Didn't know whether to add this to the "ride" thread, but then decided to start a new one, save clogging it up with my drivel.
After reading that there was a pedelec class in the Mini Enduro series, and that their night race was to be at Llandegla, I decided to give it a go.
After all, what was the worst that could happen?
I've ridden Llandegla a few times, so know it reasonably well, but we tend to stay to the same routes. I had already worked out where two of the timed stages were from the website, and had my suspicions for the other two.
Llandegla stays open late on a Wednesday night, so I took the opportunity to have a look in the dark beforehand. Very different, the shadows play tricks with your line, and the track is not as distinct as you'd think in places. I thought my goggles had steamed up at one point, but when I snatched them off, I found it was fog/mist/low cloud! Whatever it was, head torches were useless, as it reflected back in your face.
This was to be my first ever (organised) cycle race, but not my first race. I've been racing, in one form or other, since my late teens.
The date clashed with everyone else in our riding collective washing the cat, or other such important duties. I suspect that I was to be the Guinea pig for future reference though, as I put in my entry.
Reading the Mini Enduro website told me this race was to be a "Mash up" format. This was a new one on me, perhaps it's unique to mountain bikes, but reading further I was enlightened . Four timed stages, all four to be completed to finish, each stage ridden as often as you like (or can) to give you your best time within a four hour "live timing" session. Fire road shortcuts back to the start of each stage, course set out from Saturday morning to allow for practice if you so desired. Signing on opens at 14.30, timing live at 16.00.
Hmm, so if I get there handy, sign on when it opens and get up the hill, I can have a quick run through in a semblance of daylight. Plan A.
My girlfriend, her daughter, and her dog accompanied me. Lured by the temptation of a long walk, the cafe, and watching me make a fool of myself. A swift bacon sandwich and a coffee at signing on, then back out to attach the transponder and number board. Despite my protestations to the contrary, Denise assures me that I do indeed suffer from grumpy pre race nerves, and was therefore glad to see me pull my helmet on and bugger off!
Setting the assistance at 25% and steadily pedalling up the three mile climb, I found the start of stage one. It was a little earlier than I expected, and therefore uphill from the timing mat. Sneaky.
My intentions though, were to find stage three, which was the one I had never ridden before. Following the shortcut put me at the start a couple of minutes prior to the timing being switched on, so I waited to get the all clear, upped the power to 100% and set off for my first run.
Nothing too problematic, make sure I stay to the right after the marshal , and left before the end, and slow down after the timing mat so as not to run into the fence.
Oh, and pedal. Quite a lot.
From there I turned back up towards stage one, knowing that there was no tree cover there, so I still wouldn't need lights.
Quite a queue of riders had collected, so I joined the back and waited my turn.
Selecting a highish gear I pedalled hard from the mat, flattened the jumps through the Yellow Pine section, drove hard into the big right hand berm and took the high, left line off the slab jump. As I went to pedal off the landing, I found no resistance, because my chain had come off. Bugger.
Quickly dragging the bike off track and slotting it back on, l rejoined behind a non assisted rider, both of us cursing the uphill finish to the stage!
A lot of riders were heading back towards the start of stage one, so I decided it was time to try two. On the downhill cruise towards the start, I plugged the (admittedly suspect) battery into my secondary bar light. Nothing. Not even a flicker. Good job I brought a spare!
All lights now on full, I dropped into stage two. This was perhaps the more technical of the stages, and now properly dark. I rode as hard as I dared. There were no scary moments, which suggests I could have gone harder, but it was fairly smooth, which should mean quick. (for me, obviously)
As the end was probably the lowest point of the course, I dropped back to 25% and winched my way up towards the start of stage three to give that another go. Knowing where it went meant I had a better run through it the second time, although I did still nearly run into the fence at the end!
Now to sort out the unfinished business of stage one. This time I felt I flowed better over the Yellow Pine jumps, landed smother off the slab jump, and the chain stayed on. The uphill finish was faster than 15mph though, so my poor little legs were burning!
I had put good (relative) runs in on three stages, now time for stage four. As this was back at the visitor centre, and cafe, it would be a good place for a pit stop. Listening to a discussion with the lady manning the start of stage one comparing the virtues of returning via the fire road, or down the blue route, I opted for the blue. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Yes, it was far more interesting, but darker, lonely, and disorienting! It appeared I was one of few who had taken this option, and it seemed to take ages.
Finally reaching the reservoir, I worked my way round to stage four start. This is the last red route into the car park, and I felt as though I knew it well enough to hit it hard. Which is why I nearly overshot the first banked left. Which is why I nearly slid down the off camber right. Which is why I cleared one of the tabletops for the first time and carried too much speed for the corner after it. And just where I expected the end to be, there was a marshal, pointing left, into another part of the track I have never ridden! It wasn't far to the end, but I felt it had taken the shine off an exhilarating run.
