Mud Sweat and Gears Eastern XC Series 2015

[Simon]

Important part of this being the word "Eastern" ie easier to get to for us East Londoners. There was one round today but 7 more to go over the year through to September including one at Thetford and two at Hadleigh Farm that must be worth a look. BC National XC points too.

full details on BC website http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/?series_id=262

[Steve Hanks]

And it was tough! Shouldam would suit an Epping rider with windy damp loam single track and gradual climbs - just 2 100m steep ones to contend with. A few roots on the corner to keep your arms and shoulders twitching, but it was balls out for 95 minutes. Although the two drops would have normally been welcome relief, the first was rooty which you could blast but you needed to keep the front wheel light as they were diagonal to the trial, so it added something to arms and shoulders, and the second emptied out onto the start/finish straight - into a 20mph headwind. The first bit of single track got more wet and clay like each lap so started to really drag on the legs.

The field is experienced and high class, I had to work really hard to get roughly 20th (of 60) I think. Despite telling Nancy and Dan that as I've just recovered from a bad chest infection I'd take it easy, taking 10 riders on the starting sprint up the hill gave me some false hope...

I'm now in a premier Inn in Norwich (I'm working here tomorrow) filling my face with steak and chicken.

[Simon]

mmmm..is that a chicken wrapped in a steak

[Steve Hanks]

Eh? I'm marked as 38 of 54. What's more there's a guy I know in 20th who started behind me and never came past me. Wtf?

[Chris Clague]

Maybe you're living in a deluded fantasy world?

[Steve Hanks]

Erm, thanks.

[Chris Clague]

Interesting that somehow doesn't convey the same implication on a browser as it does on tapatalk...

Presumably they just dropped you a lap down to some glitch in the timing system. If you know roughly who was in front and behind you I'd imagine you can appeal.

[Steve Hanks]

Nope. Right number of Laps, and the same as my Garmin times. I'd be willing to accept I didn't do well due to my recent issues, and that the top 10 riders are out of my reach even on a good day, but I made places at the start, yes I lost a few in the middle but then I picked up 6 over the latter part of the race - I know they are Vets because the numbers are marked blue. That guy is very recognisable and wear bright orange kit and rides on a very obvious bike. I'd know if he went past me, yet his times are several minutes per lap faster.

Grrrr! I can't remeber he shirt/club in front of me either.

[Steve Hanks]

Now that I've calmed down...

Its seems there's some variation in the course ridden according to some peoples strava records, and the organisers are aware. It could be tape down, it could be people taking an "advantageous route" I'm leaving it alone as I'm not troubling the points this time and don't want to blot my copybook.

I imagine it'd get mentioned in the pre-race briefing in a couple of weeks...

[AndyKeene]

Anyone doing this on Sunday? I'm in for the Vets. Will be my first MTB race.

My off-road skills are a little rusty, so I'm hoping the course won't be too technical! Anyone raced this course before?

[Steve Hanks]

Yes I'm in.

No idea on the course, but it will be dry. MSG will send you a course /race update via email any day now. There will be a practise lap though. I imagine after the week you've had you'll be easily fit and strong enough. The bike will handle anything technical, just hang on and and enjoy the ride.

[Steve Hanks]

A lovely day yesterday on a predominantly flat course with some short steep technical climbs and descents to keep the quads burning. Fairly cool with a slight breeze. I traveled up with Andy - I'll let him tell his story.

It was an interesting course at Carver barracks a live military installation, with a short intro/exit to the course on the airfield tarmac into a semi-soft loam wooded section. I commented to Andy on the practice lap that I've never seen so much singletrack in such a small area! It was tight and twisty, punctuated by a few short 3-4m access road sections and some technical features - small natural wheel catching valleys and a wooden step down which had OTB written all over it.

Well, off we went in a group of 65+ vets. The top 20 of which are gridded ex pro/semi pro riders (Nick Ainsworth former GB & WC rider, Nick Laing, Jason Nunn, etc) so we were in tough company. I got a good start knowing that turning a big gear on the tarmac and flatter course was to my advantage so burned down the outside to get up to the top half. And on it went. 6 x 20 minute laps of which I missed the cutoff for the 6th by 30 bloody seconds which would have elevated me about 5 places up the finishing order aargh - thats a 1h 40min crit - of constant peddling. They are supposed to be 90mins so I mess up here by not taking any gels with me and suffered from an energy perspective on the final lap. As predicted I used the big gears and got aero on the tarmac and made up distance and places on every lap (not sure why other MTBR's didn't take advantage of the aero position) putting in fairly consistent times. At two points in the course - a short steep rise and a wooden bridge - afforded the opportunity to jump off a run up to them which proved lots of fun. I had a bit of a "talk" with a Scots bloke who thought my polite ask to pass on the left was "not in enough time for him to react and therefore unfair" He then slowed down and attempted to debate the issue resulting in me and the rider behind me asking him to politely STFU and get on with it! Still, 50m later we were on the tarmac and I said goodbye to him in the best possible manner.

Unfortunately after spotting Andy on the side of the track on the last lap I didn't think to toss him the car keys leaving him in the cold for 20 minutes - sorry Andy. I was chasing down 2 guys in front as I came back onto the tarmac so was focused on my gears and legs.

After all that, 34th place, only 16 behind Nick Laing which isn't too bad considering, and much more consitent lap times than two weeks ago, so hopefully fitness is returning. Back on the road now to get some miles in and fitness back before the next round for me which is in May.

[AndyKeene]

Phew! That was hard!

Having been unable to get my tubeless tyre set up sorted and then having forgot to put my gas inflator in my kit bag, there was only one possible outcome yesterday and I duly punctured on lap four. To be truthful, I wasn't totally upset about that as I was pretty spent by that point anyway (well, after the first lap actually) and was well out of the running! The frantic first lap (a better warm up needed next time) and the soft singletrack really killed my legs.

Even on the practice lap Stan was putting distance into me on the tight, twisty wooded sections. So, as I expected, the technical aspects were my big 'achilles' and I was losing loads of time there. Also taking the 'chicken run' on two of the three big obstacles was losing me around 40-60 seconds per lap I reckon. They were nothing too scary but I'm just a bit out of practice, so lots of room for improvement there.

[AndyKeene]

Just a heads up for anyone riding the next round at Hadleigh Park, the park finally opens to the public this week (29th) in case you fancy a recce. I'm probably going to head down on the bank holiday Monday (4th May).

[Steve Hanks]

I may join you for that Andy if that's ok?