# My cyclocross ambition by Palinurus



## palinurus (11 Sep 2008)

I entered my first time trial three years ago after reading a thread on the C+ forum. Stupidly I announced it beforehand so I had to go through with it. I'm going to do the same thing with cyclocross, it'll give me that extra motivational kick, should I need it.

I'm 40 years old. I've never entered any sort of massed start cycle race, closest I've come to that is a 3-up TTT. My bike handling skills are probably terrible.

It's going to involve a bit more work to get started than time-trialling which only requires the ability to stay calm during the push-off and not fall off while circling a roundabout. I can manage the roundabout.

I plan to do it relatively cheaply. I just got a long-service award -£400- that's my budget for the bike. Frame is on the way, the LBS are primed ready to have me some wheels built, order me some bits.

I've got to figure out how to dismount, remount, ride off-road and get some running in too. I live pretty close to some parkland and woods crisscrossed with bridleways, I'm going to be making some use of them now.

The dismount is getting there, started getting it about right yesterday. On the way home from work I've taken to riding up and down a strip of grass in the park, practising. I've just figured out that it helps to set the SPD release tension really loose, that was a bit of a breakthrough, I can now jump off knowing that the bike isn't likely to stay attached to my foot. I've also figured out that if it isn't too muddy my commute bike does OK off-road on 23 mm tyres with full mudguards. It's fun; I'm riding like a kid. I pulled a great broadie yesterday on some damp grass (although that skill won't be very useful in cyclocross).

Haven't even attempted the remount yet; that looks trickier. I'll have a go at that next week. Once I've got that down I can work out a little loop and cycle around for 40 mins or so, doing some dismounting, carrying, remounting etc.

I have no doubt that whatever preparation I do will be completely inadequate when it comes to an actual race, no doubt that I'll attract all sorts of choice comments as I cut up other riders, cause them to ride through the tape to avoid me as I bollocks up another corner, cause them to pile into the back of me as I brake too early.

I've got until November 9th to get it together enough to race. Here goes..


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## John the Monkey (11 Sep 2008)

Chapeau - that sounds like an excellent ambition (toyed with the idea myself, but figured I should probably stay on the road for now...)

This might help;

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/article/mps/UAN/187/V/1/SP/

I hope you'll keep the thread updated with your progress.


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## dan_bo (11 Sep 2008)

I've found that practicing being really out of breath for 1 hour ten minutes is about the best training you can do for CX. it's really quite intense.


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## palinurus (11 Sep 2008)

dan_bo said:


> I've found that practicing being really out of breath for 1 hour ten minutes is about the best training you can do for CX. it's really quite intense.



Intense. Yup, that's what I've heard.

It really hasn't sunk in yet, probably best.


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## DustBowlRefugee (11 Sep 2008)

It's my 43rd birthday today and I'm in the same boat as you. I'm putting together my first CX too hence my earlier threads. Aside from track racing in my teens I've only done a couple of charity-type rides. Let me know how you get on. Good luck


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## papercorn2000 (11 Sep 2008)

It'll take a few races to get into the way of it. Prepare to fall over and get muddy!


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## dan_bo (12 Sep 2008)

Oh, and it's a right laff an all.


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## stedlocks (13 Sep 2008)

thats a fantastic aim......I too have jsut bought a CX bike (Kona Jake) with the aim of having a 'do it all' bike to go with the cannondale mountain bike I already have..........and ive never had a bike with drop bars

Is there a race or a league in Watford then? 

I would love to have a go.....I'm relatively fit, but would need to work a lot harder.....and I'm 39 this month, it must be a mid life thing!!

good luck, and keep this post updated


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## palinurus (15 Sep 2008)

Central region.

Couple of events near me there, a couple a bit further out and some a fair way off.

http://centralcxl.org.uk/


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## John the Monkey (17 Sep 2008)

Palinurus, not sure how useful it will be, but Bikehugger's podcast is doing a series of tips from a beginners' 'Cross Workshop they attended this week.

first of them is here


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## rjeffroy (18 Sep 2008)

Are you going to one of the training sessions?

"Cyclo-Cross Training Sessions

Regular Hillingdon Friday session 6 to 8 pm

Meet up by the Visitor Centre - join in at any time

Sat 20 Sept 1 to 5 pm Training on CX race circuit

Cost: £4.00 per session"


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## palinurus (18 Sep 2008)

Both those suggestions look interesting (the Podcast and the training sessions), I'll look into that. I won't be able to make the 20th, I just don't have anything suitable to ride yet. I think there's a race at Hillingdon the day after, I thought that was a bit too soon.

