Orwell/IRC/Lucan/Tiernans/UCD Leauge, Race 1, Black Bull, 27 February 2011

Chips Lovell

Anyone else riding this?

Sign on from 11 at Black Bull. Race starts at 12. Route will be two laps of the "green sheds" circuit, finishing on the stretch of new road heading towards Dunshaughlin. Map here.

Check with your club secretary to make sure you're paid up and on the list. You won't be able to start unless you've a full competition or club competition licence.

100Suns

I'm in-time to find out if the intermittent winter training has done any lasting damage!

Very fast finish to there which opens out to a very wide road at the last bend-good idea for what's likely to be a chariot race.

Chips Lovell

I anticipate a bunch sprint too.

Idleater

el tonto wrote: »

I anticipate a bunch sprint too.

And I anticipate me not being in contention at that point in time, but it would be nice to admire from the pack

Best of luck.

niceonetom

I have no aims other than to get around in the bunch - I'm a ways away from fitness so I expect it to be tough.

There have to a few here for whom this will be their very first race. Don't worry folks, it'll be grand. Probably.

Idleater

niceonetom wrote: »

Don't worry folks, it'll be grand. Probably.

I appreciate the honesty

Chips Lovell

Your first Idleater?

In fairness, the first league race is usually fairly civilised. There's always a lot of new riders starting out and everyone else wants to test their legs. The only crash I remember in one of these was me. And it was all my fault.

Idleater

el tonto wrote: »

Your first Idleater?

Race yes

Looking forward to it all right... will be in LCRC colours.

Lumen

Handicap?

It's possible that UCD will have stuffed so many sandbaggers into semi-limit that we stand some hope of staying away.

Chips Lovell

Idleater wrote: »

Race yes

Looking forward to it all right... will be in LCRC colours.

Good luck!

Lumen wrote: »

Handicap?

It's possible that UCD will have stuffed so many sandbaggers into semi-limit that we stand some hope of staying away.

Yep. It's a handicap. As of today, UCD have one rider in semi-limit.

Lumen

el tonto wrote: »

Yep. It's a handicap. As of today, UCD have one rider in semi-limit.

...and the rest are in limit.

:pac:

Raam

I shall be expecting to see a barrage of complaints about people doing no work, as is the norm.

niceonetom

I think there's likely to be a whole load of people in limit who'll need to be chased - I can think of a couple from boardswell - and UCD are likely to supply a few young fellas with big engines. If the front groups work they might stay away as the turn out from scratch will probably be small... it'll be tough one to get the handicap right.

velo.2010

niceonetom wrote: »

I have no aims other than to get around in the bunch - I'm a ways away from fitness so I expect it to be tough.

Boll!cks!;)

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

I shall be expecting to see a barrage of complaints about people doing no work, as is the norm.

I can safely say now I'll be one of the people they'll be complaining about.

niceonetom wrote: »

I think there's likely to be a whole load of people in limit who'll need to be chased - I can think of a couple from boardswell - and UCD are likely to supply a few young fellas with big engines. If the front groups work they might stay away as the turn out from scratch will probably be small... it'll be tough one to get the handicap right.

Limit and and semi-limit are huge. 66 in limit and 69 in semi-limit. Some strong new guys in limit alright. Oflahero, I'm looking at you. But the mix of inexperienced riders may mean they don't get a good up and over going, which is important on a fast circuit like that.

Lumen

el tonto wrote: »

69 in semi-limit

Up and over baby!

Chips Lovell

velo.2010 wrote: »

Boll!cks!;)

Were you hoping to get his wheel?

Chips Lovell

Lumen wrote: »

Up and over baby!

Correction, 70. I just noticed your name wasn't on the list.

manwithaplan

Domestic commitments mean this probably won't become my first race but a couple of newbie questions just in case:

I have a Club Competition Licence Number got from the list on the CI website (applied through Swords) but no printed licence yet - is that all I need?
I have no club kit - is any jersey OK?

If I chance it, I would expect to be dropped like a stone but hopefully I could hang on for a bit and there might be enough people still at the finish when I arrive that I could hear about how the sprint went!

niceonetom

el tonto wrote: »

Limit and and semi-limit are huge. 66 in limit and 69 in semi-limit. Some strong new guys in limit alright. Oflahero, I'm looking at you. But the mix of inexperienced riders may mean they don't get a good up and over going, which is important on a fast circuit like that.

Groups that big and mixed in experience are going to be very messy. Not unsafe necessarily, just messy. It might be wise for the strongest 20 or 30 riders in those groups (well, limit anyway) to abandon hopes of keeping the group together and just get themselves working at a good tempo - let the others either hang or get dropped. Of course, even if they're strong enough to do that they're unlikely to make it happen due to inexperience.

Chips Lovell

manwithaplan wrote: »

I have a Club Competition Licence Number got from the list on the CI website (applied through Swords) but no printed licence yet - is that all I need?
I have no club kit - is any jersey OK?

You're a member of Swords? The league is for the five clubs mentioned above.

Caroline_ie

I was getting all excited about racing on sunday until I remembered I asked to be marked down as marshal ... I am a bit gutted right now.

Chips Lovell

We might be OK for marshalls Caroline. You could ask and see.

niceonetom

el tonto wrote: »

We might be OK for marshalls Caroline. You could ask and see.

Well played.

manwithaplan

el tonto wrote: »

You're a member of Swords? The league is for the five clubs mentioned above.

Thanks - for some reason, I thought the dublin club leagues were open to members of other dublin clubs. Consider me disabused.

Caroline_ie

Tempting I better not turn up on the fixie then.

Chips Lovell

manwithaplan wrote: »

Thanks - for some reason, I thought the dublin club leagues were open to members of other dublin clubs. Consider me disabused.

