View Full Version : How is everyone's race season going so far?
I was just checking the race schedule thread and noticed that some of the races people had scheduled have come and gone. So how are the races turning out? Are you getting the results you were after?
8 races down so far this year???? damn lowcel you've been busy.
Its been almost a decade since the last season I raced in. And I only started mtbing again period last summer after a 6 year break. Since then I have lost my scrawny teenage physique and my bike handling skills have become atrocious. Taking that into account I am completely satisfied with my results thus far. I am really happy that I had a completely clean race yesterday too.
Great, congratulations on both the race and just getting back into the sport!
Yeah I have done 8 races so far, all road. I am hoping to do a total of 25 races this season with my priority being the WVMBA mountain bike series. I am hoping to do a total of 12 mountain bike races. The road races are great training. They are also quite a bit of fun, completely different than mountain bike races though.
I'm planning to move towards the road since A. I am no longer built like an xc rider and B. I die in the summer heat down here. This will probably be the only season where xc races take priority. Even now I am focusing on the track to build up my skills and just doing enough road races to upgrade by next season.
Good luck with the upgrade. I applied for mine a little early and was awarded my Cat 4 license. I entered seven races with five of them resulting in top three finishes. I had one dnf due to a teammate of mine being involved in a serious crash. I dropped out of the race and rode in the ambulance with her to the ER where we spent six hours. My other race I had a teammate that went on a solo breakaway so I had to set back and try to keep the groups speed down a bit. He ended up winning by three seconds. Yesterday was my first Cat 4 race.
LowCel, I've been reading your race reports over on the Road forum and it's been fascinating. I was especially intrigued by your buddy's account of his win. Congrats to you both (yeah, you better claim a portion of that one - -some good teamwork).
My first race was going to be an XC race here in Spokane in a couple weeks, but is getting lost to a conflict with some vacation time with my better half :love:. That's OK -- we're going to Park City, UT for a week. They have awesome riding there.
I'll have to read up on your Cat 4 race when I get some time today.
apclassic9
04-04-06, 08:38 PM
Hey, LowCel, my "little guy" - he's grown a bit since last summer, hitting 5'9" on the scale - is going to start his season off at one of the Tiger Rag SC Championship races this year. JT & crew are taking him down to GA over spring break to watch the mountain stage of the Tour de Georgia, run some roads, hopefully hit the podiums in SC, and shoot back home. But, I'll probably see you at Mountwood with the older boy. I would imagine you'll be one of the first across the finish this year, huh?
Hey, LowCel, my "little guy" - he's grown a bit since last summer, hitting 5'9" on the scale - is going to start his season off at one of the Tiger Rag SC Championship races this year. JT & crew are taking him down to GA over spring break to watch the mountain stage of the Tour de Georgia, run some roads, hopefully hit the podiums in SC, and shoot back home. But, I'll probably see you at Mountwood with the older boy. I would imagine you'll be one of the first across the finish this year, huh?
That is awesome, I hope he does well. I'm jealous of him getting to see the Tour de Georgia, I'm going to have to go see that one of these years.
I'm just hoping to cross the finish line, not sure how many people will do it before or after me. I haven't spent enough time on the mountain bike this year, I've only been on it three times. I brought it with me today, did some work on it last night so need to see how it rides. Last night my Truth weighed 26.19 pounds, this moring it weighs 24.21 pounds. It should be a little more race worthy now.
I'm hoping to pre-ride Mountwood on Sunday. If you know anyone that wants to go pass the word.
free_pizza
04-05-06, 03:01 PM
im going to start up some racing this year, ive never raced before, so i think it should be pretty fun. I am doing local races in the city which are every wednesday night, and im going to do provincial races that are held every 2 or 3 weeks or so. the courses are more technical and there will be much better riders there, but i think it will be a blast... My first race is April 26th.
Best of luck! http://www.aimcomm.com/users/dminor/images/thumb.gif Be sure to give us a post-race update.
