New bike New discipline, cyclocross.

[MADB]

wait a minute, you bought a cyclocross bike for actually doing cyclocross?

You're a rare breed!

Odd I know,too many nice cross bike end up as winter hacks or commuter bike.

Not surprised you were having issues with comfort with the set up in your first picture!
Who the hell set it up like that! (Or is it straight out of the box without any input from a shop?)

That was out the box but I did try a ride it like that.... :shock: but not for long.

 

[PurpleFrog]

Re: Re:

You're tempting me to get a cx bike now years ago I raced a bit of cx on my rigid Mtb, an hour of concentrated pain is the best way to describe it (can you still enter local cx races on a 26" wheeled Mtb??).
Plus last weekend some chap on a cx bike came blasting past me on a climb, literally one minute there was no one there, the next he flies past me on a pretty steep climb, he stopped at the top but came flying past me again on a twisty downhill section. I am assuming he was much fitter than me, but also that the cx bike was quite a bit quicker than a hardtail Mtb on fireroads and smooth fast singletrack.

Having ridden both a decent crosser and MTB on the same trails, no. It was pure rider assuming that the MTB is a decent bike and set-up for speed rather than as an offroad comfort bike. The guy was just much, much better than you - which you'd expect if you're not an MTB racer, because a very high proportion of cross bikes are ridden by people who in training to race. (Which for cross usually means lots of interval training and high VO2Max.)

 

[MADB]

http://yorkshirecyclocross.com/

This is the racing I will taking part in, I'm starting a bit late into it as this sunday will be my first race but I needed some training on what to do before I turned up to a race.

Another 1-2 hours of pain and being put in my place by the kids at training tonight.

mattr, There is the Rapha supercross at Broughton Hall, Skipton.

 

[MADB]

Re: Re:

You're tempting me to get a cx bike now years ago I raced a bit of cx on my rigid Mtb, an hour of concentrated pain is the best way to describe it (can you still enter local cx races on a 26" wheeled Mtb??).
Plus last weekend some chap on a cx bike came blasting past me on a climb, literally one minute there was no one there, the next he flies past me on a pretty steep climb, he stopped at the top but came flying past me again on a twisty downhill section. I am assuming he was much fitter than me, but also that the cx bike was quite a bit quicker than a hardtail Mtb on fireroads and smooth fast singletrack.

This might interest you: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/cross-vegas-2014.html

Thanks for the link, what a great race that looks.

As well as letting you race on MTB`s, this year you can have a go at the noive race, its not any slower but only 30mins of pain instead of the full hour.

 

[MADB]

Just got back from my last training session before Sundays race and verdict so far is, I'm technically crap and slow. So I should have a great time at the race.

 

[MADB]

 

[mattr]

Bet you weren't last

 

[MADB]

So I did it entered my first race, is was the 4th round of the Yorkshire points series and I entered as a novice. Only 30mins of racing with about 6/7 other novices riders and what looked like about 30 youth riders. The cause was great fun, I raced at 10:30 so the grass was still very wet and slippy, 2 nice tricky off camber corners and a twisty climb. I managed 4 laps in the 30mins, I did pass a few and got lapped buy a few so I think I did OK. Watching the under 8 race was great, some of them little ones carnet half shift, one little dot raced on a balance bike with mum following. It was a fantastic experience and a great day, probably helped by the unseasonably good weather we are having in Yorkshire, both my girls ( 6 and 8 years old) now want to give it a go which I think is great.

I will post my results when I get them so you can all have a laugh at my efforts.

My next race I can get to is in Leeds as Temple Newsam on the 5th Oct.

 

[MADB]

And photography evidence I was racing :roll:

Leading the novices out at the start.

 

[widowmaker]

Re:

Well done Sir