Racing: South Region Road Race Champs - Mojo Restored

I hadn't really been enjoying racing this last week. Last Sunday, I rode at the Southern XC South Champs, and only managed a rather poor 8th in the Sport category. Then on Thursday, at the Ryde Town Criterium race (before the Tour Series event), I was dropped from the lead group and only took 13th. In both cases, a lack of explosive power, and slightly timid bike handling, were my main downfalls. With the Island Games approaching fast, I wasn't looking in great shape with just a month and a bit to go...

Today, I headed to the same Owslebury course that was used for the James Atherton Road Race, and signed on against some big names for the South Region Road Race Champs. I went with the (perhaps slightly pessimistic) view that I would be doing well if I even managed to finish. Luckily, I managed that.

Unlike at the James Atherton day, the weather today was not a gale force nine and driving rain; rather, sunshine and a light breeze were a welcome set of conditions. The course remained just as tough though, with almost no flats and some technical corners. 

The race went off quite hard, and at 84 miles long, it was going to be a long way to sit at close to the red zone. Luckily, after a few laps a break went, and things lulled a bit. Eventually, our chasing group got things together and reeled back in the break; or at least we thought we had, it turned out four more were still up the road. 

The pace remained high, but the group of four stayed away. In addition, riders were going off the front and forming a smaller group up the road. On the final lap, I decided to make a last ditch attempt at bridging across to that group (I'm no sprinter, so there wasn't much point waiting for the bunch gallop). With the help of another rider, we made the junction, and I crossed the line 10th.

That might not sound exceptional, but it was a good result for me; given I was questioning whether I'd even get round, earlier in the day.

The result was what I needed; a bit of a confidence booster. Enough to suggest that I might not be a lost cause for the Island Games, and I might actually be able to get a result. Here's to hoping things are back on track. Bike racing mojo restored. 
Labels:


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SwissStop Disc Brake Pads Comparison Test Review – Are All Disc Brake Pads Made Equal?

Image
The market for disc brake pads for gravel bikes, mountain bikes and road bikes is saturated; there are hundreds of different brands producing disc brake pads claiming to last longer and perform better than the competition. So, what is the difference between a set of low cost disc brake pads from eBay/Amazon versus the high-end pads from SwissStop? Are SwissStop disc brake pads worth the extra money? To find out, I have been doing some extensive disc brake pad testing over the last few months. October to February is obviously a period of wet winter riding, and I have been testing the following list of brake pads on road, gravel and mountain bikes—to create the ultimate test for any disc brake set-up. The disc brake pads on test:  SwissStop Disc 34 RS (Shimano Road/Gravel)  SwissStop Disc 32 RS (SRAM Road/Gravel)  SwissStop Disc 31 E (MTB SRAM Avid)  Superstar Sintered Shimano Road Disc Brake Pads (Shimano Road/Gravel)  SOMMET Resin and Semi-Metallic Disc Brake Pads (SRAM Road/Gravel
Keep reading

Recipe – The Ultimate High Energy Flapjacks

Image
This traditional flapjack recipe is packed full of energy for long days on the bike. The oats supply a great low-GI fuel source, while the dried fruit offers instant energy and sweetness. Whether on or off the bike, these flapjack bars are a great high-energy snack for cycling. You can adapt the recipe by adding in other dried fruit, seeds, nuts, and spices to make these even more varied and flavoursome. I particularly like pumpkin seeds and chopped crystallised ginger added to the mix. Ingredients 200g butter 100g brown sugar 1 tbsp golden syrup ½ tbsp black treacle 300g porridge oats 100g raisins 75g soft-dried figs 50g soft-dried apricots Method Set the oven to 150°C or 140°C for fan-assisted oven. Place the shelf in the middle Stick a big pan on the scales and measure in the butter and brown sugar Heat the pan on the hob until the butter and sugar are all melted Add a tablespoon of golden syrup and half a tablespoon of treacle to the mix Add the porridge oats and y
Keep reading

Review – Selle Italia SLR Boost Gravel Superflow Saddle S3

Image
The Selle Italia SLR Boost Gravel Superflow Saddle is designed for gravel bike riding. Featuring gel inserts to reduce vibration, titanium saddle rails to absorb trail buzz, and a sleek low-profile design to offer style and performance—this is a saddle made for adventure. The SLR Boost Gravel is Selle Italia's latest offering for the growing Gravel segment of the market; engineered specifically to enhance riding comfort on difficult terrain and during endurance gravel events. Available in two sizes, I opted for the smaller version (S3), and have been testing it out over the last month… I have become a great advocate of the cut-away design for saddles—it offers greater flexibility in the centre of the saddle and reduces pressure on the sensitive perineum region. The SLR Boost Gravel Superflow is a superb example of this kind of saddle design; with a cutaway section, short nose, and flared sides to effectively support your seat bones. To improve comfort on rough terrain, Selle
Keep reading

Review – TRP Spyre SLC Cable Disc Brakes

Image
Cable actuated disc brakes get a lot of bad press. There is some justification for that — most of the systems lack the modulation and performance of their hydraulic counterparts. There is however one set of cable disc brakes that shines above the rest: the TRP Spyre SLC Disc Brake. This lightweight and sleek cable disc caliper excels in both design and functionality. My Kona Private Jake arrived in 2016 with a set of TRP's Spyre-C disc brakes fitted as standard. Those brakes worked very well for over 25,000 kilometres of use and abuse; I rode the bike for daily commutes (including a salty daily ferry journey), and I rode the bike fully loaded over the highest cols in the Pyrenees on the #CoastsandCols tour. The Spyre-C took all this abuse in hand and always produced the stopping power I demanded. This year, with the Kona Private Jake hitting a 25,000 kilometre anniversary, I decided it was time to upgrade and replace a number of the parts. To be honest, most of the component
Keep reading

Review – SunRace CS MX80 (MX8) 11-46T Cassette for SRAM

Image
If you are running a SRAM Force or Rival 1X drivetrain set-up, then you may well find yourself wishing for a lower gear, especially on bikepacking adventures. The SunRace MX80 / MX8 11-46 tooth cassettes supply two additional low ratio gears than you get on the standard 11-42T SRAM cassette. That is an upgrade worth considering... On my Kona Sutra LTD build , I was concerned about a lack of low end gear spread for the Tour Divide . Whilst pure grunt will usually get you up most things on an 11-42T cassette, I thought with the cumulative fatigue and long climbs on this 21 day bikepacking route, I might need something lower... SRAM rate their SRAM Rival and Force 1X rear derailleurs as suitable for a maximum of a 42-tooth cassette—I was keen to see if the SunRace MX80 and MX8 cassette would work with the derailleurs and provide that sought-after lower gear possibility. You may well not have heard of the SunRace brand, but you likely have heard of Sturmey Archer—the iconic hub gea
Keep reading