Got back to West Virginia around midnight last night after running the Tsali Knobscorcher. The GF and I didn’t have much of a weekend planned, so last Wed. decided to head down and do the race. After spending 8 hrs on Sat. getting down there I almost missed the start of the race (senior sport) because of some bad navigation on my part. My group was the first to go in the second wave and I lined up with about 120 seconds before they sounded the horn. No warm-up, no pre-ride snack. This was going to hurt. The fast start and first few climbs left me sucking air. To make a long story short, I finished back of the pack. The off-season training paid off in that I felt strong and was able to recover quickly after hard efforts but I still made really, really stupid rookie mistakes (this was my 3rd race) like taking way too long to pass slower riders and doing a lousy job of keeping my momentum. Live and learn I guess.
The race was awesome. I think the average speed for the top finishers in my class was a little over 15 mph over a 20 mile loop. I think I may make this an annual thing.
gmoneyhobbit
04-10-06, 11:37 PM
race season has been crappy as all hell..
first cccx race i did i was burnt hungry and had 6-7 hours of sleep... oh yeh and i started late
sea otter, 2 flats, co2 inflater was broke for the first, bummed a pump after 30minutes, tire popped again, bummed a tube and pump .... came in 1.5 hours late... after having gone over the bars into a poopey smelling puddle....
at least there were hot chicks there
HDTVKSS
04-11-06, 06:47 PM
race sesaon is going well. did OK in the warm up short rack series with a 2nd near the end of the series. in the true XC season, ive got two 3rds and a win out of 3 races so happy with that ( C and D grade). just odnt ask me about my 8 hour results ;)
plan on starting my road racing " career " in 2 weeks, should be good fun.
Lowcel, have to agree with the others that your race reports are spot on.
free_pizza
04-26-06, 08:08 PM
just had my first race, and i found it pretty tough. Three categories, beginner, sport, and expert. 1,2,3 laps respectively.. The course was a little weird, it was a little confusing as it was the first time ive ridden the course. I treid to enter into the expert cat, but they'll put you into the sport cat if you decide to stop after 2 laps.. The course was around 4.25km long, and it had a lot of climbing. I was having troubles with a muscle in my back so i quit after 2 laps, but im going to go out more and ride the course and try get faster. Im not sure what position i got, but i should know tonight.... but, my excuses for my poor placement are the following:
1. sore back
2. out of shape :D
3. drivetrain not properly tuned...
4. first time riding the course
and on a sidenote, KrisA kicked my *****.....
The course needs to be run in more. After another couple of weeks it should be good. Those new "trails" (markers!) in the new rolling hills will be fun once they are worked in. Right now you can't carry any speed as there is so much drag in the soft dirt and grass.
Myself, I feel like I have no energy so far this season, perhaps due to a lingering cold. I was riding in the lead group of three when on the last lap I tried to make a move on the second last climb. I blew up bad! The other two riders rode away from me and I ended up in 3rd, 30seconds back of the leader. I hope whatever is affecting me passes, because right now I'm feeling rather disappointed with my performance.
free_pizza
04-27-06, 10:03 AM
The course needs to be run in more. After another couple of weeks it should be good. Those new "trails" (markers!) in the new rolling hills will be fun once they are worked in. Right now you can't carry any speed as there is so much drag in the soft dirt and grass.
yeah, there were a couple of points in the race that i was pretty uneasy going down the hills and turning at the same time in the loose dirt, i just felt as though i could catch something with my front wheel to have it turn sideways, cant wait till its packed down..
The grassy section where you ride right beside the road, it was soft and i just couldnt for the life of me get any speed on it! it was kind of frustrating because it was sucking all the energy out of me.. But i am looking forward to next week, im hoping i can finish the expert laps from next week on, im not looking for the points, just satisfaction in completing it.
hee hee, on the first lap, almost at the very end of the lap, its a good thing someone was in front of me, as i couldve easilly sailed right into the lake on that one corner!!!
free_pizza
05-03-06, 07:37 PM
race #2
1 degree (-5 windchill) light flurries, not a nice day to ride a bike..
I was late getting home from work, had to pick my girlfriend up, had to adjust my rear caliper, and my girlfriend wanted some coffee before the race. So yeah, i arrived at the start line with about 13 seconds to spare...
Since i was late, not warmed up, and it was pretty cold, and im a really big wuss, i just decided to do the 2 laps again instead of the 4.