Into the cafe, and my long suffering girlfriend has her head in a text book, her teenage daughter has her head in her phone, and her dog is trying to drag the table out to meet me. Checking the timing screen shows me as third, with only a ten second deficit. I could call it a day, but it's only ten seconds, and if first and second have already given it everything, or quit. Hmm.
Denise has seen this before, and just rolls her eyes. A grunt from the teenager that sounds like "Not competitive then?" and that's decided.
A quick coffee, dump a dead light battery and an unneeded shirt and off we go again. This time I intended to use the fire road routes to the stages, so one more run through each, should be back in an hour, says I.
It seems to take an awfully long time up the fire road, especially as there are no reference points that I am used to. Finally the start of stage one hoves into view.
This run feels smooth and quick, to the point where I think that's as good as I'll get.
Pleased, I head for stage two. This run feels ragged, and I mess up a couple of corners. Less pleased now. Also secondary bar light has now died. Thankfully Hope and Exposure can still be relied upon.
Winch back up to the start of stage three, pedal through it but don't feel that it was any quicker. Certainly not ten seconds. All on stage four then!
Cruising back down the fire road is certainly quicker than the blue route, and I get to stage four start with a positive attitude. This will be the run I need, aware of earlier mistakes, I power forward, smooth, controlled, and after the first of the jumps my chain comes off again. Arse.
With the power left at 100% I sprint back round to the start, getting there only minutes before the finish. Battery warning glowing I get my breath before throwing myself through the stage again, this time using up everything I have, knowing that once through the timing that will be it. It was a better run, but still not good enough.
Back in the cafe, it turns out I've been nearly two hours, and Denise has been fretting.
My time has improved, but so have the times of the two riders that were in front of me, and one other who has pushed me down to fourth place. Ho hum.
Conclusions:
1)Night racing is great fun.
2)No way I could have done more than one lap without the Levo.
3)I'm not as quick as I thought I was.
4)Some people out there are very quick indeed.
5)Chain device somewhere in my future.
6)Cheap lights are just that.
7)I'm probably not going to get any quicker than that.
8) I really want to do it again!
Many thanks to the organisers, and especially the marshals, for standing out there in the cold and dark, allowing us to enjoy ourselves!
Mark
After reading that there was a pedelec class in the Mini Enduro series, and that their night race was to be at Llandegla, I decided to give it a go.
After all, what was the worst that could happen?
I've ridden Llandegla a few times, so know it reasonably well, but we tend to stay to the same routes. I had already worked out where two of the timed stages were from the website, and had my suspicions for the other two.
Llandegla stays open late on a Wednesday night, so I took the opportunity to have a look in the dark beforehand. Very different, the shadows play tricks with your line, and the track is not as distinct as you'd think in places. I thought my goggles had steamed up at one point, but when I snatched them off, I found it was fog/mist/low cloud! Whatever it was, head torches were useless, as it reflected back in your face.
This was to be my first ever (organised) cycle race, but not my first race. I've been racing, in one form or other, since my late teens.
The date clashed with everyone else in our riding collective washing the cat, or other such important duties. I suspect that I was to be the Guinea pig for future reference though, as I put in my entry.
Reading the Mini Enduro website told me this race was to be a "Mash up" format. This was a new one on me, perhaps it's unique to mountain bikes, but reading further I was enlightened . Four timed stages, all four to be completed to finish, each stage ridden as often as you like (or can) to give you your best time within a four hour "live timing" session. Fire road shortcuts back to the start of each stage, course set out from Saturday morning to allow for practice if you so desired. Signing on opens at 14.30, timing live at 16.00.
Hmm, so if I get there handy, sign on when it opens and get up the hill, I can have a quick run through in a semblance of daylight. Plan A.
My girlfriend, her daughter, and her dog accompanied me. Lured by the temptation of a long walk, the cafe, and watching me make a fool of myself. A swift bacon sandwich and a coffee at signing on, then back out to attach the transponder and number board. Despite my protestations to the contrary, Denise assures me that I do indeed suffer from grumpy pre race nerves, and was therefore glad to see me pull my helmet on and bugger off!
Setting the assistance at 25% and steadily pedalling up the three mile climb, I found the start of stage one. It was a little earlier than I expected, and therefore uphill from the timing mat. Sneaky.
My intentions though, were to find stage three, which was the one I had never ridden before. Following the shortcut put me at the start a couple of minutes prior to the timing being switched on, so I waited to get the all clear, upped the power to 100% and set off for my first run.