I now have a frame- thanks to Bonk Man- off to the LBS at the weekend to get some wheels built.

Dismount coming along, now I can move my right hand to the crossbar in advance of jumping off, makes for a smoother pickup. Fell off once during practice yesterday in the park, foot stayed attached to pedal.

Gotta keep those dog-walkers amused.

Remount is fairly rubbish, a sort of fast-ish clamber on at best, and best doesn't come very regularly at the moment.


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## palinurus (19 Sep 2008)

Did my first bit of running yesterday, about 15 -20 minutes in the park, probably closer to 15.

Legs today feel similar, or worse, than the way they would after 100 hilly miles on the bike.


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## palinurus (19 Sep 2008)

John the Monkey said:


> Palinurus, not sure how useful it will be, but Bikehugger's podcast is doing a series of tips from a beginners' 'Cross Workshop they attended this week.
> 
> first of them is here



I think that's going to be very useful, cheers.


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## mr Mag00 (23 Sep 2008)

take a look at this race video


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## yenrod (23 Sep 2008)

>cyclocross 

Is basically, escorting a bike around a field in *winter* for no reason.


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## dan_bo (13 Oct 2008)

yenrod said:


> >cyclocross
> 
> Is basically, escorting a bike around a field in *winter* for no reason.



Yenners, you're talking poo.

i've done my first two races of this season and I forgot who exhilerating, tough, funny, compelling and downright good value 'cross is. give it a go  


'twas nice to meet trio this weekend as well!


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## trio25 (16 Oct 2008)

Cross is brilliant! I am currently using my mountain bike, which is far from ideal. But still loads of fun. I have no skill when it comes to getting through mud, getting on/off my bike quickly or carrying my bike. But I have been loving it, I don't think I've ever worked so hard on a bike either. An hour with an average heart rate of 180 on saturday nearly killed me!


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## fossyant (17 Oct 2008)

I did a few many years back on my MTB in Woodbank Park - dan_bo will know - organised by Stu Johnson - he's not changed the Le Mans style start...... Did OK, but got battered by the pro cross riders that were riding. 

We often went down to watch the Cross in Macclesfield around New Year....


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## palinurus (17 Oct 2008)

Not much progress in the last couple weeks- I've got to get that bike built up. I ordered wheels and parts from the LBS- no problem there, but then they offered to build it up for me too (I couldn't turn 'em down- I'm a lazy man). Only it's taking a bit longer than I thought it might. I'll pop in tomorrow and see how things are going, might leave with a bike, might leave with a box of bits. We'll see..


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## palinurus (25 Oct 2008)

Went to check progress today. Wheels are built and attached to the frame. There's bars, levers, front and rear mechs. Looks nice.

No brakes. Ordered a month ago and the LBS still haven't received them, so I couldn't even pick up the last of the bits and finish it off myself. They haven't been communicating basically, the guy I spoke to today didn't know anything about it. Brakes will now be chased up etc.

Two weeks to go to my first event and I haven't got a bike and haven't ridden offroad at all (except for riding up and down a strip of grass in the park on my commute bike doing dismounts and- still fairly bad- remounts).

Might be a good thing. Won't have time to get discouraged, just wheel the bike out of the shop and ride straight to the event. I'll stick the entry form in the post next week.


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## dan_bo (25 Oct 2008)

fossyant said:


> I did a few many years back on my MTB in Woodbank Park - dan_bo will know - organised by Stu Johnson - he's not changed the Le Mans style start...... Did OK, but got battered by the pro cross riders that were riding.
> 
> We often went down to watch the Cross in Macclesfield around New Year....



Stu was at the race at boggart hole clough t'other weekend- on good form- dressed in a black skinsuit with turquoise chevrons, dayglo pink socks and a yellow and black helmet. On his sit up and beg crosser. the man has class.


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## palinurus (1 Nov 2008)

Well, here it is.

[ATTACH=full]163146[/ATTACH]


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## trio25 (1 Nov 2008)

Looks nice, so when is the first race?


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## palinurus (1 Nov 2008)

I wasn't sure it'd be ready, but it was.