First lap... well, i couldnt feel much the first lap, my hands were numb (shorty gloves), and i couldnt feel my legs (shorts, dont have any riding pants) but i felt i did pretty good considering the temperature and the wind was howling too. I think i beat my previous personal lap best by about a minute, i was cruising nicely (for me), at the end of the first lap, there was a guy i caught up to and i think it was his first time riding the course, so i held up with him to make sure he didnt make any wrong turns, and after we finished that lap, i passed him, i thought i would keep pulling away from him but he kept up with me.
The second lap i got the feeling back in my hands/legs and thought i would have a much faster lap, but nope, the wind really sucked the life out of me, and i only ended up beating my last race time by 45 seconds i think. But still, its an improvement, and i think i may have done much better if it were warmer out, and less wind..
Im not sure what position i got, i think only a few people opted to do the 2 lap race, and i think i got 2nd in that, maybe 3rd or 4th, im not sure, i picked up my "victory bagel" :D and got the hell out of there, saw kris on the way to my car and gave him the old "go kirs" as he was climbing the one hill.. good thing i didnt opt for the 4 laper, i wouldve been lapped easilly!
mental notes: show up on time to warm up, dont let the gf get coffee next time, buy long fingered gloves and thermal riding pants.
Did my first Sask Cup race of the year last weekend, ended up 4th out of 7 in the Senior Expert category, which was an OK result for me. The race wasn't worthy of a full report, so here are the highlights:
- not very good course at Regina Beach, 1/2 super tight, no-flow singletrack, 1/2 wide open prairie trails
- started fast out of the gate, but then lost a couple of positions mid way through the last lap
- it was a lonely race, I rode 80% of it totally isolated, only contact I had with anyone were the few riders I lapped
- I felt strong the entire race, until the last 4km where I started to feel as though I was on the verge of cramping
- ended up 2 minutes back of the 2nd and 3rd place riders, my buddies D and J again!, ~3 of the winnner
Next (big, not counting local) race is on May 28th in Saskatoon on a great course with some fun, technical singletrack and some ball busting climbs. Only downside to this race is that it's downwind of a RANK chemical plant. I'm hoping for a podium, I'll let you guys know how it turns out.
elysdean
05-17-06, 08:08 AM
My race season started out okay in March, but has daken a major dive. I've missed two races due to a crash and the doc's orders. (word of advice, don't pass out while going 25 mph on the road). I'll be returning to racing on June 4th and I hope to finish the season strong. I'm racing June 25, July 2nd and Aug 20th (plus a couple of small week night series).
Scott
free_pizza
05-18-06, 12:35 AM
Well, i didnt race last wednesday and i didnt race with Kris on the weekend because my back was bothering me....
This week, i was feeling better, so i decided to go up a category and do the 3 lap race. My goal was to do 3 laps in under 45 minutes. I think this was a realistic goal since both my 2 lap races were around the 15min/lap range. I started off the race with a steady climb, then it turned into a tough climb, i started dancing on the pedals but unknowingly was in the top chainring on the front instead of the middle, and that really messed me up real bad right off the bat.. I made a point of not looking at my watch/computer to see what my lap times were just so i could just focus on keeping a steady pace. I slowed down a few times and pulled to the side a bit to let the elite riders pass me, so im sure i lost some time there, but i didnt want to be an ass to them.
This one kid (maybe 16 or so) was behind me for a lot of the race, he was smoking me on the climbs, but on the faster sections of the trails i was beating him. i think he was just nevous or something, but he could climb pretty well.
Anyway, to stop rambling, i finished the 3 laps, looked at my computer, and was quite happy to see that i did the 3 laps in 39:50, which was far better than i expected. I think i will stay with the 3 laps for a while until my back feels good enough to do 5 laps.
I will be racing the same race next wednesday, then will be heading up to saskatoon to do Sask Cup #2 with Kris.
free_pizza
05-25-06, 02:09 PM
Same course/race as last week, it rained pretty hard the morning of the race, so the course seemed a lot slower, and the wind was pretty bad at times. Did 3 laps again, and finished at 40:44.. I think if i did that race with last weeks conditions, i woulve been much faster. I really slowed down on the 3rd lap, i was trying to keep pace with the guy ahead of me, but he kept skipping a section that the race organizers deemed optional for some reason. I really killed myself on the climbs trying to catch him because he was a slower climber..
