Racing Roundup

Tobzlerone · Post by **Tobzlerone** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 5:11 pm

Sorry Andy, I didn't see you, or at least a clifton jersey didn't catch my eye, we're you wearing one?

AndyT · Post by **AndyT** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 5:17 pm

No, I went to Cycleworks to get one this week but they had no mediums left!

I'll get one sorted for the spring and summer series.

RichardD · Post by **RichardD** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 5:59 pm

Cyan Skymoos wrote: I drove out with my tenner to eol the 2/3/4 race. I got there and sat in the car looking at a very dark sky, thought I'd wait a few minutes, then it lashed it down. Since I no longer have the desire or motivation to race(or train) in conditions like that I decided to use the money to buy a bottle of wine on the way home.

I really need some nice weather now or I'll never get any form...or my allotment sorted.

Darren (+ others) , have you checked out the forecast for Wetwang tomorrow ? According to the BBC, torrential rain and a 30+ mph north easterly (gale warning on exposed hills and the potential for localised flooding). At least the decent down Life Hill will be a lot slower so the pot holes should not be a problem.

As for myself I will drive out anyway, as it is so close, and then decide if it is worth it.

Cyan Skymoos · Post by **Cyan Skymoos** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:58 pm

I'll decide in the morning if I'm riding. I know it's never that bad once you get going, but I've gone soft in my old age.

Cam B · Post by **Cam B** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:33 pm

Race at Wetwang for me...Woke this morning to find blue, cloudless skies which makes a pleasant change from that awful weather we have been having. We all toed the line in short sleeves. With a temperature of about 15 degress and light winds this have must nigh on perfect racing conditions...Well it is Spring after all.....
That's what I would have liked to have written.. Sadly the opposite was the case. Hard to talk about the race without mentioning the weather I am afraid. Wetwang does not quite do the place justice ...more like Wetandwindywang

(Apologies for that!) Great turn out from Clifton though with 7 of us on the line in what looked like a depleted field. Race of attrition really as no-one really fancied sticking their nose at the front when we proceeded up Life Hill into the crosswinds. I think group of 5 stayed away. Excellent ride from Darren who broke clear from the bunch with lap and a half to go picking up about 6th or 7th in the end. Rich D looked very lively and strong until fate dealt him a cruel blow (!) around the mid point, so race over for him. I opted to to stick in, what was left of, the bunch and see how I faired on the sprint. However, like everyone else and suffering from the cold, I became more and more statue like. Up Life Hill for the run in, there proved to a "lot of messing about" as that commentator says on Eurosport, with a few phoney efforts. When it finally got going I found that I was pretty cooked and rolled across the line around 15th to 20th or something like that. Reasonably pleased overall, as that represents pretty good ride by my standards. Don't think the descent was as potholey as I thought it would be although the nature of the descent, sweeping round to the left, made me a tad nervous everytime. So much so, I tended to lose a little ground every time.
Can't say I enjoyed every minute of the race

but probably by Wednesday or something will probably reflect that, deep down, I really loved the experience and look forward to the next one...
Great to see such good turn out from the club.

RichardD · Post by **RichardD** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:56 pm

As Cam suggests one of those 'If you think this is bad, I remember a race at Wetwang...etc etc' sort of days. Felt pretty good with a couple of laps to go and then started to feel what I thought was a loose cleat. Popped it out to have a look but no apparent problems. About 2 mins later, and fortunately going uphill into the headwind, the left crank came away from the chainset (with the pedal and crank still attached to my shoe!). Ended up hitting the deck but fortunately did not take anyone else with me. A spectator helped me unclip the dangling crank and pedal and fortunately there was no damage done to me or the bike, so I managed to put everything back together hand tight and trundle back to HQ. One of those novice errors I suppose, not checking that all the nuts and bolts are tight. May even be tempted to splash out on a torque wrench now.
Congratulations to Darren and all the others who braved what I hope will be the worst days racing this year.
Consoled myself after the race with a trip to the Ramblers Rest in Millington and managed to bag a table near to the fire.

menticknap · Post by **menticknap** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:01 pm

Cam B wrote:Wetandwindywang

Ace

Such a hard course with the weather making it even more harder. Nice one chaps!

Cyan Skymoos · Post by **Cyan Skymoos** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:02 pm

That was grim, but if I hadn't ridden I'd have sat on the sofa all day eating choc digestives.
I didn't go with the break of the day, but I think it was more to do with the fact I'd lost all feeling in my fingers, than not having the legs, and was even having trouble changing gear. Sram double tap is hard work when fingers don't work. I was either tapping once or half a dozen times! Also 2 pairs of gloves just hold more water and make things worse.

I decided to try bridge to the break with 2 to go, but it was never going to happen and I had hunger knock so bad last time up the climb, I couldn't care less where I finished(6th in the end). I wouldn't mind, I had a bar in my pocket, but I couldn't even be bothered to try to get it out of the wrapper.

Good showing by Clifton today, Cam you were 12th and there were only 18 finishers today, about 30 climbed off, and you couldn't blame them. The hardest £25 I've ever earned

Cyan Skymoos · Post by **Cyan Skymoos** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:50 pm

Just looked at the results...I do wish BC would spell my name correctly, They even engraved it wrong on the Div champs shield in the 90's. I think they do it just to wind me up now

I must have seen it spelt 10 different ways over the years.

I'm a right whingeing old fart these days.

timj · Post by **timj** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 5:08 pm

shows you r enjoying yourself

like my bike · Post by **like my bike** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 6:11 pm

BC Wetwang report

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/road/a ... -Wetwang-0

PhilBixby · Post by **PhilBixby** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 7:42 pm

"I'm a right whingeing old fart these days"

You should try vet's racing, mate - it's pretty much like being on the allotment but with more bad language...

GrahamMartin · Post by **GrahamMartin** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:48 pm

I have no idea why, but as I cycled back to the HQ, a massive smile broke out on my face. I think it was a sense that, my pitiful cycling effort aside, I had conquered the weather to some extent. 67 names on the sign-in sheet, 48 signed in, and around 8 had retired before I did so myself.

Reaching the bottom of the descent in last place (over-over-cautious?!), I found myself re-attaching to the bunch on the revenge climb, only to be detached by the person who's wheel I'd found. I only realised when it was too late, and went round her into open road. She apparently packed in and turned back at the top, leaving me chasing the bunch who I kept in sight until the village. You live and learn...

I rode round two laps, catching at least one guy, whilst others dropped out between myself and the pack. Somehow, despite, or perhaps in defiance of the weather, I had a good time and found some motivation to keep training in the hopes of sticking in the bunch for longer next time (Bishopwood, May 17th).

Annoyingly, it looks like I've broken a bearing on my front axle. Just what I didn't need whilst I have motivation/some time to get more riding done...

Tobzlerone · Post by **Tobzlerone** » Tue May 08, 2012 7:27 pm

Pretty mediocre finish in the bunch... One of those days when the bike feels heavier then it should

Pretty bored of tockwith now.. So I'm going to take my chances at bishopwood next week...

Cyan Skymoos · Post by **Cyan Skymoos** » Tue May 08, 2012 8:17 pm

You look like someone built for lumpy road races to me Toby.