Clifton CC

...starting with a more-eventful-than-expected Bishopwood TLI last night (Tuesday). Team Clifton was out in force, with Darren B, Tom, Tim, Cam and me plus road race virgin David Heff, not to mention willhub riding in Manchester Wheelers colours. All of us off in the second group, which despite working pretty well together lost its one-minute advantage to the scratch group after about a lap and a half (Cliff clearly not wanting complaints from angry 1st cats who'd been set too stiff a challenge).

Shortly after, a front wheel puncture led to one of the fast blokes having a near-miss with an oncoming car. Another lap or so later there was a major pile-up in the middle of the bunch which I'll leave to those more closely involved to report on (although Colin H, who'd given me a lift out, took off across the grass verge, stuck his front wheel in a drainage ditch and went over the bars...). As the run-in to the finish loomed, and we'd caught the first group, the usual nervousness set in, with extra excitement provided by Tim's saddle flying off just before the last corner!

Nil points for me, rolling in about 15th, but a good workout; 1hr 02min at 26mph average.

Yes, the pileup was my fault.

Just took my eye off the wheel in front for a split second, next thing I know, mine overlapped his, went into his, I flew off at about 26mph, then felt a pileup over me of bikes.

I'm glad we all wear helmets. Mine is totally cracked and wrote off, not to mention:

Dented frame
Broken pedal
snapped clear
messed up rear mech
torn seat
destroyed bar tape
bent bar
wrote off wheelers top
buckled rear wheel
destroyed hood cover
totally scratched levers

Abit screwed tbh. Pulling out of the York City Race, and not doing any more racing this year. I'll probs do a couple of TT's and hill climbs tho.

I don't get the little incident on the first ramp where someone basically said "hey, that's my wheel", I was safe in the movement I was doing, there was plenty of space, then he grabbed my jersey. I thought the pace slowed down on this ramp so I was going to use it to get to the front as I did not want to be behind people who then may get dropped when the pace kicked up abit round that corner. It was a race after all and the way I see it, if he could not defend that wheel then it wasn't his, as he could have simple put abit of power down and got in front rather than taking the time to grab my jersey.

I'd at least be back riding tomoz, but it's gonna have to wait till I manage to get repairs done, don't think there is any insurance for crashes is there?

Willhub that was me who grabbed your jersey. I was following a wheel in the two lines, and you came down the outside of the through line and took the wheel off me, I was forced over into the inside line. I don't think you even knew you done it. I grabbed hold of your jersey to steady myself, no harm done, and you were never in any danger.
I just managed to avoid the crash and after a bit of cyclo cross and a frantic chase rejoined the bunch, although I did feel like packing after the crash.
The place to be in these races is top 8 all the tiime but its easier said than done.

I'm sure what I did was ok. I was only trying to get to the front and I seen a gap.

Will! When someone gives you advice, please listen to it!!

Will what you didn't wasn't really dangerous, just at that time there was a through and off, two lines working together chaingang style, if you'd wanted to join the relay give someone a shout and they'd let you in, after all the more people working the better, but dont come down the outside and move over into the line, even if you think there is plenty of room.
Anyway thats the way I saw it at the time, and I don't want to get into an argument about bud.

Good to hear Will is ok. Shame about your bike, etc. I also took a none too graceful tumble and now nursing a sore shoulder and ribs; various cuts and grazes. Must have whacked my left calf somehow as that is very tender today and will probabaly prevent me going out for ride over the next day or two. Sustained a buckled wheel and bar tape shredded somewhat.

Disappointed not to be around at finish to witness Tim's "mechanicals" on the run-in. That man deserves a medal for finishing without a seat attached....

Thanks to Colin H for giving me a much welcomed lift home

To be fair, the reason I did it (and I would not do it in a chaingang), is because, I thought it was a race, and not a training session, if I'm doing through and off, it means I'm constantly going to the back, which means the only way to get a chance of winning, is to make a break.

I know working in a team is important, despite maybe it is people from all different clubs, as if you're on yer own, you'd just blow up, but for through and off that group was huge.