Have my first sask cup race on sunday in saskatoon, i'll probably do pretty crappy, but im really looking forward to it.
Hey, thanks for the reports, free pizza. Sounds like things are clicking. Good luck at Saskatoon!
free_pizza
05-28-06, 12:52 PM
Just finished my race. That is by far the toughest riding i have ever done. It was raining all morning, it was cold, muddy, my bike probably had an extra 10lbs of mud on it, i crashed numerous times (1 real bad one), couldnt clip into my pedals for half the race, i finished second last (i think) BUT I #$@ING LOVED IT!...
free_pizza
05-28-06, 05:58 PM
i finished second last (i think)
GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY, I FINISHED 2ND! :eek: :eek: I have no idea how that happened.
in fact, i think the times are wrong, it said my time was 1:14:54, but im sure i took over 1:30.00... weird...
Riderfan_lee
05-29-06, 12:46 AM
GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY, I FINISHED 2ND! :eek: :eek: I have no idea how that happened.
in fact, i think the times are wrong, it said my time was 1:14:54, but im sure i took over 1:30.00... weird...
Were you riding in the Silverwood Classic in Saskatoon today?
It definitely was a gooder. Lots of mud, lots of crashes and lots of unclipped riding.
I had a great time out there today. The weather was crap but it was a lot of fun.
free_pizza
05-29-06, 07:21 AM
Were you riding in the Silverwood Classic in Saskatoon today?
It definitely was a gooder. Lots of mud, lots of crashes and lots of unclipped riding.
I had a great time out there today. The weather was crap but it was a lot of fun.
yep.. it was lots of fun. What category were you in? I'm guessing your name is Lee K? Were you in Senior Sport? Thats what i did.
I spent a lot of time off the bike running up hills, there was no way i could've made it up some of those.
Are you going to the race in P.A next weekend? I will, im giddy with excitment for these races now.
Glad you had fun! Your time sounds right to me, I finished in over 1:20, and you were in before me. Full report to come...
Riderfan_lee
05-29-06, 09:30 AM
yep.. it was lots of fun. What category were you in? I'm guessing your name is Lee K? Were you in Senior Sport? Thats what i did.
I spent a lot of time off the bike running up hills, there was no way i could've made it up some of those.
Are you going to the race in P.A next weekend? I will, im giddy with excitment for these races now.
Yup, that was the category I was in. You finished quite well. It was my first race as well and I was happy with how it went considering the conditions. It was a good learning experience for racing and I am looking forward to my next one. I doubt I will make it to P.A. as I have Grad Studies obligations for the next bit but am thinking about heading to North Battleford at the end of June.
free_pizza
05-29-06, 01:03 PM
I think i know where the extra 15 or so minutes on my computer came from, when i checked the computer, it was at my buddy's house, there was also a lot of walking around after with my bike, had to ride through some puddles on the road to clean off the bike, had the bike on my bike rack driving back to my buddies place, and the wheel was probably spinning.
I feel a little better now about my time :D
apclassic9
05-29-06, 04:44 PM
My son ( Junior 14 & under XC), so far, took 3rd in SC at the Tiger Rag, 1st in MD's AMBC Greenbrier Challenge, 2nd at WVMBA's Cooper's Rock, 3rd at WVMBA's Hancock 100, 2nd at WVMBA's Tour de Lake, and 2nd at WVMBA's Race the Trace..... now, on to NMBS at Sugar Mtn., and the rest of the WV series....
free_pizza
05-29-06, 05:18 PM
Your son is a little machine! He's kickin ass, congrats.
apclassic9
05-29-06, 06:22 PM
Yeah, I can't wait until next year when he will finally leave the 14 & under class!
Yesterday's race was, evidently, total torture... I mean, I just sat there at the finish line pushing buttons, but it had to be over 90 degrees, and here are 130+ riders racing full bore for 8, 12, or 16 miles. Congrats to ALL who finished the Race the Trace in South Charleston, WV, and special healing wishes to those who left via ambulance!
Yeah, I can't wait until next year when he will finally leave the 14 & under class!
