A fortnight ago there were plenty of places available on the line, and you may even get my number tonight as I have dislocated my thumb!
If anyone's thinking whether to give it a go or not I'd heartily recommend getting along . If you can more or less keep up on a training ride, or even a H ride, you'll probably be ok. And it's a well-surfaced (no potholes!) flat and wide circuit, go on, you know you want to.
Great fun last time. I am not exactly breaking any records but managed to keep up (just!) with the group by focussing on staying closely tucked in behind a wheel at all times. Better forecast for this evening. Don't forget to bring a turbo or rollers as there is nowhere to warm up. Good luck to all.
After finishing the TLI race last week at Wistow I arrived for this race with a little more confidence. Sadly for me I found the pace too hot and did not have the legs for those rather intense efforts down that home straight. Dropped after a few laps but kept going (had paid £20 after all and was determined to get my money's worth!)for what amounted to a a useful workout until I caught up with one or two fellow stragglers. Lapped after about 12 laps I think. Thanks to Colin H for the shout of encorougement . My attempt to stay in bunch for the second time failed as my earlier efforts to ride "solo" sapped what little zip I had left in my legs. Caught up with Mike G who was gamely hanging on as well. Detremined not to suffer the indignity of being lapped again but by lap 20 or 21 it looked like a possibility and I think I was told to drop out after one more lap (maybe I just thought I heard that!) so I did. These races certainly highlight your shortcomings as a rider. In my case the ability to take corners properly and power out of them (I seemed to be going backwars down that home straight!). Not too disheartened though and will stick at it. Will probably need a decent winters training behind me I think in order to have proper go. Will keep getting out on the Sat. Training rides as well when I can.
It looked like Phil was safely tucked in the bunch and looking strong on the last lap as did few other Cliftonites. Well done to Pete whose first race it was. I assumed he did not "fall off" and finished.
Looking forward to the next one.
Great nights racing. Managed to keep up and finish with the pack - although sat towards the back of it for most of the race. Pace was very fast for first few laps - and had to fight to overcome the feeling that you cannot hang on - but with a few good laps fighting hard to stay in shelter managed to find my legs and felt quite strong in the middle of the race. Need to get more confidence to move up to the first 1/3rd of the pack - I am sure the speed going into bends doesn't drop as much - and therefore not quite as much work to do going out of the bends. Looking forward to the next one and might see if I can get a TLI or track race in beforehand. (Feeling less sure about racing against 3rd Cats for the York City Centre race though !!)
Almost exactly the same experience as Cam - 7 or 8 laps with the group then gradually slipped out the back as the power in my legs started to go during the sprint out of the corner and up the straight. I tried to get back on but the headwind on the top section put paid to that! I stayed at TT pace until the group came around (probably better to ease right off and conserve some energy for round 2 in retrospect) and had another 4 laps before drifting out again. I was very pleased to see Cam towing a rider round with a few laps to go and managed to join them until we were pulled out to avoid getting involved in the finale. We avoided a double lapping though so that was a minor victory!
Main lesson from the night is to ride in the middle or towards the front of the bunch and stay sheltered where the pace is more even. I think I let myself drift to the back as it felt safer being more thinly populated, but with spent riders dropping off and the pace yo-yoing wildly out of the corners the repeated hard sprints soon took their toll. I need to get used to the rough and tumble of riding in the pack so I can save some energy and there's only one way to do that....
Still, I did better than last time and am looking forward to the next one
Another good nights racing. It was great to see John at the front for so long in what was a slightly twitchy race, I was brushing elbows a couple of times through the chicane.
I can feel my confidence growing and am looking forward to gaining more experience, and hopefully being able to factor in the sharp end of the race.
As per previous postings, another swift race, basically 75 sprints in 45 minutes with 25 deep indrawings of breath on the approach to the chicane, and a few prayers at random moments when some complete nutter sweeps across your front wheel. Full marks to all the Clifton race newcomers or near-newcomers who all stuck in there with determination, and especially those who spent most of the race in front of me!
45mins at Normalised Power of 268W and ave speed 25.4mph, so not hanging around. Mind you, I rode home afterwards with Paul Bennett (who won the race) and that was at 244W!
As Muzzy has said previously, it's an easy ride out, good experience and a couple of hours of very useful mileage in your legs - if you're even vaguely thinking about racing then get out there for the last of the series on 29th June.