The group was well more than 2 abreast at some points, I was just overtaking, I know sitting on the back is a bad thing to do, and can get people lapped. when the front takes off and the back sits there at the same pace, and I wanted to be at the front ready to get on a break if one happened.

I'm only saying it as I seen it, not arguing. But I've never being told off for overtaking in a race yet. I can understand being told off in a training session.

I've posted on BR about it too, I'm willing to learn and I do listen to advice. At the time I thought it's a race not a through and off training session so I wanted to start getting to the front and stay near the front, of course taking turns at the absolute front.

I'm sure even if I got to the front and never took turns, it's just tactics ain't it? I'm sure to win some races you have to be nasty doing things like not taking turns as it'd greatly help, and I've seen it in races myself.

I'll be watching the York city cycling races on Sunday hopefully, I doubt that'll be through and off I reckon it'll get blown to pieces.

As for my bike, I cannot believe just for some bar tape and new pedals it'd come to £60, I got the 5610 105 pedals for 37 quid, now they've being discontinued and I have to get the 47 quid ones (the 5700), I could get the old style for 24 quid but they don't work well.

I reckon I could have saved my pedals if the tension was not so high, but I like it high cause with it not so high I feel like my feet will unclip any second.

Going up the outside of the bunch is fine, Will, if you want to get to the front. What's not fine is pulling across into the line and pushing someone else off the wheel they're following - which is what Darren said you'd done. If you were close enough for him to have to grab your jersey, then there wasn't a gap to pull into.

Glad you'll be in town to watch Sunday's races; as you say they'll be very different to last night's. You may have noticed postings on here asking for volunteers to help on the day.

Will I hope you are Ok and this incident doesn't put you off racing, believe me I have made all the mistakes you have made, and some over the years. I have also been shouted at by bigger uglier men than me.
Yes it was a race, but what you have to remember is it was a handicap race, at that time midway through the second lap there was still a group up the road so what tends to happen is everyone works together to bring the groups back, normal nervy attacking racing usually starts later when all the groups come together (and it did).
Don't panic, last night was pan flat and no wind, and even I can still hold a wheel when its like that.

Cyan Skymoos wrote:Will I hope you are Ok and this incident doesn't put you off racing, believe me I have made all the mistakes you have made, and some over the years. I have also been shouted at by bigger uglier men than me.
Yes it was a race, but what you have to remember is it was a handicap race, at that time midway through the second lap there was still a group up the road so what tends to happen is everyone works together to bring the groups back, normal nervy attacking racing usually starts later when all the groups come together (and it did).
Don't panic, last night was pan flat and no wind, and even I can still hold a wheel when its like that.

Ok, I see where I was going wrong then, what I did would have been OK if we caught up the slower group by then and all the groups merged together?

PhilBixby wrote:Going up the outside of the bunch is fine, Will, if you want to get to the front. What's not fine is pulling across into the line and pushing someone else off the wheel they're following - which is what Darren said you'd done. If you were close enough for him to have to grab your jersey, then there wasn't a gap to pull into.

Glad you'll be in town to watch Sunday's races; as you say they'll be very different to last night's. You may have noticed postings on here asking for volunteers to help on the day.

I'll be coming with my parents and they won't want to be there all day.

You could get the bus?

Hi all
Last night race was pretty eventful .Hope everybody is ok.Good showing from Clifton .Phils early season get togethers seem to have encouraged people to have a go.Anyway i need a new bracket for my sella saddle.Will my local shop supply them?
CHEERS

RICHARDIIII wrote:You could get the bus?

No my parents are planning on going to york, and I'll probs be stiff and bruised still.

Check all the pics of the bike here:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... 7#16338487

I can't work out if the chainstays? are bent.

I really enjoyed my first road race and thankfully got to the finish line unscathed, especially with the crashes behind me and saddle bolts exploding right infront of me. Thanks to everyone who gave me help and advice both before and during the race.

I tried to keep out of trouble by staying near the front, taking my turn at the front with everyone else. One thing that threw me a bit was when the fast group caught up the lines went from passing on the outside to passing from the inside. Is there an etiquiette to this or just rider preference?