Yesterday's race was, evidently, total torture... I mean, I just sat there at the finish line pushing buttons, but it had to be over 90 degrees, and here are 130+ riders racing full bore for 8, 12, or 16 miles. Congrats to ALL who finished the Race the Trace in South Charleston, WV, and special healing wishes to those who left via ambulance!
It was actually 10, 15, and 20 miles and it was total torture! My computer said 15.3 miles at the end, which I didn't think would ever come! That was the worst day I have had in a long time. I was miserable three miles into the race and it never got any better. :(
At one point Sunday night I was stuck lying on the kitchen floor screaming in pain with leg cramps. They were so bad I couldn't even attempt to walk them off.
apclassic9
05-30-06, 09:42 AM
The kid got home, raided the fridge, and then "retired" to the tub, showing off an eight inch patch of road burn from that sharp pavement turn. We had to wake him up to send him to bed later....
free_pizza
06-06-06, 03:14 PM
Great, its supposed to rain in Prince Albert for my next race... If the conditions are as crappy as last weekends race, i wont be a happy camper..
Great, its supposed to rain in Prince Albert for my next race... If the conditions are as crappy as last weekends race, i wont be a happy camper..
Won't be a happy camper?!? We were both 2nd in our respective categories during the rain last time, I'm hoping for a freeking biblical deluge! :D
The soil is sandy there, mud won't be as much of an issue as at Silverwood. However, if it is nasty conditions I think I'll leave my "fair weather flyer" American Classic wheels off the bike.
gwhunt23
06-06-06, 04:29 PM
Apclassic, I gotta meet your son sometime man. He might be able to teach me a few things! :p I'll be racing Junior in these events for the rest of this season, let me know if you all are gonna be at any of them:
6/18 Xterra East Championship, Richmond VA
6/24 FORD Duathlon, Fredericksburg VA
6/28 Wednesdays at Wakefield MTB, Annandale VA
7/12 Wednesdays at Wakefield MTB, Annandale VA
8/13 EX2 Cranky Monkey MTB, Fairfax VA
8/19 18 Hours on The Farm, Goochland VA
8/27 EX2 Cranky Monkey, Quantico VA
9/03 Shenandoah Mountain 100 (big maybe), Harrisonburg VA
9/17 Middle Mountain Momma Douthat, Clifton Forge VA
10/1 RMS Poor Farm, Ashland VA
10/29 Tidewater Challenge, Williamsburg VA
apclassic9
06-06-06, 06:39 PM
GW - Nope, not a one.. We'll be at the Sugar Mtn NORBA this weekend, and then our local race, the Appalachian Classic, is on the 18th...you might want to think about venturing over the mountains for that! It's only 5 hours from Richmond to "Sunny Cal", and the camping's free. Bring your Dad & get $5 off your registration fee..... (oh, I can't help myself - I work really hard volunteering for this race - it's our "baby"!) After that, there's a race in NJ at Kittetiny State Park on the 25th - it's right near Grandma's, so we can visit. Then WV point series through October.
gwhunt23
06-06-06, 07:29 PM
Would love to head over to the Appalachian Classic, but I can't miss the Xterra here in Richmond. The event is right in my backyard!
I really want to try a NORBA National race, but I doubt it'll be this season. Hoping for next season, when I'll have a driver's license and a car :D
free_pizza
06-12-06, 10:56 AM
I'm hoping for a freeking biblical deluge! :D
Was that the deluge you were looking for?! It just wouldnt stop raining!!! From Thursday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, i dont think it stopped...
Well, i came in 2nd, only 2 riders from my category finished, i think i was 15 minutes behind first place, but heck, i still finished which i feel pretty proud about as i seriously considered quitting after lap 3 after a nasty crash on one decent.. 27km of the mud wind and rain. There was a freakin strem flowing down one small decent.
Im tired and i need more sleep.
Ugggg, that was nasty. Two days later I can still hardly walk from all the crashes. I wonder how much of the pain is from all the running I had to do, which was a lot. On the up side, I was 4th out of 8 in my category, which moves me back into 3rd place in the points. That's OK, my new goal for the rest of the season is to defend that placing as it is unlikely that I can beat the two guys ahead of me.