Figured that next week I'd be marshalling. Or selling cakes. Or standing at the slipperiest corner taking furtive sips from my hipflask. Either way I started to think I'd be having an easier time of it next Sunday. Now I'm either going to have to ride or come up with a new excuse.

It's fun tho'. Went through the park and did a few laps of the bridleway that goes around the perimeter of the woods. It was raining a bit, got suitably muddy. It's hard, I wasn't even trying to go that quick but I was soon panting. My upper body hurts now- I'm going to have to work on that. Kept me warm, I was completely overdressed with the stuff I normally wear for cycling this time of year.

Starting to get used to riding through mud, the horses churn up the ground some so there are numerous patches of fairly deep mud on the circuit, there's also a run-up (a steep bit with some steps cut into it).

One thing I'm not going to like: more bike cleaning.

I've got one week. My remount is still shite, but I think I got it a bit less shite today.

Bike rides nice, fits nice, it's going to get a fair bit of use I think.


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## trio25 (1 Nov 2008)

I never thought of practising those things, although it might be a good idea as I am so bad at remounting! Everyone goes past me as I stop get on my bike and then go! But I just pretend its because I am a mountain biker and have no clue


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## palinurus (8 Nov 2008)

s'gonna be muddy.


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## dan_bo (9 Nov 2008)

wet mud's better than dry mud mind P.


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## DustBowlRefugee (9 Nov 2008)

dan_bo said:


> wet mud's better than dry mud mind P.



And much better than frozen mud


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## palinurus (9 Nov 2008)

The mud could've done with being wetter. It was heavy and mixed with grass and leaves. The bike was very rapidly clogged up and I had to keep clearing it (it was like trying to ride with the brakes on otherwise). Sometimes I could pull some off with my gloves while carrying the bike- that way I didn't waste any time. Otherwise I just stopped and pulled it out. Someone shouted some advice, "shake it!", but that stuff wasn't going to be shaken out.

Occasionally I'd pass someone trying to poke it all out with a stick.

I ran a lot. I'm not very good at running so I was completely shagged out about half way through. I would've ridden; it was that heavy I sometimes just couldn't get moving, and when I did I wasn't going any faster anyway.

When the course was designed someone from the club tried it out. His opinion? all rideable, about 6 minutes a lap. Same rider was lapping in 9 minutes today. My laps were closer to 15.

I was worried about my remounts- although I was getting it a bit better yesterday. Today I could barely get the bike rolling well enough to do it so reverted to clambering on.

I think I just have to get used to how a bike feels in those conditions. I was a bit nervous. I have discovered that falling off into mud doesn't hurt much, that's probably important.

Don't know where I placed, very probably last. I overtook quite a few people on the one straight bit on the course but they always came back as I struggled around the twisty bits.

One of the run-ups was so slippy I could barely walk up it until I discovered this: walk like a duck, splay the feet right out, bend the knees and waddle. I'll have to sort out some footwear with studs.

I rode home into a terrible headwind.

Looking forward to the next one.


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## DustBowlRefugee (9 Nov 2008)

palinurus said:


> I rode home into a terrible headwind.



Chapeau!


As for shoes, they're a bit expensive but they certainly work.

http://www.spiuk.com/home/productos-ficha-ing.asp?id=302


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## trio25 (9 Nov 2008)

Sounds like you had fun! Reminds me how great cross is. Next race I can make is the end of November and I'm looking forward to it already.


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## palinurus (10 Nov 2008)

Hey! I wasn't last. I was 24th out of about 40 finishers. Long way behind the fastest riders of course.

Finally then, some pictures taken by a colleague who turned up with a camera.

it wasn't so much the mud as the leaves mixed into it that was the problem, that stuff just gummed up everything.

Thankfully there was a hose at the venue.


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## palinurus (10 Nov 2008)

Just looking at my lap times, the last lap was really slow, had nothing left.

First lap 13:20, last 16:40!. Most of the well-placed riders got a little faster throughout.


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## RedBike (10 Nov 2008)

Nice pictures and well done!

I love the one of all the leaves stuck in the brake bridge / front fork. (That does seem very familiar!)


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## palinurus (23 Nov 2008)

Must've liked it 'cos I did it again today- Reading CC Cross event in Prospect Park (I think this is a new venue for 'cross). 

