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.

Racing Wessex Rnd 6 Cotswold Velijdren Newbury Show Ground

Wessex Round 6 and race three for me. Even though it had been raining a lot in the days leading up into it the day was bright and dry.
I took the SCS wagon up to Newbury show ground and signed on . ( made much easier using Pre-entry.)
. Very shiney and new numbers,and superbly organised by Cotswold Veldrijden .

There was a bit of a nip in the air. so long sleeves on, and knee warmers... hmmm race in arm warmers or not. ( I went without)
The course was excellent. Long and thin, and tucked up next to the M4.
A long tarmaced straight and around the edge of a field. Back along some muddy lanes, punctuated by hairpins, in the middle of the long runs was a Steep mound, a slippy off camber corner. ( I think its may be used by 4x4 drivers)
anyhow out of the woods, through a gravelly gateway, steep 2 foot high bank, a few gates and onto the 'assault course) culminating in a steep run up followed by an immediate drop back in. Great fun unclipped and just bouncing down there.
I rode two laps as a warm up , and then went back to get a T-10 energy gel. This week I over came my mild embarassment and wheeled the Focus down to the pits. There is no point in it being in the van is there.

Gridding started and I was desperate to get as close to the front as possible. the callups seemed to go on for ever as  the comissaire went through the League table. I was disapointingly far back  behind many riders that I have regularly come in front of ...( I later discovered that I can affiliate as an individual ) I did my best to udge forward, but i ended up 2/3 of the way back.
The whistle went and we were off.. I tanked it.. and over the first few laps made up a lot of places. the run up was a favourite, and up that back lane in the squirelly mud seems to be where I picked up places.

I had a good ding dong throughout with Phil Boarer of South Downs, but eventually he got the better of me. My thrity minute nemesis didnt really appear and I managed to keep the hammer down throughout.
I called a line to pass a Pendragon rider,thinking he was a back marker only to find he was still racing.. oops.. I gave him a wide berth and quickly distanced him. Sprinting out of the last few corners to hold on and finish 13th.

A thouroughly enjoyable circuit , best circuit of the series so far :-)and I think a top ten may be possible before the end of the series.

what went well:
New Koolstop brake blocks.. braking was less sketchy. lessons from last week. I am now conciously holding as much speed as I can. " Do I really need to be braking...?"
no 30 minute fade.
good tyre pressure 38psi. felt just right in slightly slick conditions.
I felt rested. 22:30 bedtimes work .

Not so good.
I hung around in my damp shorts too long after the race and now I have a saddle sore.
Not getting gridded. I had to fight through a lot of riders in the first lap. Burning a lot of energy. Not a lot of point in paying affiliation this year, I will just have to deal with starting furtehr back. If I am not in a club next year I will affiliate as an individual.

Racing Wessex Rnd 5 Sotonia CC Eastleigh

My second race in this Seasons Wessex league. At home in Eastleigh, and where it kind of started last year.
12 months ago I had only just recently strted riding on Wednesday evenings and was keen to give it a go.
Unfortunately I had been called out with work the night before and was only just functioning on a few hours sleep. Pulling up to the car park in Flemming park I was totally psyched out by how 'pro' every one looked. Deep sections, full carbon frames, gazebos with turbo trainers etc.. so I drove past, parked up, left my Surly in teh car and just watched the racing and caught up with some old friends from way back.. It wasnt until CityCross in March that I jumped back into racing.
 Seeing as it is so close to home, my support team (Ana , Aaron and Belen) were coming to support/cheer/jeer and I was keen to not embarass myself, having made such a fuss about this racing thing. I even tried to taper and sort of peak for it ( load of bollocks as I was pretty knackered last week).
Any way it was a glorious sunny day with excellent dry conditions. Bumped into Dean and a quick wave to Chris who was about to get started.
It took a  little while to sign on, but soon my number was pinned on the lovely Darkstar kit, ready to go. I took the wheels off the Focus and left the frame in the car. To be honest,  I was a bit embarassed by being such a novice and wheeling up a spare bike.
Heckling Chris who was absolutely smashing sandbagging the novice field. He was flying! and easily won his race by a few minutes.
Out on course warming up. Great course. With a cool sand bunker bit (Do you run it or ride it?). short banks, wooded rooty bit. a few awkward switchbacks, a draggy hill, and a good whippy downhill.

