Clifton CC

Turned up for the Tockwith race. Nice flat course, I was all prepared, ready to go, in plenty of time. Signed on, got my number, got my bike out, started sorting my kit out. Right ready to go, now where's my shoes.....where's my shoes.....oh you ******* muppet, left them at home.

How did everyone else get on.

Not my finest (threequarters of an) hour - but short circuit races never are. It takes me half an hour to warm up, so by the time I was starting to feel vaguely okay, everyone was jumping around all over the track and elbowing each other through the chicane and generally misbehaving, so my general forward drift through the bunch quickly went into reverse and I found myself going into the final bend in the less-than-ideal position of around thirtieth. Nil points, despite a futile sprint.

One for the "Notes for new racers" thread eh, Steve?!

How about the rest of the sizeable Clifton contingent???

Missed it too Steve but arrived about half way through to watch some pretty speedy racing. It looked a bit dodgy at times with the chicane and tight-ish left hander being potential problem spots but everyone stayed upright thankfully despite a bit of off roading No glorious Clifton finale but some good performances by the team - well done everyone!

I'm booked in for the next two so will aim to do better re turning up on time. After your experience I'll be double careful with my packing too. Doh!

I have also just returned from the first Tockwith circuit race, my second road race. Great to have a few Clifton shirts on the starting line and nice for the rain to stop too. The pace was high but manageable, however I did spend most of the race at the back and I had a sprint at the end because it seemed rude not to.
Personally I'm over the moon to have finished with the pack but it was great to see Tim having a go off the front at various times of the race. Chapeau.

"The pace was high but manageable"!!!

Not for me it wasn't - but that's probably more due to a lack of preparation. Got spat out the back after about 8 laps, rode around for another 3 or 4 until I got lapped and limped off! Well done to Tim, Phil and Ben for keeping with it, I'm sure I saw Tim up the front in the latter stages?

"The pace was high but manageable..."

Stats were... average speed 25.7mph, Normalised Power 265W (so about equivalent to a flat out 20 mile TT but much more on & off. I was apparently putting out zero Watts - ie freewheeling or soft-pedalling - for about 45% of the time!). Tim, I suspect, was working rather harder with some nice aggressive riding up front.

Thanks to Darren Neylon, some photos now up at http://picasaweb.google.com/cliftonccphotos/

"Missed it too Steve but arrived about half way through to watch some pretty speedy racing"

So why did you not ride the 3/4 cat race after that, Mike? It was hardly a full or high class field! But good fun and a good workout nontheless. Rode out and entered on the line - a bit of a last minute decision. But the circuit is excellant and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to try a crit for the first time. Its a short, smooth, flat circuit with a slight uphill finish, a couple of tight bends that can just about be pedalled through and surprisingly grippy. The 3/4 race was a small field and the pace was high and constant so felt safe. I can still only count the crits I have ridden in 20+ years on the fingers of one hand but this is excellant training - 53 miles on the clock when I got home and £10 to enter on the line was money well spent. Only downside is eating your tea at 10:30pm!The lap and a half I was away on me own was the hardest effort of the year so far but showed my lack of racing - 300 metres of 30 mph, then a kilometre at 23 mph...
After that I was never likely to worry the judges finishing in the bunch. Thanks to Andy & Billy for the support and good to see Darren like he'd never been away - work I believe not HM's pleasure!

If I'd had my bike with me I might have been tempted Paul, just to get some practice/training trying to keep up with the fast boys - it was certainly a high class field compared to where I'm at right now! Good to hear enjoyed it anyway