Cyclocross Season

This is the best part about CX, looking at all the pictures afterwards.

You always have to have a race face. There are photographers everywhere. Make it look like it hurts

you looked pretty serious alright robfowl.

Nice I wouldn't risk that low - same weight.

Eamonnator wrote: »

Be still, my beating heart:

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXXLSCX1/planet-x-xls-sram-cx1-cyclocross-bike

That looks savage. This thread has me reconsidering my decision to go for a MTB when my BTW comes around again in the new year.

Lovely grassy course today in Castlebar. CX racing is great and with a little bit of imagination a tough tricky course can be hewn from the most innocuous looking grassland. A hill helps though and one was helpfully in situ.
The kiddies had their race on a twisty slippy piece of fun in the lower corner of the course and then the seniors had their chance. The B race was led out in impressive style by a man on a fat wheeled MTB. Someone asked "Who is that?", to which the proudest voice ever proclaimed "That's my husband, and my son is in second place!" The jousting continued and the wife, in between her duties as diligent timekeeper, let us in on the sad state of husband's bowels ans sure enough his pace slackened appreciably on the later laps and the merciless efficiency of a man on an actual CX bike took the victory.
The A race approached. Being a lover of the gridding I loitered near the startline and only 3 lads were called out for gridding and I slotted in thankfully on the second row, beside Paddy Clarke on an MTB. Unfortunately for him, Tim O'Regan was last having missed out on the loitering part of CX racing. As it happens he didn't need it but sure every little bit helps.
Off we went and my big regret of the day is not having a camera on board for the first 40 seconds of carnage as lads fell over the place on the first three corners and one lad even jack-knifed his MTB on a slightly off-cambery bit. After that I found myself in 3rd with Paddy close by. Into the tree turn of slippiness and out again, around the copse of bushes and then the sloggy return up the grassy slopes and sure enough Tim was moving through the field.
For the first 10 laps (of 14) we had a good battle but then he got ahead and pulled a good gap out and that essentially was that. I wouldn't get back and started making a few mistakes on corners where earlier I had been making time.
Great to have a close race though while it lasted and thanks again to Mayo cycling league, Padraig Marrey and all the others who made it a great day out. The setting on the lakeside is stunning, as were the views over to Croagh Patrick, A mountain I have had the pleasure and pain of running up against Padraig for many years.

tl;dr - Mayo put on a good grassy CX race in very pictureque conditions. Tim O'Regan won.

RobFowl wrote: »

Bit grumpy about it tbh, thought part were unridable but not even capable of running. All those I saw in parts had to hold on to poles to avoid falling on parts of the course.
Never thought I'd say this but was simply dangerous and fecking stupid in places.
First even cyclo cross race I felt I wasted my time travelling to and riding.

I loved it, was worse for the guys in the A race and everyone I spoke to thought it was a proper cross course. Glad I put studs in my shoes today, they were needed.

St Anne's is the most dangerous course I've ridden, that place scares the sh*te out of me.

nak wrote: »

St Anne's is the most dangerous course I've ridden, that place scares the sh*te out of me.

Ah Nak, it's brilliant, no other CX course like it, nice and technical!

RobFowl wrote: »

PS also did not see any medical cover.......

Don't recall seeing any at the other races I went to in Ulster. Were there any injuries? Didn't see any myself, just muddy bums. My husband crashed on the tarmac, but he is fine and used to crashing. Thought the off-camber twisty descent was quite like the Swords course.

Remember watching a pro race in Hoogerheide a couple of years back and a lot of the racers were having to slide down a hill covered in ice on their bums holding onto their bikes as they couldn't even run it. Hope we never have to do that.

http://www.cyclingireland.ie/downloads/cyclingirelandeventsafetycode1.pdf

3. First Aid/Medical Cover
All open events (as per Cycling Ireland’s General Administrative and Technical Regulations - “A race open to holders of
full licences and/or restricted licences where appropriate and/or one day licences (excluding holders of club licences)
which have been approved by the Cycling Ireland”) require, as a minimum, first aid personnel to be in attendance. The
Safety Officer must assess the level of first aid required, steps to be considered include:
• Is an ambulance required or are trained First Aiders sufficient;
• Is it best for the ambulance/First Aiders to follow the participants or be placed at strategic locations?;
• Brief first aid personnel (a First Aider is a person over 18 years old who holds a first aid certificate) on route details,
likely hazards, event duration;
• Ensure that first aid crew are easily contactable and test communications prior to the event start;
• For mass-participation events ensure that participants are issued a “helpline” number;
• Advise local hospitals of the event;
• participant numbers, nature of the event etc.;
• Ensure all marshals are aware of the first aid/emergency contact number;
• Ensure that contact numbers for local hospitals, ambulance support crews are to hand.

RobFowl wrote: »

Almost everyone I saw had to hold on to the posts to avoid falling when turning.

Are you talking about the bit coming down the bank as can be seen in the vid?