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| The snow lined roads of the Buxton MTT. Yes, saddlebag is still on - yes another schoolgirl error! Picture by Steve Gait |
It’s been a while since I’ve done one of my own blogs. So many things to write about but not had the time.
I’ve not had much luck in racing so far, at the season starter crits my crank played up, kindly falling off on both occasions. Fortunately found out before the race season started. New chainset, problem solved (so far…). I’ve had a better time of it on the track, getting two wins and a third in 1 night and getting moved up a group where I have had the opportunity to race a 10miler. Exhausting, but brilliant training! Looking forward to racing the Friday night track league when it starts up again in October.
I’ve had to go on a couple of away jobs with work lately, but I struck lucky when I learned that one was a week in Bowness-on-Windermere – just down the road from Eve who lives in Kendal. It also ‘happened’ to coincide with a team weekend. It was a brilliant week away and I was totally battered by Eve over the week up the various climbs around the area. We also had a ride round the Capernwray course - it is extremely tough, but I like a challenge.
This Easter weekend has been another tough one. I competed in the demanding Buxton CC Mountain on Good Friday, which I had entered having forgotten how hard it was. The course is 2 laps round 11 miles of climbing and descent with nothing in between! I remembered the section along Axe Edge being flat. It was not. It was merely a little flatter than the climb leading up to it.
The winners normally ride the course on Time Trial bikes, but with a generous athletes prize on offer (and an unsuitable bottom gear on the TT bike) I opted to ride on my race bike and try out a pair of Carbon Edco wheels, which looked awesome and felt great! Although I went slightly slower than the previous year, the conditions were worse with a headwind up the climb and cold temperatures with snow lining the sides of the road, I still managed to collect 4th in both the women’s and 2 lap athletes prizes.
Next up was the Stockport Clarion Hill Climb on Easter Sunday out of the Goyt Valley to Long Hill – a long straight road that seems to go-on forever. Strange time of year to have a hill climb, but why not?! I didn’t think the climb would be much fun in the wet, but I actually quite enjoyed it! Probably mostly because I beat Richard (sorry!), but I quite liked the climb as well. Will look forward to doing the Buxton CC club event on the same climb later in the year.
The final racing of the weekend was the Easter Monday Open Track Meet – a good opportunity to race with just women! Unfortunately the races were quite short and I made a few tactical errors, but still managed 3rd in the scratch and devil and 2nd in the Keirin and Courses des Primes.
I’m now looking forward to racing at the Cheshire Classic in a couple of weekends time!
It’s been a while since I’ve done one of my own blogs. So many things to write about but not had the time.
I’ve not had much luck in racing so far, at the season starter crits my crank played up, kindly falling off on both occasions. Fortunately found out before the race season started. New chainset, problem solved (so far…). I’ve had a better time of it on the track, getting two wins and a third in 1 night and getting moved up a group where I have had the opportunity to race a 10miler. Exhausting, but brilliant training! Looking forward to racing the Friday night track league when it starts up again in October.
I’ve had to go on a couple of away jobs with work lately, but I struck lucky when I learned that one was a week in Bowness-on-Windermere – just down the road from Eve who lives in Kendal. It also ‘happened’ to coincide with a team weekend. It was a brilliant week away and I was totally battered by Eve over the week up the various climbs around the area. We also had a ride round the Capernwray course - it is extremely tough, but I like a challenge.
This Easter weekend has been another tough one. I competed in the demanding Buxton CC Mountain on Good Friday, which I had entered having forgotten how hard it was. The course is 2 laps round 11 miles of climbing and descent with nothing in between! I remembered the section along Axe Edge being flat. It was not. It was merely a little flatter than the climb leading up to it.
The winners normally ride the course on Time Trial bikes, but with a generous athletes prize on offer (and an unsuitable bottom gear on the TT bike) I opted to ride on my race bike and try out a pair of Carbon Edco wheels, which looked awesome and felt great! Although I went slightly slower than the previous year, the conditions were worse with a headwind up the climb and cold temperatures with snow lining the sides of the road, I still managed to collect 4th in both the women’s and 2 lap athletes prizes.
Next up was the Stockport Clarion Hill Climb on Easter Sunday out of the Goyt Valley to Long Hill – a long straight road that seems to go-on forever. Strange time of year to have a hill climb, but why not?! I didn’t think the climb would be much fun in the wet, but I actually quite enjoyed it! Probably mostly because I beat Richard (sorry!), but I quite liked the climb as well. Will look forward to doing the Buxton CC club event on the same climb later in the year.
The final racing of the weekend was the Easter Monday Open Track Meet – a good opportunity to race with just women! Unfortunately the races were quite short and I made a few tactical errors, but still managed 3rd in the scratch and devil and 2nd in the Keirin and Courses des Primes.
I’m now looking forward to racing at the Cheshire Classic in a couple of weekends time!
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| Nicola and Sports Citys Lisa Daily in the Team Sprint |
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| On the start line for a cold, wet hill climb! Kenda tyres were brilliant - no wheel spin whatsoever!! Photo by Steve Gait |
