Central CX League - 2014/15

[Neil]

One of those days when help in the pits does make all the difference
Prize money will be shared.

hillingdon.jpg

[danielwolman]

Congrats neils

[Astrid Wingler]

Well done Neil!

Sorry to hear about your rear mech Pat. I suspected Hillingdon in the current conditions would be a 2-bike course. I've broken rear mech hangers twice so far, on both occasions at Hillingdon (although on one occasion it was bone dry).
Hope you'll like the X-Ride. I quite like mine.

[StevenDrew]

Great stuff, Neils. Fantastic job.

Definitely a two bike day so good news that my new bike was fettled and ready for action. Unfortunately I ruined things slightly by (a) watching Molly and not warming up properly and (b) aiming for the wrong bike in the pits and thus wasting about 30 secs. Someone actually complained to the comms that I'd entered the pits on one side and exited the other thus cutting out half a lap. It was a pretty scruffy effort but not THAT bad!

Anyway, I started at the front and, initially, made decent use of that heading off the start straight (road circuit) onto the grass in 2nd place. Unfortunately having not warmed up enough I couldn't keep the pace and Mike Simpson and Roy Chamberlain shot past. I was pretty close until we hit the first bank half way round the lap; both Mike and I tried to ride, he got stuck half way up, I had to hum off on the wrong side of the bike, fell over and I lost momentum. Felt like I went backwards for the next lap and a bit before finally warming up and getting going properly. I don't know if CXL do lap times but the 4th and final lap felt like my quickest. Shame I couldn't have sorted that earlier as I might have improved the 7th I ended up with. Still, more points and I've now hit a half century in ranking points for the first time which should mean I'm not completely at the back of the grid at Abergavenny!

Decent course although the claggy mud and long grass were a definite rear mech killer so I was sorry but not completely surprised to hear about Pat's misfortune. Mine would definitely have gone if I hadn't had a spare bike. Can't wait for Molly to get a bit older so she can stand still long enough to help in the pits rather than me fumbling about looking for the bike!

[Chris Clague]

Pat - surely if you've gone discs then you'd want to stay with the same for the second bike if only so you can swap wheels easily. Anything else and the weather/course condition will determine which bike you have to use. Unless of course your resources are limitless and you plan on buying a full range of wheels for each bike

[BruceMackie]

Neil, where's your podium wear!

great result, well done.

[Neil]

Neil, where's your podium wear!

I'm a Barbour sponsored rider.

[PatHayes]

Well done Neil .

On discs v cantis is spare wheel issue and lack of interchangeability
which sort of tips me towards cantis have lots of old wheels and option to relegate worn road wheels to X also interchangeability with Connies bikes . With discs each bike has to be set up to a particular pair of wheels .

Re pitting think Van der Drew may be being optimistic if thinks the girls will ever condescend to stand in the pits when there is gossiping to be done , cake to be eaten and boys to be talked to else where at the race
Connie only has next season to survive in any case before will be in same race as me , god help me trying to get past her on the single track .

[WillBeresford]

Neil - great result, well done you were looking very strong.

Steve, Jane and Andrew - all looking very strong too! A great Phoenix showing.

As I stood on the start line and all but 3 riders were called forward I was a little unsure about my chances as I rolled on to the group as last rider...

Nevertheless I attacked hard on the first lap, passed what I thought to be about 10 riders, only to have Lucinda shout to me as I passed the finish line and end of the first lap I was 8th... Surprised I battled I and rode the next two laps until I had to stop and de clag the rear brake (loosing two places), energy sapping stuff. Now with wheels that moved a bit more I chased back to the two people who passed me, got through on the 4th lap and then had a great battle on 5th and 6th lap, in the end couldn't quite get past and bagged 9th, really pleased with this! Onto the next one now!

I'll get a blog report done.

[danielwolman]

See if only you had a second bike will

[andrewnewman]

I was having a decent race all told, but a bit of a schoolboy error put me well out of the results. I started far enough back that I literally couldn't see the front of the race at the start. I battled my way up to the middle of the pack and was consistently picking my way through. At one point, I dismounted on the section just before you turn onto the tarmac for the finish straight. The wheels simply wouldn't turn for all the clay. Much of the field went by as I did remedial work, thinking I would make up some of it on the last lap. I turned the corner, saw the checkered flag, and that was it. Finished 40th. Looking at the riders that I had passed earlier, I would have finished about 15 places up if I hadn't stopped to clean my bike. At least I got out of doing another lap.

[StevenDrew]

Simpson:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tony_acs/16033739201/

Beresford:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tony_acs/15850002777/

Drew:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tony_acs/15416049493/

[StevenDrew]

Anyone game for Welwyn on Saturday? Last (online) orders tonight:

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/event ... n-Wheelers

[Chris Clague]

Already done (for once I'm on time)

[Astrid Wingler]

I'm intending to race at Welwyn too. I haven't entered online, but according to the website, entry on the day should be OK.