Lenny, Alek and Rob's cyclo crossbromance

lennymc

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Should do well in the A race so..

Must be the 2nd place guy who's an A2 road champ so..

are there any licence restrictions on entering the b race - a2s entering with A4s etc.

Might be easier to spread the categories than banning MTBs.

Peterx

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Should do well in the A race so..

Must be the 2nd place guy who's an A2 road champ so..

http://www.cyclingireland.ie/page/events/rider-rankings/a2 unless his name is John Brady he isn't the A2 champion.

Richard Barry came second in the B race in glencullen lapping in about 8:08 pace excluding a flying first lap. Someone has to win the B's , 8:08 pace is just about 37th in the A's, sounds about right to able to win the B's with those times?

Seriously, why the bashing? If he wins next time he'll be upgraded.
Like the lad who won last weekend.
CX isn't road or MTB, it's CX.
Different people do well in it compared to road (sometimes)

Tenzor07

Who's bashing? Just stating what I see...

Tenzor07

lennymc wrote: »

are there any licence restrictions on entering the b race - a2s entering with A4s etc.
Might be easier to spread the categories than banning MTBs.

Nope, the B race can be full of A2, A3's

In theory the B race is the entry point for people new to racing, or who may have done the odd A4 race on the road, or S4/S3 on the MTB...

daragh_

Last Sunday I spent more time messing about with a dropped chain than I did falling over in the sand.

Anyone care to post a mechanically incompetent persons guide to buying and setting up a narrow wide CX chainring (on the cheap ideally)?

lennymc

Are you running single ring up front? All I did was buy a new chainring and some single ring bolts and swap out the non n/w chain ring. Didn't drop a chain all day. What bcd have you?

daragh_

Bog standard compact Tiagra

Tenzor07

daragh_ wrote: »

Last Sunday I spent more time messing about with a dropped chain than I did falling over in the sand.

Anyone care to post a mechanically incompetent persons guide to buying and setting up a narrow wide CX chainring (on the cheap ideally)?

Just take out a link on your chain, and adjust the front mech, maybe throwing too far..

I've a double and it was faultless all through the race, even getting air on the downhill section of the course...

Alek

Anyone care to post a mechanically incompetent persons guide

Its very simplex.

What chainset do you have currently? I bet its 110BCD but its worth checking.

Once you know, go to superstarcomponents.com, order a 38T cyclocross I/O chainring (or 40T if you feel like mashing) and a set of short chainring bolts. Or chainring bolt spacers if they have them. I can't see their website at work so can't give you links right now.

When it arrives, remove your current chainrings and install the new one in place of the outer one.

Shorten your chain according to this, just leave 4 or 6 links extra instead: http://fcdn.roadbikereview.com/attachments/components-wrenching/306181d1432458835-both-these-new-chain-length-methods-correct-chainlength2.jpg

If you need a hand or a tool, PM me


[edit]

Ok, compact tiagra is 110BCD.

daragh_

@Tenzor07

That certainly seems like the easiest option. But then I won't get to buy more stuff!

@Alek

Thanks. I'll give you a shout

nak

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Nope, the B race can be full of A2, A3's

In theory the B race is the entry point for people new to racing, or who may have done the odd A4 race on the road, or S4/S3 on the MTB...

Agreed, the B race is aimed at beginners, not A1 sandbaggers as has happened before.

Not so nice in mountain biking, I know of someone who is A1 on the road and hadn't done a XC race before who was put in S1 by the organiser after choosing S3 at registration.

Tenzor07

nak wrote: »

Agreed, the B race is aimed at beginners, not A1 sandbaggers as has happened before.
Not so nice in mountain biking, I know of someone who is A1 on the road and hadn't done a XC race before who was put in S1 by the organiser after choosing S3 at registration.

Probably because people don't get the off-road race categories, it's not the same as the road system... But fair play to some of the race organisers who spot these guys and promote them up...

nak

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Probably because people don't get the off-road race categories, it's not the same as the road system... But fair play to some of the race organisers who spot these guys and promote them up...

It's not quite the same as CX, you can make your way around a dry non-technical cross course easily enough as a roadie, but if new to mountain biking you will more than likely come last in S1 or DNF no matter how good the fitness.

Alek

For Lenny and Colm: images below taken during only one race.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/retroshift/sets/72157632042809321/

:eek::eek::eek:

wanderer 22

Alek wrote: »

For Lenny and Colm: images below taken during only one race.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/retroshift/sets/72157632042809321/

:eek::eek::eek:

I'm starting to see the appeal of singlespeed.

lennymc

I'm trying to work out my magic gear combination....

Alek

work out my magic gear

As in the best ratio for racing or rather keeping the chain tensioned on a vertical dropout?

lennymc

Alek wrote: »

keeping the chain tensioned on a vertical dropout?

this. ratio will change depending on course.

Alek

Try this:

http://eehouse.org/fixin/formfmu.php

Crosscheck in sizes >46cm has chainstay length of 425mm, same as my Croix de Fer. I may build it as SSCX one day, when there will be a dedicated race

Considering that you may use any ring from a cassette (from 11 to 32, right?), you can get GI from 37 to 120

lennymc

the cross check has a semi horizontal drop out, ran that single speed before, might build it up again, but then I would need to buy a commuter....

I need to work out what the magic gear would be for the sensa.

Alek

I need to work out what the magic gear would be for the sensa.

Just enter the chainstay length in the calc above and hey presta!

(pun intended)

lennymc

yeah - i have used that link previously, but i dont know the chainstay length for my bike.

Alek

Right, they don't specify this in the geometry chart. http://www.merlincycles.com/resources/files/cyclocross_fermo_sl_geo-2015.jpg

I guess a ruler will do the trick

lennymc

^^^^ I know

ford2600

lennymc wrote: »

^^^^ I know

Would this help in keeping Rd on?

http://www.bikerumor.com/2013/07/31/give-broken-derailleurs-the-burd-with-retroshifts-new-affordable-cx-rear-derailleur/

Alek

http://cyclocross.uberflip.com/i/368311-free-issue-2014

Very good text on tubeless (p. 61 onwards)

Also, interesting test of tyre pressures in cx (p.96)

foxer3640

Well it looks like I'm not going to the cx race this Sunday. I've pick up a hip injury that won't go away. I'll know tomorrow. A spot in the b race for cost price.

midonogh

foxer3640 wrote: »

Well it looks like I'm not going to the cx race this Sunday. I've pick up a hip injury that won't go away. I'll know tomorrow. A spot in the b race for cost price.

Larne?

lennymc

ford2600 wrote: »

Would this help in keeping Rd on?

http://www.bikerumor.com/2013/07/31/give-broken-derailleurs-the-burd-with-retroshifts-new-affordable-cx-rear-derailleur/

i use 105 rd, the 5800 11 spd is about 30 quid, and about 20 quid for a hanger, so it's not the end of the world financially if they break. My concern with that one would be that it would be quite hard to get.

RobFowl

foxer3640 wrote: »

Well it looks like I'm not going to the cx race this Sunday. I've pick up a hip injury that won't go away. I'll know tomorrow. A spot in the b race for cost price.

If it's larne I'll take it