Nothing too problematic, make sure I stay to the right after the marshal , and left before the end, and slow down after the timing mat so as not to run into the fence.
Oh, and pedal. Quite a lot.
From there I turned back up towards stage one, knowing that there was no tree cover there, so I still wouldn't need lights.
Quite a queue of riders had collected, so I joined the back and waited my turn.
Selecting a highish gear I pedalled hard from the mat, flattened the jumps through the Yellow Pine section, drove hard into the big right hand berm and took the high, left line off the slab jump. As I went to pedal off the landing, I found no resistance, because my chain had come off. Bugger.
Quickly dragging the bike off track and slotting it back on, l rejoined behind a non assisted rider, both of us cursing the uphill finish to the stage!
A lot of riders were heading back towards the start of stage one, so I decided it was time to try two. On the downhill cruise towards the start, I plugged the (admittedly suspect) battery into my secondary bar light. Nothing. Not even a flicker. Good job I brought a spare!
All lights now on full, I dropped into stage two. This was perhaps the more technical of the stages, and now properly dark. I rode as hard as I dared. There were no scary moments, which suggests I could have gone harder, but it was fairly smooth, which should mean quick. (for me, obviously)
As the end was probably the lowest point of the course, I dropped back to 25% and winched my way up towards the start of stage three to give that another go. Knowing where it went meant I had a better run through it the second time, although I did still nearly run into the fence at the end!
Now to sort out the unfinished business of stage one. This time I felt I flowed better over the Yellow Pine jumps, landed smother off the slab jump, and the chain stayed on. The uphill finish was faster than 15mph though, so my poor little legs were burning!
I had put good (relative) runs in on three stages, now time for stage four. As this was back at the visitor centre, and cafe, it would be a good place for a pit stop. Listening to a discussion with the lady manning the start of stage one comparing the virtues of returning via the fire road, or down the blue route, I opted for the blue. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Yes, it was far more interesting, but darker, lonely, and disorienting! It appeared I was one of few who had taken this option, and it seemed to take ages.
Finally reaching the reservoir, I worked my way round to stage four start. This is the last red route into the car park, and I felt as though I knew it well enough to hit it hard. Which is why I nearly overshot the first banked left. Which is why I nearly slid down the off camber right. Which is why I cleared one of the tabletops for the first time and carried too much speed for the corner after it. And just where I expected the end to be, there was a marshal, pointing left, into another part of the track I have never ridden! It wasn't far to the end, but I felt it had taken the shine off an exhilarating run.
Into the cafe, and my long suffering girlfriend has her head in a text book, her teenage daughter has her head in her phone, and her dog is trying to drag the table out to meet me. Checking the timing screen shows me as third, with only a ten second deficit. I could call it a day, but it's only ten seconds, and if first and second have already given it everything, or quit. Hmm.
Denise has seen this before, and just rolls her eyes. A grunt from the teenager that sounds like "Not competitive then?" and that's decided.
A quick coffee, dump a dead light battery and an unneeded shirt and off we go again. This time I intended to use the fire road routes to the stages, so one more run through each, should be back in an hour, says I.
It seems to take an awfully long time up the fire road, especially as there are no reference points that I am used to. Finally the start of stage one hoves into view.
This run feels smooth and quick, to the point where I think that's as good as I'll get.
Pleased, I head for stage two. This run feels ragged, and I mess up a couple of corners. Less pleased now. Also secondary bar light has now died. Thankfully Hope and Exposure can still be relied upon.
Winch back up to the start of stage three, pedal through it but don't feel that it was any quicker. Certainly not ten seconds. All on stage four then!
Cruising back down the fire road is certainly quicker than the blue route, and I get to stage four start with a positive attitude. This will be the run I need, aware of earlier mistakes, I power forward, smooth, controlled, and after the first of the jumps my chain comes off again. Arse.
With the power left at 100% I sprint back round to the start, getting there only minutes before the finish. Battery warning glowing I get my breath before throwing myself through the stage again, this time using up everything I have, knowing that once through the timing that will be it. It was a better run, but still not good enough.
Back in the cafe, it turns out I've been nearly two hours, and Denise has been fretting.
My time has improved, but so have the times of the two riders that were in front of me, and one other who has pushed me down to fourth place. Ho hum.
Conclusions:
1)Night racing is great fun.
2)No way I could have done more than one lap without the Levo.
3)I'm not as quick as I thought I was.
4)Some people out there are very quick indeed.
5)Chain device somewhere in my future.
6)Cheap lights are just that.
7)I'm probably not going to get any quicker than that.
8) I really want to do it again!
Many thanks to the organisers, and especially the marshals, for standing out there in the cold and dark, allowing us to enjoy ourselves!
Mark
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