So the start was off at the bottom of the field somewhere, and the field looked huge. As riders were called forward to be gridded, I noticed a fair few that I had been in front of a few weeks ago, and I shuffled forward, pretty cheeky, but hey ho, but the front of the rest.
The whistle went and we were off, it wasnt so much of a sprint, but a spirited ride off. first corner and someone wedged me straight into the tape. next corner, a rider forced up the inside and elbowed me outside. Two riders made pretty idiot moves into the next corners so on the first straight I sprinted and stuck my elbows out as I held my line.One tried halfwheeling in a ridiculous move, but I held my nerve and line. He was cursing and swearing at me. The frentic start soon eased into the the familiar strung out field. As I passed the pits for the first time I was greeted by the Clan. ringing cowbells and yelling.. I was soooo chuffed. A quick wave and then back to the matter in hand...

I knew I was reasonably well up, and spent the race yo-yoing with a VC Venta guy and a South Down Velo chap. I lost time on the drags, but made a lot up through the sand pit, where I discovered that running was a bit quicker than churning. There was probably a fair few endos throughout the day.

Clan Hay camped by the Beach, and every lap was met with full volume cheering, .
Every race has an opportunity and mine came when a rider went wide, took a few riders with him on that line, but then unshipped his chain. With a crafty undercut I made up about three places in a oner...

My gears were starting to ghost shiuft which didnt help when giving it on some of the steep banks, and as my 30 minute nemesis took hold , I might have slipped back one, with Mr VC Venta finally getting the better of me. The Winner lapped me halfway through a lap and suddenly it was all over. No man on man sprinting, or spirited last ditch dig into the final lap.
I rode up the hill to meet the family pretty chuffed to have held on for 15th. overall a good race, I am growing in confidence, but my cornering is still lacking.

Went well.
Having a cheering family there was a big boost each lap.
Running through the sand trap .
Descending; once I learnt that everytime you use the brakes, you have to get back up to speed again.. my descending improved a lot.
Hold as much speed as you can. DONT BRAKE.... having stupid noisy squealy brakes helped. it was a constant reminder that you were braking, so ease off on the levers. even if it is only to stop the noise.
Good start . ( 15th for a non gridded rider cant be too bad.)
not so well.
Cornering is still iffy. I ran with tyre pressure too high. (45psi). All my races have been dry except one Newbury race in the wet, where I really struggled cornering. As the weather gets progressivly shit I am going to suffer.
Slipping gears. I had just replaced the whole drivetrain, but the indexing was a bit out.
I was worried about  that rider that was shitty on the first lap. I wasnt exactly polite back, but thats racing I suppose.

Next race: Newbury, already entered..

Wheels ( goodies in the Garage loft)

Cyclocross is a lot about cornering, and apparently the best upgrade/ improvement a novice rider can make is to start riding on Tubs.
I have had my fair share of rolled tyres and pinch flats so I am keen to get my mitts on a pair. Unfortunately  I am a rider of limited means which means  ebay and a pair of PlanetX or chinese imports. I have tried, but have been outbid a few times.
So anyway ion the mean time I am riding what I have got.
A pair of DTR1.1 built into Royce hubs..
Fulcrum CX racing 7s
 and while thinking about a set of winter wheels I came across these beauts in the garage loft:

Open Pro 32 front and 28 rear a wee bit grainy and ever so slightly out of trueslightly tweaked and tehy are already beeing hammered.
Not sure how long the hubs will last. but they spin pretty damn good and are a pair of fine wheels.
In the mean time i am weighing up the costs of Tubs

September Stats

September was a pretty rubbish month really ..
17 hours
only 235 miles.
I have spent most of September struggling one way or another:
Firstly my son started school, so during his induction process I had to pick him up at lunchtimes; I wasn't even able to get runnning in the evening either. and then there was the turbo incident > ( see below).
then I was feeling off colour...While I didnt actually come down with anything I always felt like I was on the cusp of a cold  as the sore throat kicked off. Coinciding with having a molar out and its subsequent inffection I dont think I have done too bad. Oh yeah and three nights away with the roller raing rigs at the National Cycle Show certainly hasnt helped either.
Good stuff though...The first race went well, and is certainly something to build on , just looking forward to the Eastleigh round of the wessex League this weekend.
regular riding with Chris at lunchtime has been good to find new routes and sharpening up single track skills.
He does nick a lot of my KOMS though