On the bike damage front, let me count it up:
1) front wheel very un-true, I'm amazed it isn't tacoed after one of my hit a hole, stop dead, over the bars crashes
2) rear wheel slightly un-true
3) left pedal, bearings trashed
4) headset, bearings dry
5) large chainring bent
That race was 2 hours of pain, not much fun about it. You know a race is miserable when the climbs are your favorite part of the course! :D
Riderfan_lee
06-13-06, 08:58 AM
Sounds like you guys had it bad in P.A. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I am stuck in Saskatoon studying for a major exam next week with my committee......lots of coffee, some stress relief rides and hours upon hours of reading textbooks.......I think I would rather have been racing! Good job on the finishes in the race, it sure sounded like a tough task. Saskatchewan is supposed to be dry! It hasn't stopped raining this year at all. Freakin weird! The trails haven't even dried up in Saskatoon in a long time.
free_pizza
06-13-06, 09:02 AM
My Damage:
Went through a full set of pads on my Juicy's (front), the rotor looks in real rough shape too. I took off the pads yesterday, and only the shoes remained, not an ounce of pad left. And the same goes for my BB7's on the rear.
My BB was making some nasty noises, so thats getting checked out at the lBS right now.
My pedals are toast, but they've been like that for a while, if that crap continues in 2 weeks time, i need to get eggbeaters.
My wheels are probably a little untrue, but thats ok, discs help out a lot.
My front shifter was sticking when i was shifting into the small rings, hopefully it isnt toast, and i can just get an air compressor and just blow them out.
Im still tired, and i still need sleep.
Did you see the guy that tacoe'd his wheel on the first lap, and RAN the rest of the race? He deserved an award of some kind.
Riderfan_lee
06-13-06, 09:14 AM
Did you see the guy that tacoe'd his wheel on the first lap, and RAN the rest of the race? He deserved an award of some kind.
That's crazy.....haha. Did he actually finish the race? He does deserve an award.
Did you see the guy that tacoe'd his wheel on the first lap, and RAN the rest of the race? He deserved an award of some kind.
He was a nut. I can see running maybe 5km to the finish, but 30kms???? That's like doing a marathon, in the mud, with a bike on your back, no thanks! There IS a time to quit, tacoing your wheel on the first lap is that time. :) Did he finish? I doubt it as he would have been on the course well over 3 hours. Perhaps he did, but was marked DNF as the timers went home.
free_pizza
06-13-06, 11:51 AM
Well, when i saw him, both wheels were off his bike, when you take the wheels off a bike, thats a huge weight savings right there (listen up lowcel). But i heard (dont know if its true or not) that he got a set of wheels before the end and finished. Im not sure what the rules are with respect to getting new wheels, or getting someone to fix your wheel.
Ohhhhhhh lordy i hope its dry in North Battleford. i would like to do one of these races with a clean drivetrain.
when you take the wheels off a bike, thats a huge weight savings right there (listen up lowcel).
:roflmao:
Shucks, I was thinking Stan's NoTubes and helium, but that has me beat :)
apclassic9
06-13-06, 04:22 PM
WV group at the sugar mtn house gathered up some podium spots - 5th in Men's Pro XC, 2nd in Jr 14, 3rd in Men's Expert 40-45 XC, 4th in Men's Expert 30-35... and our final guy flatted in the single speed XC class, and had his CO2 blow up...DNF!
free_pizza
06-14-06, 08:50 PM
:mad: :mad: Broken Chain tonight.. Didnt bring an extra power link... DNF
apclassic9
06-27-06, 07:13 AM
Traveled from central WV up to NW NJ this past weekend - obstensively to visit Grandma, but also to take in the Bull Dog Rump on the 25th at Kittatiny Valley State Park. Nice 5.5 mile loop, plenty of roots & rocks, and, due to the incessant rain, MUD! ....18716
I don't have the times, but the Kid - racing in the Jr Sport 10-14 class - completed lap 1 in about 30 minutes, lap 2 in about 34, and lap 3 took - well, alot longer.... 1st place.. 18717
He started the race with quite the cheering section - the 3 family octogenarians plus my husband's brother's family, but by lap 2, the cheering section was depleted to just 86 year old grandma sitting in the rain with an umbrella!
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