Some leagues allow guest riders so it's easy to make the assumption.

oflahero

el tonto wrote: »

Oflahero, I'm looking at you.

I can't possibly live up to this level of hype. My bike handling's such that I'm rubbish at even keeping up near the front in the sunday spin group. Thankfully I'm only marshalling on Sunday (but quite looking forward to taking a test spin round the circuit beforehand...)

morana

I remember that race fondly!!!!

Anyway I reckon my old club mate Eugene murtagh will win on his own or possibly Lumen as an outside bet!!!!

I will be doing the Dublin wheelers race which is on the Doreys forge circuit, 3 laps and finishing on the top of the hill so we wont mix

---

just wave when we we are passing.

Lumen

morana wrote: »

Anyway I reckon my old club mate Eugene murtagh will win on his own or possibly Lumen as an outside bet!!!!

I don't think there are enough numbers for those odds.

Chips Lovell

morana wrote: »

...or possibly Lumen as an outside bet!!!!

He'll have to improve on his sprinting if he's going to win this drag race

Lumen wrote: »

The pace felt fine. Biggest problem was that I didn't know where the finish was, and (hugely embarassingly) as I approached it unwittingly with the lead group, I heard what sounded like a car coming up behind, shouted "car!" and then whoooosh, about 10 riders zoomed around me. I was so wrapped up in my shame I forgot to sprint.

levitronix

Once theres no ringers in limit, think its semi limit for the sprint deffo mmmmm:rolleyes:
But last year limit stayed away in brittas and all we heard was excuses from scratch

Chips Lovell

Unless the handicaps are very generous I can see the groups coming together. All the scratch and semi-scratch riders will be gunning for a race after the winter and the Mick Lally and Cycleways Cup coming up next weekend.

buffalo

niceonetom wrote: »

There have to a few here for whom this will be their very first race. Don't worry folks, it'll be grand. Probably.

This is me. And I've been stuck in semi-scratch. I'm doomed.

niceonetom

buffalo wrote: »

This is me. And I've been stuck in semi-scratch. I'm doomed.

Whoa, I've never heard of them throwing anyone who hasn't raced before into the SS straight away - you must have really impressed someone or royally pissed them off on the Sunday spins. I've seen you ride so I'm guessing it's the former. You're more than capable both in terms of speed and handling so I would try to take skipping L and SL as a compliment.

kenmc

I is have first race also. am a bit Wtf did I sign up for. hmmm

kenmc

on a side note though, training has been going well. 2 pints in Belfast and a couple on the train down too.

buffalo

niceonetom wrote: »

Whoa, I've never heard of them throwing anyone who hasn't raced before into the SS straight away - you must have really impressed someone or royally pissed them off on the Sunday spins. I've seen you ride so I'm guessing it's the former. You're more than capable both in terms of speed and handling so I would try to take skipping L and SL as a compliment.

It was the basis of that ride! I'll see how I get on, it's not the speed so much as the handling that I'm worried about. Never been in a big bunch before, so here's hoping I don't bring down the peloton!

niceonetom

buffalo wrote: »

It was the basis of that ride! I'll see how I get on, it's not the speed so much as the handling that I'm worried about. Never been in a big bunch before, so here's hoping I don't bring down the peloton!

You'll be grand - the league races are fairly civilised and you know the course now.

Will you be racing A4 in open races?

buffalo

niceonetom wrote: »

You'll be grand - the league races are fairly civilised and you know the course now.

Will you be racing A4 in open races?

That's the plan. I've no idea how these things work though - if I feel I'm up to it, can I upgrade after the season starts?

blorg

buffalo wrote: »

That's the plan. I've no idea how these things work though - if I feel I'm up to it, can I upgrade after the season starts?

You can upgrade at any point but you are probably best off staying in A4 until you are promoted based on results.

buffalo

blorg wrote: »

You can upgrade at any point but you are probably best off staying in A4 until you are promoted based on results.

Don't want to get too ahead of myself! Thanks lads.

montac

Good luck to one and all on Sunday. I won't be racing until April (when I'll be grimacing and redfaced in Semi-Limit) - really looking forward to getting back racing again. It's just such a rush for those 45 mins or so, even if you are struggling to keep up!

dave.obrien

I'm looking forward to it, although this cold I've been carrying for the last week will probably prevent me from playing too great a part... And before anyone asks, the cold is entirely to blame, not form/training/fitness, just the cold.

godihatedehills

I feel sick just thinking about Sunday......

LCRC_BAX

Bring it on, great finish on the new road; nice & wide and very very fast! My prediction is the groups will come together half way round the 2nd lap, although the L & SL group will be huge so if they work it could be a very late catch!

fat bloke

I'm thinking of going along Sunday meself... but I'm half afraid it'll be a frickin demolition derby. A long winter of pent up frustration mixed with a whole load of never-ridden-in-a-bunch newbies, at maximum attack, on those narrow roads??? :eek:

I really really really don't want to spend the next 3 months sitting on my couch, watching tv, getting fat, arm in a sling, bike in two pieces, wallowing in my own misery :rolleyes:


I suppose I could cycle over, do the race in total self-preservation mode, and cycle home. It'll be a decent total distance if nothing else.

levitronix

The league is always civilized:D

levitronix

I thought there was a limit on numbers as well for the club league

Anyone know anything about this ?

fat bloke

levitronix wrote: »

The league is always civilized:D

It is in me brown! A rougher bunch of diamonds I've never encountered.

levitronix wrote: »

I thought there was a limit on numbers as well for the club league

Anyone know anything about this ?

I've never seen that implemented on the start line anyway. If you turn up, you're in.

levitronix

I could be wrong but it thought there was a limit to the number on the night allowed to race , think the number was hit last year but everyone was still allowed to race