I'm pooped. Still, the mud was of a better kind than for my first event: it was of a slippy, liquid consistency and the woodland parts were initially pretty firm. For the first couple of laps I didn't get too clogged up. As the race progressed the wet mud seemed to get claggier and the woodland mud got stickier and the going got heavier and heavier and so did my bike.

Again I probably placed somewhere towards the bottom of the field, although I did stay on this time.

I realised today that I'm much better at turning left than right. Weird. Also I sometimes like to stick my leg out for balance, but it's only effective with my left leg. If I stick my right leg out it makes it worse. Something else to work on.

I found a garage with a jetwash on the way back to the station. I know I shouldn't but I was happy to have brakes and gears back in operation.


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## Dave5N (23 Nov 2008)

Watched Roger Hammond today flying down some technical singletrack - with his left leg unclipped and stuck out.


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## palinurus (23 Nov 2008)

It makes sense to me, I just can't work out why my stupid right leg won't do the same thing.


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## jpembroke (23 Nov 2008)

Did the Gloucester 'cross race today and came 6th. My highest place ever. Very pleased with that especially as I've only really been running this year.

Palinurus - don't worry about your left turns being easier than your right turns; it's natural! That's why all track races (motor, athletics, dog, horse, cycling) go anticlockwise. Hey, you're normal!


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## palinurus (23 Nov 2008)

6th! jeez. I guess you weren't walking up the run-ups.


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## jpembroke (23 Nov 2008)

6th was as good as I could have got, so I'm really pleased. And no! No walking today. There was only a couple of sections that required a dismount anyway and I guess my hill running paid off there. I battled with a very nice bloke all the way round and held him until the final lap where his time trialling ability paid off. Maybe next time.

What a bizarre and wonderful sport cyclocross is.


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## Dave5N (23 Nov 2008)

Bit better than any result I'll ever manage.


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## jpembroke (23 Nov 2008)

How are your dismounts? Get that completely wired and it can shift you up quite a few places. I am amazed at the insurmountable gaps that can be created in the technical sections with a swift dismount/remount.


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## Dave5N (23 Nov 2008)

I'm pretty good at getting off and keeping the bike moving.

It's the bits in between the mounts, dismounts and remounts that count against me.


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## mickle (23 Nov 2008)

Great thread Palinurus!


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## palinurus (24 Nov 2008)

My dismounts are fine, I can get off that sucker really fast.

It's the getting back on. I was close practicing in the park on saturday, I can almost get on in a smooth motion, glide into the saddle, there's still a bit of a stutter but I do keep moving. It helps if I shorten my stride just before jumping on.

But can I get it together under race conditions when the ground is all sloppy and I'm under a bit of pressure? nope. I give up and clamber on or end up doing the remount equivalent of a bellyflop.

I think I'd benefit from learning to run up hills too.


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## rjeffroy (25 Nov 2008)

Pictures from Reading Cyclocross


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## papercorn2000 (27 Nov 2008)

My getting off is great. I even do when I'm not supposed to!


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## dan_bo (28 Nov 2008)

jpembroke said:


> 6th was as good as I could have got, so I'm really pleased. And no! No walking today. There was only a couple of sections that required a dismount anyway and I guess my hill running paid off there. I battled with a very nice bloke all the way round and held him until the final lap where his time trialling ability paid off. Maybe next time.
> 
> *What a bizarre and wonderful sport cyclocross is*.



Oh yeah.


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## palinurus (6 Dec 2008)

palinurus said:


> I realised today that I'm much better at turning left than right. Weird. Also I sometimes like to stick my leg out for balance, but it's only effective with my left leg. If I stick my right leg out it makes it worse. Something else to work on.



Was in the park this morning practicing remounting. Slightly better each time. Then I set up a really short course on the grass with all right turns and just went around that. Anyway- I can now stick my right leg out in a turn if I want to.


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## Dave5N (7 Dec 2008)

That's the way to get better. Practice.

Even better if you can get together with someone else and have a go.


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## palinurus (4 Jan 2009)

DustBowlRefugee said:


> And much better than frozen mud



Quite right.


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## bleakanddivine (4 Jan 2009)

palinurus said:


> I ordered wheels and parts from the LBS- no problem there, but then they offered to build it up for me too



Where's that, then? ...the one at Bushey Arches?

Jonathan


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## palinurus (5 Jan 2009)

Cyclopedia (Merton Road)


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