Core excercises. I need to reinstate my morning routine)
totally screwed up clipping back in on one particular part of the course.

A big thank you to Murray of South DOwns for the lift up there. and Reading CC for such a cracking course.

Mini 'V' update

So I took the Focus out for a quick lunchtime test ride around the woods. and I have to say I was pretty impressed.
I soon got used to the additional stopping power and it was very easy to lock up the rear in the leafmold, but meant that drifting into my favourite berm was faster than I am used to. over all I am impressed with them, but my wheels are a bit iffy so they rub a bit and lets see how they fare when the mud thickens up a bit :-)

In the mean time I found a pair of CX8.4s on Singletrack world so I took the plunge and bought a grown up set.

I wont install them before this weekends racing , but may have a go in the week, ready for a test in the week.
I will put them on the Focus first as I am expecting a few changes to the Hiver.

Objects of Desire

Every now and again a bike comes up that is just 'Wow' This Shand is certainly one of those. I had a quck scoot on Russ' Shand Stooshie prototype when I raced up at City Cross, then I saw this one up at Bespoked Bristol.. I am not that fussy about frames ( just look at the crap that I ride) , but this one is just awesome...

 While disks are not really my cup of tea yet. ( i just stripped and sold my Genesis Croix de Fer as i just couldn't get on with it. Need to start saving pennies..maybe one in red....

Mini 'V's

Braking with Cantis is pretty crap at the best of times..
The original Planet X Frogs Bollox cantis were exactly that...Bollocks.. no matter how many times I read Sheldons best advice for set up, I just couldnt get on with them.
The Tektro CR720s came next, whoch were a vast improvement and I have been reasonably happy with them. Great for racing ( despite suffering badly against 29ers in teh wet grass at Newbury in the summer.
I have been toying with a pair of these:---->

but the 70 quid an end and there is a lot of negative comments about them on the interweb/ forums. mainly that there is very little clearance for when it get s really muddy.

On a quick coffee visit to Rock N Road , I was talking about disks etc with James. basically . I would have two aluminum race bikes running Cantis, but would like a steel cross bike armed with disks for comfort and single track type stuff where you actually need to stop,

<-----He suggested these:  So I bought two sets of these and have started to install them on the Focus. I swappped the Pads with the CR720s as the stock ones looked absolutley rubbish.

Anyway the front is on. the wee spigot that fits in the tiny holes next to the canti boss sprung out and bent a bit, but after that they went in ok.
They run very very close to the rim, which is very worrying . I will do the back one tonight and then hopefully have a test ride before the weekend.
I will let you know how I get on.


####UPDATE#####
They may look crap, be remarkably cheap and maybe a bit nasty, but Holy shit they stop you.. With decent brake blocks I nearly went over the bars. the lever feels very squishy, but then they bite....The pads are crazy close to the rim, and my shonkey "Garage find" wheels are not exactly true. Stay tuned for more updates once I get a chance to ride off road on them.