Cycling UK Forum

thirdcrank wrote:

ANTONISH wrote:.... the climb is steeper and longer than I remember from late fifties/ early sixties. ....

Yup. Although the evidence is everywhere, it's a little-known fact that much of the money spent on roads in the UK goes on the surreptitious annual modification of climbs to make them steeper and longer. They used to need navvies to do this but now it's all mechanised and some newer roads have built-in jacks towards the top. I think metrication has something to do with it so a hill you once romped up in a 69" gear, is now a struggle with 20" or less.

And I thought it was me getting older - must be the same people putting in hills that weren't there in my youth.

Not sure if I should have answered 'yes'
I did take part in a club hill climb, someone took photos of the contestants, he told me that I was the only one smiling while struggling up the hill
I was next-to-last

Happy days..

MTB xc
MTB enduro
MTB DH
MTB 2x
MTB hill climb
MTB trail quest
MTB trials

Ok, last two aren't races as such but they are competitive and had governing bodies.

Road hill climb

Think your off road category needs expanding s bit to have any meaning.....as some forms of off road are closer to road riding than they are to other kinds of MTB.

Si wrote:Think your off road category needs expanding s bit to have any meaning.....as some forms of off road are closer to road riding than they are to other kinds of MTB.

Well, if you are going to be fussy, how about cyclocross? Perhaps even BMX.

tatanab wrote:

Si wrote:Think your off road category needs expanding s bit to have any meaning.....as some forms of off road are closer to road riding than they are to other kinds of MTB.

Well, if you are going to be fussy, how about cyclocross? Perhaps even BMX.

Quite. And several more. Although BMX has some quite different sub categories.

I want to know how many of us have won one or more races
I have not won one. Yet

Define what a race/competition is, a guy offered me out at the traffic lights a couple of years ago? I raced a kid on a mountain bike whilst I rode a ladies step thru around the estate, that was a race. My first ever audax (1987 I think) was pretty much a race right from the start and I wanted to get ahead of those fly boys by not sitting out of the torrential rain at the cake stops, doesn't that define a race?

Officially sanctioned racing, that boat long sailed long ago, possibly might have had a chance of not getting embarrassed in a local 10 and timekeepers sent search party's out 25+ years ago
My bag was/is rugby league, still attempting to compete at age 50 (last year), probably the lowest level of what could be defined as competitive, but two broken teeth for me and players almost coming to blows I reckon that's competition.

Whatever you do, race/compete or not, do something because you love/enjoy doing it, have little 'races' even if it's only in your head and no-one elses.

Cyril Haearn wrote:I want to know how many of us have won one or more races
I have not won one. Yet

Yes but i don't wish to brag

I was once in such a hurry that I met myself coming back.

Does that count?

Cyril Haearn wrote:I want to know how many of us have won one or more races
I have not won one. Yet

A few but my most embarrassing was an MTB XC race in Wales. Start of the race and a guy in black kit on a red MTB shot off the front like a startled rabbit. Fair enough. Carried on plugging away, it was baking hot and a tough course with a lot of lumps, one massive climb and then a proper boneshaker descent back to the finish. Bell lap finally comes, there's one guy in the far distance behind me and no-one in front. Going up the massive climb, in front of me was a guy in black kit on a red bike weaving all over the place.

I caught him, sat on the wheel and then realised he was going nowhere and I should just go for it before the descent (my weakest area). Put in a big attack (I'm dying by this point as well, can't think straight, run out of water), got to the top and pushed as hard as I dared. Crossed the line, fell over in a heap. He crossed the line 30 seconds later and I said "well done, where did you come?"

He looked at me like I was mad and said - "2nd. You won."

I was like "ooh! really?!"

I had no idea.

I have won a few since I returned to TTs, after 34 years, at the age of 51, 6 years ago. Got maximum points towards our BAR last year in one event. It was slashing down and only the timekeeper and I turned up. As we were both wet the event went ahead. I won!
Have won the last 4 or 5 BARs at my level. We have 3 classes for men. Fast, medium and fat oldies and novices. Even in the duffers class I don't often come first in a TT but I ride all 22 in a season and the points add up. There was a tie break one year between me and a chap in his 70s. I had stood in the rain for more events helping out than him so I won The winner of the medium class does the same.
I am, in a way, surprised how many people haven't raced.
Give it a go, it's a laugh if you take your mates along as well.
Club TT's on a weekday evening are great. Sure there will be the 30 year olds with the flash aero bikes and the more affluent 50 year olds with the even flasher bikes but there will be plenty of people on normal bikes, some joker on a MTB , possibly a trike or a tandem and some elder statesman of the club on his touring bike. couple of quid in the tub on the floor and 10 miles later you are knackered and looking for excuses. You'll be back next week, wondering if leaving your bottle behind will allow you to beat your mate.

mattsccm wrote:I have won a few since I returned to TTs, after 34 years, at the age of 51, 6 years ago. Got maximum points towards our BAR last year in one event. It was slashing down and only the timekeeper and I turned up. As we were both wet the event went ahead. I won!
Have won the last 4 or 5 BARs at my level. We have 3 classes for men. Fast, medium and fat oldies and novices. Even in the duffers class I don't often come first in a TT but I ride all 22 in a season and the points add up. There was a tie break one year between me and a chap in his 70s. I had stood in the rain for more events helping out than him so I won The winner of the medium class does the same.
I am, in a way, surprised how many people haven't raced.
Give it a go, it's a laugh if you take your mates along as well.
Club TT's on a weekday evening are great. Sure there will be the 30 year olds with the flash aero bikes and the more affluent 50 year olds with the even flasher bikes but there will be plenty of people on normal bikes, some joker on a MTB , possibly a trike or a tandem and some elder statesman of the club on his touring bike. couple of quid in the tub on the floor and 10 miles later you are knackered and looking for excuses. You'll be back next week, wondering if leaving your bottle behind will allow you to beat your mate.

Good post, almost makes me want to haul up to a local TT, but, do I turn up on my shopping bike hybrid with walking shorts and socks, ratty jersey and finishing last in a dead dog slow time get 'oh well, he tried', or turn up on my reasonable spec carbon machine with deepish carbon rims, strap on some tri bars I inherited about 15 years ago that I've never used and wear the tightest outfit I have, come last in a dead dog slow time but get the 'ATG&NI, what a @@@@'?

The Christmas Day time trials were fun, some turned up as Santa, some tried to get inside 20 minutes for ten miles, some tried to do both

Does comedy commuter racing count? Or trying to beat your mates to the pub?

Re evening 10 TT's - yes great fun. BITD I turned up on my Brompton and rode (but didn't quite beat 30 mins). Another local club did evening 25 TT's and on several occasions, one of their riders turned up on a mountain bike and beat them all - I think he did under the hour! He was a 'tourist' and hadn't raced more than 50 mile TT when he did his first 12Hr TT with more than 260 miles - very impressive.