DavidC

Had a baptism of fire into my first cyclocross race today in Falkirk. A beautiful route with only one carry the bike section but plenty of off camber action, slippy climbs and knarly roots to deal with ( still no 8 foot barbed wire fence Couttie ).
 
Travelled up with Paul Leavy and David Cathcart and met Davie Borland there too so a decent showing of JWCC colours with a few of the younger JWCC in the ladies race too.
 
By the time we arrived at the start line we found ourselves right at the back (95-100) but David C ended up at the very back (about 110). First lesson is to get nearer the front of the grid!
 
The starting gun fired. We waited a good 20-30 seconds from the gun until our section started moving. And then the real chaos starts. Leave any gap on any corner (or straight) and someone sticks their wheel in. Up to 87th by the time I cross the line to start the first real lap.
 
From the line it's a flat sprint around a gravelly right bend onto grass before hitting a 25-30 degree, lumpy slope hoping momentum carries you upward, but with 20 bikes all aiming for a 3 bike wide turn it ends up as a dismount and sprint up the hill and around a tree to remount for the descent. Thankfully the group spreads out quickly and I don't have this problem on other laps.
 
More uphill grassy/muddy thrashing before a sharp descent, and another sharp turn before the stair climb. Dismount, sprint, remount and a lot of up and down, energy sapping muddiness before the zig zag. A series of 6 off camber steep slope 180 degree turns. Loads of crashes here with the tyres giving way at the slightest push. This, for me, was the hardest part of the course.
 
Progressed lap on lap from 87th to 73rd to 68th to 62nd and then back down to 66th. By the final few laps the race has really spread out and I'm not gaining, just hoping to keep the riders behind at bay. Passed the line to be shown 2 laps to go (my best lap time 6:39). Knackered. There is no bunch to grab a breather in and with 40psi tyres it felt like I was riding on flats. Behind me I heard the bell signalling last lap. Never been so happy to be lapped! Even happier at the chequered flag at 67th.
 
Took a while to decide if I enjoyed it or not. I definitely prefer road cycling, but as a tough work out over the winter months cx is right up there. I just need to remember to get to the start in plenty of time.
 
Cheers to Paul L for the Belgian beer. Went down a treat!

Thanks once again Iain, enjoyed the training & beer, now to put my training to the test this Sunday

Thanks once again Iain, enjoyed the training & beer, now to put my training to the test this Sunday

Thanks once again Iain, enjoyed the training & beer, now to put my training to the test this Sunday

Yeah, brilliant night. Nicely set out track with a beer to cap it off. Cheers Coutts!

Thanks Iain for setup and beer, it was a fun night... 
 
Nice Bruise Paul

Iain was an excellent host letting us ride round his field on a horse course !
And then supplying beer and witty banter.
I'm now nursing my mishap injuries with some ice packs and red wine

Brilliant Paul. Looking forward to giving it a go on Sunday.
 
Maybe it was just the footage but I didn't see the 8 foot high barbed wire fence that Couttie assures me is a regular feature in cx races...

Sounds good, Beer i'm in....

Great event and course... It was an old skool start(not gridded) with two lines of riders in a field racing for first corner. Decided to try and get into the top few and see how long I could hold on. The pace on the front was hard and I lost a few places(fell on my arse) I did only fall off once . The last few laps I started to slip back but had some good battles and managed to claw back a place on last lap(which was fun). I finished 23rd... I was happy enough but need to work on my fitness, cornering, braking, dismounts, remounts... well everything. Thanks to Mike for the encouragement and other Wheelers, I could not make out who you were as I was going to fast(trying not to fall over).
 
I would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried, it really is a blast!
 
 

 
 
 

Yeah I agree great night last night.....  
Iain, next Wednesday night I'm washing my hair

I thought the 8 foot barbed wire fence was one of the highlights!
 
Utterly bonkers night, but as always thoroughly enjoyable.

No apology Iain, it was an adventure, an 'interesting' one
And what a night for it, view from up the braes was stunning

Sorry guys, I think that someone better do next weeks rout, saying that I had fun, we were only lost for about a mile.
Just think how boring normal rides will be, no axle deep mud no 8ft barb wire fence to climb.
 
Iain

Another good night, with some new trails and trials thanks Iain

Well, that was the toughest 8 miles I've done for a while... Thanks to Iain for some cracking trails and field. Thanks to Shimano for not unclipping when you were supposed to. Thanks to gravity for nothing at all. And thanks to Birra Moretti for making it all good again!

Nice weather and good turn out tonight and a few first timers for the hill of torture 
Times are          Gerard              2.40
                         Graham            2.37 
                         Alan T               2.31
                         David Cathcart 2.20
                         David Cowan    2.15
                         Ian                    2.04
                         Alan Mc            1.45 PB
                         Richard             1.34PB
 
well  done everyone  Â£21.00 collected 7 paid and given to Richard also thanks to Gerard for timekeeping at the bottom of hill.

Thanks Carol for timekeeping, it was a good evening - seems more fun now than it did at the finish!
 
Well done to everyone who took part, I'll need to get some training in before the club championship.

Thanks to Carol and Gerard on a lovely night for a horrible climb. Did anyone else think it was steeper than last year?

Godd run, just as well there was a beer stop at the end

Yes, good night, though I was lost trying to get you guys up to car park in the sky. Need Couttie to sort that one out.
 
Nice to venture further into the braes though no idea where we were.

Good fun tonight with Billy, Alex, Davie C up to carpark in the sky after that I was lost... dark forest and flashing lights

Yip. I will be there.

Great night Paul. Really enjoyed that. Thanks for organising and thanks to you and Couttie for the routes. scrubbing brush has been used on my legs...

Most excellent ride tonight... Emma, IainC, Billy, DavidC and AlexB all got muddy. Some tough ascents and some crazy descents but lots of fun. The ride was finished off by a spectacular near death experience which resulted in a sheared rear hanger and a few pints in Amaretto