Clifton CC

Had spent most of winter getting my head around entering my first RR and have just returned from holidays to this news!

All the posts are very helpful but this is going to take some figuring out if 2010 is going to be see me in my first RR!

"So we gotta go to East Yorkshire to do some racing? When I get back from Mcr for the holidays I was gonna do some racing..."

Sadly with or without the Chevin TLI series road racing is so oversubscribed at the moment that (with the exception of the Croft Tuesday nighters which are Entry On the Line) you can't just decide you fancy a go and turn up - you need to look at the race calendars (BC, TLI and - if you're 40 or over - LVRC) and make plans for the year ahead. East Riding's not that far, although Colin's suggestion of riding out to 'em might be pushing it. One of my classic "don't do's" of my racing career was riding out to a BC event at Newbald and getting there ten minutes after signing-in closed....

tomf wrote:
But anyway, the thing which still bugs me about the troubles of the last two years is this: road racing hasn't changed, and nor has the legislation governing it. Roads haven't change much either. So why a problem now?

Without a reasonable explanation, they would look pretty silly, and more practically, they could lay themseves open to (armchair lawyer alert) judicial review.

You're hopeful. It's not just cycling that's affected by this new tendency of the Police to create the law rather than just enforce it. See for example how Strawberry Fair in Cambridge and The Big Green Gathering in Wales were forced to cancel by the police.

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2010/03 ... #more-1249

It was done it much the same way - not by explicitly saving no, but by imposing conditions that are not practicable and very different to previous years.

Sadly all the major parties in the election are the same on this one.

Fatsprinter can you elaborate on your statement -

(as TLIs are - not A#&@lly retentive like BC events)

Was talking to Cliff today, and the Bishopwood races are back on. He might have sent out an email so forgive me if you know all about it.

Darren

I've had an email from Cliff Beldon, organiser of the cancelled Chevin TLI series, to say that they've managed to salvage the Bishopwood events, which will take place on Tuesday June 8th and Tuesday July 20th. Both will start at 7:30pm and event HQ will be Wistow village hall. Entry fee Seniors £10 / Juniors £6 per race (would be cheaper but they're having to pay for road closure). Entry via standard TLI form downloadable from the TLI website, sent to Cliff & Brenda Beldon, 31 Woodlands View, Barlby, Selby, YO8 5XL.

It would be really good if everyone who had intended to do the Chevin series, and indeed anyone else who said they fancied having a go at racing this year (plus those who've realised this since the start of the season) could get entries in for these and we could have a big Clifton presence at them. It's a local circuit, easy to ride out to, and (with the exception of two railway bridges) dead flat. How about it?

My entry's gone in the post today. After thinking this year was going to be a washout, I've now got plenty of races, East Yorkshire TLIs, Tockwith Autodrome series and now the two Bishopwood races. All I've got to do now, is get fit enough to ride them

Just to strengthen up what Phil said, I didn't do many races last year but the Bishopwood one was easily my best race, I was able to take part, turns on the front and even ended up at the finish with the lead group to watch them burn up the tarmac on the final sprint - not bad for someone who'd you'd be being kind to, to describe as average.

It's a flat course, wide and quiet roads and not too many sharp bends. If you fancy a crack at racing or aren't confident about your fitness, this is definitely the one to do.

[quote="like my bike"]Fatsprinter can you elaborate on your statement -

(as TLIs are - not A#&@lly retentive like BC events)[/quote]

Oops - put in an extra character replacement. In my experience of racing since 1995, Ive found BC events to be particular officious and up their own posterior. However, I've been pleasantly surprised by how easy going, friendly and welcoming TLI events have been - and they are hotley competitive. LVRC have also been very relaxed, warm and welcoming with excellent and safe racing, although no quarters given. Just because they are giffers doesn't make racing any easier. BC no longer do grass roots racing - they have become elitist. Long live TLI and LVRC. I no longer have a BC licence. BC costs are double TLI and LVRC along with a very expensive licence.

Did Mintys Sunday and it was a rock hard race - great racing. TLI N Midlands weekend before - also hard but warm and welcoming. Very encouraging for the future of the sport. The format of having a number of groups on the road at the same time is also safer. If you can have groups of 20/30 riders (or 40ish in LVRC) you have a slightly smaller volume of riders on the road and therefore making it safer and also utilises the same set of marshalls - just a couple of more lead cars needed. This is the way forward. Don't know why BC don't use the format. You could have a 1/2 race, a 3rds race and a 4ths race all on the same circuit. Only Lincoln had one like this back end of the season.

If I'm back at home I'll be doing the one in July.

Hi all
im in for these
cheers

If the future of road racing is TLI & LVRC events - well it doesnt have a future - run by well meaning amateurs. At least with BC there are now paid professional running the show who can lock horns with the police and highways people rather than leaving all the problem solving to the individual event organiser - as Phil discovered.
Personally I've always had a preference for BC events - I like the points system - saves turning up every race just to ride round for nothing and its useful if you actually want to progress.
But yes its a bit more expensive but at least the licence includes 3rd party insurance. But enough people seem happy to pay! And the race fee isn't significantly more expensive - most BC events are about £13 and there's usually prize money for an event thats maybe twice the distance. Doesnt seem so bad?

Well I can see why people do BC and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Indeed, I have done BC for 15 years untill now!! They certainly are very popular, so much so that for seven years in a row I have sent off for a race in south yorkshire, sometimes 10-12 weeks beforehand (showing my support) - not that that meets the criteria, and I have only managed one race. That race I was a reserve and all the other occasions my entry was sent back. I got sick and tired of training for events not too get rides in them. Clearly something is not working if riders who have paid their hard earned cash for a licence, trained, sacrificed things for their hobby/sport and then don't get to be able to race. I do appreciate what BC may be doing to get races on the roads and realise it is hard work with all the negativity from the powers that be (police?) and the bureaucracy. i just believe there is a better way and BC are not doing what they can/should to support grass roots. And anyway, most people I know who race are happy to do TLI - they don't turn their noses up at the races. The whole point of this post is that people wanted to be racing TLI?? BC is good if you are points chasing, but I'm just doing it for the fun now. At 41, I'm not going to get my 2nd cat back with the time I have to train. I'm certainly not going to get 1st cat or Elite and that Pro Contract has surely eluded me too - so I'm just happy racing for fun - to try and win a race which I haven't won a road race yet - best is 2nd - although I did win a two up in my younger days with Hull Thursday!!

I took out a BC licence this year. I nearly choked on my co co pops when I saw how much it cost but I was super motivated at the time. I don't know what the BC racing is like these days because as yet all I've had is returned entry forms due to cancelled and oversubscribed events.
I have done an LVRC race though and is was spot on, everything that fatsprinter says it is.